Guyana Times Sunday March 15, 2020

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4226 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, March 15, 2020

PRICE

GECOM, APNU/AFC destruction of democracy: Day 13

Countrywide recount to be supervised by highlevel Caricom delegation See stories on pages 3,7 & 16

…integrity of ballot boxes paramount– Jagdeo …GECOM will cooperate fully – Chairperson …as sanctions loom over persons stymieing elections resolution

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

GECOM DCEO Roxanne Myers

3 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Guyana …husband, child, relative See story on page 14

of dead woman all test positive

Region 4 Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo PNCR Chairwoman Volda Lawrence

Berbice businessman killed during birthday celebration Page 9

…after bandits invade party, 2 others injured

Threats, verbal assault on media workers condemned Page 10

…after APNU/AFC supporters launched attack outside GECOM’s office

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Teen found P8 guilty of raping boy to know fate this week Coronavirus threat

Local market vendors hike citrus prices

P12 Coronavirus

P8 Public transportation operators should take precaution ꟷ UMU President

Man caught while setting fire at GECOM’s ECD office P11

American P16 Airlines to suspend international flights starting March 16

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SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, March 15 – 09:30h – 11:00h and Monday, March 16 – 10:30h – 12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, March 15 – 8:30h – 10:00h and Monday, March 16 – 09:45h – 11:15h.

Fraudulent & illegal Region 4 results

Countrywide recount to be supervised by high-level Caricom delegation

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Expect sunny skies throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 08:31h and 21:08h reaching maximum heights of 2.49 metres and 2.29 metres.

Low Tide: 02:05h and 14:37h reaching minimum heights of 0.80 metre and 0.75 metre.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2020

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Crude Oil Rough Rice London Sugar

$33.85/barrel $240.75/ton $355.00/ton

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Change % +1.86 +1.67 0.00

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Bid/Ask $1529.90 $1530.90 Low/High $1504.10 $1598.60 Change 0.00 0.00

Caricom Chair Mia Mottley

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high-level delegation of regional leaders will be coming to Guyana to supervise the recounting process for the entire country.

Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley made the announcement on Saturday afternoon, noting that the request was made and agreed to by President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

“I have spoken directly to both the President and the Leader of the Opposition and they have both committed to abide by the results of a fair and transparent recount of each and every ballot, as supervised by the Caricom team,” Mottley stated.

Requests for a recount of the votes for Region Four were made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) as well as the newer political parties before

Senior Lecturer in Department of Government of UWI, Cynthia Barrow-Giles

Former Minister of Finance of Grenada, Anthony Boatswain

Former Dominica Attorney General and Foreign Minister, Francine Baron

noon on Saturday morning, in light of concerns of the flawed process embarked upon by the Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

Mingo had declared the discredited results for Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) at around 23:00h on Friday night, following a process which did not allow political party representatives or observers to scrutinise the Statements of Poll (SoPs) used by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Many stakeholders argue that the SoPs used by GECOM were clearly doctored and were not in concord with the SoPs independently collected on Elections Day, March 2.

According to the Caricom Chair, the decision for an independent recounting is a “giant step” in being able to determine the will of the Guyanese people.

“It will also allow the electoral process to regain

the confidence of all locally, regionally and internationally,” the Caricom Chair said, adding that there was also an agreement for steps to be taken to secure the integrity of the ballot boxes until the recount takes place.

The international community, including observers and the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union had described the tabulation process for Region Four as one that lacks credibility and transparency.

Meanwhile, the high-level team will be Chaired

by Francine Baron, former Attorney General and Foreign Minister and comprise Anthony Boatswain, former Minister of Finance of Grenada and Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer in Department of Government of UWI. They will also be accompanied by the two Chief Election Officers from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

The recount will commence once the Caricom team arrives in Guyana, Mottley said, noting that “all efforts” are being made to have the delegation in Guyana.

Countrywide recount

In a subsequent statement, Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque clarified that “for the avoidance of doubt, Granger and Bharrat Jagdeo had agreed to a recount of all regions and not just Region Four.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who is also General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), explained that he has no objections to a national recount.

In a comment to the media, Jagdeo explained that the issue of a recount for Region Four was brought up at a meeting between himself, Granger and Caricom Heads earlier in the week.

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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

Granger’s overreach

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ost Guyanese refused to believe that David Granger and the PNC – camouflaged as APNU/ AFC – would have rigged to keep to power.

Very “knowledgeable” citizens insisted that the electoral system had enough robust safeguards to prevent the electoral shenanigans that took place under the PNC regimes between 1973 and 1985. But they were thinking of technical safeguards, such as the integrity of the electoral lists, counting of ballots at the place of poll in the presence of scrutineers and other innovations that were instituted specifically to rectify abuses the old PNC regimes.

However, they forgot that the PNC had also resorted to what is referred to as “brute force and ignorance” in the local idiom to intervene, which left no doubt in the minds of the international community – including Caricom – that they had rigged the elections. This started in 1973, when the Army was mobilised “to protect the ballot boxes”, when in fact the hard-won right of the Opposition parties to accompany the boxes to the Counting Office in their Region, was being exercised. Two PPP activists were shot and killed by the army when they attempted to accompany the ballot boxes to the place of counting.

David Granger was to write in his account of the 1973 army role that the soldiers performed “admirably”. The army, in fact, not only seized the boxes but transported them all to GDF Headquarters at Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown, where they were “counted”, out of sight of any civilians.

PNC leader Forbes Burnham had adumbrated a new philosophy for the GDF in 1970. “I do not share with the British the concept that the Army is separate and distinct from everything else and loyal to the government of the day. As Prime Minister, I expect you to be loyal to this Government. If there is any other government, it is a matter for you to decide about that, but as far as I am concerned I don’t want any abstract loyalty…I have now arranged with the Chief of Staff that, in future, all recruits, apart from their military training, will also have to attend a course of lectures on the philosophy and ideology of the government and the Co-op Republic”.

David Granger was then the officer who was responsible for indoctrinating the army in the new philosophy and as he wrote. “The sound political education that the officers and soldiers received during 1971 and 1972 enabled them to act with tact, discretion and firmness in 1973 and saved the day.” Granger’s career is coterminous with blatant electoral rigging.

In his gamebook, then, the most extreme action can be taken to retain power and as Burnham demonstrated, the regime would be able to survive. Some might say the circumstances that made the world look past the PNC’s rigging have disappeared, but across the world there are illegitimate regimes that have held on to power because they have the coercive institutions of the state at their disposal, to put down any internal opposition challenge.

Granger has brushed off even the condemnation and warnings of the western powers that are supposed to wield so much influence in Guyana. He has done so because he calculates that since his regime will not threaten their interests, they will go along with his illegal seizure of power after a short period of huffing and puffing. He is counting on their historically short span of attention when it comes to “sh*thole” countries.

But in our estimation, Granger has seriously misread the situation. While the rationale for the Western interest – ideology and the Cold War— might have disappeared, their economic interest in our massive oil find and their strategic interest vis a vis their desire to return democratic governance to Venezuela will compel them to apply the same yardstick to Guyana. They cannot, on one hand, support the ouster of Maduro because of his lack of democratic credentials in favour of Opposition Leader Guido and accept Granger’s rigged election here.

These tourists on a horseback ride at Waikin Ranch, in the Savannah of Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) stop to take a photo of a giant anteater (Kev Thomas/Waikin Ranch photo)

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

GECOM has failed Guyana

Dear Editor, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), for too long, has been the main cancer undermining and constantly eating away at the foundations of Guyana’s greatness. The recent farcical and unbelievable display of Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo and other implanted PNC agents at the tallying of the Region Four Statements of Poll, affirm the ruthless malignant nature of a disease that is likely to further the sufferance of Guyana for decades to come.

Guyanese citizens are in limbo with our nation watched by the whole world, who have taken note of the consistent continuous dillydallying of GECOM, together with Mr Granger’s delaying and dodging tactics.

Although the GECOM voting process of the National and Regional Elections were largely conducted peacefully and transparently, what followed because of the RO’s outright defiance of the courts in the tallying process in Region Four (the most populated region), certainly makes a mockery of

transparency, decency, and democracy, albeit expending over seven billion ($7 billion) taxpayers dollars.

It is now public that after many attempts and the most dubious of processes witnessed by local and international observers, RO Clairmont Mingo announced during the night of Friday, March 13, 2020, that the APNU/AFC had won the elections. The PNC and Granger cabal along with the incompetent and corrupt demons in the GECOM staff held the nation at ransom. Region Four, particularly Georgetown, the seat of power closest to the GECOM Centre could not transparently complete the simple verification/tabulation of the votes.

What has taken place in the presence of the entire world is not rigging but outright blatant thieving of an entire election. Clairmont Mingo, the Returning Officer of Region Four, after feigning sickness to give his facilitators enough time to prepare a false spreadsheet with inflated votes in favour of the APNU/AFC, has shamelessly allowed

the staff at GECOM to falsify the true positions on the Statements of Poll.

In many instances, wicked doctoring of numbers accepted by the RO in the tally represented on the spreadsheet conflicted with the Statements of Poll certified by the Presiding Officers and party agents at the polling places. It shockingly showed in many instances that APNU/AFC scored more votes than the number of persons on the respective voters’ lists.

Of note is that Mr Mingo refused to address the doctored conflicts when queries were raised by party representatives and international observers. The only remedial position to this end is an actual recount of all of the votes in each box that is swiftly running against time, given the outlandish stalling processes adopted under clearly issued directions by GECOM representatives.

I have evidence that the PPP/C and other contesting parties of these elections served the relevant notice on the RO, calling for a total recount of all of the

votes in Region Four. Given the commitments made to the courts by the RO and the GECOM Chairman, the public expects that the most expedient approach is undertaken in keeping with the laws to ensure these counts would be swiftly undertaken. Failure in this respect runs Guyana at the risk of absolute international exclusion from which we may never recover in our lifetimes.

If sworn in under these conditions, the national or international communities will never recognize Mr Granger as legitimate and our dear country and citizens will continue to be the target of exclusion.

Consequently, I call on all citizens to stand up and reject the ensuing tyranny that has emerged before our very eyes. We must rally strongly and peacefully for GECOM to conduct the proper processes, as the counts of citizens’ votes are undertaken. Guyana deserves more and better!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Dark times ahead Dear Editor, I can only shake my head and sigh with the occurrences of Friday, March 13, 2020.

This day is only going to go down as a disappointing, sickening one in the history of this nation. The Returning Officer for Region Four, Mr Clairmont Mingo was supposed to resume the tabulation of the votes using the Statements of Poll in accordance with the

ruling of Chief Justice Roxane George.

However, reports from inside the GECOM Command Centre are only foul. Mingo’s “Statements of Poll” showcased massive discrepancies compared to the other party representatives. These “Statements of Poll” only match the copies in possession of the coalition agents. This prompted the foreign observ-

ers to simply walk out of the GECOM Command Centre.

In a statement from the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in Guyana, they deemed the tabulation process by Mingo as not transparent and said that the Region Four results would, therefore, be lacking in credibility. To add salt to the wound, the OAS has decided to withdraw from Guyana.

Such a shame isn’t it? To

think, that on March 2, the polling exercise was conducted in a transparent and satisfactory manner. If only the same could be said regarding the tabulation process. It’s pretty obvious by now that the results for Region Four are unlikely to be credible and hence any President sworn in should be deemed illegitimate.

Clairmont Mingo is a disgrace to this nation.

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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

Farce, fraud in Region 4 results amount to Democracy dies; freedoms and an abortion of Guyana’s democratic process rights of all of us are placed at risk

Dear Editor, On behalf of Change Guyana, we herein state that the 160 Statements of Poll (SoPs) for Region Four, March 2, 2020 elections, which we sourced independently, matched exactly with the related SoPs provided by the PPP/C to the public at large.

We find it absurd that our copies of originals are different from the alleged originals or copies used by GECOM and/or APNU/AFC, which they claim to be authentic, and which the now robot Mr Clairmont Mingo, Returning Officer of Region Four, used in GECOM’s Region Four declaration on March 13, 2020.

The lawless and circumvented process leading to the declaration showed that whenever a party representative could decipher what the GECOM speed readers of the SoPs were claiming, the APNU/AFC numbers dif-

fered on the upside or were inflated, invariably from 50 per cent to 200 per cent more, with slight or no changes for the other parties.

It is a textual impossibly for a copy to be different from the original; unless changed or amended, which is just not credible, and crosses the line of sanity when the differences accrue by 99 per cent in favour of one party, namely APNU/AFC. With this short letter, we wish to place in the public domain and state in granite terms that the fabrication, farce and fraud related to the declaration made for Region Four election results; amounts to an abortion, aberration and abomination of Guyana’s democratic process and the laws and provisions in the Representation of the People Act. Change Guyana filed on the morning of March 14, 2020, at GECOM’s Region Four office, located on

Hadfield and High Streets, a request for the recount of the Region Four votes, pursuant to Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, with the knowledge that for liberty to prevail, and with the recognition that to attain justice, we have to be courageous. The will of the Guyanese people must prevail over dishonesty, indecency and a total lack of integrity.

The letter was accepted and signed for by Ms Denise Cummings, Deputy Returning Officer of GECOM. It was claimed by officers present that Mr Mingo was not present.

“Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue” – Malcolm X. Sincerely, Nigel Hinds Chairman Change Guyana

Dark times...

My head was shaking in fury on March 5 when reports first started coming out about our elections being hijacked. Today is a different array of emotions.

And I do think I speak on behalf of all democracy-loving citizens in this country. My shoulders are now slumped with a disgusted, but disappointed sigh.

Today’s events are something hard to wrap my head around. It really does seem as though all hope is lost for this nation.

Do you think I should spell it out? My comrades,

we are heading into a dictatorship. Our elections were blatantly and sloppily rigged in favour of the “APNU/AFC” coalition. We are heading back into the dark ages. All the stories that our parents and grandparents told us about the Burnham era are unfolding right before our very eyes.

Well, the only thing is that Forbes Burnham was subtle in his rigging of the elections, but that’s because he was a brilliant individual.

The likes of which cannot be seen in his current party’s inhabitants.

Dear Editor, I’m not a lawyer. I’m not a politician. I am a 22-yearold commerce graduate interested in sustainability and innovation.

I care about my fellow Guyanese youths and our future. We need to live in a fair and just world.

It has been heartbreaking to see educated people – people with whom I do not share the same political ideology, but we have been able to have intellectual debates – so blinded by their biases that they are unable to see past the APNU/AFC coalition’s rhetoric.

I have also seen people not comprehending the fact that on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the Chief Justice ruled, among other things, that any declaration of election results in Region Four must be done in accordance with

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On another note, to all those coalition supporters who blatantly attack anyone questioning the credibility of the tabulation process and labelling such individuals as “PPP” supporters. You are blind. You cannot process a basic perversion of our democracy.

So, what’s next for Guyana? No hope for now at least. David Granger will most likely be sworn in. The coalition dictatorship will take office, much to the chagrin of many. I urge all distressed and disgruntled individuals to not

turn to violence. That is not the way. The fight against injustice can be done peacefully. Peaceful protest is what matters. Even though right now it seems like hope is lost, we must never give up. The fight for what is right will never end. Our dear Martin Carter opened one of his most famous poems with the line “This is the dark time my love”. My comrades, this is the dark time indeed.

Yours faithfully, Nikhil Sankar

the Representation of the People Act – meaning a verification of the votes cast by going through Statement of Poll by Statement of Poll in the presence of stakeholders in the electoral process.

I am not going to get into the legal specifics, but multiple sections of the Representation of the People Act were violated by the Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

On March 13, 2020, a second declaration was made for District Four – with the Region Four Returning Officer persisting with a process that lacked transparency and credibility. On this, I have a few questions: 1. How is using scanned or photocopied Statements of Poll (SoPs) – as opposed to using actual SoPs that have security features, which can be reviewed – expected to be something that the Guyanese people accept?

2. How is it that SoPs photographed by Guyanese and shared on election night now show different numbers by GECOM’s count?

3. How is it that the number of votes in some areas of Region Four is more than the number of registered voters?

4. How can it be said that there was compliance with the Chief Justice’s ruling? How has democracy prevailed?

5. How could anyone with common sense think “democracy and rule of law has prevailed” as stated in

the coalition’s press release dated March 14, 2020?

6. I voted in Region Four. Most of my friends and family members voted in Region Four. Why is the will of the people being ignored?

7. When the corrupt, indecent and dishonest act of rigging an election – done with the complicity of APNU/AFC and some GECOM staff members – has been rejected by Guyanese, here and abroad; rejected by the international community, how are Guyanese who want their votes counted expected to not be aggrieved?

My fellow youths, this my plea to you, please, do your own research, do not let personal biases against political parties – because of childhood impressions or other factors – cloud your view.

What is happening in our country is wrong; plain and simple. Just look at the facts.

When democracy dies, the freedoms and rights of all of us are placed at risk, regardless of who you voted for. If we do not take a stand against this injustice now, we will sadly end up wanting to tell our future children and grandchild those stories told to us by our grandparents and parents.

Please, stay woke to see that democracy and rule of law prevails.

Sincerely, Nutana Singh

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Foundation 5 relaxing, mindful ways to hand wash during COVID-19

By David Krauss PhD

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am reading many on-line articles and blog posts about how to manage stress and boredom and be productive while our children and teens are home from school for weeks (or more?) due to COVID-19 ‘social distancing’ interventions such as school closings. Many of these articles and posts (see some links below) provide great lists of strategies and activities and I will try not to repeat them here.

I do have, however, some ideas that do not seem to be regularly mentioned in these otherwise excellent resources: go (safely, keeping social distance) outside, be physically active, teach some life skills and be kind to others.

Go (safely, keeping social distance) Outside:

‘Social distancing’ means keeping a recommended distance from other people to limit spread of the virus. This is not the same as ‘stay in your house or apartment all day’.

If you have a yard and can supervise (and limit) your children’s contact with others, go play in the yard. Go for a walk in the woods – while keeping ‘social distance’ (at least six feet) from others and not touching surfaces others may have touched. If you have a car take a ride to a state or national park and get out and explore - while keeping recommended social distance from others, of course. Research suggests outdoor activity reduces stress.

can, with some preparation and guidance, be made responsible for preparing and serving a family meal. Have your teen watch you one time, then help a bit, then do the prep and cooking or baking while you watch and guide, then, when ready, do it on their own.

Same thing with doing laundry, including eventually you teen being responsible not just for their own clothes but for the family’s clothes as well. Teach your older child or teen how to rake the yard or prepare a garden. Do your walls need re-painting? Have your child or teen help you paint.

Oil change? Teach your teen how to change the oil in your car. You may even be able to teach them to vacuum, or clean the toilets (insert’ smiley emoji’ here).

Older children and teens can be learning life skills in preparation for the time when they will, hopefully, someday, be out on their own. Knowing how to do these kinds of things also builds their sense of self-efficacy. Research suggests a sense of self-efficacy (“I am capable”, “I can solve problems and overcome obstacles”) reduces stress.

Be kind to others:

Acts of common decency and kindness and providing support and aid to others reduces our focus on ourselves and our anxieties – and can also teach our children good, life long, values. Research suggests altruism reduces stress.

Visiting with elderly or infirm or disabled neighbours might not be a great idea at this time but you might consider supervising your children as they talk with and check in on these neighbours while keeping a safe ‘social distance’ (at least six feet or more)– through an open window or door (you and your children on the outside, your neighbour on the inside) for example. Or make some calls or video chat – a great way to practice those phone skills. Or do some outdoor chores for these neighbours – rake or clean up a yard or flower bed, for example.

Very important note:

Be physically active:

Go safely outside (see above) and play, have a catch or kick a ball around, walk, run or hike together. If indoors, set aside a place and time to do some basic stretching and then basic exercises. Many home- exercise videos, for children and adults, can be found on-line. Research suggests physical activity reduces stress.

Teach some life skills:

Children of all ages can help cook or bake. Adolescents

‘Social Distancing’ is key to your own and your children’s health and to limit the spread of the virus in the community.

If you experience in your particular circumstances a conflict between ‘social distancing’ and enacting the suggestions in this post - then social distance and don’t enact them. Social distancing comes first.

Psychology Today also has some excellent articles and blog posts with information about COVID-19 in general and helping children in particular. Look for the ‘search’ window on this page or search at psychologytoday.com, enter coronavirus and children.

The New York Times also has a lot of other good, upto-date, vetted for accuracy, info on the corona virus outbreak. Look for: “Corona Virus Outbreak: Answers To Your Most Common Questions” at the New York Times website.

(Psychology Today)

By Marlynn Wei MD, JD

Blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Using the restroom.

Eating or preparing food.

Contact with animals or pets.

Providing care for another person who needs assistance.

Public transportation.

Attending public events or crowded spaces, like the gym or grocery store.

