Kaieteur News

A staff of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on Thursday presented an early Christmas gift to this boy during the Ministry's 'Wish Upon a Star' initiative. (DPI photo)

Oil sector plagued with gross mismanagement

...as Govt. allows companies to show disrespect for Laws

International Lawyer and Transparency Advocate, MelindaJanki,isconvinced that the People's Progressive Party Civic(PPP/C)Governmentismore interestedinservingtheinterestsof players in the oil industry even if it means leaving the citizenry worse off.

In an invited comment on Guyana's oil sector performance since marking its third anniversary on December 20, 2022, Janki said transparency, accountability and good governance remain woefully lacking.

She contended that the country isshackledtomassiveprojectcosts fortheLizaOne,LizaTwo,Payara, andYellowtail developments in the Stabroek Block. Janki noted that the rate of recovery for these costs or what they include continue to be treatedastopsecret.

In any case, she said these projects are ultimately working to benefit the pockets of ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited.

Janki said, “Every time the Government approves another project, Exxon is better off and the peopleofGuyanaareworseoff.”

Readers would recall previous commentary by the Lawyer regarding some of the fatal flaws in the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) which leave gaping loopholes for abuse. One of these includes the fact that Exxon is not restricted on the interest rates that can be recovered onloans.Industrystandardsdictate that there must be a cap on the amount of interest to be recovered and in some cases, it is disallowed entirely

Furthermore, Guyana merely collects a two percent royalty and a 50 percent split of oil that remains after expenses have been covered fortheExxonledconsortium.Janki maintains her position that these fiscaltermsareexploitative.

The Lawyer also stressed that the onset of oil has exposed the weakness of Guyana's democracy Janki said, “The Government is elected to serve the people of

Guyana. The nation's laws already give the government power to protect the Guyanese people from abuse and exploitation by the oil companies But Government officials are making decisions that benefit the oil companies.They are notservingthepeopleofGuyana.”

Janki alluded to the breakneck speed with which the Government has approved the Payara and Yellowtail projects. Both received regulatory green lights in less than two months, representing an abnormality and violation of internationalbestpractices.

She was keen to warn that Guyanese must not fall prey to the trap that oil will bring transformative growth or improvementintheirlives.Instead, oil increases the gap between the richandpoor

“Today we see members of the Government driving around in big fancy vehicles bought with taxpayers' money and dancing while there are people eating out of garbage bins and sleeping on the concrete pavements. That is what happens with oil. It is nothing to be proud of. It is degrading,” the Tr a n s p a r e n c y A d v o c a t e commented.

She said citizens must not lose sight of the fact that oil and gas resources are always at risk of unleashing a deadly curse that

- Int'l Lawyer

leaves nations worse off than they were prior the emergence of the sector

“Look at Venezuela, Nigeria, Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Cameroon etc. Look at how people in the oil/gas countries end up poor while their Governments and the foreign oil companies get rich,”shecommented.

For Janki, the last three years has seen massive change, the type that wreaks disrespect for Guyanese and their Laws. Her observation is that people are shocked at the behaviour of major players in the oil sector and their grosscontemptforthecountry She said it no longer matters whether one is pro-oil or anti-oil. “People across this country want to see that theoilsectorrespectnationallaw.”

W i t h t h e f o r e g o i n g perspectives, among other considerations in mind, Janki said 2022 has been another year where oil has been plagued by poor governance and a repulsive display of contempt by oil companies for thepeopleofGuyana.

International Lawyer and Transparency Advocate, Melinda Janki

Gaskin to move to CCJ after Court of Appeal rules Hess, CNOOC, do not need separate licences to operate

Social Activist, Ramon Gaskin has signalled his intention to appeal Wednesday's Court of Appeal (CoA) ruling that Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd (Hess) and China National Offshore Oil Cooperation Guyana (CNOOC) do not need separate licences to engage in oil development and productiongiventhelicence obtained by their partner, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (Esso).

“Mr Gaskin has instructed his Lawyers to appeal,” Melinda Janki, one of Gaskin's Lawyers told Kaieteur News on Thursday confirming that the Social Activist will be moving to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for final deliberation.

The CoA's ruling stemmed from an appeal of Chief Justice, Roxane George – Wiltshire's February 2020 ruling of a similareffectbyGaskin. Gaskin had argued beforetheChiefJustice,and

again on appeal, that Hess and CNOOC could not engage in oil exploration or production in Guyana because they had not obtained the requisite permissions.

Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal, however, dismissed these arguments, finding instead that since Esso Guyana, Hess and CNOOC were involved in a joint venture, they were covered under the permissions obtained by Esso.

In a statement, the

Attorney General's office said that “the effect of the CoA's decision is that the companies' activities, including oil production, maycontinueundisturbed.”

Janki told Kaieteur News, “It is a well established legal principle that AG [Attorney General] hasnoroleinjudicialreview andtheywerenotpartofthis case. They did however sit inthehearing.”

The parties in the case have been ordered to bear theirowncosts.

The Minister of Natural

Resources was represented by Anil Mohabir Nandlall, SC MP, Attorney General and Minister of Natural Resources, Mr Edward Luckhoo SC, Mr Nigel Hawke, Solicitor General, Mrs Deborah Kumar, Deputy Solicitor General, andMs.EleanorLuckhoo.

Mr Andrew Pollard SC represented Esso Guyana, and CNOOC, and Mr Nigel HughesrepresentedHess.

Gaskin, was represented by Seenath Jairam SC, Melinda Janki, and Mr Ron Motilall.

Social Activist, Ramon Gaskin

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Unlawful establishment of ‘animal shelters’countrywide

NIGELWILLIAMS

Editor-In-Chief: Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210

EDITORIAL

Guyaneseshouldtakeheartasallisnotlost. Citizensdo not have to look to Politicians and Parliament for solutions and reliefs for both have proven to be mainly lost causes. Guyanese with a conscience, with concerns, with genuine fearscantakesomehopeinourCourtsystem.

Guyana’s courts are not viewed favorably by many citizens because of deep suspicions over how the law is interpreted, how justice is handed down. But there are MagistratesandJudges,whomakeusproudtobeGuyanese. Itisforthesimplereasonthattheirdecisionsareofwhatisof judicial wisdom, the height of practicality, and ordinary commonsense. The case involving residents of Lot 1,Area ‘X’ Houston, East Bank Demerara and Schlumberger, a world-renownedoilservicescompany,issuchaninstance.

We recognize some courageous Guyanese willing to challengethemightoftheState,ifonlytosecuretheirown safetyandpeaceofmindandforwhatisright. Danutaand VandaRadzik,andRaphaelSingh,allresidentsofArea‘X’ Houston,whoinitiatedthechallengeinGuyana’sHighCourt are applauded, and we wish there were more like these two sisters,andMr Singhwhodidnotsitontheirhandsandtook whateverwasbeingshoveledatthem. Weareencouragedby the willingness and courage of the three Attorneys, Ms. Marlene Alleyne, and Messrs. Ronald Burch-Smith and SiandDhurjontoacceptthiscase,anddowhatwasrightby these alarmed Houston residents, and all Guyanese. Regarding Justice Nareshwar Harnanan, we have only positives to offer on the record for this inspiring Guyanese Jurist, who was not overwhelmed by the magnitude of the circumstances, or the possible far-reaching effect of what couldbeafatefuldecision.

Wehailthisasnotjustafresh,possiblygroundbreaking, ruling, but not with implications of substance and power More worried Guyanese, more angry citizens, could utilize moreheavilyandmorewiselythelocalcourtsystem. They are Judges who will do the right thing, come to the right decisions, without fear, without interest for who and where are made to look shabby, incompetent, and lacking in even theordinary

The Schlumberger facility in Houston had to have an expert, credible Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), butofthat,Guyana’sownEnvironmentalProtectionAgency (EPA) would not hear the first whisper This has been the character and conduct of this most sensitive and pivotal of State Institutions in this time of great oil developments. Whenitshouldbeassertive,itispassive;whenitshouldbe ontopofthings,itiscontenttobealaggard,andwhenithas to take a reasonable stand for the welfare of Guyanese residentindifferentareas,ithasbeenconspicuousbybeing muzzledormissinginaction.

Guyana’s EPA couldn’t even take a stand when radioactive materials could be part of what the facility handles. Surely, the health and quality of life of Guyanese matter,thattheirlivesshouldmattertotheEPA.

Worse still, our Government and our Politicians have proventobeweak-kneed,withoutbackbone,andwoefulto the point of impotency, when oil-related issues are the subjectofdiscussionandhonestdecisions.

Theyareuselesstothepointofnonexistencewherethis oilisconcerned,andonthisthereislittledistinctionbetween the PPP/C Government and the APNU+AFC Coalition Opposition. Our National Assembly, the House of the highestdecision-makinginGuyana,hasnowwastedawayto nothing but a ghetto of bitter partisan political warfare, and wherethePPP/CGovernmentmakesthebestuseofitsoneseat majority to ram through whatever suits its crooked visions.

WiththeGovernmentandParliamentofthedayreduced to a place of rank political schemes, there is only one legal avenue left open for relief. Guyana’s court system is that avenue,andconcernedandupsetcitizensshouldmakeevery useofthischanneltoobtainthecuresofjustice.

Well-thoughtout,well-presented,andwell-arguedcases thathavemeritwillbringtheremediesthatGovernmentand Parliament seem unconscious and unconcerned to do anythingabout,toreininthekindofbusinessdevelopments thatholdeveryGuyanesetoransom.

