Guyana Times - Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Bids for Eccles-to-Diamond 4-lane road to be opened on Nov 15 P14

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

Issue No. 4819

THE BEACON OF TRUTH TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

Cabinet grants "no-objection" to Amaila Falls Hydropower Project See story on page 15

…Chinese company awarded contract for new Demerara bridge

Govt to enforce relinquishment clause for unexplored oil blocks – VP …blocks to be auctioned next year COP26

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

5 more P11 COVID-19 deaths recorded Gunmen beat, rob WBD P10 family APNU motion to extend weekly PAC meetings P2 defeated …Govt willing to reach consensus on extra meetings

See story on page 3

Pres Ali meets with US President, Canadian …holds meetings with Caribbean bloc leaders PM, India PM See story on page 7

Maternal death at NA Hospital P15

Mother had clot in lung, baby hole in heart – autopsy report

“It is a sad state of affairs in Guyana” – Chancellor on criticism of P8 Judges …says Judiciary working with limited judges, lacks resources to publish rulings

President Dr Irfaan Ali with United States President Joe Biden, Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Brown and Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis

Exxon’s Sapote-1 well comes up dry …company applies for 12-well drilling programme in Canje See story on page 16

Cop refuses P12 breathalyser test after killing pedestrian in WCB accident 2 motorcyclists die in ECD accidents P10

2 NEWS APNU motion to extend weekly PAC meetings defeated TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…Govt willing to reach consensus on extra meetings

A

motion that the parliamentary Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) had been seeking to increase sittings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to twice per week, has been defeated by the Government side of the committee.

The motion was dealt with in camera, prior to the PAC sitting dealing with matters on the agenda related to the 2016 Audit Report. Afterwards,

however, PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira confirmed to the media that the motion had been passed.

He expressed disappointment at this outcome.

“Given the backlog of work that has to be done at the Public Accounts Committee, our side is very much disappointed.

Reasons were articulated and so forth, but we believe having two meetings a week would have facilitated us addressing the huge backlog,” Figueira said.

“We would have seen

Govt Chief Whip Gail Teixeira

members of the public articulating the position that two weeks meeting is fair.

But some views were articulated that the AG Office, the Finance Secretary and those constitutional officers might be bogged down by work.”

He acknowledged that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) side of the PAC is willing to reach a consensus with the Opposition on extra meetings whenever the need arises - as long as it is not a binding statutory requirement.

This was confirmed by Government Chief Whip and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira, who noted that making two meetings per week statutory not only goes against tradition, but would be inconvenient for the PAC’s workload.

“The issue at stake is, do we need to (make extra meetings statutory)? The answer is no… this Public Accounts Committee has additional work. The appointment of the PPC (Public Procurement Commission) nominees to go to the house, we have to review the Auditor General’s performance records. We have to deal with the Auditor General’s reports itself.”

“Throughout all the Public Accounts Committees and those I’ve been on, we have from time to time met specially, with consensus, because of a particular task to do.

What the Opposition has been trying to do is statutorise other meetings. We’re saying there’s no need for that. What has worked from 1966 to now, can continue to work,” Teixeira explained.

She recalled that from former PAC Chairman Carl Greenidge’s time to now President Irfaan Ali when he served as the Committee’s Chairman, there was always a consensus on extending meetings between the two sides.

During those negotiations, she recalled that she herself served as the point person for the Government side during Greenidge’s tenure, while former Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence took on that mantle during Ali’s tenure.

Last month, a decision was made in the PAC to have statutory meetings twice weekly. It was

PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira

a decision neither the Government side nor constitutional bodies complied with. The standoff, which even saw Teixeira warning that a motion of no confidence could be brought against Figueira in a similar manner to the one that removed former PAC Chairman David Patterson, resulted in the PPP bringing the motion to revert meetings back to the status quo.

Teixeira had previously tabled a motion of no confidence against Patterson at a Committee meeting in February this year but his Opposition colleagues refused to take up his seat, arguing steadfastly for Patterson to be retained.

Then at subsequent meetings, Patterson failed to put the issue on the agenda.

This resulted in Teixeira tabling the No-Confidence Motion against Patterson in the National Assembly in June. After a marathon session that featured lengthy and heated debates that ran into the wee hours of June 15, the motion was passed by a 34 to 31 majority in the National Assembly. Figueira would take over the position of Chairman soon after. (G3)

NEWS

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Tuesday, Nov 2 – 02:00h – 03:30h and 13:30h – 15:00h and Wednesday, Nov 3 – 02:30h – 04:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, Nov 2 – 14:40h – 16:10h and Wednesday, Nov 3 – 15:15h – 16:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunshine during the day. Expect partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: West North-Westerly to Northerly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 14:48h reaching a maximum height of 2.67 metres.

Low Tide: 08:21h and 20:44h reaching minimum heights of 0.61 metre and 0.5 metre.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

02 04 08

09 17 23

FREE TICKET

24 Bonus Ball

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021

DAILY MILLIONS

03 08 11 21 23 LUCKY 3

6

1

3

2

Afternoon Draw

1

4

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01 05 08 10 12 18 19 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

01 05 07 16 17 13

01 02 13 20 21

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1 Afternoon Draw

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$84.38/barrel

+0.00

Rough Rice

$242.64/ton

-0.17

London Sugar

$509.10/ton

-1.26

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1790.00

$1791.00

Low/High Change

$1780.70 -3.50

$1797.30 -0.20%

Govt to enforce relinquishment clause for unexplored oil blocks – VP …blocks to be auctioned next year

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he Guyana Government will be activating and enforcing the relinquishment provision in contracts, which speaks to handing over portions of the awarded oil blocks during the course of the exploration period.

At a press conference on Monday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo signalled his Administration’s intention of auctioning new oil blocks no later than the third quarter of 2022. This would call for the enforcement of the Relinquishment Provision, thereby adding these acreages to the existing pool of blocks to be awarded.

“We’re hoping that latest next year third quarter, that we will be able to auction the new blocks. That requires us now to aggressively enforce the relinquishing provisions in all of the contracts so that added to the existing pool of areas available, we will have now the relinquished areas which can then form part of the auction that will take place,” said Jagdeo.

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the Stabroek Block. Guyana’s oil revenues are being banked in the New York Federal Reserve Bank, where it is earning interest.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027, with developmental drilling recently starting on the second one, the Liza Phase 2 project.

The relinquishment clause is typically included in contracts so that companies can relinquish a portion of the block when the renewable period is up, thereby allowing other companies to buy into the respective blocks.

For the Stabroek, Canje and Stabroek Blocks, operators are required to relinquish 20 per cent of their blocks after the first renewal period; while those of the Demerara and Corentyne Blocks are expected to relinquish 15 per cent within this period.

The Kaieteur Block’s relinquishment provision is said to be 25 per cent, then 20 per cent by the first renewal; with the Mahaicony and Roraima Blocks at 25 per cent. By the time of the first renewal for the Orinduik Block, the operators are not expected to relinquish any portion.

Auction

Speaking on the auction, he said Government is yet to decide whether it would

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

increase the value of the areas by conducting a seismic scan of the blocks.

“To go to an auction, we have to make several policy decisions. We’d have to get somebody in who has done auctions before. Secondly, we have to make decisions like some countries are doing to shoot 3G seismic and then auction the block with seismic data which gives you a higher price; or to avoid that, just auction the areas as is.”

Ghanian experts in Guyana

Meanwhile, the Vice President underscored that Government has been working to set up a robust architecture for the management

of the industry. However, it is time to move on to the next stage.

He pointed out that progress has been made in relation to the Local Content Policy, with the arrival of Ghanian experts as of Monday night. This follows a recent visit by the VP to the country, in order to secure skilled expertise in this department.

“We are going to utilise the skills of the people from Ghana to assist us in the architecture for the management of the industry.

We have had a lot of consultants from Northern countries and elsewhere but it is time we go to a country that has actually had to work at

building these institutions from scratch in a relatively short period of time.”

Leading the team is Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Energy; and Chief Executive Officers of both the Petroleum Commission and the Ghana National Gas Company. In the short term, Jagdeo said he has asked for their input in three areas as local authorities move to table the Local Content Policy by year end.

Another technical team will arrive at a later date.

“Our Local Content Policy has been in the public domain for a very long time, almost a year. We’re wrapping it up now and we’re looking at key issues,” he related.

With legislation in place, Jagdeo said efforts will move towards the training of local workforce to capitalise in the industry. He pointed to one instance where they are seeking to have Exxon’s post-2017 expenditure done

by Guyanese.

“We have been very disappointed that we have not been able to select a group to do an audit of the post2017 expenditure by Exxon.

The reason is that we did not have a strong local content. We had two local groups that came but they were not strong enough. We want to build the capacity to do this audit.”

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

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

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Green-light for AFHP

he news that Cabinet has given its no-objection to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) as part of its energy mix to ensure that the nation is provided with clean, reliable and affordable electricity is great news for Guyana.

From the onset, it should be stated that Guyana would have been in a better position regarding an affordable, reliable supply of electricity if there had been bipartisan support for the AFHP, which was proposed by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) some years ago. In fact, had the Amaila project gone through, it would have been in the system since 2017, and, by now, the problem of constant blackouts would have been a thing of the past.

It could be recalled that the project was not given parliamentary support by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) parties, which had controlled the National Assembly by a one-seat majority at the time. Further, in spite of pleadings from the PPP/C to continue the conversation and ensure the project was restarted, when the APNU/AFC took office in 2015, it moved ahead and killed the project.

However, now that the PPP/C has been returned to Government, it is good news that such a transformative project would finally become a reality.

Amaila was expected to deliver a steady source of clean, renewable energy, and was envisioned to meet approximately 90 per cent of Guyana’s domestic energy needs while removing dependency on fossil fuels. The electric plant was proposed to be a 165-megawatt (MW) (installed capacity) hydropower-generation facility located in west-central Guyana, approximately 250 kilometres south-west of Georgetown.

In addition, it would have improved Guyana’s balance of payments by significantly reducing the importation of fuel, significantly reducing end-user costs for electricity, and improving reliability of energy supply and generation of clean energy – which would have helped to encourage economic growth and development by improving regional competitiveness, Private Sector investment, and Foreign Direct Investment.

An “objective and facts-based” assessment done by Norconsult, an engineering and design consultancy firm from Norway, had concluded and recommended that “the only realistic path” for Guyana moving towards an emissionfree electricity sector and achieving its 2025 Green Agenda commitment was to develop its hydropower potential in general, and maintain the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project in particular.

In spite of assurances from the power company that blackouts would be a thing of the past, over the past couple of years, prolonged periods of blackout have actually increased across the country. Consumers have written several letters to this newspaper, expressing their disgust over the situation. The Government has now taken steps to ensure that citizens are provided with affordable and reliable electricity by it utilising an energy mix of wind, solar, and hydro. It is also working seriously on an ambitious gas-to-shore energy project, which would see an addition of between 200 and 250MW of power being provided.

Guyana is currently generating electricity at approximately 17 to 20 US cents per kilowatt/hour. This is among the highest in the Region, and, on this basis, the Government has promised to reduce the cost of energy in the country by 50 per cent over the next five years.

As we had stated before, energy is one area in which there should have been a bipartisan approach by politicians; meaning: the Opposition and the Government could work together towards finding a lasting solution to Guyana’s electricity problems.

The no-objection to the project is a step in the right direction, considering that the country is still plagued with blackouts and high cost for electricity. Of importance, too, is that hydropower is an important part of Guyana’s energy mix in the future, since it is considered to be renewable and environmentally friendly.

Guyana’s High Commissioner to India, Charrandas Persaud joins with the diplomatic community in India to celebrate Diwali. In photo with Persaud are diplomats from Fiji, India, T&T, Suriname and Mauritius

Back to the lands in Region Five Dear Editor, I will consider Region Five as the main and most important agricultural region in Guyana because of its wide variety of produce in the agri sector, be it rice, sugar (Blairmont Estate Home of Demerara Gold and always meets its target), cattle rearing, cash crop (plays a very important role), etc.

Region Five has potential to better agriculture in Guyana but under the previous Government, agriculture took a dip - especially in Region Five.

Many could have hardly gone back or planted their lands because of the rise in the rates towards rice farmers, etc. With that said, I do not want to touch on rice further but on the small man farming their little piece of land in various villages be it their yard, at the backdam between rice field dams or elsewhere.

During the previous Government, APNU/AFC (PNC), those small farmers were taken advantage of in many ways, be it taken off their lands, no water, less resources being offered, etc.

Let me deal with the real issues that were affecting the small man planting cash crops.

They were targeted by NDCs with instructions from RDC officials (mind you not the Council but Administration) in various ways.

I know many of those cash crop farmers were planting on Government reserves that weren’t

used for years by any Government and they invested a lot to get those lands into the shape so that they can have the best produce.

But the then regional top brass stepped in and branded himself an agricultural fanatic and started taking away the lands of some farmers in the Fort Wellington and within various villages like No 8, Bath, Paradise, Rosignol, Cotton Tree and other areas. I was given a spot on that regional agri farm committee after the taking away from farmers at Forth Wellington to ensure the lands are being used, but I also fight for farmers that were removed to be given spots at the northern half of said land. Some took it and some didn’t.

That entire agri project was the worst ever that was developed in Region Five while hundreds of millions was wasted. I used to call it the milking cow for the agriculture fanatic. The real farmers that were employed were fired because of race and almost Five were hired that never planted a bora seed or tomato plant, etc.

I stood up for those workers and after the produce was ordered to be taken to certain parts of Guyana and not sold to the locals in the region that would normally take cash crop to the city, I vented more concerns. It wasn’t profitable to take those produce to that region but the agri fanatic wants to send a $25,000 worth of

cash crop with an overall expense of around $50,000 and wants us to believe it was profitable. That’s where I step out of that socalled farm committee.

The many farmers suffered major losses and weren’t given any assistance. I begged the then Agri Minister to assist the farmers but that was like throwing water on a duck’s back. I keep begging but nothing.

The only assistance given to some farmers was when the PNC formed a party group in Bath Settlement a few spades and shovels were given to a few.

In 2016, I organised many small farmers in Bath to put themselves together and form a cash crop group after a talk with the then Minister of Agri. The group had about 80 members and was growing. They registered and a weekly meeting was kept. I then approached the said Minister to help the group with some agricultural tools, seedlings and other things needed but again yes to yes was given and it never happened.

