Guyana Times, Monday 16, December,2019.

P14

Scores of children feted at SOL Christmas Village Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4139

MONday, december 16, 2019

PRICE

Govt admits it solicited traders to sell crude oil on spot market

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Rasville man nabbed with 6lbs ganja P13

See story on page 7

– claims it consulted with Public Procurement Commission before inviting traders

Guyana only country in list of 28 with incomplete climate change strategy

Page 13

– Argentina adopted policy this year; Panama, Nicaragua & Haiti have several

Police rank who beat man at city wharf relieved P2 of duties – Commander

STEMGuyana hosts 3rd Annual Tullow Oil Robotics Exhibition Page 12

Two young ladies display their creations during the 3rd Annual Tullow Robotics Exhibition on Sunday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown

Govt's economic philosophy debilitating – Jagdeo Page 3

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Guyana only country to signal participation in ICJ’s oral hearings See story on page 12

No leads in P8 brothers' murder at Father’s Beach Police to get modernised radio devices to fight crime P8

P&P Insurance Brokers spreads P14 Christmas cheer

2 NEWS Police rank who beat man at city wharf relieved of duties – Commander monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

…investigations currently ongoing by Office of Professional Responsibility

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he Police Officer who had been caught on video using his handcuffs to beat a man while trying to arrest him at the

The Police rank in casual wear using the handcuffs to hit Little’s hands

Meadow Bank Wharf, Georgetown, earlier this month has been re-

lieved of his duties which involve dealing with the public.

This is according to Commander of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Sub-division A (Georgetown), Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas.

He told Guyana Times on Sunday that investigations into the matter were currently ongoing and being spearheaded by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

However, in the interim, until the probe is concluded, the rank has been tasked with other duties which do not permit him to deal directly with the public.

According to Commander Thomas, once the OPR makes its recommendation after its investigation, he will abide by it. As such, that Policeman’s career depends solely on the findings of the OPR. Police ranks are issued various items to execute their duties; for instance, a baton is used to assist in subduing a suspect, the Commander notes, while a pair of handcuffs is used for another pur-

The Policeman dealing a hard blow to Little’s face with the handcuffs

pose.

However, when a Police Officer uses one of his tools for a purpose than the one originally intended, this will lead to questions about whether or not the rank had

stepped out of line or breached the rights of the suspect.

On December 5, a video went viral on social media (Facebook) with the Police Officer in question attempting to aid his colleague in arresting 32-year-old Quincy Little.

Little was accused of stealing a snapper from another vendor and the Police visited him two hours after the simple larceny report was made requesting that he accompany them to the Ruimveldt Police Station.

He told the media that he requested that the ranks call his brother before he was arrested, but was denied this.

Little was subsequently released on self-bail upon his arrival at the Police Station after which he was taken to the hospital.

He vehemently told reporters that he was innocent and the vendor who made the accusation against him did not want to take the matter further.

He further stated that his

The rank armed with his gun and pointing it in the direction of Little, who had already been restrained by the uniformed officer, at the Meadow Bank Wharf

brother who also vends on the wharf, volunteered to repay the $6000 (the value of the snapper).

Little, along with his relatives, is calling for justice.

news

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Monday December 16 – 08:30h 10:00h and Tuesday December 17 – 09:00h - 10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday December 16 – 07:20h 08:50h and Tuesday December 17 – 08:15h - 09:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY Light rain showers and light clouds along with light rain are expected during the day. There will be light rain showers and light clouds at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 07:19h and 19:36h reaching maximum heights of 2.49 metres and 2.58 metres.

Low Tide: 13:07h minimum height of

reaching a 0.77 metre.

saturday, DECember 14, 2019

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Govt’s economic philosophy debilitating – Jagdeo

...tells diaspora country will not progress under coalition

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ith Guyana expecting to reap massive wealth from its oil-rich ocean floor, former President and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo believes that the governing A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition does not have the vision to manage the country through the economic transformation it is about to experience.

In fact, he told the Guyanese diaspora in New York on Saturday that the Government’s economic philosophy is debilitating for Guyana and the country would not progress as long as it was in power.

Jagdeo, who is also the General Secretary of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), was at the time speaking at a fundraising luncheon, where he noted that everyone, including the coalition’s supporters, knew that it has been mismanaging the country and economy.

“You don’t even need to convince anyone, because they’ve seen a series of disastrous decisions taken on the economic side that will harm Guyana not just now but way into the future,” he stated.

He pointed out that since going into office in 2015, the coalition has been spending enormously.

According to the Opposition Leader, the APNU/AFC has spent over $1.1 trillion while increasing tax collection by some $88 billion during its four and half years in office. He noted when the PPP left office after 23 years in 2014, the total tax collection in Guyana was $135 billion and now it was pegged at nearly $230 billion. “[That’s] nearly 70 per cent increase in overall taxation that has sucked all of this money out of the system. That is why you have such tightness – a slowdown in retail trade and every other sector because dis-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

posable income is now with Government, they took it in taxes,” he stressed.

In addition to the increased spending and increased taxes, Jagdeo said the coalition has also increased borrowing, racking up close to $900 million in debt over the past four-plus years. This surge in external debt, he noted, will leave Guyana in a state it was in the early 90s, whereby all of the country’s money will go back into repaying these debts.

The former Head of State recalled when the PPP took office in 1992, the external debt was some 900 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), that is, nine times the size of the economy at the time. He added that they had to use 153 per cent of the country’s revenue to service debt.

According to Jagdeo, by the time the PPP left office, it was using four to five per cent of revenue to service external debt, which

was US$1.1 billion in total.

Guyana’s economy at that time was pegged at US$4 billion, he added.

The Opposition Leader went on to outline that they would not have mind the surge in spending had it improved the welfare of the populace.

“So [they] increase spending, but if you increase spending and improve welfare – so you get better education, etc – then it’s fine.

But education is deteriorating, the hospitals are getting shortage of drugs, so more spending and the services are deteriorating…

They’ve taken away all the ‘grow poor’ policies we’ve had. They removed the subsidies – free water for pensioners, remove the grant from the schoolkids, etc. So, no improvement in welfare although they spent $1.1 trillion,” he contended.

On the other hand, Jagdeo further pointed out that every single sector in the economy was in trou-

ble. Mining, forestry, rice, sugar, retail trade and construction are all on the decline, he added. Without oil and the investments associated with that budding sector, which he said are the only thing happening now, Guyana would be in a serious bind.

“So, you spend $1.1 trillion, you increased tax by $88 billion, you borrow another $900 million and there is practically nothing to show for it. The economy is practically flat-lining and people are losing welfare,” he asserted.

Against this backdrop, the Opposition Leader posited that the PPP did not have to do much to make a case because the country already knew that the governing coalition could not manage the economy. He added it also lacked a vision or plans to pitch to Guyanese on the 2020 campaign trail.

“They’ve broken every single promise to the sugar workers, rice farmers, university students, pensioners, Amerindians, miners, to people in the forestry sector.

Every single group has seen a deterioration in the conditions that they were operating in… Their policies have been decimating to many sectors so they can’t go back and make new promises to these people,” the Opposition Leader stated.

As such, Jagdeo asserted that it was crucial that the PPP win the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections so that it could take back the country and resume the growth path it had in place when it left office less than five years ago.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019

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

Shared governance muddle

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ith the efflorescence of almost a dozen new parties threatening to contest the March 2020 elections, one common thread in the utterances of a majority of them is a need for “shared governance”.

The PNC-led coalition had explicitly included their model for shared governance in their manifesto, but neither their genuflection to the idea in their Cummingsburg Accord with the AFC nor their more expansive explication in the manifesto was implemented.

A stillborn threshold constitutional change initiative was blamed. But it is expected the proposal will be floated once again in their upcoming manifesto. In the meantime, the PPP’s presidential candidate reiterated their “inclusive governance” position articulated in 2003, but noted its limitation on their expansiveness until greater “trust” is engendered among the political fraternity – especially with the PNC. The idea of shared governance has a long, if not exactly venerable, history in Guyana, starting with Cheddi Jagan’s poignant efforts to form one with the PNC, which had already been promised the government by the colonial power. In 1977, the PPP proposed a “National Front Government” – which, by including all socialist parties, contained the PNC, so as to bring in “all strata and races”.

In 1979, they offered their “Government of National Reconciliation” that differed most significantly from the PPP’s proposal in finding no place for the PNC, since, in their estimation, that party “was part of the problem and could not be part of the solution”. In both proposals, the overt rationale for suggesting the new form of governance was to deal with the economic and social crises that by then had engulfed the society. The PNC had mocked the PPP’s 1977 attempt to include racial discrimination in its formulation by enquiring as to “the socialist content of race”.

Even after they had jettisoned their socialist ideology by the nineties, the PNC – which accepted that voting in Guyana was aligned along ethnic lines, and that their support base was overwhelmingly African Guyanese – refused to explicitly articulate the dilemma as a need for ethnic power-sharing. In 2002, when Mr H.D. Hoyte, as leader of the PNC, finally called for “shared governance”, he blithely ignored the contradiction posed by his continued refusal to link his call for African Guyanese to be explicitly included in Government.

If one were to accept the premise that a community consists of interchangeable “individuals” who vote on issues, then one has to accept the conclusion that a majority of those voters represent the best agglomeration of the “national will”. The party that falls short of obtaining a majority simply has to go back to the drawing board, reformulate its policies and strategies, and hit the streets for the next elections. There can be no justification for changing the rules of the game: justice had been served through majoritarianism.

Shared governance, whether successful or not, can only be justified by a “group”, as opposed to an “individual” conception of political participation, in which an identified ascriptive group, with its unique perspective and interests, would be excluded by the operation of the majoritarian system. This is the case, whether it has been the Flemish in Belgium, Catholics in Netherlands and Northern Ireland, Indians in Fiji, Luo and Kalenjin in Kenya etc. While it is also the case in Guyana, however, there is now no need for explicit external mechanisms to impose power-sharing.

After all, Guyana is now a nation of minorities, and no single party can win an election by a majority, unless it secures a solid block of votes from all the ethnic groups in the country. The majoritarian principle can now ensure “power sharing”. The PPP has stuck with its position that, even though it has a historical ethnic base, it will always seek to convince the largest number of Guyanese that it can represent their interests through its programmes and representative leadership structure.

They are confident that all Guyanese have now had an opportunity to compare them with the PNC in terms of developing the country. And the latter has failed ignominiously.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the Guyanese diaspora on Sunday at New York Lions Club-sponsored programme at Villa Roussa in Richmond Hill, New York

The story of how APNU/AFC betrayed us Dear Editor, Everywhere you go in Guyana, people openly talk of how royally APNU/ AFC shafted Guyana, with the oil and gas story being just another example of the daily shafting Guyanese get from their own Government. The other day I highlighted that one of the major election issues is sugar.

The PPP is on the side of reopening sugar estates and continuing with sugar as a major part of the economy. The other political parties, including APNU/AFC, are on the side of ending sugar. A clear line has been drawn.

But another equally important, prominent election issue is how APNU/ AFC has victimised and shafted Guyana by giving away Guyana’s considerable oil and gas resources to two oil companies.

Every day, Guyanese are being conned, cheated, bamboozled when it comes to our oil and gas resources. One newspaper columnist, Peeping Tom, said it right, Guyanese are being shafted by their own Government. The vast majority of Guyanese get up every morning, go to bed every evening, feeling royally shafted by their Government.

It is the reason why the Guyanese people lost confidence in Granger and his APNU/AFC band of charlatans. This same band told Guyanese before the May 2015 elections the PPP lied that one of the oil companies found oil and that a new oil and gas industry will add to Guyana’s econom-

ic platform and bring prosperity. Yet, APNU/ AFC has spent almost five years telling people that oil prosperity is just around the corner.

APNU/AFC did not tell Guyanese we are being shafted with the oil company’s expenses, real or fake, even before the first barrel of oil is produced. We are told now that Guyana already owes the company billions of dollars and that Guyana must begin paying from the get-go. We have to begin payment of this accrued expense with the first barrels that are produced.

Each year, after current expenses are deducted, 75 per cent of the remaining revenues will have to go towards paying back the oil company for the accrued expenses. It is only then that profits will be calculated, meaning our share of profits become vastly diminished. If the global oil price drops to US$50 per barrel, Guyana might see little to nothing in the first few years. Do you see why the vast majority of Guyanese agree we have been royally shafted?

Even as first oil is days away, Guyanese now realise we have been royally shafted. We are now told that even if the company cheats on their accounting, inflating their expenses, they cannot be penalised. APNU/AFC has paid little attention to the forensic audit of the company’s expenses. But the PPP is vowing to hold Exxon accountable.

Bharat Jagdeo at his

recent media conference made it clear the expense bills that the oil company and other have submitted so far and those that will be submitted in the future must be thoroughly examined before any payments are made and false submissions will be penalised in accordance with the laws of Guyana.

The royal shafting is worse than anyone could imagine. Even though this is already a shameless and repugnant story, it is just a small part of the shafting. The oil company announced the first three-hundred thousand barrels will be kept on the drilling platform to help stabilise it. Every turn, we see that Guyana’s minuscule share is being eaten into. Already, we know that Guyana will only have a 2 per cent royalty from the company (it is even worse, being 1 per cent, with Tullow), compared to 5 to 30 per cent Exxon has with other oil-producing countries.

Guyana is now officially the country with the lowest royalty agreement in the world, even though we are the newest oil-producing country. We did not learn from others. Talk about being royally shafted.

We are even being shafted with our profits.

Initially, Guyanese were told, we would get 50 per cent of the profits after royalty was shared and after current and pre-production expenses were deducted. The current and pre-production expenses before profit are determined will be allowed for

up to 75 per cent of the total revenue earnings.

After that, Guyana gets 50 per cent of anything determined to be profits.

Given that Guyana must also pay all the accrued taxes, both company and income taxes and other taxes, like VAT, Guyana’s share is not really 50 per cent. It is more like 34 per cent. It is even less than that when the duty-free losses we will suffer is taken into consideration.

It is terrifying enough that the Granger-led APNU/AFC has unabashedly abused the Constitution and rendered Guyana a dictatorship. Adding salt to Guyana’s painful wounds is the combination of corruption, incompetence and cluelessness. Every single day, we see the utter depravity of APNU/ AFC. Every single APNU/ AFC official has become involved in small and big corrupt transactions.

