Guyana Times Sunday February 16, 2020

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4198 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, February 16, 2020

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WHAT'S INSIDE: After sabotaging specialty hospital project

APNU/AFC P20 now promises specialty hospitals in manifesto

APNU/AFC policies do not support wealth, job creation – Jagdeo APNU/AFC dangles land promise for fired sugar workers' votes Page 7

...bereft of any plans for viable utilisation for agriculture

Bandits in P18 helmets rob ECD supermarket

Teen robbed at knifepoint P19 Coronavirus outbreak

Guyana’s laws allow for detention, quarantine of persons that pose threat – DCMO P14

Local Content Policy

P7 “We had recommended full transparency”– GCCI President Corentyne accident

Teen dies, sister, 1 other P10 hospitalised Themed “Transformation via technology”, these youngsters gyrated along Camp Street, Georgetown on Saturday during the annual Children’s Float Parade as part of Mashramani celebrations (Dexter Ceres photo)

Jude Bentley’s daughter tells of pain of losing both parents on same road 13 years apart

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P20 Vendor hospitalised after being shot to the buttocks

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, February 16 – 11:00h – 12:30h and Monday, February 17 – 12:30 – 14:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, February 16 – 10:20h – 11:50h and Monday, February 17 – 11:40h – 13:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine will prevail throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 10:05h and 22:48h reaching maximum heights of 2.33 metres and 2.19 metres.

Low Tide: 03:35h and 16:14h reaching minimum heights of 0.94 metre and 0.90 metre.

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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APNU/AFC policies do not support wealth, job creation – Jagdeo

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pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that the APNU/AFC coalition over the past five years has implemented policies that do not support the creation of wealth or support the industries to generate jobs.

Jagdeo, who was at the time addressing party supporters during a public meeting at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara on Saturday, noted that with disastrous policies and increased taxation, the incumbent Administration is placing Guyana to return to a state of economic turmoil and suffering.

He pointed out that the David Granger-led Administration has spent $1.1 trillion, burdened Guyanese with taxes, borrowed US$900 million and run down the reverses.

Jagdeo added that if this is their approach to spending taxpayers’ money, then this country will never make progress under the coalition, even if they are given all the money in the world or the revenues from the oil and gas sector.

On this note, the Opposition Leader told supporters that it is crucial now more than ever that they ensure that the PPP/C secures victory at the upcoming polls and not allow the coalition to remain in office.

“So we have a critical task if we want this country to do well. If we want the tax money to be used in the favour of our people, if we want more jobs for our young people and we want cost of living reduced and we want better education and healthcare, then we have to vote for the party that has a proven track record of doing so and that’s the People’s Progressive Party,” he stated to loud

A section of supporters at PPP/C meeting on Saturday at Windsor Forest

cheering from the crowd.

Jagdeo, who is also the party’s General Secretary, went on to say that he can talk about the PPP’s achievements because the Party has many but the same cannot be said for the APNU/AFC. He noted that all the incumbent Administration does at their rallies and public meetings as well as in their ads is to “cuss out” Jagdeo and PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali. “Now a party, running after five years, should talk about its progress but it doesn’t have any because it broke all of its promises – every single one of them to the pensioners, taxpayers, to sugar workers, rice farmers, to miners, to UG (University of Guyana) students. It broke its promises and its only achievement and legacy is that it has become the most corrupt government in the history of Guyana,” Jagdeo asserted.

He further posited that he can also talk about the PPP/C’s vision for the future because they have outlined all their plans in a comprehensive document four months ago. Unlike this party, he noted that the APNU/ AFC launched its Elections Manifesto on Friday – a mere two weeks away from the

March 2 polls.

He noted that the document contained only a couple of pages and lacked a clear framework for national development. He added too that the launch was even more lacklustre and this was coming from the party members present there.

According to the Opposition Leader, Minister of State, Dawn HastingsWilliams, during the launch said she only had a glimpse of their manifesto.

“So she’s coming to sell a document of policies to us that she didn’t read,” he stressed.

Jagdeo went on to point out that, “This was a useless piece of document but even if it was valuable, who would believe anything that they say again in this country. If you believe that, you gotta be crazy cause they broke every single promise they made in the past. All the things they

wrote up about in 2015…”

One of those broken promises the Opposition Leader highlighted is job creation. He noted that the coalition is now promising 20,000 jobs over the next five years, which, according to him, is inadequate. But he noted that they would not be able to even create that amount because they have no plans to do so.

“If 30,000 people already lost jobs, then how could 20,000 jobs satisfy the people over the next five years when you have at the University of Guyana alone, more than 2000 students graduating per year? This is just nonsensical things they are saying to people. They have no idea about what it takes to govern and run this country…” the Opposition Leader noted.

To this end, Jagdeo underscored the importance of the PPP/C succeeding at upcoming polls.

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

“What’s past is prologue”

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s with so many of the aphorisms distilling wisdom into pithy utterances, it was the Bard who proposed that “what’s past is prologue”. Meaning that history sets a context for the present and the unfolding of the future. And so, in reviewing the just-released “manifesto which is not a manifesto” of the APNU/AFC coalition, it will be useful to review their prologue in their past exercise of 2015. We have also been warned that history may even repeat itself: “first as tragedy and then as farce”.

In 2015, the raison d’etre for the claimed greater legitimacy for the promises encompassed in their manifesto was the claim that APNU and AFC would create a form of governance in its “coalition of six parties” that was uniquely suited to the sociological demands on our political system: addressing ethnic factionalism. This claim was emphasised once again by the leader of the PNC, APNU and Presidential Candidate David Granger and his Prime Ministerial candidate, the leader of the AFC. It is important, therefore, that we interrogate this claim since then entire enterprise of the APNU/AFC combine rests on it.

In 2015, the manifesto included the Cummingsburg Accord which spelt out the agreement between the five parties in APNU and the AFC, and which sought to present the coalition as a form of “power-sharing” in which the constituent parties would be allocated power commensurate with the constituency each was supposed to represent. But even before this Accord, there were grave doubts as to the bona fides of the four parties that had coalesced with the PNC to form the APNU. None of them, on their own, when their alliance was formed in 2011, was then capable of even obtaining a single seat in the National Assembly. GAP was the only parliamentary party but its sole seat was garnered in coalition with ROAR. In terms of the legitimacy of wider societal group representation, APNU suffered from fatal defects.

It obviously recognised this impediment to securing the threshold necessary agglomeration of votes to secure the presidency, even by a plurality, since its constituency was almost completely bereft of votes from the Indian Guyanese section, which formed a plurality of the Guyanese populace.

This undermined any claim to its greater legitimacy for governance. APNU then sought and acquired the acceptance of the AFC for a coalition, specifically to secure that imprimatur of the “11%” Indian vote they claimed to have attracted in 2011. Their Cummingsburg Accord sought to spell out the division of Executive power if their coalition were to be elected, based on this demographic arithmetic.

The Prime Minister was to be selected by the AFC and he would have augmented powers, culled from the President.

He was supposed to Chair the Cabinet, have an input into the selection of Ministers and be in charge of “domestic affairs”. None of these promises that formed the foundation of the supposedly new governmental dispensation was ever implemented. Granger claimed he was precluded from doing so because of “constitutional constraints”, which was, in fact, a fiction of his own contrivance. Consequently, the Indian Guyanese constituency which the AFC claimed to have brought into the coalition, was never even notionally represented. This reality vitiated any claim to a wider legitimacy for the “six-party” coalition, which was exemplified in the scant regard for their opinions on policy matters during the past five years.

This time, the “new” Cummingsburg Accord has not even been included as an addendum to the “manifesto which is not a manifesto”. Most likely, this is because there is now not even a pretence of “sharing power” with the AFC’s “constituency” by the PNC. In fact, the Accord has not been seen by the public in its entirety, but it slipped out that even though announced on Valentine’s Day it is a morganatic marriage since the AFC PM candidate will not succeed Granger if he were to demit office for whatever reason.

The foundation of the APNU/AFC claim to greater legitimacy has collapsed once again.

FE Pollard Primary School’s float display at the Children’s Mashramani Float Parade on Saturday, February 15

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

Lackadaisical attitude of some GECOM staff Dear Editor, The swiftly approaching March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections will certainly herald a new and caring Government to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. So said hundreds of thousands of Guyanese voters and supporters of the dynamic and purposeful People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C). Judgment day is right ahead and after the extensive trials and tribulations at the hands of the Granger Administration, GECOM must now prove worthiness to deliver free and fair elections as the world watches.

The feedback from observers and key stakeholders highlights a steely determination among a majority of the silent and patient voting population to clinically overwhelm and sever all ties with the frantic, desperate and clearly derailed APNU/ AFC coalition performers.

Citizens have felt the pain and hostility of this brutal regime, seen their children hungry and many, including our youths, jobless.

This time around, most citizens have not forgotten and for those who seem misguided, the PPP/C has candidly reminded and presented a message of hope.

Despite the legitimately passed No-Confidence Motion that ousted this Granger-led cabal, they have dictatorially persisted while breaching numerous constitutional obligations, to illegally maintain power by almost twelve wasted months. They now arm themselves with camouflaged cloaks and bags of de-

ceitful tricks, in another attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the Guyanese people. It is clear that after four years of demonstrated incompetence, the brutish vendetta like persecution of thousands of Guyanese and the economic rape of the treasury, another false horizon is central to their act.

There is no doubt that when one looks at the political parties contesting these elections, the tale of the tape is indeed a revelation comparatively. For the first time in several decades, thirteen political parties have submitted lists of Candidates on Nominations day signalling intent at participation.

This indeed stands as testimony to the level of widespread dissatisfaction of the wider population with the APNU/AFC’s horrible governance approaches over the past-truncated period of Office. Yet, in the current Granger-led list, there are no significant differences. The same group of ‘old’ visionless contesters, who have tormented this nation, forms the common denominator.

It is notable that in the smaller parties, there is an identifiable lack of applicable originality coupled with a significant lack of experience. Individually, the core of each new party constitutes a few ejected or discounted breakaways from the previous pillar parties.

Observably, they have already begun to fold and generally, have opted to join each other with the hope of winning one balance of power parliamentary seat.

The PPP/C, however,

stands out in this challenge as the most successful party in the history of Guyana.

The party’s credentials have been tried and tested, supported by a proven record of accomplishment, harnessed from decades of fighting for the advancement of every person across our country. The PPP/C List of Candidates presents an admirable blend of youth and experience to implement their plans and programmes in an inclusive way. There is diversity, along with strong unity and the total togetherness, which sends a potent vibration full of passion and aggression to win and make Guyana a better place for all Guyanese.

The PPP/C’s manifesto represents a themed and vision-driven approach that is certainly most encouraging.

Its preparation advanced based on broad-based national consultation with hundreds of well-grounded men and women of substance, at a full day’s discussion on the way forward for Guyana. Comparatively, the APNU is in the wilderness and the nation is fully aware of the visionless approach, disunity and serious divisions in their camp.

The PPP/C was in full readiness for the various Regional and National Elections and overwhelmingly, for the passing of the No-Confidence Motion.

The APNU/AFC on the other hand, are always dogging and trying to delay Elections. The massive support at the PPP/C rallies and meetings are certainly inspiring and a strong signal that the PPP/C will win com-

fortably. The big question is how prepared is GECOM for the Elections?

One recalls that GECOM along with the APNU Commissioners, particularly Vincent Alexander, made a lot of noise about removing the names of persons who did not collect their ID cards, from the Register of Registrants. After several months GECOM claimed that they registered 370,000 persons in the truncated House-to-House Registration and after the Claims and Objection were completed, GECOM is still to produce a single ID card.

Thousands of people are awaiting their ID cards.

Millions of dollars were spent to do the truncated Houseto-House Registrations and the Claims and Objections; yet, GECOM is not saying anything about the issuing of ID cards. I wish to reiterate that it was the cheap inkpads and cheap cameras that GECOM bought at very high prices, along with the employing of incompetent staff that is deliberately preventing the issuing of ID cards.

The incompetence of some hired staff at GECOM was revealed through their lackadaisical attitude and modus operandi in certain public activities whereby they seemed to be lacking in the manner in which they perform their functions. I hope that the international advisors to GECOM are going to give the relevant guidance to address the situation.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

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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

Devious, dishonest, duplicitous and disingenuous Dear Editor, The APNU/AFC 2020 pamphlet (not a manifesto) started with an act of gross deceit. In the first paragraph, Mr David Granger mentioned the “revised Cummingburg Accord”. What is the revised Cummingburg Accord? Is that a real document or just a piece of blank paper that Mr Khemraj Ramjattan was forced to sign?

How dare Mr Granger talk about a coalition and an agreement when it is his team that crafted the original Cummingburg Accord and then took every opportunity to honour it in the breach?

Today, in total disrespect to the people of Guyana,

he now offers them “fickle promises, fatuous platitudes, and failed projects” by way of this APNU/AFC 2020 pamphlet (his words not mine). After only 4 years and 6 months of mal-performance, Mr Granger has turned all of his 2015 promises on its head. This new pamphlet of empty promises is nothing else but a booklet of pictures and empty words.

Why is Mr Granger playing games with the minds of the Guyanese people?

Where is the evidence that the Granger Cabal has delivered on these fifteen (15) so-called Foundations of Development and their 100 days plan over the last 4 years and 6 months? So why

should the Guyanese people accept this invention in the form of the APNU/AFC pamphlet? Is Mr Granger assuming that the Guyanese people are not thinking?

Looking at the APNU/ AFC 2020 pamphlet, one can see a book of pictures and more empty words and meaningless clichés and bromides. It talks about governance but the Granger cabal is the greatest offender in following the rule of law and constitutional compliance and the evidence over the last 4 years and 6 months is overwhelming.

One only has to understand what was done after the successful passage of the NoConfidence Motion.

The Granger cabal talks about an economic programme but under his watch, this economy was managed like a cake shop.

They talk about an education programme and Guyana now has one of the worst and most mal-functional education systems in the entire Caricom family. They talk about a social programme but pensioners, the working class and the most vulnerable are under a clear and present danger of permanently sinking into poverty after the Granger cabal mainly spent on themselves some $1.3 trillion over the last 4 years and 6 months.

But the worst of it all is that the Granger cabal has

Desecrating sacred Hindu scripture for political mileage Dear Editor, Pandits Ubraj Narine and Deodat Tillack have been making frequent appearances at the APNU/ AFC rallies to render Hindu prayers, including the chanting of Sanskrit shlokas (verses). Unfortunately, they have massacred these revered ancient texts by their gross mispronunciations and translations.

Though I am not a scholar of Sanskrit, I read and write the language, and am quite familiar with many of the shlokas. I have stayed in several ashrams and lived in a part of India where folks are inundated with the Sanskrit language and culture.

The pandits ought to know that the Sanskrit language is not merely an old religious language; it is much more than that.

Uttering verses in Sanskrit is virtually a spiritual experience, and it ought to be articulated in that mode.

On Jan 31, Pandit Deodat Tillack supposedly recited the shloka Brhadaranyaka Upanishad

I.iii.28), the original being: asato ma sadgamaya (Lead me from untruth to the truth) tamaso ma jyotirgamaya (Lead me from darkness to light) mrtyorma amrtam gamaya (Lead me from death to immortality).

The Pandit, however, rendered the following explanations: ‘Asato ma…’ ”Lead us from the falsehood of the PPP propaganda to the truth of the APNU/AFC!” ‘Tamaso ma…’ (in the middle he started to giggle!)

“Lead us from the darkness of oppression – from the 23 years of oppressive rule to the light of wisdom – the rule of the APNU/AFC Government!

‘Mrityor ma…’ “And lead us from death and fear of victimisation to the knowledge of immortality, and the knowledge of a bigger, better Guyana.”