I asked farmers in D’Edward and other areas to do the same and they too weren’t given help. The only way help was given to some small farmers in Region Five is if the PNC Ministers visited and they went to special areas where their party had groups.

The then Government as we all know had no vision for bettering agriculture.

In 2021 I see farmers getting access to many of the resources needed in getting back to their lands. I see a solid agricultural model farm at Forth Wellington. I see farmers across Region Five getting back into their lands and starting farming. Grants are being given to farmers and necessary advice needed is being provided by the officials from various agencies in the Agri Ministry.

I know that cash crop farmers are going to be better off now under this new Government than before because the previous Government had no vision to widen and strengthen the small man’s cash crop farms.

I must commend the Ministry of Agriculture for their quick resuscitation of farming groups and to ensure farmers’ needs are being adhered to. I must commend the Minister of Agriculture for his vision towards ensuring that cash crop farming is being looked after because at the end of the day he does not have to send his security to whim for some bora and shrimps but can have access to that in Georgetown.

Across Region Five farmers are back to their lands and I know that Region Five is going to make that Ministry proud by being the best agricultural region in Guyana.

With regards, Abel Seetaram Fmr AFC Executive

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

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Inquiry into financial management of GWI needed

Dear Editor, In a Guyana Times article of October 24, it was reported that the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has instituted legal proceedings against a contractor who has failed to complete a $123 million contract to replace aged transmission lines at Bel Air Park, Georgetown.

The contract was awarded in November 2017 by the then PNC/AFC Government and was to have been com-

pleted four months later.

During the contract period, the contract sum was increased by some 14 per cent from $108 million to $123 million.

In 2020 a new PPP Government took over and the officials at GWI found that the contractor had been paid for work in eight tranches totalling $114 million+ representing 93 per cent of the contract sum.

Further, examination by GWI revealed that only

11.25 per cent of contract work was completed which it valued at $39 million+ and concluded that some $87 million+ had been overpaid to the contractor.

In accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract, GWI decided to terminate the contract and is instituting legal proceedings to recover its claimed overpayment of $87 million+ made to the contractor.

Unfortunately, missing

in this article is the responsibility and action which were taken by those persons who monitored construction progress, evaluated the work done by the contractor and recommended to GWI, the amounts of partial payments which were made to the contractor. Guyanese would want to know as to why certified payments were made to the contractor for over two years for work not done as well as increasing the contract sum by $15

million without a “red flag” being hoisted by those responsible to alert GWI to stop payments?

Minister Bishop Juan Edghill noted at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the site, “that although there were corruption, negligence and gross mismanagement in the execution of this contract to replace aged transmission lines, his Government (PPP) must bring relief to suffering Guyanese and improve the

lives of the people”.

Given the evidence of lax financial control in contract execution and the statement that there was no audit at GWI since 2016, Senior Minister Edghill should initiate a Government inquiry into the financial management of GWI. If misappropriation is found, then fitting action should be taken against those responsible.

Yours truly, Charles Sohan

Disappointed with endorsement Illegal structures must be removed

Dear Editor, I was shocked, offended, and disappointed in Anil Nandlall (Guyana’s Attorney General) when I read that he delivered the opening remarks at the launch of Dialogue Solutions’ mediation service in Guyana.

That Nandlall would welcome the company by saying “Government was fully committed to the initiative to cultivate confidence among international investors that Guyana is a competent gold-standard arbitration venue” is a slap in the face of the certified Guyanese mediators who ply their trade with great distinction. Jamela Ali SC, Kashir Khan, and Teni Housty come readily to mind.

However, this is not the only reason I find Nandlall’s speech offensive.

It is Nandlall’s endorsement of a mediation venture where the local principal (Nigel Hughes) is well known for his political bias (Chairman of the Alliance for Change) and has a long rap sheet of eccentric behaviours.

Nigel Hughes is not a certified mediator and worse, given Hughes’ actions in the past it would be a departure from his norm to expect impartial treatment should he perceive you to be from the ‘other side’.

I would not recommend a foreign company for mediation when high-quality exists locally and further, a company that has failed to exercise due diligence in its first engagement with Guyana; for their edification I suggest they look no further than

Nigel Hughes’ own words in his 2000 word epistle “How are we going to share the corn 2020” to see evidence of racial/political bias in the mind of their local partner as this diatribe is filled with inaccuracies and pseudo-historical facts to support the claims that there is an Indodominance in Guyana, phrases include: “our main ethnic blocks have repeatedly reaffirmed their preference to be governed by their own kind” ,“The numbers have always, by design, been against the Africans” and “We are not a nation and have never had any pretensions of being one” as Hughes exposes his mindset.

Should Dialogue Solutions want to delve deeper to ascertain the moral and ethical standards of their chosen advocate, I offer the following points on the compass for guidance: they can begin with the Hamilton gas station murder recording removal; former President Jagdeo was succinct when he said in 2011, “By the way, you know when Hamilton was killed at the gas station in Buxton… guess what happened, Nigel Hughes showed up… They had a camera and he (Hughes) took away the tape…the Police never got hold of that tape and I am saying it here publicly tonight because it’s the truth and why did he take away the tape of how this guy was killed?” “I don’t know but let me tell you, my suspicion is that he (Hughes) was also right there when Brian Hamilton was killed by

the bandits in Buxton.” (KN 25.10.11) A plethora of bizarre incidents such as the man on the roof overlooking the seawall and the baton rape that never was, can be looked at but ‘true north’ lies with Hughes inventive mathematical formula that brought shame and disgrace to the entire nation; in suggesting that 33 was not the majority of 65, Hughes lured a desperate (then) President Granger and his Cabinet into a web of ignorance and eventual status as ‘dunces’ as the argument made them (Granger and Co) the laughing stock of the Caribbean. It was Justice Anderson of the Caribbean Court of Justice who put it best when he said “even little children know that 33 is the majority of 65” in dismissing that argument. Nigel Hughes is not nor ever will be someone that can be trusted to mediate or be involved in impartial mediation.

As for the Attorney General/Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, I would recommend he exercise caution when endorsing companies and individuals as there is an implication that he is speaking for the Administration. Anil Nandlall is no longer a junior lawyer, he needs to exercise maturity and discretion in his words and actions; advice that ‘pot-salt’ can be overdone, and “not every tin cup knack is a party” is offered.

Sincerely, Robin Singh

Dear Editor, It has long since been a problem in this developing country of ours, that is, the erection of illegal structures on Government reserves.

They have built such structures on main intersections and on the highway itself, some of these protruding on to the public thoroughfare.

This cannot be allowed and the practice must end now!

Our roads, highways and other such passageways must be free from any encumbrance.

There must be a free flow of traffic and pedestrians along our nation’s roads.

This same lack of respect for Government reserves has caused us the festering problem of squatting. This was the first form of illegal occupancy of State lands to take shape in this country.

The aim - occupy any available space there is, put up a shack, and then turn again and say “there is no place for me to live”. Soon after illegal shanties began going up like wildfire. To this day squatting is still a major problem in urban areas.

The setting up of structures at the side of, or on the road itself, comes under the caption of “we want to earn a living,” or commonly put, it’s all in the “big hustle” – a roadside hustle, as the Minister puts it. I am talking about permanent stalls on Government property. It ranges from tuck shops to roadside pubs even dancehalls and drinking spots, it is all happening here in the urban areas!

Remarks cannot be construed to endorse nor provide character testimonial

Dear Editor, I thank Mr Robin Singh for his letter to the editor and I offer my apologies for ‘‘shocking, offending and disappointing’’ him by my remarks at the launch of Dialogue Solutions (Guyana) Inc. My remarks cannot be construed nor were they intended to endorse nor provide a character testimonial of or for anyone.

From the information which I was provided, this initiative is an offspring of Dialogue Solutions Limited, Trinidad and Tobago. A company that has been of-

fering arbitration, mediation, and conciliation services for several years in Trinidad and Tobago and other parts of the Caribbean.

Among the persons who participated and spoke at the event were, The Right Honourable Sir Dennis Byron, former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Honourable Madame Justice Charmaine Pemberton of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr John Bassie, Global Vice President, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Chairman of Dispute Resolution

Foundation Jamaica and Mr Richard Sammy General Manager, Corporate and Investment Banking, Republic Bank Limited.

I was invited to update the forum on the Government of Guyana’s publicly expressed intention of establishing this jurisdiction as an arbitration destination of the Caribbean and possibly South America.

That is what I used the occasion to do. I thank Mr Singh for quoting me accurately that ‘‘Government was fully committed to the initiative of cultivating confidence among internation-

al investors that Guyana is a competent gold-standard arbitration venue.’’ It is the discharge of this commitment that inspired my presence and contribution at the engagement.

To respond to the remainder of Mr Singh’s letter would cause me to descend to an arena from which I will deliberately refrain.

Yours faithfully, Hon Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, MP Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs

I must pause here to mention that I am not speaking about the itinerant vendor who temporarily sells his produce from the back of his truck or cart. This in my estimation should be allowed, once he sells his stuff and leaves within reasonable time. Everyone is entitled to earn a living. However, for those permanent structures, there is a definite no!

These obstacles referred to earlier are not limited to squatting and outdoor stalls but extend to old cars, derelict machinery and other scrap metal left at the side of the road. These impede the movement of traffic as well as endanger the lives of pedestrians. Navigating our roadways becomes a nightmare in such circumstances.

This nonsense has to stop, we cannot allow our thoroughfares to be overrun by these illegal structures or persons who do not want to be covered under the law when it comes to decent and orderly town and country planning rules. The time to act is now.

I say now that we are in the formative years of our town and country planning, it is opportune that we address these issues now! Not tomorrow when it has already become a cancerous tumour.

The political axe grinders are already at it making out a case for those found on the wrong side of the law, they are touting the usual case that these persons are trapped in poverty so there are no other alternatives.

Well, to be in poverty and to be lawless at the same time is not offering a solution, what they are doing is just making a bad situation worse.

Therefore, my address to them is either you comply or have these structures broken down. The Government is not obliged to wait until these persons feel pleased to take their structures down, certainly not! This is a matter for Government to act swiftly to get this matter under control.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

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Foundation

By Jennifer Habersham

P

aper firecrackers, also known as Chinese paper poppers, are a simple craft project that even a small child can make. To make a paper firecracker, you need only one sheet of paper and about a minute of your time. The type of paper that you use when making paper firecrackers will determine the loudness of the popping sound. The thicker the paper, the louder the pop sound will be. You can use a wellmade paper firecracker several times.

Step 5 Hold the paper so that the folded side is at the top.

You want to hold the pointy corners of the folds (far left side if you are looking down at the paper) between your thumb and index finger.

Step 1 Fold your paper in half vertically. Run your finger along the fold to create a strong crease. Open your paper back up.

Step 2 Fold one side of the paper so that the vertical edge touch the crease in the centre of the paper. Once again, run your fingers along the fold to create a strong crease.

Step 3 Fold the vertical edge (the same side you folded in step 2) of the paper once more.

Step 4 Flip the paper over and fold horizontally so that the edges meet. Once again reinforce the creases with your fingers. This basically leaves you with a square piece of paper with four flaps.

Step 6 Pull the inside flaps out and up. Make sure to hold tight to the corners of the outer two flaps of paper.

Step 7 Flick your wrist forward while still holding tight to the corners. This will pop the paper out and make a firecracker type noise. Refold to repeat. (ehow.com)

By Eugene Field Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night Sailed off in a wooden shoe-Sailed on a river of crystal light, Into a sea of dew.

"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"

The old moon asked of the three.

"We have come to fish for the herring fish That live in this beautiful sea; Nets of silver and gold have we!"

Said Wynken, Blynken, And Nod. The old moon laughed and sang a song, As they rocked in the wooden shoe, And the wind that sped them all night long Ruffled the waves of dew.

The little stars were the herring fish That lived in that beautiful sea-"Now cast your nets wherever you wish-Never afeard are we!"

So cried the stars to the fishermen three: Wynken, Blynken, And Nod. All night long their nets they threw To the stars in the twinkling foam--Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe, Bringing the fishermen home; 'T was all so pretty a sail it seemed As if it could not be, And some folks thought 't was a dream they 'd dreamed Of sailing that beautiful sea--But I shall name you the fishermen three: Wynken, Blynken, And Nod. Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes, And Nod is a little head, And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies Is a wee one's trundle-bed.

So shut your eyes while mother sings Of wonderful sights that be, And you shall see the beautiful things As you rock in the misty sea, Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three: Wynken, Blynken, And Nod.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COP26

Pres Ali meets with US President, Canadian PM, India PM …holds meetings with Caribbean bloc leaders

from Sunday to November 12 and will see the attendance of many Heads of State. President Dr Irfaan Ali arrived in Scotland to participate in the convention on Sunday. The President, who left Guyana on Saturday morning, was received by a representative of the Queen upon his arrival in Glasgow, Scotland.

President Ali’s schedule includes delivering several addresses at key high-level climate summits, participating in several international roundtable discussions and partaking in bilateral meetings with other Heads of State and Government officials. Holness, Pierre and Davis were among the Caribbean leaders he engaged even before they ar-

President Ali with United States President Joe Biden, Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Brown and Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis

President Irfaan Ali and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi greet each other at COP26 in Scotland

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday used the opportunity afforded

by COP26 to meet and interact with world leaders, all in Glasgow, Scotland, to play their part in steering the world towards a sustainable future.

Among those the President met were United States (US) President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Head of State also interacted with Latin American leaders, such as Iván Duque Márquez.

Additionally, he met with Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado Quesada

Minister, Andrew Holness; Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne and St Lucia’s Prime Minister, Phillip J Pierre.

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) is heading into COP26 lobbying as a bloc for more to be done for the protection of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and low-lying coastal states, as well as more access to development financing.

The President met with President of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) 26, Alok Sharma, at the Scottish Event Campus

President Ali during his meeting with UNFCC President Alok Sharma

and Kuwait Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah during the summit.

Closer to home, President Ali met Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Brown and Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis.

With respect to the Caribbean bloc, President Ali also met with Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley; Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley; Jamaica’s Prime

(SEC) in Glasgow, Scotland.

During the meeting, discussions centred on Guyana’s objectives and aims at the international climate conference. The Head of State also updated Sharma on Guyana’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) that was recently launched for national consultation, while he reminded him of Guyana’s effective low carbon development over the last 12 years.