DEAREDITOR, theshelter communities which are all provide the appropriate TheAnimal WelfareAct There are ‘animal harmful to efforts to foster humane technique in of 2018 assented to by shelters or sanctuaries’, as empathy, compassion and adherence with good former President, David they introduce themselves respect for animals from the practices to induce the most Granger, published in The on social media, soliciting public to promote good rapid and painless and Official Gazette 7th financial and kind from the animal welfare to reduce distress-free death possible. September, 2018, Legal public using pictures of animalcruelty The questions to be Supplement A, provides animals with heart touching A call is made to the answered are who conducts much needed broader, stories. ‘competent authority’ theprocedureintheabsence comprehensiveandeffective The motives of these identified in the Act being of a licensed Veterinary Legislation to address establishments are grey the Guyana Livestock Surgeon, using what and are animalcruelty since they openly publish Development Authority to the methods lawful. In the It makes specific threats to ‘put down’ the investigate and level absence of justifiable provisions of requirements animals if donations are not appropriate sanctions at explanation then it is to operate an animal shelter to their expectations. There these establishments in the unequivocally clear that the i n c l u d i n g r e g u l a r arealsoreportsofunhealthy absence of lawful approval sympathetic public is inspectionsbythecompetent and insanitary living tooperate. deceived to support animal authority, accountability conditions and gross Anurgentcrucialissueis cruelty operations which inclusive of record keeping mistreatment of animals at accountability for the should not continue with ofdeathsandhumanekilling these establishments. Such manner, in which animals in impunity as outlined in of animals in its care and situationsposehealthrisksto theseestablishmentsare‘put AnimalWelfareAct2018. animals permanently neighbours, it creates down’ when they are Sincerely, removedfromortakenoutof discomfort and discord in strapped for resources to TriciaAzaire

Apathetic display by GECOM Chair at the Commission of Inquiry

DEAREDITOR, who was assigned by the Jurisprudence in Guyana evasive and devious The testimonies by PPP/C to monitor the told the COI in some rather behavior could be repeated several individuals at the election results at the sketchy, cunning and in future elections if such a Commission of Inquiry Ashmins building stand out eccentric details that on crisissituationshouldarise. (COI) into the August 2020 in both clarity and content, March 5, 2020, she locked Justice Claudette Singh elections revealed that a notwithstanding other herself in a room for several creepy remarks about her sinister scheme was afoot to flawlesstestimoniesfroman hours because she was disappearanceweresoweird derail the election results array of election officials. scared of her life. In other t h a t o n e o f t h e with the view to allow the But by far, the most bizarre, words, instead of Commissioners of the COI, APNU+AFC Coalition to uncanny and horrifying denouncingthebogusresults Justice Godfrey Smith remain in power with a t e s t i m o n y a t t h e issued by Mr Mingo, Ms. described it as “odd” for her prolonged litigation which Commission of Inquiry Singh has not only to abandon her post at a lastedforfivemonths. came from the Chairperson abandoned her post as the critical juncture during the

AMost Indifferent NIS

DEAREDITOR,

Beginning 10th December 2020 the writer has also dispatchedthefollowinglettersdirecttotheGeneralManager NationalInsuranceScheme,withoutanyresponse

–5thJanuary,2021

–14thJune,2022

Themostrecent,registeredlastweek,wassenttoP.O.Box 101135,alongwithLifeCertificate. Alltheforegoingasked forarrangementstobemadeformyPensionOrderBooktobe banked–twoyearswithoutaresponse.IhopethattheSenior MinisterwithResponsibilityforFinancewillnotethatthisis one disabled nonagenarian who awaits an ‘outreach’ in PrashadNagar Regards, EarlJohn

For many, especially of GECOM, Ms. Claudette Chair of GECOM, but she elections. members of the PPP/C, it Singh, a former high Court also deserted her staff who And for her to say that was the longest wait in the Judge. had looked up to her as the she couldn’t be bothered history of Guyana for the On Thursday, December Leader of GECOM. They seems to many that she is declaration of election 9th, Ms Singh appeared expected her to act unfit for the position as the results. During this period, before the Commission of decisively and openly ChairofGECOMwhichshe Guyana and Guyanese Inquiry established by condemned Mr Mingo’s now holds. If nothing else, becamethelaughingstockof President Dr Irfaan Ali to results and not to disappear Ms. Singh has discarded the theCaribbean. AsIgleaned determine what transpired from the scene Many sacredOathofofficetoserve through the various duringthefivemonthswhen Observers viewed her as a the nation without fear or testimonies of the the Granger led Coalition veryweakpersonandshould favor Commission of Inquiry, attempted to openly rig the haveresignedastheChairof Given her dismal most of the narration election in order to stay in GECOM immediately after performanceinherfading80 surrounding the fiasco at power Notonlyhastheinept the results from the recount odd years, the nation still Ashmins building revolved Granger Administration were declared. Others are of awaits answers for her silly aroundtheReturningOfficer violatedtheConstitution,but the opinion that her conduct and whether she of Region 4, Mr Clairmont they have also breached the vanishing act in times of would remain the Chair of Mingo who used his own trust of the people at a time crisis is circumspect and it GECOM for future spread sheet instead of the when the nation was clearly reveals her gross elections. tabulated results of the beginningtoforgetaboutthe incompetency to lead such Regards, Statements of Poll (SOP) in several years of rigged an independent body And L e y l a n d C h i t l a l l Region 4 to declare the elections in the country by some are fearful that her Roopnaraine results Despite several theForbesBurnhamregime. warnings by various The five months following individuals, including the theelectionofMarch2,2020 Ambassador of the United was a sad and shameful States, and the High period for the nation which Commissioners of Britain since 1992 had prided itself and Canada, Mr Mingo onfairandfreeelectionslike continued with his own its member states in concocted spread sheet and CARICOM.However,itwas issued results that that were clear that the unashamed, nowhere close to the SOPs. barefaced and reckless The truth is Mr. Mingo was Granger regime did not care bentonriggingtheelections aboutthedamagedonetothe in favor of a APNU+AFC country’s image abroad. All victory. Hedidnotsucceed. they were interested in is to Sofar,thetestimoniesof stayinpower. two persons, Rosalinda Ms Singh, who had RasulandSasenarineSingh, reached the pinnacle of

This rant represents rhetoric that is toxic for the future that this Government wishes

President as a ‘public speechandthe‘decadesand and resources to the benefit Gas industry for Guyanese relations stunt’ and stated decades of political ofsupportersoftheprevious (defined as both natives and thatitisonlyGuyanesewho oppression; corruption, P N C / A P N U + A F C second-generation ‘have no vested interest in racism, state violence and administration. diaspora),the20,000GOAL

WPA: Malcolm Rodrigues enriched our collective soul

DEAREDITOR, associated with our party figure in the Four-Union WPA joins with the when it was considered coalition of unions which RomanCatholiccommunity dangerous to do so, never later expanded to the Sixin mourning the death of one to draw unnecessary Union. Muchlaterhewould Father Malcolm Rodrigues. attention to himself, his serve as anArbitrator in the We remember Brother contributions to the party wage negotiations between Malcolm as a decent and and the movement our Government and the selfless human being who activism spawned are TeachersUnion. usedhisgodgiventalentsin substantial he made a As Guyana confronts constant service of his massive difference. When new forms of unjust country, its peoples and its therealhistoryoftheperiod governance in the wake of noblecauses. in our history is written thediscoveryofoil,Brother Hewaspartofthegroup Brother Malcolm will loom Malcolm’s example of who brought him into the large. political morality and love public generation that Brother Malcolm was for the downtrodden should shaped post-independence also active in the University inform public behavior in Guyana- a progressive of Guyana Workers Union andoutofthehallsofpower socio-political persona. He where he worked alongside Despiteournationalfailings, was a renaissance man ProfessorCliveThomas,Dr Malcolm Rodrigues whose thought was steeped Josh Ramsammy and others enrichedourcollectivesoul. intheologyandscience.His to give energy and voice to He lived out the Christian work as Priest, Educator, the workers of that creed of love, devoted Trade Unionist, Scientist, Institution. serviceandcompassion. Statesman and Political He would expand his Regards, Radicalplacehimamongthe unionism to the larger labor Working People’s finest products of our movement and was a key Alliance Guyana - Caribbean civilization.

But it was his sociopoliticalactivismwhichtook root in the 1970s that brought him into the public space He was the revolutionary Priest who mounted the political platformandgroundedinthe alleys,bottomhouses,union halls to speak truth to and againstpowerandorganized forliberation.Itwouldnotbe outofplacetolocateBrother Malcolm in the vanguard of Guyana’s manifestation of Liberation Theology. He livedandbreathedtheideals ofthatpraxis.

WPAis honored to have workedcloselywithBrother Malcolm. He openly

DEAREDITOR, the supremacy of his race

DEAREDITOR, incoherent tirade, the human rights struggle or mismanagement of our Mr Browne’s political Scholarship programme and Mr Norman Browne, in reasons why he rejects holding government nation’s resources’ as posturing fails to take into 150,000 Guyana Coders a letter to the Editor of PresidentIrfaanAli’scallfor accountable for its deeds’ reasonsforhisopinions. account the realities of the Initiative are projects Stabroek News, dated members of the diaspora to oughttobeinterestedinsuch A reminder need not be workoftheGovernmentand intended to educate and December 19 2022, return home and participate as call.’ He also cites the given of the repeated its ambitions for Guyana’s uplift Guyanese’s abilities expressed, in what is clearly innationbuilding. alleged silencing of free attemptsatelectoralrigging, future. The Local Content irrespective race, region or an ill-founded and He sees this call by the decadesofauthoritarianrule, Act carves out niches areas gender, the LCDS-2030 has and recent abuse of power intheservicingoftheOiland allocated 15% of all future revenues earned from the sale of carbon credits to go directly towards Hinterland development, the frugal and transparent management of Oil Revenues through a Natural Resources Fund These are but a few of the initiatives that speak to the holistic approach to governanceinamannerthat is transparent, open to all, and geared toward the developmentofGuyanaasa whole. This rant represents rhetoric that is toxic for the future that this Government wishes, and indeed must build for its people, and is intended for an audience of radical elements that would r a t h e r f a i l t h a n constructivelyworktowards itsupliftment.

One of your columnists and/ or uses institutional in his Sunday December 18 power to advance personal racial sermon identifies me racial prejudices To as part of a race-preaching paraphrase the late great group of African Guyanese poet,LouiseBennett,maybe activists who have now my learning not too good or apparently recruited the maybe it has stuck in a fiveMayorofGeorgetowntoour monthstuckrecord.Iendmy ranks My stated crime short missive is by according to this racial reminding readers of an psychologist, who does not infallible Kaieteur News see race but smells it from columnist who constantly some selective enclaves, is calls on Guyanese to buy mycallonAfricanGuyanese G u y a n e s e - m a d e to buy from their own. Such products buy from your advocacy puts me in the own. Is the Columnist in column of the “ideological question a Copycat or is he racist”likeaformerHeadof anAnti-Caricombigot?And State who sued a certain sothestorygoes. Kaieteur News columnist in Regards, a famous bid to assert his DavidHinds innocence in the face of attack from awild man of letters. Ihavelearnedthata racist is one who advocates

YoursTruly, AlvinHamilton

Is Freddie Kissoon a copycat or is he anAnti-Caricom bigot?