T

he CDC recommends washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. I find that this can feel like a long time or can be difficult to track—and you might sometimes be tempted to cut it short. Instead, I have found it useful to try mindfulness exercises during handwashing, which can feel peaceful, reduce stress and anxiety, and be a way to build a meditation and mindfulness practice at the same time.

Here’s a quick guide to adding mindfulness to your handwashing routine.

1. Pair simple mindful breathing exercises. Pair these simple breathing exercises with handwashing. These are useful to time 20 seconds and also to relax the body and mind.

Variation 1 Focus on your breath while you’re washing your hands.

Take a gentle breath through your nose for 5 seconds, exhale through your nose for 5 seconds.

Repeat a second cycle: 5 seconds inhalation, 5 seconds exhalation.

That’s 20 seconds.

Variation 2 Inhale for 5 seconds, pause for 5 seconds, and exhale for 5 seconds.

Repeat for a second cycle for a total of 30 seconds.

Variation 3 Inhale for 5 seconds, pause for 5 seconds, and exhale for 10 seconds.

When you lengthen the exhalation, it can ease the mind and body and have a relaxing effect. (Note: For some, 10 seconds of exhalation can feel strenuous. In that case, try variation 2 above. It’s not worth straining your mind or body.)

2. Repeat mindful phrases.

Slowly repeat calming and positive phrases in your mind while washing your hands. This practice has been shown to be relaxing and reduce stress. Here is a sample set you can think to yourself while washing your hands.

When I breathe in, I fill up and expand with positive and healthy energy.

When I breathe out, I release

any negative or stressful energy.

When I breathe in, I feel full of lightness and joy. When I breathe out, I let go of any heaviness or worries.

Repeat these phrases for at least 20 seconds. (You may want to set a timer.)

3. Use sensory relaxation.

Mindfulness can be as simple as connecting with the senses during a simple act like handwashing. Explore the deep, relaxing sensations of water as you wash. Water is historically an element of creativity, growth, emotion, and connectivity.

Take a moment to take a deep breath in through your nose.

Exhale and sigh out of your mouth to release any tension and release your jaw as you do this. Repeat a few times if you still feel the tension in your jaw.

Now, listen to the sound of the water. How does it sound right now? What other noises are around you?

Notice the feeling of the warm water and soap on your hands.

How does the water feel? What is the temperature of the water?

What are the textures of the water and soap like? How do the muscles of your hands (palm, fingers, knuckles, back of the hand) feel?

Begin to notice how washing your hands can feel different each time that you do it.

4. Pair a hand massage with handwashing.

The World Health Organization has very specific handwashing instructions (including also instructions for how to rub your hands with hand sanitizer) which include hand movements, such as interlacing your fingers and rotating your palms. Check out their instructions for both here.

Consider approaching handwashing, then, as an opportunity for an important deep hand massage. Who would want to cut short a massage?

Use your fingers and thumbs to rub the surface of your palm and top of hands. These areas are often sore if you type or text a lot, so take your time and see where your tension is in your hands.

5. Try a shoulder relaxation exercise.

The neck and shoulders are common places where we carry stress in our bodies. Try this simple shoulder exercise while washing your hands to release tension. This is also a useful moment to notice how your body feels.

As you wash your hands, inhale slowly and roll your shoulders up towards your ears.

Exhale as you draw your shoulder blades down and towards each other. Release your shoulders away from your ears.

Continue to do a few shoulder rolls. (Psychology Today)

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Integrity of ballot boxes paramount – Jagdeo

…welcomes Caricom intervention to supervise recount ... in presence of political parties’ reps, int’l observers

T

he announcement that the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will oversee the recount of all votes cast in the recently concluded General and Regional elections was welcomed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), with General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo.

Jagdeo in commending the move to have the independent high-level regional team involved, urged on Saturday that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) ensure the security of the ballot boxes until the Caricom team arrives to supervise the recount.

During a press conference on Saturday, Jagdeo underscored the importance of the integrity of the ballot boxes.

“The President has said he wants that recount and I’ve accepted it; I’ve said that we want the recount. He made a request to Caricom to supervise the recount, in the presence of all the political parties and international observers, box by box,” Jagdeo said.

“And you have seen in Prime Minister Mottley’s statement, she urged that all steps be immediately taken to preserve the containers and the boxes, so there is integrity in those boxes, so no one attempts to enter them. And I urge GECOM to do this immediately, given this is the desire of the two political parties.”

He noted that to the best of his knowledge the chain of custody for the ballot boxes has not been broken. Nevertheless, Jagdeo emphasised the importance of ensuring their integrity as he extended gratitude

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

to Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who is the Chair of Caricom.

“You have seen a statement from Mia Mottley, outlining a way forward for the conclusion of these elections and ensuring that credible declarations are made and the rightful [President] is sworn in. Let me thank the Prime Minister for the effort she has made in trying to find a way forward in this delicate situation.”

Sanctions loom

Jagdeo warned of the possible effects unless the Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) votes are tabulated and a declaration made after a transparent process.

He referred to the situation as a crisis and noted that Guyana risks being an outcast on the international stage.

“It is a crisis that was man-made by a small group of people that are hell-bent on declaring fictitious, false results and then swearing in a President on the basis

Caricom Chair Mia Mottley

of those fraudulent results.

You have seen so many shenanigans along the way in an attempt to prevent the verification of the results using Police tactics as well as disobeying court orders,” Jagdeo said.

He noted that on Friday evening, Guyana was heading into a “situation that would have seen Guyana being ostracised, facing sanctions and our people suffering for this. So, we’re very pleased that we have managed to chart a way forward that would be acceptable to both sides.”

Previously, Jagdeo had suggested that should there be any disputes during the verification process of the statements of polls (SoPs) from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), then there should be a public recounting process of the ballots.

He made this comment to the media on Wednesday evening following a meeting with Mottley. She along with the Prime Ministers of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit;

GECOM Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh

Grenada, Keith Mitchell; St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, and Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley, were in Guyana on a two-day visit for engagements with various elections stakeholders.

Jagdeo told reporters that during the meeting with the Caricom delegation, which also included Secretary General of Caricom, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, he outlined his suggestion that should the need for a recount arise then it must be an open, public process that is done before all stakeholders.

Countrywide recount to be...

During that meeting, Jagdeo said the President raised concerns he had in two regions.

“I informed the meeting that although the statutory deadline for requesting the recount in some of the regions had passed, the PPP/C would support a request for a recount in any region, providing that the ballots are secured,” Jagdeo explained.

He noted too that the PPP/C had requested, at that meeting, that all the containers be centralised to allow for a watch by all the political parties, GECOM and the election observer missions.

“I reiterate that the PPP/C has no objection to a recount in any of the 10 Regions, or all for that matter, as a means of definitively settling the issues surrounding the March 2,

2020 General and Regional Elections,” Jagdeo posited.

Court case

Prior to the announcement by Caricom, the PPP/C had approached the court to secure its request for a recount of the votes for Region Four.

The matter was held at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court, before Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George as the High Court in Georgetown was being fumigated.

The PPP/C had feared GECOM would deny its requests for a recount, and as such, approached the court on that basis.

However, during the proceedings, the Caricom Chair made her statement, which was then brought to the attention of the CJ. Efforts were then made

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

to have the statement authenticated, after which, the GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh was asked to address the court.

According to PPP/C attorney, Anil Nandlall, Justice Singh gave a commitment to facilitate the recount.

Nandlall told reporters he is satisfied with that outcome.

“This is a political situation. While we are trying to get it legally addressed… one can’t turn a blind eye to the political realities that are operating in the circumstances here. And if the politicians in their wisdom have come to a political solution, then it is incumbent upon GECOM to facilitate and not frustrate that process, of course, within the confines of the law,” he explained.

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Coronavirus

Public transportation operators should take precaution – UMU President

President of the Minibus Union, Eon Andrews

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ith thousands of Guyanese using public transportation daily, President of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews, is urging all operators to ensure the safety of commuters, in light of the coronavirus threat in Guyana.

According to the United Minibus Union President, it is paramount that drivers be more sensitised to prevent further infection of the COVID-19 virus.

“Operators need to arrange themselves in such a

way where they will be to clean every spot, where they open the doors, spray the bus every two or three trips. They also need to have dialogues with the persons travelling with them…”, he said.

Andrews further said that it is also the responsibility of every commuter to ensure that they are well protected during this season. The minibus association President encouraged that operators pay keen attention to public announcements that will be disseminated.

“We are being advised on what Guyana needs to do.

Please listen to the radio, follow the news, and every avenue on how you can get to protect yourself and those persons travelling with you,” he urged.

Nevertheless, when this publication spoke to several operators from the East Coast of Demerara bus park, they all assured that they are doing their utmost to ensure that their buses are clean.

“I am trying my best to

ensure myself and everyone in this bus is well protected, I clean and spray my bus every day, and I try to encourage my passengers to do the same,” one driver told this publication.

Another, who is popularly known as “Bumba”, said: “Since we heard of the woman who died at Georgetown Hospital, I am making sure I clean out my bus with bleach and so on”.

Up to date, Guyana has only recorded one suspected case of COVID-19. The

case is regarded as imported as the 52-year-old old woman travelled from New York to Guyana. She died at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

As such, the Public Health Ministry has urged persons to take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety.

While the coronavirus is not airborne, it can linger on surfaces for some time.

Symptoms range from fever, dry cough, muscle ache and fatigue. As such, persons are advised to desist from touching their faces coupled with

Teen found guilty of raping boy to know fate this week

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teenager who was convicted of raping a seven-year-old boy in 2015 will know his fate on Tuesday when he appears before Justice Joann Barlow at the Demerara

High Court for sentencing.

The 19-year-old convict was scheduled to be sentenced on March 12 but it was further deferred to March 17 when a probation report and victim impact statement will be presented.

A 12-member jury had found the youth guilty of the indictment which detailed that between December 1 and 24, 2015, he engaged in sexual activity with the child.

According to reports, the young boy was left alone in the company of the now-convicted teen when he forced the child to touch his genitals. The child refused to touch the accused and as a result, he forcefully engaged in sexual activity with the child.

The child later confided in his parents and a Police report was made. Following an investigation, the teen was arrested and charged for the offence.

Prosecutors Teriq Mohamed and Mandel Moore presented the State’s case.

Darkness…

O …at noon in Guyana

ver the years after the PNC returned to power in 2015 – under the cover provided by the AFC and a handful of one-man parties – your Eyewitness referred several times to the theme of “Darkness at Noon”. It’s the title Arthur Koestler gave to his allegorical novel that described the imposition of the brutal Stalin’s dictatorship over Russia. It alludes to the darkening of the skies when Christ was crucified at midday; something precious was being sacrificed. Today, once again, similar darkness has descended over Guyana, with our inalienable right to choose our government being sacrificed on the altar of Granger and the PNC’s insatiable greed for pelf and power.

A year and a half ago, your Eyewitness had written: “After months of clear sunshine in Guyana, there were prophetic dark clouds over Georgetown last Thursday when two Justices of the Appellate Court affirmed Granger’s unilateral appointment of James Patterson as GECOM Chairman.” We knew then the local Judiciary was going to bend to the PNC storm. Some months later, readers were reminded of what’s ahead if they didn’t stand up to the PNC juggernaut: “Darkness at Noon” could very well be a portrayal of the nightmare politics of those times under the totalitarian megalomaniac, Burnham. Yes, it was a “dark time, my dear reader”! There was the darkness of the rampant, violent, kick-down-the-door robberies when the homes of Guyanese were violated and their innocent occupants brutally beaten to hand over whatever valuables were left after the Burnhamite state’s depredations.

“There was the darkness of the indignity of standing in “Guy-lines” for hours to BUY an ounce of butter, and the humiliation of dreaming about the taste of bread.

And not least of all, there was the darkness of having your ballots dumped into canals and replaced by new ones filled in by the “Security Forces”. Whose security?? Yes, my friends, life became “nasty, brutish and short”, under the Burnhamite PNC.” But here in Guyana today, Dear Reader, Granger and his PNC miscreants didn’t even bother there wasn’t even a cloud in the skies: they did their rigging in Georgetown bathed in bright sunshine. They didn’t even bother that the ABCE diplomats walked out of the farcical “presentation” of the SoPs in that bright sunshine. If in 1980, the British Observer Group said the elections were “more crooked than barbed wire”, how would they describe this one??

The PNC didn’t even offer a fig leaf to have them wriggle out from the obvious “condemnation”.

But sadly, we should remember that in the international arena, there aren’t any permanent friends, or permanent “principles”.

Just permanent interests. And once those interests aren’t threatened… …and nastiness to the press And if the international observers, the diplomatic corps, the International nation-blocks of the OAS, Commonwealth, and Caricom weren’t enough to satisfy the PNC’s penchant for venting their spleen, yesterday they turned on the press. This morning, the reports from the latter were a thing to behold! Most had insisted they were “value-free observers” and went out of their way to take the PNC and their shenanigans with the SoPs at face value. Your Eyewitness used to wonder whether they were just naïve or they supporters of the Government.

A few were definitely in the latter group – they didn’t bother to disguise their preferences. But the majority tried to dance between the raindrops of the PNC’s vicious and nasty rigging stratagems. Well you ought to hear then now!! Some are affronted that they were attacked by PNC supporters and prevented from covering the counting because of their…erm…ethnicity!! This, it seemed was the lowest blow! After all, hadn’t they denied ethnicity even existed and insisted they were “Guyanese”??

Ah…the agony of an illusion shattered!! …and light Guyanese know the PNC’s refusing to show their SoPs ‘cause they’re hiding something. They should do the logical thing and accept the SoPs of the PPP that have been un-contradicted in the public domain for over a week.

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

NEWS

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Berbice businessman killed during birthday celebration …after bandits invade party, 2 others injured

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Dead: Tony Bisnauth

West Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) businessman was shot and killed by bandits who invaded his birthday party as he was celebrating with family and friends.

Two other persons were also shot during the robbery which occurred at about 23:00h on Friday night.

Dead is 78-year-old Tony Bisnauth, called “Uncle Tony” and “England Man”, of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice. Injured are Mahendra Nagamootoo, called “Karan”, 25, and his uncle, 47-year-old Nateram Bridgelall, called “Bobby”, both of Lot 23 Carriage Road, Rosignol.

Bisnauth received a suspected gunshot wound to

his right ear. They were attacked by three masked bandits, two armed with handguns and the other with a chopper. The incident took place at Sandra’s Snackette on Carriage Road, which many refer to as Stelling Road, Rosignol.

Reports are that Bisnauth and a younger brother along with Bridgelall, Nagamootoo and another man were imbibing at a table and four

According to the Police, the dead man’s wife, Sunita Khani, said the suspects pounced with weapons and demanded their valuables.

She related that they refused the bandits demands and a scuffle ensued during which the suspects discharged several rounds causing three persons to receive injuries.

Reports are that Nagamootoo, who is Bisnauth’s adopted son,

abdomen and back.

Bridgelall, in recounting the ordeal, said he and his nephew were invited to the birthday party. He also said he sold the now-dead man a sheep, which was cooked for the party. Bridgelall was shot once and the bullet grazed his belly.

“I see three masked men run from across the road and one go straight to my nephew, one go to Uncle Tony and the other one

Sandra’s Snackette, where the robbery occurred

women and three children were on another table outside of the snackette. The snackette is owned and operated by Bisnauth’s wife.

was shot three times and is now a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital. He is nursing three gunshot wounds – one to his arm,

come straight to me. They shoot Uncle Tony first and after that, the other one and my nephew start fighting. The other one brace

Injured: Mahendra Nagamootoo

me into the wall and put the gun by my belly and he asked me if I have anything and I tell him that I don’t have anything and then he pull off my gold chain and push his hand in my pocket and took out my phone,” the man recalled.

He explained that the bandit was not satisfied with the loot and began to pat him down in search of more valuables. He said that the man pushed his hand in his back pocket where he had $35,000.

“After turning, he fire the shot and it just graze my belly.”

The bandits escaped with four cellular phones, jewellery and cash from Bisnauth. The man returned to Guyana from the United Kingdom some 10 years ago.

A younger brother, who is currently on vacation

Injured: Nateram Bridgelall

from the UK, was also at the party when the bandits attacked. According to him, as soon as he realised that they were about to be robbed he laid flat on the ground. The man recalled that Bisnauth and one of the bandits were in a scuffle and went into the shop where his brother was shot.

However, he said that he passed out and could not remember much.

However, Bridgelall said after Bisnauth was shot he fell, and the bandit pushed his hand into the injured man’s pocket and took his cellular phone and money.

Bisnauth leaves to mourn his wife, five children and a brother.

Police are on the hunt for the bandits as the investigation continues.

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Threats, verbal assault on media workers condemned …after APNU/AFC supporters launched attack outside GECOM’s office

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he Guyana Press Association (GPA) has condemned threats and verbal assault on media workers, which has increased in recent time and more so escalated on Friday evening outside Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), headquarters, High Street, Kingston, Georgetown. On Friday evening, media workers were gathered outside of the Secretariat to provide coverage of the vote tabulation process when supporters of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition stormed the barricaded perimeter, hurling threats at the press.

Apart from facing strong verbal intimidation, the mob of persons – parading in green and yellow shirts – proceeded to block media workers from accessing their colleagues inside to provide equipment and food. Many journalists took to their social media platforms to highlight the terrorisation faced while trying to carry out their jobs. In an instance, one person said she nearly escaped a physical assault by the crowd, as senior ranks of the Guyana Police Force ignored the impudent attack. While they would have called for intervention from law enforcement throughout the entire attack, none was forthcoming.

brought to media professionals as they conduct their duties,” the statement read.

It positioned that the safety of the press continues to be threatened by the lack of interest by authorities embedded in the elections process to provide security.

Commenting on the bombarding commotion on Friday evening, the Association said, “From the start of results tabulation, GECOM and the Guyana Police Force have played dodge ball with the safety and security of media workers and requests

As customary, media workers were frequently gathered in front of the GECOM Secretariat or Command Centre on Hadfield Street to solicit information as politicians, observers and other officials entered or exited the build-

A photographer being barred by the mob at the Command Centre earlier Friday afternoon

During the ordeal, some persons indicated that they were ‘pounced on’ while the crowd shouted “no media”.

This resulted in many members of the media fleeing the area in fear since their safety was being compromised with no assistance from the Police.

This did not go down well with the Guyana Press Association, which on Saturday called out Police Commissioner Leslie James and GECOM for the incident.

The GPA in condemning the threats stated that such

treatment to media workers has been occurring ever since the elections coverage commenced earlier this month.

While GECOM would have established a media centre for the electoral period, the press was restricted from entering the building, and later told to stand behind the barricade, strategically placed tens of metres away.

“The Guyana Press Association condemns the threats, verbal assault and attempts of physical attacks of our media workers over

The disruptive group of APNU/AFC supporters outside GECOM

the past weeks, including the last two days as they gathered around the GECOM tabulation centre and GECOM Secretariat to inform and update the nation about elections. We hold the leaders of the major political parties, Police Commissioner and members of the Guyana Elections Commission responsible for any harm

for a secured spot outside of the tabulation centre have been met with refusal…

Media workers were verbally abused based on the media outlet they represented and their ethnicity, as members of the crowd attempted to even check packages that included their equipment and food in their possession.”

ing to provide updates.

There, supporters have congregated in the past to launch threats during interviews or while these persons were on standby. On Friday afternoon, one cameraman was seen using his camera in defence as an angry mob of persons forcefully chased him away from the GECOM headquarters.

NEWS

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Man caught while setting fire at GECOM’s ECD office

Granger, the PNC and power O

ver the last year and a half, and especially during the post-NCM manoeuvres and elections hijinks, many commentators have either marvelled or bemoaned David Granger’s scant regard for the constitution (the NCM) or democratic institutions like elections (SoP). Constitutions, of course, are supposed to authoritatively allocate power in a state and elections are supposed to confer authority to a party or coalition to direct the affairs of state as the government for a specified period.

To understand Granger’s seeming “idiosyncrasy” as some put it when he interpreted the constitution as he saw fit, and the unctuous homilies he utters while his myrmidons rape the electoral apparatus to “give David another five years”, we have to dissect his conception of political power.

More specifically, we have to understand his mentor’s Ravi Dev Burnham’s conception since this was directly transmitted to him as the disseminator of the latter’s political philosophy to the armed forces.

Burnham was very open about his political philosophy for action: Machiavelli’s “The Prince”, was his Bible. Machiavelli’s teachings have scandalised society ever since he proposed them in the 16th century. He rejected the still prevalent moralistic view that rulers (today, “politicians”) must behave in accordance with ethical norms and earn the authority to rule because of their “virtuous lives”. Today, they would be chosen in elections.

Machiavelli insisted that there is no moral basis for judging between legitimate and illegitimate uses of power and politicians must focus totally on getting and keeping power.

By any means necessary. Burnham accepted the centrality of power and is famously quoted as saying, “Politics is all about power and any politician who says otherwise is either a fool or lying.” Machiavelli, as Burnham did in practice, gave short shrift to legalities since they concluded these depend on the force for their application. It is better to concentrate on the force as the basis of power.