Their incompetence is unimaginable.

How do you sign a contract and not make provisions for, first, forensic auditing of Exxon’s expenses, and, second, to penalise them for false accounting? The cost of auditing them is also a Guyana cost. This falls under both the corruption and incompetence rubric.

APNU/AFC is shameless, totally irredeemable, totally devoid of principle.

Elections March 2020 is about whether we will allow APNU/AFC to continue shafting us or not.

Regards, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019

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

My observations on issues raised in Dr Hinds’ desultory and disjointed attempt at political analysis Dear Editor, Please permit me to respond to Dr Hinds’ December 15, 2019, column in Kaieteur News captioned, “Rejecting the PPP’s twisted narrative”.

First, Dr Hinds’ thesis was the PPP is “the worst Government in post-colonial Guyana and the Anglophone Caribbean”. I was hoping for an analysis grounded in the post-colonial Guyanese history looking at the various Guyanese Governments since 1966.

At least a cursory comparison of the Burnham era to Hoyte, Jagan to Jagdeo, Jagdeo to Ramotar, and Ramotar to Granger would have been the starting

point of such an analysis. Dr Hinds clearly omitted Anglophone Caribbean any analysis of the Caribbean – no mention of Eric Williams, Errol Barrow, Eric Gary, Maurice Bishop, Michael Manley, Edward Seaga, etc.

Instead, he went into intellectual hallucination with ethereal visions of “Germany under Hitler, the USA in the era of slavery and segregation, South Africa under apartheid and Europe as colonial masters…” Once again, the public is treated to another helping of Dr Hinds’ poor writing: mediocrity masquerading as scholarship.

Secondly, Dr Hinds, through his writings, is posturing as the logical successor to the incompetent demolition expert Walter Rodney. Hinds with his subliminally racist “ethno-racial” paradigm might actually be the successor to the “PanAfricanist.” Instead of promulgating a national policy to benefit all Guyanese, Hinds focuses narrowly on his ethnic group.

What Guyanese need is a “Guyanese nationalist” – someone who places the nation’s interest above party, racial, and religious interests.

Thirdly, Dr Hinds tries assiduously to portray the WPA as some sort of en-

tity that was “post-racial.” In fact, Rodney and WPA’s success was the pure distillate of the toxic Guyanese racial mix.

Indians and other ethnic groups did not gravitate to Rodney and the WPA based on an economic platform.

Rather, the question facing the disaffected PNC base: Who was the more acceptable alternative to Burnham? Rodney or Jagan? Based on Hinds’ “ethno-racial” paradigm, Rodney was the more racially palatable candidate for the disaffected PNC base. The urban PPP supporters were disappointed by Jagan and the PPP’s inability to advocate for

their interest.

In an expression of hopelessness - “anybody but Burnham” they cast their lot with Rodney because they believed that the army and political leadership would not permit Jagan/PPP to govern.

Rodney’s death and the emergence of Rupert Roopnaraine was an anathema to the “disaffected PNC” support of the WPA. Hence, they returned to the folds of the PNC. Analogously, the “disappointed PPP” supporters viewed Roopnaraine as weak and ineffectual and they returned to the PPP. Fourthly, Dr Hinds humorously reminds me of Donald Trump who sees

Obama as the bogeyman for everything wrong.

Similarly, Hinds has the same affliction - Jagdeo is the bogeyman. Hinds asserts, “many Indians [give] thanks to Jagdeo and the Phantom groups.”

Hinds has no idea of the many Indians he professes to make intelligible to the reading public. Many credit Roger Khan with countering the “criminals, freedom fighters and hustlers”.

These are my observations to some of the issues raised in Dr Hinds’ desultory and disjointed attempt at political analysis.

Sincerely, Roger Ally

There is no need to sell Guyana’s share of profit oil directly Dear Editor, The response by the Department of Energy to grave concerns expressed about the invitation to select petroleum companies to Guyana for face-to-face meetings is disingenuous.

There is no need to sell Guyana’s share of profit oil directly. The share should be sold by the operator and should fetch the same price as the operator’s share. The price garnered for ExxonMobil’s share will be declared publicly to its shareholders and is a transparent, trusted and audited process. ExxonMobil cannot and will not lie to its owners (shareholders) and is closely monitored by capable institutions such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The same cannot be said for the process outlined by David Granger’s Department of

Energy (DE).

The DE is being facetious when it suggested that “The short-term first phase beginning this week will focus on setting national benchmarks for selling Guyana’s portion of its crude in the future”. One, the benchmark will be set by the sale of the oil lifted before our turn comes and two, each batch of oil is quality tested and sold according to those results.

The DE confirmed that “Selected companies are invited to bid to buy Guyana’s product in the very short term”. The obvious question is why? Oil is sold on the world market daily, there is no advantage to pre-selling oil of unknown (but expected to be very high) quality. Should we, for example, accept a price US$2 higher than Brent Crude per barrel, it would seem a good

deal unless the quality is higher and the world market price would be Brent plus US$8. In such a scenario, Guyana would have lost US$18 million due to undue haste. Given the present ravaged state of the Treasury, it is a risk we can ill-afford to take.

Then there is the issue of “selected companies”, the DE stated that “This strategy was employed upon serious consideration of advice given by an international team external to the DE”. The DE gave us titles of persons but significantly fails to name anyone. The DE gave us a lengthy threepoint explanation of the ‘logic’ employed in reaching the decision to adopt a self-described “novel approach” – an examination of the three points is revealing.

In point one, the DE said the quality of the crude is

not yet known. This is patently false; ExxonMobil has signalled that the crude is expected to be higher than the benchmark Brent.

However, each shipment of oil is graded onboard the FPSO rigorously, oil companies do not buy or sell ‘pig in bag’. Any sale before testing is going to be below real value as companies will claim ‘risk’. Absolute hogwash!

Point two states “The DE has been advised, by the Crude Marketing Specialist, that in order to take Guyana through this limited short-term phase, a few high-quality IOCs with a global refining footprint and integrated oil value chains would be best given an opportunity to support the DE during this incubation and launching phase”. Guyana needs to get the best possible price for its share of profit oil,

Inaction by MMA causing distress to farmers Dear Editor, The recent breach of the sea defence between Dantzig and Fairfield in Region Five has caused saltwater to intrude into the irrigation system as far as No 10 up the Mahaica River.

This saltwater is now trapped in the irrigation canals with nowhere to go since all outlets to the Bellamy Canal have been sealed off. Hundreds of acres of rice land located in the backlands of Broek en Waterland, Dantzig, Glazier’s Lust, Prospect and High Dam, cannot be cultivated because of the presence of the saltwater in the irrigation system.

The solution to this problem is to reopen the Dantzig Canal for a few days during the low tide for the sole purpose of draining the saltwater out of the irrigation system or

pump the water out via the Dantzig Canal into the Bellamy Canal.

I have spoken to the Regional Chairman of Region Five about this situation. He indicated to me that he had raised this issue on several occasions with the officials at Mahaica Mahaicony Abary-Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA), but all his pleas have fallen on deaf ears. In the meantime, many farmers are in a quandary since they depend on rice cultivation for their livelihood and they also have bank loans to repay.

In view of the foregoing, I am hereby appealing to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture to instruct the little lords at MMA-ADA to take immediate action to get the saltwater out of the irrigation

system so that the farmers could continue with their normal lives and put food on the table for their fam-

ilies.

Yours sincerely, Janaknauth Panchu

what it seems to have gotten is high-priced ‘con-sultants’. Keep it simple stupid should be a mantra over at the DE; it seems they are easily confused or misled. Is Kevin Granger an advisor on the ‘international team’? is it a team or a gathering of cronies?

Point three of the DE’s response states “Guyana’s main incentive in taking this approach is to establish a norm in terms of quality standard and quantity availability so as to prevent any possible down-pricing”.

Again, if or quality is low, it will be tested before lifting and priced according to world prices, same if it is high, every shipment will

be tested and priced this way, in a very open and transparent process. That is unless we deviate from the norm during the ‘faceto-face’ meetings.

The DE asserted that there is no untoward motive hidden in the request for face-to-face meetings and then, only with ‘selected’ companies, but I would suggest that when men with guns and masks are in our house, Guyanese do not have to wait to be robbed to know that they are bandits.

We also know ‘salla-walla’ when we see it.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019

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here’s something special about Christmas and kids look forward to this festival the most. And why shouldn’t they? After all, they get gifts from Santa Claus. But there’s more to Christmas than gifts and decorating the house.

Christmas trees were first used by ancient Egyptians and Romans

The origin or the use of Christmas trees goes way back to ancient Egyptians and Romans. They used evergreen trees like fir or pine trees, wreaths, and garlands. And the use of modern Christmas trees started in Germany in the 16th century. Instead of the glitzy decorations that we see on them today, they were decorated with fruits and nuts. Wet bet you didn’t know this interesting fact about the Christmas tree!

The term ‘Xmas’ simply means Christmas

The use of the term ‘Xmas’ dates back to the 16th century. The ‘X’ in the word Xmas comes from the ancient Greek language. In Greek, Christ begins with the letter X. So, Xmas simply means Christmas.

Foundation other reindeers? It would be impossible for Rudolph alone to pull Santa’s sled, don’t you think? It is filled with gifts to the brim for every good child in the world, and Rudolph can’t pull that all alone.

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, is in fact, Santa’s ninth reindeer. And there are eight other reindeers who help him.

These eight reindeers are Cupid, Dancer, Vixen, Dunder, Comet, Dasher, Prancer, and Blixem.

Baby Jesus received some wonderful gifts when He was born

When Jesus was born, a bright star shone in the sky. Three kings followed this star and made a long journey to the birthplace of Jesus. They bore with them gifts of gold, frankincense (aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes), and oils.

The Christmas wreath is a symbol of love and eternal life

The Christmas wreath is representative of the crown of thorns that Jesus wore.

Eventually, the co-

Santa Claus was known as Sinterklaas in Dutch

For children, Christmas is all about receiving gifts from Santa Claus. But how did Santa Claus come into existence? The character of Santa Claus is based on St Nicholas. As per legend, St Nicholas was a Christian bishop who provided for the poor and needy. He also loved children and enjoyed giving gifts to them secretly. As his story spread, he was called Sinterklaas in Dutch, which later became Santa Claus. We bet you didn’t know this fact either!

Santa Claus did not always dress up in red clothes

Santa Claus initially wore clothes that were in green, purple, or blue. For many years, this was the common theme for the jolly old man at the North Pole.

However, Coca Cola decided to dress him up in colours that match their brand and that stuck. So, this is why he is always in red clothes now!

Rudolph, the “Red-Nosed Reindeer”, has helpers too!

So you probably know Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, who pulls Santa’s sled on Christmas Eve. But do you know

Santa Claus gets gifts too!

Santa comes bearing gifts for the children who have been good throughout the year. But do you know that Santa gets gifts too? Who gives presents to Santa?

It’s us! Yes, even you can give gifts to Santa! And no, the jolly old man does not want traditional gifts, but he is a bit partial to cookies and milk to keep him satisfied during his trip around the world. So, this Christmas, make cookies for Santa.

Santa will love eating cookies made with love!

Christmas cakes are not really plum cakes

One of the best parts about Christmas is the Christmas cake, and we all love eating it. But does your child know what cakes are consumed during Christmas?

It’s plum cake! The cakes we get to eat during the Christmas holidays are known as plum cakes but there are, in fact, no plums in the cake!

Raisins were known as plums in medieval times and the ingredients were stirred in an East to West direction similar to that of the journey of the three wise men.

they can convey their feelings to the person they like and wish them well.

There’s a story behind the ’12 days of Christmas’

Did you ever wonder why the holidays of Christmas are referred to as the ‘12 days of Christmas’? Legend has it that the three kings took 12 days to travel to the birthplace of baby Jesus, hence the holidays of Christmas are known as 12 days of Christmas.

The largest Christmas gift was the Statue of Liberty

Christmas is also the time of exchanging gifts. People either save up through the year to buy gifts for their friends and family or make the gifts themselves. But do you know which is the largest Christmas present ever given? It is the Statue of Liberty! The Statue of Liberty was gifted by France to the USA as a Christmas gift in the year 1886.

There are many traditions and customs your kids can partake in the happiest time of the year. Remember to involve them in as many rituals as you can, be it decorating the tree and house or making cakes. The festivities begin at home and will be treasured by your children for years to come. (Excerpt from parenting.firstcry.com)

Mistletoe is the symbol of love and laughter!

lours of Christmas – red, green, and gold were added. Red is said to represent the blood of Jesus, green is supposed to symbolise life, and gold stands for royalty and light. And the evergreen foliage used to make Christmas wreaths symbolises the continuity of life and nature even in the darkest days of winters.

Carolling is based on the tradition of wassailing

Have you ever wondered why people go door to door singing carols? The tradition is based on the English custom of wassailing, which was a tradition to toast to someone’s good health and fortune. St. Francis of Assisi took this tradition and converted it to the modern form of carolling.

Mistletoe is supposed to be a symbol of love, laughter, and compassion.

And the tradition of a kiss under the mistletoe is supposed to a way of asking for the blessings of the spirit of Christmas through the mistletoe.

Lumps of coal are gifts too!

Did you know that Santa does not simply ignore the children who have been bad throughout the year? He puts pieces of coal into the child’s stocking instead of gifts! This tradition started in Italy. Yet another important reason for children to be good through the year and do as many good deeds as they can!

People give Christmas cards to convey their feelings to their loved ones

One of the most fun rituals of Christmas is the exchange of Christmas cards. You can ask your child to make your own cards with embellishments of his choice. By giving Christmas cards,

T

he ideas and decorations for these cute popsicle stick snowflake ornaments are endless! These snowflakes made with simple craft sticks are easy to decorate too that any age can help make them.

Here are the supplies you’ll need to make your own popsicle stick snowflake ornaments: * Popsicle sticks (coloured or plain) * tacky glue * hot glue sticks and hot glue * Christmas bells * glitter stickers * silver glitter * tinsel pom poms and/or craft foam balls * fabric snowflakes * twine for hanging

3 easy steps

1. First you need to paint your popsicle sticks if you don’t already have coloured sticks. We started with coloured sticks which make it much easier to create! But painting can also be part of the fun too so you could easily get plain popsicle sticks and paint them whatever colour you like!