COP26 is slated to run

President Ali with Barbados PM Mia Mottley

The President with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

rived in Scotland.

The President is coming off weeks of activism in favour of SIDS and climate change and it was he who launched the national consultation process for the expanded LCDS 2030 last week. The new LCDS 2030 document states that it will build on the objectives of the old document and capitalise on various opportunities for the country to earn money and grow its economy. Among them is climate financing.

“From early 2022, there is a strong possibility that Guyana can access market-based mechanisms for forest climate services that includes private, as well as international public sector financing,” the LCDS draft states.

“This will enable a pathway to transition from the existing Guyana-Norway partnership and increase the value of sustainably managing Guyana’s forests.

The MRVS system, built since 2009, will also act as a platform for integration with other ecosystem services markets.”

Another opportunity open to Guyana from the strategy is to stimulate future growth through clean energy and sustainable eco-

nomic activity. It theorises that Guyana can undergo a revolutionary energy transition while growing its econo-

my and keeping greenhouse gas emissions from energy use at around 2019 levels.

Additionally, the document talks of targeted support for Amerindian and other communities who depend on industries such as

logging and who would likely be affected by restrictions on logging activities.

According to the LCDS, 15 per cent of revenues from these forest climate services will go to Amerindian communities. (G3)

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“It is a sad state of affairs in Guyana” – Chancellor on criticism of Judges

…says Judiciary working with limited Judges, lacks resources to publish rulings

F

rom two University of the West Indies (UWI) academics questioning the independence of the Guyana Court of Appeal to Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, calling on Judges to obey the statutory six-month timeframe for rendering written judgements, over the past few weeks, the local media has been buzzing with articles concerning the Judiciary. The reports, however, have not been overlooked.

In fact, the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, has expressed much dissatisfaction about the reports on “social media and otherwise” criticising Judges. Although she did not single out any report, she described the situation by saying, “It is a sad state of affairs in Guyana.” Justice Cummings-Edwards did so during the hearing of a civil matter on Monday at the Court of Appeal.

In the absence of much-needed resources, she made it clear that the Judges, though limited in number, continue to do their work assiduously. Obviously referring to the commentators, she said, “They sit in their ivory towers and make their statements on social media and otherwise; it is a sad state of affairs in Guyana.” Contrary to reports, the Chancellor said that judicial officers have been writing judgements.

Pointing to a specific judgement, she said that it is recorded in the West Indian Law Reports which is

Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards

published by Lexis Nexis in London. But she pointed out that there are no facilities for publication here and this is why the Judiciary does not have a website as yet for publishing decisions.

One of the Judges sitting on the panel asked that she be recused from hearing the case since she presided over a matter related to the case at the High Court.

While counsel on both sides Attorney-at-Law Pauline Chase and Senior Counsel Robin Stoby, the President and Vice President, respectively, of the Bar Association of Guyana saw no bias with the Judge sitting the panel agreed to consider the issue further.

The Chancellor nevertheless assured, “we [the Judges] are all transparent, we are dealing with all of this to put all the facts out in the interest of justice”. Should that Judge

be removed, a Judge from the High Court will be added.

The Chancellor then highlighted that there is a small number of Judges.

“We are in a sad state indeed… legally given our numbers and an even more sad state given the fact that all Judges are being pilloried even when we are doing our level best at ensuring justice given our small number throughout the length and breadth of Guyana and even by persons who ought to know better.”

The Chancellor explained that of the quota of Judges at the Supreme Court of Judicature, at any given point, a Judge is sent to preside at the High Court in Berbice and another at the High Court in Essequibo.

“We will have to come back whether with [Judge asking to be recused] or another Judge who we may have to pull either from Berbice or Essequibo or even the limited number right here at the High Court and we will continue this case. But work, we will. We have taken an oath of office and we are true to that oath, we will continue to work,” Justice CummingsEdwards declared.

In response, Stoby said that he is appalled at some of the comments he has seen on social media.

He said, “I think the difficulty arises…that the Judiciary in its dignity and in its graciousness has or would not be inclined to make any response. But there are times when we feel that per-

haps that we need to rush to their assistance, and I would ask the President of the Bar Association to consider that.”

The Senior Counsel noted that the state of affairs is “most unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, Senior Counsel Edward Luckhoo who is representing one of the parties, said, “the unenvious position the Judiciary finds itself in, is when these allegations and assertions are made it is… for them to respond… they are really in a position where allegations are made and where they are precluded by their dignity from being able to respond. I think that is the problem.”

“Indeed, it is,” the Chancellor replied.

Questionable

In their recent research paper titled: “The Judiciary and the 2020 Guyana Elections”, UWI lecturers Dr Ronnie Yearwood and Cynthia Barrow-Giles asserted that some of the judgements that came out of the Court of Appeal in relation to the March 2020 elections are highly questionable.

Examining the rulings handed down by that court, Dr Yearwood, a qualified lawyer in Barbados, England and Wales, and the British Virgin Islands, who lectures law, said that many judgements rendered by the Court of Appeal were “corrected” by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

He reasoned that it seems often that Guyana’s High Court and the CCJ were on similar wavelengths and similar thoughts and reasoning. “It was often the Court of Appeal where the judgement seems to go awry and then the CCJ correcting the Court of Appeal to say actually what the High Court originally ruled as the exclusive court to deal with electoral matters was right, so we often saw that happen.”

Meanwhile, BarrowGiles who led the high-level Caricom team to supervise the recount of all ballots in Guyana, said considering what the Court of Appeal had to say on the same matters that were addressed by Chief Justice Roxane George, SC – whom she described as highly respected – in her view “some of the judgements that came out of the Court of Appeal are highly questionable”.

While noting that she is not a lawyer and did not want to impute anyone, the Senior Lecturer in Political Science opined that there might be a connection between the appointment process for Judges and some of the judgements rendered.

The Court of Appeal is presided over by the Chancellor of the Judiciary, while the High Court is led by the Chief Justice. The Constitution instructs that the Chancellor of the Judiciary and the Chief Justice are appointed after the President and Opposition Leader reach an agreement.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Belling the cat… …on Climate Change So, the leaders of 120 countries have jetted up to Edinburgh, Scotland, for “COP 26” – the Climate Change talks following up from COP 25 in Paris five years ago. (Imagine the climate-warming CO2 was expelled into the atmosphere from the said jets!) As in all the previous COP’s, there were heaps of promises and pledges in 2015 – especially by the developed countries that had created the problem in the first place – but, in the end, zilch was done.

Your Eyewitness remembers that Raphael Trotman represented the PNC coalition government in Paris – it was the same year that EXXON had struck oil here, remember?

But your Eyewitness doesn’t remember anyone asking HIM to leave the oil under the Atlantic, did they? Maybe if they had, he wouldn’t have jetted out to Houston the next year to sign away the store for US$18M. That was over the table – even though it had to be ferreted out!! Imagine what had to’ve been passed UNDER the table. Certainly, more than toes playing footsies!!

Anyhow, your Eyewitness ain’t no “climate sceptic” – he doesn’t have any doubts about what the science has told us about Climate Change. The atmosphere has definitely warmed up since the 18th century when the Industrial Revolution took off on the back of the steam engine invented by James Watt.

Just look as to how it hasn’t stopped raining here for the past year!!

Is it coincidental that Watt was from Edinburgh!?! Steam engines consumed coal and later “internal combustion engines” were invented to use other petroleum products – all generating CO2! How else would the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere not increase to trap more heat and raise the temperature? Especially when the European colonists with the same steam engines were cutting down most of the tropical and other forests that absorbed CO2 to act as “carbon sinks”!

So, let’s move on to WHAT will be done and WHO will “do the doing” about reducing CO2 to such a level that the earth’s temperature won’t rise more than 1.5° C than it was before we started spewing all this CO2 like crazy. Call him jaded, but your Eyewitness doesn’t believe anything will change to REALLY make a difference. The problem is those countries that did the damage want those that are trying to catch up with them –- as far as “Development” is concerned – to do the same as they!!

Now you see the catch?? It’s the classic definition of maintaining inequality!! The developed countries just didn’t “develop” with fossil fuels –- they did so by deliberately exploiting and UNDER-DEVELOPING the ones they’re now telling to stop!! They must cut deeper than others.

Which we know, they ain’t NEVER gonna do!!

…in the PNC leadership elections Amidst concerns raised in the public arena about the internal PNC leadership elections being rigged in favour of those who control the machinery, the individuals competing say they have complete faith that the process will be open and transparent. Well, something miraculous must’ve happened recently. Let’s not go back too far…didn’t Norton say the 2014 PNC elections were “manipulated” to ensure that Granger beat him for the leadership?

And in 2009, didn’t he claim the same thing happened in the Georgetown District when he lost to Volda Lawrence after there were more votes recorded than the 300 registered?

Didn’t he say the lists were “padded”? And what about Team Alexander’s 2008 challenge to Corbin’s leadership??

Didn’t they protest expulsions saying they didn’t want to be “victims of the old political culture that spouted democracy and free and fair elections, but practised the opposite, hence their appeal to the conscience of the PNCR members and supporters”??

Ahh…the more things change…! …on the oil contract Your Eyewitness finds it more than passing strange that the vociferous crowd denouncing the PPP’s policies on the oil extraction are completely silent on pursuing action against Trotman, who signed the inequities contract in the first place!!

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

NEWS

9

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Brazilian man fined $310,000 for forging ATM cards

A

52-year-old Brazilian man was on Monday slapped with three charges in relation to using forged ATM cards to withdraw cash from Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited.

Mariel Adriano Barbosa Leal appeared before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The first charge alleged that on October 26, 2021, at Republic Bank, Camp and Robb Streets, Georgetown, he attempted to steal $30,000 from the bank.

It was also alleged that on October 25, 2021, at Republic Bank, Camp and Robb Streets, Georgetown, he stole $100,000 - monies

Mariel Adriano Barbosa Leal

belonging to the bank.

It was further alleged that on the same day at Republic Bank, Camp and

“It is a sad state...

The other Judges are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

There has been no JSC since 2017. The last JSC was appointed by former President Donald Ramotar on September 11, 2014. The tenure of each appointed member is for three years, therefore, the tenure of the last Commission expired on September 12, 2017.

To this end, BarrowGiles underscored the need to examine the appointment process for Judges and to ensure there is a complete separation of powers in the region.

The latter, she said, is one of the issues that clearly “comes out in some of the things that we saw coming out of the Guyanese courts in particular”.

The lecturers lauded Justice George for delivering sound judgements in the election-related cases and in so doing, pointed out that many of her rulings were upheld by the apex court.

When it comes to some of the decisions rendered by Guyana’s courts, in particular, the Court of Appeal, Barrow-Giles said that the most important point is the question as to whether or not the courts are truly as

FROM PAGE 8

independent as they really ought to be, what can be done about that, and whether or not the judgements are also a reflection of the lack of independence of the courts.

High praises

Guyana’s Chancellor and Chief Justice have come in for high praises

by CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders. At the launch of Guyana’s revised Code of Ethics for Judicial Officers in early October, he said that the leadership of Justice Cummings-Edwards and Justice George has been exemplary.

He used the forum to applaud Guyana’s Judiciary on its deployment of technology, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep the wheels of justice turning among other achievements.

As he congratulated the two women at the helm of the country’s Judiciary, Justice Saunders expressed, “Their leadership has been exemplary throughout the region and beyond all locals can see the results for themselves.”

Integrity exists

Robb Streets, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he conspired with persons unknown to forge eight Republic Bank ATM cards, purporting to show that they were issued to him.

The man pleaded guilty to the charges.

On the first charge, he was ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 or in default serve 60 days in prison. On the second charge, the father of two was fined $130,000 or in default six months’ imprisonment. Leal was sentenced to pay a fine of $150,000 or serve six months imprisonment on the last charge.

Upon paying the fines or serving the jail term, he will be deported to his homeland.

In his address to the court,

At the launching ceremony, the CCJ President dismissed the notion of there

being rogue Judges/judicial officers in the Caribbean.

According to the jurist, he has spent the last 40 years “in the courtroom, appearing before Judges, assessing Judges, working alongside Judges, supervising Judges, training and being trained by Judges and observing lawyers interact with lawyers, litigants, and the public.”

Considering this, Justice Saunders noted that he is in a fairly good position to give the firm opinion that a decent level of integrity exists among the vast majority of Caribbean Judges “It frustrates and upsets me that one still hears too often unproven allegations of widespread malfeasants among Caribbean Judges.

Those who peddle this view, when you confront them and seek particulars, details, any information to support such a damning indictment, you get little of substance, and if you press hard and are lucky you might get a grudging retraction,” he said.

Justice Saunders noted that attacks on the professionalism of Judges are a practice by losing litigants to persuade themselves and others that they lost because of some “hanky-panky.” (G1)

the man apologised for his wrongdoings. He said that a friend gave him the forged bank cards when he arrived in Guyana.

Leal arrived in Guyana on October 24, 2021, and was granted a three-month stay. The man travelled to Georgetown on October

25, 2021, and went to a casino on Church Street, Georgetown. After leaving the casino, he went to a Republic Bank ATM where he used the forged cards to withdraw $100,000.

The next day, he went back to the ATM and attempted to withdraw

$30,000. His attempt failed and he was arrested by the bank’s security guard and handed over to the Police.

Upon searching his person, Police found eight forged Republic Bank ATM cards.

As such, he was arrested and told of the offences committed. (G1)

10 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 motorcyclists die Gunmen beat, rob WBD family in ECD accidents F ive men, armed with guns and cutlasses, on Sunday night invaded the Recht-DoorZee, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home of a family where they assaulted the occupants and escaped with a quantity of cash and other valuables.

The victims are a 56-yearold housewife, a 23-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man, all of whom were badly beaten by the perpetrators who stormed their house at around 20:30h.

Reports are that the 20-year-old was in the yard when he saw two men jump-

T

wo motorcyclists died in separate accidents on the East Coast of Demerara on Sunday.

Dead are Kevin Peters of Supply, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and Petal Payne of East Canefield, East Canje, Berbice.

Reports are that 23-yearold Peters died after he lost control of the motorcycle he was riding and plunged into a trench.

Kevin Ashley, 20, of Helena, Mahaica, ECD, was the pillion rider at the time of the crash; he remains in the hospital for observation.