And it is for this reason that Burnham built up the armed forces in Guyana to the highest ratio per civilian in the world: Granger has single-mindedly followed suit. The Police and GDF have been boosted to their highest strength, while the People’s Militia and the Cadet Corps have been resuscitated and are at full strength. In the debate between guns and sugar, with the Machiavellian Granger, the guns, of course, won out.

In the case of Granger and Burnham, historical circumstances conspired to give them power resources far beyond the unchallenged armed forces. There is the bureaucracy, which, like the Police Force, has been dominated by “kith and kin” for more than a century. Newer state institutions like GECOM, which is supposed to be “autonomous”, also suffer from the same proclivity. Most crucially, Granger also possesses “disruptive power”: controlling the potential or likelihood of particular groups looting, burning and committing general mayhem. This is why businesses are presently boarded up in Georgetown.

Power has two major attributes – resources and their mobilisation. From the above, we can see that the resources at the disposal of a PNC leader – especially with one having his Machiavellian conception of power – would see himself in a very dominant position with other competitors for power, who depend on legitimacy through the ballot box for their authority. The latter, in any case, would be very tenuous since it can be challenged at any time – as the PPP was post-1997.

Mobilisation capabilities include the group’s morale, motivation, cohesiveness and strategic ability to cope with new situations. All of these, of course, are summarised by the word “leadership”. Since he took over the helm of the PNC in 2011, Granger has focused on demonising the PPP in the eyes of his constituency and has succeeded wildly in mobilising his constituency. He has also used Machiavelli’s advice that the leader must be hypocritical and present himself as a person with the highest moral values. Hence the frequent pictures of Granger kneeling and praying in Church, etc..

Machiavelli advised that what we call “cognitive dissonance” today, would not bother the hypocritical leader’s followers. Today, they blindly follow Granger as “honest, decent and suffused with integrity”, even as he oversaw the most blatant rigging of elections in the history of Guyana. And that’s saying a lot.

Granger the Machiavellian knows if he hadn’t rigged, the PPP would get in. He, therefore, loses nothing by “trying a thing”: he at least stands a chance of clinging on with the backing of his power resources. The recount is just a ploy.

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force on Saturday took an unidentified male into custody, after he was caught on camera starting a fire within the compound of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) office at Coldigen, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Guyana Times understands that the vegetation within the compound was lit around midday, resulting in it spreading at a rapid rate.

When contacted by this publication, Fire Prevention Officer Andrew Holder explained that firefighters were able to completely extinguish the fire. He noted that only the vegetation in the compound was burnt

and that no damage was caused to any building or items in the area.

“As soon as the Fire Service got there, they used a hose wheel from the fire tender and completely extinguished the fire. In this dry weather season, any grass fire has the propensity to spread very quickly and as long as the vegetation is dry it would consume a wide area in a short period of time but luckily for us, they were able to catch it at an early stage,” he said.

Meanwhile, Commander of Region Four Subdivision C (East Coast Demerara), Royston Andries-Junor when contacted said that the individual in custody is a “junkie”.

Smoke emanating as the vegetation inside the GECOM compound, ECD, burns

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SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Coronavirus threat

Local market vendors hike citrus prices S

mall-scale vendors on Friday made the move to significantly raise the prices for citrus fruits and other produce, as Guyanese flock the market for vitamin-enriched foods to fend off contraction of the coronavirus.

At popular marketplaces in Georgetown and the coastal stretch, the prices were raised in some cases by 100 per cent and more.

Fruits such as oranges, tangerines and pineapple with high Vitamin C content were the most expensive, even though it is relatively cheap in normal circumstances.

Over at the Vreed-enHoop market at the junction, one vendor refused to state the rationale be-

hind the increase but noted that there was a demand for these products. At one stall, a single pineapple was sold for $900, and oranges at $500 for a parcel of three.

While customers raised eyebrows at the prices, they still proceeded to purchase them. By 10:00h on Friday, almost half of these items were already sold.

One consumer told Guyana Times, “I didn’t expect them to do this but we need it so we have to buy”.

Meanwhile, on social media, other persons vented about the inflated prices at the Mon Repos market on the East Coast of Demerara, where prices were raised across the board. Even vegetables such as plantains

were sold at a higher value.

Over at Stabroek Market, this publication visited in the morning hours where a few stalls kept the costs for fruits and vegetables as low as on regular days. However, it was indicated that the domino effect will come into play if farmers or other suppliers decide to wholesale these produce at higher values.

This publication sought a comment from one consumer, who said he previously went to the Bourda Market where the prices were raised. As such, the only other option was to check the Stabroek vendors.

“I live in Kitty so I went over there…at Bourda and the prices were outrageous.

Vendors have hiked prices for common fruits and vegetables at the marketplaces

The demand has caused consumers to purchase more citrus fruits

A woman had pineapple selling at the price you would pay for two so here wasn’t that bad. It doesn’t make sense because we need it in the upcoming days if more people get sick,” James (only name provided) indicated.

Health authorities have indicated that one of the ways of preventing contraction of the COVID-19 virus is by boosting the immune system while disinfecting

frequently contacted surroundings. It is advisable to sanitise or wash hands frequently and avoid touching the face. Since the virus is not airborne, persons can wear a mask only if they experience symptoms or are caring for an ill person.

Thus far, cleaning supplies have been flying off the shelves in supermarkets and many businesses have now opted to limit the number of

items per person until they are restocked. Demands have risen for cleaning agents such as bleach, along with sanitizers and disinfectants, especially Lysol.

Local health authorities have advised that if anyone is experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, they should contact the hotline on 2274986 ext 215 or 624-3067 and a team would be sent to their location.

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CORONAVIRUS HOW TO HANDWASH? (COVID-19) WASH HANDS OR USE HAND SANITISERS

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

People who think they may be affected by coronavirus need to call the Public Health Ministry hotline 227-4986/624-3067 for further advice.

They should not go to their GP, A&E, pharmacy or hospital.

If you have come into contact with somebody who may be infected, you may be told to self-isolate. People needing to do so should take "common-sense" steps to avoid close contact with other people.

(Adapted from BBC News)

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3 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Guyana …husband, child, relative of dead woman all test positive …Opposition Leader says it is an "existential threat"

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ess than one week after a woman who arrived in Guyana from New York tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus and subsequently died, her husband, child and a close relative have all tested positive for the virus.

On Saturday evening, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence confirmed three new cases.

In a confirmation statement issued through the Department of Public Information, it was stated that the three patients have been identified as the husband of the 52-year-old woman who died from the virus last week, one of her children and another person living at their residence on the East Coast Demerara.

The Public Health Ministry has also urged the public to remain calm.

Nevertheless, reports are that the three persons have been quarantined and further monitoring will follow.

The 52-year-old Guyanese, who had diabetes and hypertension, had arrived in Guyana on March 5 and five days later, she was displaying symptoms of coronavirus. A coronavirus test was conducted which showed positive results.

She died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) that same day.

Other family members were put under self-quarantine by health officials since the chain of contraction is high. However, this newspaper was told that not all of them adhered to the self-quarantine instructions.

Existential threat

Earlier on Saturday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo addressed the seriousness of the novel coronavirus, which he labelled an “existential threat” to all Guyanese. Jagdeo reminded that anyone can contract the virus, which speaks about the extremity in implementing preventative measures.

“Our country can move on to address the threat of the coronavirus, which is an existential threat to all Guyanese. It does not discriminate on the basis on your race or your religion. If one person is contaminated or two persons, they can contaminate all of us. We’re all at risk,” the former Head of State directed as he advised persons to take preventative measures as prescribed by medical professionals.

According to Jagdeo, adequate resources are also needed to protect the populace.

“I want to urge every Guyanese to follow the advisories of our Ministry of

Health, the professionals.

Politicians should not be the ones making the advisories.

We have health professionals across our country. They are the ones who should be in charge at this time and they must have all the resources necessary to protect our people,” he said.

The Opposition Leader added, “Follow the advisories. It is an existential threat for all of us.

Sometimes, all of the differences we have can pail into insignificance when we’re faced with such a threat because our marketplaces are integrated…We need to understand that to know that we’re bound by a common destiny in this country”.

During this time, the Public Health Ministry has indicated that only its National Public Health Reference Laboratory is authorised and has the capacity to test for coronavirus.

President David Granger also recently announced the establishment of a task force, after discussions with officials from the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) in January.

It is one of the measures employed to spearhead preventative actions.

Coronavirus is any of a group of RNA (ribonucleic acid) viruses that cause

a variety of diseases in humans and other animals.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans.

Thus far, screening remains in place for those persons arriving from highrisk countries. Seven countries – Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, French Guiana, Panama, St Vincent and the United States of America – have been added to the list of eight that was previously made public, including – People’s Republic of China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Iran.

After the first case of COVID-19 in Guyana, the Caribbean Airlines (CAL) cabin crew that was working on the flight and local medical staff who had direct contact with the 52-yearold woman were all quarantined.

Some precautionary measures outlined have requested that public gatherings and non-essential travel be discouraged.

Local health authorities have advised that if anyone is experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, they should contact the hotline on 2274986 ext 215 or 624-3067 and a team would be sent to their location.

“I cannot wear this medal with pride” – Supriya Singh-Bodden gives up national award …over doubts of elections transparency

F

ounder of the Guyana Foundation, Supriya Singh-Bodden, who was in 2015 awarded the Cacique Crown of Honour, has chosen to renounce this acclaimed title amid the current doubts about the lack of transparency during the 2020 polls.

The Cacique Crown of Honour is one of Guyana's highest national honours and was bestowed upon Singh-Bodden by President David Granger for her exceptional service in the field of youth and women’s empowerment.

In giving the rationale behind her decision to give up the award, Singh-Bodden explained that she cannot “wear this medal with pride” due to the lack of transparency surrounding the General and Regional Elections.

In a statement, SinghBodden stated: “I have

Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Supriya SinghBodden

watched as the world has, the events that have unfolded over the past few days.

I have allowed my sentiments to be heard. You have all read them. I will say no

more. As soon as it is possible, I will be making an official handing over of the Cacique Crown of Honor Medal I was given.”

She added: “While doubt hangs in the air about the transparency of Guyana's elections results and many feel that the will of the people has not been heard. I cannot wear this medal with pride. I have no bias as to who should win these elections but the process must be fair and transparent. The rule of law and the protection of our democracy is paramount at this critical juncture. I have nothing but a voice, hear it if you will.”

Earlier in the month, Singh-Bodden issued a statement on the Facebook page of the Guyana Foundation with the headline “There Is no winner if the electoral process is flawed.”

In that statement, she cleared herself of being in-

volved with the present elections and the coalition Government during their tenure in office. SinghBodden further used the opportunity to condemn the electoral process which, she said, was not transparent.

“I personally and publicly endorsed Mr David Granger at the 2015 General Elections. I was not involved in any way with the present elections or the APNU/AFC Government over their term in office. It was my view then that they were committed to putting Guyana first to lead the country to prosperity and betterment for all.

“I proudly accepted one of Guyana's highest honours from him. Pledging to always serve my country. I would like to use this platform to say now with absolute conviction that the recent events surrounding the electoral process are wrong,” the statement said.

World Water Day 2020

W

ater is a precondition to life on Earth. Safe drinking water and sanitation are human rights. Water – including sanitation – is critical for socio-economic development, food security and healthy ecosystems, and is vital for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the health, welfare and productivity of populations.

The science is clear: the global climate change crisis is increasing variability in the water cycle, thus reducing the predictability of water availability and demand, affecting water quality, exacerbating water scarcity and threatening sustainable development worldwide. These impacts disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable communities and are compounded by contributing factors, including population increase, unmanaged migration, land-use change, reduced soil health, accelerated groundwater extraction, widespread ecological degradation and biodiversity loss.

Guyana is particularly vulnerable to climate change given its geographic, economic and population dynamics, which can pose challenges to effectively adapt to or mitigate impacts of climate change as was witnessed in 2005. This is compounded by the important role that agriculture, a sector likely to be severely affected by water availability and quality, plays in Guyana’s economy. While all ten (10) administrative regions in Guyana are affected, the impacts of climate change are highly variable and uneven. Some regions have experienced periods of drought, others increasingly severe and frequent floods, while some face both sets of extremes.

Slower-onset impacts derived from accelerated sea-level rise affect Guyana’s coastal areas where the majority of Guyana’s population and centres of commerce and government are located. At the same time, increased demand for water for energy, agriculture, industry and human consumption is leading to gradually more difficult trade-offs for this limited and precious resource, especially in areas in Guyana that are already facing water stress. For these reasons, it is often said that climate change is felt most directly through water.

Water management must play a central role in adapting to the worst effects of climate change and reducing greenhouse gases, according to a new UN-Water Policy Brief. “The way we manage water resources can help us tackle climate change in two ways,” says Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo, Chair of UN-Water and President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): “First, by coordinating across sectors we can reduce the impacts of floods and droughts, adapt to the expected increase in unpredictability and ensure communities and businesses have the water they need to thrive. And second, we can reduce harmful emissions by making water supply more sustainable.”

Water, climate change, and single-use plastics Plastics are primarily made of petro-chemicals (from fossil fuels), the production of which contributes to climate change as we know it. The global community has recognised the problem of creating items intended for one use, one whose origin is associated with climate change and increased water use and disposing of said items which will be in the environment for hundreds of years. In this vein, Guyana and many countries and cities around the world have decided to place a ban on selected single-use plastic items, which once embraced fully and enforced will see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, water use for manufacturing, and SUPs as litter.

References: 1. https://www.watercalculator.org/footprint/climate-changewater-resources/ 2. Merlyn Hedger, “Climate change and water: finance needs to flood not drip”, Briefing Note (London, United Kingdom, Overseas Development Institute, 2018).

3. Mark Smith and John Matthews, “Freshwater resources: the medium for change”, Background Paper for the Global Commission on Adaptation (forthcoming).

4. Green and blue bonds are debt instrument issued by governments, development banks or others to raise capital from impact investors to finance terrestrial and/or marine ecosystem-based projects that have positive environmental, economic and climate benefits.

5. Climate Bonds Initiative, Green Bonds Market Summary: Q1 2019 (2019).

6. Patrick A. Ray and Casey M. Brown, Confronting Climate Uncertainty in Water Resources Planning and Project Design: The Decision Tree Framework (Washington, D.C., World Bank, 2015).

7. International Hydropower Association, Hydropower Sector Climate Resilience Guide (London, United Kingdom, 2019).

8. Global Water Partnership, “Climate insurance and water-related disaster risk management – unlikely partners in promoting development?”, Perspective Paper (Stockholm, 2018).

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, Instagram, and YouTube.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Caricom high-level supervision of recount

GECOM will cooperate fully – Chairperson on recount

Preserving the value of the local currency amidst …after ROs reject several recount requests hairperson of the concerns of deepened Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n political and economic crisis (GECOM), Justice (ret’d)

C

…within the framework of regime characterised as a de facto political power

T

he previous article in last week’s edition pointed out broadly the economic implications of sanctions that can be imposed upon Guyana by the United Nations, US and the larger western world.

The development experience of many countries involves frequent changes in political institutions, constitutions and even economic institutions such as the overall level of property rights enforcement or reliance on labour-repression in agriculture, endure. This theoretical view holds true in the case of Guyana with the retrenchment of over 7000-plus sugar workers coupled with the struggles which they have had to endure by not even receiving their severance payments. Empirical work illustrates how the appearance of change in certain dimensions of specific institutions does not necessarily mean a change in economic institutions that are essential for the allocation of resources in society.

The persistence of de facto political power emphasises how the same elites are able to shape politics even when certain aspects of specific political institutions change. Also, a complementary mechanism which is referred to as the iron law of “Oligarchy” following Robert Michels (1911) classic book, focuses on how changes in the identity of elites can go hand in hand with the same dysfunctional policies and economic institutions. The proponents argued that the reason for persistence is not the persistence of the elites, but the persistence of incentives of whoever is in power to distort the system for their own benefit. An oligarchic structure is one in which a group of agents monopolise political power and are difficult to displace because of the entrenchment afforded to them by the political institutions. The iron law of oligarchy emerges when the current elite are replaced by newcomers, sometimes with a popular mandate, and yet once these newcomers are in power they have no incentive to change the oligarchic structure, and instead use the entrenchment provided by the existing political institutions for their own benefit.

This model, proponents have contended, is useful in thinking about how the frequent changes in the identity of those who hold political power can go hand in hand with the continuation of disastrous policies. This pattern has been observed in many Latin American, Caribbean, and African countries, for example, in Bolivia, Ghana, Haiti, or Zimbabwe, which have all experienced significant changes in the identity of groups in political power combined with a surprising continuity in the types of policies and economic institutions (Acemoglu and Robinson, 2006b).

International sanctions and autocrats’ duration

Single-party and military regimes are able to increase their revenues, even when targeted by sanctions, by shifting fiscal pressure from one stream to an alternative one (specifically, taxes on goods and services). This allows them to maintain cooptation while they increase repression in order to thwart the potential opposition that reduced economic performance and international support may generate. Departing from these facts, proponents hypothesised then that sanctions would be effective in destabilising only personalistic autocrats, while their impact would be negligible or even counterproductive on single-party and military dictatorships.

What could happen in the short to medium-term of a de facto government?

Under a de facto government in the case of Guyana, it is akin to history repeating itself. This would not be the first instance where Guyana would likely be under dictatorial rulership, by force.

Many of our parents and grandparents lived through this era characterised by hunger, shortage of food and hyperinflation, the economy went crashing. These consequences are likely to repeat where with international sanctions on trade, exports of our locally produced goods will suffer, and importation of consumer goods will be banned.

More worryingly, these can lead to the domestic currency becoming worthless or suffer from hyperinflation. However, the Central Bank can minimise or cushion this risk from becoming too profound by doing one of two things or a combination of both. But it has to do so swiftly, and that is, (1) the Central Bank needs to consider capital controls forthwith to protect the value of the dollar as capital flight will be inevitable; and/or (2) where the stability of the dollar, in a crisis period, lies in the hands of the Central Bank Governor. That is to say, when the Foreign exchange reserves dry up, the Bank needs to stockpile gold reserves (thankfully Guyana produces gold), to preserve the value of the local currency. Failure of which, the currency can become worthless, as in the case of Venezuela.

(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).

Claudette Singh, has assured that she will facilitate the recounting of the ballots in all 10 electoral districts in Guyana.

This commitment comes on the heels of the intervention of Caribbean Community (Caricom) Chairperson, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who assembled an independent high-level regional team to supervise the recounting process – which was requested by incumbent President David Granger and agreed to by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who is also the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).

In a statement on Saturday, the GECOM Chair recommitted to her undertaking given to Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George on Friday that she would “facilitate the recounting of the ballots” for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

“My commitment has now been bolstered, by a request made by His Excellency President David Granger, and to which the Leader of the Opposition Mr Bharrat Jagdeo has approved, to have the Chairperson of Caricom field an independent high-level team to supervise the recount of the ballots for District One to District Ten. I welcome this initiative and would assure everyone that GECOM will cooperate fully with the process,” Justice Singh posited.

Supersede

This commitment by the GECOM Chair has superseded the denial of recount requests by several Returning Officers (ROs).

Requests for a recount of the Region Four results, which has been embroiled in controversy, by the PPP/C and other parties that contested the March 2 General and Regional Elections have been rejected by embattled RO, Clairmont Mingo.

In a statement on Saturday from Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Yolanda Ward, it was noted that requests for recounts in Region Four were denied.

“RO denied requests for recount since none of the

GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander

GECOM Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh

PPP/C’s appointed counting agent, Charles Ramson Jr

Attorney Anil Nandlall

parties adhered to the statutory timeline to apply for the appointment of Counting Agents. In this regard, no Counting Agent was duly appointed for any parties and only a Counting Agent can request a recount,” the release from GECOM noted.

However, legal counsel for PPP/C, Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall contended that his party had notified the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, of the appointment of its Counting Agent within the prescribed time. At that time, he explained that the RO for Region Four did not have an office as yet but as soon as this location was known, the party wrote him as well.

In fact, Nandlall pointed out that the RO had even met with PPP/C appointed Counting Agent, Charles Ramson Jr, on March 1, at his office in the Ashmins Building, High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, and briefed him on his role and responsibilities.

Additionally, Mingo spoke with Ramson Jr several times during polling day.

“When the verification exercise commenced at Ashmins Building on March 3, 2020, this very Returning Officer permitted our Counting Agent to lead the PPP/C’s delegation in that exercise. To now

say that he is not recognising that Counting Agent is so deceptive that it renders him unfit to hold any public office, moreover, to continue to function as the RO for Region Four,” Nandlall noted.