Pandit Tillack’s renditions and explanations elsewhere of the Maha Upanishad 6.71– 75, and the Bhagavad Gita

2:47 and 4:11 are just as atrocious. The one redeeming feature of Pandit Tillack is that his constructions sound and appear authentic – even though they are far from it.

Pandit Ubraj Narine’s recitation of the Hindu ‘asatoma’ prayer at Bartica rally on Feb 7, 2020, was more scandalous. His mispronunciations were awful, and he ended that prayer with an untrue explanation, saying it meant “And [deliver us] from life to truth”. There’s absolutely no accuracy to that explanation!

The problem with these sanctimonious, authentic-sounding Pandits is that people are in awe because they sound so authentic, and they trust these individuals because they are

“Pandits” and because they are uninformed of Hindu chantings – and dare not question them! It is a case of “one-eye man in blind man country”.

Unfortunately, the one-eye man dem are deluded to think that they know where they are going and leading themselves and others astray.

Pandits Ubraj Narine and Deodat Tillack have a moral obligation to the Hindustani people in Guyana and elsewhere to apologise for desecrating their sacred scripture by their gross pronunciations, errant translations and politicising of the holy shlokas for political mileage.

Yours truly, Dr Devanand Bhagwan

the audacity to lecture the Guyanese people about a security programme when over 630 Guyanese were murdered over the last 4 years and 6 months, which is even worse than Mr Granger’s self-described “period of troubles” in some prior years.

As a voter, I wanted to see a clear connection between the APNU/AFC 2015 manifesto and the current pamphlet produced for 2020.

I have to ask the question “What have you done for we the people over the last 4 years and 6 months?” I have to ask - “What new ideas you have for we the people, going

forward?” if, God forbid, you win.

To totally ignore the APNU/AFC 2015 manifesto and then manufacture a pamphlet as if you never ruled before is devious, dishonest, duplicitous and disingenuous. It sends a signal to the nation that you are dangerous enough to attempt to play with their intelligence in your mission to grab power by whatever means necessary.

Like many other Guyanese, I am not comfortable with such insincerity.

Sincerely, Sase Singh

Can the laws of Guyana be so easily circumvented?

Dear Editor, The use of the term ‘bridging deed’ for what is essentially a new petroleum prospecting license was initially puzzling until I examined the laws governing the sector.

The Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act provides that: Section 21 (2): A petroleum prospecting license shall not be granted to an applicant in respect of a block which is, at the time the application for the grant of the license is made, comprised in a license already granted.

Section 24 (1): Subject to this Act, a person who holds a petroleum prospecting license may apply for the renewal of the license, but not more than twice, in accordance with the Regulations.

Since the Contractor Consortium (Exxon,

CNOOC and Hess) could not be granted a new license as in Section 21 (2) or another renewal as in 24 (1), a new license was granted under another name.

It comes as no great surprise to discover that the oil companies wrote the memorandum for Raphael Trotman to present to Granger’s Cabinet, for Trotman seems to have been blinded by the bright lights and confused by ‘the smell of oil’. Call it what you will, the ‘bridging deed’ is an act of taking advantage of the non-compos mentis or ‘nincompoops’ in layman’s terms.

Can the laws of Guyana be so easily circumvented?

This is the US$55 billion question that Guyanese will answer on March 2, 2020.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Spectators filled city streets for Children’s Float Parade

How to help teens cope with cyberbullying By: Katie Hurley, LCSW

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15-year-old girl is asked to share a topless photo on Snap. Her gut instinct tells her that she shouldn’t send the picture. Her two close friends tell her to ignore the request. But the request keeps coming, and she likes the boy making the request.

Added to that, another group of girls encourages her to send it. They make it sound like this is the new normal for teen dating. She loses sleep over it for several nights. She talks about it obsessively with her friends, to the point where they avoid her at lunch to avoid the conversation.

In the end, she doesn’t send the picture. She sends a heartfelt message about how much she likes him but that she doesn’t want to send that kind of picture. The boy takes a screenshot of the message and uses it to torment her for weeks to come on Snapchat, Instagram, and group text. The girls who encouraged her to send the photo get in on the tormenting.

The stress of the situation causes migraines, stomach-aches, and missed days of school. Not to mention, she’s completely socially isolated.

With the near-constant use of technology among teens and even younger children, many parents worry about cyberbullying. Headlines about cyberbullying are overwhelming at best and leave parents feeling helpless. Can cyberbullying be prevented in this online world?

According to the latest statistics compiled by StopBullying.gov, 9 per cent of students in grades 6 to 12 experienced cyberbullying, and 15 per cent of high school students experienced cyberbullying. 55.2 per cent of LGBTQ students experienced cyberbullying.

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Stella Maris Primary depicting Guyana’s oil

undreds of children, teachers, and administrators from across Guyana took to the streets of Georgetown on Saturday for the annual children’s float parade.

Little revellers all decked out in multi-coloured, shimmering costumes gyrated from Parade Ground to the National Park.

This year’s children’s float parade was observed under the theme “Guyana Together: Reflect, Celebrate and Transform”. Spectators were seen lining the roadways and filling seats at the National Park just to get a glimpse of the bands as they traversed through the appointed route. The children pranced and danced from Parade Ground, east into Middle street, north into Camp Street, east into Lamaha Street, north into Albert Street and then into the National Park.

Observers of the event were amazed at the cultural displays that were coordinated by school teachers and students. Patrons were heard cheering and shouting words of encouragement as they saw their little loved ones in their costumes

Understanding cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over electronic devices, such as phones, tablets, or computers. It can occur via SMS (text messaging apps), email, social media, instant message, chat forums, or even gaming systems. Cyberbullying can include the following: Sending, sharing, or posting harmful, negative, or false information or content about someone Sharing photos or screenshots that can be damaging or used to humiliate or embarrass someone Sharing personal information to humiliate someone or damage someone’s reputation Due to the public nature of social media and the ability to share digital information swiftly across multiple channels, cyberbullying can reach far and wide. Damaging photos and content can easily be shared from school-to-school and across state lines before a teen seeks help. Cyberbullying is particularly difficult to manage because most things posted online are permanent (or difficult to remove) and it’s hard to recognize. Teachers and parents can’t see cyberbullying as it occurs the way they can other forms of bullying.

How to deal with cyberbullying

One of the little revellers showcasing her costume

Some of the ensembles that captured the onlooker’s intention were from Regions Three, Eight, and Four who gracefully depicted Guyana’s transformation.

This publication spoke with some of the spectators who shared their excite-

ment about the festivity.

“I think this is wonderful and lovely, I like the blue costume because it is nice,” Rhea Cummings said.

“This is a great way to have the children come out and enjoy something great in Guyana. When my kids go home, I know that they will have something to talk about,” one parent said.

Before Saturday’s event, there were also the local, regional and national levels competitions in dance, song, dramatic poetry and masquerade that featured children.

Research shows that cyberbullying on social media is linked to depression in teens. It’s essential that parents remain engaged with their teens and talk about ways to seek help.

Don’t judge or fix: Teens need parents to listen without judgment. They also don’t want their parents to start calling other parents or the school right away. The best first step is to listen and ask follow up questions to understand the scope of the cyberbullying.

Unconditional support is key. If you listen, empathize, and work together, your teen will continue to seek your help.

Document everything: Take screenshots of any cyberbullying found on devices and send them to your phone. Document your conversations as well. Rehashing cyberbullying with school personnel and other authorities can be anxiety-producing. Stories might lack details or seem different when teens are under pressure. Documenting your conversations will help you help your teen communicate what happened.

Identify a safe person at school: Teens need a touchstone at school – someone they can go to when overwhelmed by the real-life fallout of cyberbullying or to seek help in the moment.

Respond thoughtfully: Resist the urge to blast out your concerns on your own social media channels. This won’t help your teen and might make it worse.

Work together to formulate a plan: Your teen needs help, but your teen also needs the autonomy to use problem-solving skills that work for her him. Brainstorm possible solutions, including the best point person at the school (this might a counsellor or specific member of the administration), and work together.

Use the tools within the apps: Chances are your teen knows how to block users and protect passwords, but it can’t hurt to review privacy settings, scroll through friend lists to identify potential fake accounts and report fake accounts, harassing comments, or inappropriate photos.

Talk about upstanders: Discuss the importance of reporting bullying or inappropriate content even if it doesn’t directly impact your teen, leaving positive comments when others are leaving negative ones, and reaching out to kids being victimized online. When teens are empowered to help other teens, they learn that they have the power to combat online negativity by sprinkling kindness and support.

(Excerpt from Psychology Today)

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC dangles land promise for fired sugar workers’ votes ...bereft of any plans for viable utilisation for agriculture

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roken promises over the years surrounding land grants for fired workers of the sugar belt have resurfaced once again, as the A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition delivers its plans to garner votes at the upcoming polls.

In their manifesto launch on Friday, the coalition mentioned the creation of a State Land Resettlement Commission to “enable former sugar workers to access land for housing and agriculture”.

In contrast to the series of unfulfilled promises meted out to retrenched workers, Government has in the past, integrated plans to the tune of $2.6 billion to resuscitate agriculture in four villages namely Buxton, Ithaca, Beterverwagting and Mocha.

Regarded as ‘neglected’ villages, the coalition had easily injected billions into this project through funding from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to resuscitate agriculture, a move which demonstrated undemocratic governance as sacked sugar workers were still waiting for their plights to be heard and more so, addressed.

This announcement comes on the heels of the fact that large fractions of properties from the estates have already been portioned off to private investors, while former workers in the estates are still in the waiting line with only hopes of regaining a stable livelihood.

Given the track record of Government to open these lands, even the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) had referred to the offer as an “electioneering gimmick” when it was announced on the campaign trail a few weeks ago.

The David Granger-led Administration had taken the unilateral decision after entering Government to close

operations at four major estates in Guyana – Wales, Enmore, Skeldon and Rose Hall. The plan to downsize this main economic sector had its blows, even more socially and economically on the population.

Over 7000 individuals would have lost their jobs, creating grave economic hardships in these communities.

After four years of being left on the breadline, persons are still struggling to find employment and provide for their families. Many were hopeful for the lands over the past two years to supplement their lost income. But the incumbent Government failed to keep its word.

Now, in efforts to secure a new term in office, the broken promises have surfaced yet again on the granting of these lands. But, in fact, only two lines in the manifesto document speaks about provisions for the affected workers, with little detail on when and how this will be achieved. Under its pact to provide employment, the establishment of a commission is the only mention in the entire manifesto which speaks of assistance for the sacked sugar workers.

While Government had announced its intention of opening the lands in the past to workers, it was bracketed in the list of unfulfilled promises made throughout the years.

In fact, a huge chunk of property from the Guyana Sugar Corporation – once used in its operations – has been granted to private investors and other stakeholders.

The most recent was the announcement to construct a new Marriott Hotel at Ogle, East Bank Demerara, on these State lands. And shortly after, it was announced that another company, Caribbean Marketing Enterprise Inc (CMEI), has secured some 20 acres on GuySuCo lands for another hotel. Both deals were facilitated through the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) and the latter project will be started following a sod-turning ceremony on February 19.

Over at Wales on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD), the same assurances were given that lands would be leased for farming and other activities. With Wales Estate being closed, there had been much interest in the land left behind, particularly for farmers.

However, in 2018, land from the Wales Sugar Estate was snapped up by local and overseas farmers and over a thousand acres of that land was put under rice cultivation.

Extra Virgin Coconut Products (EVCP) and Amazonia Expert Services Incorporated (AESI) are the two companies who received 680 acres of land from the

estate’s assets. A statement emanating from the companies admitted that EVCP negotiated the lease first, and AESI was later created.

Many sugar workers, throughout this time, have vented their disappointment in the coalition Government for “neglecting” their woes and interests. Last November, Alec Paul Singh relayed his story of giving 39 years of his life to the industry. He explained that the only option was to join the Uitvlugt Estate, located miles away on the West Coast of Demerara and even though he wanted to, his job profile was redundant.

For this, he applied along with many others for a piece of property to forge a new living. Despite making numerous enquiries, information could not be provided on other aspects of this arrangement but only the application was collected.

“They said that they would share the land to the cane cutters them, [so] that they could do farming and maintain the family and children. We apply and we didn’t get. They get us going all over to find out.

We ask them what would be the rental for this land and nobody don’t know. Nothing they couldn’t tell we but we still apply and hope that land

would come through,” he had recalled.

According to the former estate worker, he was planning on planting crops, since it was a stone’s throw away from his Vriesland house.

Disheartened, he shared the opinion that sugar workers are being neglected while the lands are distributed to ‘outsiders.’

He added, “We feel neglected because we supposed to get the first opportunity for the land because all my grandparents and father turn the soil for this estate and we have no benefit to get. Things very rough here.”

Local Content Policy

“We had recommended full transparency” – GCCI President

T

he Local Content Policy (LCP) is out and already concern has been raised about its confidentiality clauses. According to the Head of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), it had previously recommended full transparency when it was consulted by the Energy Department.

This was communicated

by GCCI President Nicholas Boyer, in a brief interview with this newspaper. When asked, he underscored the importance of full transparency and the fact that this was one of the recommendations they had made.

“In our deliberations on what we would like to see in the policy, we had said we would like to see as much transparency as possible.

That was our position. We would like to see as much transparency as possible and we would like to recommend

disclosing that information,” Boyer said.

However, Boyer also noted that he is currently reviewing the policy and doing a comparative analysis to see what was left out from GCCI’s recommendations. He, therefore, committed to the Chamber coming out with a more detailed response next week.

Page 33 of the Local Content Policy specifies that the subject Minister will inform the public whether or not an operator has submitted its yearly plans. A Local Content Oversight Committee will be allowed to privately view these plans, in keeping with its functions.

There is no mention of the operator’s entire local content plan being released to the general public. Rather, the Minister is only mandated to disclose excerpts pulled from the operator’s half-year and end-of-year reports.

“In all other cases, information submitted to the Minister in operator Local Content plans and appendices and half year and end of year local content reports shall remain confidential to the operator and Ministry.”

Features

Another feature of the policy is one which mandates the operator to provide to the Department a list of contracts it is expected to tender over the forthcoming half year, as well as the dates when they will invite expressions of interest.

As part of its reporting, operators will also have to provide figures of how much money they spent in Guyana’s economy from expenditure on services as well as goods. Another feature of the policy is that the operator has to describe its plans for supporting the development of local suppliers.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“We had recommended full...

“In association with each project and related work, activities described in the operator’s yearly local content plan, the operator shall describe in its plan, programmes of support and development to Guyanese suppliers for the forthcoming year and for 2 to 5 years out that involve the operator and its primary contractors and shall include milestones and anticipated outcomes.”

According to the policy, some of the areas operators

shall consider include supporting Guyanese in accessing the procurement process and international partnerships, developing skills, quality standards and certification, as well as “access to finance to develop capacity for Guyanese suppliers.”

During his press conference earlier in the week, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had warned that with the policy, the appropriate legislation to support it was necessary. He noted that it

was, in fact, a rushed job.

“As it stands now, the deal will not work now in favour of our people and that has to be fixed...There is no big issue about Local Content Policy.

We have to have a legislation.

The legislation is what matters, not the policy. The policy, people can ignore that because it has no effect of law…

You have to simplify it.”

“What is it we’re looking for from these oil companies to do? First of all, to make sure that they spend more in

FROM PAGE 7

Guyana using Guyanese labour and using Guyanese business. More business has to flow to our people. That’s the purpose of a Local Content Policy...It’s a simple thing.”

Jagdeo noted the importance of ensuring that where locals have the capacity, they must be given the full opportunity to be employed.

According to Jagdeo, at the end of the day, foreigners must not be brought in to do things Guyanese have comparable skills for.

Promise them…

I

…anything and everything t’s clear caretaker Granger and his band of miserable myrmidons are followers of the PT Barnum School of Human Psychology: “there’s a sucker born every minute”. They figure most of them are in Guyana!! Flanked

by Trotman, Ramjattan, Harmon, and Hastings, Granger unveiled the PNC’s manifesto. Which he insisted wasn’t a “manifesto” but a “contract”.