The accident occurred at around 20:50h at Drill Old Road, Mahaicony, ECD. Reports are that the motorcyclist was proceeding west along the southern drive lane at a fast rate.

While negotiating a right turn, the motorcyclist lost control of the bike and ended up in a nearby trench.

As a result, the driver and pillion rider received injuries about their bodies.

They were assisted out of the trench by public-spirited citizens and taken to Mahaicony Public Hospital where they were admitted patients.

Whilst being treated, the driver succumbed and the pillion rider is being kept for observation.

Meanwhile, 44-yearold Payne died along the

Dead: Petal Payne

Airy Hall Public Road, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The accident occurred at about 16:00h.

Reports are that the motorcyclist was proceeding south along the eastern side of Airy Hall Public Road when she lost control of the bike whilst negotiating a sharp right turn.

As a result, she fell onto the roadway and received injuries to her head and about her body.

She was picked up in a semi-conscious condition and taken to Mahaicony Public Hospital. She was treated and transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries around 22:00h on Sunday evening.

ing over the fence. One of the perpetrators pulled out a gun and started to beat him about his body while the

other suspect struck him in the face with a gun, causing him to become unconscious.

The 23-year-old, who

was inside the house, recalled hearing a male voice telling her not to move. The perpetrator held the woman at gunpoint and demanded money. He then cuffed her several times to the face, causing her to fall on the ground.

The housewife was also assaulted during the 30-minute-long ordeal. The bandits escaped with two cell phones and $60,000.

As they made their escape, one of them reportedly discharged a round in the air.

Investigations are ongoing.

More theft charges for former security service employee A

North Sophia, Greater Georgetown man was on Monday slapped with 14 more charges for allegedly stealing a little over half a million dollars from his former employer. Darrell LaFargue, 23, appeared before Principal Magistrate Sherdel IssacsMarcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that between July 10, 2021, and August 6, 2021, at Regent Street, Georgetown, while being employed as a clerk or servant at Queensway

Security Service Inc, he stole $514,486. He was granted bail in the sum of $200,000.

His next court date is in December.

Last month, LaFargue appeared in court on similar charges. He also denied those charges. It is alleged that between August 21, 2021, and September 4, 2021, at Regent Street, Georgetown, while being employed as a clerk/servant at Queensway Security Service Inc, he stole

On bail: Darrell LaFargue

$362,314.

Then, Police Prosecutor Annalisa Brummell told the court that the defendant gave a caution statement admitting to the crime. LaFargue was granted $450,000 bail on the first set of charges.

Conditionality of the bail is that he reports to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, every Friday until the hearing and determination of his trial. (G1)

Teen wanted for attempted sexual assault of 15-year-old

A

19-year-old is wanted by Police for the attempted sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl which occurred during the wee hours of Sunday.

The incident occurred in Region Seven (Cuyuni-

Mazaruni).

According to Police, the victim and suspect are related and Sunday, the girl was asleep when she felt someone choking her.

“She opened her eyes and saw it was the suspect, who

is a male relative. A scuffle ensued which awoke other householders and he released her and fled the scene,” the GPF said in a statement.

The matter was reported to the Police and an investigation was launched.

NEWS

11

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

5 more COVID-19 deaths recorded GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD NOVEMBER 1, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

36

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

57 2758 13

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

4

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

18,803

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

16,854

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

35,657

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

31,904

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

382,177

FULLY IMMUNISED

244,322

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

925

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1616

REGION 2

1444

REGION 3

4837

REGION 4

16,947

REGION 5

1283

REGION 6

2655

REGION 7

1744

REGION 8

591

REGION 9

2445

REGION 10

2095

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

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

F

ive more persons who were infected with the novel coronavirus have died, taking the country’s death toll to a startling 925.

This was reported by the Health Ministry on Monday, adding that four of these persons were unvaccinated. All five persons died on October 31.

They included a 66-yearold female from Region Four; a 75-year-old female from Region Three; a 67-yearold male from Region Four; a 72-year-old female from Region Five; and an 88-yearold female from Region Four.

The dashboard showed that 36 new cases surfaced in one day. This raised the

total confirmed cases to 35,657.

There are 13 persons in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 57 persons in institutional isolation, 18,803 in home isolation and four in institutional quarantine.

In total, there have been 31,904 recoveries from the 16,854 males and 18,803 females that tested positive.

A breakdown showed 14 new cases in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), four in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 12 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), two in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), one in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), two in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni);

and one in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

No new cases were reported in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

The new Emergency COVID-19 measures stipulates that the definition of a vaccinated person is now regarded as having obtained both doses of the respective COVID-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, the curfew hours are now changed, whereby it is now effective from 00:00h to 04:00h.

In addition, from 04:00h to 23:00h, stakeholders will still be able to access services at banks, markets, su-

permarkets, grocery shops, gas stations, postal or shipping services, beauty salons, barbershops, hardware stores, clothing stores; or other maintenance services.

The measures will take effect from November 1, 2021, and will end on November 30, 2021 – unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Health Minister after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

Relaxed curfew will not result spike

With the national curfew now being adjusted, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony is adamant that these relaxed hours will not result in

a spike in COVID-19 cases.

During Monday’s COVID-19 update, the Health Minister was asked to respond to concerns that the relaxed curfew may result in an increase in cases.

“The increase in cases will be determined by peoples’ attitudes and I think we’ve had more than a year and a half where people get to understand the disease and the precautions that they need to take which would be the masking, physical distancing, sanitising,” he contended.

Dr Anthony added that the surest way to ensure there is a decline in COVID-19 cases is for persons to become ful-

ly immunised against the life-threatening virus.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene. (G12)

12 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cop refuses breathalyser test after Teen, 2 others on killing pedestrian in WCB accident $1.2M bail for robbing overseas-based Guyanese A

36-year-old detective attached to the Fort Wellington Police Station has been taken into custody after he struck down and killed a pedestrian.

Police on Monday said the detective also refused to take a breathalyser test after the accident.

Dead is Quacy David, 36, of Number 30 Village, West Coast Berbice.

The accident occurred at around 15:41h on Sunday at the Number 28 Village Public Road.

Reports are that the motor car driven by the 36-year-old detective was proceeding along the road at a speed of about 75kmph. The driver alleged that the pedestrian suddenly walked out from an access road and into the path of his vehicle.

On seeing this, he claimed that he applied brakes to avoid a collision but despite his efforts the car collided with the pedestrian.

As a result of the collision, the pedestrian fell onto the roadway and received injuries to his body.

He was picked up in an unconscious condition by Police and escorted to Fort Wellington Public Hospital where he was treated and later transferred to New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he died.

Dead: Quacy David

The cop was taken to Fort Wellington Police Station – where is he stationed. There, he was told to subject himself to a breathalyser test and he refused to do so.

This publication was told that Davis had just exited a bus shed when he was hit by a speeding car and ended about 25 metres away and 15 feet off the road in a vacant plot of land.

Screeching tires

The dead man’s uncle Hugh Davis said he was a street away when he heard tires screeching and the sound of an impact.

“When I rush out, I reach Quacy lying in the corner in a clump of bush. His feet break and there were injuries to all parts of his body… He had to have been speeding according to the mark impression that I see from the road corner and his hat fall right there and the car pick him and pitch him into the clump of bushes,” he said.

According to Davis, his nephew would normally be at the bus shed where he spends most of his days and would go home for his meals.

“He suffering with a lil mental health but he don’t trouble anyone, he would go on the road and come in back… he does go in the bus shed and relax,” the senior Davis said while referring to his nephew as a very quiet person.

Meanwhile, Davis said that he was told that when the car stopped and persons had gathered, the cop was seen throwing a bottle with beverage out of the window.

The dead man’s mother, Colette Davis, said she needs a thorough investigation into the incident.

“He is a policeman and his wife is a police officer at the same station. The officers who come to investigate the matter are from Fort Wellington – everybody is one,” the grieving uncle exclaimed.

Davis leaves to mourn his mother and three siblings. (G4)

T

wo men and a teenager were on Monday granted bail in the sum of $1.2 million on a charge which alleged that they robbed an overseas-based Guyanese woman who had returned to the country to bury her dead brother.

Those charged are Paul Kirton, 38, of Smythfield, New Amsterdam; Tuleshwar Narayan, 35, of Number 72 Village and a teenager of Number 68 Village, Corentyne.

The three accused appeared at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court on Monday before Magistrate Alex Moore.

Kirton and Narayan were charged separately with one count of robbery under arms while the teenager was charged with two counts of robbery under arms, which alleged that on October 25, they robbed Shamwattie Naipaul of one gold chain valued at $70,000, two gold rings valued at $80,000, one Samsung cellphone valued at $40,000, one Clarks sneakers valued at $16,000 one backpack valued at $4000, and one white Fielder wagon PTT 864.

The charge alleged that they robbed another victim – who is the woman’s son – on the said date in the same area.

They were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Kirton was represented by Attorney-at-Law Mursaline Bacchus and Narayan was represented by Attorney-at-Law Adrian Anamayah. The teenager was unrepresented.

Police Prosecutor Phonia Simpson told the court that the teenager confessed to the robbery and implicated the two others.

She also told the court that Narayan gave a caution statement indicating that he picked up the two and dropped them off at Number 73 Village where the robbery was committed.

The prosecutor also said that the juvenile is known to the Police and was charged in the past with a similar offense.

However, after the prosecution had no objection to bail, Magistrate Moore set bail at $500,000 for the two adults and $250,000 for the teenager.

Kirton and Narayan have been asked to lodge their passports and report to the Springlands Police Station twice weekly.

The prosecutor told the court that the Police have not completed their case file, hence the matter has been adjourned to December 20. (G4)

NEWS

13

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 1, 2 residents can now apply for, uplift passports in Anna Regina

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he Central Immigration and Passport Office has announced that persons residing in Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) can now make applications for and uplift their passports at the Immigration and Passport Office in Region Two. In a notice issued by the Guyana Police Force on Monday, it was stated that the Immigration and Passport Office is located at the Anna Regina Police Station compound.

According to the notice, passport applications will be accepted from 07:00h to 12:00h and passports will be issued from 09:00h to 11:00h.

The GPF reminded that when applying for a new passport for the reason of a “filled” or expired passport, or a change of name by way of marriage, divorce, or deed

Anna Regina Police Station

poll, persons need a completed application form, old passport, one passport size photograph, $6000 application fee and in the case of persons doing a name change – the original and a photocopy of the name change document such as deed poll, marriage certificate, or divorce absolute.

According to the notice, persons applying for a passport for the first time, or who

may be applying to replace a lost or misplaced passport will need to have their national identification card in their possession when making such an application.

The notice also stated that in the event that one does not have a national identification card, such a person’s parent, a sibling who is 18 years or older, or legally married spouse can identify him

or her. Similarly, the person who recommended the applicant can also identify him or her. On all occasions, the person identifying the applicant must be in possession of his/her national identification card and birth certificate and accompany the applicant to the Immigration and Passport Office where the identification process will be conducted in the presence of the immigration officials.

Only last week, Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Dennis Stephens made a call for persons to utilise the regional passport offices located in Linden and Berbice.

This, he noted, is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that the central office is currently accommodating 100 persons on a daily basis.

Earlier this year, the Central Immigration and Passport Office in Camp Street, Georgetown, recorded a major hike in traffic.

Stephens had explained back then that the reason for the heavy traffic is that many persons were not utilising the regional passport offices located in Linden and Berbice.

Additionally, Stephens highlighted that even though the central office would have stipulated 100 persons per day, it is flexible, depending on the individual’s situation.

Persons would come in two batches. The first 50 from

07:00h and the second batch from 11:00h.

“Depending on the geographic location, we would accept persons. And depending on persons’ situation, we take into consideration.

Persons use their passports to conduct business and also have to travel, so we would take into consideration. Even though we would have indicated earlier that we’re taking in 100, it is not cast in stone,” he indicated.

14 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bids for Eccles-to-Diamond 4-lane road to be opened on Nov 15 (LOC) for the road link that was initially slated for Ogle to Diamond, EBD. However, the project cost was driven up to over $208 million by the previous APNU/AFC regime and the project was at a standstill since 2019.

However, when the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government took office in 2020, it rede-

signed the project into two phases to fit the LOC – first from Ogle to Haags Bosch road, which is about 48-50 per cent of the project, and then from Haags Bosch to Diamond – in order to fit the US$50 million LOC. In addition to the twophase road from Ogle to Diamond, the Guyana Government is also look-

ing to further extend the road to Timehri to provide an alternative access to the country’s main airport, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Also on the agenda is the New Amsterdam to Crabwood Creek roadway, extending the road by eight feet along with necessary repaving. (G12)

Several animals threatened with extinction found in Region 1 A section of completed road along the EBD corridor

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he bids will be opened for the four-lane road between Eccles and Diamond, East Bank Demerara, from November 15, as Government seeks to award the contract by yearend.

This was announced by Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Monday during a press briefing at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

“On the 15th November, we’re opening the bid for the piece between Eccles to Diamond and hopefully before the end of the year, we can award contract for that road. By end of next year [and] early 2023, we should have a four-lane road to Diamond coming from Mandela,” said Jagdeo.

The Ogle to Eccles bypass road project will create a new highway in the backlands, thus allowing for an alternative route to

the country’s two main thoroughfares. This project will see a total of 26 kilometres of road constructed with links to connect key communities in Georgetown and along the East Bank of Demerara.

These include Diamond, Mocha and Eccles – all on the East Bank – and Aubrey Barker Road in Georgetown.

These connections will prove crucial in diverting traffic.

The new road that runs from Sixth Avenue, Diamond, to the Windsor Estate Road that leads on to the Eccles Landfill Site Road is already completed but Government was awaiting the completion of a bridge along the Mocha Access Road that will lead the new road from Diamond straight into Eccles. The other project will see an alternative road from Eccles to Mandela Avenue.

Speaking on the bypass

project, Jagdeo pointed out that none of the prequalified contractors had submitted bids, and this can be linked to the extant pandemic crisis. He noted that they will consider just an access road in the meanwhile to open up the lands for developers until the project comes on stream.

“We tendered recently for the bypass and unfortunately none of the prequalified contractors submitted a bid, maybe because of COVID so we have to reengage the process. We’re hoping to start the bypass before the start of the year. That’s delaying a lot of our development along the route, the hospitals, the hotels etc. We’ll probably do a one-lane access road to give access to the property to develop it,” he outlined.