Apart from the PPP/C, seven other parties made recount requests. These include A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Change Guyana (CG), Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Organisation for the Victory of the People (OVP), People’s Republic Party (PRP), The Citizenship Initiative (TCI) and The New Movement (TNM).

According to Nandlall, he spoke with the representatives of these political parties that are affected, and they indicated similar experiences with this RO. To this end, he contended that the statement from GECOM is the latest manifestation in a long series of the bias and political toxicity which afflict the Returning Officer for Region Four. It is no wonder that public confidence in the election machinery is at its lowest ebb.

Ramson successfully filed PPP/C’s recount request on Saturday morning after being prevented from serving their notice on Friday night, after Mingo made his decla-

GECOM Commissioner Charles Corbin

ration of the region’s results.

The request was filed at the Office of the Returning Officer and according to Ramson, he submitted the request to a Deputy Returning Officer (DRO).

“They signed for it and we have a copy of the receipt,” he told reporters afterwards.

The other parties also followed suit and filed their recount requests before the 12-noon deadline outlined in the law.

In what has been described as an illegal move, the embattled RO Mingo went ahead and declared the results for Region Four even after the tabulation was marred with controversy and allegations of fraud.

Political party representatives and other stakeholders argue that the Statements of Poll (SoPs) used by GECOM during Friday’s tabulation process were clearly tampered with.

In fact, the parties were ready with their notices for recounts but were prevented from serving the RO as he was swarmed by Police officers and whisked away immediately after the declaration.

Meanwhile, the RO in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) also denied a recount request by the APNU/AFC coalition, on the grounds that the duly appointed candidate was not present at the time of the count. It was noted that the person who requested the recount is not the statutory person to do so.

Additionally, the coalition was also denied its recount request in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), The party’s recount requests for Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) was withdrawn while Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) has been suspended.

16 NEWS

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GECOM, APNU/AFC destruction of democracy

Sanctions loom over persons stymieing elections resolution A

s Guyana prepares for a countrywide recount of all votes cast in the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, the hand of sanctions is hanging like the Sword of Damocles over several persons within the Guyana Elections Commission and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) for their role in stymieing the process.

Already, several high-ranking international officials have threated to sanction those who facilitated or attempted to derail Guyana’s democracy and Guyanese of their inalienable right to vote for a Government of their choice.

Only on Friday, Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak said that “Democratic nations can’t ignore this blatant disregard for rule of law.”

He warned those who are impeding elections res-

olution in Guyana that the “world is watching.”

“Respect the will of the Guyanese people to choose their leader,” the State Department official added in a tweet.

This comes on the heels of the starkest warning from the US to the Guyanese election authorities, which

“Under US Law and Practice, those who participate and benefit from electoral fraud, undermine democratic institutions and impede a peaceful transition of power can be subject to a variety of consequences.”

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

GECOM DCEO Roxanne Myers

last Thursday warned that they should “follow accepted procedures and allow international observers to verify the results”.

In a stern warning, the State Department official cautioned that “under US Law and Practice, those who participate and benefit from electoral fraud, undermine democratic institutions and impede a peaceful transition of power can be subject to a variety of con-

sequences.”

Kozak was adamant that “de facto regimes do not receive the same treatment from us as democratically elected Governments.”

Typically, US sanctions on individuals would begin with removal of their visa privileges, seizures of assets in the US, a freeze on bank accounts. These sanctions would extend to the families of these individuals.

PNCR Chairwoman Volda Lawrence

Sources indicate that three prominent persons, had been identified as being involved in the ploy to subvert the process in GECOM. They are on the list of those to be sanctioned.

The Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs was not the only one who sounded the warning. In fact, UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab called on President

Region 4 Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo

David Granger to preserve the sanctity of democratic elections.

United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo himself weighed in on the matter when he discussed Guyana with Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland.

Pompeo, in a tweet, said he spoke about several issues including “support for democratic transition in Guyana”.

American Airlines to T&T top cop on return from London: suspend international “I will go in self-quarantine” flights starting March 16

A

merican Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) on Saturday said it will implement a phased suspension of nearly all long-haul international flights starting March 16, amid reduced demand and travel restrictions due to the ongoing coronavi-

rus outbreak.

Between March 16 and May 6, American will reduce its international capacity by 75% on a year-over-year basis, it said in a statement, adding the changes will result in the airline parking nearly its entire widebody

fleet.

The airline also anticipates its domestic capacity in April will be reduced by 20% on a year-over-year basis.

Domestic capacity for the month of May will be reduced by 30%, the company added. (Reuters)

Coronavirus: Spain and France announce sweeping restrictions

T

wo of the EU’s biggest states, Spain and France, have followed Italy in announcing emergency restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

In Spain, people are banned from leaving home except for buying essential supplies and medicines, or for work.

With 191 deaths, Spain is Europe’s worst-hit country after Italy.

In France, where 91 people have died, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and most shops are now shut.

Italy, which has recorded more than 1,440 deaths, began a nationwide lockdown on Monday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says Europe is now the “epicen-

has urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is one of many attractions closed

tre” of the pandemic.

WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

social distancing to save lives. (BBC)

P

olice Commissioner Gary Griffith will go on a 14-day self imposed quarantine when he returns from London. He is due in TT on Saturday.

The quarantine will be in keeping with medical advice for international travellers amid the covid19 outbreak. TT has two confirmed cases of the virus – two men, 52, and 66. There are four confirmed cases in Canada, Jamaica and Guyana of people who arrived in these countries from Trinidad. In the case of Guyana, a woman, died at hospital. As of March 11, the United Kingdom had 387 cases with six deaths.

Griffith went to London two weeks ago to attend a commissioners conference and spend time with his family who left the country after receiving death threats.

Asked if he will quarantine himself on return, Griffith via WhatsApp, said: “Yes, I would. I do not have any symptoms, however, it is the responsible thing to do, and it is hoped and expected that all who enter our country from international travel, would consider doing likewise.”

He added that while he is quarantined he will function as Police Commissioner.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Irwin Hackshaw is holding on for Griffith until his return.

Griffith, on Wednesday, distanced himself from a police search at Express House saying he was out of the country and Hackshaw

was responsible for managing the service in his absence.

Griffith was scheduled to return on Sunday but decided to return sooner.

“Based on this Hackshaw fiasco, it would be important to note that I took an earlier flight and would resume duty as CoP from today (Saturday) relieving Hackshaw from that authority.”

The police were strongly criticised for searching the media house after the Express published an article that Hackshaw was being investigated after he was flagged for suspicious banking transactions.

Financial Investigations Bureau head Supt Wendell Lucas searched the office of Express editor-in-chief Omatie Lyder for the source of their information. They had a warrant from the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court. After two hours, they left with flash drives.

In the Senate on Thursday, National Security Minister Stuart Young said he was assured by officers that the instructions to search the media house were not handed down by Hackshaw.

Senior police have said the search was part of an investigation into suspicious financial transactions and the leaking of information, under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Police were stopped from further searching the network servers of the Express after High Court judge Justice Kevin

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith

Ramcharan granted the media house an injunction pending a court hearing.

Attorneys Sophia Chote, SC, and Peter Carter representing the media house filed the injunction ex-parte and was granted it around 12.30 am on Thursday. After obtaining two warrants, police attempted to search and seize the network servers but were stopped after Carter informed the officers that the warrants did not cover that. Ramcharan gave the attorneys up to March 16 to file their full claim.

The search was condemned by the Media Association of TT (MATT), the TT Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTBPA), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the University of the West Indies Faculty of Law. (T&T Newsday)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020

17

Regional

US-Mexico border: Pregnant woman from Guatemala dies after fall from wall

Suriname closes international airport A T

he Johan Pengel International Airport in Suriname was closed for a week starting Saturday, March 14, Caribbean Airlines (CAL) said in a statement.

At 18:30h on Friday, March 13, all airlines operating into Suriname were advised by notice... that the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, also known as ParamariboZanderij International Airport Suriname will initially be closed from Saturday, March 14 – Saturday March 21, 2020, the CAL statement said.

CAL said that during the period of the airport closure, its flights will be impacted and affected customers are being contacted.

According to CAL, the

Government agencies in the South American country have indicated that after midnight tonight any flight given approval to operate into Suriname will do so under the following con-

ditions: Flight arrivals will accommodate Surinamese residents only. Flight departures will facilitate non-Surinamese nationals only.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Bolivia bans entry of passengers from China, South Korea, Italy and Spain

B

olivia will ban the entry of passengers from China, South Korea, Italy and Spain in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus, interim President Jeanine Anez said on Saturday.

“This decision is part of the package of firm measures with which we fight against the virus to protect people’s health,” Anez said in a tweet announcing the ban.

On Friday, Bolivia said

it had 10 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Seven of the cases were spread through people-to-people transmission and the others were linked to travel, the health ministry said. (Reuters)

Colombia to expel 4 European visitors for violating quarantine

C

olombia will expel four Europeans for violating compulsory quarantine protocols designed to halt the spread of coronavirus, just hours after it closed its border with Venezuela, the Government said on Saturday.

Two men and two women of French and Spanish nationality will be deported after ignoring mandatory instructions to isolate themselves and leaving their hotels, against the warnings of staff, the migration agency said.

Colombia has so far reported 22 cases of COVID-19 and has declared a health

emergency to contain the disease. Measures include suspending public gatherings of more than 500 people and blocking cruise ships from entering its ports.

On Friday President Ivan Duque said Colombia would close its border with Venezuela starting Saturday morning, while arrivals who are not residents or nationals and have stayed in Europe or Asia during the last two weeks will not be allowed to enter from Monday.

The decision to close the border was criticised by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who in a

Saturday broadcast on state television said all arrivals from Europe to Venezuela in March should observe a twoweek quarantine.

Colombia had previously asked visitors from France, Spain, Italy and China to self-isolate for two weeks upon arrival.

Among the measures taken in Colombia to curb the spread of the disease, Cine Colombia, one of the largest cinema operators in the country, on Saturday said it would close all of its sites for the next 10 days.

Soccer and event organisers have also suspended matches and concerts. (Reuters)

19-year-old pregnant woman from Guatemala died from injuries suffered after falling from the US-Mexico border wall, US and Guatemalan officials say.

Miriam Stephany Girón Luna fell as she tried to climb the steel mesh barrier near El Paso, Texas on Saturday.

She was taken to hospital where doctors tried to deliver the baby by emergency C-section without success.

Officials say the case indicates a change in how migrants are trying to reach the US amid new restrictions.

President Donald Trump has made the fight against illegal migration to the US a major policy issue and has taken measures to deter entry across the border from Mexico, including plans for a border wall. Large sections of the border near El Paso already have some form of barrier.

Girón Luna was travelling with a 26-year-old man

Section of the US-Mexico border near El Paso, Texas

believed to be her partner and the baby's father, and fell more than 6m (19ft), Guatemala's foreign ministry said on Thursday (in Spanish). The man eventually found US border patrol agents, who called for an ambulance to rescue her.

According to the statement, Girón Luna was taken to a hospital in El Paso with a cerebral haemorrhage, liver and kidney lacerations and a pelvis fracture. She underwent multiple surgeries but died from her injuries on Tuesday.

The Guatemalan statement said she was seven months pregnant while US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said she was eight months.

Gloria Chavez, CBP's El Paso sector chief, blamed the death on "human smugglers" who had "encouraged her and helped her climb" the barrier. "We will engage our law enforcement partners in Mexico to find those responsible for placing these lives in danger," she said in a statement. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Chile's Pinera, responding to protests, cracks down on white-collar crime

C

hilean President Sebastian Pinera announced legislation on Friday to combat white collar crimes such as insider trading and collusion, the latest in a series of proposals aimed at quelling the demands of continuing protests over inequality.

Pinera shipped several bills to Congress to beef up penalties against colluding to fix prices on sensitive consumer products, while stiffening fines and jail time for financial crimes ranging from fraud to insider trading.

The legislation also provides regulators with more tools to investigate the crimes and establishes new protections for "whistle-blowers" in both public and private sectors who come forward with evidence of crimes.

"The immense majority of Chileans want to build a more just, more equal Chile, without abuses or privileges.

That's the message we have heard loud and clear from

Chile's President Sebastian Pinera

the people," Pinera said in a speech at the La Moneda presidential palace.

Price fixing and other financial crimes lie at the heart of recent protests over social and economic injustices in Chile that have left at least 31 dead and wrought billions in damages to business.

Since Chile's return to democracy in 1990, allegations of price fixing have cropped up in markets for items from

chicken to diapers, milk, drugs, asphalt and even gynaecological visits, outraging many Chileans, who demand changes to the country's economic model.

Anger over these abuses appears in graffiti spray-painted on building walls across Santiago, a city of 6 million, and in the signs carried by protesters rebuking such crimes. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Fear as Colombia closes border with Venezuela over coronavirus

C

esar Castillo and his partner begged for help on the street of a wealthy Bogota, Colombia, neighbourhood with their eight-month-old son.

Castillo, 26, left Venezuela three months ago, in search of opportunities as his economically crippled homeland continues to suffer a lack of medical and food supplies.

The last time he saw a doctor was in 2018, when he injured his leg in a mo-

torbike accident in his hometown of Maracay, a 40-minute drive from the Venezuelan capital Caracas. His injury became infected in hospital, and the necessary antibiotics were not available. His leg was amputated.

"If it (coronavirus) arrives in Venezuela, it's going to be horrible. So many will die," he said while balancing on his crutches in the middle of the busy shopping street, recalling his

hospital trauma. "There's no medicine, people literally die."

Castillo's fears deepened this week when officials announced two people inside Venezuela had tested positive for the disease. The cases sparked concern not just in Venezuela, but also in Colombia where millions of Venezuelans have fled to in recent years.

Colombia has 22 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which has now

been labelled by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. The government of President Ivan Duque announced late Friday that non-nationals will be barred from entering the country from March 16 if they have been in Europe or Asia over the past two weeks. The government also announced the closure of the border with Venezuela, prompting fears of what such measures may mean for those who rely on medicine, medi-

cal supplies and other goods from Colombia. Venezuela also slammed the decision

as "an act of gross irresponsibility”. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Italians defy coronavirus with mass singing, applause for doctors I

talians came out on Saturday to sing together from windows and balconies and applaud their hard-pressed doctors and nurses as the death toll from Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreak kept climbing.

The Government has imposed an unprecedented series of controls since the virus emerged in northern Italy on Feb 21, banning public gatherings, forbidding all but essential travel and telling people to stay at home.

Schools, restaurants and most shops have been closed but the Government has allowed companies to keep operating and has promised tax breaks and other support to help businesses deal with a collapse in orders.

But as the death toll rose to 1441 with 21,157 cases, the highest in the world out-

side China, there has been widespread acceptance of the measures.

At midday on Saturday, people across the country applauded the doctors and nurses at the front line of the crisis from their balconies. In the evening, mass singalongs of “Azzurro”, a song by Adriano Celentano, one of Italy’s most popular singers, rang out from apartment blocks.

Officials said the health system in the worst affected regions in the north was holding up but was under strain of a kind not seen in Europe since World War Two. Authorities have been scrambling for equipment, including masks and ventilators as well as qualified personnel for increasingly stretched intensive care units.

T

as a pretext for any action without Iraq's approval.

Iraq's Joint Operation Command said 33 Katyusha rockets were launched on the base. Seven rocket launchers and 24 unused rockets were later found nearby.

No-one has yet said they carried out the attack.

Wednesday's deadly attack on the base prompted US strikes targeting five weapons storage facilities across the country, the US defence department said.

Earlier, a US Commander said Kataib Hezbollah - one of the most powerful groups in the PM - was likely to have fired the rockets.

The US accuses Iranbacked militias of 13 similar attacks on Iraqi bases hosting coalition forces in the

People take part in a flashmob from a balcony over Turin’s Isonzo street, as the Italian Government continues restrictive movement measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak, Italy, March 14, 2020

Underlining the international dimension of the crisis, a group of Chinese specialists arrived in Italy with medical equipment, includ-

ing 40 ventilators and some 31 tonnes of other material and advice, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Iraq's military warned against further US retaliation like this attack on an airport in Karbala

past year.

The killing of an American civilian in one such incident in December triggered a round of violence which ultimately led Trump to order the assassination of

top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Kataib Hezbollah commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis the following month. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Afghan Govt delays Taliban prisoner release endangering the deal

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he Afghan Government has postponed its plan to release Taliban prisoners, a senior official said, a decision that could sabotage a peace deal signed last month between the armed group and the United States.

Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said on Saturday the releases were being delayed because more time was needed to review the list of Taliban prisoners.

Earlier this week, President Ashraf Ghani announced that 1500 Taliban prisoners would be freed as a "gesture of goodwill" in an attempt to resolve one of the long-running disputes that

had roiled talks with the armed group.

Ghani's decree said the Government would release 1500 captives starting Saturday if the insurgents cut violence, with plans to free another 3500 prisoners after negotiations begin.

The Taliban rejected the offer and demanded the release of nearly 5000 captives, citing it as one of the conditions behind the USTaliban deal signed last month that excluded Kabul.

According to the USTaliban agreement signed on February 29, foreign forces will withdraw from the country within 14 months in exchange for Taliban security guarantees and a pledge to hold talks with

Billion-barrel oil flood from OPEC fight to strain world’s tanks

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Iraq base attack: Coalition and Iraqi troops hurt as Taji targeted again hree service personnel from the US-led coalition in Iraq and two Iraqis have been injured in a rocket attack on a military base north of Baghdad, the coalition has said.

The Iraqi military said more than 30 rockets were fired at Camp Taji base.

This is the second attack this week on the base. On Wednesday, rockets killed two American troops and one British soldier there.

The US responded with airstrikes targeting an Iranian-backed militia.

However, Iraqi officials said that Iraqi soldiers and policemen were killed in the strikes.

The Iraqi military said the latest attack on Taji must not be used by the US

OILNEWS

Earlier this week, President Ashraf Ghani had announced that 1500 Taliban prisoners would be freed

Kabul.

There was no immediate reaction from the Taliban on the delay in the release, a move that is likely to further stall peace talks which were originally scheduled to begin on March 10.

On Wednesday, the Afghan Government warned it would resume attacks against the fighters if violence continued, ending a unilateral partial truce put in place before the talks.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

he oil-price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia is set to unleash the biggest flood of crude ever seen, perhaps more than the world can even store.

As producers ramp up shipments in a battle for dominance of global markets, and the coronavirus crushes demand, more than a billion extra barrels could flow into storage tanks. That could strain the available space and send oil prices crashing further, with brutal consequences for the petroleum industry and producing nations.“I don’t see how you don’t exhaust global storage capacity, if this goes on until summer at the production numbers being talked about,” said Jeffrey Currie, global head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.The feud between Riyadh and Moscow has already inflicted a heavy toll.

Oil prices have slumped 32 per cent, to about US$34 a barrel, since the two exporters fell out over how to deal with the virus, severing the global alliance of producers they’d led for three years and launching a competition to offer customers the steepest discounts. The rout has driven American shale drillers such as Occidental Petroleum Corp and Apache Corp to cut dividends and spending.The looming glut may still be held in check: President Donald Trump promised to take oil off the market on Friday by filling up the US strategic reserve. Producers could take months to fully activate the idle assets they need to flood the market. And as low crude prices batter the two belligerents’ economies, a “truce” will probably be reached, according to Ed Morse, Head of Commodities Research at Citigroup Inc.But if hostilities continue, the tide of oil is likely to become a tsunami.

Saudi Arabia announced it will supply record volumes, of more than 12 million barrels a day next month, and the United Arab Emirates will push oil fields beyond their normal capacity to bolster output by about a third. Russia will add 500,000 barrels a day, while others in the fractured OPEC+ coalition, such as Iraq and Nigeria, also plan production increases.

If storage is maxed out, oil prices will likely fall until producers with the highest operating costs, most probably American shale drillers, are forced to halt output. Or the loss of revenues could strain one of the more politically-fragile producing nations -such as Venezuela or Iran -- to breaking point.

US shale production “won’t really start dropping until the end of the year,” said Paola Rodriguez-Masiu, an analyst at consultant Rystad Energy AS in Oslo. “So the market will be completely saturated.”Global supply is already exceeding demand at an unprecedented rate of 3.5 million barrels a day, due to the impact of the coronavirus, according to the International Energy Agency, which advises major economies.

Once the OPEC+ nations increase supply, the surplus will balloon in the second quarter, to more than 6 million a day, Bloomberg calculations show. Goldman Sachs anticipates stock builds of a similar magnitude. By the end of the year, more than 1 billion extra barrels will have been dumped onto world markets.

In total, global crude inventories stand to expand by 1.7 billion barrels this year, according to Bloomberg’s calculations, about three times as much as during the biggest-ever surplus recorded by the IEA. That was in 1998, when Brent fell to an alltime low of less than US$10 a barrel.

About 65 per cent of the world’s total 5.7 billion barrels of oil-storage is currently in use, according to energy data provider Kayrros SAS. At current rates the theoretical limits, which are somewhat below the full figure, could be approached in just over a year, the company estimates.