Does he really believe by plastering a new moniker to the unmet and unkept promises from his 2015 manifesto, plus some new ones to take in the oil money he’s salivating over, the voters will forget since 2015 that his promises on paper can’t even be counted to act as toilet paper. Too slick— the promises and the paper!! The three lawyers at his side (the post-election firm of “Trotman, Harmon and Ramjattan”?) should’ve informed Granger that a contract is also a set of promises!!

While the Guyanese press corps isn’t noted for any inquisitorial leanings, they did ask him about a couple of those abandoned 2015 promises, which convinced quite a lot of folks to give them a chance in 2015— like constitutional change. Now, this was the linchpin of their 2015 spiel – most voters had figured that the political system was broken and the Constitution was the place to start the fixin’. Since it’s the Constitution that spells out how power’s distributed in the Government and State – with said power being what the political fight was all about – that kinda made sense, didn’t it??

So there it was in their 2015 manifesto – spelt out in excruciating detail – exactly what they meant by the promised “constitutional change”. The biggie was a massive reduction in the powers of the President – who still strode over the state like a colossus! – and transferring them to the Prime Minister. Like giving him a say in selecting Ministers, chairing Cabinet meetings and being in charge of “domestic affairs”. Never happened!!

A Steering Committee for taking further suggestions for the changes was set up, did its work, submitted their recommendations – then passed on to the PM, who’d accepted his neutering. That was akin to being dropped into a black hole, from which we know, nothing ever emerges!! But even as the Committee was holding hearings, Granger signalled that it was spinning wheels.

Said that constitutional change cannot emanate in “rooms behind locked doors”!!

He insisted that “wider hearings” would have to be held – and this is what’s promised in the new “contract”.

Presumably gonna be in open fields!! …land With his urbanised background, it’s clear that when Granger in his “contract” promised the 7000 sugar workers he fired, “land”, that in the sugar belt, to get “LAND” is to be screwed royally!! But then again, it could be a Freudian slip – since he insists that he spent time in Whim with Nagamootoo, where, if the latter is to be believed, the fisher folks regularly got LAND!!

Granger must think that sugar workers aren’t just born suckers, but their heads get from fetching all those tons of cane!! Here it is, he fired those workers since the end of 2016 and knew they haven’t been able to find alternative employment, and only now he thinks of leasing them some land to farm?? How come during that time he secured $2.6 billion to help folks in certain communities to get into agriculture?? Including clearing lands, obtaining machinery suggesting crops, finding markets and such like??

Like GAWU said, who does Granger think he’s fooling??

Even they recognised an election ploy when they saw it!! …more lies Once again, Ramjattan’s shown there’s no limit to how low he’ll sink to get a shot at Nagamootoo’s outriders. He claims constitutional change was side-lined because the Government had to deal with sugar!!

Just to order its closure??

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

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Corentyne accident

Teen dies, sister, 1 other hospitalised

Dead: 16-year-old Alyia Mohabir

T

he 16-year-old girl, who was stuck down on the Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), on Friday, succumbed to her injuries.

Dead is Alyia Mohabir of Number 46 Village, Corentyne.

Her sister, 14-yearold Aneela Mohabir, and nine-yearold Rashanie Mohan of Lot 96 Bush Lot Village, who were also struck down, are both hospitalised at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

The 16-year-old died on Saturday morning.

The three girls were struck by a car, PXX 5165, driven by a 31-year-old resident of Number 72 Village, Corentyne.

Reports are Mohan was attempting to cross the Corentyne Highway at Bush Lot Village when she

Injured: 9-year-old Rashanie Mohan

Injured: 14-year-old Aneela Mohabir

The car that struck the girls

saw a vehicle approaching.

Eyewitnesses said the vehicle which was being driven by a doctor attached to Skeldon Hospital, swerved and hit the Mohabir sisters instead. The sisters were both thrown into the air with Alyia landing on the

bonnet before falling onto the ground while Aneela hit a cyclist, cushioning the fall.

The cyclist, Ramkaran Lakshman, said that he had just ridden past the sisters when he heard the sound of screeching tires.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

NEWS

Minibus driver, sex worker charged for assaulting cops

M

inibus driver Winston Farrell was last week slapped with charges of assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly behaviour and appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Magistrate Leron Daly read the first charge which stated that on February 11, 2020, at Croal Street, Georgetown, Farrell resisted arrest from Police Constable Daniel Nedd, who was acting in the execution of his duties at the time.

It was further alleged that on February 12, 2020, at the said location, Farrell assaulted the said Police Constable

and proceeded to behave in a disorderly manner.

An unrepresented Farrell denied all three allegations.

According to facts presented, on the day in question, Police Constable Nedd was on patrol when he noticed the defendant and another gambling. As such, he made an attempt to arrest Farrell but he managed to escape.

The court heard that on the following day, Farrell was seen walking along the aforementioned street when Officer Nedd approached him and again attempted to apprehend him; however, this time, the defendant began cuffing and verbally abusing

the officer.

Nevertheless, he was taken into Police custody and placed before the court.

After listening to the facts, Magistrate Daly granted Farrell his pre-trial liberty of bail in the sum of $45,000.

Meanwhile, in another matter, Denzel Benjamin of Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, was released on $15,000 bail after pleading not guilty to an assault charge.

The male sex worker also appeared before Magistrate Daly and denied that on February 11, 2020, at the Alberttown Police Station, he unlawfully assaulted a Police

Constable so as to cause actual bodily harm.

Police prosecutor Christopher Morris told the court that while being in custody at the city station for several offences, Benjamin kicked the Police Constable and tried to run away.

However, the defendant’s attempt proved futile as other officers managed to prevent him from escaping.

Benjamin was in May of 2019 placed before the courts for snatching a woman’s cellular phone.

Both Farrell and Benjamin will return on February 21, 2020.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Commemorating Republic Day I

t is important to remember that next Sunday, February 23, is “Republic Day”, not “Mash”. While Independence was given to us by Britain, Republic Day was chosen by us as the day that we cut all formal ties with the British Crown.

We were on our own – supposed to be captains of our fate and masters of our destiny and all that. “Republic” comes directly from the Latin “res publica” – the public thing. We the public, the people, were now responsible for governing ourselves and conducting our affairs in such a manner, to achieve the goals that we ourselves would set for our country. The day itself – February 23 - was selected to help remind us as to what Republic Day was all about.

February 23 was supposed to be the date of Cuffy’s great effort to overthrow Dutch rule over Berbice Ravi Dev and remove the shackles of slavery back in 1763. It was a landmark event in the entire Western hemisphere.

“Mashramani”, on the other hand, began an event in Linden to commemorate Republic Day. This is perfectly in order and commendable – any group of citizens have the right to commemorate Republic Day based on how they feel it’s appropriate. However, several problems arose when the then PNC Government promptly decided to adopt Mashramani and make it the official way to celebrate Republic Day. Firstly, by also mandating that all Government entities (at a time when the Government controlled eighty per cent of the economy) including schools and Ministries had to get involved in the Mash, the Government sent the message that Mash was the “Guyanese” way to commemorate Republic Day. To commemorate Republic any other way was in some way to be outside the pale…literally marching to a different drummer.

Now, Guyana is a land of several cultures and each may have different perspectives on how to commemorate or celebrate events. When the Government selects a particular cultural expression as the official expression it explicitly privileges that expression to the exclusion of others. This is an unacceptable policy in a multicultural state. In its excursions in the cultural realm, the Government has to be balanced in its promotion of values and activities. Mashramani and its Carnival antecedents in the Caribbean come out of the cultural encounter between Europe and Africa during and after slavery – as an aspect of Creole culture.

Its particular expressions of unrestrained exuberance, ebullience, gaiety and exhibitionism come out of a specific historical experience – most literally brought out by the Barbadian label for its version – Crop Over. The African slaves were allowed to let off steam after the furious intensity and rigour of the grinding season on the plantations to forget for a while their degradation that they would be forced to return to with the start of a new crop. This was the old “bread and circus” routine perfected by the Romans so many centuries ago – but here there wasn’t even any bread. Today, there is more than a sneaking suspicion that the PNC is pumping so much money into Mash 2020 as a campaign rally, writ large.

The second problem is implicit in the first. By making Mashramani the official celebration of Republic Day, the Government was telling the population that the values demanded by Republican status were going to be reinforced or inculcated by the Mashramani activities. And this is where I part company with the promoters of Mashramani as the Republic day commemoration activities. I would like anyone to tell me how blackballing in the streets of Georgetown will help us to be self-sufficient or protective of our country or securing good government or any other Republican goal.

Again I restate my point – private individuals can backball to their waist’s content but a Government has to promote activities consonant with what they seek to promote –in this instance Republicanism.

And it’s not as if we’ve had hundreds of years of imbibing and practising Republican values like America so that we can afford to “throwback”.

One would have thought that at a minimum, with the new dynamics of oil introducing the old dynamics of colonialism in another guise, on Republic Day 2020 – our 50th – we should reflect on why Cuffy’s rebellion of 1763 failed.

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Coronavirus outbreak Guyana’s laws allow for detention, quarantine of persons that pose threat – DCMO

A

ny person returning from China or persons entering the country, who are suffering from flu-like symptoms, will have to be detained until it is determined that they have not contracted the novel coronavirus (nCoV) illness.

This is according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle during a radio programme on Saturday.

“Should anybody come in who is actually symptomatic they will have to be detained.

We have been in discussion with the Attorney General’s office and looking at our quarantine laws that give us that authority. A port health officer can call an immigration officer or the police to detain someone and put them in an ambulance and take them to [a] health facility where they can be held until they are no longer a threat.”

Dr Gordon-Boyle pointed out that Guyana’s Immigration laws can also take effect in such cases where

visitors to the country may not be allowed entry.

“The laws we have, our immigration laws, also provide for us to turn anybody back who we suspect may be a threat. So, there are laws that cover us if we have to take these draconian measures.

So far we haven’t had to, so far persons coming have been a-symptomatic so we are allowing the home isolation.”

She emphasised that to date, there is no known case of coronavirus in Guyana, and that preventative actions have been intensified at the ports of entry to avoid the introduction of coronavirus into the country.

Previously, students returning from China who were symptomatic were allowed to go to their homes but remain in isolation to protect their families and loved ones. There was the understanding that they would have to register at the nearest health centre/facility to their residences and be subjected to make daily visits for a two-week period.

Testing was done during each visit to ensure that no student who returned to Guyana had the disease which would usually manifest within a 14-day period.

However, with the recent announcement by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the coronavirus has now become a public health emergency of international concern, local health authorities have “upped the ante.”

She further stated that should an actual coronavirus case be discovered in Guyana, health workers will need more than simple gear and equipment to protect themselves, while executing their duties.

In this regard, the relevant authorities have already put measures in place, she added.

The DCMO added that earlier this month there were almost 10 students that were being monitored upon their return from China but some of them have been cleared since the two-week manifestation period elapsed.

According to the WHO,

Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Karen GordonBoyle coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as middle east respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome.

A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and in extreme cases, death.

Stop the pollution, be the solution

O

nce upon a time, I was a clean, beautiful body of water. Surreal, fresh, full of life, cool and home to children with scales, skin, feathers, and shells.

Many people enjoyed my water, at the banks they bathed, washed and even took from me. For their pleasures, I ran through the savannah, around trees, and turns that kept you on your feet. They used me for travel, for swimming, and even took some of my children for food. The satisfied look on their face after having a taste of my deliciousness told me I had done my job well.

However, now I am sad, people stop coming to me because you did not keep me clean! You kept throwing things in me, you treated me like nobody.

My water got dirty; no one took care of me. I continued to shout for help, I am crucial to life, yet you just add trash to me. Plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic cups, plastic straws are just a few of what you put inside of me. No one wants to drink from me; I carry bacteria and many diseases.

All this plastic is having a deadly effect on all my children, thousands of sea birds and sea turtles are killed after ingesting the plastic you have thrown into me, they get tangled and are forced to hurt themselves. I have grown old and tired of all this plastic pollution, now I’m depressed I need someone to come rescue me. It is time we stop this crisis, it is time to get a lid on this plastic pollution.

We are surrounded by plastics, the single-use packing discarded by consumers, micro plastics are shed from clothes when they are washed. Plastic production by industry is increasing; this means more toxins being added to my waters and plastic for me to worry about.

You can help; support the ban on single-use plastic items, stop buying a bottle of water every day, get a reusable bottle and fill it up. Reuse and recycle your waste where possible, buy your groceries in bulk, and don’t forget to walk with your reusable bag too. Help keep me clean and preserve the life growing in me.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube or join a consultation in your area to learn more about the impending single-use plastic products and how you can be prepared.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail. com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Jude Bentley’s daughter tells of pain of losing both parents on same road 13 years apart

“I

t feels unreal,” said 18-year-old Jada Bentley as she reflected on the gruesome deaths of both of her parents.

Her mother, Melissa Yenkana, was struck down while walking and killed by an alleged speeding car on June 9, 2007, on the Rupert Craig Highway, in the vicinity of the Russian Embassy turn.

Thirteen years later, her father, Jude Bentley, suffered the same fate.

“It’s still really hard to come to terms with,” the young lady said during an interview with Guyana Times.

“It’s like why? Why? Why? And how? How can something like this happen, to lose both of them and at the same spot, it is hard to come to terms with and accept,” she explained.

Jude Bentley, a national cyclist, was killed by an alleged speeding car driven by retired Rear Admiral, Gary Best - an executive member of the People’s National Congress, the dominant party currently in Government.

Seeking justice, the younger Bentley indicated, will be a long battle.

In fact, she already has to live with the fact that the driver of the vehicle that killed her mother was never convicted.

And now, she reflected on the fact that the alleged perpetrator in her father’s death already tried to clear his name, with an untruth.

“I saw that Mr Best was claiming that my dad was not wearing any reflector lights. I felt really angry.

Jada Bentley’s mother, Melissa Yenkana, who died in the same area as Jude Bentley

Like it was really disrespectful to my dad,” the young lady expressed.

“He obviously he has a bike shop, he has everything he needs for his bikes, his bicycles and everybody saw the reflectors and he [Mr Best] claimed my dad was not wearing any reflector and he didn’t see him.”

Best was placed on $100,000 station bail while the investigation continues.

It has been more than a week since the cyclist met his demise, but Best is yet to face the court of law despite the fact that after the incident, he was found to be above the legal alcohol limit.

Jada is pleading for justice.

“No amount of money would ever be enough because my dad can never come back,” she said, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I want my mom”

Losing her mother at age five was heartbreaking.

But according to the teenager, she’s at a point in her

life where she misses her mom now more than ever.

“Recently, I have been having a hard time because I am at the age where I want my mom, I need my mom to talk to. I have my grandmother but it is not the same as your mother. I still haven’t gotten over that and to process both of them is really hard like Why? Why? Why? And How? How can something like this happen to lose both of them and almost exactly the same spot is hard to come to terms with and accept,” the teen said as her tears flowed.

Her father, despite his busy life, always made time for her, the young lady said.

Now with his death, Jada feels like her entire world is falling apart.

She described her father as cheerful, helpful, and a man of good wisdom.

“He was strict but he was crazy and fun at the same

Daughter of the late Jude Bentley, Jada Bentley

time. Everybody loved him because he was such a good person. He would always help who he could help whenever somebody needed something…if he had the money, he would give it to them, he would help the younger children with bicycle and stuff.”

Reflecting on her late fa-

ther’s words of wisdom, Jada said she remembered that her father would normally tell her, “don’t let anybody take advantage of [you] or any other [of your] siblings.

Don’t go in for nonsense.

After all of this happened I just realised that I need to enjoy life and just love the people who I have right now.”

Getting over the death of one parent is already a challenge, and according to Jada, something one can never recover from.