2. Next you need to hot glue your popsicle sticks together. Forming the shape of the snowflake, put a small bit of hot glue in between each popsicle stick. Once done, add a bit of hot glue to the back and add your twine for hanging. Adults should do this part. You can get the snowflakes ready and then kids can do the decorating!

3. Now is the fun part! Time to decorate! We did all different kinds of decorations. We used glitter stickers and silver glitter on one, Christmas bells and glitter, fabric snowflakes and glitter, tinsel pom poms and glitter and just pure glitter on the final one.

If you want to get the glitter on your snowflake ornament, just put a bit of the tacky glue and pour the glitter on top. Then shake off the excess glitter.

That’s it! (thebestideasforkids.com)

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt admits it solicited traders to sell crude oil on spot market – claims it consulted with Public Procurement Commission before inviting traders

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he Energy Department has finally broken its silence after a Bloomberg report exposed the Government’s plans to approach traders directly and have them buy Guyana’s oil and sell it. According to the Department, the arrangement is not a long term but rather an interim one.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Department said that the arrangement was only meant to last for the first three crude lifts.

The Department noted that because of Guyana’s relative inexperience, the decision was made to have others buy and sell the oil first, while the Department watches and learns.

The Department said that its uncertainty about the quality of the crude and the cost to refine it was another factor in this decision. This is despite Exxon consistently announcing that the crude it has found in the Liza Field is of high quality. According to the Department, however, it will take several lifts to establish the quality of crude.

“Guyana’s main incentive in taking this approach is to establish a norm in terms of quality standard and quantity availability so as to prevent any possible down-pricing. What the DE is seeking to accomplish with the shortterm approach is to allow for stabilisation and standardisation to prevent our Liza crude from being priced downwards due to uncer-

Energy Department Head, Dr Mark Bynoe

tainty of the quality.”

“Upon careful consideration of all advice and exigencies of this moment, the DE initiated a conversation with a selected group of companies for a potential placement of only the first three cargoes of Guyana’s entitlement. This allows Guyana to sell its crude directly to the selected operators,” the Department said.

A novel approach

The Department admitted that this may be considered a “novel” approach, a point that was made by the Bloomberg article. However, the Department defended the unusual situation by noting that learning from the traders was a strategic move that has precedent.

Moreover, it claimed to have consulted with the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) before deciding on this course of action.

“This strategy was employed upon serious consideration of advice given by

an international team external to the DE. The advisory team consists of the following persons, a Crude Marketing Specialist, a Commercial Specialist and an external Legal Adviser, among others.”

“The logic is that given Guyana’s inexperience and the impending early date of the first lifts, an introduction phase of the grade was more advantageous to Guyana at this time,” the Department also said.

But while the Department claims it will be relying on the traders to ‘hold Guyana’s hand’ and show it how to sell its oil, a source knowledgeable about the oil sector has pointed out to this publication that the oil industry is never as black and white as the Department seems to believe.

According to the source, traders will not surprisingly get a better price due to their connections with most global refineries. According to the source, refiners of crude and oil companies are known for having conflicts of interest.

In fact, the government has every intention to sell oil on spot market in an attempt to show the electorate oil funds before the March 2, 2020 Regional and National elections.

Long-term contract

Meanwhile, the Energy Department also said that a Request For Proposals

In January, Guyana will begin the process to find a company to market its crude for the long term

(RFP) will be issued next month, which will initiate the process to procure a marketing firm on a longterm basis to sell Guyana’s crude in the open market.

This process, according to the Department, could take three months.

It was only last week that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo denounced plans to sign a long-term contract to market Guyana’s crude, before the General and Regional Elections that are due on March 2, 2020.

Jagdeo was at the time speaking at his weekly press conference and his comments came after a Bloomberg article revealed that companies from the United States, Switzerland and England would be pay-

ing Guyana a visit to vie for the opportunity to buy and sell Guyana’s oil.

“They are busy trying [to procure companies],” Jagdeo had revealed. “They called a company, asking if they can put in a proposal, to lift our share of profit oil. But they don’t really want that company.”

“They want to say they consulted widely, because, behind the scenes, they are working on a deal to tie up a long-term contract for the lifting of our share of the oil.

And we’re never going to accept that.”

While Guyana will eventually be going the route of outsourcing the sale of its oil, there are, in fact, a number of methods that are used around the world to sell oil.

In some cases, a national oil company representing the oil-producing country will negotiate a long-term contract with a buyer. In the contract, the price is usually pre-determined with a benchmark.

There are also methods like on the spot sales, where oil cargoes are sold on an individual basis and prices determined on the spot.

This is, in fact, the method being used by the Energy Department in the short term. Then there are hybrid sales, where an oil producer can use both term contracts and the spot market.

There are also delivery agreements where producers with stakes in refineries can create a safe market for their crude and control their prices according to the costs incurred during the refining process.

Refineries are usually a preferred option to sell oil to, since they offer protection and reduced risks. Selling directly to traders comes with its own challenges, especially if traders aggressively negotiate the sale terms and pressure the country, in this case, Guyana, for favourable treatment… something Guyana knows all too well from the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) it has already negotiated.

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Police to get modernised radio devices to fight crime

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n the coming days, several Police officers patrolling the Georgetown area will be equipped with a specialised radio system that will allow them access to real-time footage from the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the capital city.

This is according to Commander of Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) Sub-division A (Georgetown), Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas.

During a telephone interview with this publication, the Commander explained that these improved and upgraded devices will aid law enforcement officials in responding to reports of any criminal activities in a timelier manner.

However, while the devices are limited, they will be given to ranks within the city to use during the Christmas season.

According to Commander Thomas,

Commander of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Sub-division A (Georgetown), Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas

these devices are different from the ‘body-cameras’ that policemen and policewomen would usually have. They were developed and procured for a different purpose altogether.

Just a few days ago, an announcement was made that there will be an additional 17 CCTV cameras installed country-wide.

The high-technology security camera system is expected to support crime

prevention efforts by the Joint Services in places such as the highly-congested Stabroek Market area, the crucial Berbice River Bridge and the Lusignan Prison on the lower East Coast Demerara (ECD) among other areas.

In a release, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications’ NDMA arm said the 17 new locations will bring the total number of camer-

as to 119 so far and these have been credited with solving a number of criminal activities around the country.

Major (retd) Floyd Levi, Head of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), recently said that the programme is being ramped-up under Safe City Solutions project being carried out in collaboration with the Chinese Government.

Huawei Technologies, which is slowly emerging as one of the world’s leading high-technology supplier companies, is leading efforts with the NDMA to execute the US$37.6 million project that would add a crucial electronic surveillance component to help Police fight crime. The NDMA falls under the Ministry of Public Telecommunications.

Also, new CCTV systems are being installed at the Berbice River Bridge in Region Five and another at the Palmyra Junction on the lower Corentyne.

No leads in brothers’ murder at Father’s Beach

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ore than two months have elapsed since the bullet-riddled bodies of two brothers who left their home to fish were discovered at Father’s Beach, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), and the murderers are yet to be found.

To date, although investigations are ongoing, there has been no solid lead as to

who may have orchestrated or executed the gruesome crime.

Initially, at the time of the killings, the police had noted that high calibre guns were believed to have been used in the shooting to death of Eon Mathias and his brother Rakesh.

According to the autopsy report, one brother died from three gunshot wounds to his back while the other

lost his life after being tortured, chopped about his body, and shot to his back twice.

The bullets exited the men’s bodies through the front.

According to the pathologist report, all of the gunshot wounds were caused by being fired from “high calibre weapons.”

The brothers’ bodies were found less than 25

hours after they left home to go fishing.

The duo had left their home on October 9 in their boat to fish at Father’s Beach, and that was the last time the two men were seen alive.

It was reported that between 14:00h and 14:30h on the day in question, residents near that location (including the brothers’ relatives) heard a series of gunshots being fired.

The stepfather of the two men immediately ventured to the location that the brothers would have been fishing at but did not locate them.

He then made a report to the police and ranks from that region, accompanied by ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), conducted a thorough search in the area but their efforts were futile; the brothers had disappeared without a trace.

Fearing the worst, the stepfather returned to his community and notified persons that his stepsons could not be found. On the following day, persons around the area noticed two bodies near Father’s Beach.

Upon closer inspection, they realised that the men were dead and immediately notified the police.

Police Divisional Commander in that area, Wendell Blanhum had previously told Guyana Times that there were several gunshots visible on the men and that one of the brothers also sustained several chop wounds about his body indicating that he had been tortured before he was killed.

In search of…

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…legitimacy eacting to a stinging critique of the PNC under Granger degutting of the Foreign Service, one long-standing defender of Burnham, Bacchus, took offence at the former PPP Minister of Foreign Trade’s comment: “Those of us who lived through the Burnham dictatorship would easily discern the similarities in the diplomatic gallivanting and opportunistic forum shopping between the then Burnham dictatorship and the extant Granger caretaker administration.”

The interlocutor – the wife of a prominent trade unionist – retorted, “There was no “diplomatic gallivanting” of the Forbes Burnham administration.

His foreign policy, in the Cold War era and the period of struggles against colonisation and apartheid, was studiously conceptualised and executed with precision by personnel of competence.” Really?? Well, there’s no need to speculate about Burnham’s foreign policy adventures: let’s just quote Dr Festus Brotherson’s paper, “The Foreign Policy of Guyana, 1970-1985: Forbes Burnham’s search for legitimacy”.

Brotherson wasn’t just an academic; he was a die-hard PNC who was Executive Secretary (ag) in the Departments of Planning and Research and of Foreign Affairs, member of the PNC Central Executive Committee, and Editor of New Nation, the PNC’s newspaper. He was a consummate insider in the Burnhamite dictatorship. This is what he said about Burnham’s “struggles against colonialism and apartheid” in international bodies such as NAM and G77: “This image of Guyana, as a well-intentioned, principled loyalist of the NAM cause, made to suffer for its loyalty, is a flawed one. The country’s foreign policy was not crafted over the years to serve the objective national interest. Rather, the overriding objective of Guyana’s authoritarian leadership was to do abroad what it had failed to do at home: ie, to establish legitimacy. With this approach, the late President Burnham sought to follow the strategy outlined by Niccolo Machiavelli, namely, to legitimise one’s regime by means of glorious foreign adventure or diplomatic success, which would whip up nationalist fervour on the one hand and stifle domestic opposition on the other, wringing grudging support from the latter in the process.”

The objective of a country’s foreign policy is supposed to be the furtherance of its thrust for development.

Compared to say, Singapore – which was at our level of development with less resources when they got independence in 1965 – what did Burnham achieve for Guyana?? As Brotherson writes: “between 1980 and 1987, Guyana ranked fourth from the bottom of Third World countries suffering economic decline”. Singapore, which embraced free enterprise as apposed to Burnham’s co-op socialism, moved from a per capita GDP of US$925 in 1970 to US$6782 in 1985!! And is now #1 in competitiveness!!

But yet Granger wants to follow Burnham’s gallivanting in G77!! Also in search of legitimacy!! …scapegoats Your Eyewitness is waiting for the Pastors Party (officially the “People’s Republic Party) to launch their manifesto. He was intrigued that they took the time to make an early declaration that they were totally opposed to folks of the same sex getting married. There were so many other pressing issues, he thought – the voters’ list; our plummeting economy; Ferguson’s Palace etc – which they just glided over. Your Eyewitness, therefore, figured they’d discerned some danger in same-sex marriage that threatened our national survival, which has obviously escaped all the other political parties.

Were these goodly pastors (their confidence in their “goodness” was promising in wanting to “save” the rest of us!) worried that this same-sex marriage thing was “catching”? Like those pesky flu viruses that pop up every year, or those American holidays like Thanksgiving, that’s suddenly in?? If it wasn’t catching then, there was no danger of our birth rate dropping too far – with the samesex couples unable to procreate and all that!

Ah well…ain’t democracy a great thing? …role models Seems those two feisty young ladies – Tina and Mona – who created a ruckus over the Police videoing them – have been taken under the wing of Simona “I Is” Broomes.

Who better than the “boom out” Minister who created that ruckus with the security guards??

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

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GWI demands woman pay for damaged meter on parapet – customer says not responsible since meter is not in yard

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woman was asked to pay $125,000 to the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) for allegedly tampering with her water meter, an accusation she has since denied, claiming that the possibility exists that animals could have broken same.

The water service was disconnected from the Lot 83 Plantation Adelphi East Canje, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) property on Wednesday last. This was after the meter reader observed that the meter was allegedly tampered with.

Danlachmi Rikkhi called “Betty,” said she was not at home when the water was disconnected. According to her, a few days prior, the damaged meter was shown to her by the meter reader.

As such, she went to the GWI office on Thursday where she was shown photographs of some tampered meter.

“When I went to GWI, the girl calculated it and then told me that I have to pay

The meter that was allegedly tampered with

$125,000. I told her that I will not be able to pay that money and that I am not even supposed to pay a reconnection fee because I don’t have an outstanding bill. She told me that if I am not satisfied, I could go to the Manager.”

The woman told Guyana Times that she visited the GWI office at Chesney Village where she met with a senior official who indicated that the pictures of the damaged meter revealed that it was hit with a blunt object.

“He told me that the me-

ter was tampered with. It is a hard case but I will have to pay.”

The woman who had already paid $51,000 to the GWI between March and the December of this year said she should not be totally responsible since the water meter was moved from her yard and placed on the parapet.

However, a source from the Guyana Water Inc noted that the water meters in the East Canje area were removed from within yards and

Danlachmi Rikkhi, called “Betty”, inspecting the meter that is outside her yard

placed on the parapets. This, the official explained, is to facilitate meter readers whenever they visit.

Further, the official noted that if the meters are not read on a monthly basis, it

will result in estimated bills being produced.

According to GWI, there is a $75,000 cost for damage of property and a tampering fee of $30,000. There is also a reinstallation cost is $20,000.

In light of this situation, the aggrieved customer has since reported the matter to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) which has since engaged GWI on the issue. The woman is contending that since the meters are on the parapet, the possibility exists that animals can trample upon them on any given day.

“People cow, horse come there in the day and in the night. One lady tell them that animals are in this place all the time but the Manager is telling me that animals cannot do that.”

Meanwhile, GWI reiterated that the meter is the property of the company but it is the responsibility of the customers to protect it.

22-month-old leukaemia patient flown to US for treatment

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wenty-two-monthold Avisha Best, the young leukaemia patient who was hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital for 45 days, was flown to the United States last week for advanced medical treatment.