Back in 2015, the Indian Government had provided a US$50 million Line of Credit

From left: The black curassow, white-lipped peccary, and the giant river otter By: Amar Persaud

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everal animals which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List were earlier this year found along the Barima-Mora Passage (BMP) in Region One (Barima-Waini).

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. It uses a set of quantitative criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species.

These animals are the giant anteater, jaguar and margay which are “Near Threatened”; the whitelipped peccary which is listed as “Vulnerable”; the giant river otter which is considered “Endangered”; as well as the Atlantic tarpon (local name: Cuffum) which is listed as “Vulnerable”.

Additionally, two birds on the IUCN Red List were also recorded. The Greywinged trumpeter is listed as “Near Threatened” while the black curassow is a “Vulnerable” species.

The discovery of these animals was made during two different studies conducted by teams from the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS).

The first project was done in February 2021 as part of the Barima-Mora Mammals Survey (BMPMS). It was a four-month-long camera trapping project which ended in May 2021.

The camera trapping

project entailed a total of 30 camera traps being placed and systematically spaced throughout the region of study in the BMP. At the end of the fourmonth period, the Project Coordinator, Felecia Collins, and the GMCS team returned to the BMP to retrieve the cameras.

A preliminary assessment of the camera trap photos done by Collins led to the discovery of six IUCN Red Listed mammals.

“Based on the preliminary species list, the camera traps set in the BarimaMora Passage recorded six mammals which are currently on the IUCN Red List. The giant anteater, jaguar, and margay are near threatened species while the white lipped peccary is listed as vulnerable and the giant river otter is listed as an endangered species. Additionally, two birds on the IUCN Red List were also recorded. The Greywinged trumpeter is listed as near threatened while the black curassow is a vulnerable species,” a report on the study outlined.

Meanwhile, the other study was conducted from September 6 to 11 in the BMP and led to the discovery of the Megalops atlanticus (Cuffum) which is an ICUN Red Listed species.

“The fish survey was a crucial requirement for the proposed BMPSPA (Barima Mora-Passage Special Protected Areas) since it provided baseline data on the current fish community composition in the area and

their conservation status,” the report on the study documented.

“Overall, we recorded a total of 329 individuals from 32 species of fishes of which 51 per cent are consumed by locals. We also recorded one vulnerable species, Megalops atlanticus (Cuffum) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, indicating that this species has a high risk of extinction and it needs urgent protection,” Project Coordinator Mark Ram explained.

“Our findings showed that the area supports many commercial species and vulnerable species, making it important for the livelihood of the local Indigenous communities. It also emphasises the need for legal protection of this area to preserve the existing mangroves, biodiversity, and ecosystem services while maintaining the livelihood of locals,” he added.

Last month, GMCS conducted a birding study in the area where two new species of bird were recorded for the first time in Guyana.

GMCS President Annette Arjoon-Martins explained that these studies were never conducted in this part of the region before.

“The birding study, the camera trapping study, the fishery studies, these are pioneering initiatives that have never been done in Region One in this area before,” she remarked.

Arjoon-Martins noted too that locals from the region were also included in these studies.

NEWS

15

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cabinet grants “no-objection” to Amaila Falls Hydropower Project …Chinese company awarded contract for new Demerara bridge

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abinet has granted its “no objection” for the Office of the Prime Minister to engage China Railway Group Limited to construct the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP).

In a statement on Monday evening, the Finance Ministry announced that the AFHP will be based on a Build-Own-OperateTransfer (BOOT) model where the company will supply electricity to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc at a cost not exceeding US$0.07737 per kWh and where the company will provide the entire equity required by the project and undertake all the risks associated with the project.

According to the Finance Ministry, this follows the publication of a request for proposals by Government in various national newspa-

strongly supported the construction of the AFHP.

New Demerara Harbour Bridge

An artist’s impression of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project dam

pers during the period July 25 to August 15, 2021. Four companies, the Ministry said, submitted proposals, and China Railway Group Limited was identified as the most “capable partner” by the Evaluation Committee after a rigorous evaluation process, following which the National Procurement and Tender Administration

Board (NPTAB) submitted the relevant recommendation to Cabinet for “no objection”.

The AFHP was first identified in 1976 by the Canadian company “Monenco” during an extensive survey of hydroelectric power potential in Guyana. Various studies have since justified and

GuySuCo’s management needs to be strengthened – VP

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry also announced Cabinet has also granted its no-objection for the Public Works Ministry to engage China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd to construct the New Demerara Harbour Bridge (NDHB) based on a DesignBuild-Finance (DBF) model with financial terms and conditions which would be no less favourable than those submitted in the preferred bidder’s price proposals. The proposal by China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd under the DBF model contemplates a construction cost of US$256.6 million, the lowest amongst all bidders.

Initially, the Government, through the MoPW, pre-qualified nine firms to submit bids for the construction of a two-lane dual carriageway (4 lanes) hybrid Cable-Stayed

centre span bridge with Concrete Box/T Beam Girder approach bridge structure.

The pre-qualified firms were invited to submit bids to construct the bridge using a Design-Build-Finance (D-B-F) contract and DesignBuild-Finance-OperateMaintain (D-B-F-O-M) contract. At the pre-bid meeting, held on June 28, 2021, it was agreed that the closing date for submission of bids would be October 5, 2021. Only five of the pre-qualified bidders submitted bids, of which four obtained the required minimum score for the technical proposal.

The Evaluation Committee recommended that the Procuring Entity engage China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd using the Design-Build-Finance (DBF) model on financing terms and conditions no less favourable than those proposed by the highest ranked bidder. The NPTAB subsequently submitted the rec-

ommendation to Cabinet, and Cabinet granted its “no objection”.

The revival of the 165-megawatt Amaila Falls Hydropower Project was one of the promises made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic in its manifesto. The project was initiated under the previous PPP/C Administration but was scrapped by the coalition Administration which had controlled the National Assembly by a one-seat Opposition majority.

The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project was the flagship of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Amaila was expected to deliver a steady source of clean, renewable energy that would have been affordable and reliable, and was envisioned to meet approximately 90 per cent of Guyana’s domestic energy needs while removing dependency on fossil fuels.

Maternal death at NA Hospital

Mother had clot in lung, baby hole in heart – autopsy report

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Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

ice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has positioned that there is a discernible need to strengthen management at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), placing similar emphasis on the resources that are injected into the industry.

He made these remarks on Monday during a press briefing, highlighting that this revamp is needed, regardless of a performance review for current Chief Executive Officer Sasenarine Singh.

“Clearly, we have to strengthen management at GuySuCo, that is, without doing an assessment of the performance of the CEO or not. I’ve had less of an interaction with the sector from a management perspective in the last several months because I’m focused heavily on the planning agenda. But clearly, whether the CEO stays or not, we have to strengthen management and outcome and investments. We’re looking at bringing clearer private involvement in the sector,” said the VP when asked about the company’s operations.

Just recently, the CEO came under fire from an employee at the La Bonne Intention Head Office,

GuySuCo CEO Sasenarine Singh

where, in a letter to the editor, he gave his take on the state of affairs at the sugar company.

With over 25 years under his belt, the employee related, “What I have seen happening there has never happened before. Many Chief Executive Officers came and went and GuySuCo had remained resilient but under this current CEO, things are falling apart rapidly not only due to the fact that he knows nothing about sugar… He should have been tapping into the vast knowledge of these people and build a workable strategic plan but instead he sees them as a threat. He wants to be always right but he needs to be aware that a man must know his limitations”.

It was contended that there have been instances where senior officials were forced to resign due to the CEO’s conduct.

“My question is: Where is GuySuCo going? We have suffered a huge flood, we are suffering from a pandemic and now we have a CEO who is equally destructive. We must not allow GuySuCo to be destroyed from within. Billions of taxpayers’ dollars will go down the

drains if the President does not act now,” the letter added.

This publication reached out for a comment on the situation but efforts proved futile.

Meanwhile, back in September, workers attached to the Skeldon Sugar Estate staged a picketing exercise outside of the factory to end what workers described as “discriminatory” benefits practices.

Supported by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), the sugar workers were protesting a decision by the sugar company to pay gratuity to employees at the managerial, supervisory, and clerical levels while denying similar payments to workers employed in the field, factory, and allied areas.

GAWU had relayed, “no reason or explanation was provided by the Corporation for its decision. The workers, having learnt of the Corporation’s adamancy on the matter, became deeply upset and felt cheated. They indicated to the GAWU they felt lesser to their colleagues at the other levels of the estate”. (G12)

A

n autopsy performed on the bodies of 24-year-old Devi Samaroo, who died at the New Amsterdam Hospital on Sunday and her newborn baby who died the previous day, concluded that the mother died from a blood clot in the lungs and the baby had a birth defect.

The cause of death for the infant was given as Congenital Malformation which a medical official explained is a physical defect present in a baby at birth, irrespective of whether the defect is caused by a genetic factor or by prenatal events that are not genetic. In such cases, the development of a structure is delayed or misdirected early in embryonic life and the effect is permanent.

The autopsy gave the cause of death of Samaroo as shock and pulmonary thromboembolism or a blood clot in the lungs.

24-year-old Devi Samaroo

Meanwhile, a release from the Regional Health Services said Samaroo had a massive bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism (blood clots in both the lungs), while the neonate suffered a congenital malformation known as Ventral Septal Defect (this is locally known as a hole in the heart). This condition is the second most common congenital heart

defect, with a prevalence of 4 per 1000 births.

“Pregnancy and the post-partum period are well-established risk factors for pulmonary embolism which occurs in approximately 1 in 1600 pregnancies. In the United States, pulmonary embolism is one of the major causes of maternal death.

About 10 per cent of patients with acute pulmonary embolism die suddenly,” the release said.

According to the statement from the Regional Health Services department, the New Amsterdam Hospital has referred the deaths and post-mortem results to the Health Ministry.

Family members when contacted said that they were not satisfied with the autopsy report and wanted a second opinion but could not afford it and will be focusing on burying their loved ones. (G4)

16 NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Exxon’s Sapote-1 well comes up dry …Company applies for 12-well drilling programme in Canje

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il giant ExxonMobil has come up dry on the Sapote-1 well in the Canje Block offshore Guyana, a situation that reports suggest resulted in falling shares at Westmount Energy, one of the indirect stakeholders in the block.

According to Westmount in a statement, the Sapote-1 well which was spudded back in August, was drilled in 2549 metres of water by the

Stena DrillMAX drillship, to a total depth of 6758 metres.

Eco Atlantic, also an indirect partner in the block through its 6.4 per cent interest in JHI Associates, said the Sapote-1 well recorded hydrocarbon shows while drilling, and in the logging sequence, in a deeper interval than anticipated, but had no shows in the upper primary objective horizon.

"With sidewall coring and

wireline logging complete, ExxonMobil will now work to define the reservoir properties, including porosity and permeability, and the cored samples will be analysed for hydrocarbons," Eco Atlantic said.

The statement meanwhile quoted Westmount Executive Chairman Gerard Walsh, who noted that the results must be viewed in context to frontier explora-

Tourism Awareness Month launched

By Amar Persaud

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he Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry on Monday officially launched Tourism Awareness Month themed: “Preparing for a new Frontier - Stimulating Innovation Within the Tourism Sector”.

The launching was held in Saint Cuthbert’s Mission at the Bimichi Eco Lodge, where officials underscored the need for innovative ideas to help the sector recover from the blows it suffered during the pandemic.

Delivering remarks at the launching, acting head of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Kamrul Baksh stated that the tourism sector is still recovering from the devastating effects of the COVID-19

The Stena DrillMAX

Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond

ners have planned a packed programme for this month, we want to demonstrate that we can recover fully from this pandemic and also to continue the developmental trajectory

The Bimichi Eco Lodge

pandemic.

He explained that in order to demonstrate the sector’s recovery, the GTA and Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, in collaboration with other stakeholders, have come with up new innovative ideas to promote the Guyana’s tourism sector.

“In this journey of recovery, we’ve witnessed innovation, change, rejuvenation and hence why we have this theme here today, it’s been incremental but it’s started change, we’ve adapted, and it shows that we can make progress despite a pandemic.”

“During Tourism Awareness Month, the Ministry, the GTA, the department of tourism, all its part-

for destination Guyana.”

Tourism Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond, who delivered remarks on behalf of President Dr Irfaan Ali, who is at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, reiterated on the effects of the pandemic as well as the devasting effects of Guyana’s recent floods that affected most of sectors.

She noted while in recovery, the Government is aiming to make Guyana the leading tourism destination across the Americas while also promoting and growing tourism locally.

“Our integrated strategy to make Guyana a leading destination in the Americas for conventions, conferences

and sporting events, we envision that visitors take the opportunity to stay that extra day, that extra weekend or even an extra week to unwind and experience what communities like this have to offer.”

“Equally important are our efforts to grow the domestic tourism market for we wish Guyana to be the default choice for Guyanese.”

The Minister added that activities will be held across all ten administrative regions and urged all Guyanese to be involved.

“Every year we designate November as Tourism Awareness Month. It is a period when we spotlight the sector, celebrate our achievements and chart the way forward, while many of the activities to mark this month are coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, there is wide involvement by stakeholders across the country including the regional tourism committees, private initiatives like Visit Guyana, restaurants, resorts and Indigenous communities.”

“You will see activities taking place from Region One to 10 and you are encouraged to actively participate.”

The event also featured of the official launch of the Bimichi Eco Lodge, which features a wide variety of Indigenous activities, culture, food and drinks.

tion.

"Sapote-1 is the sixth well, offshore Guyana, that Westmount has participated in via our investee companies, since 2019. This portfolio of drilling outcomes has yielded 3 oil discoveries, but no standalone commercial success to date,” said Walsh.

“While this outcome from the Westmount portfolio is below expectations, the results to date provide encouragement and must be viewed in the context of initial 'large step-out' wells, in a frontier setting, evaluating giant stratigraphic prospects while seeking to establish the perimeter of the multiple play fairways both to the northeast and southwest of the prolific Stabroek Block.”