But losing both parents, in the same way, at the same place, years apart, is something that will scar her for the rest of her life.

But according to Jada, with the right people around her, it will pain a little less as the years roll by.

“I know that when you lose your parents it might seem that you have no purpose or it doesn’t make sense

Dead: Jude Bentley

anymore,” she explained.

However, the teen noted that she will just focus on the important things and people in life, and never take for granted the family and friends she holds close to her heart.

Jude Bentley will be laid to rest today. (Shemar Alleyne)

Bandits in helmets rob ECD supermarket

T

wo bandits donning motorcycle helmets stormed into the Monica Supermarket located at the Nonpareil village, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Thursday night, where they robbed the proprietress and her mother of an undisclosed amount of cash and phone cards.

The duo had arrived on a motorcycle, which they parked close to the entrance of the supermarket.

Reports are that at about 18:55h, the 22-year-old supermarket owner was operating at the cash register when the two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, entered the building. The man took it out but kept it to his side, while his accomplice, who had a haversack, opened it and stood as they waited for a female customer— who had her young child— to make her purchase and eventually leave the supermarket. As soon as the woman left, the

One of the bandits emptying the cash register at the The armed bandit brandishing his gun near his Monica Supermarket, Nonpareil, ECD during the helmet while giving orders to his accomplice robbery and persons inside of the supermarket

bandits pounced on the owner.

The robbery, which was captured on Close Circuit Television (CCTV) inside the building, showed that the gunman held his weapon in plain view while his accomplice walked over to the cash register and demanded the day’s sales.

The proprietress immediately complied and opened the cash register and the bandit emptied the money into his haversack. In the process of stealing the cash, the suspect also snatched a number of cellular phone cards.

Meanwhile, the 42-yearold mother of the proprietress, who was in another section of the supermarket, was warned by the armed bandit not to move from her location or raise an alarm.

After being satisfied with their loot, the two men quickly walked out of the super-

market and jumped on their motorcycle to make good their escape.

A report was made to the Vigilance Police Station.

Police Commander of Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) Subdivision C (East Coast Demerara), Assistant Police Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor, when contacted on Saturday, said that an investigation has been launched.

He noted that his ranks are currently reviewing the CCTV footage to aid them in the arrest of the two suspects.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teen robbed at knifepoint

A Manifesto season part 2: What are some of the parties’ proposals on economic development? he People’s Republic Party (PRP) outlined a menu of initiatives it proposed to advance under their economic development agenda in its manifesto which includes the following substantive items: * Support and preserve canning and preserving of farm produce, and export to Caricom and other South American markets * Proposes to review the sugar industry and act in the best interest of the workers * Review of Bauxite situation * Provide incentives to private sector * Establish an agriculture development bank * Proposes to set up a study committee to examine monetary and fiscal policy to make recommendations for the strengthening of the domestic currency, against the backdrop of the Guyana dollar is the lowest currency in the Caribbean against the US dollar.

Other proposals include telecommunications, tourism, publicprivate partnership and forest sustainability.

These are some of the major points under economic development in the party’s manifesto out of a total of 23 listed bullets. The others are not highlighted because they are not substantial per se, though they are perhaps good small initiatives.

Now, let’s examine some of the proposed development initiatives highlighted. Firstly, the ideas contained therein are not bad – they are actually good in spirit, but the practicality in terms of application for Guyana is another matter altogether and is of paramount importance.

Support and preserve canning and preserving of farm produce, export to Caricom and other South American markets, and exportation of food products: in order to achieve this, it would be helpful to examine what are the challenges that are inhibiting this in the current framework. For example, it is a given that Guyana has vast agricultural lands, arable lands and water, in theory, enough land to grow enough food to feed the entire Caribbean – yet, this has not been optimally achieved. It is estimated that Caricom’s food import bill will reach close to some US$8 billion in 2020. This hefty import bill is more than twice Guyana’s GDP. Therefore, it is not a question whether the market exists or not and its sustainability. One ought to understand that while we have many farmers, farmers need to be taught business skills. Gaining access to export markets requires developing highvalue agribusiness which will require substantial new business investment and the ability to establish links with international markets. Government will need to play an enabling role rather than one of direct management. In so doing, this will require policies that will encourage private investment that brings technology and market linkage. The issue of packaging, branding, and energy cost are important factors that ought to be addressed as well.

Establish an agriculture development bank: in the past, Guyana experimented with development banks which unfortunately failed.

The reason for the failures of these institutions largely surrounded the politicisation of the institutions and bad management. This is not to say, however, that a development bank is not needed. In fact, the case for a development bank was dealt with in previous writings by this author under this column. With the wisdom of hindsight, the model of any future development bank in Guyana would have to be different in that, the governance structure is fully anonymous by way of legislation, and that the Board of Directors and Managers ought to be strictly professionals, otherwise, the risk of repeating past failures might be inevitable.

Proposal to set up a study committee to examine monetary and fiscal policy to make recommendations for the strengthening of the domestic currency, against the backdrop of the Guyana dollar is the lowest currency in the Caribbean against the US dollar: this proposal is one that clearly does not reflect a deep understanding and appreciation of the determinants of exchange rates, and it also implies that the development initiatives proposed in the manifesto, in their utmost entirety are inherently weak and shallow.

To explain this in a simple manner, exchange rates are determined by the demand and supply for foreign exchange (FX), which is predominately the US dollar that is being used globally as the reserve currency of many countries and the global trade currency. Therefore, one ought to understand what are the main inflows of FX and outflows – that is, inflows are from exports, external debt, remittances, tourism activities and Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs); outflows constitute, imports, servicing external debt, capital outflows by firms and individuals. An important component in this equation is the level of foreign reserves held in the banking system and the central bank which would be derived from the net asset position of these transactions and while noting that the international reserves are accumulated over time. Hence, without getting into all the mechanics of this, which were also dealt with more extensively in previous writings, the long-term solution is embedded in how we earn a much larger level of foreign reserve and the simple answer is, Guyana needs to be transformed from a primary sector economy to a tertiary sector economy. Energy cost is a huge factor, the requisite skills, technology and innovation are also lacking. Having said that, a special committee to fix the exchange rate is not needed. A solid economic development plan will.

T

(The author is an experienced macro-finance and research analyst, Lecturer and Business & Finance Consultant. The views expressed are exclusively his own and do not necessarily represent those of this newspaper and the institutions he represents. For comments, send to jbbankingadvice@gmail.com).

19-year-old was on Friday evening robbed at Plantain Walk, West Bank Demerara (WBD), after leaving her aunt’s house in the said vicinity to go home.

Based on the information provided, the incident occurred at about 19:20h. Jaleela Majeed told Guyana Times that she left her aunt’s house a few minutes prior to the incident and was waiting for a minibus to go home.

However, she was approached by a young man riding a bicycle, who held a knife as he demanded she hand over her bags. At the time, she was carrying a brown purse and a white tote bag.

“I saw he was riding around on the other side of the street so I thought he live around

Plantain Walk: The area where the robbery occurred

here or something cause only one side of the road have streetlights. So, I was looking in the direction where the bus was coming from and then he came up from the back. He had a knife and he point it towards me and say ‘give me the bag before I stab you’ and with that, I was scared for my life,” she recalled.

Intimidated by the threats, Majeed said she handed over the bags - one containing $15,500, headphones, an iPhone and smaller articles while the other contained books, a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt.

The suspect then made good his escape by riding in the direction of Vreed-en-Hoop.

The victim said the bandit

was on a blue bicycle.

“I just hand him everything and pray that he leave me alone cause he could’ve done anything…When he ride off, he cross over the road and went into the light…I see it [the bicycle] was blue and he had one of the bag on his shoulder and the handbag, the brown one, on the bike handle,” she stated.

In recent time, a string of petty robberies have occurred in the area, and some victims were left seriously injured.

Last week, a 12-year-old suffered a fractured skull and other injuries after he was pounced on and robbed of his belongings in Coghlan Dam; located just a few minutes away from Friday evening’s robbery.

20 NEWS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

After sabotaging specialty hospital project

APNU/AFC now promises specialty hospitals in manifesto

I

n only one sentence— so small it is easy to miss— in the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) manifesto, the coalition party promises to construct a specialty hospital, despite sab-

It also pledged to provide modern equipment and technology and employ skilled personnel to attend to patients in hospitals countrywide.

However, the former PPP/C had started a US$18

candidate for APNU/AFC – opposed the bid.

While in Opposition, both the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), before they coalesced, had opposed the US$18 mil-

result of the oil boom when production commences early next year.

“With the oil coming in and with Guyana’s economy going to develop far better than anyone can imagine,

a specialty hospital is required… There will be good demand for such services, and not just for Guyanese,” Mahalingam posited prophetically.

The PPP itself has long

said that should they be elected; they will establish the specialty hospital and it is clear the APNU/AFC is somersaulting on another PPP project it had rejected.

AHI scraps plan for constructing casino at Marriott

A

An artist’s impression of the specialty hospital which was conceptualised under the PPP/C Govt

otaging previous efforts to build one in Guyana.

While the Opposition – People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) – has already announced that once it retakes the reign of Government, it will revive the project, the APNU/ AFC, in its 32-page manifesto which was released on Friday, now promises it will construct and operationalise specialty hospitals.

Another health-related promise is the establishment of “smart hospitals and healthcare”, which the coalition party noted would increase and improve access to healthcare, particularly for people in remote areas.

million Specialty Hospital Project that would have provided advanced medical treatment for Guyanese, eliminating the need to travel overseas for expensive, life-saving treatments.

It was being funded by the India Export-Import (EXIM) Bank via a US$18 million line of credit (LoC).

Back in 2012, the contract to construct the hospital was awarded to an Indiabased company, Surendra Engineering Corporation Limited. At the time, a competing Indian company, Fedders Lloyd Corporation, represented by then AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan – now the prime ministerial

lion project.

Disappointment

Former Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam had expressed disappointment in the scrapping of the project.

In an interview with Guyana Times, the Indian High Commissioner, who had recently ended his fiveyear tour in Guyana, expressed his disappointment that the project never took off. However, he noted that such a facility is much needed in Guyana, especially with the upcoming economic development the country is about to experience as a

Man escapes from Police after dropping gun, ammo

A

man is now on the run after he dropped a gun along with matching ammunition and escaped from Police.

According to Police, ranks were on patrol duty on Alexander Street, Georgetown, when they observed that the man was acting suspiciously as he walked with a bulky parcel. Realising that the police were closing in on him, the man dropped the parcel and ran through an unlit yard.

Police revealed that the parcel was retrieved and contained an unlicensed pistol with two rounds of live ammunition. The area was combed but the suspect was not located, Police said.

Just recently, a resident of Victoria, East Coast

The gun and ammunition

Demerara (ECD), was detained by the police after he too was nabbed with an unlicensed gun and matching ammunition.

Police ranks while on patrol between North Road and Robb Street, Bourda, Georgetown, observed the suspect acting in a suspicious manner in close vicin-

ity of a fast-food restaurant in the area.

The man was approached and a search was carried out on his person. A .32 Taurus pistol and a magazine containing two .32 rounds of ammunition were found in a bag that was over his shoulder.

Teen dies, sister...

“She go up in the air about six feet and she come and land on me and throw me off my bicycle.

Both me and she fall down and when she raise up I see blood coming through her nose. The other girl, she land on the road and didn’t move,” Lakshman said.

He further explained that he did not receive any serious injuries. Both

girls were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

However, because of the extent of her injuries, Aliya was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. She suffered a broken hip and received several injuries to her liver and abdomen. She succumbed to her injuries at 03:00h on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, Aneela suf-

FROM PAGE 10

fered a fractured right leg. Mohan suffered injuries to her dead. Her condition is listed as stable.

Meanwhile, Police said that the driver passed a breathalyser test. He too is said to be hospitalised but under Police guard. He was taken to the hospital after complaining of feeling unwell. Police are continuing their investigations.

tlantic Hotels Incorporated (AHI), the Governmentowned company managing Guyana’s Marriott hotel, has reportedly scrapped its previous plans to construct a casino at the hotel, despite the previous rationale that this would make the hotel financially viable.

This was confirmed by this publication in a brief interview with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Colvin Heath-London.

“The entity has changed its focus (and) business strategy to providing more rooms and meeting spaces,” Heath-London said in response to questions on the issue. “The demands for rooms are very high”.

While he said that there is some private sector interest in purchasing the hotel, Heath-London noted that there is no sale on the table.

Asked about the financial health of the hotel, he noted that it is doing well.

Atlantic Hotels Inc had previously faced several setbacks regarding the entertainment complex and casino. In 2017, an advertisement by the company stated that it was “interested to receive EoIs (Expressions of Interest) from either persons or companies, either individually or as part of a joint venture/ consortium”.

AHI had said preference would be given to submissions by applicants who are established in the gaming and entertainment industry. The tender itself was eventually scrapped under dubious circumstances involving a rival casino and a Government minister.

Director-General of the

The Marriott Hotel

Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon had indicated last year that consideration is being made for other potential projects at the hotel which can be undertaken. While a final decision is yet to be made, he is awaiting a statement.

“When the hotel was first conceived and built, it was built with that possibility in mind. The entertainment complex, which the casino was a part of, was that possibility. My understanding is that the hotel itself and Marriott International are having a fresh look to see if that is the best use that can be put to that space,” Harmon had told the media.

It was only days ago that NICIL sold over two acres of prime lands that were owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) have been sold for less than $70 million to a Trinidadbased company that will be constructing a new AC Marriott Hotel in Guyana.

Since the announcement of the US$75 million deal, there have been many questions raised about the project, details of which were unknown. However, at the sod-turning ceremony for the construction of the hotel at Plantation Ogle

(past the Eugene F Correia International Airport), East Coast Demerara, on Thursday, officials sought to defend the project but were not able to offer clarity on pertinent aspects of the deal.

Privatisation Specialist at NICIL, Racheal Henry, told reporters that the GuySuCo lands were vested to NICIL in 2017. Some 2.61 acres were sold to Triniyuana Investment Inc last year at the cost of $26 million per acre. According to Henry, the land was valued by Government evaluators.

The use of the GuySuCo lands for this infrastructure project comes on the heels of the incumbent APNU/AFC Administration promising displaced sugar workers leased lands for agricultural use since most were unable to find employment.

According to the Trinidadian businessman, discussions for the project with NICIL started in March 2019. However, he noted that the local company, Triniyuana Investment Inc, was not incorporated until July 2019, after they were guaranteed the realisation of the project.

Woman hospitalised after being shot to the buttocks

A

clothes vendor has been hospitalised after she was shot to her buttocks on Saturday at Puruni Landing, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Injured is 38-year-old Ayesha George, a vendor of Lot 115 Lindy Avenue, Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara. The incident occurred sometime around 13:30h.

According to Police re-

ports, the victim and the suspect are known to each other as they both work on Puruni Landing.

George told investigators that at the time mentioned, she had left her clothes stand in the care of a friend and was heading to a nearby shop to make a purchase when she heard a loud explosion. The woman added that immediately after, she felt a burning sensation to her left side butt cheek.

The injured woman was rushed to the Bartica Public Hospital, where she was seen and examined by a doctor on duty. George was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she is said to be in a stable condition.

The suspect, a boat captain of Victory Valley, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), is being sought by the police.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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21

Johnson, Barnwell slam centuries to give Jaguars lead L

eon ‘Captain Marvel’ Johnson and senior all-rounder Christopher Barnwell have proverbially ‘delivered the goods’ this season, each scoring centuries on day three of the Jaguars’ fifth round clash against the Windward Islands Volcanoes in the Regional 4-Day Championship tournament being played at St George’s, Grenada.

Jaguars ended their first innings on 426 all out, having established a lead of 108 runs over t h e

Hetmyer, who made 32, then added 170 runs with fellow city boy Christopher Barnwell.