“The fill rate that we are experiencing now is totally unprecedented,” said Antoine Halff, Kayrros’ Chief Analyst. “But even at this staggering pace, we are not running out of storage altogether. On paper, we still have some runway.”

For oil traders, there are opportunities to earn massive profits by hoarding barrels and then exploiting the difference between low short-term and higher long-term prices. Vitol Group, the largest independent trading house, has leased tanks in South Korea that could be used to take advantage of the price spread. As tanks on land are exhausted, companies will increasingly use supertankers at sea to accommodate the excess, said Rodriguez-Masiu. The cost for storing crude on such vessels has doubled in the past three months, EA Gibson ship brokers estimates.

But when there’s no longer anywhere to put unwanted barrels, oil producers will have no choice but to reduce operations.

“At some point, the oil price will have to drop in such a way that makes it uneconomical for producers in the US to keep pumping oil,” she said. As many of these companies have locked in revenues by selling futures contracts as a hedge, the production slowdown probably won’t occur until the end of year, Rodriguez-Masiu said. For some of the countries that rely on high oil prices to fund Government spending, that may be too late.

Even before the latest crisis, prices were challenging for the “fragile five” OPEC members of Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria and Venezuela, said Helima Croft, Head of Commodity Strategy at RBC Capital Markets LLC. Iran, facing the twin onslaught of American sanctions and depressed oil prices, is now high on the list of the vulnerable.

“This is a catastrophe for the fragile five,” she said. “It’s now become the shaky six.” (Excerpt from Bloomberg)

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Coronavirus and football…

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righton’s chief executive, Paul Barber, has said it is “really hard to imagine” the Premier League resuming on April 4, as is currently hoped.

The Premier League has said “conditions at the time” will determine whether fixtures can return on that date, after they were suspended due to coronavirus.

But Barber told Football Focus that date was already looking unlikely.

“We’ve got several teams in self-isolation, which makes it difficult to think about that date,” he said. “Those players have not just got to self-isolate

for 14 days, they’ve got to get themselves close to match fitness again, which could take another seven to 14 days.

“So we’ve got a number of complexities here, which go way beyond thinking of the finances.”

BBC sports editor Dan Roan has said that playing on April 4 is privately deemed “almost impossible”, and FA chairman Greg Clarke is known to have already expressed fears that the season may have to be abandoned.

On Thursday, England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said the peak of the UK outbreak is most likely

10 to 14 weeks away, which would be late May or early June.

Premier League clubs are set to meet on Thursday, two days after UEFA discuss the fate of Euro 2020.

“Every league starts with an expectation of completing all 38 fixtures, as it is in the Premier League, and we want to be able to do that,” Barber added. “Our intention must be to play the fixtures, but it’s really hard to imagine putting on a football game in the Premier League in two or three weeks’ time, given the scenario we are in.

“If we were to freeze the

league, it would be incredibly unjust for Liverpool to not be awarded the title, because everybody in the game appreciates what a fantastic season they have had. Equally, it would be unjust for teams to be relegated with nine or 10 games to go in the Premier League.

“I think it’s a possible option to leave the 20 teams in the league as it is, but bring the top two in the Championship up. It gives us a larger league, with four relegation places next season, and then two teams coming up again. It has some merit, but

there are a lot of issues to be worked through.

“If we can’t complete the

season, we have to look at radical solutions to get over a short-term hump, as it is.”

England’s tour to Sri Lanka…

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wo-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya says she is “supernatural”, as she confidently targets the 200m at Tokyo 2020.

The 29-year-old cannot compete in events between 400m and a mile without

“I am used to running two laps, and then you come and run half a lap. You have to adjust, which is not easy, but anything is possible.”

If Semenya qualifies for the Olympics which begin on 24 July - she would be set

Caster Semenya won a 200m event in Pretoria on Friday

taking testosterone-reducing drugs after a World Athletics rule change.

South African Semenya ran 200m in 23.49 seconds - 0.69secs outside the Olympic qualifying time - at an event in Pretoria on Friday.

“I call myself supernatural,” she said.

The three-time world 800m champion, who spoke of her decision to switch to the 200m in an Instagram post on Friday, must bring her time down to 22.80secs before 29 June to qualify for the South African Olympic Team.

“We are chopping the times, and I call myself supernatural. I can do anything I want,” she added.

“I always challenge myself. This was not an easy decision to make.

to compete against Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who won 200m gold at the 2019 World Championships.

Semenya, who won Olympic gold in the 800m in 2012 and 2016, missed the chance to defend her World 800m title in Doha last year because she failed in her bid to prevent the governing body’s rule change.

World Athletics argued female athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) - such as Semenya - have “a competitive advantage”.

In February, Semenya competed in her first track meeting since last June, and obtained victory in the 300m in Johannesburg, winning her race in a national record of 36.78secs. (BBC Sport)

E

ngland captain Joe Root has said his team’s overwhelming reaction was one of “relief” after their two-Test tour to Sri Lanka was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Postponement of the tour was confirmed with England midway through the second day of their final warm-up match in Colombo, ahead of the first Test in Galle, which had been due to get underway on March 19.

The players left the field at P Sara Oval at 3.40pm local time, and immediately departed for the team hotel ahead of their flight back to London on Saturday morning.

And speaking to PA prior to the departure, Root said the team’s concerns for their friends and families back home had made it nigh on impossible to focus fully on the task of preparing for a Test series.

“There was an element of relief,” Root said. “The right decision has been made.

You could see, looking at the players, that their minds were elsewhere, thinking about people back home. Now that we can go and look after families and be with loved ones, that’s put a lot of guys at ease.

“Naturally, there was a lot of talk in the dressing room, and it got to a stage where it overshadowed the cricket.

Looking at how quickly things have happened at home, you’re thinking about family and friends who might be a bit more vulnerable, and that’s hard when you’re a long way away.

“It was clear it was getting in the way of performance and affecting the mental well-being of the guys.”

The postponement was reluctantly agreed to by Sri

Lanka Cricket, who stand to suffer a significant financial loss, but with 3000 England fans expected in Galle for the first Test, the likelihood of a spike in Sri Lanka’s recorded cases of COVID-19 was high.

And with that in mind, the England team had been briefed on the quarantine arrangements that would apply should any player or staff have contracted the virus while on tour. They would have had to be removed from the team environment and be placed under the jurisdiction of the Sri Lanka Government, a prospect that Root said had alarmed the squad.

“There were a number of different scenarios we could have found ourselves in that were pretty scary, to be honest,” said Root. “You think how things might have gone - being in isolation here, disconnected from the team, without the security we would usually have around us at the ground or the hotel. If one of the lads was to get it in these conditions, or a member of the public travelling, it could be quite a scary experience.”

England’s next scheduled international series is a threeTest home campaign against West Indies, with the first Test slated to begin at The Oval on June 4. But with the UK Government stating that they expect the peak of the virus to come in 10-14 weeks, right at the height of the tour, there is an increasing expectation that that tour would also fall victim to the pandemic.

The ECB on Thursday outlined contingency plans to mitigate the financial, logistical and scheduling implications for the English season.

Joe Root

Although mass gatherings in the UK have not yet been banned, the government have indicated that that may soon be on the cards. One prospect for English cricket would be for certain matches to be staged behind closed doors, as happened with Australia’s recent ODI against New Zealand in Sydney.

“It would be very strange if that was to happen, but if these things have to happen, so be it,” Root said. “We always get supported extremely well, and that has played a big part in our results in recent years.

They have a big impact on the way we play our cricket; we like to interact.

“We don’t know when we’ll play again. I suppose you can’t have mass gatherings, so there won’t be many training camps. I’m sure (that) over the coming weeks we’ll prepare and do everything we can to be as ready as possible, but until we know more, it’s just a case of common sense. Look after yourself, condition well and be ready to start.” (cricinfo)

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BCCI to wait and watch before fixing IPL schedule

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he BCCI and the IPL franchise owners have decided to adopt a waitand-watch approach over when and how to hold the IPL. They want to give priority to health and safety of the players and people involved in holding the IPL, and are likely to discuss its schedule again after two or three weeks, depending on how the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) situation unfolds in India, where, as of Friday, two lives have been lost because of it.

The BCCI top brass met top executives of all eight franchises at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday. Those present included Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani, and Kings XI Punjab

co-owner Ness Wadia, after the board had deferred the start of the tournament until April 15.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has said that now that two weeks of the schedule have been lost, there was no option but to hold a “truncated” IPL, and the board would “assess and monitor” the situation in the country on a weekly basis.

Whether the IPL will be truncated in terms of days or matches remains to be seen.

“If it is [postponed till] April 15, then in any case 15 days are gone, so it has to be a truncated one,” Ganguly said.

“How truncated, how many games I can’t say at the moment.”

Wadia said the BCCI, the franchise owners and host

broadcaster Star Sports had decided to prioritise people’s health, and that they were not concerned by any monetary downsides. Wadia even said he was prepared for the possibility of the IPL not happening at all if the situation did not improve.

ESPNcricinfo understands that a few other scheduling options, including a truncated IPL, came up for discussion during the meeting, but it was too “premature” to take the discussions forward right now.

“The meeting was to discuss the possible scenarios.

Number one, most importantly (is that) everyone in India and the world must understand (that neither) the BCCI nor the IPL, nor Star is here to gain monetary benefit by hav-

Japan still planning for Olympics to go ahead in July, says PM Shinzo Abe

J

apan are still planning for the Olympic Games to go ahead as planned in July, the country’s prime minister Shinzo Abe has said.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the world sporting calendar has seen a host of postponements and cancellations for the upcoming weeks.

Japan has had over 1,400 cases of COVID-19 and 28 deaths, but Abe is not yet calling a state of emergency after discussions with experts.

The country will continue to work closely with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which will have the final say on whether Tokyo 2020 – which is due to start on July 24 – goes ahead.

“We will overcome the spread of the infection, and host the Olympics without problem, as planned,” said Abe, who added he had not discussed the prospect of postponing the Games in a call with Donald Trump after the United States president publicly suggested a one-year delay.

“We will continue to closely cooperate with IOC, and of course IOC is working closely with WHO (the World Health Organization). At present, I assess the situation as there is no need to declare a state of emergency.

“The experts evaluated the current situation. The [outbreak] is holding up, to a certain extent, and has not progressed to an explosive rise of infection spread. I would like to take necessary and sufficient economic and financial policies without delay, while carefully monitoring trends in the global economy and anticipating various possibilities.”

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has insisted that precautions are being taken ahead of the Japan section of the Olympic Torch relay.

Parts of the route in Greece were suspended to prevent crowds gathering, while other sections in ancient Olympia went ahead without any spectators.

“We are taking thorough infection measures with regards to the torch relay domestically,” she said. (sportsmax)

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly

ing the IPL,” Wadia told reporters after the meeting.

“All the stakeholders, especially the BCCI and owners and Star, feel that it is incorrect to think about even one rupee. So, we are not interested in money, we are not interested in having any gain from this situation, and (we are not) trying to hold the IPL without

a clear understanding of the situation.

“Having said that, number one is the health and safety of everyone is looked after.

Number two (is) we will follow whatever the government direction is.

“From a third perspective, no one is in a position to say when it’s going to start.

We will review the situation after two-three weeks, and hopefully by then the [coronavirus] cases will reduce.

We should be clear that the most important thing is health and safety, not [financial] gain at the moment. We are not here to earn money; we are here to serve and protect the people.” (cricinfo)

Coronavirus:

Germany’s Maximilian Schachmann wins as Paris-Nice ends early G

ermany’s Maximilian Schachmann held on to win the Paris-Nice as the race finished a day early because of the coronavirus.

On Friday, organisers announced the cancellation of Sunday’s finale a day after the French Government banned gatherings of more than 100 people.

So, Saturday’s 166.5km route from Nice to the summit finish at Valdeblore la Colmiane was the final stage.

Danish World Champion Mads Pedersen pulled out on Saturday morning after Denmark asked nationals to return Maximilian Schachmann said it was “the greatest victory” of his life home.

Australian Richie Porte said before the final stage overall, 59 seconds behind. Hansgrohe) 27 hrs 14 that the race had been “a “The last three kilo- mins, 23 secs funny one mentally” for metres were hell, but now 2. Tiesj Benoot (Bel/ riders.

I’m in heaven. This is the Sunweb) +18secs “I’ve got a pregnant wife greatest victory of my life,” 3. Sergio Higuita (Col/ at home, a baby, and no- said Schachmann.

EF Pro Cycling) +59 secs one really knows whether 4. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/ Elsewhere, the Tour we should be here or not,” of Flanders, due to take Trek Segafredo) +1min 16 he added. “It will be a nice place in Belgium on April secs race to get finished.”

5. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/ 5, looks almost certain to Colombia’s Nairo be postponed after Belgian Groupama FDJ) +1min 24 Quintana won the final Minister of Sport Ben secs stage, with Bora Hansgrohe Weyts said it did not look rider Schachmann, 26, the “feasible” to run the race.

Stage 7 result: overall winner.

1. Nairo Quintana (Col/ The French ‘monuSchachmann had lost ment’ classic race, Paris- Team Arkea Samsic) 4hrs, time on Friday’s sixth Roubaix, set for April 12, 27 mins 1 sec stage, but held on to finish is also likely to be called off 2. Tiesj Benoot (Bel/ 18 seconds ahead of Team after the French Cycling Sunweb) +46secs Sunweb’s Tiesj Benoot in Federation cancelled all 3. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/ the general classification. cycling events until fur- Groupama FDJ) +56secs Climbing specialist ther notice. (BBC.COM) 4. Sergio Higuita (Col/ Sergio Higuita of Team EF EF Pro Cycling) Same time Pro Cycling struggled to Overall classification 5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/ make up time on the final 1.

Maximilian Trek Segafredo) Same stage, and finished third Schachmann (Ger/Bora time

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic…

GFF advises suspension of tournaments I

n light of the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has issued a circular to its Regional Member Associations advising the postponement of matches for the March–April period, and informing them of the scale down of operations at the Secretariat and about key facts regarding the virus.

This follows the guidance of football’s world and regional governing bodies, FIFA and CONCACAF, in an effort to protect the health and wellbeing of staff and stakeholders.

The correspondence, dated March 13, reads in part as follows: “The GFF is guided by the decisions taken by FIFA and CONCACAF to postpone matches as a preventative measure against the spread of the disease, which is likely to occur due to physical contact. We therefore recommend that all matches previously scheduled to take place in March and April be postponed until such time that the public health authorities provide the appropriate guidelines.

“The GFF is confident that these measures will buttress the efforts of the public health authorities to combat the spread of the disease.

We will continue to monitor the posture and advice by the relevant public health authorities, as well as the directives of FIFA and CONCACAF.

“We consider this measure and recommendation to be the most appropriate and responsible step to take under the current circumstances.

“We further wish to advise that the GFF

Rising Stars defeat Malvern to lift Lochan Premiere League Title

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WDCA/Beacon Café 50 Overs final…

Titans clash today ꟷ McGill Superstars, CICC in epic showdown for title and bragging rights

T

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Marvin Cheong and Shane Persaud were regarded as ‘best bowler’ and ‘man of the match’ respectively

I

n a grand T20 knockout competition sponsored by overseas-based Guyanese Lochan, aka Mali, and his family at the Malvern Cricket Club Ground at Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara, the Rising Stars Cricket Club defeated the Malvern Cricket Club in a 17over affair to uplift the Lochan Premier League title and the winners’ purse of US$2000 in cash and prizes.

The teams that participated in this league were Rising Stars, Mc Gill Superstars, Malvern Sports Club, and New York Strikers; and besides the prize on offer was the right to brag about being the number one T20 team in Canal Number One. The final match of this league was contested between the Rising Stars Cricket Club and the Malvern Cricket Club.

The latter team opted to bat first, and posted 130-8 in their 17 overs.

The Malvern side got off to a wrong start, as they failed

to use their powerplay overs correctly, and their loss of a few wickets put them on the back foot. They attempted to rally on, but with the match being a 17-over affair, they needed to score at an extreme rate.

But along came Ajay Basdeo, who rescued his side by smashing the ball to every part of the ground to give them something to rejoice about. At the end of the Malvern innings, he remained unbeaten on 73.

Bowling for the Rising Stars, Marvin Cheong took 3-10 and Shane Persaud took 3-16.

Needing 130 for victory off 17 overs, the Rising Stars raced to 131-5 in 15 overs, disdaining a below-par bowling line-up to reach their target with ease.

Shaquille Brisport contributed 47 to the Rising Stars’ tally, while Shane Persaud chipped in with 29 and Vishaul Singh with 28.

The Malvern bowling effort was spearheaded by Chris Deen with 2-12 and Peter Persaud with 2-19.

he clash of the titans, a moment long overdue, occurs today when McGill Superstars oppose Cornelia Ida Cricket Club in the final match of the WDCA/Beacon Café 50 Overs competition. The match will be played at Wales, and starting time is 09:00 hrs.

Each of these teams recorded a comprehensive victory in their semifinal matchup last weekend, thus each will be anxious to showcase their talent today, as the pitch would definitely favour spin bowling.

The team winning the toss would be better served by batting first, before the pitch deteriorates to an unplayable state. When that occurs, it would become difficult to read the spinners, as the ball would be subject to an alarming amount of turn.

When all is said and done, the team batting second would face an uphill task to attain the runs set before them.

Because the CICC would be without the services of captain Akshaya Persaud, who is currently on national duties with the Guyana Jaguars, their batsmen would need to step up to fill that void if they are to take the title.

In their semifinal matchup, Arshad Azim played a handy knock of 51 while bagging 3-27. He is expected to attempt repeating that feat. The allround abilities and experience of Richie Looknauth would also be depended on. The CICC side

McGill Superstars

boast a plethora of batsmen and bowlers that can step up to the plate at any time, as seen throughout the entire competition; and if this team play to their ability, they can emerge victorious.

As their name suggests, the McGill Superstars have thus far performed superbly in the tournament. Every batsman and bowler have contributed to the team’s success. Unity will be a key factor, as their opponents would attempt to break their rhythm.

Travis Persaud has had a superb season with bat and ball, scoring a century recently and bagging a 6-wicket haul.

He is expected to put on a show today. Prahalad Singh, Keyshram Seyhodan, Diquan Murray, Sudesh Persaud et al are expected to rock the Wales ground as well.

In the end, the match is expected to weigh in favour of who wins the toss and

capitalizes on the use of quality spinners.

The squads for the finale are as follows: CICC: Naveed Ali (Captain), Vaickesh Dhaniram, Khellawan Tulcan, Dhaniram Azamudeen, Harrinarine Bissondyal, Muhamad Wazidali, Richie Looknauth, Arshad Azim, Ajita Persaud, Ravindranauth Seeram, Avishka Ramgobin, Richard Sukhdeo and Zafar Spoke.

McGill Superstars: Sudesh Persaud (Captain), Daniel Basdeo (Vice Captain), Travis Persaud, Troy Persaud, Abdool Razack, Balram Aron, Kheshram Seyhodan, Ganesh Puran, Azar Deen, Trevor Lawrie, Diquan Murray, Prahalad Singh and Asif Mohamed.

The winner of the competition will pocket $100,000 and a trophy, while the runner-up will take home $50,000 and a trophy.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020

GAW Emerging Player Sinclair seeking to learn from T20 stars in CPL Story and Photos By Brandon Corlette

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evin Sinclair’s career is reaching greater heights. Things have progressed for him from making the cut in the West Indies Emerging Players team that won the Regional Super50 tournament to playing first-class cricket for Guyana Jaguars, and now earning selection for the Guyana Amazon Warriors as the Emerging Player for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League.

Excited to wear the Amazon Warriors armour in August, Sinclair disclosed that it feels good the way things are progressing.

“Currently, in the Regional 4-Day team, I am not thinking too far ahead.

When the time comes, I’ll just do the work and get things going in the T20 as-

pect,” he explained.

The 20-year-old all-rounder noted that ‘the biggest party in sport’, the CPL, is for the young players a developmental process that gives them the opportunity to talk to International T20 players.

“As youngsters, the seniors always look over the youngsters, so you would expect them to show the young talent different things in terms of batting and bowling,” he explained.

Emerging from the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), and having played most of his cricket in the ancient county, Kevin Sinclair has shown great promise in regard to playing cricket. A humble lad who has been keeping things tight with the ball for the Guyana Jaguars in the Regional 4-Day tournament,

Sinclair n o t e d that he is currently working on leaving some deliveries outside the off-stump in the nets.

Sinclair has played nine ‘List A’ matches for the successful West Indies Emerging Players, where he announced himself to the globe with his unique acrobatic celebrations and bagging 13 wickets in the Super50 Cup. The off-spinning all-rounder had a stunning economy rate of 2.87 in the Super50 Cup, in presence of a lot of big bats.

