Black Immigrant Daily News

Alternative Investments firm Sygnus has continued in its tradition of supporting the Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS). This year, the company added Jamaica Reach to Recovery by presenting $500,000 to aid women and men across the island with mammogram screenings and financial support for treatments.

The investment company, for the last three years, has stood firmly in the cause for breast cancer awareness, and this year $300,000 from their total donation will provide 60 women with the opportunity to get free mammogram screenings which will assist with the early detection of breast cancer.

Mammograms are specialised medical imaging of the breast and are usually encouraged to be done around the age of 40. While this screening is essential, many are not able to afford it.

Acting Executive Director, Michael Leslie, who was on location at the cheque handover, expressed his gratitude to the Sygnus Group and shared the battles many women face with affording a mammogram.

“First of all, I must formally thank the Sygnus Group for their continued contribution and support to the Jamaica Cancer Society. As you know the JCS recommends that women get their mammograms at the age of 40, as this is the gold standard, and this test will allow us to detect a lump as small as a pinhead. However, not all women can afford it. With Sygnus on board for the past three years, their contribution and their donation has helped us to help others who need a mammogram and can’t afford to pay for it,” Leslie said, adding his hopes for a continued partnership with the alternative investment company.

This year, Sygnus has also extended its support to the Jamaica Reach To Recovery with $200,000 for their initiative which will go towards providing financial aid for those suffering from the disease.

Also present at the handover, Jamaica Reach To Recovery’s Chairman, Carolind Graham noted that with these funds they are able to “assist women in accessing tests and treatments. Because a diagnosis of breast cancer entails several tests and several treatments along the way, and they are all expensive. In many cases, women simply can’t afford them. So they come to us and we assist them in getting these things done.”

The JR2R, a group of breast cancer survivor volunteers, for the past 45 years, has been supporting both women and men who have been diagnosed with the disease and are on their journey to recovery. While noting that they do not act in the capacity of a doctor or counsellor, the JR2R chairman expressed, having gone through similar experiences, volunteers are able to assist persons in successfully charting their road to recovery.

Though annually observed in the month of October, the fight still goes on for those battling cancer daily, and Sygnus has committed itself to not only assisting with early detection but survival as well.

“Over the last two years, Sygnus has donated over J$1,000,000 to the Jamaica Cancer Society to help with screening at least 200 women, awarding them free mammograms to ensure early detection. This year, however, we decided to include a donation to the JR2R as well. With this, we can help not only those seeking early detection but those on their journey to recovery. We can aid in increasing the number of survivors of one of the most common cancers found in Jamaican women, and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths,” said Elizabeth James, Vice President and Head of Wealth and Client Strategy at Sygnus Capital.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Inside sources allege that Fire Chief Elvis Weaver will finally retire at the end of the year and that a Superintendent of Police is tipped to succeed him.

The Superintendent is said to be moving over to the Fire Department as of Wednesday, November 2, to understudy Weaver, who will retire officially on December 31.

Weaver, the longest-serving Fire Chief, had been granted two extensions of time to facilitate the separation of the Fire Department from the Police Force, as has long been recommended.

However, insiders say nothing has been done to advance the separation since.

Two officers were previously identified as likely successors to Weaver; however, it is alleged that one man expressed his unwillingness to hold the position.

The sources claim he is unhappy that the retirement age of public servants was extended, since he had long expressed his intention to retire as soon as he reached the age of 60 – and that time has passed.

The other officer reportedly has fallen out of favour with the Administration and the Police Service Commission over his political views.

Meanwhile, the sources claim there is simmering resentment among the rank and file of the Fire Department, who, reportedly, are supporting a certain superintendent within the Department to replace the outgoing Chief.

They say the man tipped to replace Weaver has never served in the Fire Department, although he is said to have held a senior position at the Sir Wright George Police Academy and is a veteran of more than 35 years with the Force.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Opposition would be willing to support the Government if it brings legislative and constitutional changes to the National Assembly to include biometrics as a requirement for voting.

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton made the coalition’s position known during a press conference on Tuesday. During the press conference, Norton reiterated that his party wants biometrics, which generally includes biological data such as fingerprints, to be made a condition for persons to vote.

The only requirements for someone to vote, as set out in Articles 59 and 159 of the Constitution, are that that person must be 18 years or older, and must be a Guyanese citizen or a Commonwealth citizen resident and domiciled in Guyana.

It was pointed out to Norton that any deviation from this could set the stage for the elections to be overturned, as occurred in 2001 in the Esther Perreira petition that sought to overturn the results of the 1997 General and Regional Elections due to the use of ID cards. According to Norton, however, the law can be changed with support of the APNU/AFC.

“We can go to Parliament and change the law, and all the issues they would have (been) raised (can) become passe… If the Government comes with a proposal to give credible list so we can get credible elections, the Opposition will work with them on the issue.”

Norton was also reminded that the Opposition has a history of not cooperating with the Government on various issues, such as the composition of the Natural Resource Fund committees.

Despite the investment and oversight committees being appointed months ago, the Opposition are yet to submit their nominees, as the law provides for. However, Norton said the changes to the Constitution that his party is calling for could open the door for them to cooperate on other issues.