Barnwell, a positivist in batting, made 107 from 117 balls, including 11 fours and four sixes.

Johnson also added 82 runs with Anthony Bramble, with Bramble contributing 47; and 40 runs with Nial Smith, who contributed 11.

Leon Johnson

Volcanoes’ first innings score of 318 all out.

Johnson’s welcome return to form has even seen him running out of partners as he produced an unbeaten 189, his career’s b e s t f a r , o f f

t h u s and it came 357 balls and was laced with 20 fours.

Johnson put together a 74-run partnership with Shimron Chris Barnwell

Bowling for Volcanoes, Preston McSween bagged 5-102 in 27 overs, while Bhaskar Yadram had 2-23.

At stumps, Volcanoes were 46-1 after 16 overs, with a deficit of 62 runs. Raymon Reifer bagged the lone Volcanoes wicket when he removed Roland Cato for two.

Devon Smith is unbeaten on 16 while Kaveem Hodge is on 17.

SCOREBOARD Jaguars 1st Innings Tagenarine Chanderpaul c Stewart b Jordan 11 Chanderpaul Hemraj c Cottoy b McSween 0 Leon Johnson not out 189 Shimron Hetmyer c Cato b McSwen 32 Christopher Barnwell lbw b Hodge 107 Raymon Reifer c Yadram b Shillingford 13 Anthony Bramble c Stewart b McSween 47 Veerasammy Permaul lbw b McSween 1 Devendra Bishoo c Stewart b McSween 2 Nial Smith c Fletcher b Yadram 11 Keon Joseph b Yadram 0 Total (10wickets,118.5,13,extras) 426 1/1 (4.3) Chanderpaul Hemraj 25/2 (13.5) Tagenarine Chanderpaul 99/3 (29.3) Shimron Hetmyer 269/4 (67.3) Christopher Barnwell 294/5 (78.5)

Raymon Reifer 376/6 (100.3) 382/7 (102.1) Veerasammy Permaul 386/8 (104.1) Devendra Bishoo 426/9 (118.4) Nial Smith 426/10 (118.5) Keon Joseph Bowling Preston McSween Sherman Lewis Ray Jordan Bhaskar Yadram Shane Shillingford Kaveem Hodge Keron Cottoy

(27-5-102-5) (17-4-49-0) (14-2-66-1) (5.5-1-23-2) (32-3-100-1) (17-1-60-1) (6-1-17-0)

Volcanoes 2nd Innings Devon Smith not out 16 Roland Cato lbw b Reifer 2 Kaveem Hodge not out 17 Total (1 wickets, 16) (11 extras) 46 Partnership 10/1 (5.4) Roland Cato Bowling Keon Joseph Nial Smith Raymon Reifer Veerasammy Permaul Devendra Bishoo

(3-1-6-0) (3-1-5-0) (4.1-2-16-1) (4-3-3-0) (2-0-7-0)

Milo U18 Football Tournament

PC, Marian, East R/vldt bag first-day wins T

wenty-four secondary school football teams will be involved in riveting action over the next ten weeks after the Milo Under-18 Football Tournament kicked off yesterday at the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue.

Prior to the commencement of the real football action, an official kickoff ceremony was conducted wherein Co-Director of the Petra Organization, Troy Mendonca, urged the youngsters to make the most of this golden opportunity to ascend on the football food chain.

Representing the sponsor, Shellona David highlighted that the company is always elated to sponsor the tournament, thus being involved in local football development.

The first game of the day and the 2020 tournament was a one-sided affair wherein President’s College enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 victory.

Their opponents, Queenstown Secondary, began ‘hot and sweaty’ challenging the President’s College forwards. However, a few near misses showed PC’s strength that was yet to be manifested through a goal.

It seems as though all President’s College needed was some hydration, as their first goal came minutes after the water break. It was scored off the boots of Montel McCalmont in the 25th minute. Three minutes later, Jeremiah Johnson made it a 2-0 game with a goal of his own.

In the second half, Shalom Chisholm netted a brace in the 41st and 69th minutes to push the score to 4-0, sealing an opening win for PC. The encounter following this match pitted the fairly new St. Joseph’s High against Marian Academy, who have been steadily working to improve their football department. At the end of regulation time, it was the boys from Marian who were rejoicing, following a collective team effort.

Initially, the teams seemed evenly poised, with a

few strong players on each side showcasing their skill, so much so that after the first goal was scored by Roland Hamilton in the 17th, no other player came close to the nets, and the score was 1-0 by the half.

In the second half of play, Chad Henry added his name to the score sheet after finding the back of the net in the 46th.

Marian’s celebrations were short-lived because St. Joseph’s consolation goal came off the boots of Khalil Gittens in the 48th.

Looking as though they were about to spur a fight back St. Joseph’s upped the tempo but it only made way for more misThe scorers from East Ruimveldt Secondary takes on their part.

Ricardo Percival capitalized and extended the score for Marian with a goal in the 50th. Marian won 3-1.

There were shots firing from both sides in the third game of the day, wherein St. Stanislaus College and East Ruimveldt Secondary locked horns.

East Ruimveldt controlled the encounter in the first half, with the majority of their goals coming in this segment. Cleon Wray began the scoring proceedings early Beepats’ Shellona David takes the official kickoff in the presence of Petra’s Troy Mendonca and Jackie Boodie with a goal in the 4th, and the next came in the 17th, from Keion Marques. Donavon Jodel Fernandes (49) and Shawn Robertson (54) Pyle netted the first of his two in the 21st, and Jermaine Harris joined the party in the 24th with a each had one to save face for Saints in the encounter, which ended in East Ruimveldt’s favour 6-3. goal of his own.

Action in the eighth edition of this Milo tourDevonte Cummings later found the back of the nament will continue today at the same vennet in the 31st for a 5-0 score by the half.

When play resumed in the second, Donavon Pyle ue, when the Bishops’ High School will take on complete his brace in the 42nd. However, a minute Cummings Lodge in the first game at 12:00hrs; followed by defending champions Christianburglater Isaiah Jackson netted Saints’ first goal.

Although they have not been the best team Wismar Secondary coming up against Golden around, St. Stanislaus has shown vast improvement Grove at 13:45hrs, and 2019 runners-up Lodge and gave a glimpse of their steady progress in the Secondary doing battle with Ann’s Grove at 15:00hrs. (Jemima Holmes) latter minutes of the game.

22

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COMOM

Kevlon Anderson:

By Brandon Corlette

posited.

laying in the International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 World Cup tournament in South Africa has been the fulfilment of a lifelong dream for West Indies batsman Kevlon Anderson.

In an interview with this daily publication done at the local club for which he plays, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Anderson declared it was a pleasure to play in that World Cup tournament rocking the maroon colours of the West Indies.

“I think it is a pleasure playing for the West Indies, (and for the opportunity) I must thank The Almighty.

It was a good effort from the team all-round in the tournament, but it was just not the result we expected. Playing for the West Indies U-19 is a dream come true. I always wanted to play, especially in the World Cup,” Anderson

T h e W e s t I n d i e s U-19 finished in fifth position in that recently concluded World Cup tournament, but the Caribbean b o y s showed great fight.

One reason for that showi n g was the presence of Anderson, who had been the rock of the middle order. This right-hander, who bats at number three, had an aggregate of 162 runs, the second highest by a West Indian, and had also scored a century in the World Cup warm-up matches. He finished the tournament with an average of 40.50 and a high score of 86*.

Sharing his sentiments on

P

Kevlon Anderson, batting during a World Cup match

self to get s e t where I let my game take over”, Anderson explained.

This class act, who enjoys playing the flick off his legs, has shown his skill with the ball at the Regional level. His most memorable moment came at the Regional U-19 tournament, when he successfully defended three runs in the final over against Trinidad and Tobago.

Fittingly, Anderson has

Kevlon Anderson and Sports Journalist Brandon Corlette

playing in unfamiliar territory in South Africa, Anderson had this to say: “The conditions weren’t really in our favour, in contrast to the Caribbean; but we adjusted quickly”.

Now sponsored by Adidas through the efforts of the Ravi Etwaroo-led Cricket Zone USA, Anderson had this to say: “I would like to say, ‘Thanks!’ to Cricket Zone, and it is now up to me to go out there and deliver the goods”.

Solid in his batsmanship, Anderson disclosed that he is taking things one step at a time, and signalled his intention to play for the Guyana Jaguars 4-Day Team this season.

The classy batsman noted that his role in a team is to bat through the innings, pace the innings to perfection, and provide entertainment at the end.

This 19-year-old, who is fond of West Indies Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite, has rated the century he scored against the Georgetown team in the Cricket Guyana Inc. 50 Overs Franchise League as his best batting performance.

“In that match, we had to chase 290-odd (and) I had an injury to my finger. I was nervous at first and I had a slow start, but then I allowed my-

made his family and friends proud of his efforts. His father Alex Anderson has expressed delight with his son’s progress in cricket.

“Kevlon started to play cricket at age nine. He was desperate for cricket during his primary school days. As soon as he got past Common Entrance, my wife and I allowed him to play. It all started at the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), where he started to develop a lot.

“I decided to put some emphasis in him after he made the West Indies U-19 Team.

I feel 200% proud because he is the first (of my children to have made this achievement). He has other brothers, but he certainly made the family proud”, Alex Anderson disclosed.

This confident father has predicted that his son would reach greater heights in cricket, and would sooner or later play for West Indies at the senior level.

“I am encouraging him to stay focused, and he will make it big”, the senior Anderson added.

Without doubt, Kevlon Anderson is one for the future. With nurturing from Guyana and West Indies mentors, he will break barriers in the world of cricket.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

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23

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

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

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CWI PCL 4-Day Championship tournament…

Anderson has received sponsorship from Adidas through Cricket Zone USA

Pg 22

Johnson, Barnwell slam centuries to give Jaguars lead Pg 21

Kevlon Anderson: Milo U18 Football Tournament

PC, Marian, East R/vldt bag first-day wins

Pg 21 Beepats’ Shellona David takes the official kickoff in the presence of Petra’s Troy Mendonca and Jackie Boodie

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Feature

L

anguages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and planet. Yet, due to globalization processes, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the world's rich tapestry of cultural diversity.

Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.

At least 43 per cent of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.

International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 21, 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural di-

versity and multilingualism.

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.

Linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more languages disappear. Globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. Nevertheless, progress is being made in mother tongue-based multilingual education with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling, and more commitment to its development in public life.

Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999 (30C/62). The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its resolution A/RES/56/262 of 2002.

On 16 May, 2007 the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world". By the same resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism and named the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to serve as the lead agency for the Year.

This initiative not only increased awareness of language issues, but also mobilized partners and resources for supporting the implementation of strategies and policies in favour of language diversity and multilingualism in all parts of the world The International Year of Languages came at a time when linguistic diversity was increasingly threatened.

Language is fundamental to communication of all kinds, and it is communication that makes change and development possible in human society. Using — or not using — certain languages today can open a door, or close it, for large segments of society in many parts of the world.

Today there is growing awareness that languages play a vital role in development, in ensuring cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, but also in strengthening co-operation and attaining quality education for all, in building inclusive knowledge societies and preserving cultural heritage, and in mobilizing political will for applying the benefits of science and technology to sustainable development.

(United Nations)

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Feature

MOULDING THE FUTURE GENERATION…

By Lakhram Bhagirat

O

ur cultural identity is one thing we should all be proud of. It is the very fibre of our being that shapes us to go on and do tremendous things with our lives. The absence of our cultural identity leaves us feeling disconnected and forever wanting, so when we are taught to embrace that culture then we are forever in tune with our identity.

It is this very principle and the fact that the Wapichan people are losing their sense of culture that led to the development of the Quality Bilingual Education Programme for Wapichan Children (QBEP).

The programme is currently being piloted at three

schools in the South Rupununi District, Region Nine (Upper Takutu–Upper Essequibo) – Maruranau, Sawariwau and Karaudarnau Nursery Schools.

The initiative was birthed through a collaborative effort of the Wapichan people, the Education Ministry and Jesuits in Guyana. The main goal of the programme is to provide a higher quality of education for Wapichan children.

Over the years, the Wapichan people have realised that the country’s education system focuses on universality of the processes and that it took the children away from the traditional aspect of their education, which is much more suited for their community life.

In spite of the glaring isolation, the education system has also brought many advantages to the Wapichan communities.

In entering formal education, Wapichan children are cut off from their language which is their mother tongue. In addition to being cut off from what could be considered as the main fibre of their identity, the children are also deprived of their rich cultural experience and traditional knowledge because it is nowhere in the school’s curriculum.

The language of the Indigenous tribe is different from the State’s language – English.

So when children from the communities enter into the government’s education system they are disenfranchised in more ways than one. In some cases, they have to learn English as their second language and all of the educational materials are printed in the State’s language which makes it even more important for the children to give up their mother tongue to conform to this new type of teaching.

With the help of the Jesuits, Wapichan communities identified their priority needs as education and the need to preserve their Wapichan identity. This was a result of low educational attainment in Wapichan communities and the decline of Wapichan language

and culture.

Over the years, the Wapichan community observed that they took a beating when it came to the National Grade Six Assessment resulting in many of their children being robbed of the opportunity to be better prepared adults. The lack of that proper secondary education has led to a number of Wapichan youths leaving behind not only their communities but also their identity as a people.

The youths would usually go in search of employment and end up being exploited in the mining industry or move to neighbouring Brazil where they would take up low-paying jobs as labourers and domestic help so that they can sustain themselves.

In 2015, the Jesuits, after consulting with the Wapichan people about their priority needs, invited an Indian educationalist by the name of Manoj Kitta. Kitta came to Guyana and worked closely with several Wapichan communities to determine whether a bilingual education programme was possible. He focused heavily on the three communities where the programme is currently being piloted.

The key issue found by Kitta was that children were being educated in Englishmedium schools though their first language was not English. It was from these findings, that the idea of teaching children in their native Wapichan language was birthed. The programme is bilingual in the sense that it also introduces English into the classrooms.

In 2016, the proposed education programme was presented by local teachers and community members to the Commission of Inquiry of Education in Aishalton where it was well-received. Initially in 2017, Kitta guided a resource team of 30 artists, teachers and leaders from the three pilot communities. That team would go on to develop the teaching materials that teachers and children now use in the pilot nursery schools.

The programme was officially introduced in September of 2018 following intense discussions among the Education Ministry, the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) and the communities. Additionally, a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to pave the way for the implementation of the programme, which has seen significant improvement in the morale of Wapichan students since its implementation.

The programme is spearheaded by a local team of three: Silverius Perry – Administrative Coordinator, Leah Casimero – Academic Coordinator (Wapichan) and Marva Hawksworth – Early Childhood Consultant.

Perry explained to Sunday Times Magazine that a key aspect of the programme is the inclusion of Wapichan language and culture. He noted that teachers of pilot schools are given the freedom to explain concepts bilingually to their students when necessary.

“If those children who enter nursery school, Wapichan speakers, have problems the teachers can speak to them in Wapichan,” Perry explained. “And those children who speak English, the teachers have to speak to them in English so that they [can] be comfortable in school.”

The programme also uses Wapichan storybooks created by local resource team members. In addition, every Friday children wear their traditional clothing to school as part of building their identity. Another key aspect of the programme is the in-

quiry-based learning approach being used in the pilot schools to attain the Ministry’s national nursery standards.

“Teachers just step back and guide the children so that they can discover for themselves what learning is,” Perry stated. He went on to relate that teachers have told him about the significant changes they have seen in their young charges for the first time in their teaching career.

After the pilot phase ends in July this year, the bilingual education team, along with NCERD/MoE, will evaluate the programme. The results have been promising thus far.

While not an educator himself, Perry related that he has had some positive experiences over the past two years working with teachers, parents, and children.

“There is significant, visible evidence of this programme working for the teachers, for the children, for the parents. We need to prepare children for life, not just passing Grade Six exams or CSEC exams. Education has to work for our children so that we can contribute meaningfully to our community and our country,” he said.