Saving Hands Emergency Aid Inc (SHEA) Foundation had taken up the mantle to raise funds for the toddler’s treatment several weeks ago.

The organisation has been seeking the public assistance in rising the necessary funds and was successful in organising, coordinating and funding the treatment and transportation for the toddler to receive the necessary care.

In a statement the organisation expressed, “Sincere thanks to everyone who donated to make this treatment a reality for Avisha. You are true Earth Angels.”

According to SHEA, the debilitating disease had taken a toll on Avisha’s health. The organisation said despite incredible efforts from local doctors to treat the child, her condi-

Avisha Best

tion continued to worsen as time passed.

According to the American Society of Hematology, leukaemia is a type of cancer found in the blood and bone marrow and is caused by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells.

These abnormal white blood cells are not able to fight infection and impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets.

Leukaemia can be either acute or chronic.

Chronic leukaemia progresses more slowly than acute leukaemia, which

requires immediate treatment. Leukaemia is also classified as lymphocytic or myelogenous.

Lymphocytic leukaemia refers to abnormal cell growth in the marrow cells that become lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that plays a role in the immune system.

Myelogenous leukaemia is when the abnormal cell growth occurs in the marrow cells that mature into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

The organisation noted that the toddler was still in urgent need of funding to assist throughout treatment abroad and was, therefore, pleading with the public to kindly continue to donate and share her story.

Persons interested in donating towards the cause are asked to do so by either visiting the following link: https://savinghandsemergencyaid.org/avishabest or making a donation at a local branch of Demerara Bank under the name Lori Narine, using account number: 006002041325.

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Guyana only country to signal participation in ICJ’s oral hearings

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ral Hearings on jurisdiction in the case of the long-running border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela are set for March 23, 2020, but Guyana will be the only country participating in this legal process.

This is according to Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, who recently told the media that both parties (Guyana and Venezuela) were required to submit a response signalling their participation in the proceedings but to date, only Guyana has done so.

“Meaning that if they intend to be participating with the exercise, they would have had to notify the registrar of the Court by 20th of November [2019]. As far as I am aware that has not been done by the representatives of Venezuela and, therefore, for purposes of the oral hearing, I believe that only Guyana would be participating. We are for our part in the process of working on this exercise.”

He stated that a plethora of meetings and discussions have been held by the Guyanese representatives since February this year and are still ongoing to ensure that the legal team is apprised and well equipped to state their case.

“There was a meeting with the lawyers again in October this year and in between those meetings, there

have been meetings of the domestic team. That is the team with our foreign lawyers, and there would be at least two other meetings at the technical level, before March 23 so it is a process, consulting with findings documentation, examining the proposed presentations and so forth. We are making progress there, the domestic team recently met just on Thursday.”

Meanwhile, he pointed out that to date, he could not give an average cost of the expenses that Guyana has incurred to prepare for this legal battle with representatives from the Spanish speaking neighbour.

“In truth, I cannot tell you, not because it is a secret, but because I did not check. What has happened, what normally happens is that the expenses arise from a variety of things, the lawyers have to be paid, there are consultants who work with us from time to time about the preparation of specific documents, stuff has to be copied, has to be secured from international sources and so forth…as of now I cannot give you an answer to that, we have not exhausted the funds that were agreed by the Cabinet to be earmarked for this purpose, we have not exhausted that as yet.”

According to a recent statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Court of

Justice (ICJ) has notified Guyana that hearings will be held in The Hague, the Netherlands from March 23 to 27, 2020.

This will determine whether the Court has jurisdiction over the case filed by Guyana on March 29, 2018, to obtain from the Court a final and binding judgment that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between then-British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid and binding. Also, it will determine whether Guyana’s Essequibo region belongs to Guyana, and not Venezuela.

Guyana brought its case to the Court following the decision by the Secretary General of the United Nations in January 2018, that the World Court should decide the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. In taking his decision, the Secretary General was exercising the power vested in him in the 1966 Geneva Agreement between Guyana, Venezuela and the United Kingdom to decide how the controversy should be settled.

A US$18 million signing bonus was received by the Guyanese Government from ExxonMobil in 2017 and was placed into the Consolidated Fund before it was used to make any payments - particularly to Attorneys who will be fighting the Venezuela Border

Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge

Controversy case at the ICJ. “That bonus, wherever it is would be placed into

the Consolidated Fund and it is from that fund that any team whatsoever will be paid whether they are working or worked before or work after,” former State Minister, Joseph Harmon had posited last year.

However, when probed as to when this will be done, Harmon had asserted that that action is left up to the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. He confidently stated that the Minister will do so when it is time.

The existence of the oil bonus - which was placed in a private account by Government - and the renegotiated oil agreement with the United States oil

giant was kept a secret until December last when evidence of the transaction was leaked in the media.

Prior to that, the Finance Minister had said the bonus never existed.

After mounting criticism, President David Granger subsequently defended the secrecy by saying it was the thing to do at the time.

Government then continued to defend its move to not deposit the signing bonus into the Consolidated Fund by saying that it was holding the money to pay legal fees for Guyana should it have to take its border case with Venezuela to the ICJ.

STEMGuyana hosts 3rd Annual Tullow Oil Robotics Exhibition

The STEMGuyana team

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ome 500 young people flocked the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, on Sunday for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Third Annual Robotics Exhibition and prize-giving ceremony.

In preparing Guyana’s young people to be the country’s next generation of in-

ty to learn about drones, solar power, oil and gas and other technologies that will impact their lives in the future.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Esha Persaud, a teacher at the Greenwich Park Primary, East Bank Essequibo, explained that the STEMGuyana programme is a great initiative since it creates opportuni-

Students of Zeeburg Secondary School building their robot at STEMGuyana’s competition and prize-giving ceremony

novators and leaders, the Office of the Frist Lady collaborated with the public and Private Sector to bring the event to life.

The event saw representatives of local technology companies, along with representatives of STEM clubs from all ten 10 of Guyana’s administrative regions.

The Tullow Third Annual Robotics Exhibition will allow persons the opportuni-

ties for students.

“It helps in creative thinking, reasoning and finding solutions to problems”, she explained Anastacia Pau Ferro, a student of Tucville Secondary, also stated that the event will assist to promote their creativity along with making adjustments to some of the country’s projects.

“This [is] going to benefit

our school because we will put this out there and we will be showcasing the importance of this, it will bring to people’s attention and we hope that they will recognise what is going on here, how important soil erosion is…” she vocalised.

Just recently, the STEM team placed 10th after battling against 164 other countries from around the globe in Dubai. The team had only four months to prepare for a competition that was new to them.

Nevertheless, prizes were awarded to several of the outstanding performers whose contributions were critical to the success of the programme in 2019.

Platinum prizes of $100,000 each were given to the two outstanding STEM club coaches, while four cash prizes of $25,000 each were awarded to runners-up in these categories.

The outstanding librarians were rewarded with $25,000 in prize money, while ten robot kits were given to 10 schools that had the most students at the exhibition.

In contrast, ten laptops were awarded to the 10 outstanding STEM clubs, while all the participants received medals and certificates of membership and participation in the National Robotics League.

NEWS

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana only country on list of 28 with incomplete climate change strategy – Argentina adopted policy this year; Panama, Nicaragua & Haiti have several

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espite Guyana being one of the at-risk countries of the effects of climate change, a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has highlighted that it is the only country out of 28 in the region with an incomplete climate change mitigation plan.

In the United Nations (UN) publication “Climate change and human rights: contributions by and for Latin America and the Caribbean”, there is a table featuring the dates that 28 Latin American and Caribbean countries adopted their climate change mitigation strategies.

According to the report, compiled by the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Guyana’s National Climate Change Policy and Action Plan (2020-2030), is “forthcoming”.

Countries like Haiti (National Policy to Combat

Policy and Climate Change Response System), have policies they adopted this year.

Other countries like Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Grenada and Saint Lucia, have policies that were adopted either last year or within the past few years. A few countries, like Dominica, the Bahamas and Barbados, adopted their strategies years ago.

The report also contains recommendations made and received by various countries, though the publication states that Guyana was one of only a few countries in the region to not make any climate change recommendations. Cuba and Haiti top the list for the number of recommendations they made and received.

Guyana did receive one recommendation, however.

The publication noted that Guyana should “continue and intensify programmes aimed at mitigating climate change negative impacts on

The recent overtopping of our seawalls has been cited as a climate change phenomenon

Guyana should review its climate change and energy policies, in particular, those related to the oil and gas sector, to better develop a disaster risk reduction strategy.

According to ECLAC, this strategy should consider the negative effects of climate change on gender equality and the lives of women and their families.

This, it added, should especially focus on those in the

The table showing Guyana’s “forthcoming” climate change mitigation strategy

Climate Change), Panama (National Climate Change Strategy 2050), Argentina (National Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan) and Nicaragua (National Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

food security and environment, and share the experience gained in this field with interested countries”.

The publication also made a link between climate change and gender equality. According to ECLAC,

danger zones, that is, areas below sea level.

“The Committee also recommended that Guyana include a gender assessment in all environmental impact assessments and establish a

mechanism to monitor the

implementation of those assessments and to guarantee that rural and Amerindian women can fully contribute to the development of the country,” the report states.

ECLAC explained that this should include them being able to “give their free, prior and informed consent before any development, business, agro-industrial or extractive projects affecting their traditional lands and resources are initiated, whether carried out by national or foreign enterprises, [and to ensure they] can take advantage of adequate

benefit-sharing agreements and are provided with adequate alternative livelihood.”

The organisation’s recommendations to Guyana come in the wake of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which is done every four and a half years and is based on a national report from the country being reviewed. The UPR also takes into account the contributions from the UN and information presented by relevant stakeholders including civil society during the review.

Rasville man nabbed with 6lbs ganja

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57-year-old man is now in Police custody after he was found in possession of a quantity of marijuana on Saturday.

The discovery was made sometime around 19:50h by ranks on duty at the Berbice River Bridge Checkpoint.

According to Police reports, the ranks were acting on intelligence gathered when they intercepted a hire car heading to Georgetown.

They conducted a search on the vehicle during which they found six parcels concealed under the bonnet.

When examined, the contents of the package were revealed to be suspected cannabis. The narcotic was later weighed and amounted to 2749 grams.

The driver of the car, a resident of Rasville, Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown, has since been taken into custody and is assisting with the investigation.

14 NEWS Scores of children feted at SOL Christmas Village S monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

cores of children were on Saturday treated lavishly at SOL’s Christmas Village at the National Cultural Centre’s Tarmac, Home Stretch Avenue, Georgetown.

The event saw a variety of games and entertainment for children including, trampolines, slides, bouncy castles, among others.

Children accompanied by their parents were allowed to get a glimpse of Mrs Claus and her helper, whom the company said: “Will deliver the wish list to Santa Claus”.

General Manager of SOL Guyana, Liz White ex-

Representatives of SOL taking photos with Mrs Claus and her helper

plained that even though the event was solely for children, parents were allowed to win spectacular prizes.

“We are giving away things from SOL and Shell all for free and a few games for the adults so we keep the

parents entertained as well.

We have lots of giveaways for people, but this is all about the children”, she said.

She further added that the SOL team catered for children in the capital city, Georgetown.

Apart from meeting and greeting Mrs Claus, the children were also treated to meals, gifts and goodies.

Meanwhile, White related that the remainder of the food and gifts are donated to orphanages in Georgetown.

White also encouraged corporate Guyana to get on board next Christmas to make the event bigger and

Winners in 1st NAC essay competition receive prizes

W

ith the aim of creating awareness about its presence and services, the National Accreditation Council (NAC) hosted an essay writing competition and the winners were awarded their prizes on Friday last.

Four winners were announced for the two categories – secondary school students between 15 and 17 years old and post-secondary and university level students between 18 and 30 years old.

Communication Specialist at the Council, Suelle Findlay-Williams explained that the winning essays met the outlined criteria and were, therefore, selected by the judges.

“We got entries on all the areas but I guess the persons who won today re-

Winners of the National Accreditation Council essay competition

ally met all the criteria because we are an institution that focuses heavily on quality assurance…we have to demand that any student and institution alike work towards achieving higher standards. Everything we do is standard-based,” she stated.

Students were scored for the correct use of grammar; expression; organisation and presentation of

thoughts; evidence-based arguments; Analysis and correct citation of sources.

Each category consisted of two topic choices.

Williams added that the entries for the competition were fairly good, and expressed that the Council is looking to hold future essay writing competitions in 2020 and the coming years.

“Next year we hope that it will be bigger, perhaps the

males will get in, and we had quite a lot of females.

But yes, we hope to continue this next year and the year after, this year we basically got our feet wet because we wanted to see how the public will respond, or if they will respond. And we hope as well, the winners here will go back to their school and act as peer educators now that they have a better understanding of NAC and the services offered.”

Kendra Trotman and Jewel McCurchin won in the secondary school category while Chakada Ralph and Athena Prentice won the post-secondary and university category.

Awards included cash and electronic devices which were handed over during the ceremony at the agency’s headquarters.

Clemsville Music Conservatory holds 15th Awards Ceremony

I

n support of the arts and culture, Clemsville Music Conservatory two Sundays ago held its 15th Annual Recital And Awards Ceremony at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown.

The elegant and aesthetic affair saw vocal performances by students as well as on strings and wind instruments.

However, the highlight of the event were the presentations of the

Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music’s (ABRSM) certificates by High Commissioner of India, His Excellency Dr KJ Srinivasa, and trophies by US Ambassador to Guyana, Her Excellency, Sarah-Ann Lynch, and Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland, to the students who achieved distinctions.

Nevertheless, Adaeze Lumumba was honoured as “student of the decade”.

Adaeze Lumumba receiving her “student of the decade” award

She obtained a distinction from grade one to eight in piano without any repeats.

Meanwhile, several other awards were given out to top performers.

A child enjoying a face painting activity at SOL’s Christmas Village

better.

“The more the merrier.

The more we can give away to kids and help them during this wonderful season, the merrier everybody will be”,

she said Throughout the event, friendly soundtracks were played while children got their faces painted and photos taken with Mrs Claus.

P&P Insurance Brokers spreads Christmas cheer

Representatives of the organisations after the handing-over ceremony

P

&P Insurance Brokers, a Guyanese company that provides a wide array of insurance services to both the private and public sectors, has made generous contributions to several orphanages, senior homes and rehabilitation centres, embracing the Christmas spirit.