ARESPONSE TO RAVI DEV

DEAREDITOR, boot) rather than ordinary the concept of “ordinary Please allow me to people, it is not difficult to people”wouldtransformthe respond to Mr. Ravi Dev’s seehowattacksagainstthem battle of the Bhagavad Gita letter: ‘War in Guyana – a la Mon Repos – can into a fight between between ‘good’ and ‘evil’, becomenormalized.” “ordinarypeople”. Dec 19, 2022’ Letters Mr. Dev, in an act of The very depiction of (https://www.kaieteurnewso religious inspiration, Arjuna as a member of the nline.com/category/letters/) informs us that: “What warriorcaste,alertsustothe Mr Dev’s use of the justification, ultimately, can foundation of structural phrase,“ratherthanordinary be offered for ‘acts of evil’? analysis of Hindu society, a people” categorically states The wages of sin, I am told, caste society during that thatheseesthePPPandtheir isdeath.” periodofhistory supporters as “ordinary To l d b y w h o m ? The very concept of a people.” Certainly not by Foucault caste society, the division This is an extraordinary whomheusedtosupporthis into the rulers, warriors, misuse of the everyday historical analysis and then workers, would violate understanding of that stabshiminthebackwithhis Dev’s description of concept There is an anti-thesis of “ordinary “ordinary people.” Let us important distinction people.” ignore those who are b e t w e e n p o l i t i c a l In the Bhagavad Gita, untouchable. organizations and ordinary Krishna commands Arjuna, Furthermore, Krishna’s people, even though the whorefusestoengageinthe depiction of the battle being organizationsaremadeupof killingofhiskithandkin,to that of right and wrong, ordinarypeople. “Pick up your bow and suggests that “ordinary Political organizations fight.” people”standsonbothsides canmaketheclaimthatthey For Krishna, it was a of the divide, along with are leaders of the people, matter of good versus evil. theirleaders. shaping the peoples’ hopes ForArjuna,itwasaquestion Mr Dev use of social and aspirations, thereby of the cost of war, the price analysisinhisopeningsalvo, implicitly and explicitly paidinthekillingfield.Was was intended to confuse separating themselves from it worth it? Krishna’s ratherthantoedify,toleadus ordinary people, in their admonition of Arjuna was to his thesis of “ordinary effortstorepresentthem. premised on the fact that people.”

This is the historical Arjuna belonged to the His aim was to ascribe movement from direct warrior caste, whose duty the labels of right and representation to indirect wastowagewar IsMr Dev wrongtoaracialprofile.He representation, as such the being informed (told) by has remained faithful to his whole parliamentary system adherents of the Bhagavad thesis of “biological of government dating from Gita, or by other religious atavism.”Iwouldhaveliked recorded history to the formations of ordinary toascribeahighermotiveto present. people? hisintent,butthefactsprove

Mr Dev then gives us Amartya Sen, a Nobel otherwise. phases of the historical laureate, in his book “The Mr Devknewtheanswer struggle, from 1953 to the Idea of Justice” concluded, before he started his present, struggles that had in hindsight, that the analysis,thattheMonRepos political parties leading the slaughter that ensued in the eventcouldbeusedtovilify masses, interpreting the famousbattlewasnotworth the“other.” movement of the national it, claiming the Arjuna was Itispossibletolayblame struggle and the agenda of correct in questioning the at the feet of some of the the political parties in costofvictory politicalleaders,evenonthe winningsupportfortheparty We are witnessing a assumption they did not programs as decided by the similar battle in Ukraine, instigate or support the leaders as distinct from a where the principle of ‘no attack on “ordinary people” collection of “ordinary NATO country will be atMonRepos. people.” allowedonRussia’sborders’ They should have

In depicting “the other” is being fought out with condemned the attack on people as seeing the other horrendous human suffering innocentpersons. “other”asasinfulcollection, onbothsides.

Mr. Dev could have Mr Devbrilliantlyarrivesat Mr Dev,inhis“ordinary simply said so. He would the conclusion: “In other people” method of analysis, have been on the right side words, holding that the PPP that of abolishing the ofhistory. and their supporters are by politicalinstitutionsfromthe Sincerely, nature evil (and racist to masses,andreplacingitwith RohitKanhai

Airlines should be fined for poor service

DEAREDITOR, revenueswithoutprovidinga baggage issues and are Reference is made to service I recall North enforced — compensation ChrisRam’sepistle(Dec21) American holding back its for late departures and assailing the airlines flying aircraftsomeyearsagowhen baggage. The penalties are outofTimehriforpenalizing almost a third of the stiff in the USA. So airlines, passengers who arrived late passengersfailedtocheckin. don’t mess around with for checking in because of Inquiry found that Berbice passengers’rights,departure extenuating circumstances Bridge had a problem. NA time,andbaggagehandling. and urging penalties for held back the plane till all In Guyana, passengers airlines for late departure. I passengers arrived. No one hardly have any rights and endorse Mr Ram’s was victimised. It was the the Government does not suggestion.Sincepassengers rightpolicy AAshouldhave enforce international rights are penalized for late arrival used humanitarian reason of passengers; in one reads and or changing their dates, and did the same to those the fine print on a ticket, airlines must also face whoarrivedlateforcheckin. thereisalotofrights;Delta, similar consequences. They I travel extensively for example, offers mustbefinedforpoorandor globally The treatment of compensation if baggage is untimelyservice. passengers late for check in notonbeltwithin30minsof

Passengers may be late and when the airlines arrival. In addition, not entirely of their own themselves are late is Guyanese and third world doing — but because the different depending on the passengers don’t know their Demerara or Berbice bridge country and the carrier. rights, and as such don’t closed beyond normal hours Compensation varies. In pursue enforcement or or because of bad weather, third world countries, compensation for being road repair or some other generallyairlinesdon’toffer inconvenienced. problems. In Ram’s case, he compensation for late I myself suffered from and others were late for AA departures and even when baggage loss in Guyana but flight because of road baggage is lost or does not neverpursuedcompensation problems The airline accompany the passengers. because of inordinate time (American) should have In first world countries, and costs involved in the given consideration to the passengers are compensated process.Thereisnoeffective circumstances that led to for late departures and late office in Guyana to enforce theirlatearrivalattheairport arrivalofbaggage;mealsare aviation rules or penalize forcheckin. alsoprovided. carriers for violating rights

Thecheckincrewwould In fact, my bags were of passengers. In the USA, have recognized that delayed in Delhi three days carriers are fearful of the something was amiss when ago from NYC and Virgin consequencesofcomplaints. several passengers failed to offered compensation for Recently, Congress show up for the flight and clothing and personal items increased the fines on launched a query and or purchased — which I will carriers for delays unless delay the flight for a brief pursue. theyareweatherrelated. period to determine the The airline erred on my American carriers also unusual nature of check in. wife’s seating, apologized, tend to be sympathetic with Theplanewasontheground andgaveherfullrefundplus passengersdependingonthe and once the passengers a free round trip upgraded circumstances for their late arrived, they should have ticketonsameflights.(Wish check in Airlines don’t beenaccommodated. it had also messed up in my penalize passengers for

Thegeneralruleischeck seating) Similar issues weather and road related in closed off about an hour happened to me in Guyana delaysinUSA. before departure depending and I got no compensation, Even in India, foreign onthenumberofpassengers notevenanapology airlines tend to give waivers to be check in And Thereisnoofficetoturn onsimilargrounds;domestic passengers are forced to t o i n G u y a n a f o r Indian carriers are not so purchase a new ticket, enforcement of passengers’ sympathetic as their foreign depending on the kind of rights. In the US, there is a counterparts In Guyana, tickettheyhold,iftheymiss Government office to file a carriers should be more their flight Lateness is complaint in addition to the considerateandorotherwise considered as missing the airline. fined for their departure flight. The latter allows In the USA, law is clear delaysasisdoneintheUSA airlines to earn extra on delayed departure and and other first world countries.

It is not too late, for the appropriate government agency to intervene on behalf of aggrieved passengers.

Yourstruly, VishnuBisram

Pres. Ali announces one-month bonus for Joint Services

President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday announced the customary one-month bonus for members of the JointServices.

“Afew weeks ago, I was able to announce some adjustments in the salaries of the Privates, the Recruit, Acting Corporal, and Corporals-for those four categories as I said before, better days are ahead,” President Irfaan Ali told Officers and Ranks at the GDF's Annual Christmas Luncheonwhichwasheldat Base Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown.

T h e P r e s i d e n t mentioned that when his Government came into office, their commitment was to restore the annual

bonus. “As you know, we had some difficult years when your one month annual bonus was taken away So in addition to all the benefits I spoken about but in keeping with our commitment to our men and women in uniform, again I wish to announce your one month bonus for this year,” the President announced. In announcing their bonus, the Presidentalsourgedthemto “spenditwisely.”

The one-month bonus is in addition to the eight percent salary increase and the salary adjustments. The President mentioned yesterday too that his Government is commitment in ensuring men and women in uniform own their own

homes.

Speaking specifically to the Soldiers, President Ali s t a t e d t h a t h i s Administration is keen on making the process easier for obtaining a loan Already, the Government was able to negotiate with three commercial banks and the New Building Society (NBS) to allow Soldiers to repay at an interest rate of 3.5 percent for loans below $4 million and an interest rateof3.75percentforloans below$8million.

He encouraged the Officers to sign up and take advantage of the services

and disclosed that on December 28, ranks will havethechancetomeetwith bank officials at Camp Ayanganna. “We will help you with the plans and the design free of cost.You will get the cement and steel for the foundation and the banks will approve your loans right here so in the new year, you can move to homeownership,”President Alistated.

He added, “this is not only for you, this would be across the board for all our menandwomeninuniform, all our men and women in thejointservices.”

Mother dies after giving birth at GPHC

Another woman has died as a result of complications after giving birth at the Georgetown PublicHospitalCorporation (GPHC).

Tiffani D Jeffrey, a 38year-old woman, who experienced health complications, died at GPHC on Thursday, two days after she delivered her baby,thehospitalconfirmed inastatement.

The statement added that “The GPHC expresses sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased and will make every effort to provide all the necessary support during this difficult time to render any assistance and information needed.