Walsh noted that the Canje joint venture group – which comprises Exxon, TotalEnergies, JHI and MidAtlantic Oil & Gas Inc – will now move to analyse and integrate the well data ob-

tained in the 2021 drill programme at Canje to highgrade possible future targets on the block. It was also explained that the operator of the block has applied for environmental approval for further drilling.

"In this regard, we note that the operator of the Canje Block, has already submitted, to the Guyanese Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an application for environmental authorisation with respect to a new 12 well drilling programme on the block from 2022,” he said.

Based on information put out by Westmount Energy, the Canje Block could hold as much as 10 billion barrels of oil in total. ExxonMobil, the operator, had previously drilled the Jabillo-1 well in the Canje Block offshore Guyana almost simultaneously with its other wells.

The Sapote-1 well was drilled in August of this year.

ExxonMobil, the operator,

had previously drilled the Jabillo-1 well in the Canje Block offshore Guyana almost simultaneously with its other wells. But in July it was announced that no evidence was found of oil in commercial quantities. As a consequence, it was announced that the well would be plugged and abandoned.

It had been reported in March that Exxon was engaged in drilling the Jabillo-1, using the Stena Carron drill ship, between March 10 and March 27. The Stena Carron, after drilling the Jabillo-1 well and maintenance activities, was scheduled to resume drilling on the Koebi-1 well.

The Jabillo-1 well was the second of three exploration wells Exxon had scheduled for drilling in the Canje Block in 2021. The other two are the Bulletwood-1 well and the Sapote-1 well. Like Jabillo, Bulletwood-1 had also come up dry. (G3)

Decomposed body of man fished out of Tain canal

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he partly decomposed body of a man was on Monday fished out of a canal in the sugar cultivation area at Tain, Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

The discovery was made at about 07:30h by a security guard attached to the Albion Sugar Estate who observed the body of a human being floating in the said trench.

The Police were summoned and the body was physically examined and found to be male in a partially decomposed state.

His ears appeared to be bitten by fish.

The body was escorted to the Port Mourant Public

Undertakers removing the body from the canal

Hospital, where it was examined by a doctor and pronounced dead.

The body is currently at

the Ramoo Funeral Home awaiting post-mortem. The body has not been identified as yet. (G4)

17 Emergent will start marketing Guyana’s carbon soon – Jagdeo NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…says carbon credit payments among issues Guyana will raise at COP26

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s Guyana prepares to make its mark at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has revealed that Emergent Finance Accelerated Incorporated will soon commence work towards marketing Guyana’s carbon credits on the world stage.

He made this revelation during a press conference on Monday, where he spoke about the marketing process and expressed hope that over the next few months the process of seeking proposals from various players in the market desirous of investing in these credits would kick start. In fact, Jagdeo said that he would be meeting with the group that will market the country’s carbon.

“You know the marketing arrangement has an upside to us too. Because although it gets underwritten at $10 a tonne, if it’s sold for higher, we still get the higher price, of course deducting admin costs. And the US, I think UK and Norway endorse this.

This group, I think they’re putting some money into it.”

“So, we’re hoping over the next four months or so, we will be looking to finalise all these arrangements and work the markets, see all the people who will be interest-

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

ed and then we will probably get the proposals through Emergent. But whatever we put in, it is going to be underwritten at $10 a tonne,” Jagdeo explained.

Back in April, President Dr Irfaan Ali had announced that Guyana signed a letter of intent with US-based non-profit organisation (NGO), Emergent Finance Accelerated Inc, to market the country’s carbon credits through a credit contract – a deal that could earn the country millions of US dollars.

A carbon credit is a tradable permit or certificate that allows the holder of the credit the right to emit a stated tonnage of carbon dioxide or an equivalent of another

greenhouse gas. Countries and companies that exceed their permitted limits can purchase carbon credits from other nations that have low emissions such as Guyana.

Guyana’s 18.4 million hectares of largely pristine forest stores approximately 5.31 gigatons of carbon.

Meanwhile, Jagdeo explained that Guyana’s position headed into COP26 includes calls on the developed world to improve access to climate finance for smaller states. He noted that Guyana has already raised concerns about this issue with various institutions. Payment for climate services is also an issue on Guyana’s agenda.

“We have argued that the other mitigation options, par-

Guyana could earn millions of US dollars from trading carbon credits

ticularly fossil fuel for transport and for burning fossil fuel, these have seen massive sums flowing into renewables. And the development of a non-combustion engine.”

“Engines that would … are non-polluting for vehicles.

Given that forest and deforestation contribute about 16 to 20 per cent of greenhouse gases, that is land use and forestry, then you would never achieve a 1.5-degree climate target without addressing that emission source,” he said, explaining some of Guyana’s other positions.

COP26 is slated to run

from Sunday to November 12 and will see the attendance of many Heads of State. President Ali arrived in Scotland to participate in convention on Sunday. The President, who left Guyana on Saturday morning, was received by a representative of the Queen upon his arrival in Glasgow, Scotland.

President Ali’s schedule includes delivering several addresses at key high-level climate summits, participating in several international roundtable discussions and partaking in bilateral meetings with other Heads of

State and Government officials.

Already, he has met and engaged with Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness; St Lucia’s Prime Minister, Phillip J Pierre and the Bahamas’ Prime Minister, Philip Davis, on their way to Scotland.

The President is coming off weeks of activism in favour of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and climate change and it was he who launched the national consultation process for the expanded LCDS 2030 last week. (G3)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

Regional

Facebook says it shut down Nicaraguan UN chief urges Caribbean to mitigate climate risks Government-run troll farm

Presidential elections are being held in Nicaragua on November 7, but rights groups and international observers have decried a wave of arrests of Opposition Leaders and potential presidential challengers ahead of the vote [Maynor Valenzuela/Reuters file photo]

F

acebook Inc has said it shut down a “troll farm” run by the Nicaraguan Government that had been spreading anti-Opposition messages across multiple accounts, a move that comes just days before presidential elections are set to be held in the Central American nation.

The social media giant said on Monday that the troll farm – a coordinated effort to manipulate public discourse using fake ac-

counts – was intended to amplify pro-Government and anti-Opposition content.

The accounts were operated by the Government of President Daniel Ortega and the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front party, said Ben Nimmo, threat intelligence lead for Facebook’s parent company Meta.

“This was really a cross-Government operation, the troll farm consisted of several clusters which

were run from multiple … Government entities at once,” Nimmo told the AFP news agency.

He said the company closed 937 accounts, 140 pages, and 24 groups on Facebook, as well as 363 Instagram accounts, last month.

The news comes ahead of presidential elections on Sunday in which Ortega is seeking a fourth consecutive term.

The lead-up to the vote has been marked by a widespread crackdown on Nicaraguan Opposition Leaders and presidential hopefuls, as seven potential challengers to Ortega are among about 40 Opposition figures who have been arrested in recent months.

The United States has blasted the elections as a sham organised by an increasingly authoritarian President, and the Administration of President Joe Biden also has imposed a series of sanctions and travel restrictions on Nicaraguan officials.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

CCJ to hear Belize’s lawsuit against Trinidad and Tobago’s brown sugar imports

The Caribbean Court of Justice in Trinidad and Tobago

D

id Trinidad and Tobago fail to apply the Common External Tariff (CET) tax on brown sugar imported from outside the Region during November 2018June 2020?

This is the complaint by Belize which the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hear today.

Belize filed a lawsuit against T&T and St Kitts and Nevis, claiming

the two Caricom States breached the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas by failing to apply the CET of 40 per cent on imports of brown sugar from Guatemala and Honduras.

The CET is a single tariff rate agreed to by all members of Caricom on imports of a product from outside the Caribbean Community. Goods imported from third countries are subject to the duties list-

ed in the CET, but goods imported from Caricom countries, certified to be of Caricom origin, do not generally attract these import duties. These Caricomorigin goods enjoy duty-free status.

Before the CCJ, Belize is seeking a declaration that T&T and St Kitts and Nevis breached Article 82 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

It also wants the CCJ to declare that TT imported 3000 metric tonnes of brown sugar from Guatemala and Honduras in 2019 in violation of Article 83 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the revised procedures for the suspension of the CET. It alleges St Kitts and Nevis imported 1000 metric tonnes in 2019 and is seeking a similar declaration against the twin-island federation.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

COP26: “2 degrees is a death sentence” for island nations – Barbados PM Mia Mottley

B

arbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has delivered a stark warning on the effects of a rise in global temperature on countries like hers at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.

Mottley encouraged other countries to commit to fighting climate change,

saying that a two-degree rise in temperature would be a “death sentence” for island nations, due to rising sea levels and more extreme weather.

Asking for urgent action, she said “we can work with whoever is ready to go, because the train is ready to leave”.

More on climate summit: The COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow is seen as crucial if climate change is to be brought under control. Almost 200 countries are being asked for their plans to cut emissions, and it could lead to major changes to our everyday lives. (BBC News)

I

n a message celebrating World Cities Day on Sunday, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has urged Caribbean and other countries to mitigate climate risks and build resilience.

Guterres said that although sea level rise could put more than 800 million people in coastal cities at direct risk by 2050, less than 10 per cent of climate finance for urban areas goes to adaptation and resilience.

The UN chief, therefore, called for renewed resolve to confront urban challenges, mitigate risks, and forge lasting solutions.

“Cities are hubs of innovation and human ingenuity – and potential centres for transformative action to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build a zero-carbon, climate-resilient and socially-just world,” said Guterres, focusing on the theme,

UN Secretary General António Guterres

“Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience,” for this year’s World Cities Day. However, he noted that over one billion people now live in informal settlements, with 70 per cent highly vulnerable to climate change.

The UN chief lamented that, currently, just nine per cent of climate finance to cities is allocated for adaptation and resil-

ience, with cities in developing countries, including the Caribbean, receiving far less than their wealthier counterparts.

He said this must change, reiterating his longstanding appeal for half of all climate finance to be dedicated to adaptation.

“We need a people-centred and inclusive approach to planning, building, and managing cities,” Guterres said. “Resilient infrastructure, early warning systems and financial instruments to mitigate risks are crucial tools, as cities seek to adapt and protect the lives and livelihoods of their residents.”

He said cities have been epicentres of the COVID-19 pandemic and are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, but added that “they can lead the way in recovering better from the pandemic, reducing emissions, and securing a resilient future for billions.” (Excerpt from CMC)

Lucky escape for 4 as car crashes into highway railings

F

Driver Kragan Ramdhanie (grey vest) and another occupant walk past the wrecked vehicle which he was driving shortly before they crashed on the northbound lane of the Solomon Hochoy Highway

our people escaped death when their blue BMW crashed into the railings at the side of the northbound carriageway of the Solomon Hochoy Highway in Trinidad.

The driver Kragan Ramdhanie said he got a bad drive from an oncoming vehicle and pulled to the right to avoid a collision.

Ramdhanie and the three other occupants escaped unscathed.

Police are advising motorist to exercise caution on the roads and to avoid speeding.

(Trinidad Guardian)

US Judge dismisses most money-laundering charges against Maduro ally Saab

A US Judge in Florida on Monday dismissed money laundering counts against Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but he remains accused of one count of conspiracy to launder money, a court filing showed.

The order was issued by US District Judge Robert Scola.

The conspiracy charge that remains carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Saab, a Colombia-born businessman and top dealmaker for Maduro’s socialist Government, siphoned around US$350 million out of Venezuela via the United States as part of a bribery scheme linked

to Venezuela’s Statecontrolled exchange rate.

One of Saab’s lawyers, Henry Bell, told Reuters last week that his client would plead not guilty at an arraignment that had been originally scheduled for Monday, but was postponed to November 15. Bell declined to comment on Monday’s decision.

Maduro’s allies have characterised Washington’s pursuit of Saab as part of an “economic war” on Venezuela being waged by the US Government. The case has strained already frayed relations between Washington and Caracas.

Saab was extradited last month to the United States from Cape Verde, where he was detained in

the summer of 2020 on a US warrant.

In a Monday filing, US Prosecutors requested that seven of the initial eight charges contained in a July 2019 indictment be dropped to comply with assurances that officials made to the Government of Cape Verde in seeking Saab’s extradition.

Prosecutors said officials promised Cape Verde that Saab would only be charged on a single count to comply with the archipelago nation’s laws regarding the maximum term of imprisonment.

Prosecutors did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS COVID global death toll tops

5 million in under 2 years OPEC oil output rise in T October undershoots target – survey

T

he increase in OPEC's oil output in October fell short of the rise planned under a deal with allies, a Reuters survey found on Monday, as involuntary outages in some smaller producers offset higher supplies from Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) pumped 27.50 million barrels per day (bpd) in October, the survey found, a rise of 190,000 bpd from the previous month but below the 254,000 increase permitted under the supply deal.

OPEC states and their allies, a grouping known as OPEC+, are relaxing output cuts made in 2020 as demand recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, although some members are not delivering the full boosts promised due to a lack of capacity.

The OPEC+ alliance is also wary of pumping too much oil in case of renewed setbacks in the battle against COVID-19.

"OPEC+ will likely stay behind the demand curve, rather than risk jumping ahead and getting burned," said Rystad Energy analyst Louise Dickson.

The supply restraint has helped support oil prices, which are trading near US$85 a barrel and close to a three-year high, prompting the United States and other consumers to urge producers to supply more crude.

The OPEC+ agreement allowed for a 400,000 bpd production increase in October from all members, of which about 254,000 bpd is shared by the 10 OPEC members covered by the deal, OPEC figures seen by Reuters show.

With output undershooting the planned increase last month, OPEC's compliance with its pledged cuts increased to 118 per cent in October the survey found, from 114 per cent a month earlier.

OPEC+ meets on Thursday to review its policy and is expected to reconfirm its plans for monthly increases.

The biggest rises in October came from OPEC's top two producers, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, which both boosted output largely as promised according to the agreement.

Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria also made increases as called for by their higher October quotas. Angolan exports bucked their declining trend and rose in October.

Output declined or did not increase in Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, the survey found, owing to a lack of capacity to produce more.

The biggest output decline - 70,000 bpd - was in Nigeria where output was disrupted after a recovery in September.

A Royal Dutch Shell venture in Nigeria declared force majeure on loadings of Bonny Light crude after a pipeline shut down.

The second largest decline was in Libya, one of the countries exempt from OPEC supply curbs, due to a pipeline leak.

Output in Iran, which has raised exports since the fourth quarter despite US sanctions, showed little change in October.