The monetary donations were presented to the 12 benefitting organisations during the company’s annual event.

Each charitable organisation received $125,000, to better help and serve the children, seniors and others, especially during the Christmas season.

In light of one regular recipient becoming defunct, another organisation was added to the list to benefit from the funds.

Executive Director of the insurance company, Vikash Panday expressed hope that the contributions will assist the various organisations in some way.

“We are aware of the many challenges you face in trying to discharge your responsibilities and we hope that these donations will be of some help to you. We would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

This donation is only a small part of the company’s community outreach as during the year, day in and day out, P&P assists in medical, education and sports events amongst others.

The recipients are: Bless the Children Home, Canaan Children Home, Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, Uncle Eddie’s Home, Friends of the Archer’s Home, The Dharam Shala, David Rose School for the Handicapped, Cheshire Homes Guyana, Hauraruni Girls Home, Tina Insanally Foundation, Bal Nivas Shelter, and Joshua House Children Centre.

news

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monday, DECEMBER 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

16 AGM employees graduate from UWI Supervisory Programme

S

ixteen employees attached to the Canadabased Aurora Gold Mine (AGM) were awarded their Certificate of Achievement after completing training in an Experiential Supervisory Programme done in collaboration with the University of the West Indies (UWI).

The graduation exercise was held on Friday last at Duke Lodge, Duke Street, Georgetown.

The programme consisted of five training sessions in which the participants learned about the different aspects of leadership and supervision.

Training Coordinator of AGM, Michael Baird said that the programme was focused on various aspects that will enhance the students’ performance in the AGM workplace “The company has invested heavily in ensuring that employees and contractor partners working on-site are exposed to the relevant training activities to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge to do given tasks safely, to benefit of employees and the company”, he remarked.

He said that the initiative to train the company’s staff was conceived from a

A graduate receiving his certificate

discussion that highlighted the need to provide their supervisors with the competence needed in their departments.

“It was in the middle of 2017, that I was having a discussion with Mr Peter Benny then the Administrative Manager, when he raised the issue of the need to engage in training initiatives that will provide our front-line supervisors with the skills and competence to properly execute their daily supervisory managerial mandate”, he said.

Nevertheless, he said that there were several topics covered in the programme along with multi-

ple practical group exercises that will help with the students’ improvement.

“Leadership, decision making, planning and coordinating, driving results, people development, teamwork, and interpersonal sensitivity. The experiential nature of the programme allowed the participants to be exposed to multiple practical group exercises that mirrored active on the job decision-making and problem-solving scenarios”, he explained.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Perry Holloway, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Cooperate Affairs of Guyana Goldfield, in his

178 graduated from GITC at 53rd graduation exercise

The GITC’s graduating class of 2019

O

ne hundred and seventy-eight (178) of the country’s young men and women graduated with honours from the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC), after successfully completing various skill programmes.

The graduates were recipients of both the National Vocational Qualification certificate and Caribbean Vocational Qualification certificate for expertise in areas such as data operations, masonry, metalwork engineering, plumbing, motor vehicle repairs, furniture making, electrical installation and welding.

Chairman of GITC and Government Technical Institute’s (GTI) Board, Vincent Alexander urged the graduates to understand the standards to which they were exposed.

He charged them to pursue higher qualifications

Professor Michael Scott delivering the feature address

and keep abreast with developments in their particular field so they remain relevant.

Delivering the feature address at the 53rd ceremony, was Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Michael Scott. He told the graduates that the graduation exercise marks

the provision of employable people in the new dispensation within Guyana.

As such, he encouraged them to set themselves another target. “It’s better to aim at something and miss than to aim at nothing and always hit it.”

The graduation was held under the theme “Embracing change, and strengthening capacity”.

The theme, according to the GITC’s administrator, Dexter Cornette, delivers a message that it is essential to remain relevant in order to create an impact in society.

With this, he disclosed that for 2019 only, the centre graduated its largest batch in history, with its enrolment for the 2019-2020 year being 401. Meanwhile, office administration and refrigeration along with AC repair will be added to the list of programmes.

feature address said that this is the second batch of graduands, and they are from departments all across the company. ‘’The graduates today are a part of the second truants for this advanced training, they are senior supervisors from departments all across the company. They offer interaction for managers and supervisors when they are away on their brakes. While all the employees are important, these graduates are the backbone for the company”,

he vocalised.

He said that a company can have a lot of material things, but without its employees, it cannot function.

“A company like ours can have gold, buildings, equipment, and many other things, but the strength of a company is ultimately based on its people, and in order for people to realise their fullest potential… they need training in today’s modern world”, he said.

He further added that the programme was cus-

tom designed for their unique circumstance at the mine jointly by senior management at AGM and the Arthur Lok Jack School of Business, at the UWI in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Vice President congratulated the batch of students and urged them to keep learning so that they will become excellent performers in the workplace, The Certificate in the Experiential Supervisory Development Programme ran from October to December 12.

GNBA to develop information and resource centre

T

he Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is in the process of setting up its information and resource centre under the guidance of UNESCO’s consultant and pioneer multimedia librarian of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Maureen Webster-Prince.

The expert is mandated to train and guide executives of the Authority on how to develop the centre.

UNESCO in a release stated that Webster-Prince met with several stakeholders over the past week with the aim of sensitising them about the vision and objective of this project.

The outreach exercises were organised as a fact-finding mission to ascertain the availability of information, the skills in the industry and to examine the possibility of forging interagency collaboration.

Nevertheless, some of the organisations the

Maureen Webster-Prince and participants of the training

GNBA and UNESCO consultant engaged during the past week included the National Archives, National Communications Network, UNESCO Guyana, University of Guyana (UG): Centre for Communication Studies/ UG Library and Caricom.

Those engagements were especially fruitful. The GNBA is optimistic that collaborations are forth-

coming, as the various stages of this important project are operationalised.

Meanwhile, the information and resource centre of the GNBA is envisaged as an information and resource hub for stakeholders, where audiovisual content, scholastic pieces, research, documentaries and other relevant information will be preserved for posterity.

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monday, december 16, 2019

Regional

British man shot dead in robbery Jamaica: Prosperity remains an illusion outside hotel in Buenos Aires

A

British man has been killed and his stepson wounded after being shot during a suspected robbery outside a five-star hotel in Buenos Aires, officials say.

The victims are believed to be Matthew Gibbard, 50, a businessman from Northamptonshire, and Stefan Zone, 28.

They were taken to hospital after the attack in the Puerto Madero area of the Argentine capital.

Security camera footage shows the two men getting out of a white van outside the Faena Art Hotel in Puerto Madero, an exclusive waterfront district popular

The suspected robbery happened outside this hotel in the exclusive Puerto Madero area

with tourists.

About 11:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday, they were approached by at least two men on a motorbike, apparently accompa-

nied by another vehicle.

The images show the two British nationals resisting the attempt to steal their baggage, and a fight goes on for some 40 seconds. The

suspects left the scene and Police are still searching for them.

Police are trying to establish whether the men were victims of a random attack or followed by the robbers from the airport, Clarín newspaper reports (in Spanish). According to the newspaper, the 50-yearold's mother and wife as well as the 28-year-old's wife and his brother were with them.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are supporting the family of two British men following an incident in Buenos Aires, and are in contact with the local authorities there." (Excerpt from BBC News)

Netanyahu says Brazil committed to move embassy to Jerusalem in 2020

I

sraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he has been given assurances by the son of Brazil’s President that Brazil would follow the United States and move its embassy to Jerusalem next year.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signalled before he intended to move his

country’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, but senior officials later backtracked for fear of damaging trade ties with Arab countries.

Brazil did, however, open a trade mission to Israel in Jerusalem this year.

Bolsonaro’s son, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, told the new trade mission that,

prior to travelling, his father, “told me that for sure, as a commitment, he’s going to move the embassy to Jerusalem”.

He did not give a date.

Netanyahu later issued a statement saying he met with Eduardo Bolsonaro, who told him they had “committed to move Brazil’s embassy to Jerusalem in 2020.”

US President Donald Trump broke global consensus by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in late 2017 and moving the US Embassy there the following May. Most world powers say the city’s status should only be decided as part of a peace process with the Palestinians. (Reuters)

T&T AG denies knowledge of in-laws’ ‘cannabis’ business

“I

knew nothing.”

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi on Saturday said he was in the dark about months-old company West Indian Cannabis Company Limited, a retail firm whose director is related to his wife.

Social media was busy Saturday sharing a highlighted copy of the company registration documents.

Large red circles highlighted that one of the directors had the same surname as Al-Rawi’s wife.

However, the owner of the West Indian Cannabis Company Ltd (Wicannaco), Christopher Moses, on Saturday denied his company had anything to do with marijuana, despite its company name and the branding on its clothing.

Moses is married to Jenna Marie Nahous—who is also listed as a director—who is related to Mona Nahous, wife of the Attorney General Al-Raw. In a statement posted on his Facebook page Saturday night, however, Moses also denied having any interaction with the Attorney General.

“I categorically state that I have no business dealings with Faris Al-Rawi whatsoever. I do not, nor did I discuss my business with him, as I have NO financial relationship with him. I do not posses any inside information pertaining to the cannabis industry as it comes to the fore in T&T and region wide,” Moses said as he responded to allegations that he may have had pri-

T

logical zones in the impoverished southeast states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo and Campeche to the existing tourism hub of Cancun.

Mexico's tourism board, the Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (FONATUR), has estimated the project will cost between US$6 billion to US$8 billion. FONATUR expects the train to bring more than three million visitors a year

Opposition Spokesman on Finance and the Public Service, Mark Golding

T

he People's National Party (PNP) says the sharp drop in the rate of economic growth to 0.3 per cent in the second quarter of the fiscal year, as reported by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), should be of grave concern to every Jamaican.

“At a time when Jamaica is exiting the IMF [International Monetary Fund] Programme and the country should be moving forward with confidence, the engine of our economy is faltering. Growth has slowed to less than 1-in-4, leaving the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with a failing grade,”

Opposition Spokesman on Finance and the Public Service, Mark Golding stated.

“Alongside this paltry growth performance, fear grips the land. Crime is out of control, with murders and other serious crimes even higher than last year.

The dengue crisis continues, with public health services in a dismal state. The Government has also acquired a dismal track record for corruption. All in all, as the year draws to a close, prosperity remains an illusion and the people will be looking for better in 2020,” Golding added. (Jamaica Observer)

FAA downgrades Venezuela’s safety rating

I Christopher Moses and Jenna Marie Nahous-Moses are both directors of the West Indian Cannabis Company registered in February this year

or knowledge of the pending legislation which will decriminalise marijuana usage in T&T. In an interview, Moses told Guardian Media that Wicannaco was just a clothing company using marijua-

na symbols for branding. He added, however, that owing to the newfound popularity on social media, he was planning to jump into legal cannabis retail whenever the bill was passed. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Mexico holds assemblies to consider controversial Mayan Train he future of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's ambitious Mayan Train (or Tren Maya) project was in the balance this weekend as the communities on the train's proposed route expressed their thoughts about the plan.

The new 1525-kilometre (948-mile) train route in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is expected to connect nature reserves and archaeo-

— Golding

to the region to see the area's vast biodiversity, including the biospheres at Calakmul and Sian Ka'an.

But despite Lopez Obrador's claim last year that the project "won't uproot a single tree", environmentalists have expressed their concerns over the project, and indigenous groups also worry about whether the Government will adequately listen to the local communities' concerns.

"It's not about a 'yes or no' answer," said Maritza Licona, a spokeswoman for the government's Instituto Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas (INPI), one of three state bodies overseeing the consultation. "If a community decides they don't want the train on their land, we'll change the route.

If they want it stopped, we'll stop." (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

n the latest turn of events, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said that Venezuela does not comply with basic safety standards for aviation. The administration issued a statement on Friday (December 13, 2019) about concerns over Venezuela’s safety procedures and consequently downgraded the country’s safety rating.

The FAA has downgraded Venezuela’s safety rating meaning American air carriers cannot fly to the country.

Earlier this year in May, the FAA issued an emergency order which prohibited US flights into Venezuela.

The regulation was imposed after mounting political violence in the country which the FAA deemed to be unsafe. However, as the order remains in place, the FAA has now downgraded the safety rating for Venezuela from Category 1 to Category 2.

All US operations to Venezuela ceased earlier this year soon after the unrest. American Airlines was the last airline to cancel its service to the South American country, but pend-

ing FAA confirmation, airlines like American could have returned to Venezuela.

However, this latest development dampens that possibility in the short-term.

In the press statement, the FAA said: “The FAA has determined the Venezuelan regime no longer complies with international aviation safety standards. The FAA recently conducted an extensive review based on safety-related information currently available, and determined that a change in the IASA category is required.”

Consequently, the FAA has now downgraded the IASA category, or International Aviation Safety Assessment category, by one. This means that the country does not meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. According to this assessment, Venezuela as a whole produces an anaemic offering of safety. This could include record-keeping, inspections, and resolutions for safety concerns but the specific safety violations, however, have not been disclosed. (Excerpt from simpleyflying.com)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, december 16, 2019

17

Around the World US-China trade deal “totally done”, More than dozen killed in will expand US exports – Lighthizer eastern DR Congo rebel attack

China’s Vice Premier Liu He gestures to the media between US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (left) and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin before the two countries’ trade negotiations in Washington, US, October 10, 2019

T

he “phase one” USChina trade deal will nearly double US exports to China over the next two years and is “totally done” despite the need for translation and revisions to its text, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday.

Lighthizer, speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation” programme, said there would be some routine

“scrubs” to the text but “this is totally done, absolutely.”

The deal, announced on Friday after more than two and a half years of on-andoff negotiations between Washington and Beijing, will reduce some US tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for increased Chinese purchases of US agricultural, manufactured and energy products by some US$200 billion

over the next two years.

China has also pledged in the agreement to better protect US intellectual property, to curb the coerced transfer of American technology to Chinese firms, to open its financial services market to US firms and to avoid manipulation of its currency.

Chinese purchases of agricultural goods are expected to increase to US$40 billion to US$50 billion annually over the next two years, Lighthizer said.

But Lighthizer said the success of the deal, announced on Friday, will be up to decisions by officials Beijing.