“TheGPHCisappealing to the public to respect the confidentiality of the deceased and her family, and to allow them to mourn their unfortunate loss peacefully,” the release added

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that the woman was diagnosed with sickle c e l l w h i c h c a u s e d complications during her pregnancy Over the past several weeks GPHC has recorded close to five deaths.

Thedeathswerethatofa Lodge woman and her unborn child died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on October 20, 2022, and then a Mahaica woman, Navita Maraj and her unborn child died at GPHConOctober29,2022, and then a couple who lost their unborn baby earlier this month. Since then, the relativesofthedeadpatients have been calling for answers. The hospital has saidthatinvestigationshave been launched into the incidents but there is no indication on whether the reportsontheinvestigations will be given to the families anytimesoon.

President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday at the GDF's Annual Christmas Luncheon.

34.5% of persons over 65 years do not have an income

TheILOhaswarnedthat olderpeople,whichwereput denotes the amount of that, since the COVID-19 protection systems for the issues faced by semiold age-related social to the test during the social monetary or in-kind pandemic, it has become elderlyinLatinAmericaand contributory pension protection coverage is and economic crisis benefits,whilesustainability more difficult to achieve theCaribbean: systems deteriorating, leaving 34.5 triggeredbythepandemic. relates to the relative coverage, sufficiency and Recovering economic Achieving universal per cent of people over 65 “The pandemic made capacity of an economy to financial sustainability in growth pension coverage through a without any labour-related visible the importance of meet the present and future pension systems, with Increasing formal mix of contributory, semiincome or pension, a social protection systems, costs of a social protection greater uncertainty about employment contributory and nonsituationofvulnerabilityand understood as the set of system. economic growth, reduced Increasing and contributorysystems,taking economicinsecuritythathas policies and programmes The ILO note points out fiscal space, and increased consolidatingfiscalspace intoaccountgendergapsand been made worse by the t h a t g u a r a n t e e that while contributory inflationandinterestrates.In C o n s o l i d a t i n g income levels, so COVID-19crisis. comprehensive coverage pension systems ensure addition, longer-term, contributory regimes to s t r e n g t h e n i n g t h e “The proportion of older against different social risks continuityofincome,benefit structuralfactorsareplaying ensure sufficient, g o v e r n a n c e a n d people without labour throughout the life cycle,” levels depend on factors a role, including high levels sustainablebenefits coordination of the overall incomeorpensionincreased the study says “Social such as age, contribution of informality (which puts Strengthening non- system from31.9percentin2019to protection is essential to yearsorpensionsavings,and pressureonpensionsystem), contributory schemes Ensuring health 34.6 per cent in 2020 and promotesocialinclusionand these are often related to disruption in work and financed by general tax protection for the elderly 34.5 per cent in 2021. This cohesionandreducepoverty having formal sector production organization, revenue population, regardless of coverage gap is the highest and social disparities, workingcareers. ageing populations, rising Establishing adequate income in the entire series available especiallyinthecontextofa Coverageofcontributory dependency ratios, and mechanisms for updating ·Clarifying the possible since 2012,” according to a crisis that hit the most pensions fell 0.4 percentage increasing numbers of benefits to reflect national cons equences and newtechnicalnotepublished vulnerablesectorshardest.” points between 2019 and naturaldisasters. inflationlevels institutional requirements by the ILO Regional Office “Given the lack of 2021, from 47.4 per cent to The technical note lists ·Incorporating financing needed to manage policy for Latin America and the resources,suchassavingsor 47 0 per cent of the 10 challenges facing social mechanisms to address transitions. Caribbean. otherprivatesources,andthe employed workforce. The

At regional level, 46.8 decrease in the ability to fall in 2020 represents a per cent of those over 65 generate labour income at seven-year setback and, receive only a pension, 5.1 advancedages,itcanleadto despite some subsequent per cent receive labour poverty in old age,” it adds. economic recovery, the income and pension, while The study notes that the levels of 2021 are similar to 13.6 per cent report only performance of and those of 2018 Nonlabourincome.Intotal,only challenges for social contributory pension 51 9 per cent receive a protection systems are programmes can close pension. The “Overview of related to a “triad of economic security gaps in Social Protection in Latin objectives” – coverage, old age by creating a A m e r i c a a n d t h e adequacy and sustainability guaranteed level of social Caribbean”, analyzes social Coverage refers to the protection.Thereare19nonsecuritytrendsintheregion, proportion of the population contributory pension inparticularpensionsystems whohaveeffectiveaccessto programmesintheregion. andtheeconomicsecurityof system benefits, adequacy The ILO analysis found

Dem boys seh...

PAYING FUH DE BARREL IS MORE DIFFICULT DAN CLEARING DE BARREL

DegovernmentwantdeGRAfuhensure fees, and document processing fees. And thatpeoplegetdebarrelsfuhChristmas.But whenyuhdonepayallofdat,itdoescometo demboynahthinkdatdegovernmentreally more than de taxes wah de government understand dat getting de barrels is not de chargewhichisnotasmallsum. majorproblem. And on top of dat, yuh gat to pay dem

De major problem is de amount of canterdriverfuhtransportdebarrel.Anddat moneyyuhdoesgattopayfuhdembarrels. is another big expense. So sometimes, it Anddemboysnahtalkingaboutdedutypun cheaper fuh yuh family send de money debarrel. ratherdansendbebarrel.

By de time de shipping company send Dem shipping companies overdoing yuhdeletterorcallyuhfuhtellyuhdebarrel things.Langago,demneverusedtocharge come,isdenyuhexpensestart.Yuhgattotek younomoney Yuhusedtocollectyuhpaper special hire fuh go down to dem wharf and is only de taxman yuh gat to pay But becausedemdehinareaswahnahsafe.Dat nowdeshippingcompaniesmekkingmoney isanexpense. when yuh ship de barrel with dem and dem

Den as soon as yuh go, to de shipping mekking money pun paper wuk when de company,isawholesetofpaymentsyuhgat barrelland. tomek.Yuhgattopaylandingfees,handling Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

GOVERNMENT MUST PUT AN END TO THIS RECKLESSNESS

The trend today all over list of terroristic drivers. why do you have to get the the vehicles that killed the roundabout on the world is for the public Evenifyouarenotadriver, document for an old car people.

t h e s e a w a l l pathways (streets, roads, youcanseeasapassengeror muchlessanewerwhenitis So what causes crashes travellingwestonthe highways, airports, bridges, pedestrian how reckless are irrelevant in the context of inGuyana?Hereismylistin KittyPublicRoad. etc) to be fitted out with thepeoplebehindthewheel the causes of accidents in sequential order One is a Sadly, I am going surveillance cameras of a vehicle in this country Guyana? mentalitythatisprimitive.I to cause people to die

Please believe me! I say Guyana has conformed to Before I come to drivers I am advancing the am talking about a stupid senselesslybecauseIalways once again; drivers do not thattrend.

refusing to stop for contention that the past 50 person that has a flawed stop at these points when observe the pedestrian

The cameras stare down pedestriansatthewhite-line years,roadcrasheshavenot mind Two - excessive pedestrians are waiting to crossing outside Movie at me and I look up at them crossing, which is the beencausedbyoldcarsthat speeding Three- drunk cross.Butthedriversbehind Towne on the Atlantic each time I am at the Eve essence of this column, a are road-unworthy I am driving. Four – fast driving me going in the same highway and there is the Leary seawall with my dog. littlediversionisnecessary postulating that 100 percent that does not allow for safe direction but on the parallel frightening danger that Countless houses and Do you know an of crashes over the past 50 maneuvering on roads that lanedonot. whenyoustop,theyjustpass buildings in the entire land unadulterated manifestation yearshaveinvolvedvehicles have frightening potholes. My duty is to stop with youignoringthehazardlight havethesecameras. of ugly nonsense has been thatnotold. The age of the vehicle is my hazard signal on when on your car and people can These instruments have occurringinthiscountryfor I am arguing that 100 completely irrelevant. So personsareonthecrossing.I die.Itistimethepoliceforce now become priceless. The over50yearsandnoonehas percent of accidents on the why force people to have a hope all the time that usethesurveillancecameras hit-and-rundramaisoverin thecommonsensetostopit? roadinvolvecarsthatarenot certificateoffitness? vehicles coming behind me to arrest these drivers. Do many parts of Georgetown Each year a vehicle owner older than ten years, I come now to the need in the other lane stop too. not ticket them but charge because the cameras will has to go to selected police especially fatalities that oftheGovernmenttousethe They have to because it a them so they have to go to detectthelicenseplateofthe stations to get certificate of involvehirecarsandprivate surveillance cameras to pedestrian crossing and court.Itisasmallstepinthe hit-and-run driver Here in fitness. vehicles. Please do not take arrestandchargethemorons thereisacarinfrontofthem confrontation with the Guyana dangerous driving The nearest station to my word for it. Just spend a thathaveaccesstoavehicle with the hazard light disease of reckless driving. has become an infection where I live is Sparendam little time and Google road in this county There are blinking. People are going to die disease. This country has to butthestationtheredoesnot fatalities in Guyana and three pedestrian crossings I write here boldly outside Movie Towne when be number one on a global haveacertifyingofficer But check the license plates of that I use more than once a withoutfearofcontradiction wecanpreventit. day that99percentofthedrivers

(The views expressed in Theyare;theoneinfront donotstopatthepedestrian this article are those of the o f t h e C A R I C O M crossing outside Movie author and do not Secretariat on the Railway Towneeventhoughthereare necessarily reflect the Embankment, the other is dozens of employees from opinions and beliefs of this outsideMovieTowneonthe that business place waiting n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s Atlantic highway, and the togoovertheroadtocatcha affiliates.) thirdisjustbeforeyouenter bus.

FrederickKissoon

Norton calls for unity in PNCR

...tells party faithful 'we will come through this difficult period'

Leader of the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) Aubrey Norton said like his predecessors he will continuetogiveleadershipto his party and assured members that despite the current setbacks “we will come through this difficult period…”

Norton at the time was speaking at a memorial service for Guyana's Former President and Party Leader, the Late Hugh Desmond Hoyte. The ceremony was heldatHoyte'sburialsite,the Place of the Seven Ponds, in theBotanicalGardens.

Norton's leadership has been called into question in recent times, with many predicting that he would be ousted at the party's next congress.