Perry further explained that parents have been heartened by the fact that their children from the pilot schools often return home to share their learning experiences, Wapichan stories, and songs - something that had been non-existent with their older children.

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Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 16, 2020

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Feature

Location: Karowrieng Rock Painting, Chi-chi Gorge, Upper Mazaruni District, Region Seven, Guyana, South America Original Name: Calawillig Name of Rock Painting Mountain: Teramen Founder of Rock Painting: Peter John aka Amadar (Piai Man) Magonaima/Makonaima – our great ancestor who resided with his family around the area of Karowrieng and/or Teramen

By Danella Clement

T

he mysterious rock paintings in the Upper Mazaruni was found by our Akawaio ancestor, Peter John, a Kapong Piai man (Shaman). Who, during his ritual, would usually smoke tobacco to put himself in a trance. It was during one of these sessions he found himself wandering along the Karowreing area. He came upon a huge mountain which has a huge rock face with lots of rock paintings. The wall is painted with various anithe country.

According to the Vice Toshao, “I am a person who likes to think out of the box. I’m not usually a person who wants to benefit alone.

So, I have never been to rock painting before and I know there were not many people my age and some older that have never visited rock painting as well. For the first Heritage, I had to plan, it was an opportunity to seize at the moment as I was planning heritage activities for the month and decided to have a

Magonaima would enlighten Peter about the area they lived where he said there is a rock which is said to have special powers that if anyone sees it moving then someone in the group will die along the journey.

On September 24, 2018, the Vice Toshao of Jawalla Village, Upper Mazaruni, Azoney Clement took approximately 30 persons including children to visit the ancient Amerindian rock painting to be aware and knowledgeable of our history.

The aim was to bring awareness to some significant meanings of our history that are not often highlighted throughout

mals, symbols, signs and in a way describing how our ancestors lived.

While being in the trance, he met the Magonaima (Makonaima) and his family who resided in the Calawillig area and made the paintings on the wall of the mountain.

He met Magonaima riding a horse along the savannah, who informed him that the water was rising and that he should join them. Magonaima advised Peter John to ride on his horse with him because bad things usually would happen when the river is rising. They rode to where the rock paintings were.

While travelling alongside the path to the paintings,

trip to rock painting as an educational field trip and to my surprise, we had a lot of turn out where most of the people are first-timers, they never visited the site.

“Visiting the mountain was a surreal experience though it was quite exhausting to get there.

However, being there in person I felt different, we all felt closer and yet amazed that our ancestors were once here. Looking at the paintings I got an idea how they think, their lifestyle and how they tried to be creative with their signs and symbols. I wanted to know more but the paintings only shared little information on what use to be their life. My aim was to inform and let more persons get the experience that the paintings existed, to connect with our ancestors or the history and how it used to be with their culture. Yes, my wish is for it to be preserved but because of climate change some of the paintings are faded and also when others visited, they would mark on the paintings covering the beauty of it. The journey is very far and to have materials transported to preserve the paintings might be challenging and expensive but it is something that should be looked into before it’s gone because by the time I have kids it won’t exist anymore…”

It is said that the mountain that the paintings are on have plants that were used as food.

Those plants were placed there by our ancestors and to this day the seedlings from these plants contribute to nearby farms.

As a young adventurous nature lover and curious soul, I could not have missed the opportunity to visit our ancient Amerindian rock painting as I was very determined to learn and capture as much as I can with my cameras. The journey to get to the paintings was not easy, yet, I learnt so much of the history and saw all the beautiful sites.

I got to see the creeks, rivers, a huge and beautiful waterfall and even enjoyed the lovely whistles of the birds. A few get to witness the horses’ heels also.

I wish our Guyanese people can get to experience more of the beauty our country has to offer.

The experience was phenomenal. I hope to bring awareness and work towards making this a tourist site because it deserves the recognition, all with respect and significance.

I am very grateful I got the opportunity to visit and more so that children were curious enough to learn their history. I felt connected and am very thankful I got the experience. I will pass on the knowledge and when given an opportunity to highlight parts of Guyana that is not so recognised, I will.

Our country is so beautiful.

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FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

By Rupa Seenaraine

A

uthentic South Indian culture is an unforgettable experience for persons with Indian roots or just tourists, and Andhra Pradesh provides an introduction to the culture like no other.

Last week, the journey to the motherland India began with a general overview of the land and the feel of the city life, primarily in Delhi where the historic sites are surrounded by billboards and skyscrapers.

However, a trip to this southern state brings indescribable peace. With the partner State, Andhra Pradesh, our Know India Programme participants would have spent 14 days experiencing the local culture, people and practices which, without a doubt, are unparalleled to anywhere else in the world.

The State is the eighth largest of India’s 28 states, home to Telugu and Telangana languages. From Indira Gandhi International Airport to Vijayawada Airport, the journey starts thereafter with the warmest welcome from local officials.

If there is one thing to remember, the local hospitality is remarkable.

After the first evening in Guntur with traditional dances by the womenfolk, the second day captured the craftsmanship of the people, with a visit to Kondipalli to observe the manufacturing of handmade toys and other merchandises – from embroidered purses, little dolls and wooden boxes, all handcarved and decorated.

In the villages, a cluster of toy shops brings out the inner child and while the same products might be sold in many of them, the desire to check them all will overcome you. In other sections, the villagers have a notch for saree making and designing, all hand-woven from simple threads. The final result is one of the finest products on the market.

Later that night, we were able to witness the Kondipalli Fort light show just a short distance away, with unmatched technology through projected lights to take you through the history till date. This is probably one of the most fascinating sights to experience.

In Vijayawada and generally Andhra Pradesh, the classical dances have also been preserved to the point, and we were able to witness and participate in the Kuchipudi dance, bringing the South Indian experience to life with calculated gestures and expressions.

On a regular day, the sunny weather is coupled with persons bustling through the streets to carry out their daily routines while chai and other street food are sold at almost every corner. In the cool nights, shopping is a must. Right next to the local markets are malls and shopping plazas. Maybe one of the best contributions from the vast South Indian community is its intricate jewellery and clothing, with the definite addition of bright colours.

In the middle of our stay, the communities were preparing for Makar Sankranti or the harvest festival – where cows would dance, large bonfires are lit and the entire festival is celebrated with great zest.

The symbolism of the bonfire is quite interesting, with old items being discarded to welcome transformation and new beginnings. That day, many of us took a ride in the bull carts, which give the experience of rural life.

The following day, however, would be the climax of the celebrations, where we spent an entire day in the village for the actual Makar Sankranti celebration. There, the expectation was far different from what I would’ve pictured beforehand.

From our arrival, the greetings were probably the warmest I’ve ever experienced throughout my life, and the air filled with the scent of fresh flowers, rangolis, distant chattering and snacks being made in the open can be relived almost every day.

Upon glancing up, the villagers had already gathered to partake in the celebrations with little girls all bedecked in their traditional attired to perform. While they were eager to showcase their culture, they were even more intrigued to learn about ours and the culture in our country. As the cere-

mony was over, they were generous enough to call us on stage to dance with them.

Apart from the group, one memory of mine which could never be erased is a friend that I met during the celebrations, Leela.

Throughout the rather busy day, I could never forget her curiosity to learn about my culture and the feeling of being comfortable in a place I’d only been to for just a few hours.

This session of the tour ended our stay as we then moved to Visakhapatnam, the City of Destiny. The city, considered the largest in Andhra Pradesh, has modelled sustainable measures to fight pollution and other ills – completely commendable. However, the scenery of beaches stretching miles away with parasailing and other activities is mesmerising.

A walk along the hilltops of Kailasagiri would bring you to the peak of the city, where the park was developed with the use of tropical plants and flora. The journey culminates with a sight of a monumental Shiva-Parvati Statue dressed in white.

Apart from these locations, the state is known for its amazing sightseeing and sites for those with a wanderlust drive. Hours of driving was worth it for the majestic view in Araku Valley, with towering mountains and fresh air. Through the spiralling drive, the valley region is surrounded by the thick forests of the Eastern Ghats mountain range.

And just a short distance away is brought us to the Tribal Museum, dedicated to a number of indigenous tribes.

The last visit of the journey extended to Borra Caves, the largest in the country and later made into a tourist destination with the introduction of modern lighting. Though the narrow lanes might give a scare, the pictures were totally worth it.

While experiencing Andhra Pradesh, the most interesting facet of the land is definitely its people.

On one occasion, we were given an entire container filled with bananas – surely a memory to remember.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 16, 2020

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Feature

L

ove is a universal theme for the artist. This theme remains evergreen due to two main reasons. There are different types of love and this affords the writer the opportunity, throughout the ages, to bring fresh perspectives to the subject.

Love for country is one type of love, a love that is straightforward without intrigue and complexities. Here are some examples about this love for country.

O Beautiful Guyana Words by Walter Mac A Lawrence

O beautiful Guyana

O my lovely native land More dear to me than all the world ….

I love thee, Oh I love thee.

Valerie Rodway

Performed by Jackie ‘Jaxx’ Hanover

Guyana, Guyana, this fair land of ours Has broken the bondage of far distant powers, We love you Guyana from high land to sea, And pray God make worthy your children to be.

If I think about the ways you make me smile I'd be sitting here and smiling for a while Although I know I make you cry sometimes Your happiness is ever on my mind I cannot repay for everything you've done But my love for you burns brighter than the sun No matter where my feet and mind may go My heart will lead to you and you alone

Rodway, Cossou, Luker, and Hamilton wrote hymns.

Hymns are usually songs of praise and adoration, exhortation and commitment, devotion and sacrifice.

To the above we must add ‘Simple Charms’ by J W Chinapen ‘Name Poem’ by A J Seymour before moving to contemporary sentiments.

Guyana

Let’s not overlook, nay, let’s not forget these songs of our soul and hymns of our struggles, songs that brought a glow to our cheeks and fostered national pride in our hearts.

My Guyana, Eldorado Words by Walter Mac A Lawrence

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

My Guyana, Eldorado

Best of all the world to me In my heart where’er I wander Memory enshrineth thee; All my hopes and aspirations, All my longings only tie Everlasting bonds around us As the fleeting years roll by.

Walter Mac A. Lawrence added sumptuous servings of nationalistic flavour to Guyanese Literature long before the words ‘independence’ and ‘republic’ became integral parts of the country’s vocabulary.

Song of the Republic

Words by Cleveland W. Hamilton

From Pakaraima’s peaks of pow’r To Courentyne’s lush sands, Her children pledge each faithful hour To guard Guyana’s lands.

What sentiments, what a flow of patriotism, what a call to action, what a charge, what rhyme and rhythm, what rhyme and reason, what craft and technique and yet the ‘Song of the Republic’ almost never was (that story in another article).

Poonam Singh Look down from your window No big city lights just greenery You know when the sun kiss your skin You're in the right place You know with the wind in your hair You're in the right place

BEAUTIFUL GUYANA

The National Anthem of Guyana

Words by A. L. Luker

My Native Land

Oh I care not that others rave over fair lands afar, Where silvern lakes and placid streams mirror the evening star; I care not though their wealth be great, their scenery be grand, For none so fair as can compare with my own native land.

Hymn for Guyana’s Children

Valerie Rodway

With humble hearts and heads bowed down …..

O children of Guyana, rise…..

And vow to serve her through the years.

GUYANA THE FREE

Poem

Loving a criminal Loving me in depth will be your biggest mistake, Aren't u afraid of me?

“A heart that loves unconditionally have no fears,” she replied Why don't you understand me?

I’m arrogant “I do! Loving a criminal is not a crime,” she replied audaciously.

Every human being is subjected to a change or few, Why don't you make yours now?

I sit here yearning to be the woman behind you I hope that all I am doing is enough to move him Move him to change Because loving a criminal was not my choice.

Dear Land of Guyana, to you will we give Our homage, our service each day that we live; God guard you, great Mother, and make us to be More worthy our heritage - land of the free.

M. A. Cossou

Guyana Guyana I'll be holding on to you forever more….

Hilton Hemerding There’s a land just off the Atlantic, Land of jungles, waterfalls and sweet scenery….

With Kaieteur tumbling to the river, How I love to see your foaming tide;…

O Guyana, beautiful Guyana, O Guyana, independent and free,.

O Guyana, beautiful Guyana.

Hemerding putting his soul into this song, casting a spell on Guyanese and non-Guyanese alike, sending chills down the spine, raising up goose pimples.

I am leaving this piece open-ended with:

Guyana

Substitute the hatred Allow me to unlock the hidden treasure of love Covered by the walls of your heart For mankind is gifted with a soft spot No matter the nature of their lives He listened with his head covered in his palms And tormented by chaotic thoughts.

Taking of lives is unprofitable What ease does it give you?

Why risk your life when I can forever be your saviour?

Come!

Surrender your soul to the comfort of my love For its true Us alone and no intruders But why me?

Aren't u afraid?

True, why you?

Left unanswered As she woke up pondering “Oh what a dream it was” Her better half beside her And the thought of her longtime admirer enjoying from above.

By Nickalos Mobin

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8 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 16, 2020

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Feature

D

ear readers, you may notice that we are spending what seems to be an inordinate amount of time on this issue of adopting/acquiring a companion animal. Simply put, it is because you do not want to bring a pet home to live with yourself and family for the next decade, and then, within a few months you decide to get rid of the pet. Some of the methods used to rid oneself of the pet may be unconscionable and even illegal.

So here again is some more advice which you could take on board prior to the actual adoption.

When you are adopting a dog, especially one from a Shelter, there are certain considerations that have to be factored into the exercise. Below are listed some of those undertakings: • Walk through the entire kennel area at least once to identify initially some dogs who appeal to you. Stand a few feet away from the ones you like and watch how they react to people. Then spend a few minutes greeting the dog(s) you’ve chosen through its/their kennel doors.

• Look for signs of friendliness, like pawing, tail-wagging, exhibiting an eager approach and pressing against the front of the kennel.

• If you have a family with young children or an active lifestyle, you may want to steer clear of dogs who hang back in their kennels, too afraid to greet you or others. Some fearful dogs take a lot of work, may not adapt well to your home, and may snap or bite if they feel threatened.

• If you don’t have children, don’t rule out a dog you’re interested in just because he’s shy. Keep in mind that you’re seeing him in a very stressful environment and that most dogs

behave better in a home than they do in a Shelter. Perhaps the shy dog just arrived at the Shelter and is upset by all the commotion. Ask to visit with him/her outside of the kennel area so you can get a better idea of the animal’s personality.

• Like dogs who retreat to the back of their kennel, a dog who’s jumping, barking or spinning like a maniac in his kennel may just be reacting to the stress of Shelter life. It’s a good idea to visit with such a dog in a calmer area. While you’re interacting with him/her, note whether the dog seems calmer and friendlier once out of the kennel area.

• If a dog freezes, stares at you stiffly, growls or raises his hackles, move on. These are all signs of an unfriendly and possibly aggressive dog. Of course, unnecessary aggression can be controlled via the intervention of a competent professional (“dog/ cat whisperer”).

• Talk to the staff at the Shelter. Staff members usually become familiar with the personality of each resident dog through daily interactions. Ask all of the questions you brought with you and ask for the staff’s personal impressions of the dogs you’re considering.

• You might wish to see the dog closer up on the table in the visiting room or in the waiting room. Getting closer to the dog on the table would allow you to more easily see if there are obvious problems; e.g. hernias, deformities in the extremities (legs especially), physical defects, ailments of the eyes, ears, jaws, teeth, etc.

• Take advantage of all opportunities to interact with the animals you are considering to adopt. As you visit with each dog, think about your list of expectations and needs. A very social dog, who persistently seeks your affection, enjoys lots of attention and seems to adore petting might be a good choice for a family with children. This kind of dog would also be great for someone who wants to spend quality time with elderly family friends. An older dog who’s a little more independent might be a better choice for someone who needs to be away from home for long hours. An energetic dog would be wonderful for someone who does a lot of jogging or biking.