Sinclair has said that he is not looking too far

Coronavirus cases force CWI to suspend cricket season

Kevin Sinclair

Sinclair appealing in the 4-Day tournament (Brandon Corlette photo)

ahead, but when given his opportunity in the CPL, he would be aiming to register some strong performances with bat and ball. After his five first-class match-

es, Sinclair has taken nine wickets, and has a best bowling figure of 4-28. He has a first-class high-score of 43 and a List A top-score of 44.

(Stats do not include match

against Barbados Pride).

If Sinclair were to be fully nurtured and trained, he would certainly become a precious asset of the West Indies senior team.

France confident Billingy can go all the way ...“her success is a testament to her training” says France

I

t was announced on Saturday that all CWI activities will be suspended for the next 30 days. This comes just days after Cricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Johnny Grave had disclosed fears that the coronavirus pandemic may affect the packed CWI schedule in the coming months.

“Cricket West Indies (CWI), acting on the recommendation of its Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), has taken the decision to suspend all CWI tournaments and face-to-face group meetings from Monday, March 16, for a minimum of 30 days,” the CWI correspondence detailed.

CWI Chief Medical Officer Dr. Israel Dowlat has said, “The health and safety of our players, officials and staff are of paramount importance to CWI, and we have advised the Board of Directors to take proactive policy steps to decrease the growing risk of contamination and spread of the virus”.

Chairman of the MAC, Dr Donovan Bennett, has said, “We are acting based on medical best practice as well as in an abundance of caution. The ongoing gathering of even small groups of spectators, cricketers and match officials could pose a risk to some persons of contracting the virus and being stranded in quarantine in a non-res-

ident country for a prolonged period. Clearly, this pandemic is still evolving, and we will continue to monitor the situation throughout the Caribbean”.

As a direct result of the cricketing body’s decision, the final two rounds of the Professional Cricket League 4 Day Championship (26th to 29th March, and 2nd to 5th April); the Women’s Colonial Medical Insurance (CMI) Super 50 Cup in Guyana (27th March to 12th April); Regional Under-15 Boys Championship in Antigua (9th to 20th April), and the Regional Under-19 Girls Championship in Trinidad (6th to 12th April) have all been suspended.

In addition to these regional tournaments, several CWI meetings would also be postponed, with all urgent CWI Board matters to be addressed via teleconference.

Those meetings will include the CWI Board of Directors’ meeting, scheduled for Antigua on April 17th & 18th, and the CWI Annual General Meeting scheduled for Antigua on April 19th.

CWI has also advised that all Territorial Boards and Local Cricket Associations should follow the advice of their respective Ministries of Health.

Colin France

By Timothy Jaikarran

N

ot so long-ago tennis prodigy Jasmine Billingy copped the Under 11 girls title and second place in the Under 13 category at the Silver Bowl Juniors Tournament, in Trinidad and Tobago. Coach Colin France has boldly stated that he is confident that Billingy can

go all the way in making a name for herself in the sport.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, Billingy’s personal coach Colin France said, “Well in terms of what’s next for her, I believe that table tennis like any other sport, there is room for progression. As we all know Jasmine is a very hard worker, she comes out early in the morning and trains hard by Cuffy Square three days a week. This is why she is rising so rapid in the sport of tennis because her training is a success to her testament, as she is very dedicated. Her performance in the tournament was great, she lost to Cloe Fraser who was a World Hopes Winner last year.

The games were very close but I can assure you that by the end of 2020 the tables will turn.”

France also went on to state that Billingy is doing excellent and with the current trajectory that she is on, she will qualify for the World Hopes which will be held in Guyana in August 2020. He also noted that while their next agenda is the tournament, they will be focusing more on playing against the Spanish players who always come strong every year. France also stated that Billingy will go all the way owing to the fact that he has been in table tennis for many years and recognizes talent when he sees it.

In her Under 11 final Billingy defeated Ashley Mohammed 3-1 (8-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-7) and in a close Under-13 final, she lost 1-3 (11-5, 8-11, 11-13, 10-12) to T&T’s #1 player in this category, Chloe Fraser. She was sponsored by Secure Innovations and Concepts Inc.

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CWI/PCL Regional 4-Day tournament…

Beaten in own backyard! Roach, Carter send Jaguars packing but young Chemar Holder, hitting the right areas found Hetmyer’s edge at 6-1. That was the opening of the floodgates; Leon Johnson was taken at second slip by a safe Ashley Nurse for three at 19-2 by the same Chemar Holder.

The

Carter castled Sinclair for a duck Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

B

arbados Pride inflicted a 236-run win against Guyana Jaguars in three days of their eightround clash of the West Indies Regional 4-Day championships. Watched by less than 40 supporters who made their exit as Guyana were bowled out for 94 in 24 overs, chasing 330 to win, Kemar Roach replicated his brilliance with the ball, ending with four wickets

G

in the second innings while Jonathan Carter took three wickets to silence the roaring fivetime defending champions.

Jaguars began the day in cautious fashion for a matter of three overs; Shimron Hetmyer (06) played an attractive straight drive to the long-off boundary

uyana’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Golden Jaguars, will have a lot more time to prepare for their race to the Gold Cup 2021 as the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) on Friday announced that the CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualifying matches versus Barbados, scheduled for March 26 in Barbados and March 31 in Guyana, have been suspended as a result of the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This move was taken as a result of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) suspending and cancelling a number of their competitions and events for a 30-day period with effect from March 12.

In a correspondence to Member Associations dated March 12, CONCACAF informed that travel prohibitions in some countries have restricted the movement/ access of teams, and thus “alternative dates and options for Gold Cup Qualification” will be discussed and communicated at the soonest possible time.

The other competitions and events that have been affected by CONCACAF’s precautionary decision are the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifiers, Concacaf Gold Cup Qualifying Round (March FIFA Window) CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield, and the CONCACAF Congress. While the aforementioned events have been suspended, the Presidents’ Meetings are cancelled.

Kemar Roach

struggling Tagenarine Chanderpaul was then trapped in front by Roach for 11 at 23-3 as Jaguars continued to crumble. Roach, hitting one area with ease and grace, found himself on a hat trick when he accounted for Vishaul Singh (03), who was caught at

t h e wicket and Raymon Reifer (00) trapped in front.

Jaguars had fallen at 26-5 in a matter of 10.4 overs of testing seam bowling with the pink ball.

Christopher Barnwell, who was unlucky to be adjudged leg-before fell at 33-6 to Roach for six. Keemo Paul and Anthony Bramble fight fire with fire; Paul was fearless, walking into Roach, and hitting him to all parts of the Stadium.

The duo added 51 runs together as they displayed the “die-trying” attitude. At 847, Bramble Keemo Paul was caught swinging at second slip for the hills

by Nurse for an attacking 22 from 36 balls, which included four boundaries.

Paul, who was innovative in his stroke-play, scooped one to fine-leg for four but the next ball, a probing Carter castled his middle stumps. The right-handed Paul, who departed with Jaguars reeling at 93-8, made 36 from 22 balls which included six fours and one six.

A clueless Kevin Sinclair who left the crease in an attempt to cover the ball was beaten all ends up by Carter who sent Sinclair’s middle stump out of the ground at 93-9.

The final wicket did not

take long to come as Permaul was drowned in the Jason Holder honey, top-edging one and was caught by the wicket-keeper. That was the moment the Pride silenced the Jaguars in their own backyard; the Pride players were screaming in joy, a win that meant the world to them.

Roach ended with 4-40 in nine overs while Carter claimed 3-13 in three overs.

Chemar Holder had 2-29 in a dominant display of seam bowling, where Pride did not bowl a ball of spin in the entire match. Roach ended with match figures of 9-90 in 22.1 overs.

SCOREBOARD Jaguars 2nd Innings Tagenarine Chanderpaul lbw b Roach 11 Shimron Hetmyer c Walcott b Holder 6 Leon Johnson c Nurse b Holder 3 Vishaul Singh c Walcott b Roach 3 Christopher Barnwell lbw b Roach 5 Raymon Reifer lbw b Roach 0 Anthony Bramble c Nurse b Carter 22 Keemo Paul b Carter 36 Romario Shepherd not out 5 Kevin Sinclair b Carter 0 Veerasammy Permaul c Walcott b Holder 0

Total (10 wickets, 24.0) (3 extras) 94 FOW: 6/1 (3.6) Shimron Hetmyer 19/2 (7.5) Leon Johnson 23/3 (8.5) Tagenarine Chanderpaul 26/4 (10.3) Vishaul Singh 26/5 (10.4) Raymon Reifer 33/6 (12.4) Christopher Barnwell 84/7 (20.5) Anthony Bramble 93/8 (22.2) Keemo Paul 93/9 (22.5) Kevin Sinclair 94/10 (23.6) Veerasammy Permaul Bowling Kemar Roach (9-2-40-4) Chemar Holder (8-0-29-2) Jason Holder (4-1-10-1) Jonathan Carter (3-0-13-3)

CONCACAF

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

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020

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Pg 23

CWI/PCL Regional 4-Day tournament…

Beaten in own backyard!

Roach, Carter send Jaguars packing

GAW Emerging Player Sinclair seeking to learn from T20 stars in CPL Pg 22

Coronavirus cases force CWI to suspend cricket season Pg 22

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March 15, 2020

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Feature

P

oetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings. Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures.

In celebrating World Poetry Day, March 21, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.

A decision to proclaim 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999. One of the main objectives of the Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.

The observance of World Poetry Day is also meant to encourage a return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals, to promote the teaching of poetry, to restore a dialogue between poetry and the other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and to support small publishers and create an attractive image of poetry in the media, so that the art of poetry will no longer be considered an outdated form of art, but one which enables society as a whole to regain and assert its identity.

Held every year on 21 March, World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity. Practiced throughout history – in every culture and on every continent – poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace.

World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media. As poetry continues to bring people together across continents, all are invited to join in. (United Nations)

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Feature

Kelwin Gittens

By Lakhram Bhagirat

S

ometimes finding the right word to ascribe to your feelings of intimacy and vulnerability are hard to find. Sometimes the words escape us and we are just left there with mouths agape and thoughts floating around in our heads.

However, for some of us that almost never happens. Some of us are well-versed in putting our feelings on paper and exposing our vulnerability for the world to indulge. Our words let them into our worlds and though they’re mere visitors to our isolated paradises, they quite often beg to stay.

Kelwin Gittens has been putting words to paper and baring his soul for the world for a

number of years now. He does so through intricately written poems that are like mazes allowing us to navigate our own journeys. His writing invokes a sense of relatability and also takes us on his journey.

He bares his soul as he speaks about growing up in poverty in Den Amstel Village on the West Coast of Demerara. He shares with us the fond memories of a little boy who not only struggled but also found happiness in the struggles.

Kelwin’s writings tell us about a little boy who would enjoy every bit of his childhood. We learn of a little boy who would frequent the seawalls for a splash or just childhood games with his friends. We are told of a little boy who would enjoy every bit of his childhood with his friends whether they would engage in a game of cricket or football at the ‘ballfield’.

We learn of the struggles of his family as they battled poverty.

“One of the many challenges I faced growing up was the fact that I grew up in poverty. So, it was difficult financially for us,” he would reminisce.

One thing though, Kelwin never allowed what he did not have to limit him. He reached, and continues to reach to this day, for the stars.

“Growing up in poverty played out in a good way for me, because it made me work harder. A lot harder too. In difficult times and some of the challenges that I faced as I got older, poverty prepared me for those moments and I am grateful.”

Kelwin attended the Stewartville Secondary School and later ventured to the Government Technical Institute where he studied Land Surveying.

He is slated to be sworn in as a Land Surveyor sometime next month after he completes his internship with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission.

The young man got into writing as a result of the challenges he faced during his childhood.

“I did a few surgeries on my knee and growing up I could not be a part of much physical activities. It would have these football competitions and due to the challenges with my knee, I wasn’t allowed to be a part of those competitions. I realised that I could write and rhyme, and I started writing poetry. I currently go to Ebenezer Congregational Church, so every year we would normally get concerts and someone once heard I was rhyming and encouraged me to say a poem. So, I wrote one and got a lot of good feedback, so then I started writing. That was

around the age of 12,” he said.

His style of writing is what we refer to as Spoken Word. The pieces do not necessarily rhyme and sound all poetic, but they are very important pieces. Those pieces chronicle experiences as well as speak to societal ills.

“I mostly do spoken word because I have very little training. As I said, I grew up in poverty and most of my poems come from how I grew up and some of the struggles I went through due to poverty. When I am going through stuff, I let it out. Like poetry is like my way of expressing what I’ve been through or what I am going through. When I am feeling a type ah way, poems help me let out whatever it is that is bothering me. Poem means a lot. Poems is one of the way in which I does communicate with the outside world. Instead of me going and sit down and talk to somebody I does just put it in my poems and people would understand exactly what I going through.”

Kelwin continues to inspire the younger generation and make his mark in the art world of Guyana.

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WORLD POETRY DAY…

M

y name is Hannah Natalia Singh and I am 18 years old. I grew up in the community of Great Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara. I’m the youngest of four girls. I was a child with a rebellious streak and a tendency for getting into trouble.

One of my biggest challenges growing up was staying out of trouble, and accidents. However, if we’re looking at something that may seem more relatable.

During my Primary School years, I read countless novels which my mother disapproved of since I often got carried away reading fiction novels and watching television, that I completely ignored my studies.

As an average student, I should have focused more on my school work. Instead, after being banned to read novels at home, I used to sneak novels behind my textbook and “study” at the dining table. When my mother would pass me by, I’d quickly slide the book onto a chair which would allow the book to be hidden properly. Even though I was the youngest sibling, I grew up as an only child because all of my siblings were old enough to have already moved onto studying overseas and even, earning their own money.

To fill my days, I would create characters in my head and I would make them play

along to my skits, those of which were inspired by television shows at that time.

I attended Eccles Nursery School, then transitioned to Peter’s Hall Primary School. In 2013, I would have garnered enough marks to gain me a place at St. Rose’s High School.

I graduated with ten subjects at CXC in 2018, and went ahead to pursue a diploma in Creative Writing at the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama. The one year diploma program came to it’s conclusion in 2019, where I received the award for the Best Poetry Student and also graduated with Credits (3.0 GPA).

I am currently a University of Guyana within the Humanities and Education faculty, furthering my studies through the Degree program in English-Literature/Linguistics.

As a child and teenager, I was always poetically-inclined. However, my poetry really began taking flight after high school. I mean, in high school, I dabbled in the arts and believed in expressing my creativity poetically. However, when I was on my diploma program,

I discovered that my writing style was very poetic and I was advised to continue on the path of poetry. It was here that I found and developed my love for spoken word poetry.

The question of my favourite poet is a difficult one to answer because there are so many amazing poets which have inspired my to write and to do so freely. One of my favourite poets is Maya Angelou, with my favourite piece from her being “Still I rise”. She has inspired me to always rise above my situation and the opinion people may have of me.

My style of poetry is free verse spoken word poetry. However, according to my friends, when I deliver poetry, it’s almost musical. So I would say that my poetry has a rhythm to it and a steady flow, like water moving from streams to rivers without any qualms.

Being able to express what is on my mind in a poetic way is what fuels my passion for poetry. Added to that, is the fact that I feel as though my pieces enable people to find themselves within my pieces. I’m not saying that everyone will relate, but for those who will that’s the reason I share what I write.

Poetry means life to me. It was a means of preventing my own suicide attempts when I was battling the growing pains of adolescence.

To quote one of my pieces, “It turned the rope I was holding into a pen, and the note I was writing into a poem”.

Poetry means life to me. I repeated the line because there is poetry in everything, from the way we walk to the manner of our walk, whether it be in strides or short paces, you can see poetry in the faces, of the people with stories that are yet to be told, and those begging to be heard.

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Feature

WORLD POETRY DAY…

Poetry is a beautiful art form that always opens its arms to rescue – Nickalos Mobin W

riting provides us with an opportunity to share our innermost feelings, it provides an escape from the realities of our everyday life and is exactly what Odeshwar ‘Nickalos’ Mobin was seeking when he decided to start writing poetry.

Though still in his infancy stages of writing, Nickalos has been making a difference in the lives of those who read his work. The 21-year-old Berbician never envisioned a life where writing would have played an integral part of his development but now he cannot envision one where it did not.

In order to understand how his passion for writing was honed, one would be taken back to Nickalos’ English Language classroom in the Skeldon Line Path Secondary School. It was there that his teacher figured that she had a star writing pupil on her hand.

“I became motivated to start writing after I finished school. But it actually started when I was in school and had to write a short story for English class, the teacher was so overwhelmed that I was encouraged to take my writings further. Although I was motivated then I never took up writing seriously but after I finished school I sat down one day and started to frame

I like peace as I dislike war and don't like to see people and animals being treated harshly,” he says.

Going back to his writing, Nickalos said that he had written extensively but always fears to release those pieces because of the judgmental nature of some people. He accepts the fact that he is a novice when it comes to being in the writing fraternity and as such he is now in the beginning stages of releasing his writings to the public.

He wants to be able to inspire those that are willing to tread the same path that he is on.

“I often imagine myself in situations and ink my feelings on paper since I am a person that experience much difficulty in expressing myself orally. Whether it relates to nature, love, childhood or whatever the topic may be I imagined myself in those scenarios and also write from personal experiences.”

“I also try as much as I can to put everything in its simplest form so that any and everybody can read and understand what message I am trying to convey to them. From the words, expressions and structure I try to do it very simple so it can be easy for everyone to read and picture what they read.”

Nickalos Mobin

a poem. Its something that I fell in love with and ever since I have been blazing the trail,” he said.

An avid cricketer, Nickalos related that while growing up it was somewhat restricted since the area in which he grew up was one plagued by all sorts of societal ills. This resulted in his parents restricting his interactions with others and he spent most of his time reading or playing cricket.

“As time went by and I got a little older I was allowed to more things which allowed me to become more open up as a person but I kept my composure of being a respectful. I believed in discipline and respect and kindness since they can say a lot about a person’s character. Also

For Nickalos, poetry rescues him and conveys every little feeling he has. His end goal is to publish an anthology of writings so he can take his followers on a journey, the same journey that he has been on. He wants to open himself and allow future readers to experience every failure, success, sadness, happiness and triumph he has been through.

“I would term my style of writing very simple with little or no technicality in it since it's intended for everyone to read and understand.

I think poetry is a great rescuer for persons to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings. Poetry gives me a sense of joy and freedom of expression and the chance to explore my thoughts. For me, poetry is a beautiful art form that always opens its arms to rescue,” he said.

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Feature

(Interview with Charlene Wilkinson, February 19, 2020, GT, Guyana, on International Mother Language Day 2020 under the theme ‘Languages without borders’. Wilkinson is a language rights advocate and the head of Guyanese Languages Unit (GLU), University of Guyana.)

P

P There are many things in this life we take for granted and one of those things is language. We go about our day to day chores without giving this instrument of communication a second thought, without a thought to its value, its import. It is more than just an instrument of communication. What is language? Let’s talk language – what is its function, what is its value?

CW I like the insertion of the word ‘instrument’ and as we are speaking, I am thinking that we are the instrument of language and language is a possession that only humans have. Of all the living creatures on the earth only we have language.

PP Expand on the phrase ‘language is a possession’.

CW You can say we possess something or you can say language possesses us and makes us its instrument. I’m not denying your definition but this way is a way of saying it poetically.

Charlene Wilkinson

Every single language that humanity has used is important because it is a culture, it is an intellectual tradition, it is a memory, it is a story of a people.

In Guyana, we are not aware so much of that which you are bringing up today.

PP That is what I said in my introduction – we take a lot for granted including language.

As we mark our Republic Golden Jubilee, we must ask ourselves how far we have come not only in material gains but in the arts and in writing and in literature and in language… how far have we come in language?

CW Well, if we are to measure it like that then we can say we are still stuck in the colonial era …

PP How so?

CW Let’s look at it this way: we assume that language

means English.

I have recently counted that Guyana has thirteen indigenous languages. We are aware of the nine [Akawaio, Arecuna, Carib, Lokono, Makushi, Patamuna, Wapichan, Wai Wai, Warrau] but there is a language, the Falmouth Sign Language, created right here for people who can’t hear, developed right here in Falmouth in the Bartica community.

And those we may not be aware of and some that are endangered languages including Atorada, South Rupununi Sign Language, and Taruma.

When you look at the litany of languages, Guyana is a culturally unique and wealthy country by means of languages.

PP Wow, wow.

When we talk language, we think language as being English only and we lose out a lot.

We’ll talk lost in translation later…but I get a chill the more I think about this phrase ‘lost in translation’…

CW There is a Macushi proverb which I share with my students every year; it goes like this in English - The sky is the roof of the world, the trees are the pillars that hold up the sky, if we cut down the trees, the sky will fall.

Prof. Robertson would say that they were teaching their children about global warming long before we knew the term thousands of years ago because they understood the connection of indigenous languages to nature, to the environment, to humanity.