However, in a speech that heaped praise on Hoyte's leadershipofGuyana,Norton sought to shore his own saying, ”Like Mr Burnham and Mr Hoyte, like Cde. Corbin and Cde. Granger, like our Elders Cde Hamilton Green, Oscar Clarke, Jeffrey Thomas,

Rashleigh Jackson and others, I have every confidence in the supporters of theParty andthepeopleof Guyana, of which I am the Leader

We will come through this difficult period and guarantee the success and equitabledevelopmentofour nation. That must be our focus. That is why I have not hesitated to walk among our peopleandtobewiththemin thishourofneed.”

Norton said, “I believe as Leader of the Party, that all our Party Comrades in every region must find themselves amidst our people. It is good now and it will be good for government.

I have heard as I move around the complaints of discrimination and I have seen the levels of poverty in our society I have no doubt that this is an urgent social problem.

Yet the PPP is making no effort to deal with it, even as the World Bank has warned that poverty in Guyana is as high as 49%. This is clearly unacceptable.

The resources are available and my Party will insist that the current administration do something about this situation as we p r o p o s e d t o t h e m comprehensive policies and programmes to deal with poverty. A Government under the APNU+AFC will ensure the resources of this country benefit the people of Guyana.”

Norton who is also Leader of the Opposition, said it is a source of great concern to the PNCR that the PPP seems more intent in buildingmegaprojectsrather than attending to the basic needsofourpeople.

“Thisiscallousaswellas cynical. For everyone knows that these projects enable the PPP to fund itself and enrich theirelites.

Yet for all the difficulties we face, I am very hopeful for the future of Guyana. I have seen how Mr Hoyte was able to ride out the difficulties in the pre-1998 period and I am persuaded that the PNC/R, with the support of its constituents,

will remain a formidable force and will no doubt beat the People's Progressive Party in the next elections.

Andweintendtodothiswith aviablecoalition.”

He told the gathering that when he became Leader of this Party, he had called for unity “I make this call again thismorning.

ThePartyhastobeunited asweseektoresisttheefforts of the PPP to control and dominate our society. We have to be focused on building a better unified Guyana. We need not fear as our Party has gone through many difficult periods as I have already described. We have survived, we have progressed, and we have prospered.

I have no doubt that we will do so again I am convincedthatthePNCRasa Government was inclusive and a Government in the

future with the Coalition will beinclusive.

Iamsatisfiedwehavethe intellectual and other capacity to do it I am satisfied that we are competent but most importantly, I am satisfied that as a Party, we are resilient. I am satisfied that we governed fairly when we were in Government and we operatedbasedontheRuleof Law AndIbelievethatthisis the recipe for success; this is the legacy left to us by Hugh Desmond Hoyte. Today we celebrate his life twenty years since his passing and weareindeedthankfulforthe ideas and activities of Hugh Desmond Hoyte that would have resulted in us becoming the formidable force we are inthiscountry.”

25 pieces of Legislation enacted this year

the Government of Guyana has passed and enacted 25 pieces of Legislationin2022alone.

This was revealed by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, MohabirAnilNandlall,S.C., in his most recent edition of 'Issues in the News' on Tuesday evening. These 25 new laws, ranging from the Hire Purchase to the CondominiumBills,wereall successfully passed through the National Assembly over thecourseoftheyear

The Attorney General saidthisfeatissignificantby any standard around the world, as it represents approximately two new laws being passed every month. “That is an average of two pieces of Legislation per month. That is a record by any standard we would have doubled any other country in the Caribbean withthatrateofenactmentof

laws,” Minister Nandlall posited.

HesaidtheLegal Affairs Ministry is concluding a law revision process – a system that seeks to update the existing framework of lawswhichhasn'tbeendonesince 2012. “[We are concluding] the revision of the Laws of Guyana the exercise whereby you get all the different pieces of amendments and you insert them into the principal acts

- AG Nandlall

that[havebeen]amended,so when you read that principal act, the amendments are incorporated and it reads smoothly,”heexplained.

The Legal Affairs Minister explained that the law revision process was a priority area for the PPP/C Administration “Law revision is a very important exercise because it keeps the country's laws updated Secondly, it keeps them consolidated, and thirdly, it makes them accessible and easytoconsult.So,itmustbe done at regular intervals,” he noted.

AG Nandlall said the Governmenthasnointention of easing up on fulfilling its commitment to law reform, and will continue full steam ahead in the new year “We don't plan to slow down next year In fact, we will accelerate our agenda for nextyear,”headded.(DPI)

Leader of the PNCR, Aubrey Norton

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, M.P

Death penalty remains Law in Guyana

The Guyana Court of Appeal has refused to strike down the death penalty as unconstitutional amid a fierce lobby by international organisations.

The Court of Appeal made the decision on Thursday following considerations in the cases of three former members of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard, Devon Gordon, Deon Greenidge, and Sherwyn Harte, who in 2013, were found guilty of the robbery and murder of DweiveKantRamdass.

The Trial Judge imposed death sentence on all three defendants. The three men appealed to the Court of Appeal.

The Death Penalty Project, an internationally r e c o g n i s e d N o nGovernmental Organisation (NGO) that uses the law to protect prisoners facing execution and achieve fairer and more humane justice systemshadjoinedthematter to challenge the local justice systemontheuseofthedeath penalty

In a statement issued on the matter, Barristers from UK-based Doughty Street Chambers who were among t h e A t t o r n e y s t h a t represented the case against the death penalty said that while the Court of Appeal declined to strike down the d e a t h p e n a l t y a s unconstitutional, three death sentences were overturned and replaced with life sentences.

The UK-based Law Firm said that it offered assistance to the appellants and supported their legal team in Guyana which included C.A Nigel Hughes (of the Bar of Guyana) and Douglas Mendes, SC (of the Bar of Trinidad and Tobago) Douglas Mendes, SC

presented the legal arguments in the Court of Appeal. Assisting with this case were the Death Penalty Project and a team of Barristers from Doughty Street Chambers, Edward

…as Court of Appeal refuses to strike it down despite fierce International lobby

F i t z g e r a l d K C , J o e Middleton and Pippa Woodrow

In the course of the Appeal, the team provided evidence to the Court from leadingacademics.

“The evidence showed that capital punishment does not act as a greater deterrent to crime than lesser forms of punishmentandthatthereisa growing consensus that capital punishment is

inherently inconsistent with respect for the rule of law,” the Law Firm said in the release.

The Lawyers argued that the death penalty was unconstitutional, being arbitrary, irrational, disproportionate, and contrary to the constitutional principleoftheruleoflaw

The Law Firm noted that however that the Court of Appeal has not accepted

these arguments and has declined to declare capital punishment unconstitutional inGuyana.

The Court of Appeal consequently overturned the Appellants' sentences of death, on the basis t h a t i t w a s unconstitutional for the Trial Court to hand down the death penalty automatically without affording the appellants

individualised sentencing hearings.

T h e L a w F i r m nevertheless believes that failure to do so was a breach oftheirconstitutionalrights.

“We consider that the Court of Appeal should have declared all death sentences unconstitutional.

The legal team will now exploreafurtherappealtothe Caribbean Court of Justice,” theFirmsaidinitsrelease.

Attorney, Edward Fitzgerald, CBE, KC, Founder of Doughty Street Chambers.

Attorney-at-Law, Douglas Mendes, SC

Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes

Big name Investors tell Exxon, others to publicise climate change targets

Leading Investors with assets under management of more than 1.3 trillion Euros have joined Activist

Shareholder group, 'Follow This' in filing climate resolutionsagainstfourofthe world's biggest oil producing companies, demanding that they create green targets and makethempublic.

'Follow This' said in a statement that Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and Chevron have received resolutions requesting that the oil majors align themselves with the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce emissions by 2030 and to disclose exactly how theyintendtodothat.

J u s t r e c e n t l y , internationalobservergroup,' InfluenceMaps' released a report accusing the said oil companies of continuing to mislead the world on their climate change intentions. Thegrouphadsaidthatbased on their findings, the oil companies were utilizing “a

systematicstrategytoportray themselves as positive and proactive on the issue of climate change.” They said that the companies' commitment to climate action was inconsistent with theircapitalinvestments,and where they claimed to be making strides with climate change, there was no real information on what they were doing, and progress made.

The Investors owning 1.3 trillion Euros in assets, now addingtheirvoicetohavethe oilcompaniesownuptotheir responsibilities,issaidtobea plus in getting the Producers to confirm to the Paris Agreement. “This new and significant commitment from some of the world's most important investors takes our fight against climate breakdown to a new level,” Mark van Baal, founderof'FollowThis'said. “Our call for Paris-aligned targets has landed in the

capital markets, in effect moving this crucial issue to centre stage for responsible institutional Investors. We expect that more Investors will follow their leading peers and vote for change at BigOil,”hesaid.

'Follow This' said that “Together with responsible Investors,wehavetocounter Big Oil's new fallacies ”

They noted that oil companies have argued that the current energy crisis eclipses the climate crisis, and that argument has afforded huge windfall profits, while backtracking on Scope 3 of climate action in 2022. The group said it engaged with eleven oil majors since May, and they persisted, with no exception; that the majority of their shareholders showed support for their current inadequate strategies by voting against the 'Follow This' resolutions at that time. “We hope that

Investors

the statementsaid.

'Follow This' said however that “Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1.5°C is beyond reach.”Itwillthereforefocus on Scope 3 to prevent smokescreens by the companies. “The focus on Scope 3 by 2030 leaves the oil majors no wiggle room for smokescreens about 'net zero emissions by 2050' or reduction targets for operational emissionsScope 1 and 2, around 5% of emissions.” Despite 'net zero by 2050' targets, none of the four oil majors is even close to Paris-aligned emissions reductions plans for 2030,” thegroupurged.

'Follow This' explained

that when the oil companies convinced shareholders this year that the energy crisis, along with windfall profits should trump the climate crisis, voting on green action decreased “Nonetheless, shareholder rebellions of 15%atBP,20%atShell,28% at ExxonMobil and 33% at Chevron voted in favour of Paris-aligned targets.” “Only when voting regains momentum, oil majors will change Otherwise, oil majors will continueto claim to have a vast majority of shareholders behind their current inadequate targets. Our campaigns have shown that only increasing investors' votes compel oil majors to advance their targets,”thegroupsaid.

'Follow This' noted therefore that it will focus on fourofthehighestemittersin the world in 2023 and the resolutions will counter Big Oil's new fallacies that the current energy crisis should eclipse the climate crisis and that investors resolutions are tailored per company, what they said is BP's distraction that the resolution is 'generic'.