Lighthizer called Friday the “most momentous day in trade history” because of the China deal and because the White House sent a revised U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to Congress for approval votes. The two trade deals together cover some $2 trillion in overall trade, he said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

A

t least 22 people have been killed by rebel fighters in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials have said, the latest in a number of deadly attacks in the region this month.

The attack by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) happened in Beni on Saturday night, Donat Kibwana, the region’s administrator, told AFP news agency.

“Teams have been mobilised to recover the bodies and bring them back for dignified funerals,” Kibwana said on Sunday.

The victims were farmers including 13 women, Noella Katsongerwaki, Beni’s Civil Society President, said.

The latest incident came a day after six civilians were killed in an attack in the regional capital Beni.

Earlier this month, 26 people were killed in separate attacks, one in the village of Mantumbi and two

DR Congo forces launched operations against the armed group in late October

others near the town of Kamango.

According to local human rights organisation CEPADHO, more than 150 people have been killed by rebels since October.

DR Congo forces launched operations against the armed group in late October. The ADF has retaliated by carrying out massacres.

An estimated 160 rebel groups with more than 20,000 fighters are active in Congo’s east, many of them

concerned with wresting control of natural resources.

The United Nations has tried to stabilise the country for the past 20 years with a 15,000-strong peacekeeping force.

In recent weeks, the residents of Beni and other cities have demonstrated their dissatisfaction at Government and UN protection, saying not enough is being done to prevent the rebels. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Boris Johnson eyes Parliament vote COP25: Longest climate talks before Christmas to “get Brexit done” end with compromise deal

T

he longest United Nations climate talks on record have finally ended in Madrid with a compromise deal.

Exhausted delegates reached agreement on the key question of increasing the global response to curbing carbon.

All countries will need to put new climate pledges on the table by the time of the next major conference in Glasgow next year.

Divisions over other questions - including carbon markets - were delayed until the next gathering.

After two extra days and nights of negotiations, delegates finally agreed

a deal that will see new, improved carbon-cutting plans on the table by the time of the Glasgow conference next year.

All parties will need to address the gap between what the science says is necessary to avoid dangerous climate change, and the current state of play which would see the world go past this threshold in the 2030s.

Supported by the European Union and small island states, the push for higher ambition was opposed by a range of countries including the US, Brazil, India and China.

However, a compromise was agreed with the

richer nations having to show that they have kept their promises on climate change in the years before 2020.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was disappointed by the result.

Decisions on other issues including the thorny question of carbon markets have been delayed until Glasgow.

This aspect of the deal was welcomed by campaigners.

Many of those in attendance were unhappy with the overall package, feeling it did not reflect the urgency of the science.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Deadly earthquake strikes southern Philippines

A

powerful earthquake has struck near the Philippine city of Davao, killing at least one person and causing several injuries. This was the latest in a series of tremours to strike the southern part of the country recently.

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake on Sunday was centred 60 kilometres (38 miles) southwest of Davao on the island of Mindanao at a depth of 30km (18 miles), the US Geological Survey said, revising it down from an earlier 6.9.

A three-storey supermarket collapsed in Padada town in Davao Del Sur province, 1000km

(621 miles) south of Manila, killing at least three people, according to Superintendent Samuel Tadeo, the Bureau of Fire Protection operations chief.

An undetermined number of people were believed trapped under the rubble and six were rescued from the collapsed building, he said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat from the earthquake.

Anthony Allada, public information officer of Magsaysay near the epicentre, said 14 people were injured but none seriously.

Roads and buildings, in-

cluding the local government office, were damaged and power was out in the town, he said.

The region was shaken by four powerful quakes in October and November, which together killed at least 20 people.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said damage and aftershocks could be expected.

The Philippine archipelago lies on the so-called Pacific “Ring of fire” - an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

B

ritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson will “get Brexit done” by Jan 31 and then agree on a new trade deal with the European Union by the end of 2020, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said on Sunday, vowing to deliver on the Government’s top priority.

Johnson and his team were triumphant last week when he won a commanding majority of 80 at an early election he said he was forced to call to break the Brexit deadlock.

Winning over many traditionally Labour voters in northern and central England, Johnson has proclaimed he will lead a “people’s Government”.

First, the Conservative leader must make good on his often-repeated promise to “get Brexit done” and then turn to realising another priority - to increase funding into Britain’s much loved but struggling public health service, a pledge

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he speaks to supporters

he plans to enshrine in law.

The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has cast doubt over whether the trade talks will be so swiftly concluded, saying last month that the negotiations would be “difficult and demanding” and warning Britain the bloc “will not tolerate unfair competitive advantage”.

Johnson, who celebrated his victory by visiting Sedgefield, a former Labour bastion that was the parliamentary seat of ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair but voted Conservative this time, will set out his programme on Thursday in a Queen’s Speech.

Rishi Sunak, a Deputy Finance Minister, said the Government aimed to re-submit the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to Parliament for ratification before Christmas to allow Ministers to start work on other priorities such as “levelling up” the country. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Trump impeachment: President ‘a clear and present danger to democracy’

T

op Democrats have urged Republicans to cross party lines and side with them in impeaching their own leader, US President Donald Trump.

Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler, who are leading the Democratic push to impeach him, made their case days before the first full House vote.

Trump poses a “clear and present danger” to democracy, said Schiff.

Democrats control the House but are almost certain

to lose in the Senate, which is in Republican hands.

Until now the Democrats have enjoyed a 36-seat lead over Republicans in the House but one of their representatives, Jeff Van Drew, opposes impeachment and is expected to switch parties soon.

Van Drew met President Trump on Friday and has been praised by the President for his stance.

The case brought in the House accuses Trump of soliciting a foreign country

to help him politically, by trying to force Ukraine to launch a corruption investigation into his Democratic rival Joe Biden.

He is also accused of obstructing Congress by failing to co-operate with the House investigation.

Trump denies wrongdoing. He has called the House investigation a “witch hunt” and predicted it will even benefit him in next year’s presidential election.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

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monday, december 16, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS

dilbert

(April 20May 20)

Peanuts

Engage in talks, but don’t embellish the truth.

Stick to the facts and offer only what you are capable of doing. Use charm, not aggression, to get your way.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Originality will help you gain respect, admiration and the hearts of those you love. Shop for unique gifts or make something special for the end-of-year festivities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Make a change for the right reasons to avoid being accused of emotional manipulation. Spell out your ideas clearly, and be willing to take advice. Keep the peace, and you will prosper.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Set your sights on what you want to achieve, and don’t stop until you reach your goal. Discuss sensitive issues that need to be addressed. Offer options and incentives.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Take the path of least resistance if you want to get the most done. High energy, creative input and following through with your plans will pay off.

When in doubt, ask questions. Be prepared to compromise, but don’t agree to something that you won’t be able to honor. It may be time to make a move.

Lending a helping hand will be appreciated and reciprocated when you want a favor in return. A change at home may not be welcome, but, in the end, it will be to your benefit.

Whatever needs doing, do it yourself. Relying on others will not work out.

Take the path that entices you most when it comes to love, life and personal happiness.

Do the research required SAGITTARIUS to purchase the perfect gift (Nov. 23for someone special, but stay Dec. 21) within budget. Listen carefully to what others say.

Someone will try to mislead you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SATURDAY’S

SOLUTION FOr LAST PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

You don’t need to take on the weight of the world. You can do only so much for others; after that, it’s no longer your responsibility. Channel your energy into a project that excites you.

Don’t mince words. If you are direct, you will avoid being put in an awkward position. If you make interesting plans with someone you enjoy being around, your relationship will grow into something special.

Dig in and get things done before you implement new ideas or start another project. Your timing needs to be impeccable if you want to advance.

monday, DECember 16, 2019

19

Bucks roll on, flatten Cavs for 18th straight win round-up:

T

he Milwaukee Bucks continued their franchise-best start and pulled within two games of matching their all-time longest winning streak on Saturday, routing the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 125-108.

Milwaukee faced little resistance from a struggling Cleveland bunch. The Bucks jumped to an 18-point halftime lead and expanded the gap to as many as 28 points in the third quarter on the way to their 18th straight win.

The Bucks’ 24-3 start is the best in the 52-year history of the organization. To match the 20-game winning streak of the Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-led 1970-71 Bucks, this 2019-20 squad will have to beat two of the hottest teams in the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, next week.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points, and Khris Middleton added 24 points, leading six Bucks scoring in double-figures.

Sputtering Cleveland dropped its 15th game over the last 17. Kevin Porter Jr. led the Cavaliers scoring 15 points off the bench. Jordan Clarkson added 13 points also in a reserve role.

Miami Heat 122 - Dallas Mavericks 118 (OT Jimmy Butler scored 27 points as Miami defeated host Dallas in a game that saw Luka Doncic sprain his right ankle early in the first quarter.

Tyler Herro finished with 19 points and Bam Adebayo collected a triple-double with 18 points, 11 boards and

10 assists for the Heat, who rebounded after dropping a 113-110 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

Tim Hardaway Jr. made six 3-pointers to highlight his 28-point performance and Kristaps Porzingis had 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have lost two of three after winning 10 of their previous 11. X-rays were negative for Doncic, who did not return to the game after stepping on the foot of Miami guard Kendrick Nunn while driving to the basket.

matched his season high of 12 assists for his fourth tripledouble of the season to help Denver post a victory over visiting Oklahoma City.

Will Barton scored 18 points, and Jamal Murray added 14 points and seven assists as Denver defeated the Thunder for the seventh straight time. Jerami Grant

Chicago Bulls 109 - Los Angeles Clippers 106 Zach LaVine made a go-ahead layup with 2.0 seconds remaining and sank a free throw to complete a three-point play, and Chicago emerged with a win over visiting Los Angeles.

LaVine finished with 31 points on 11-for-21 shooting, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. Thaddeus Young finished with 17 points, Denzel Valentine had 16, and Lauri Markkanen notched 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls.

Montrezl Harrell scored 30 points to lead the Clippers, whose four-game winning streak was snapped. Paul George added 27 points in 31 minutes but missed a shot at the buzzer that could have forced overtime.

tallied 13 points and Gary Harris had 11 for the Nuggets.

Dennis Schroder scored 22 points, and Steven Adams added 18 points and 14 rebounds as Oklahoma City lost its second straight to complete a 2-2 road trip.

Denver Nuggets 110 Oklahoma City Thunder 102 Nikola Jokic recorded 28 points, 14 rebounds and

Toronto Raptors 110 Brooklyn Nets 102 Pascal Siakam finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and

five assists, and host Toronto won for the 16th time in its last 17 meetings with Brooklyn.

Siakam added three steals and three blocks while hitting 3 of 5 3-point attempts. Norman Powell added 25 points for the Raptors before fouling out with 1:05 left in the game. Kyle Lowry scored 17 points, Marc Gasol had

Detroit Pistons 115 Houston Rockets 107 Derrick Rose produced a double-double in a sparkling effort off the bench as shorthanded Detroit raced past host Houston Rockets.

Rose finished with 20 points and 12 assists and steered the Pistons to victory down the stretch with a series centre Nikola Denver Nuggets of mid-range jumpers ty Ci a lahom Jokic (15) and Ok e and deft passes to open as ch ul Pa ris Ch Thunder guard teammates.

Detroit, y Sport) da To SA (U ll ba a loose playing without Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, lost Blake Griffin (sore knee) at the intermission. Luke Kennard paced the Pistons with 22 points, while Bruce Brown added 16 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals.

James Harden led the Rockets with 39 points and seven assists, but had only one assist after the first quarter. Houston received 17 points off the bench from Chris Clemons and 12 points and 19 rebounds from Clint 17 points and 15 rebounds Capela. The Rockets were and Serge Ibaka had 12 points without Russell Westbrook, and 12 rebounds off the bench. who sat in the second game of Spencer Dinwiddie had 24 a back-to-back. Ben McLemore points and eight assists for the started in his stead and scored Nets, Garrett Temple had 16 13 points. points and Taurean Prince had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Joe San Antonio Spurs 121 Harris added 13 points, David Phoenix Suns 119 (OT Nwaba scored 10, DeAndre Patty Mills had 26 points Jordan contributed seven off the bench, including a points and 13 rebounds and jump shot with 1.7 seconds Jarrett Allen had seven points remaining that gave San and 10 rebounds.

Antonio Spurs an overtime

victory over Phoenix, the second of the two NBA games played in Mexico City this season.

Mills tied a season high with six 3-pointers on 14 attempts. LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan and Dejounte Murray had 18 points apiece, and Lonnie Walker IV had 16 points for the Spurs, who have won four of six and had most of the fan support in a game that was a designated home game for the Suns.

Ricky Rubio had 25 points and 13 assists, and Frank Kaminsky had 22 points and seven rebounds. Dario Saric had 19 points and tied a career-high with 17 rebounds for the Suns, who played without injured leading scorer Devin Booker.

Memphis Grizzlies 128 Washington Wizards 111 Dillon Brooks scored 27 points, and teammate Brandon Clarke added 25 as host Memphis handed Washington its fourth straight loss.

Brooks went 10-for-17 from the field to lead the Grizzlies in just 26 minutes. Clarke and Ja Morant both sat out of Friday’s loss to Milwaukee due to injury maintenance, according to the team, but each gave the offense a lift in this game.

Clarke made 11 of 14 shots, and Morant ended up with 18 points and five assists.

Bradley Beal led Washington with a gamehigh 29 points. The Wizards shot only 42.4 percent from the field, compared to the Grizzlies’ 57.1 percent, and the Grizzlies outrebounded the Wizards 46-34. (Reuters)

Crawford knocks out Kavaliauskas to retain WBO welterweight title U nbeaten American Terence Crawford retained his WBO welterweight title with a ninth round knockout of Egidijus Kavaliauskas at Madison Square Garden.

Crawford, 32, recovered from an apparent knockdown in round three to overwhelm the Lithuanian, dropping him in the seventh and twice more in the ninth, a right hook ending the fight.

“When I let my hands go that’s when I started landing more favourable shots,” said Crawford after his 36th win.

“He’s a strong fighter, durable.”

Crawford, who controversially beat Britain’s Amir Khan with a low blow in April, started tentatively and although Kavaliauskas ap-

peared to knock him down cleanly in the third round, the referee ruled the champion had slipped.

By the seventh round in New York, Crawford had found his rhythm and knocked down his 31-year-old challenger, with the former Olympian then somehow clinging on through the eighth.