• Start with quiet time. For the first few minutes with a potential adoptee, just sit quietly with him.

Don’t touch or talk to him, and see what he chooses to do. A Shelter can be noisy and distracting. See if he/she eventually approaches you and works to get your attention? Or does he/she focus on other things instead? After sitting quietly for a few minutes, pet and talk to

the dog if it’s friendly. Does he/she seem to like being stroked and touched? If you stop petting him, does he/she walk away or ask for more? If you’re looking for an independent companion, a dog who doesn’t seem especially eager to get your attention might suit you well. However, if you’re looking for a very social, interactive dog, one who can’t get enough of you might be the best fit.

• Take the dog for a walk if possible. If the Shelter Administrator allows you to take one of the possible adoption choices out for a walk, don’t worry too much about him jumping and pulling on the leash. Most dogs will do these things, if they haven’t been trained to behave differently, and especially if they’ve been cooped up in a kennel for days, weeks or months.

Just be sure you’re able to hang on and gently control the dog.

As you walk, take note of his demeanor. Is he eager to greet people you encounter? Does he seem to take outdoor sights and sounds in stride? If he barks, lunges, growls, cowers, freezes in terror or trembles uncontrollably when he sees people, other dogs or cars that pass, he/she might not have been thoroughly socialized as a puppy. Be warned: It will take considerable time and effort to retrain and socialize this kind of dogs – and there’s no guarantee that his behaviour will improve.

• Play with the dog. Try to engage the dog in a game of tug-of-war, for several minutes, letting the dog get excited and energized. Then abruptly stop playing and put the toy away.

Observe how long it takes the dog to calm down and resume socializing with you. Ideally, the dog will calm down within a couple of minutes. If it takes much longer than that, you may have a sports champion on your hands, but perhaps not the most easygoing house pet.

• Make sure the dog adores your children. If you have children, it’s important to take some extra precautions when choosing a new dog. You want him/her to love your children as much as you do. If possible, choose a dog who has lived with kids before and enjoyed lots of pleasant experiences with them.

Bring your children with you to the Shelter and look for a dog who seems to like them at least as much as he likes adults. In fact, it’s best to adopt a dog who prefers children. If a dog moves away from your children, avoids or ignores them, flinches at their touch or seems anxious or upset by their voices or movements, he’s not the dog for your family. Your children must come first, so you need to find a dog who doesn’t just tolerate them well – he should love it when they play with him and touch him all over. When meeting a dog you’re considering, do some things that your kids might do when interacting with him. Try hugging him around the neck. Gently poke, prod and push him.

Touch his ears, tail and paws. In response, the dog should just wag happily and seek more attention. If he gets stiff, tucks his tail, growls, shows his teeth, quickly retreat or whips his heat around toward your hand when you touch him, he’s not the right choice for you. Another important thing to watch out for is possessiveness. Ask the Shelter staff to show how the dog reacts when they take away his food, toys and chew bones. A dog who becomes aggressive when eating or playing with toys may not be a safe choice for a family with children.

Next week we will look at some final elements to be considered when adopting a dog.

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FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine

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Health

L

ead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over months or years.

Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children younger than 6 years are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.

Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings are the most common sources of lead poisoning in children. Other sources include contaminated air, water and soil. Adults who work with batteries, do home renovations or work in auto repair shops also might be exposed to lead.

There is treatment for lead poisoning, but taking some simple precautions can help protect you and your family from lead exposure before harm is done.

Symptoms Initially, lead poisoning can be hard to detect — even people who seem healthy can have high blood levels of lead. Signs and symptoms usually don't appear until dangerous amounts have accumulated.

Lead poisoning symptoms in children Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children include: • Developmental delay • Learning difficulties • Irritability • Loss of appetite • Weight loss • Sluggishness and fatigue • Abdominal pain • Vomiting • Constipation • Hearing loss • Seizures • Eating things, such as paint chips, that aren't food (pica) Lead poisoning symptoms in newborns Babies exposed to lead before birth might: • Be born prematurely • Have lower birth weight • Have slowed growth

Lead poisoning symptoms in adults Although children are primarily at risk, lead poisoning is also dangerous for adults.

Signs and symptoms in adults might include: • High blood pressure • Joint and muscle pain • Difficulties with memory or concentration • Headache • Abdominal pain • Mood disorders • Reduced sperm count and abnormal sperm

• Miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth in pregnant women Causes Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust, but human activity — mining, burning fossil fuels and manufacturing — has caused it to become more widespread. Lead was also once used in paint and gasoline and is still used in batteries, solder, pipes, pottery, roofing materials and some cosmetics.

Lead in paint Lead-based paints for homes, children's toys and household furniture have been banned in the United States since 1978. But lead-based paint is still on walls and woodwork in many older homes and apartments. Most lead poisoning in children results from eating chips of deteriorating lead-based paint.

Water pipes and imported canned goods Lead pipes, brass plumbing fixtures and copper pipes soldered with lead can release lead particles into tap water. Lead solder in food cans, banned in the United States, is still used in some countries.

Other sources of lead exposure Lead sometimes can also be found in: • Soil. Lead particles from leaded gasoline or paint settle on soil and can last years. Leadcontaminated soil is still a major problem around highways and in some urban settings.

Some soil close to walls of older houses contains lead.

• Household dust. Household dust can contain lead from lead paint chips or from contaminated soil brought in from outside.

• Pottery. Glazes found on some ceramics, china and porcelain can contain lead that can leach into food served or stored in the pottery.

• Toys. Lead is sometimes found in toys and other products produced abroad.

• Cosmetics. Tiro, an eye cosmetic from Nigeria, has been linked to lead poisoning.

• Herbal or folk remedies. Lead poisoning has been linked to greta and azarcon, traditional Hispanic medicines, as well as some from India, China and other countries.

• Mexican candy. Tamarind, an ingredient used in some candies made in Mexico, might contain lead.

• Lead bullets. Time spent at firing ranges can lead to exposure.

• Occupations. People are exposed to lead and can bring it home on their clothes when they work in auto repair, mining, pipe fitting, battery manufacturing, painting, construction and certain other fields.

Risk factors Factors that may increase your risk of lead poisoning include:

• Age. Infants and young children are more likely to be exposed to lead than are older children. They might chew paint that flakes off walls and woodwork, and their hands can be contaminated with lead dust. Young children also absorb lead more easily, and it's more harmful for them than it is for adults and older children.

• Living in an older home. Although the use of lead-based paints has been banned since the 1970s, older homes and buildings often retain remnants of this paint. People renovating an older home are at even higher risk.

• Certain hobbies. Making stained glass and some jewelry requires the use of lead solder.

Refinishing old furniture might put you in contact with layers of lead paint.

• Living in developing countries. Developing countries often have less strict rules regarding exposure to lead than do developed countries. American families who adopt a child from another country might want to have the child's blood tested for lead poisoning.

Immigrant and refugee children also should be tested.

Lead can harm an unborn child, so pregnant women or women likely to become pregnant should be especially careful to avoid exposure to lead.

Complications Exposure to even low levels of lead can cause damage over time, especially in children. The greatest risk is to brain development, where irreversible damage can occur. Higher levels can damage the kidneys and nervous system in both children and adults. Very high lead levels may cause seizures, unconsciousness and death.

Prevention Simple measures can help protect you and your family from lead poisoning: • Wash hands and toys. To help reduce handto-mouth transfer of contaminated dust or soil, wash your children's hands after outdoor play, before eating and at bedtime. Wash their toys regularly.

• Clean dusty surfaces. Clean your floors with a wet mop and wipe furniture, windowsills and other dusty surfaces with a damp cloth.

• Remove shoes before entering the house. This will help keep lead-based soil outside.

• Run cold water. If you have older plumbing containing lead pipes or fittings, run your cold water for at least a minute before using.

Don't use hot tap water to make baby formula or for cooking.

• Prevent children from playing on soil. Provide them with a sandbox that's covered when not in use. Plant grass or cover bare soil with mulch.

• Eat a healthy diet. Regular meals and good nutrition might help lower lead absorption.

Children especially need enough calcium, vitamin C and iron in their diets to help keep lead from being absorbed.

• Keep your home well-maintained. If your home has lead-based paint, check regularly for peeling paint and fix problems promptly.

Try not to sand, which generates dust particles that contain lead.

Treatment The first step in treating lead poisoning is to remove the source of the contamination. If you can't remove lead from your environment, you might be able to reduce the likelihood that it will cause problems.

For instance, sometimes it's better to seal in rather than remove old lead paint. Your local health department can recommend ways to identify and reduce lead in your home and community.

For children and adults with relatively low lead levels, simply avoiding exposure to lead might be enough to reduce blood lead levels.

Treating higher levels For more-severe cases, your doctor might recommend: • Chelation therapy. In this treatment, a medication given by mouth binds with the lead so that it's excreted in urine. Chelation therapy might be recommended for children with a blood level of 45 mcg/dL or greater and adults with high blood levels of lead or symptoms of lead poisoning.

EDTA chelation therapy. Doctors treat adults with lead levels greater than 45 mcg/dL of blood and children who can't tolerate the drug used in conventional chelation therapy most commonly with a chemical called calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).

EDTA is given by injection.

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

Recipes

ARANITAS: GREEN PLANTAIN FRITTERS

Ingredients • 2 green plantain, peeled and shredded • 2 tsp garlic paste • 1/2 tsp salt • oil Mayo Dip • 1/2cup Mayo • 3 tsp lime juice • 1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped • 1 tsp honey • Salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. To make the fritters, mix shredded green plantain, garlic and salt. In a frying pan add enough oil so it’s about 1/2 inch deep and heat over medium fire. When oil is hot, scoop the shredded plantains (about 2 tablespoon) and then press gently for form a patty. Slide into the hot oil and cook until both sides about 2-3 minutes until golden brown, flipping after the first side is brown.

2. Remove from oil and drain onto a paper towel.

3. To make the sauce, add mayo, lime juice, cilantro, honey and mix to combine. Add salt and black pepper to taste. (Jehan Can Cook)

CRAB ALFREDO

Ingredients • 1 lb pasta cooked according to directions on box • 3 tbsp butter • 1/4 cup flour • 2 cups milk • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese • 1/4 cup cream cheese • 1/2 tsp garlic powder • 1/2 tsp onion powder • 1 tsp parsley, chopped • 1/8 tsp nutmeg • 3 cups lump crab meat • salt and pepper to taste Directions Cook pasta according to directions on box and set aside. Melt butter over a medium fire, the stir in flour to make a roux. Whisk milk slowly into flour and butter mixture. Don’t add the milk too fast or you will end up with a lumpy sauce. On a low fire, add parmesan cheese, nutmeg, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Add crab meat and cook until heated through. Stir in the pasta making sure to coat it well, garnish with additional chopped parsley or chives and grated parmesan cheese. (Jehan Can Cook)

GUAVA THYME LEMONADE

Ingredients • Juice of 10 lemons • 4 cups water • 2 cup guava nectar/concentrate • 1 1/2 cup sugar • 1 1/2 cup water • 10 sprigs thyme • Instructions 1. To make the thyme simple syrup: Place sugar, thyme and 1 1/2 cup water in a small pot and bring to a boil.

Cook until sugar has dissolved. Cool before using.

2. To make Lemonade: Place lemon juice, water, guava nectar and thyme simple syrup in a large pitcher and stir to combine. Chill before serving. (Jehan Can Cook)

Elegance on a budget

Having a high-end looking home can be difficult, especially if you have a tight decorating budget. Fortunately, there are ways – even on a budget – that you can get the high-end look you dream of.

Interior designers have shared a few secrets over the years that have given homeowners some insight on how they can make their home look elegant without breaking the bank.

From adding pillows and a fresh coat of paint to window treatments and hardwood floors, these are simple solutions you need to know about.

Crown Molding – Details Matter

It’s all in the details. When it comes to decorating your home to look high-end and custom-made, details are key.

In this instance, the detail is crown molding.

Crown molding has a way of making a room look complete or finished; it brings the ceiling and the walls together, giving them an elegant appearance. Without this finishing touch, rooms tend to look cheap or unfinished.

Fortunately, crown molding is relatively inexpensive (especially the plastic, paintable versions), making it affordable on almost any budget. There are many widths to choose from, but if you want a greater impact, chose the widest trim that your budget will allow. For the ultimate in glamour, try adding all types on molding to your home, i.e. crown, high baseboard, ceiling beams, columns, ceiling medallions, chair rails etc…

Hardware Finishes – Opt for Unique

It is true that you can walk into a home improvement store and be faced with an entire wall of drawer pulls and knobs. However, that is the exact moment that you should turn and walk out the door.

These bulk hardware pieces are inexpensive, but they are also poor quality and cheap-looking. For a few more dollars – although not enough to break the bank – you can get elegant, more expensive looking pieces elsewhere.

Smaller hardware stores, flea markets, and antique shops are the best places to look. You can find heavy-duty, expensive- looking drawer knobs and pulls at a much more affordable price, giving your home the elegant and unique look you desire.

Lighting Makes a Difference

Most contractors will choose standard lighting fixtures, which are probably the same they have used over and over again in all the homes they have built. However, designer light fixtures will add more elegance to your home than the standard chandelier.

Fortunately, there are a few tricks you can use to get the high-end look without the high-end price. Start by looking at flea markets and second-hand stores. You will get a unique piece at a budget-friendly price.

Some pieces may require a little buffing or a new paint job, but can look like a million dollars for just a few bucks.

In addition, be sure to have several different light sources, including table lamps and floor lamps throughout the home to increase the elegant feeling.

Accessorize Your Home

Most average homes lack the necessary accessories to really bring that elegant touch to the space. While many may use the excuse that accessorizing would over-extend their budget, the exact opposite is true.

There are many affordable ways to accessorize your home while staying within your budget, especially if you think gold. Gold is associated with wealth and riches, and can instantly create an elegant feeling, as long as there is not too much gold in one space.

Accessorize with gold picture frames, gold mirrors, or one of the new, modern gold-legged tables that are appearing in designer showrooms.

Housekeeping— A Clean, Uncluttered Home is a Must

Surprisingly, one of the most affordable ways to make your home look elegant on a budget is actually free. All you need to do is clean and declutter your home. Weekly dusting and vacuuming can actually make your home feel high-end.

Secondly, cleaning allows you to take care of stains and spots on area rugs quickly, keeping them from being damaged and shabby-looking. The same is true for your furniture. Clean your windows, too—it allows natural light to readily fill the room, making it appear bright and welcoming.

Lastly, regular cleaning allows you to avoid clutter in your home. Not only do you feel better about your home, but it allows the other elements – pillows, accessories, paint, lighting, and flooring – to really stand out.

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Puzzles

ACROSS 1 Bar beer 6 Latch onto 10 Clear as mud 15 Took steps 20 Old Rome's emblem 21 Zahn or Abdul 22 Not just some 23 Ballroom number 24 Wernher von - 25 Buenos - 26 Dentist's request 27 Says decidedly 28 Vassals 29 Beauty's swain 30 Cherries in chocolates 32 Faithfulness 34 Church feature 36 Totality 37 Capp of the comics 40 Very, in Veracruz 41 Even one 42 Not masc.

44 Race by, as clouds 48 Opposite of "paleo" 49 Goal 50 10-4 buddy 53 "-- -- -A-Lula" 55 Iron source 56 Mr. Schwarzenegger 58 Not imaginary 59 Dork 61 Mountain chain 63 Handyman's supply 64 In a crazy way 65 Tarzan's title 66 Sitting Bull's foe 67 Like table salt 69 Jack's companion 70 Not for 71 "Got it!"(2 wds.)