For 2023, six Investors in Europe and the US (managing € 1.3 trillion in total) co-filed one or more of the four climate resolutions. Four of those Investors are Edmond de RothschildAsset Management (EDRAM, France, managing € 75 billion, co-filed-Shell),

Degroof Petercam Asset Management (DPAM, Belgium, € 51 billion, all resolutions), Achmea Investment Management (Netherlands, € 175 billion, ExxonMobil) and Arjuna Capital (US, $400 million, Chevron and ExxonMobil).” The other major Investors will make public statements later,FollowThissaid.

'InfluenceMap' just a week ago highlighted in its latest report on 'Big Oil's Real Agenda' compared and contrast the public communications, business operations, and policy engagement of five major oil companies. It said that 60 percent of oil companies' public information deliver green messages while none of those disclosed the strategies that inform their public messaging on climate change, nor the resources dedicated to related activities Using cost estimates based on the number of communications and media staff the c o m p a n i e s e m p l o y, 'InfluenceMap's' said its analysis suggests that the oil companies are spending around US$750 million each year cumulatively on c l i m a t e - r e l a t e d communication activities. In contrast, only 12 percent of the five companies' 2022 capital expenditure (CAPEX) is forecasted to be dedicated to 'low carbon' activities,thegroupreported.

will finally realize that Big Oil will hang on to fossil fuels as long as possible,unlesstheyvoteina different direction,”

NursingAssistantProgrammelaunchedinRegion2

The Ministry of Health, Health

Sciences Education Division, on Wednesday launched the Nursing Assistant Programme in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supernaam)attheSuddiePublic Hospital.

This first time Nursing Assistant Programme in the Region will commence with a batch of 45 students who will be trained over eighteen months, the Ministry saidinarelease.

Delivering the featured address at the launching ceremony, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony stated that the ministry aims to provide an improved quality of care to patients and as such, the health care system acrossthecountryandwithinthecommunity of Region Two will see the establishment of newhealthfacilitieswhichwillhavemodern

Accident Units, Imagining, CT scans, Laboratoryandotherspecialisedservices.

The Minister added that with these developments,moretrainingwillberequired inthefuture.

With that being said the Minister further announced that as of January 2023, the Registered Nursing Programme will be launched as a hybrid programme for persons desirousofpursuingthefieldofstudy

PresentatthelaunchonWednesdaywere, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh, the Deputy Director of the Division of Health Sciences, Ms Chandroutie Persaud, the Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr Ranjeev Singh, the Regional Chairman, Ms Vilma De Sliver, the Vice Chairman, Mr Humace Oudith, and other officials.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony (centre) flanked by officials of the Ministry, the Regional Administration, and the first batch of students of the programme.

‘From death to life’

...Court of Appeal commutes death sentences of ex- soldiers who killed gold miner to life imprisonment

The Court of Appeal (CoA) of Guyana on Wednesday upheld the murder convictions of Devon Gordon, Sherwyn Harte, and Deon Greenidge, commuted their death sentences to life sentences, but found that Guyana's death penalty provisions are in conformity withthemodernapproach.

The three men were charged with the gruesome murder of Dweive Kant Ramdass in 2009, and were convicted, and sentenced to deathin2013.

Importantly, the men, on certaingrounds,filedaNotice of Appeal on 12th July 2013, but then filed additional grounds of appeal on 28th November The additional grounds of appeal raised the issue of the constitutionality of the death penalty, which were not raised during the men's trial before the High Court.

In submissions to the CoA, Latchmie Rahamat, Attorney-at-Law for Devon Gordon, argued that the mandatory death penalty was unconstitutional.Onpage1of her substantive submissions, Ms. Rahamat argued that “the mandatory sentence of death in Guyana violates and offends the Appellants' constitutional protection against inhuman and degrading punishment or other treatment that is guaranteed under Article 141 of the Constitution of Guyana.”

Douglas Mendes SC, of Trinidad and Tobago, and Nigel Hughes, Attorneys-atLaw for Deon Greenidge and Sherwin Hart, in their substantive submissions, argued that the death penalty, whether mandatory or d i s c r e t i o n a r y , i s unconstitutional.

In their submissions, the duo noted that “This is the first challenge to the constitutionality of the death p e n a l t y i n t h e

Commonwealth Caribbean”, and further they said that “It istheAppellants'casethatthe death sentence violates certain Articles and core principles of the Constitution

of the Co-operative Republic ofGuyana…”

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, SC made an application to intervene in this matter, and filed submissions in support of the Government of Guyana's case. The Attorney General's submissions,inessence,were two-fold:

T h e i s s u e o f t h e constitutionality of the death sentence cannot be raised for the first time in the CoAsince the High Court, by virtue of Article 153 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana, has original jurisdiction to determine all questions as to the contravention of provisions of Articles 138151.

The AG's team noted further that a comprehensive reading of all of the relevant provisionsoftheConstitution o f G u y a n a c l e a r l y demonstrate that death sentences under an order of a c o u r t o f c o m p e t e n t jurisdiction, are expressly provided for in the ConstitutionofGuyana.

The three ex-Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard rankschargedwiththeAugust 2009 murder of Bartica gold miner, Dwieve Kant Ramdass, were yesterday all found guilty and sentenced to death by Justice Franklyn Holder

The Judge had earlier summed up the case and the 12-member jury returned later in the afternoon with a unanimous verdict after a littlemorethanhalfanhourof deliberations.

They were found guilty of themurderwhichoccurredon August 20, 2009 at Caiman Hole in the Essequibo River The Prosecution's case was that the men forced Ramdass intotheirboatandtookhimto the aforementioned location where they relieved him of $17Mincashhewascarrying in a box to Bartica for his employer, before dumping him overboard. Senior State Prosecutor, Judith GildharieMursalin, presented the case, while Attorney- at- Law, L a t c h m i e R a h a m a t representedthethreeaccused.

From (L-R): Dead: Dwieve Kant Ramdass and (murder convicts) Devon Gordon, Deon Greenidge, and Sherwyn Harte

More than 80 small business owners from Region 10 on Wednesday received grants of $150,000 from the Small Business Bureau (SBB) to help boost theirbusinesses.

They are the latest to benefit from a series of distribution exercises conducted by the agency, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported. The event was held at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Board Room inLinden.

“I'm very excited I've waitedquiteawhileforthis,I can't wait to get this cheque cashed and get my business upandrunning,it'sbeenlong overdue,I'mverygratefulfor the grant, this initiative it's

Region 10 small business owners benefit from $150,000 grants

such a great one and I hope that everybody that benefitted can put this to good use,” said Rashauna Sue,oneofthebeneficiaries.

Another beneficiary, Cindy Sheckle expressed, “I'm elated it's long overdue I've been waiting a while, so I'm elated to cash the cheque and actually invest back into my business.”CarlJosephisalso one of the persons who has been waiting for a while to uplifthisgrant.

“In ranger [previous] government you had to borrow and you had to pay back and this here is freeco, I accept and I thank father for the lil blessings and father must bless the people them who prepare this,” he told DPI.

P o u l t r y f a r m e r, Premwantie Dindyal, another beneficiary, noted that the grant will help boost her production, “I feel very happybecausewewaitavery longtimeforitandIfeelvery happy, at least it gon help boostthebusiness,”shesaid.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of the SBB, Mohamed Ibrahim noted that this is just one of several ways that the agency helpssmallbusinessesacross Guyana. “We had people in poultry rearing, in agri, lots of small vendors and people who just are willing to develop and grow their businesses,” he noted Several more distributions are planned for Region Five on Thursday and Region threeonFriday.

Agri programme, roads, electricity upgrades for Matthews Ridge

Residents of Matthews Ridge, Region One (BarimaWaini) can expect major developments in their community with the upgrading of 3.8 kilometres of roads and the extension of electricitytotheMinabarea.

President Irfaan Ali, during a Cabinet outreach to the community on Tuesday, said the roads at Station Street, School Street, Heaven Hill, and Hell Hill, will benefit from much-needed upgrades. “Before the end of thismonththeworksonthese streets must commence,” he told the residents. President Ali has tasked the Local Government, Public Works, and Housing and Water Ministries with engaging the local Contractors and residents to execute the works on the road as part of providing employment and generating income for the communities.

On the issue of the road from Matthews Ridge to Port Kaituma and other internal roads, the President expressed disappointment in the way in which the Guyana Manganese Inc. (GMI) has been maintaining those thoroughfares Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh and Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, had engaged the company after residents complained about its failure to conduct regular maintenance on the roads.

The President noted that while there have been marginal improvements since the engagement, there continues to be an abuse of the infrastructure within the community Therefore, the Head of State said, “The trucksnotonlydrivingonthe internal roads in the

community but [they are] driving on the airstrip now… I would not accept the company not fulfilling its c o r p o r a t e s o c i a l responsibilities “I am making it very clear that the Investorsneedtostepuptheir game and fulfill their responsibility to this community.”

Meanwhile, PresidentAli reiterated that while his Government welcomes investments, Investors must stay true to their social responsibilities for the communities they are operatingin.HesaidMinister Bharrat and his team will be m e e t i n g w i t h t h e m a n a g e m e n t o f t h e manganese company shortly to have 'frank discussions.' “We must have a target set and timeframe… and that timeframemustbemonitored stringently,”PresidentAli

(Continued on page 22)

A section of the gathering during the meeting on Tuesday

Chief Executive Officer of SBB, Mohamed Ibrahim, hands over a cheque to one of the beneficiaries of the small business grant in Linden, Region 10

FAO gauging factors contributing to increased food prices

Real food prices

h a v e b e e n significantly higherinrecentyearsthan20 to 30 years ago, the United N a t i o n ' s F o o d a n d Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) Food Price Index has stated.

It said that food is currently around 30 percent more expensive than in the 1990s and this is despite the fact that current pricing mechanisms have failed to capture the whole cost of food; taking into account social and environmental externalities at all levels, providing a “full cost accounting”.

FAO's report, 'The future of food and agriculture –Alternative pathways to 2050', highlights that if environmental costs were accounted for, food prices might increase by 30 to 35 percent in the next decades.

At a time when political and mediaattentionissensitiveto the price of food, and policymakers express concerns about the efficiency of agrifood systems, the body said that, “cheap, unhealthy, socially and environmentally unsustainable food cannot be thesolution.”