And it was a thunderous uppercut at the start of the ninth that sparked the beginning of the end, with Crawford landing the decisive blow after 44 seconds.

Crawford, who now has 27 knockouts from his 36 victories, added: “After I dropped him with my uppercut I was like, I am going to face his jab, and come out with my right hook.”

(BBC Sport)

Terence Crawford first knocked Egidijus Kavaliauskas down in the seventh round, with a three-punch combination (Getty Images)

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monday, DECember 16, 2019

Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) Horse Race Meet…

Lucky Star shines again!

Shivamangal. The mount Rickey copped this prize, and Call She Royal followed in second position, while TP 360 and Awesome Again came in third and fourth respectively.

In the second race of the meet, the K&L class event over a distance of 1200 metres for a prize of $140,000, Touch D Cash, piloted by Jockey Mohabir, emerged winner in a close contest, with Cherish Me in second position, Massapequa Doctor in third, and Perfect

Lucky Star and supporters stand proudly with the trophy

Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

Lucky Star (left), taking down Don’t Overlook

I

n another display of equine domination, experienced race horse Lucky Star of the Cheefoon Stables defeated race favourite Don’t Overlook in the feature event of the Port Mourant Turf Club’s oneday meet on Sunday, to establish its reputation as a top race horse in Guyana, having also won the very prestigious Guyana Cup race in October of this year.

Morning showers in East Berbice could not restrain horse-racing fans from turning out in their numbers to witness these high-profile races. They saw four horses take to the field in the feature event, the B & Lower race over a distance of 1600

It was a perfect finish for Perfect Storm in the battle of the 2-year-old horses

Touch D Cash took first position in the K&L class race

metres for the mega-prize of $600,000, and they saw champion jockey Colin Ross pilot Lucky Star to another thumping win in 2019.

The stakes in this feature event were sponsored

by Banks DIH and Jumbo

Jet Racing Stables.

The day’s exciting events commenced was the race in the L Non-Winners’ category over a distance of 1300 metres, the hundred-thousand-dollar first prize of which was sponsored by

Return in fourth.

There was a slight delay before race three was run off, because Jockey Michael Semple, fresh from piloting Absolution, fell into a trench.

Newly imported mount Santa Cruz Lady of the Jagdeo Racing Stables was decidedly the favoured horse heading into the H & Lower race, but Silver N Things of the Cheefoon Racing Stables defied all odds to defeat this favoured horse in a down-to-

the-wire race.

Piloted by 2019 champion jockey Colin Ross, Silver N Things was able to lay lawful claim to the winner’s purse of $300,000, while Santa Cruz Lady, piloted by Renaldo Appadu, came in second, Goodwill Boy came in third, and Storm Dancer came in fourth.

In the battle of the 2-Year-Old horses, Kissoon Chand piloted Perfect Storm to a comfortable win over a field of 12 horses to took home the $240,000 first

prize. Of the other Perfects in the race: Perfect Pleasure came in second, and Perfect Dream came in third.

Among the sponsors of this extraordinary oneday horse meet were Kris Jagdeo, Shivamangal, Nand Persaud, RPM Racing Stables of USA, Massy Distribution, Randy Persaud Racing Stables, PMTC, GuyAmerica Construction, Mahesh Narayan Racing Stables of USA, Dharmendra Dharamjit Racing Stables of USA, Anil Mechanic, Banks DIH, Jumbo Jet Racing Stables, Sunil Tikaram of USA, Kascon Engineering, and one Kamo, a rice farmer of Black Bush Polder.

Horse racing will continue on December 26 at the Kennard Memorial Turf Club, followed by the President’s Cup New Year’s Day Race at Rising Sun Turf Club.

De Bruyne shines as City outclass Arsenal M

anchester City pushed Arsenal deeper into crisis as they won with embarrassing ease at Emirates Stadium.

Kevin de Bruyne produced a first-half masterclass as Pep Guardiola’s side cruised into a three-goal lead by the interval with two superb strikes, either side of a perfect pass that laid on City’s second for Raheem Sterling’s simple finish.

It was a harrowing experience for Arsenal caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg, who was a powerless lowkey presence, his minimal impact since succeeding the sacked Unai Emery reflected in a record of one win from his five matches in interim charge.

Arsenal’s lack of inspiration in an Emirates Stadium devoid of life and atmosphere will surely only increase the urgent need to appoint a full-time manager - although at this stage it is still unclear which direction the Gunners hierarchy intends to go.

City, meanwhile, remain 14 points behind leaders Liverpool after this win, which was a classic reminder of the quality the reigning Premier League champions possess.

Kevin de Bruyne scored his fifth and sixth Premier League goals of the season (Reuters)

Arsenal in serious decline

This was as grim as it gets for Arsenal and Ljungberg, a caretaker manager who has not been able to coax an ounce extra out of the squad he inherited after Emery was shown the door.

First things first - this is not all the Swede’s fault, as this was a rot that set in long before Emery’s dismissal, although Ljungberg had a close-up view as a member of his backroom staff.

What has been disturbing, however, is Ljungberg’s lack of impact on Arsenal, exemplified by the manner in which they were treated almost with contempt by Manchester City.

This result leaves the Gunners stuck between the top four and the relegation zone, seven points away from both, and the thousands of empty seats and a game concluded in resigned silence from the home support spoke volumes.

Arsenal had no spark, no creation and no fight - City actually went easy on them in the second half.

And while relegation talk is a stretch, that spark is something they must find soon, whether it is under Ljungberg or a new full-time manager.

Late goal give Spurs the win Tottenham

manag-

er Jose Mourinho said his side had won an “incredible three points” against a Wolves team he believes can challenge for the Champions League places.

Jan Vertonghen scored a dramatic late winner as Spurs ended Wolves’ 11-match unbeaten Premier League run to narrow the gap on the top four with victory at Molineux.

Vertonghen headed in from a corner in injury time, after Wolves’ relentless approach had been rewarded as Adama Traore thumped in a deserved equaliser from the edge of the box midway through the second half.

On Wolves, Mourinho

said: “My feeling is they are fighting for more than they said. They are not just there for the top six. They can do more. They are a fantastic team. This is a big victory.

Following a breathless opening period, Lucas Moura’s mazy run and exquisite finish into the roof of the net had put Tottenham ahead after eight minutes.

Spurs had to withstand intense pressure as Wolves chased an equaliser, but it was they who went closest before half-time as Eric Dier struck the post from Dele Alli’s delightful, dinked pass.

Tottenham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga produced an excellent save from Romain Saiss’ header in the closing stages as Mourinho’s visitors appeared to be hanging on, before Vertonghen’s decisive goal.

Victory sees Tottenham climb above Wolves to fifth, three points behind fourthplaced Chelsea who they face next Sunday.

Everton held by United

Manchester United substitute Mason Greenwood scored a 77th-minute equaliser to deny Duncan Ferguson a second successive win as Everton’s interim manager.

Everton looked set for back-to-back league victories for the first time since April when Victor Lindelof turned Leighton Baines’ first-half corner into his own goal, with VAR ruling David de Gea had not been impeded by Dominic CalvertLewin as they jumped at the near post.

It was fitting that 18-year-old Greenwood should come off the bench to rescue a point with a fine shot from the edge of the area, given that this game marked the 4,000th consecutive game in which United have named an academy player in their matchday squad.

Everton’s fans were delighted at the end though, singing Ferguson’s name in tribute to the Scot’s impact since replacing sacked Marco Silva.

Despite the cold and rain, Ferguson spent most of the game in nothing more than a shirt and tie, and long after the final whistle went over to acknowledge the visiting fans.

The result means United have collected 25 points from their first 17 games, one fewer than they had at the same point last season when Jose Mourinho was sacked. (BBC Sport)

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, DECember 16, 2019

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21

West Indies U-19s miss out on final berth after loss to Sri Lanka A

c o m m a n d i n g batting and bowling performance by Sri Lanka powered them to a comfortable 130 run victory over West Indies, in day six action of Rising Stars U19 TriSeries at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Captain Nipun Dananjaya with an unbeaten 91 not out (98 balls, 2x4, 6x6) alongside spin bowling duo Dilum Sudheera (6-1-10-3) and Kavindu Nadeeshan (6.4-0-174), combined to aid Sri Lanka posting the highest total of the Tri-Series and eventually ending West Indies chances of securing a place in the final on December 21st.

Saturday’s encounter was the first played at the Coolidge for the competition and it commenced with West Indies winning the toss and electing to let their form bowlers and have a crack at the Sri Lankan batsmen.

When off-spinner Avinash Mahabirsingh (10-142-2) bowled Sonal Dinusha (8) to leave Sri Lanka limping along at 95/6 in the 27th over, the toss decision to bowl first was seemingly going to plan.

However, Sri Lanka’s Captain Dananjaya led the fight back with a 67 run

but solidly for the first 14 overs giving early hope that achieving the target was possible.

Off-spinner Sudheera fresh of his effort with the bat would make two major strikes in the 15th over to dent these hopes, dismissing Melius and Leonardo Julien in consecutive deliveries and the West Indies chase faltered after this double blow.

“Once again our bowlers got us into a good position, when we restricted Sri Lanka to 95/6 but we weren’t able to hammer home that good position due a combination of the injury to Ramon Simmons and excellent batting by the Sri Lanka captain”, Kevlon Anderson said West Indies U19 coach Graeme West.

He continued: “A little bit of application at the top of the order from (Kimani) Melius and (Mbeki) Joseph which was good to see, but need to sixes in keep working hard final three to address our weak overs of the areas, especially playing slow innings.

In reply West Indies bowling. It’s an area we have openers Kimani Melius talked about and worked on a and Mbeki Joseph lot, but we are still coming up started circumspect a bit short.”

seventh-wicket partnership with Dilum Sudheera (27) which enabled the visitors to post a challenging total.

West Indies were unable to utilize the final four overs from left-arm medium pacer Ramon Simmonds after he left the field due to an injury.

Dananjaya took advantage of this, hitting Joshua James for four of his six

Asked if the result is a cause for concern ahead of World Cup West said: “We can only keep working with the players that we have. The players are aware of where

they need to get better and I’m sure the more opportunities they get against this quality (opposition), we will get the progress that we are looking for.” (CWI)

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka Under-19s Innings (50 overs maximum) ND Paranavithana run out (Mahabirsingh) . . . . . . . . 4 K Mishara † c Seales b Forde 7 R Rasantha b Forde . . . . . 43 A Wickramasinghe b Jayden Seales . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 ND Perera (c) not out . . . . 91 KL Gamage lbw b Mahabirsingh 0 GS Dinusha b Mahabirsingh 8 DS Thilakaratne run out (Seales) . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 A Daniel c †Julien b Forde . . 5 K Nadeeshan c James b Forde 11 A de Silva not out . . . . . . 0 Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 22) . . . . 24 TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 4.68) 234-9 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Navod Paranavithana, 1.4 ov), 2-16 (Kamil Mishara, 8.3 ov), 3-78 (Ravindu Rasantha, 18.5 ov), 4-80 (Ahan Wickramasinghe, 19.6 ov), 5-81 (Lakshan Gamage, 20.5 ov), 6-95 (Sonal Dinusha, 26.4 ov), 7-162 (Sudeera Thilakaratne, 42.1 ov), 8-174 (Ashian Daniel, 44.3 ov), 9-205 (Kavindu Nadeeshan, 48.4 ov) BOWLING : MW Forde (10-231-4), JNT Seales (10-1-231), RR Simmonds (6.2-0-280), JM James (9-0-81-0), A Mahabirsingh (10-0-42-2), KSA McKenzie (4.4-0-27-0)

West Indies Under-19s Innings (target: 235 runs from 50 overs) KS Melius (c) lbw b Thilakaratne . . . . . . . . . 20 MNA Joseph lbw b Gamage 20 LJA Julien † lbw b Thilakaratne 0 KSA McKenzie b Nadeeshan 15 KA Anderson c Dinusha b Thilakaratne . . . . . . . . . 25 DJ Beckford lbw b Daniel . . 1 MW Forde not out . . . . . . 11 JM James b Nadeeshan . . . 1 JNT Seales c Perera b Nadeeshan . . . . . . . . . . 3 A Mahabirsingh b Nadeeshan 0 RR Simmonds absent hurt . .

Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 6) . . . . . 8 TOTAL (34.4 Overs, RR: 3.0) 104 all out Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Kimani Melius, 14.3 ov), 2-39 (Leonardo Julien, 14.4 ov), 3-50 (Mbeki Joseph, 17.2 ov), 4-80 (Kirk McKenzie, 26.4 ov), 5-81 (Daniel Beckford, 27.1 ov), 6-90 (Kevlon Anderson, 31.2 ov), 7-93 (Joshua James, 32.6 ov), 8-104 (Jayden Seales, 34.2 ov), 9-104 (Avinash Mahabirsingh, 34.4 ov) BOWLING : A de Silva (60-24-0), A Daniel (7-1-251), L Gamage (8-1-21-1), DS Thilakaratne (6-1-103), ND Perera (1-0-5-0), K Nadeeshan (6.4-0-17-4)

Sparta Boss win inaugural Rio Indoor Streetball Championship

A

fter the dust had settled at the National Gymnasium at Mandela Avenue on Saturday evening, national heavyweight team Sparta Boss, of the East La Penitence environs, emerged inaugural

champion of the Rio Indoor Streetball Championship According to an official release from coordinators Three Peat Promotions, “The tournament was an overwhelming success on many fronts, and provides the perfect plat-

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

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Sparta Boss chalked up another futsal title on Saturday night at the National Gymnasium

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Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 55 Million-dollar team: Sheldon Shepherd, elated captain of the victorious Sparta Boss side, collecting his prizes in the presence of his team following the conclusion of the inaugural Rio Indoor Streetball Championship at the National Gymnasium

form for the improvement of the tournament and the format as a whole. We would like to thank the sponsors for their invaluable commitment and investment in making the tournament a reality, as well as the fans for their unwavering support.”

The release further said, “Ultimately, we would like to thank the players, who displayed discipline and talent in providing and creating a spectacle and product for the fans to consume and enjoy.

Without them, there would be no sport. Special praise must also be afforded to the lawmen, who carried out their duties with esteem in providing a safe and conducive atmosphere for all and sundry.”