74 Si, to Maurice 75 Husked corn 78 Curbed 81 Embroider, maybe 82 Happy-hour letters 83 Stein filler 84 Kind of hog 86 Ms. Hagen of films 87 Cochise was one 89 Bellyaches 93 Lummox 94 Heavy metal 95 Ibsen heroine 96 Play boisterously 97 Walden dweller 100 Pulp tree 102 Moolah 103 Hangouts for hens 104 Hobby knife (hyph.)

108 Wind-borne silt 109 Caesar's river 110 Literary miscellanies 111 "--, peel me a grape" 112 Abby's sister 113 Emulates Galen 115 Black gem 116 Nanny's charge 117 Einstein's birthplace 118 Catches some rays 120 Hotfoot it 121 35mm camera 123 Iota 124 Not defy 125 "-- -- tree falls . . ."

127 Cattails 129 Sheep loser of rhyme (2

wds.)

131 Tornadoes at sea 136 "The Sound of Music"

name 138 Chaucer's month 142 Reflection 143 Puts forth 144 White oak of California 145 March composer 146 Blisters 147 Ms. Zellweger 148 Do the trick 149 Emerson opus 150 Hit the hay 151 Bobby of Indy fame 152 "Blue Velvet" star 153 Scallions' kin DOWN 1 Rookie socialites 2 Like blue moons 3 Microbiology gel 4 Downy 5 Like a standoff 6 High spirits 7 Virginia caverns 8 Bullfight bravos 9 Spars on ships 10 Mice and lice 11 Oversized birdcage 12 Whodunit, for one 13 Bear constellation 14 Watches carefully 15 Menotti hero 16 Quibbles 17 Revenuers (hyph.)

18 River near Barcelona 19 Improvised bed 21 Baby food 31 Outdoor disguise 33 Surrounded by 35 Norm 37 Art school subj.

38 Despot who fiddled

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- EARNEST (EARNEST: ER-nest: Showing deep sincerity or seriousness.)

Average mark 40 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 59 or more words in EARNEST? TODAY'S WORD -- EARNEST TODAY'S WORD -- INFLUENCES earn ease east eastern eaten eater enter erase erne ante arete aster astern ranee rant

rase rate rent reseat resent reset rest nares near nearest neat neater nest nester sane

saner saree sate sateen sear seat seen seer senate sent sere snare sneer star stare

steer stern tare tarn tear tease teaser teen tense tenser tern terse tree tsar

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

39 42 43 45 46 47 49 50 51 52 53 54 57 58 59 60 62 64 66 68 69 71 72 73

76 77 79 80 82 85

"First -- -- harm" Know somehow Diminish Keep on going Press for Moose or elk What is more Surrender territory Loses hair England's Isle of -"Uncle Miltie" Trimmed the hedge Hodgepodge Approve, as treaties Winter airport need Beat the rap -- spumante Pineapple island Wine server Mark a page (hyph.)

Plantation drink Crimson Tide st.

Shoot from the -"Mystic River" star (2 wds.)

Spillane gumshoe Wilts Depot info Male parent Sleep restlessly Thole fillers

88 Mil. ranks 90 Sheiks, usually 91 Tunnel digger 92 Rock-strewn 94 Feast with poi 98 Practical joke 99 Gave the pink slip 100 Urban map 101 Dame -- Chaplin 102 Brickmaker's oven 103 Pantry item 105 Primitive weapon 106 Bedtime story 107 -- -- aching back!

109 Frat letter 111 Mouthful 114 Important decades 115 Law (abbr.)

116 Ted of "Nightline" 119 Attacks on a castle 121 Lobby furnishing 122 The preferred evil 123 Janis or Scott 124 Lock horns with 126 Sassy 127 Cliff dwellings, now 128 Famed viol.

129 Elephant of kid lit 130 Gauguin's prop 131 Minn. neighbor 132 Omnia vincit --

133 134 135 137 139 140 141

Rhett's hangout Amazon source Ominous sign Ramble around Trick Ms. Dinesen Makes a bet

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Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

F

T

he world’s biggest phone show, Mobile World Congress, is no longer taking place this year. After coronavirus threatened to throw MWC into chaos, the GSM Association (GSMA), which organizes the show, has now canceled it. It comes after more than a week of exhibitors and companies pulling out of MWC. In a statement, GSMA CEO John Hoffman said the coronavirus outbreak has made it “impossible” to hold the event. MWC was scheduled to take place in Barcelona between February 24th and the 27th.

“With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event.

The Host City Parties respect and understand this decision. The GSMA and the Host City Parties will continue to be working in unison and supporting each other for MWC Barcelona 2021 and future editions. Our sympathies at this time are with those affected in China, and all around the world.”

Coronavirus infections have exceeded 42,000 with the total number of deaths at more than 1,000. Most infections and deaths

have been reported in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei Province in China, but at least 25 countries have now reported cases.

The GSMA had tried to allay fears with increased disinfection measures on site, recommending attendees don’t shake hands and even ban on visitors traveling from the province in China where coronavirus was first discovered.

The GSMA is an industry trade body that represents more than 1,200 companies across the mobile ecosystem, and MWC is the chance for thousands to gather for partnerships, deals, and product launches.

MWC is usually held annually in Barcelona, and it has a big economic impact of 492 million euros, and also generates 14,100 parttime jobs.

MWC 2020 was set to feature a big Chinese phone maker presence, with all of the country’s major smartphone brands set to appear at the show. LG pulled out of MWC earlier this month, and ZTE canceled a planned press event over coronavirus fears. Ericsson, one of the largest exhibitors at MWC, also withdrew from the show, before Nvidia, Intel, Vivo, Sony, Amazon, and NTT Docomo all followed and canceled appearances. Cisco, Nokia, BT, and HMD also canceled appearances last week. (The Verge)

acebook’s WhatsApp messaging service now has 2 billion users worldwide, the company announced in a blog post today, up from 1.5 billion and 1 billion users in 2018 and 2016, respectively. That compares to 2.5 billion users for Facebook itself, according to The Wall Street Journal, and 1 billion Instagram users (although that number is from June 2018).

WhatsApp used the milestone to reiterate the importance of encrypting its users’ messages, a practice that is coming under increasing amounts of pressure from lawmakers around the world. Governments argue that being unable to read people’s messages makes it harder to discover when the messaging app is being used to facilitate terrorism, child exploitation, and other crimes.

T

here are already hundreds of emoji available to cover every emotion from yawning to being a straight-up drunk weirdo. Now, Google is offering a few more options, with a selection of stickers that combine two existing emoji to create one with a much more specific vibe. Google is calling the feature its “Emoji Kitchen.” You know those times when you want to convey that you’re feeling like both a cowboy and a ghost? Yeah, it’s for that sort of thing.

The concept of emoji mashups has been around for a little while, thanks to the excellent Emoji Mashup Bot Twitter account, which released a free iMessage sticker pack last year with downloads that were also available on

WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart says that the company has no plans to disable encryption on its service. “For all of human history, people have been able to communicate privately with each other, and we don’t think that should go away in a modern society,” he told The Wall Street Journal. However, the CEO added that WhatsApp will provide metadata when it is useful for an investigation.

In the future, Cathcart told the WSJ that the company is working to make the service interoperable with Facebook’s other messaging clients in plans announced by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last year. However, Cathcart admitted this integration may have its limits, with some features that are present on a messaging service like Messenger not translating into WhatsApp. (The Verge)

Android for WhatsApp, Telegram, and Gboard.

The difference here is that Google’s emoji mashups have been designed by hand rather than being automatically generated by a bot. They’re also pretty seamlessly integrated; Google says you can tap on any smiley emoji, and Gboard will suggest some mashups based on it.

Google says that it’s rolling out Emoji Kitchen to all Gboard users on Android starting today, but you can join the Gboard Beta program if you want to get them right now. Once you’ve got the feature, you should be able to use it in apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, Snapchat, Gmail, and Messages by Google. (The Verge)

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Bollyollywood/Hollywood

A

ctors Sara Ali Khan and Kartik Aaryan are promoting their upcoming film, Love Aaj Kal, all around the country, charming fans with their off-screen chemistry as they await their first onscreen union. At a recent press event, a video provided an insight into their friendship.

Shared by Pinkvilla, the video shows Sara and Kartik at a university campus, where they promoted the film in front of a large crowd.

When a bus was brought in, Kartik could be heard telling Sara that he was going to jump on its roof. The trouble was that Kartik had injured his hand at a recent dance reality show, prompting Sara to dissuade him from doing the bus stunt.

“Arey promotions ke liye aaye hain (We’ve come to promote the film),” Kartik could be heard telling Sara.

A visibly annoyed Sara then snapped at Kartik and says, “You do it if you want to,” and turns away, in a huff.

Kartik went ahead and

K

A

jumped on the roof anyway, posing for photographs while Sara hung around outside.

Much has been written about the actors’ chemistry, even before they signed onto the film. The actors have fielded rumours about dating for months. They’ve played into the rumours, posing for photographs together and playing it coy.

When Sara was asked if she was dating Kartik at a recent press interaction, she initially dodged the question. “I am dating him in

ajol was feeling nostalgic on Wednesday as her film My Name Is Khan clocked 10 years. The actor took to Twitter and shared a video montage of several pictures from the film and its sets.

“Soooooo many memories. So much fun from Nysa’s first Disney trip to seeing the history of San Fran up close and personal with the most amazing sunrise. It will always be one of my most fav memories! #10YearsOfMyNameIsKhan,” she wrote in a tweet. The film’s director Karan Johar replied, “Love you so much.”

My Name Is Khan starred Shah Rukh Khan as a Muslim man with Asperger’s syndrome in post 9/11 America. He travels around the country, confronting racism and making friends. Kajol played his hairdresser wife, who leaves him after her son dies in a hate crime.

Fans showered love on Kajol and the film on Twitter. “A movie that enlightened the entire world, a movie that is still relevant today, a movie that will always be remembered,” wrote one. “Brilliant movie thi dubara ise great movie nahi baneghi nice movie (There will never be a more brilliant movie than this),” wrote another.

Karan shared a compilation video of glimpses from the film and in the caption expressed why the film will always be very special to him. "#10yearsofmynameiskhan. This will always remain an extremely special film for me....a

the film. That’s all that matters. Please come and watch us ‘dating’ for 2.5 hours on Valentine’s Day.” When prodded about whether she was in a relationship with Kartik in real life, she said, “No, I am not.”

Love Aaj Kal is slated for release on Friday. Directed

by Imtiaz Ali, the film is a follow-up to his 2009 romantic drama by the same name.

The original film starred Sara’s dad, Saif Ali Khan in the lead role, with Deepika Padukone.

(Hindustan Times)

film that not only had relevant messaging but also (in my opinion) a beating heart!"

Further expressing his gratitude and appreciation for Shah Rukh, Karan wrote, "Bhai @ iamsrk put his all into creating Rizwan... and I will always be eternally grateful to him for just being him ....for being such a rock solid support to me through the journey of the film...love you so much Bhai!"

"Love you @kajol for breathing life into Mandira and just being the fabulous and incredible artist that you are!!! And finally thank you to #shibanibathija for writing and creating the film and every character! Writing is the spine that we can give body to....thank you," he wrote, thanking Kajol, and the film’s writer, Shibani Bathija. (Hindustan Times)

new Jonas baby is on the way.

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are expecting their first child together, E News! reports.

A source told Just Jared, which first reported the news, that the couple is keeping things “hush hush,” but “friends and family are super excited for them.”

Reps for Turner and Jonas declined to comment to Page Six. The couple attended the Grammy Awards together in January, and were spotted in London days later with Turner wearing a baggy sweatshirt.

Turner, 23, and Jonas, 30, tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas ceremony in May 2019 after the Billboard Music Awards.

The “Game of Thrones” actress and the rocker had a second wedding at Château de Tourreau in Sarrians, France, over the summer.

The pair were rumored to have first started dating in 2016, although they didn’t make their red carpet debut until two years later.

Joe’s older brother Kevin, 32, and his wife, Danielle Jonas, 33, share two daughters together: 6-year-old Alena Rose and 3-year-old

A

new film claims that gunned-down rapper Tupac Shakur is actually alive and well — living as part of a Native American tribe in New Mexico.

The dramatized documentary “2Pac: The Great Escape from UMC” says the “Thug 4 Life” rapper was informed about the planned hit on him when he arrived in Las Vegas in September 1996.

It allowed him to plant a body double in Death Row Record label boss Suge Knight’s car, still ending up in University Medical Center but escaping, filmmaker Rick Boss told KTNV. Shakur was instead airlifted by a private chopper to New Mexico — then taken to live under the protection of the Navajo tribe because authorities cannot enter tribal land without permission, Boss reckons.

The filmmaker insisted that the plot is not a wild fantasy — but facts gleaned through his close connections to Shakur’s inner circle.

“This is not a fiction. This

Valentina Angelina. His younger brother, Nick, 27, and wife Priyanka Chopra,

37, tied the knot in 2018, but do not have any children.

(Page Six)

is facts through certain people I know,” Boss told the local TV station.

It was unclear why Shakur still wound up in the hospital if a body double was placed in Knight’s car before the shooting, and the filmmaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Boss said he knows rappers who collaborated with Shakur — including G-Money and Snoop Dog — and his father knew the rapper’s mom through their involvement with the Black Panther Party.

“Let’s just say Mr. Shakur — the family is aware of the movie and they’re okay with the title so that should tell you more or less what’s going on,” Boss told the station.

Knight — who was with him in the car that fateful night — has previously shared a similar theory that his friend could be alive.

The film, which is still in production and hoping for a release next year, has not persuaded everyone, however — including Richard Garcia, the actor playing Shakur in the reenactments who still believes the star was shot dead.

“He’s gone but he lives on,” Garcia told KTNV. “Like his mother said, he lives on through all of us. Through our memories, through our hearts, through our tribute.” (Page Six)

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Sunday Times Magazine 15

Feature

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Fun Times

Archie

ARIES

Don't rely on anyone but

(March 21- yourself. Personal growth April 19) and physical improvements

will bring the best results.

Distance yourself from critical people.

You may want to leap TAURUS forward, but before you do, (April 20- go over all the small but May 20) essential details to ensure that you aren't taking on more than you can handle.

Your energy may be up, GEMINI but if you don't channel it (MAY 28- into something constructive, June 20) it could turn into something destructive. Say less, gather facts and do what's best for you.

Social activities will brighten your day. Engage in talks (June 21- with people from different July 22) backgrounds and be willing to try something new. A personal change will promote new friendships. Romance is featured.

LEO If you put in the time, you'll reap the rewards. Don't make (July 23a change just because someone Aug. 22) else does. Do your own thing and concentrate on physical and emotional improvements.

Love is in the stars.

CANCER

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Keep moving forward and don't give in to emotional manipulation or pressure. Look for the truth and make decisions based on facts. Travel and social activities will be inviting.

You'll accomplish a lot if LIBRA you work hard and by your(Sept. 23self. Make purchases that Oct. 23) will add to your convenience, comfort or emotional well-being. Romance will enhance your life.

Peanuts

Use your intelligence to SCORPIO get your way. Offering solu(Oct. 24- tions and hands-on help inNov. 22) stead of criticism will help bridge a gap between you and someone you are trying to assist.

Choose your friends SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23- carefully. The information Dec. 21) you share will be manipulated to make you look bad if you associate with the wrong people. Protect yourself against identity theft.

Your energy is mounting, CAPRICORN and you will flourish if you (Dec. 22- stay focused on your objective.

Jan. 19) Make changes at home that will encourage you to spend more time with the people who make you happy.

Calvin and Hobbes

Pick up speed and make AQUARIUS adjustments that will save (Jan. 20- money, point you in a betFeb. 19) ter direction or encourage you to walk away from situations that are no longer to your advantage.

PISCES Find out where you stand (Feb. 20- and who is on your side. The Mar. 20) best change you can make is one that will add to your stability, not one that leads to uncertainty.