Talks to revive its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which would allow a larger export recovery, are set to resume.

Venezuelan output increased slightly, the survey found, helped by the arrival of Iranian condensate to help Caracas convert its extra heavy oil into exportable crude. (Excerpt from Reuters)

he global death toll from COVID-19 topped five million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with better healthcare systems.

Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil – all upper-middle or high-income countries – account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The US alone has recorded more than 740,000 lives lost, more than any other nation.

“This is a defining moment in our lifetime,” said Dr Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health. “What do we have to do to protect ourselves so we don’t get to another five million?”

Globally, COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke

The staggering figure is almost certainly an undercount because of limited testing and people dying at home without medical attention, especially in poor parts of the world, such as India.

Hotspots have shifted over the 22 months since the out-

Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks

A

crucial UN conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions.

World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week

COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday.

The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.

Delayed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, COP26 aims to keep alive a target of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

I

India's Prime Minister outlines five commitments for his country at COP26

To do that, it needs to secure more ambitious pledges to reduce emissions, lock in billions in climate financing for developing countries, and finish the rules for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries.

The pledges made so far would allow the planet's average surface temperature to rise 2.7C this century, which the United Nations says would supercharge the destruction that

climate change is already causing.

Leaders of countries such as Kenya, Bangladesh, Barbados and Malawi called rich nations to task for failing to deliver.

President Xi Jinping of China, by far the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, said in a written statement that developed countries should not only do more but also support developing countries to do better. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Nigeria building collapse: At least 3 killed in Lagos

A

t least three people have died after a high-rise building collapsed while under construction in the Nigerian city of Lagos.

A digger is at the scene and rescue workers and some locals are searching through rubble and twisted metal. Three survivors have been found so far.

What caused the collapse

and how many people are trapped under the rubble remains unclear.

The building, intended to be a luxury block of flats, came down at 14:45 local time (13:45 GMT) in the upmarket district of Ikoyi.

Construction worker Eric Tetteh, 41, told AP news agency that his teams had been waiting for an excavator to arrive at the site

COP26: India PM Narendra Modi pledges net zero by 2070

ndia has announced plans to cut its emissions to net zero by 2070 - missing a key goal of the COP26 summit for countries to commit to reach that target by 2050.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the pledge at the Glasgow conference.

This is the first time the country has made such a commitment.

Net zero, or becoming carbon neutral, means not adding to the amount of green-

break began, turning different places on the world map red. Now, the virus is pummelling Russia, Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe, especially where rumours, misinformation and distrust in Government have hobbled vaccination efforts.

In Ukraine, only 17 per cent of the adult population is fully vaccinated, while Armenia has managed to jab only 7 per cent.

“What’s uniquely different about this pandemic is it hit hardest the high-resource countries,” said Dr Wafaa ElSadr, director of ICAP, a global health centre at Columbia University. “That’s the irony of COVID-19.”

Wealthier nations with longer life expectancies have larger proportions of older people, cancer survivors and nursing home residents, all of whom are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, El-Sadr noted. Poorer countries tend to have larger shares of children, teens and young adults, who are less likely to fall seriously ill from the coronavirus.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

house gases currently in the atmosphere.

In contrast, China has announced plans for carbon neutrality by 2060, while the US and EU aim to hit net zero by 2050.

India is the world's fourth biggest emitter of carbon dioxide after China, the US and the EU. But its huge population means its emissions per capita are much lower than other major world economies. India emitted

1.9 tonnes of CO2 per head of population in 2019, compared with 15.5 tonnes for the US and 12.5 tonnes for Russia that year.

Modi made the pledge as one of five commitments from his country.

They include a pledges for India to get 50 per cent of its energy from renewable resources by 2030, and by the same year to reduce total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

It is still unclear how many people may be trapped under the rubble

when the building suddenly fell.

"Me and my brother, we escaped, but more people are there - more than 100 people," he said.

A witness who was working in an office building opposite the site told the BBC's Outside Source programme that he heard a sound, looked out of his window and "saw the building literally going down floor by floor."

Local authorities have put an emergency rescue plan into place, and local officials have visited the site.

But according to AP, Lagos' Deputy Governor

Femi Hamzat was met by crowds of angry people who accused authorities of not starting rescue efforts soon enough.

There have been several building collapses in Lagos in recent years.

In 2019, 10 people died after a school collapsed in the commercial hub.

And in 2014, a six-storey building fell during a service by a celebrity televangelist, killing 116 people.

Building standards have often been criticised and Lagos state authorities recently launched a new scheme to improve certification. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

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Join forces with someone who shares your point of view. Together you can make a difference. A discussion will lead to a broader understanding of your long-term goals and give you comfort.

Don't count on something that isn't a sure thing.

Ask questions and insist on verification in writing. Don't hesitate to distance yourself from anyone who isn't playing fair.

Thank matters through, make decisions for the right reasons and learn from the experiences you encounter.

When in doubt, check the facts, budget appropriately and set a reasonable course.

Hide your emotions until you gather the facts.

Knowing what you are up against will make it easier to do what's best for you. Don't give in to someone using manipulative tactics.

A positive attitude will help you bypass a stressful situation. Do your best to get along, and be prepared to do things on your own if necessary. Self-improvement is favored.

Pay attention to how you manage money. Overspending on things you don't need will lead to regret. Put more emphasis on what's meaningful to you and how you can utilize your time effectively.

Set rules, boundaries and incentives to avoid opposition. Listen to suggestions and find a way to incorporate requests. Getting along with others will be half the battle. Sincerity will be key.

Take a moment to assess situations, but don't linger too long. Decisive action will show how capable you are and highlight your leadership qualities. Mindfulness, precision and honesty will be key.

Be realistic regardSAGITTARIUS ing how much you spend.

(Nov. 23Getting the most for the Dec. 21) least by doing the work yourself instead of paying others is favored -- if you know what you are doing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Forward motion will keep you out of trouble. Keep your comments to yourself and avoid wasting time on senseless battles. Don't step over others to make progress; treat everyone respectfully.

Look over the possibilities and map out a course that will help you reach your destination. Refuse to let a change of plans someone makes throw you off. Talk to someone who always cheers you up.

There is no clear-cut way to handle sensitive situa(Feb. 20tions. Take the time to underMarch 20) stand how others feel and ask questions that give others the chance to develop a solution without being told what to do.

PISCES

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

21

RHTY&SC cricket teams host 8th annual ANSA McAL Award of Excellence Programme … 5 outstanding medical personnel honoured

Minister of Housing Collin Croal poses with three of the awardees after the presentation.

F

ive outstanding medical personnel in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) were honoured last Friday when the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) and its 12 cricket teams hosted the eighth edition of the ANSA

McAL Award of Excellence at the St Francis Center Hall in the presence of Housing and Water Ministers Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues.

The Award has been sponsored by beverage giant ANSA McAL since 2014.

Club Secretary/Chief

Executive Officer (CEO) Hilbert Foster stated that the main objective of the Award was to recognise the outstanding contributions of heroes in the county and, more importantly, to do so while they are alive. Over the years, the RHTY&SC has honoured five persons per year under the subheadings of sports, culture, education, community development, and health.

This year, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the club decided to honour five medical personnel. Foster stated that all medical workers in our country were heroes in their own right as they have braved the crisis to serve humanity when many would have quit in fear of the dreaded virus. The five awardees were

Dr Dian Thomas, Dr Rafeek Rahaman, Dr Carolyn Jones, Sister Caroline Phillips, and Sister Lelawattie Sawh. The awardees were selected by the administration of the Region Six Regional Democratic Council (RDC) on the recommendation of the Club.

Foster stated that the ANSA McAL award is the third highest that the club confers on an annual basis. The Dolphin Award of Excellence, which is given to friends of the club who are considered positive role models, is the highest followed by the Zenith Award of Excellence, which is specially reserved for club members.

The long-serving club official, who is also the President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) expressed gratitude

to the awardees for their service to Region Six and for their dedication despite the difficult circumstances. He urged them to uphold the high standards that they have set themselves in the past and to be extra careful during these times.

Foster also stated that the RHTY&SC was fully committed to assisting the health sector in the county as it wanted to make a positive difference. Special thanks were extended to the management of ANSA McAL, especially its Managing Director, Troy Cadogan, for its continued support of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation. ANSA McAL, Foster noted, has been a real friend of the club and has been on board for over two decades

in the activities of the club.

Thanks were also extended to Regional Executive Officer (REO) Navindra Persaud for his support in making the event a success.

Each of the awardees received a plaque, medal of excellence, framed certificate, and two special gifts including an ANSA McAL hamper. Ministers Croal and Rodrigues both congratulated the awardees on being selected and hailed the RHTY&SC for honouring the unsung heroes who often work behind the curtains without recognition. The cricket teams of the club are sponsored by Poonai Pharmacy, Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Bakewell, Metro, Pepsi, Vitality Inc and Namilco Thunderbolt Flour.

Buttler’s brilliant century inspires England win despite late scare Struggles in the chase

England have won all four of their matches

Jos Buttler recorded the first century in the T20 Wolrdcup

E

ngland beat Sri Lanka by 26 runs in Group 1 of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to put one foot firmly in the semi-finals.

An astonishing Jos Buttler century helped England to victory over Sri Lanka.

Buttler reached his ton with a six off the final ball of the innings, with the brilliant 101* his highest individual score in T20 international cricket.

And Buttler played a crucial role in the field as Sri Lanka threatened to push England close in their chase of 164, with the wicketkeeper pulling off two excellent runouts, the second with an inspired direct hit.

Sri Lanka’s reply petered out in the end, with Moeen Ali (2-15) picking up two wickets in the penultimate over to wrap up the innings with six balls remaining and Sri Lanka

still 26 runs shy.

Sri Lanka’s Wandindu Hasaranga top-scored in the unsuccessful chase with a quick-fire 34 that had England worried.

And Hasaranga was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers too, with three for 21 off his four overs, becoming the fifth-fastest bowler in men's history to reach 50 T20 International wickets in the process.

Powerplay inroads for Sri Lanka

Earlier, England faced a new challenge after losing the toss and being put in to bat on a low and skiddy Sharjah pitch. But the Group 1 leaders started well, knocking 12 off the opening over with Jason Roy showing intent to take the attack to Sri Lanka.

However, Roy’s offensive lasted just one ball against Hasaranga, with the spinner skidding a googly under Roy’s attempted sweep and cleaning him up.

Dawid Malan, in at three, received a let-off on six when an inside edge off Dushmantha Chameera fell fractionally short of the keeper. But the top-ranked batter in T20I

cricket fell the very next delivery, playing all around a peach of an inswinger to leave England 34-2.

And the decision to bring back Hasaranga for a second over in the powerplay reaped rewards when Jonny Bairstow came down the track to his first ball and was struck on the pads. Sri Lanka reviewed and three reds sent Bairstow back for a duck, leaving England in trouble for the first time in the tournament.

England’s recovery

Eoin Morgan struggled to get going through the middle overs, but stuck with Buttler as the pair rebuilt towards the death, with the England Captain eventually falling to Hasaranga for 40 off 36 balls.

But it was all about Buttler in the second half of the innings as England’s in-form opener raced through the gears, hitting 77 off his final 37 deliveries and finishing with 12 boundaries and six maximums in his outstanding 101*.

Buttler became the first England men's international player to have hit a century in all three formats – T20I, ODI and Test cricket.

Buttler was back in the thick of the action straight away in the field as he combined with Morgan to run out Pathum Nissanka off only the third ball of the innings.

England bowled four overs of spin in the powerplay for the first time in T20I cricket, with Adil Rashid, Ali, and Liam Livingstone all called into action.

But it was an approach that paid dividends, with Rashid (2-19) picking up the scalps of first Charith Asalnka and then Kusal Perera to leave Sri Lanka 34-3 and needing a sizeable rebuild of their own.

And when Chris Jordan struck, trapping Avishka Fernando in-front for 13, Sri Lanka’s hopes of reaching the 164-run target seemed some way off, with the score 66-4 at the halfway stage.

Sri Lanka tee off

But Sri Lanka made a real game of it through the middle overs. Bhanuka Rajapaksa got the run rate flowing with 26 off 18 balls, before a dangerous partnership took the game deep.

Captain Dasun Shanaka and the exceptional Hasaranga put together a partnership of 53 to make England sweat.

And England’s afternoon got even more complicated when death-bowling specialist Tymal Mills pulled up with an injury midway through his second over and was forced to depart the field, leaving Morgan short of bowling options.

But two stunning bits of fielding delivered for England just when the game looked to be slipping away.

A brilliant catch from Roy,

flicking the ball back to substitute fielder Sam Billings, removed Hasaranga for 34 off 21.

And an inspired direct hit from Buttler as Sri Lanka attempted a quick single did for Shanaka, effectively ending the hopes of the chase.

Ali finished the job with the ball, taking on the penultimate over and picking up the final two wickets to leave Sri Lanka all-out for 137.

The result makes it four

wins from four in the Super 12 stage for England, essentially confirming the world’s topranked T20I side as winners of Group 1, barring an unlikely set of results and a huge shift in net run rate.