The way we see ourselves is embedded in our language.

PP That’s a language in itself – the way we deal with the environment…

CW Yes, and it is carried in the words, the sentences, the structure of the indigenous languages…

PP Interesting…intriguing…

CW Not leaving out Creolese because Creolese carries a history in its proverbs.

You know, I would love to tell all Guyanese if yu mek yuself graas, aas go iit yu [If you make yourself grass, the horse will eat you.]… and somebody might add what daag go duu yu…

One single Creolese statement carries so much weight – national self respect, in one line, and we know what it means.

PP After weary, comes science. Empty gun shoot guilty man…

CW We could offer a whole course in Guyanese proverbs…

There is the beginning of a new understanding, a new consciousness in Guyana.

It is the hope for this International Mother Language Day celebration that the message that went out from GLU to the regions through the Ministry of Education gets into the schools…eliciting questions like what is a native language, what is a mother language.

One of the most astounding facts about Guyana is that English is not a mother language of the majority of Guyanese. English is not native to Guyana. But Creolese is native to Guyana, the Falmouth Sign Language is native to Guyana, all the Guyanese indigenous languages are native to Guyana; they were developed here, they were spoken by people who have cultural roots going back centuries ago, whether they came from outside the borders of Guyana, it cannot be denied the fact, they are now native to Guyana.

PP Let’s talk Mother Language Day, what is International Mother Language Day, its origin and so on. I understand people died for this – for their language.

CW Yes. On February 21, 1952, some students in Bangladesh were shot dead because they were protesting for their language, Bangla, to be included in the school curriculum and be validated and acknowledged, and that was the response of the police.

However, more than 40 years later, in 1999, the United

Nations decided to recognise that day. What the UN have done after being properly educated by its linguists that a language dies every two weeks – this is not a normal situation.

Now languages die when children stop speaking them.

In Guyana for instance, Lokono, Carib and Warau are in danger because the children are being told to speak English, speak English, speak English and their languages [mother languages] are being side lined. That psychological and social pressure could trigger the loss of a whole generation and when that happens, the language is likely to die.

PP Not only losing a language but losing all that it possesses…

CW …all that it comes with…

PP …the knowledge, the culture, the rituals, the medicine…

CW …understanding climate, climate change…

PP …the magnitude of the loss is unimaginable … this is a crisis.

CW This is a crisis. And the United Nations have actually called the removal of children from their culture, their language in the school where only the colonial language is being forced upon them genocide; the UN is now calling that genocide.

PP This is serious.

CW You don’t have to shoot and kill a person to commit genocide; you can commit genocide culturally…

PP …the erasure of a people…(to be continued) Responses to this author please telephone 226-0065 of email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

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Feature

By Utamu Belle

A

t 26 years old, Lindener Taneila Croal has her eyes set on living out her dream as an enterprising Guyanese woman. And nothing is stopping this vibrant young woman from achieving her goals and her shot at success. Though she’s a teacher by profession, Croal is also pursuing her passion of establishing herself as a successful businesswoman and outstanding entrepreneur in the Linden community. Her love for styling hair and nails has led her down the path of launching her own salon, “Neila’s Hair and Nails Empire” and more recently her own line of female lingerie, titled, ‘ADOREmeBAE’.

Speaking with the Sunday Times Magazine, Croal recently gave a glimpse into her successful journey and shared some useful advice for others desirous of venturing into the challenging world of entrepreneurship in Guyana.

“I'm a high school teacher by profession. However, at a very young age, I've always had a passion for hairstyling and now I own my salon”, she mused.

The talented hairdresser went on to talk about some of the services offered at her salon, which include braiding, crocheting, sew-in and interlocking, amongst numerous others. Her passion for styling hair, Croal explained, grew from an early age as she would skilfully create her own hairstyles and plait her own hair.

“At age 12 I was already braiding my own hair in the 'pinch and plait' method back then.

So, when I was about 14 years old I got my first paid job when I did some braids for someone”, she recalled.

This opportunity would ultimately lead to the development of a full-blown business establishment. Following the route of her passion, she was motivated to open her own hair salon. Ultimately, Croal would take advantage of social media marketing, supplementing her shot at success.

“Over the years, as a teen, I would've had customers who knew my ability as it relates to braiding and they would support me as I perfect my skill. I would usually work in my home at that time. I later built my salon. However, three years ago I decided to use my Facebook platform to showcase my talent. I started my business page, ’Neila’s Hair and Nails Empire’ and my support audience increased”, she noted.

Though enthused by the response she received from her social media marketing and networking, the young entrepreneur soon learned of the challenges.

“When I decided to advertise my business more, there were challenges of not being able to be at the service of all my customers because of work. That caused me to become really sad when I had to tell clients I'm unable to render service”, she admitted.

Regardless of the challenges, Croal was determined and persevered. She soon learnt the art of managing her time and remaining focused on her journey through entrepreneurship. Asked where she sees her business platform in the next few years, the entrepreneur was very optimistic about expanding in the future.

“The most ecstatic thing is to see my growth in the work that I do and to have satisfied customers.

I have seen progression and perfection in all areas of the services I offer.

I recently established my lingerie line, called ADOREmeBAE which features exotic, comfy Sleepwear. My plan is to develop my business by providing variety, diversity to my prospective and current customers. I want to be able to have my lingerie marketed across Guyana. A few years from now I see myself having a branch of Neila's Beautie Empire in Georgetown. In both my locations I'd be renting stations in my buildings and expand my services”, she related.

Reflecting on how she managed to get her business up and running, Croal shared one of her favourite motivational quotes which have propelled her to go after her dreams.

“A keynote to remember is, 'Nobody owes you anything'.

Simply saying that nobody is obliged to do anything for you.

You have to get up and chase your dreams. If you have something you're good at, a skill, perfect it. Go ahead and take advantage of the small business loans and grants. Start your own business if that's what you want. Overcome the fears of how successful it might turn out. Do it for the love of it and you'll multiply your blessings”, she advised.

Croal believes that despite challenges, there are opportunities available for young people in Guyana to become entrepreneurs. She advised that they should not be afraid to take advantage of loans and build from there.

“There is scope and opportunities for young entrepreneurs to benefit from in Guyana. The Department of Youth under the Ministry of the Presidency has provided entrepreneurs like myself chances of developing our businesses through grants and loans. This helps to build and develop businesses. And provides the necessary training and skills one needs to become a business-oriented person”, she stated.

Speaking on the business atmosphere in Linden, she noted that while there are others involved in her line of business there is room for everyone to grow and develop. “ In Linden where I'm from, I see a lot of persons doing what I do as a business. I have my customers and others have theirs.

I have my full support and clientele in peak seasons such

as weekend, holidays and Linden Town Week season.

These moments stimulate that drive for me as a hairdresser to do the best I can”, Croal related.

She is presently in the process of planning an upcoming social and entertainment event to promote her business as well as shed light on other entrepreneurs. Croal gave us an insight into this event which will take place on March 15, as she urged full support.

“So, my upcoming event is one with a major difference. It's called ‘Sip, Puff and Paint’. This event promises to be one of first-class and elegant. If you ever consider attending, you will experience a breathtaking ambience of young professionals and entrepreneurs. Everyone will be doing their individual paintings which they'll take home, and at the same time sipping wine. There will be finger foods provided at a cool, serene atmosphere at the Pegasus Garden Arena... Supporting this event will be beneficial to all attendees who will be interacting with each other, getting to know each other, sharing ideas and exploring opportunities for developing themselves.

It would be a fantastic opportunity for young people. It aims to be mind-blowing and relaxing”, she said.

Croal has some advice for anyone thinking about delving into entrepreneurship. She urges that they work on developing and promoting their skills and making it work for them. A leap of faith is also required, according to Croal.

“I wish to say this to youths, it doesn't matter what your skill is, or what your dreams are, once you make that start or make that first step, you'll definitely reach the top. That first step along with a leap of faith and confidence in what you do is all it takes. It doesn't matter your business ideas or how you'll get there. Pray, work, trust God... that's how I did it”, she quipped.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 15, 2020

Feature

By Dr. Bibi Areefa Alladin

T

he kidney Foundation of Guyana joins the world in observing World Kidney Day 2020 under the theme Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere.

The kidneys should be celebrated every day but often times we take for granted the amount of work that our kidneys do to keep us healthy and alive. For this reason, every year, the Month of March is dedicated towards kidney health.

Kidney disease is a non-communicable disease (NCD) and currently affects around 850 million people worldwide. One in ten adults has chronic kidney dis-

ease (CKD).

The global burden of chronic kidney disease is increasing and is projected to become the fifth most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. Chronic kidney disease is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplantation consume about 2 to 3% of the annual healthcare budget in high-income countries. However, in low-income and middle-income countries, most people with kidney failure have insufficient access to lifesaving dialysis and kidney transplantation.

We owe it to ourselves to preserve our kidneys because it is not only costly to manage

kidney failure, but accessibility to dialysis and transplant is not always an option. Crucially, kidney disease can be prevented and progression to end-stage kidney disease can be delayed with appropriate access to basic diagnostics and early treatment.

The Kidney Foundation of Guyana, chaired by Major General (ret’d) Joseph Singh, directs its efforts towards education and awareness about kidney disease. The Organization advocates for regular screening, and early intervention to prevent progression of CKD in at risk individuals. We would like to use this opportunity to charge health care workers, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Ministries to join the awareness campaigns globally.

The Theme for World Kidney Day 2020 is Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere – from Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care. This year World Kidney Day continues to raise awareness of the increasing burden of kidney diseases worldwide and to

neys?

strive for kidney health for everyone, everywhere. Specifically, the 2020 campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions to avert the onset and progression of kidney disease.

What can you do for your kid-

Kidney diseases are silent killers, which can largely affect your quality of life. There are several ways to reduce the risk of developing kidney disease.

1. Keeping fit and being active can help to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure and the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease. The concept “On the move for kidney health” is a worldwide collective march involving the public, celebrities and professionals moving across a public area by walking, running and cycling. Over the last few years, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in collaboration with Ministry of Public Heath and the Kidney Foundation of Guyana have been hosting annual walks for WKD. Please come out and join the team as we celebrate our kidneys and raise awareness.

2. Eating a healthy diet can help to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure, prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with Chronic Kidney Disease. Reduce your salt intake. The recommended sodium intake is 5-6 grams of salt per day. This includes the salt already in your foods. (around a teaspoon).

To reduce your salt intake, try and limit the amount of processed and restaurant food and do not add salt to food. It will be easier to control your salt intake if you prepare the food yourself with fresh ingredients.

Schools and comminutes should work on promoting healthy nutrition to our children by providing healthy options.

Excess salt, sugar, and processed foods can make our kidneys to work harder.

These food choices can also lead to chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, all of which may result in kidney failure.

3. Check and control your blood sugar.

About half of people who have diabetes do not know they have diabetes. Therefore, you need to check your blood sugar level as part of your general body checkup. This is especially important for those who are approaching middle age or older. About half of people who have diabetes develop kidney damage; but this can be prevented/ limited if the diabetes is well controlled. Check your kidney function regularly with blood and urine tests.w4.

Check and control your blood pressure. About half of people who have high blood pressure do

not know they have high blood pressure.

Therefore, you need to check your blood pressure as part of your general body checkup.

This is especially important for those who are approaching middle age or older. High blood pressure can damage your kidneys. This is especially likely when associated with other factors like diabetes, high cholesterol and Cardio-Vascular Diseases. The risk can be reduced with good control of blood pressure.

Normal adult blood pressure level is around 120/80mmHg. Hypertension is diagnosed if, when measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥90 mmHg (WHO). If your blood pressure is persistently elevated above the normal range, you should consult your doctor to discuss the risks, the need for lifestyle modification and medication treatment.

5. Take appropriate fluid intake. The right level of fluid intake for any individual depends on many factors including exercise, climate, health conditions, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Normally, this means 8 cups, approximately 2 liters (quarts) per day for a healthy person in a comfortable climate condition. This fluid should be mostly water as sodas and juices are unhealthy.

6. Don’t smoke. Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys. When less blood reaches the kidneys, it can decrease their ability to function normally. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney cancer by about 50 per cent.

7. Don’t take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory/pain-killer pills regularly. Common drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS)/ pain-killers (e.g. ibuprofen) can harm the kidneys if taken regularly. If you have kidney disease or decreased kidney function, taking just a few doses can do harm to your kidneys. If in doubt, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

8. Healthy pregnancies and surveillance for birth defects of the kidneys and urinary system. Prevention of CKD starts prior to conception. One of the most common causes of kidney failure in childhood are birth defects of the kidney and urinary tracts. These defects can be detected early by timely ultrasounds in pregnancy.

Premature birth is also a risk factor for the development of CKD, appropriate planning for pregnancies by ensuring a healthy lifestyle may reduce preterm birth.

In addition, screening children who were born prematurely may help with early detection and intervention.

Get your kidney function checked regularly if you have one or more of the ‘high risk’ factors • Diabetes • Hypertension • Obesity • Family history of kidney disease For more information on how you can become an advocate for kidney health, visit the https://www.worldkidneyday.org, and Facebook page, Guyana Kidney Foundation.

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 15, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine

9

Health

C

oronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). In 2019, a new coronavirus was identified as the cause of a disease outbreak in China.

The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Cases of COVID-19 have been reported in a growing number of countries, including the U.S. Public health groups, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are monitoring the situation and posting updates on their websites. These groups have also issued recommendations for preventing and treating the illness.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 may appear two to 14 days after exposure and can include: • Fever • Cough • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can range from very mild to severe. People who are older or have existing medical conditions, such as heart disease, may be at higher risk of serious illness. This is similar to what is seen with other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza.

When to see a doctor

Contact your doctor right away if you have COVID-19 symptoms and you've possibly been exposed to the virus. Tell your doctor if you've recently traveled internationally. Call your doctor ahead to tell him or her about your symptoms and recent travels and possible exposure before you go to your appointment.

Causes

It's unclear exactly how contagious the new coronavirus is. It appears to be spreading from person to person among those in close contact. It may be spread by respiratory droplets released when someone with the virus coughs or sneezes.

Risk factors

Risk factors for COVID-19 appear to include: • Recent travel from or residence in an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19 as determined by CDC or WHO • Close contact with someone who has COVID-19 — such as when a family member or health care worker takes care of an

be referred immediately to a doctor trained in treating infectious diseases. If you think you have COVID-19, tell your doctor or clinic before coming in. The doctor and medical team can then: • Contact infection prevention and control and public health officials • Prepare to move you to a room quickly • Have a mask ready for you Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

Pandemic

infected person

Prevention

Although there is no vaccine available to prevent infection with the new coronavirus, you can take steps to reduce your risk of infection. WHO and CDC recommend following the standard precautions for avoiding respiratory viruses: • Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth if your hands aren't clean.

• Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.

• Avoid sharing dishes, glasses, bedding and other household items if you're sick.

• Clean and disinfect surfaces you often touch.

• Stay home from work, school and public areas if you're sick.

CDC doesn't recommend that healthy people wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Only wear a mask if a health care provider tells you to do so.

WHO also recommends that you: • Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat or animal organs.

• Avoid contact with live animals and surfaces they may have touched if you're visiting live markets in areas that have recently had new coronavirus cases.

Travel

If you're planning to travel internationally, first check the CDC and WHO websites for updates and advice. Also look for any health adviso-

ries that may be in place where you plan to travel. You may also want to talk with your doctor if you have health conditions that make you more susceptible to respiratory infections and complications.

Diagnosis

If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, contact your doctor. Tell him or her about any recent travels, especially international travel.

Also let your doctor know if you've had close contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Your doctor may take samples, including a sample of saliva (sputum), a nasal swab and a throat swab, to send for testing.

Treatment

Currently, no antiviral medication is recommended to treat COVID-19.

Treatment is directed at relieving symptoms and may include: • Pain relievers • Cough syrup or medication • Rest • Fluid intake If your doctor thinks you can be treated at home, he or she may give you special instructions, such as to isolate yourself as much as possible from family while you're sick and to stay home for a period of time. If you're very ill, you may need to be treated in the hospital.

Preparing for your appointment

You may start by seeing your primary care doctor. Or you may

The coronavirus sweeping across the world is a pandemic, the World Health Organization declared on Wednesday. There are large outbreaks of the virus in Italy, South Korea, and the United States. In the US, the slow rollout of testing and limited testing capacity has crippled response to the disease.

A pandemic is the “worldwide spread of a new disease,” according to the WHO. There’s no cut-and-dry criteria for what reaches the level of pandemic and what does not, and there is no threshold of cases or deaths that triggers the definition.

The WHO classified the novel coronavirus as a global public health emergency on January 30th. Until now, they’ve been reluctant to call the outbreak a pandemic over concerns that it would incite unnecessary panic, though they’d been warning countries to prepare for a pandemic. “Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear,” Adhanom said at a press briefing at the end of February. “What we see are epidemics in different parts of the world affecting different countries in different ways.”

Countries around the world, including in the US, have already been leaning on pandemic preparedness plans to respond to outbreaks of the new coronavirus.

The last time the WHO declared a pandemic was during the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, which infected nearly a quarter of the world’s population. However, that decision was criticized for creating unnecessary panic.

SARS was not considered a pandemic, despite affecting people in 26 countries, and neither was MERS.

10

Feature

Sunday Times Magazine

A

MARCH 15, 2020

s we say goodbye to one year, we also bid farewell to the fashion of the past seasons. While some key pieces will stay forever stylish, there are plenty of new accessories that will be worn by everyone in the new decade. When the temperature rises and falls, these pieces will stand the test of time and will be essential additions to your wardrobe. From slouchy handbags to padded headbands, here are some trends that are here to stay.

guyanatimesgy.com

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 15, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Recipes

DECORATING TIPS TOP DESIGNERS SWEAR BY

While the process of decorating your home is thrilling, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Your goal should be to showcase your design aesthetic in a tasteful way, but it’s a given that you'll be faced with everything from an interior that lacks natural light to a layout that’s much smaller than you’d like. So it’s no surprise that these common dilemmas might turn you off from decorating altogether. But instead of viewing them as stumbling blocks, use them as inspiration to design the home of your dreams.

Regardless of the type of space you're decorating, there's nothing more important than paying attention to details—and expressing your creativity. Taking the time to understand the basic principles of decorating, from choosing the right furniture to finding the perfect color palette, will get you one step closer to crafting the home you’ve always wanted.

Here, we share decorating pointers and useful tips from top interior decorators to help you make sense of what good design really means. If you're ready to master the art of decorating and up for putting your imagination to the test, click through for some of the best tips in the business. (Elle Decorator)

EXPERIMENT WITH PATTERNS

Layering patterns in a range of styles and scales is an easy way to add visual interest to a room. Here, Refinery29 Global Editor-in-Chief Christene Barberich pairs black and white pillows with green chevron bedding in her Brooklyn Heights bedroom.

USE COLOR IN HALLWAYS

If you tend to be more reserved when it comes to color choices, step outside of your comfort zone by choosing a bold hue, like purple, for a hallway. It's unexpected and can be a chic backdrop for showcasing an art collection like this design by David Hicks.

DISPLAY COLLECTIBLES ON A TABLE

Every room can benefit from accessories that have a history.

Rather than showcasing your collectibles on a shelf, set them out on a table, as seen in this Italian apartment. Just be sure your collection is highly curated to maintain a sense of balance in your display.

MIX YOUR TIME PERIODS

“You mix things up with old and new,” suggests textiles and interior designer Kathryn M. Ireland, as she did in the living room of her Santa Monica home; a room where the furnishings include 17th-century French chairs, an 18th-century Mexican console, and a cocktail table from her furniture line.

TRY FLOOR-TO-CEILING SHELVING

Floor-to-ceiling shelving never fails to add character to a room. In his Los Angeles home, acclaimed chef Ludovic "Ludo" Lefebvre opted for this shelving style for his collection of more than 1,000 cookbooks.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 15, 2020

Puzzles

ACROSS 88 Long coats 1 Wielded a broom 89 Wind-borne silt 6 Sons and uncles 90 Suffix for forfeit 11 Blockbuster 91 To date (2 wds.)

16 Prefix for wave 92 Prove false 21 Less exciting 93 M*A*S*H milieu 22 Disconcert 94 Televised again 23 Ammonia compound 96 201, to Claudius 24 Regular's order 97 Telescope lens 25 -- Kurosawa of film 98 Appliances 26 Nina -- of fashion 99 Burbank's field 27 Port near Hong Kong 100 Thoughtful 28 Enriches, in a way 102 Horse color 29 What antibiotics commit 103 Girl in "Dracula" 31 Hold the --!

104 Hanging plant that flow 33 Cartoon frame ers 35 Embroider, maybe 105 Heavy-duty engine 36 Mdse.

107 Grumpy moods 37 Sweetened the soil 109 Chiang -- -shek 38 Osiris' beloved 110 Slow, in music 39 Centurion's place 112 Rider's command 41 Scale meas.