The FAO said that the observed price trends raise questions as to whether the upward prices illustrate the factthatthe'greenrevolution' has exhausted its effects and newtechnologiesareneeded, whether the price trend reflect that consumers are starting to pay the 'cost of unsustainability' of current agri-food systems and whether the future scenario of significantly increasing foodpricesisplausible.

Lookingintotheseissues,

the FAO explained that in marketeconomies,prices are expected to provide signals that operators use to make efficient choices and take decisions that should maximize both individual and collective well-being A c c o r d i n g t o t h i s conventional wisdom, prices aredeterminedbymarketsso as to balance demand and supply of a particular commodity, inform about the scarcity or abundance of goods, services and resources, and guide production decisions towards the most efficient utilization of resources and technologies.

As such, they are important drivers of change in all sectors of the economy, including in food and agriculture.

Inreality,however,prices are not explained by market forces only; they are the r e s u l t o f c o m p l e x mechanisms influenced by policies.

For instance, rules, regulations, subsidies and taxes are designed for a c h i e v i n g s p e c i f i c objectives, as well as by many other factors such as culture, habits and technology, that result from the socio-economic and political condition prevailing in a country at a given point intime.

The FAO noted that it is important to remember, that already, there are major costs involved in food production that are reflected neither in production costs nor in prices, limiting the effectiveness of prices as indicators of the real efficiency of resource use andtechnologies.

“These costs that are invisible to the market –externalities – would, if they were accounted for and internalized (expressed in monetary terms), likely push food prices up and create incentives for reorienting foodsystemstowardsgreater sustainability.”

These externalities include environmental costs, for example, the cost of greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change, loss of biodiversity and, more generally, natural resources degradation, as well as the cost of health impacts and socialcosts.

TheFAOsaidthatseveral attempts have been made to estimatethesecosts.

The review conducted, shows however, “that there are clear signs that food pricesareontherise.”

The agency concluded that at the global bulk markets level, as illustrated by its Food Price Index, the price of food has been increasing since the turn of thecentury

It said that “The ongoing

degradation of natural resources, the impact of climate change on yields, crop suitability, pests and diseases, pollinators and other factors, climate change mitigation measures, and modifications in agriculture support policies, all contribute to create

uncertainty and tensions on supply that might push food prices up if all other things remainunaltered.”

“This movement would be amplified in the event that externalities were accounted for and internalized Tensions could become even more critical if bio-economy developsandagrowingshare of agricultural commodities is used to produce non-food goods,andifpricesofenergy continuetorise.”

FAO related that at the farm level, prices are strongly influenced by

incentives and subsidies in high income and middleincome countries, of which a substantial portion aims at keepingconsumerpriceslow and giving a competitive advantage to agricultural goods produced locally “However, the recent trend, especially in high-income countries, has been to favour funding of general sector servicesandreducemeasures that are harmful for human health and the environment. This trend also affects protected or subsidized products and technologies emitting large amounts of greenhouse gas, creating negative externalities, and the cost of which are reflected neither in production costs nor in prices.”

This cost, if it were accounted for, would push food prices up and reorient

foodsystemstowardsgreater sustainability, the food organization said. It noted however, that growing a w a r e n e s s o f t h e consequences of climate change, loss of biodiversity and health impacts resulting f r o m u n s u s t a i n a b l e agricultural practices, could lead to further cuts in incentives,possiblyaffecting adversely the supply of agricultural products and, ultimately,theirprice.

This would appear likely unless there are groundbreaking technological innovations, perhaps funded in part by a repurposed reallocation of public resources thatcouldalterthis scenario.

A t t h e l e v e l o f consumers,theFAOsaidthat food prices have followed a modestupwarddirection.

“The trend towards the consumption of resourceintensive foods reduces food systems efficiency and tends to increase demand for agricultural products, adding to tensions on food prices.” The FAO submitted however that, “if the signs currently indicating some movement by consumers towards less resource-intensive dietary patterns with better n u t r i t i o n a l a n d environmental outcomes are confirmed, and if this movement accelerates, it would considerably diminish demand and thus could modulate or even reverse foodpricetrends.”

…fears nutrition being substituted for 'cheap, unhealthy' food

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LegislationforElectronicMedicalRecords beingdeveloped-HealthMinister

The Government is determinedtocreateamodern healthcaresystemforGuyana and as such, the Ministry of Health is in the process of developing legislation for electronic medical records (EMR)inGuyana.

The EMR system is an electronic record of healthrelated information of a patient. It can facilitate workflow and improve the quality of patient care and patient safety. The developmentofthelegislation will protect patients’privacy, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony said. He was speaking at an event in Region Two recently. “One of the things that we’ve

alreadystartedworkingonis to make sure that by some time next year, we’ll be able to pass the relevant laws to allowfordigitalorelectronic record systems but to also create the legislative environment to ensure that these records and people’s informationarekeptsafe.”

Healthcarepersonnelwill also be trained to operate the system and to also protect individuals’ privacy. “We’re hopefulthatbysometimenext year, we’ll also start piloting the first steps of this electronic medical record system,” he added.

This forms part of an holistic approach to modernising the health

system in Guyana as the Health Ministry is also piloting a telemedicine programme in four remote communities in Region Nine – Gunns Village, Nappi, YupukariandParikawarinau. Villagers in these communities are now able to receive care from Specialists and Doctors stationed in Georgetown through their health centres that are equipped with technological devices. In addition, simulation centres will be developed to aid healthcare personnel to deliver quality healthcare to citizens. A simulation centre is any location where healthcare education involving

experiential learning, also known as healthcare simulation,isconducted.The Registered Nursing (RN) programme will be launched in 2023 and according to Dr Anthony, the Ministry is hoping to train about 1,000 persons to fill the gaps in the nursing profession. “There are a whole host of other specialised programmes that would become available to you, and while we have startedthedecentralisationof the foundational programmes […] the specialised one we’ll see in terms of interest, how many peoplewe’llhaveandmaybe we’llbeabletooffersomeof themintheregions.”(DPI)

IDB: Job Recovery in the Region Was Attained in 2022, After the Shock of the Pandemic

Labour market indicators for the second half of 2022 showthehighestemployment levels in the region since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

IDB’s Labor Market Observatory in its latest report analyzing the labor marketsof15countriesinour region.

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In September 2022, 8 million extra jobs were registered above the region’s pre-pandemic level. Latin America and the Caribbean registered a total recovery of jobs in the second half of 2022, reaching levels greater than those observed before the pandemic. By September 2022,economiesintheRegion hadgained8millionextrajobs compared to those available in March 2020 when the pandemic hit. This is one of the main conclusions of

The study shows an uneven recovery among the different countries and sectors of the economy and highlights the growth of formal employment throughout the year.

Despite the good news, thereportemphasizesthatnet employmentgrowthinthelast 30 months is still slow and thatevenas2021’seconomic recovery led employment to its peak in November of that year, it slumped again in the first months of 2022. “This rise we saw in the third

trimester of 2022 means that we barely had an annual growth rate of 2% in almost 30 months, which only increases the slow improvement we were dragging from previous,” warns Oliver Azuara, Senior SpecialistattheIDB.

Even when the impact of the sanitary crisis was harder for disadvantaged groups in the Region, mainly affecting younger and informal workers, those with lower education levels, and speciallywomen,thetotaljob recovery observed in the second half of 2022 is explained by the growth of women’s employment. For thefirsttimeinthepandemic,

women’s employment recoverymarginallyexceeded men’semploymentrecovery This, according to Laura Ripani, head of the Labor MarketsDivisionattheInterAmerican Development Bank, means that only the percentage of the gender gap deepened and worsened by thepandemicwasclosedand that the absolute gender gap persists.

Additionally, the study points to a growth in formal employment in the second halfoftheyearthatsurpasses the growth of informal employment, showing a rise in quality employment, though not at the rate and velocitytheRegionrequires.

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From page 20 said. In terms of electricity, some $27 million in equipment was procured to extendtheelectricitysupply toMinab,asmallsettlement locatedinMatthew’sRidge.

The materials are in the regionawaitingthetechnical personnel to carry out the work.

Repair & install fridge, freezer,washer&dryer,AC units, stove, etc. Whatsapp/ Call:637-4927,654-9511or 683-8734. DAF

“We will work out the cost, we will pay for the labour from the community and we will take the electricity to Minab,” he said.Additionally, the Head ofStatesaidtheGovernment will work with the community to identify 25 acres of land to create an agriculture programme targetingsinglemothersand young people.

Venezuelaoppositionweighs overhauling‘interimgovernment’

AP — Juan Guaidó has beenthefaceofVenezuelans’

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, will be visiting the area before the endoftheyeartoengagethe residents on the initiative. Additionally,hesaidthat$10 million is earmarked for upgrades to the community’s recreational facility. Sports gear and equipment will also be provided to encourage sports among youths, while trainingopportunitieswillbe provided to ensure the young people are gainfully employed. Further, to boost security in the area, the Matthew’s Ridge Police Station will benefit from an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and pickup, while the pathway to the station will beupgraded.(DPI)

efforts to restore their democracy since he took to the streets to challenge the rule of President Nicolás Maduroinearly2019.

But the 39-year-old former member of the country’s legislature, the NationalAssembly, is at risk of being pushed aside by some of his one-time allies who feel Guaidó’s leadershipoftheopposition isn’tworkingandthatthey need to find a better way to connect with disillusioned voters ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.

Three of the four main oppositionpartiesthatmake up the so-called interim government were set to vote Thursday on a proposal to replace Guaidó with a leadershipbycommittee.

Guaidó, fighting for his political future, has warned that such a move would be unconstitutional and open

the door to recognizing Maduro’s “dictatorship.”

Buttheformerlawmakers — who were elected to the National Assembly in 2015 butsawtheirtermsexpirefive years later and now operate as a symbolic shadow to Maduro’s rubber-stamping legislature — appear to be pressing ahead.

“The process that we began in January of 2019 has weakened and is no longer perceived as a real option for change,” the group of opposition leaders said in a statement Wednesday. “This country requires new paths that will help us to return to democracy

In January 2019, the National Assembly, then controlled by the opposition, voted to stop recognizing Maduro as president after several top potential opponents were barred from running against him. It then appointed Guaidó, a

backbench lawmaker who was one of the few leaders in his Popular Will party to avoidarrestorexile,tobethe nation’s“interimpresident” in accordance with the order of succession outlined in Venezuela’s constitution.