Sri Lanka are not mathematically out of the tournament, but must beat West Indies heavily to improve their net run rate and hope that South Africa and Australia both fail to pick up any more points. (ICC Cricket)

SCOREBOARD ENGLAND INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Jason Roy b de Silva 9 Jos Buttler † not out 101 Dawid Malan b Chameera 6 Jonny Bairstow lbw b de Silva 0 Eoin Morgan (c) b de Silva 40 Moeen Ali not out 1 Extras (lb 1, w 5) 6 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 8.15) 163/4 Did not bat: Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Jason Roy, 1.2 ov), 2-34 (Dawid Malan, 4.6 ov), 3-35 (Jonny Bairstow, 5.2 ov), 4-147 (Eoin Morgan, 18.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W D Chameera 4-0-43-1 W Hasaranga de Silva 4-0-21-3 Lahiru Kumara 4-0-44-0 Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-13-0 Chamika Karunaratne 2-0-17-0 Dasun Shanaka 2-0-24-0 SRI LANKA INNINGS (TARGET: 164 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Pathum Nissanka run out (Morgan/†Buttler) 1 Kusal Perera † c Morgan b Rashid 7 Charith Asalanka c Ali b Rashid 21 Avishka Fernando lbw b Jordan 13

Bhanuka Rajapaksa c Roy b Woakes 26 Dasun Shanaka (c) run out (†Buttler) 26 Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva c sub (SW Billings) b Livingstone 34 Chamika Karunaratne c Roy b Ali 0 Dushmantha Chameera c Malan b Jordan 4 Maheesh Theekshana c Jordan b Ali 2 Lahiru Kumara not out 1 Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2 TOTAL (19 Ov, RR: 7.21) 137 Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Pathum Nissanka, 0.3 ov), 2-24 (Charith Asalanka, 3.3 ov), 3-34 (Kusal Perera, 5.1 ov), 4-57 (Avishka Fernando, 8.3 ov), 5-76 (Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 10.5 ov), 6-129 (Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, 16.5 ov), 7-130 (Dasun Shanaka, 17.2 ov), 8-134 (Dushmantha Chameera, 17.6 ov), 9-134 (Chamika Karunaratne, 18.2 ov), 10-137 (Maheesh Theekshana, 18.6 ov) BOWLING Moeen Ali Chris Woakes Adil Rashid Chris Jordan Liam Livingstone Tymal Mills

O-M-R-W 3-0-15-2 2.3-0-25-1 4-0-19-2 4-0-24-2 4-0-34-1 1.3-0-19-0

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

T

he second Best v Best three-day practice match got off to a flier as Team Brathwaite made light work of Team Blackwood. At the end of the day’s allotment of 95.1 overs, Team Brathwaite

stood at 280-4, with Captain Kraigg Brathwaite retiring hurt on 58, Shai Hope retiring not out on 71 and Kyle Mayers scoring 45.

Team Brathwaite won the toss and elected to bat.

SCOREBOARD TEAM BRATHWAITE 1ST INN - 280/4 (95.1 OVERS) K Brathwaite * retired hurt 58 J Solozano c Hodge b Cornwall 74 S Brooks c Hamilton b Smith 11 S Hope retired notout 71 K Mayers c Smith b Seales 45 J Silva Not out 10 A Joseph lbw Seales 0 Extras (3 lb,4 B,4 nb) 11 Total (4 wickets, 95.1 overs) 280 Yet To Bat : J Warrican, P McSween, C Holder, I Khan, K Roach

Fall of wickets Brooks,51.3), Solozano,72.5), Mayers,91.6), Joseph,95.1)

: 1-120 2-191 3-266 4-280

(S (J (K (A

TEAM BLACKWOOD Bowler S Gabriel J Seales N Smith V Permaul R Cornwall R Reifer J Blackwood N Bonner K Hodge

O-M-R-W 9-2-18-0 12.1-4-28-2 8-2-29-1 22-7-61-0 29-5-92-1 8-1-22-0 1-0-4-0 1-1-0-0 5-0-19-0

Shai Hope was among the runs again

The skipper and Jeremy Solozano then put together a solid 100-plus partnership. Brathwaite retired hurt on 58, but Solozano kept the clock ticking, eventually the first wicket fell in the form of Shamarh Brooks (11) as he was caught off the bowling of

Nial Smith. Solozano then brought up his half-century, but was dismissed by Rakheem Cornwall on 74 with the score at 191-2.

Hope and Mayers further frustrated Team Blackwood as the pair added yet another hundred-plus partnership, closing out the

Jeremy Solozano scored a handy 74

day’s play. Jayden Seales bagged two quick wickets, but Team Brathwaite posted a formidable total.

Team Blackwood struggled as the bowlers could not find their rhythm: Seales took 2-28, Smith

bagged 1-29 off his eight overs and Cornwall, 1-92 off his 29 overs. Team Blackwood used a total of nine bowlers to get some form of a breakthrough coming down to the last hour of play.

Windies Captain Pollard PMTC crowned Powerzone champions suffering from thigh strain — to be assessed ahead of crucial Sri Lanka match on Thursday

P

W

est Indies whiteball skipper Kieron Pollard suffered a muscle injury to his left thigh in the match against Bangladesh and will be assessed ahead of their crucial T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

On Friday, the 34-year-old Pollard walked off the field in the 13th over of the West Indies innings against Bangladesh, but returned later to smash the last ball of the inning for six runs that proved to be crucial in the context of the Caribbean side’s narrow three-run win.

The nature of the injury remained unclear even after Vice Captain Nicholas Pooran offered assurances in his post-match comments that the team captain was okay.

"He looks fine; the medical team is still working with him, but he should be okay. You can see why he's a wonderful leader, walking back in to hit that last-ball six. We try to be someone like that in the future," Pooran said.

However, Cricket West Indies (CWI), in a brief statement on Monday, shed further light on the

health of the Captain.

“Kieron Pollard sustained a muscle injury to his left thigh in the match against Bangladesh,” the statement said.

“Today (Monday) is the squad’s first training session since that encounter. Pollard is training and being assessed by the medical staff, with the aim of being ready for the match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.”

The West Indies will have to defeat Sri Lanka and Australia to have any chance of advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament after losing to both England and South Africa in their first two matches.

The West Indies are defending champions having won ICC T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016. (Sportsmax)

MTC were crowned the champions of the Powerzone championships which concluded on Sunday, October 31, 2021 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

They went up against Eagles Volleyball Club after the two teams came out as one and two in the preliminary stages. Eagles won the first set of the finals 3129, PMTC then went on to claim the second set 2520. The Eagles came back to win the third set 25-20. The persistent PMTC then went on to win the fourth and fifth sets 25-14, 15-9.

The top scorers from PMTC were * Shemroy Ross – 12 points *

Ronaldo Bobb – 9 points * Andy Rohoman – 6 points * Devendra Latchman – 6 points The top scorers from Eagles were * Adriel Moore – 15 points * Kristoff Shepperd – 14 points * Trevon McRae – 12 points Individual awards are as follows: * Shemroy Ross – MVP / Best Outside Hitter * Ronaldo Bobb – Best Blocker *

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Akeem Bowlin – Best Libero * Levi Nedd Jr – Best Setter * Daniel Joseph – Most Improved Player

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

By Jemima Holmes

G

uyana’s female Under-17 football team, on Monday morning, punched a ticket to the CONCACAF 2022 Under-17 Women’s Championships on the heels of a 6-0 victory over Turks and Caicos, in their final group game of the Under-17 Qualifiers.

This is Guyana’s second time qualifying for

IMG Academy, Florida, USA. To Turks and Caicos’ disadvantage and Guyana’s merriment, the opposing team were only able to field nine ‘roster-eligible’ players in Monday’s game.

Head Coach Akeelah Castello fielded a starting XI consisting of: Captain Alyssa Blake, Anostasha Coppin, Ciara Sarius, Nakasi St Jules, Akeelah Vancooten, Sandra Johnson, Sue Edwards, Karan Jupiter,

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

chance in the encounter. The most notable of which saw a penalty shot from Trim in the 15th minute being saved by opposing goalkeeper Crystal Jean Baptiste.

Following the penalty kick, the Guyanese girls quickly got their act together, with Willabus officially opening the scoring in the 21st minute, as her shot escaped the reach of Baptiste. Johnson joined

Goal scorers Anaya Willabus (9) and Jalade Trim celebrate

Sandra Johnson (on ball) netted a brace for Guyana

Jalade Trim attempts a creative shot

the Under-17 Women’s Championships.

Needing to bounce back from a heavy defeat at the hands of eventual Group C winners, Honduras, the Guyanese girls did just that, with a wonderful display at the

Anaya Willabus, Sidney Facey, and Jalade Trim.

It is safe to say that Guyana’s win could have been by a much larger margin, as a handful of scoring opportunities were left to

the party in the 30th. A shot at the goal from Facey was intercepted by the goalkeeper, but Willabus capitalised on the loose ball to complete her brace in the 38th, as Guyana finished the half with a 3-0

Harden posts triple-double after Nets' Durant is ejected

23

scoreline.

The Turks and Caicos team, although depleted, had their fair share of chances. The most prominent one saw Mikayla Marcellus charging past Guyana’s defence towards the goal. With Guyana’s goalie well outside her area, it appeared as though it would become a 3-1 game, but Marcellus’ shot was well off, veering away outside of the goal posts.

On the back of a free kick, an impressive header from Trim ensured that she would be the one to open the scoring in the second segment in the 47th minute. A truly chaotic scene in front of the goal in the 53rd minute was given some semblance of normalcy as Trim followed up with a sliding kick, guiding the ball

into the goal for her second and pushing Guyana’s tally to 5.

While the ensuing minutes were quiet for both teams, Johnson took advantage of the opponents’ deficit one last time to net Guyana’s sixth and her second goal in the 82nd minute.

Prior to their encounter with Turks and Caicos, Guyana enjoyed a 1-0 victory over Anguilla in their opening match last Thursday, but suffered a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Group winners Honduras on Saturday.

As the rules of the Qualifiers go, the top teams from the three groups automatically advanced to the CONCACAF U17 Women’s Championships, while the

best second-place team would also advance, following the calculation of points.

With two wins against their three opponents, the Guyanese Under-17 Girls have finished as the best secondplace team in the qualification tournament, thus booking a spot in the Championships.

Aside from Group C winners Honduras and Guyana, Curaçao (Group B) and St Kitts and Nevis (Group A) are the other qualifiers.

The CONCACAF Women’s U17 Championships are scheduled for January 2022. In the Championships, the topranked 16 teams participating in the group stage will be divided into four groups for round-robin play. Following that stage, the top three teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16, where they will join the four teams from the Qualifiers. The top three finishers in that tournament will automatically seal their spot in the FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup, which is set for October 11-30, 2022 in India.

…Jazz condemn Giannis and Bucks to another defeat

K

evin Durant scored 23 points before being ejected for a flagrant foul late in the third quarter as the hosts Brooklyn Nets beat the Detroit Pistons 117-91 Sunday night.

Durant was ejected with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter and the Nets leading 85-68. He was thrown out when his right forearm and elbow hit Kelly Olynyk's face just outside the paint. Durant shot 10 of 13 from the field before getting ejected.

James Harden produced his 59th career regular-season triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds as the Nets led by as many as 30. It was Harden's 13th triple-double with the Nets.

The Nets shot a franchiserecord 65.3 per cent from the field, making 47 of 72 attempts.

Their previous high was 65.2 per cent on April 17, 1982, at Detroit.

The Pistons rested rookie Cade Cunningham. Cory Joseph led the Pistons with 13 points, and Josh Jackson added 12 as Detroit shot 40.5 per cent from the field. Jerami Grant was held to 11 points on 5-of-15 from the floor.

Lakers 95, Rockets 85 Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and Russell Westbrook added 20 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds as Los Angeles routed visiting Houston.

LeBron James added 15

points, eight assists, and seven rebounds for the Lakers, who led by as many as 28. The teams meet again at the Staples Center today. Anthony made 5 of 8 attempts from 3-point range in 25 minutes and is averaging 25.0 points over his last three home games. Anthony Davis recorded 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Eric Gordon scored 17 points for Houston and Christian Wood chipped in 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Rockets committed a season-high 27 turnovers while shooting 21.4 per cent (6 of 28) from beyond the arc.

Mavericks 105, Kings 99 Luka Doncic stalled a late Sacramento rally with a threepointer to cap a game-high 23-point performance as hosts Dallas rebounded from an embarrassing loss at Denver two days earlier to win.

Doncic also found time for a game-high 10 assists and teamhigh-tying eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who shot 44.4 per cent from the field after having been held to 29.5 per cent in the 106-75 loss to the Nuggets on Friday.

Richaun Holmes recorded a 22-point, 13-rebound doubledouble for the Kings, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.

Hornets 125, Trail Blazers 113 LaMelo Ball scored 27 points and Kelly Oubre Jr added 26 off the bench to lift hosts Charlotte

to victory over Portland.

Ball also had nine rebounds and seven assists to highlight a performance that was in stark contrast to his previous two games. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year totalled just 13 points on 5-of-28 shooting from the floor in a win over Orlando on Wednesday and a loss to Miami on Friday.

Oubre made six 3-pointers, and Ball and a returning Terry Rozier each sank four for Charlotte, which made 20 of 42 shots from beyond the arc (47.6 per cent). Rozier had missed the previous four games with a sprained ankle.

Jazz 107, Bucks 95 Donovan Mitchell scored 28, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and Mike Conley Jr netted 20 points in his return to the line-up as visiting Utah defeated Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, but Milwaukee still fell at home for the third time in its three-game homestand. Kris Middleton didn't play because of a nonCOVID-19 illness.

Utah led for most of the game – and never trailed – but the Bucks got within four points late in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 17. Grayson Allen's hot hand played a big role in that rally, as the former Jazzman scored seven of his 18 points in the final minutes. (Reuters)

S

hemar Britton, a former Caribbean Under-21 and men’s singles champion, 2019 Caribbean championships men’s singles bronze medallist and Guyana Under-21 and men’s singles silver medallist will be competing in the Ecuador Open.

The Ecuador Open is part of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Contender Series.

Britton, one of Guyana’s most talented players, will be flying the Golden Arrowhead in the event scheduled for November 2-6, 2021 at the Totoracocha Sports Complex, Avenida los Andes and Avenida del Condor Cuenca, Ecuador.

The preliminary rounds of the men's singles aspect of the competition commence today at 10:45h.

2021 ITTF Ecuador Open

playing system structure * There will be seven individual events – men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. * All the events will be played main draw (knockout) and first stage (singles – round-robin, doubles – knockout). * The matches of men’s singles and women’s singles will be best of 7 games. * Men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles will be best of 5 games. * The number of seeded players and main draw is defined according to the number of entries, at the final entry’s deadline, as follows: * The ranking list which will be used for seeding and for the draws shall be the ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking to be published on September 28,

2021 (week 39).

The tournament will be a compact one with over 24 male participants, featuring players from Belgium, India, Peru, Puerto Rico, Austria and Mexico.

This offers a great opportunity for Britton to get great match practice and assess the level of his game after a more-than-18-month hiatus from competition owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A budding lawyer who attends the University of the West Indies, Britton is one of the strongest talents hailing from the English-speaking Caribbean. An Olympic solidarity scholarship holder and prospect, he has expressed his desire to qualify for the Paris 2023 Olympics and expressed his intention of ramping up his training and competition schedule in his quest to achieve this goal.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

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

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— to be assessed ahead of crucial Sri Lanka match on Thursday

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