The capacity crowd which descended on the venue was

treated to a thrilling finale, which was decided 5-4 in favour of the Spartans after regulation and extra time ended 1-1.

Clive Nobrega was the guilty party, as he missed from the distance in the tense shoot-out, while Gregory Richardson applied the finishing touch for Sparta Boss to seal the result.

With the win, Sparta Boss pocketed one million dollars and a trophy. The loser walked away with $400,000 and the runners-up title. In the third-place playoff, Gold is Money bested Rio All-Stars 2-0, Keifer Brandt recording goals in the fourth and 16th minutes.

With that win, Gold is Money walked away with $200,000 and a trophy, while

the losing Rio All-Stars pocketed $100,000 and the corresponding accolade.

In the earlier semifinal matches, Sparta edged their fierce rival Gold is Money 1-0 when Ryan Hackett scored in the 10th minute; and Bent Street overcame Rio All-Stars 1-0 on penalty kicks after regulation and extra time ended with the game at 4-4.

Nelson fashioned a double, which came in the 21st and 29th minutes for Bent Street, while Daniel Wilson and William Europe respectively scored in the second and 15th minutes. For Rio All-Stars, Kelsey Benjamin bagged a brace in the 18th and 25th, while Andrew Murray netted a double in the 27th and 35th minutes.

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monday, DECember 16, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Youth Basketball Guyana Titan Bowl X…

Marian Academy, President’s College females dominate Part of the action on the penultimate night of the tournament

Academy, Kelliann Savers registered 9 points and 8 rebounds, while Aaliyah Singh contributed 6 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals.

The second match saw Kwakwani wipe the floor with Queen’s College, whom they crushed 75-8. Scoring for the winning side, Holly Grimond had 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Natalya Clarke dominated with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 8 steals.

Heading into the male under-16 category, Arima Secondary toppled Marian Academy 43-24, gratitude due to the efforts of Adi

Ronald (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Kasim English (19 points).

Marian’s Kayden Khan had 11 points and Trevor Rose had 8 points.

The in-form Bishops’ High School suffered a shocking 72-28 defeat at the hands of Kwakwani Secondary.

Kwakwani was led by Demarcus Adams and Elijah David, who both pitched in with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists; while Bishops’ Keron Bacchus had 9 points and 8 rebounds, and Amir Daly had 8 points and 5 rebounds in a losing cause.

In the under-18 categories, New Amsterdam Technical Institute and President’s College picked up wins in close encounters.

President’s College defeated Marian Academy 4640, with Jushawn Bailey and Richard Semple putting up 13 points each for PC, while Marian was led by Jether Harris, who scored 24 points.

In the final match, NATI edged GTI 38-29 to qualify for the next round. Top scoring for NATI was Kadeen Dover (20 points), while Joshua Thomas supported with 9 points.

KFC Goodwill Tournament…

T

he penultimate night of action in the Youth Basketball Guyana Titan Bowl X unravelled at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) with a total of six matches being

played in the Girls’ and Boys’ Under-16 and Boys’ Under-18 categories.

The first match in the Girls’ category kicked off with Marian Academy defeating St Stanislaus

College 40-27. The Marian Academy side showed why they were one of the dominant teams in the competition when they outplayed their opponents.

Scoring for Marian

Shiva Boys focused on retaining title

Dragon Stout Community Cup starts on Tuesday

T

L

The tournament was launched on the playfield where the top prize of $300,000 is up for grabs

overs of the indoor format of football, their appetites wetted after witnessing one of the most enthralling finals last Saturday, will now turn their attention to the Dragon Stout Community Cup Knockout Competition, which opens on Tuesday evening at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

The sensational final between Sparta Boss, the most dominant team in the format, and the star-studded Bent Street, which the former won in a pulsating penalty shootout, left fans drooling for more action.

The format, which has become the most exciting feature in the sport, will once again be showcased when the sixteen best teams collide for prize monies in excess of $500,000, which will definitely increase the coffers of the respective winners for the Christmas season.

The organisers have also

planned a giveaway for the fans, by offering each ticket holder entering the arena a free bottle of Dragon Stout as they aim to give back to the supporters for their loyalty.

All eyes will again be on Sparta Boss -- undoubtedly the most decorated team in the format -- which has been in scorching form throughout the year. However, teams such as Gold is Money and Bent Street, both of which suffered at the hands of the local juggernauts, will be looking to exact revenge and even stop the rampaging Bosses.

There are a few other

teams that should not be overlooked, such as new kids on the block Rio All Stars, which made the semi-finals in the recently concluded tournament; as well as Leopold Street, Future Stars, Sophia and Ansa McAl All Stars.

The tournament is set to be played over three nights, with December 19 and 28 being the other dates for action. The winning team will take home $300,000 and a trophy, while runner-up, third and fourth place teams would receive $150,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

The opening night’s fixtures are as follows: Avocado Ballers vs North East La Penitence from 19:00hrs Sophia vs Festival City from 19:30hrs Leopold St vs Ansa All-Stars from 20:00hrs Gold is Money vs Mocha from 20:30hrs Future Stars vs Albouystown from 21:00hrs Rio All-Stars vs Alexander Village from 21:30hrs Bent Street vs Broad St from 22:00hrs Sparta vs Showstoppers from 22:30hrs

The Shiva Boys Hindu College Team from Trinidad and Tobago

he Shiva Boys Hindu College Football Team of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago played undefeated in the inaugural KFC Goodwill Tournament in Guyana back in 2018, and will again be in action in this tournament today.

The second edition of this KFC Goodwill Tournament got off to an exciting start on Saturday last, with Lodge Secondary thrashing

Facility at Providence, EBD. Lodge Secondary are scheduled to take on Waramadong Secondary from 1pm, while Annai Secondary will do battle with the Shiva Boys from 3pm.

This second fixture will undeniably be interesting to watch, as, despite saying goodbye to a few of their older and more experienced players over the past year, the Shiva Boys are here to

they try to pull off a win each time.

“We like to pass the ball around, express ourselves and showcase our skills.

We’ll come out more serious, more focused, and execute in the game,” Ash explained.

Being the new captain of the team, the youngster’s style of leadership was questioned. He responded: “I intend to keep us together, get everybody to focus and play

A glimpse of the action on Saturday last

Marian Academy 6-1, and Annandale Secondary being humiliated in a 9-1 loss to Annai Secondary of Region 9.

The bar has already been set high in this tournament, thus fireworks are expected today in the double-header to be played at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) Training

do one thing: win this tournament.

Speaking with this publication, new Shiva captain Adica Ash shared the team’s intention: “We come to hold our title.”

Asked about the team’s style of play, Ash disclosed that the Boys are keen to keep the ball moving, as

together as a team.”

The tournament’s many sponsors include KFC, Mike’s Pharmacy, Guyana Coema Construction and Services, the Trophy Stall, and Tiger Rentals.

Football action will continue on Wednesday December 18 with another double-header.

23

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, DECember 16, 2019

Hetmyer, Hope hit centuries as West Indies go 1-up on India

S

himron Hetmyer played one of the great innings in a chase against India in India to rattle the hosts, who had assumed West Indies had made a mistake asking them to bat first. It was a bittersweet day for India as Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant rescued them from an early wobble, showing signs of a stable middle order beginning to form.

However, India’s lack of penetration - Ravindra Jadeja was their fourth specialist bowler - in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah was exposed brutally by Hetmyer, who hit 11 fours and seven sixes in his 106-ball 139. At the other end, Shai Hope walked the tightrope between the kind of innings that binds a chase and one so slow that it puts undue pressure on the other batsmen.

He came out unbeaten on 102 off 151, emphatically stating which side of the rope he was on.

without going into their shells for too long. Pant in particular played a seemingly restrained innings but still finished with a strike rate of over 100. Tortured by taunting calls of “Dhoni, Dhoni” all over India, Pant now had Dhoni’s “home” crowd of Chennai chanting “Ree-shabh Pant, Ree-shabh Pant”.

It was Pant’s urgency after a start of six off 16 that allowed Iyer to go about his business.

Neither of them took any outrageous risk as they stepped up the run rate. They added 114 at better than a run a ball after scoring just 12 off the first 33 balls they faced.

Pant was 27 when Iyer got to 45; the two got to their half-centuries in successive overs. As they

Pollard wins the toss The two sides read the conditions completely differently. India were happy to bat first on a “dry” surface that Virat Kohli felt would be broken up by spikes. India’s approach, though, remained confounding as they played debutant Shivam Dube and Kedar Jadhav as their fifth bowler. They ended up conceding the highest successful chase at Chepauk.

It would appear the pitch kept getting quicker as it dried from the extra moisture left to keep the pitch together.

Sheldon Cottrell caused serious damage while the moisture kept the pitch slow.

This was the first time since the World Cup semi-final exit that none of India’s top three scored a half-century. Two of them went down to Cottrell who kept bowling cutters with the new ball. Both KL Rahul and Kohli fell in his fourth over, Rahul getting a leading edge and Kohli uncharacteristically falling into the trap of a free single to third man and playing on. India 25 for 2.

After Cottrell’s first spell of 5-3-12-2, some of the pressure was released by the erroneous Hayden Walsh.

That is why Rohit Sharma will be more disappointed that he fell to the India’s slowness of the surface wicketkeeper after getting himself in for Rishabh Pant helps Shimron a 56-ball 36.

Iyer, Pant repair the damage Unlike the World Cup semi-final, India had cause for optimism in the way Iyer and Pant rebuilt the i n n i n g s from 80 for 3

Hetmyer avoid cramps during his innings of 139 (BCCI)

unfurling the slog sweep.

Against Jadeja he sat back and waited for the eventual dragdown, and hit them for successvie sixes in the 22nd over.

It was particularly frustrating for spinners to bowl to Keemo Paul removed Hetmyer because Kedar Jadhav and he used the crease Shivam Dube in the expertly to late-cut closing moments of even good-length India’s innings (BCCI) deliveries. The ball to drag him onto the front foot had to be half-volleys, which he easily scored off.

India needed wickets, but all they could turn to was looked to kick into the next Dube and Jadeja. This gear, both fell to aerial shots, went against India’s philosophy underlining some of the of the last two years when they trickiness remained. packed their attack with bowlers West Indies bowled smartly who could take wickets in the into the surface towards the end middle overs. They had done the of the innings, conceding just 71 same in the deciding T20I earlier off the last 10 overs despite the in the week, but now they were returning Jadhav scoring 40 off forced to go back to Shami.

35.

And Hetmyer was disdainful of him, hitting him for a four and a Hetmyer takes command ferociously pulled six.

India’s last bit of joy on West Indies were now 149 the night came through the for 1 after 26 overs, Hetmyer was early dismissal of Sunil Ambris. 90 off 70, and the chase looked This pitch had quickened up all but done. India received noticeably, and Hetmeyer a lucky break when Hetmyer batted with scant respect for came down with painful cramps a limited attack. After the first in the next over. Eight two boundaries off the edge, overs went the rest was mostly clean and by with no sensational hitting.

Once the new-ball bowlers had bowled their four-over spells, Hetmyer began to prey on the toothlesness of India’s attack. He hit boundaries in each of Dube’s first two overs, which went for a combined 15, and then hit Jadhav out of the attack with two fours in what turned out to be his only over. Now he went to put Kuldeep Yadav under pressure,

Rishabh Pant (right) and Shreyas Iyer top scored for the hosts with 71 and 70, respectively (BCCI)

boundaries. While the asking rate still remained under six for the last 16 overs, there might have been that itch for release.

Amid that, Chahar, the only bowler to have gone at under a run a ball against H e t m y e r, produced a mistimed pull, but Iyer dropped it at long-on.

That proved to be India’s last chance as Hetmyer went on another assault, picking apart Jadeja with successive sixes and Dube with a six and a four off successive balls.

After Hetmyer fell, leaving

West Indies 59 to get off 68 balls, Hope made sure there were no hiccups. He knew he would have at least four overs from Dube or Jadhav to feast upon, which meant Kuldeep’s last two overs for four runs failed to preoduce any pressure.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Nicholas Pooran powered West Indies home in style (BCCI)

SCOREBOARD India Innings (50 overs maximum)

RG Sharma c Pollard b Joseph 36 KL Rahul c Hetmyer b Cottrell 6 V Kohli (c) b Cottrell . . . . . . 4 SS Iyer c Pollard b Joseph . . . 70 RR Pant † c Hetmyer b Pollard 71 KM Jadhav c Pollard b Paul . . 40 RA Jadeja run out (Chase) . . 21 S Dube c Holder b Paul . . . . 9 DL Chahar not out . . . . . . . 6 M Shami not out . . . . . . . . 0 Extras (b 5, lb 5, nb 3, w 11) . 24 TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 5.74) 287-8 Did not bat: Kuldeep Yadav Fall of wickets: 1-21 (KL Rahul, 6.2 ov), 2-25 (Virat Kohli, 6.6 ov), 3-80 (Rohit Sharma, 18.1 ov), 4-194 (Shreyas Iyer, 36.4 ov), 5-210 (Rishabh Pant, 39.4 ov), 6-269 (Kedar Jadhav, 47.3 ov), 7-269 (Ravindra Jadeja, 47.4 ov), 8-282 (Shivam Dube, 49.3 ov) BOWLING SS Cottrell (10-3-46-2) JO Holder (8-0-45-0) HR Walsh (5-0-31-0)

KMA Paul (7-0-40-2) AS Joseph (9-1-45-2) RL Chase (7-0-42-0) KA Pollard (4-0-28-1)

West Indies Innings (target: 288 runs from 50 overs)

SD Hope † not out . . . . . . 102 SW Ambris lbw b Chahar . . . 9 SO Hetmyer c Iyer b Shami . 139 N Pooran not out . . . . . . . 29 Extras (lb 4, nb 1, w 7) . . . . . 12 TOTAL (47.5 Overs, RR: 6.08) 291-2 Did not bat: RL Chase, KA Pollard (c), JO Holder, KMA Paul, HR Walsh, AS Joseph, SS Cottrell Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Sunil Ambris, 4.1 ov), 2-229 (Shimron Hetmyer, 38.4 ov) BOWLING DL Chahar (10-1-48-1) M Shami (9-1-57-1) K Yadav (10-0-45-0) S Dube (7.5-0-68-0) KM Jadhav (1-0-11-0) RA Jadeja (10-0-58-0)

monday, DECember 16, 2019

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Hetmyer, Hope hit

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