113 Goes yachting 42 Musical finales 115 Haw opposite 44 Damsel 118 Myrna of old films 46 Department stores 119 Explosive letters 51 Specify 121 Japanese poem 52 Email option 123 Fajita wraps 53 Baseball VIPs 125 "-- Arden" 56 Lead ore 127 Barters 57 "Holy cow!"

129 Look pleasant 58 Snow crystal 131 Clink glasses 59 Gold medal org.

132 Pantyhose shade 60 Urges on 133 Deadly volcano of 1902 61 Witches' band 134 Lox outlets 62 Abdul or Zahn 135 See eye to eye 63 Result of action 136 Fur magnate 65 Comic-strip prince 137 Nuts, actually 66 Bergman's "Gaslight" co 138 FBI member star 139 Bulrushes 67 Works, as yeast DOWN 68 Flew or sang alone 1 Alonzo of football 69 Umbrella spokes 2 Roused up 71 ---- Hubbard of sci-fi 3 Sultans' cousins 72 Mother's sisters 4 Long-lasting do 73 Some Spanish speakers 5 Do gumshoe work 74 Grottos 6 Xylophone kin 76 Course finales 7 Tolerates 77 Pandemonium 8 Fastened a Nike 78 Book appendixes 9 PC key 81 Makes yawn 10 Ocean goer 82 Tent dweller 11 Champagne and orange 83 Follow, as a gumshoe juice 87 Jungle vines 12 Muscat residents

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- AGRIMONY (AGRIMONY: AG-rih-mo-nee: A perennial plant with small yellow flowers.)

Average mark 43 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 62 or more words in AGRIMONY? TODAY'S WORD -- AGRIMONY agony airy amir among angry anomy argon arming army gain gamy gnar gory grain grainy gram

gray grim grimy grin groan groin gyro rain rainy rang rangy rani raying rayon rimy ring

roam roaming roan roman iron irony magi main mango mangy manor many margin mayor minor miry

moan moray morn myna oaring orang organ orgy nary norm yang yarn yoga yogi

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.

13 Weaknesses 14 Ms. Lupino 15 Fair-hiring org.

16 Reflected on 17 This -- -- stickup!

18 It makes waves (2 wds.)

19 AM or FM 20 Ole of vaudeville 30 Paramecium legs 32 Goes to earth 34 "Forget" a letter 40 Valuable mineral 42 Prance 43 Bad or good sign 44 Lunch and dinner 45 "Diana" singer 46 Samantha -- of "Doctor Dolittle" 47 Early New Zealander 48 Backup strategy (2 wds.)

49 U.K. lexicon 50 TLC providers 51 Fogg portrayer 52 Veers off-course 54 Bard's teen 55 Large amount 57 Vacillates (hyph.)

58 Lays off food

61 62 63 64 66 67 68 70 72 73 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 84 85 86 88 89 92 93 94 95 97

Jazz's Chick -Ale servings Geisha's zither Prime invitees (hyph.)

Wide sts.

Clever ploys Swedish cars Vista Hawk's lair Tibet's capital Pre-med class Like locoweed Hudson Bay tribe -- and alas!

Field-event missiles All the time (4 wds.)

Ina of "The Black Orchid" Ventricle neighbor Mystiques Baha'i devotee Actress Lotte -Bronze, for one Cuts of meat Lodge letters Do socks Fabled bird Afr. nation Welles or Bean

98 99 101 104 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 120 122 124 126 128 130

Boat made of skins Constructed Archaeological site Clearest One of two Molded Dins White clay Prince Valiant's wife Ladies of Spain Ambergris source Farm gate Ravi's forte Brightness Cut some slack -- Park, Colorado Recipe amts.

Egg-grading org.

Balcony section Navy noncom Like some hours Tilly or Ryan

SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 13

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MARCH 15, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

N

ASA is still having trouble managing the development of its next big rocket, the Space Launch System, a new audit has found. The report is the latest in a string of damning reports from NASA’s inspector general, which has been warning about scheduling and budget problems with the rocket for years.

The Space Launch System, or SLS, is the epicenter of NASA’s Artemis program, the agency’s plan to return humans to the Moon by 2024 and put the first woman on the lunar surface. Once complete, the SLS is set to be the most powerful rocket in the world, capable of lofting more than 200,000 pounds of material into low Earth orbit. NASA plans to fly people on top of the SLS, sending them to dock with a small station around the Moon where they will then journey down to the surface in a lander.

Since the SLS is so crucial to NASA’s lunar ambitions, the inspector general did a complete assessment of the contracts for all of the major elements of the rocket. Three government contractors — Boeing, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Northrop Grumman — are working on the rocket; Boeing is handling the majority of the vehicle, while Aerojet makes the engines and Northrop is making boosters that will give the rocket extra thrust at liftoff. All of the contractors have experienced technical problems and setbacks, resulting in $2 billion of cost increases and two years of delays, the report said. In fact, the entire SLS program is over budget and behind schedule by more than 33 percent, compared to the baseline figures NASA gave Congress for 2019. And that will probably grow to 43 percent, the report says, as more schedule delays occur.

NASA originally hoped the rocket would make its debut in 2017. But Boeing only finished building the core of the rocket earlier this year before shipping it to Mississippi for testing. For a while, NASA has been targeting the SLS to launch on its first uncrewed test flight in November of this year, but officials at the agency have conceded that SLS won’t fly until 2021 at the earliest.

In the meantime, the cost of the program has ballooned. Until December 2019, the SLS program had cost a total of $14.8 billion, and it’s expected to grow to $17 billion by the end of this year, according to the inspector general. Of that total, $6 billion isn’t being reported or tracked. Regardless, the total cost is 60 percent more than the $10.8 billion that NASA had originally envisioned for the project back in 2014, the audit said. The program will likely grow to $18.3 billion by the time the rocket actually flies next year — if the vehicle can make the new 2021 deadline. If the second flight of the SLS slips to 2023, the entire program will probably be $22.8 billion by then, according to the audit.

The inspector general chalks these problems up to technical issues, bad management, and poor performances from the NASA contractors. NASA’s scope for the SLS has constantly been in flux, with the agency changing the design of the vehicle for various upcoming missions. Additionally, the inspector general admonishes NASA for continuing to hand over award fees to Boeing and other contractors, despite missing deadlines and bad performance.

Boeing and NASA have blamed their poor performance on the fact that it’s been 50 years since anyone has developed a rocket of this size, and that expertise has thinned since then.

NASA’s inspector general, along with the Government Accountability Office, has been warning about the mismanagement of the SLS program for years. Audit after audit has questioned NASA’s timetable for the rocket and pointed out flaws in the way Boeing has managed the program. This particular report also comes at a vulnerable time for Boeing, just a few months after the company’s other spacecraft in development, the CST-100 Starliner, made a less-than-stellar debut flight for NASA. A recent investigation into the Starliner’s botched mission revealed 61 corrective actions that Boeing needs to take to fix the problems experienced during the flight.

As for the SLS, the inspector general has some suggestions about how to address those issues. The audit says that NASA needs to let Congress know that the program has exceeded its timeline and budget, take a closer look at how people are managing these programs, and develop a new cost accounting model.

In response to the audit, NASA agreed to make all of the changes the inspector general suggested, and it plans to create a new timetable for the program moving forward. “NASA has already begun implementing improvements to better track cost and schedule and to report progress against baseline,” NASA officials said in response.

Boeing also argued that it has learned a lot while developing the SLS. “The hard-earned experience acquired during initial SLS development is resulting in significant savings and efficiencies in subsequent development and production,” Boeing said to The Verge in a statement. “We’re committed to supporting NASA’s vision to having boots on the moon by 2024.”

Seeing as how the SLS program has continually struggled with timelines, it’s unclear if the rocket will actually meet its deadline next year. And with all of these delays, it becomes increasingly unlikely that NASA will be able to meet its goal of sending humans back to the Moon by 2024, especially if the SLS is a central part of that plan. No matter what, the SLS program promises to be a very expensive endeavor for NASA. The inspector general estimated that the entire SLS program, along with the Orion crew capsule needed to carry humans and the ground systems needed to support the rocket, will have cost NASA $50 billion by 2024. (The Verge)

Y

ouTube is reassessing its policies in an effort to let some creators monetize videos they make about the novel coronavirus outbreak.

A few weeks ago, YouTube notified creators in one of its Creator Insider episodes that any video talking about the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, would face automatic demonetization. The novel coronavirus was declared a sensitive topic, defined as a recent event with a “loss of life, typically as a result of a pre-planned malicious attack.” These videos are not suitable for advertising. While they are allowed to stay on YouTube because they don’t violate the content guidelines, creators can’t make money from the platform’s built-in ad service. That’s changing.

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki issued a letter on Wednesday to creators addressing coronavirus coverage and what it means for people who want to cover it. Creators like Philip DeFranco, who’s a source of news for many YouTube users, has covered the ongoing outbreak, for example. DeFranco joked about the instant demonetization policy on Twitter, prompting a response from Wojcicki. The CEO noted that the sensitive subjects policy “was designed to apply to short-term events of significant magnitude, like a natural disaster.” It’s clear that applying the same policy to an event like a coronavirus outbreak doesn’t work.

“In the days ahead, we will enable ads for content discussing the coronavirus on a limited number of channels, including creators who accurately self-certify and a range of news partners,” Wojcicki wrote. “We’re preparing our policies and enforcement processes to expand monetization to more creators and news organizations in the coming weeks.”

Monetization will roll out to select news partners and creators first. For creators, YouTube will start with people who accurately report how the content of their videos complies with advertiser-friendly guidelines. The company will continue to expand monetization to more creators in the coming weeks.

Wojcicki’s letter also addressed the spread of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 on YouTube, stating that the company is working hard to fight the spread of harmful videos.

YouTube will “continue to quickly remove videos that violate our policies when they are flagged, including those that discourage people from seeking medical treatment or claim harmful substances have health benefits.”

“Finding trustworthy content is especially critical as news is breaking, and we’ll continue to make sure YouTube delivers accurate information for our users,” Wojcicki wrote.

(The Verge)

G

oogle can apparently revoke the software licenses from Android TV makers if they also make devices running certain forked versions of its operating system, including Amazon Fire TV, according to a new report from Protocol. If they do, Google’s licensing terms for Android reportedly dictate that those TV makers would no longer be able to run the Play Store and Google apps on any devices they make, including phones and tablets.

The policies, which fall under the Android Compatibility Commitment, appear to spell out that devices that want access to the Play Store must run a version of Android that’s compatible with the Google-approved version of Android. That means if TV makers want to have the Play Store on their TVs, they can’t make TVs with other operating systems — like, for example, Amazon’s competing Fire TV. Protocol reports that this allowed Google to bar some of its partners from also working with its smart home rival Amazon.

Going against Google’s strict licensing terms could be potentially disastrous for TV makers who also make smartphones that run Android, like LG or Samsung. That’s because the terms of the Android Compatibility Commitment also mean that if a TV maker opted to use Fire TV on its TVs, it wouldn’t be able to put the Play Store or Google apps on its phones, either. That would likely make those phones significantly less popular with users.

Google did not specifically respond to a question from The Verge about whether it barred TV manufacturers from offering both Android TV and Amazon Fire TV in their product lines. The company did say it puts Android TV devices that offer Google’s services and the Play Store through security review and compatibility testing to protect user data privacy and security. The company also argued that it tries to provide consistent and secure software experiences with vetted versions of Android, and that apps may not work like users expect on an Android device that’s hasn’t been run through the company’s compatibility testing process.

However, it should be noted that both Google and Amazon are facing an uphill battle against Roku in TV OS adoption. Over 30 percent of all new TV streaming devices sold in the US in the first quarter of last year ran Roku software, according to a Strategy Analytics report published last June. Amazon’s Fire TV accounted for 12 percent of devices sold, while Android TV counted for only 9 percent.

Note that those numbers include the sales of both streaming boxes and TVs running Roku’s, Amazon’s, or Google’s software. But they still show that even though Google may be keeping Amazon from powering more smart TVs, both of the tech giants still have a long way to go to overtake Roku. (The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 15, 2020

Bollywood/Hollywood

T

B

ollywood actor Vicky Kaushal, who rose to prominent stardom with last year’s surprise hit, Uri The Surgical Strike, has said he would often ask filmmakers for their budget after auditioning for them and even offer to pay if they allowed him to act in their projects. ““I just wanted work and do good acting. I would always get selected in top 2 or 3 during auditions, but they would reject me after asking my budget. I would think that ‘maybe, they have rejected me because of my budget.’ So then, I started asking them their budget. When I said I would do in their budget, they would still reject me. Then I said I would work for free (laughs), they would still not take me. At last, I had to say that I would pay but give me work,” a News 18 report quoted Vicky as saying.

He also talked about Uri and said, “Uri was made by a debutant filmmaker. I also didn’t headline any big film before that. So, I had a huge responsibility and there was a baggage for sure. But luckily, the film struck the right chord and the audience accepted it. Its success is also a proof that you must go for a script you like because you never know what that Friday might bring to you.

We are in an excellent phase, where people are not just de-

pendent on what’s the packaging of a film. If the content is good, people will support your film. Look what happened with Uri. People literally snatched Uri from us and made it their own, and that was the most special feeling for all of us.”

Talking about his college days, Vicky has revealed last year at India Today Conclave that he once sat for an interview for engineer’s job because he wanted the experience. “From 2004 to 2009, I was doing my engineering. In the third year, we had campus interview. By that time, I already knew that I was not made for engineering. I had been active on stage as a child. I guess that was the first time that actor thought came in my mind and I started toying with it. Amol Palekar’s Golmaal is my favourite film, and like that scene in

the film, I always wanted to give an interview wearing a tie. I knew that there would be no interview process for an actor. So I wanted to do this once during my campus placement. Just for the kick, I cleared aptitude test and group discussion and reached the interview round. I was so relaxed because I had nothing to lose as I didn’t want the job.” He added that he was eventually selected for the job.

Vicky was recently seen in horror-thriller film Bhoot Part One: The Haunted Ship that received a mild response at the box office.

The film is a part of the horror franchise. Produced

by Karan Johar, the horror-thriller flick also features Bhumi Pednekar and Ashutosh Rana. The movie was released across India on February 21. (Hindustan Times)

A

ctor Karisma Kapoor, who made a comeback with the web series Mentalhood, has said in a new interview that her breakout song, Sexy Sexy Mujhe Log Bole, raised a lot of eyebrows back in the day. Speaking to Pinvilla, Karisma admitted that she cried herself to sleep after facing rejection in her early career.

She said, “When I did song Sexy Sexy Mujhe Log Bole, today the word sexy is used at a drop of a hat.

Actresses today are wearing tiny shorts or bikini tops and that time I was fairly covered. But still, it was made huge deal ki ‘ye kaisa gana hai’. I remember I was so young, I had bruised knees and elbows doing those difficult steps in the song thinking people will appreciate it and they’ll love my dance.

Yes, people appreciated the talent side, but a lot of views were like, ‘what are these wordings’. And eventually, the song’s wordings were even changed but today the song is everywhere.”

The song was featured in the Govinda-starrer, Khuddar. Its lyrics have since been changed to Baby Baby Mujhe Log Bole.

Talking about the appre-

om Hanks and Rita Wilson tested positive for Coronavirus.

The celebrity couple, who is currently in Australia, confirmed the news via Instagram on Wednesday, sending a message to their fans.

"Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia.

We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches," Hanks began. "Rita had some chills that came and went.

Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive."

"Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed," he continued. "We

said, “Actually my parents have been very supportive and much more when it came to me. I think a lot of people still looked at me as Lolo’s sister which I am extremely proud of. I think whatever I am has a lot to do with Lolo as well. I had my own struggle when it came to breaking that image too. Because when you are attached to being Lolo’s sister, coming from the Kapoor family. I had my own share of struggle which people usually brush under the carpet. The perception is star children don’t have their own share of struggles.”

(Hindustan Times)

Hanx!"

Hanks and Wilson, both 63, were in Australia for the pre-production of Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley film from Warner Bros, according to Deadline.

games and horseback riding events, TMZ reported.

Strahan, who has visitation rights and wants Sophia and Isabella to move in with him in New York, is seeking to have Muggli — who lives in North Carolina — held in criminal and civil contempt, according to the site.

In 2018, Muggli wanted to move to the Big Apple with the girls so they could be clos-

er to their dad — but the estranged couple decided the mom and daughters would remain in North Carolina so the girls could continue their equestrian activities, a source close with Muggli has told The Post.

In a 2007 divorce judgment, a judge ordered Strahan to pay $18,000 a month in child support. (Page Six)

Dion rescheduled her March 11 performance at Capital One Arena for Nov. 16, 2020, and her March 13 performance at PPG Paints Arena for Nov. 18, 2020.

“Performances of her

COURAGE WORLD TOUR are expected to resume on Tuesday, March 24 in Denver, CO at the Pepsi Center as initially scheduled,” the announcement added. (Page Six)

M

ichael Strahan claimed that his exwife Jean Muggli is physically and emotionally abusing their twin teenage daughters, according to a report.

The former NFL star — whose public 2006 divorce from his second wife ended with him owing $15.3 million — alleges that she has been engaging in a “pattern of abusive conduct” toward the girls, TMZ reported, citing legal documents.

In a bid to get a Manhattan judge to strip Muggli of primary custody of Sophia and Isabella, the former Giant insists he’s got proof of the alleged abuse, according to the website.

The “Good Morning America” co-host also claims his ex has not been taking their 15-year-old girls to courtordered therapy sessions — and that she is responsible for them missing volleyball

C hension with which she was received by the industry, Karisma said, “A lot of people were like she looks like her dad and she will never make it. People used to say that. And for a young girl and a teenager, to be hearing that and trying to work hard and be focused and dedicated, there were these kinds of comments coming. But touchwood I proved them wrong.”

Karisma’s sister, Kareena Kapoor Khan, in a recent interview admitted that she, too, struggled in her early career, especially because she was always compared to Karisma. She

Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves!

éline Dion is recovering.

The 51-year-old singer has been forced to postpone upcoming tour dates in Washington, DC, and Pittsburgh, Pa., after coming down with a common cold. When she first started exhibiting symptoms, doctors played it safe and tested her for coronavirus, but fortunately for all of us, she tested negative.

“On Monday night, a day after completing a six-show run in the New York area, Céline began feeling the symptoms of a common cold,” read a post on her official Facebook page. “The symptoms persisted into Tuesday, and her doctors instructed her to rest for the next 5-7 days.

After testing her, the doctors concluded that her virus was not related to COVID-19.”

“I’m so sorry for disappointing my fans in Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh,” Dion added in a statement. “I hope everyone understands.”

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MARCH 15, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 15

Feature

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 15, 2020

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES

Very little will go unno(March 21- ticed. Your vision and inApril 19) sight into what you want to do will be clear. A sharp mind and a positive attitude will help you excel.

Walk away from a dubiTAURUS ous sales pitch. Financial (April 20- limitations will result if you May 20) take a risk. Accept the inevitable. Expect a lack of sympathy from others if you've been stubborn or secretive.

Doubt will cause you to GEMINI question others. Don't jump (MAY 28- to conclusions or make a deJune 20) cision based on hearsay. Get the facts, observe matters and avoid making a premature commitment.

Take advantage of an opCANCER portunity. Look at the job (June 21- market and rework your reJuly 22) sume to better position yourself for something you have your eye on. Romance is in the stars.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Dilbert

Take pleasure in what you do. A pick-me-up will help you expand your creativity. Talk to someone you have collaborated with in the past. Step into the spotlight.

Do something you know you can do well and avoid dealing with someone who is negative or complaintive.

Stretch your mind, exercise your body and nurture your soul.

Demonstrative discusLIBRA sions will lead to new begin(Sept. 23nings. If you take charge, Oct. 23) you'll not only come across as entertaining, you'll drum up interest and proposals that excite you as well.

Peanuts

SCORPIO If you put your imagina(Oct. 24- tion to work, you'll come up Nov. 22) with a plan that will help you use your skills and talent to excel. Personal gain, love and romance are featured.

Concentrate on what's imSAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23- portant to you. Stop living in Dec. 21) the past and dwelling on the mistakes you've made. Don't expect sympathy or the truth from a fair-weather friend.

A good plan coupled with a CAPRICORN strict budget can be a winning (Dec. 22- combination. Taking a break Jan. 19) will ease stress and help you put things in perspective before you move forward.

Calvin and Hobbes

Don't let someone's AQUARIUS change of heart ruin your (Jan. 20- plans. Take the initiative to Feb. 19) do your own thing. Take a moment to sort out how you feel about someone close to you.

PISCES Think situations through (Feb. 20- carefully. You can't move forMar. 20) ward if you are carrying too much baggage. Let go of dead ends. Use your knowledge and abilities wisely.