“It might very well pave the way for us to cooperate on other issues. But you’re not going to seek to dominate and control and want us to cooperate. So, you can say to the Government, ‘This is a good opportunity for you to engage the Opposition’, and once we can get over that hurdle, you would have created conditions propitious to getting over the other hurdles,” Norton said.

This comes even as the Government is preparing to embark on constitutional reform consultations early next year. The constitutional reform process would be spearheaded by the Constitutional Reform Commission once it is set up, and it will allow stakeholders to make suggestions on much-needed areas of reform in the Constitution.

Back in August of this year, the Government presented the Constitution Reform Commission Bill 2022 in the National Assembly. It seeks the establishment of a Constitution Reform Commission to review the country’s supreme laws.

According to the provisions of the Bill, the commission will review the Constitution to provide for the current and future rights, duties, liabilities, and obligations of the Guyanese people. It is mandated for that purpose to receive, consider, and evaluate submissions for the alteration of the Constitution, and report its recommendations to the Standing Committee for transmission to the National Assembly.

In conducting the review, the Commission will also consider the full protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Guyanese people under law; the rights of Indigenous people of Guyana; the rights of children; eliminating discrimination in all forms; and improving ethnic relations, while promoting ethnic security and equal opportunity.

According to the explanatory memorandum of the Bill, the proposed Constitutional Reform Commission would consist of 20 members who would be drawn from the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), and one member from political party A New and United Guyana (ANUG).

One member each would also be drawn from the Guyana Bar Association, the Labour Movement, the National Toshaos Council, the Private Sector, representatives of women’s organisations, youth organisations, Christian, Hindu and Muslim organisations, as well as a nominee representing farmers.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

India moved in sight of the T20 World Cup semifinals by beating Bangladesh by five runs in a rain-affected thriller on Wednesday thanks to another impressive knock by Virat Kohli and an unfortunate run-out of Litton Das in the chase.

Kohli continued his strong form at the tournament by scoring 64 not out off 44 balls to help India to 184-6 off its 20 overs. Lokesh Rahul also weighed in with a 32-ball 50.

Bangladesh started its reply brilliantly and was 66-0 after seven overs — with Das on 59 off 26 balls — when the teams were forced off for nearly an hour because of rain. The revised target was set at 151 in 16 overs, according to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Off the first ball after the delay, Das slipped as he turned for a second run and appeared to hurt his arm. Then, off the next ball, he again slipped as Bangladesh sought a second run and was run out for 60 at the non-striker’s end from a direct throw by Rahul.

It proved the turning point as Bangladesh was restricted to 145-6, with Arshdeep Singh taking 2-38.

“It was a closer game than we would have liked,” said Kohli, who was named man of the match.

“It was another good day with the bat. I am happy the World Cup is in Australia because I can play my shots here. I love playing in Adelaide. I feel at home and want to keep batting.”

India climbed above South Africa to the top of Group 2 in the Super 12s with six points from four games. Second-place South Africa plays fifth-place Pakistan in Sydney on Thursday in a match that will have major implications for the group.

Bangladesh, which is third on four points, will play Pakistan in its final game.

Before the rain break, Das was putting India’s pace attack to the sword. He hit three sixes and seven fours, reaching his half-century off 21 balls. It was the second quickest half-century of the tournament.

He put on 50 runs off 32 balls, with Najmul Shanto only contributing three runs to the initial partnership. Overall, they put on 68 runs off 44 balls either side of the weather interruption.

When the rain intervened, Bangladesh was ahead on DLS, having needed a par score of 49-0 at that point.Afterward, however, Bangladesh plunged to 99-3 after Suryakumar Yadav held two sharp catches to send back Shanto (21) and Afif Hossain (3) in quick succession.

Shakib al Hasan was out for 13, while Nurul Hasan kept Bangladesh going with 25 not out off 14 balls.

With 20 needed off the last six balls, Singh helped to seal the win for India.

Earlier, put in to bat, India had Rohit Sharma dismissed for 2, despite surviving a dropped catch.

Kohli and Rahul then added 67 runs off 36 balls for the second wicket.

Rahul was the aggressor in the partnership as he struck four sixes and three fours. He brought up his first half-century of the tournament off 31 balls.

Shakib (2-33) got rid of Rahul immediately after his milestone. Kohli then added another 38 runs with Yadav, who hit 30 off 16.

Shakib bowled Yadav as well, leaving India at 116-3 in 13.3 overs. India lost a flurry of wickets toward the end, falling to 150-5 in 17 overs.

Kohli hit eight fours and one six, and reached his third half-century of the tournament off 37 balls.

India scored 54 off the last five overs, despite losing Hardik Pandya (5) and Dinesh Karthik (7) cheaply.

Ravichandran Ashwin scored a handy 13 not out off six balls.

In the first game of the day, also in Adelaide, fast bowler Paul van Meekeren took three wickets to lead the Netherlands to a five-wicket win over Zimbabwe, ending the African side’s chances of making the semifinals.

It was the Dutch side’s first win in the Super 12 tournament after three losses.

Van Meekeren (3-29) and his pace partners Brandon Glover (2-29) and Bas de Leede (2-14) were influential in curtailing the Zimbabweans, who were dismissed in 19.2 overs for 117 after winning the toss and deciding to bat.

In reply, the Netherlands scored 120-5 with 12 balls remaining. Max O’Dowd top-scored with 52 runs.

NewsAmericasNow.com