Guaidó was quickly recognizedasVenezuela’s legitimate leader by the United States and dozens of governments in Europe and Latin America.

But his interim governmentwasunableto gain control of any government institutions and,crucially,failedtowin overthemilitary

Inthemeantime,Maduro has only strengthened his grip on power, even as regularVenezuelanssuffer from high inflation, deepening poverty and widespread shortages made worse by U.S. oil sanctions.

Agri programme, roads, electricity upgrades for Matthews...

CH&PA to spend $842M from IDB loan to upgrade roads, drains on the EBD

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IOCraisesprospectofboxing beingpulledfromParisGames

(Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday raised the possibility of boxing being excluded fromthe2024ParisGames, saying its Russian-led world body showed it had “no real interest” in the sport or its athletes.

The International BoxingAssociation (IBA) was stripped of

involvement in the 2020 TokyoOlympicsandboxing is not on the initial programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, pendingreformsdemanded by the IOC.

QualifyingfortheParis 2024boxingtournamentis beingorganisedbytheIOC but it said that concerns regarding the IBA mean it will take further decisions

that “may have to include the cancellation of boxing for the Olympic Games Paris 2024”.

An IOC spokesperson said:

“The recent IBA Congress has shown once more that IBA has no real interest in the sport of boxingandtheboxers,but isonlyinterestedinitsown power

“The decisions and discussions to keep boxers away from the Olympic qualifiers and the Olympic Games cannot be understood differently.”

TheIBAisrunbyRussian Umar Kremlev with backing from Russian energy firm Gazprom.

The IOC spokesperson saidtheIBAextendingitsdeal with Gazprom recently showed it had “no will to understand the real issues.

SALT BAE MOCKED...

From page 30 original solid gold trophy “can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the Fifa World Cup and heads of state”.

Yahoo News UK has approachedFifaforcomment.

There was a similar controversy in 2014, when the World Cup winning German team were pictured with singer Rihanna, who was allowed to hold the trophy in a post-match party

Shetweetedatthetime:“I touched the cup, held the cup, kissed the cup, took a selfie wit the cup.”

World Cup in Qatar, and was photographedwithFifapresidentGianniInfantino.

Football fans on Twitter wereunimpressedwithBae’s antics.

“Who let Salt Bae out on the pitch?” asked André Noruega. “Saw a bunch of photos of him holding the World Cup trophy, and even a picture of him biting on a medal. “At least Messi knew not to give that guy trying to maketheirmomentabouthim any attention. Desperately grabbing Messi.”

One Instagram user commented: “You shouldn’t touch the cup. You ‘re not a champion.”

Friday December 23, 2022

ARIES (Mar.21–Apr.19)

You'refeelingespeciallyloving,attractive,andromantic, soromanceislikelytobeon yourmind.Romanticnovels and movies could seem especiallyappealing.Ifyou're currently involved.

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An increased level of ESP and imagination could have you feeling more creative and artistic.You might want to channel this energy into writing, painting, or adding touchestoyourlivingroom.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

An attractive neighbor with whom you seem to share a bondcouldbecomeafriend. Agroupyou'reaffiliatedwith could be expressing highly idealized goals and purposes.

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Dreamsofanewcareercould fillyourmindtoday,perhaps because of too much stress in your current one. You might even think of becomingamoviestar

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Spiritualgoalsmaybeatthe topofyourprioritylistnow, Leo.Youmaybelookingfor online metaphysical seminars or meditation workshops, perhaps taking place in a distant state or foreign country

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Lovely dreams could spark your imagination and get your artistic abilities going. You could learn a lot about yourself and whatever has been limiting you. Write down whatever comes your way

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

A new friend could arrive today,Libra.You'reprobably going to like this person very much. He or she probably shares many of your interests.Youcouldbecome close friends.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

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“The extension of the sponsorshipcontractwith Gazprom as sole main sponsorofIBAreinforces the concerns, which the IOChasexpressedsince 2019overandoveragain,” thespokespersonadded.

“This announcement confirms that IBA will continue to depend on a company largely controlledbytheRussian government.”

An extraordinary IBA congress in September voted against holding a new election,allowingKremlevto remain as president, after a CourtofArbitrationforSport (CAS) ruling that Dutch candidateBorisvanderVorst was wrongly prevented from standing.

GFF and FIFA commit...

From page 31 beyond.” Since its launch, FIFA+hassteadilyexpanded its reach and added exciting new content streams in order to deliver a truly multifaceteddigitalexperience. Completely free, the platform offers an extensive archive(includingallmen’s and women’s FIFAWorldCup™ matches),thousandsoflive fixtures every year, interactive games and predictors,andaslateoforiginal documentaries,docuseries, talk shows and shorts.

By the end of 2022, FIFA+willbestreamingthe equivalent of 40,000 live games per year from 100MAsacrossallsixconfederations, including 11,000 women’s matches. FIFA+provideslivecoveragerangingfromEurope’s top-flightleaguestopreviously unserved competitions from around the worldinmen’s,women’sand youth football.

FIFA+ can be accessed worldwide at fifaplus.com and on major app stores.

Bae has posted pictures on his Instagram account of his time spent during the

Anotherwrote:“Ithought only world champions could touch the cup?”

England recall Archer Arc for South Africa ODIs

AFP - Jofra Archer is poised to make an eagerlyanticipated England comeback in the New Year after being named yesterday in a 14-strong squad for a three-match one-day international series in South Africa.

Sussex fast bowler Archer made a dramatic entry onto the international stage in 2019 when he became one of the stars of England’s 50-over World Cuptriumph.

But he has not played international cricket since March2021duetoinjury.

T h e 2 7 - y e a r - o l d Barbados-born quick suffered several elbow problems, which led to two operations, before his hopes of a return to action were dashedbyastressfractureof the lower back in May that ruled him out of the 2022 Englishseason.

Archer, however, played for the second-string England Lions in a warm-up matchagainsttheTestsidein Abu Dhabi last month ahead of the senior team’s 3-0 whitewashofPakistan.

Just six balls into the practice match, Archer hit Zak Crawley on the helmet withabouncer

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement issued Thursday said Archer was “recovering well from an elbow injury and is expected to return to internationalcricketinSouth Africanextmonth”.

-BrooksetforODIdebut -Meanwhile, rising star Harry Brook, fresh from threesuperbTesthundredsin Pakistan and England’s T20 World Cup win in Australia, has been called into an ODI squadforthefirsttime.

T h e 2 3 - y e a r - o l d Yorkshireman has been a mainstay during an already b u s y E n g l a n d t o u r programme but team management have decided against resting him ahead of a Test series in New Zealand in February Outstanding batsman Joe Root and express fast bowler Mark Wood have though been left out, though, as England look to manage the workloads of t h e i r m u l t i - f o r m a t

players Opener Ben Duckett,

who played the last of his threeODIsin2016,hasbeen recalledtothe50-overset-up after regaining his England placeatT20andTestlevelin recent months Left-arm quick Reece Topley, unluckily ruled out of the T20 World Cup campaign after tripping on a boundary sponge, has also been included in a squad that will again be led by white-ball captain Jos Buttler.But allrounder Liam Livingstone has been ruled out with the knee injury he suffered on Test debut against Pakistan inRawalpindi.

T h e t h r e e - m a t c h contest in South Africa is a rearranged series that was initially abandoned in December 2020 after a Covid-19 scare prompted England to fly home early

It will be played over six days, with two fixtures in Bloemfontein starting on January 27 before the final game takes place in Kimberley on February 1 England ODI squadJos Buttler (Lancashire, capt and w k t ) , M o e e n A l i (Warwickshire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), DawidMalan(Yorkshire),Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey),PhilSalt(Lancashire), OllyStone(Nottinghamshire), ReeceTopley(Surrey),David Willey (Northamptonshire), C h r i s W o a k e s (Warwickshire)Fixtures (all 1100GMTstart)Jan27:South Africa v England, 1st ODI, BloemfonteinJan 29: South Africa v England, 2nd ODI, BloemfonteinFeb 1: South Africa v England, 3rd ODI, Kimberley

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA is taking “appropriate internal action” to address breaches of World Cup protocol by a celebrity chef who held the gold trophy on the field, soccer’s governing bodysaidThursday

The chef, who is known as Salt Bae and is regularly seen with FIFA p r e s i d e n t G i a n n i Infantino, mingled with Argentina players and posed for photos after their victory over France in an epic game on Sunday in Qatar

FIFA describes the trophy as “a priceless icon” which “can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and headsofstate.”

“Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained

undue access to the pitch aftertheclosingceremonyat Lusail stadium on Dec. 18,” the world soccer body said.

“The appropriate internal actionwillbetaken.”

The chef, who has a restaurant in Doha, was a regular guest of FIFA with VIPaccessduringtheWorld Cup and posted photos and videoclipsonsocialmedia

FIFA reviews chef’s ‘undue access’ to hold World Cup trophy France’s Ramos handed five-week ban for head-butt

AfterArgentina’s win in a p e n a l t y s h o o t o u t following a thrilling 3-3 draw, he was filmed grabbing the arm of captain Lionel Messi on the field to gethisattention

The soccer great seemed irritated in the film clip though later posed for a photothatSaltBaepostedon Instagram

AFP - Toulouse’s France full-back Thomas Ramos has been suspended for five weeks for headbutting and making contact with the area of an opponent’s eye during last weekend’s Champions Cup win over Sale, tournament organisers announcedonWednesday Ramos, 27, who won the last of his 22 Test caps in November, was shown a red card for the head-butt during Sunday’s victory and was then cited after the game for thesecondincident.

“Ramos was issued with a red card by the referee in the80thminuteofthematch for striking the Sale Sharks fullback,ByronMcGuigan, with his head,” European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR)said.

“Ramos was also cited by the match citing commissioner for allegedly making contact with the eye or eye area of the Sale Sharks scrum-half, Gus Warr, in the 56th minute of thematch

“The (disciplinary)

committee decided that the two sanctions of five weeks and four weeks should run concurrently and Ramos is therefore free to play on Monday,23January2023.”

The goal-kicker will be sidelined for five club games including the away fixture with Sale on January 14

Ramos was at risk of missing out on Les Bleus’ defence of the Six Nations but is now likely to feature in their tournament opener againstItalyonFebruary5

Jofra Archer

Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates with the trophy (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

France full-back Thomas Ramos (right) has been suspended for five weeks for headbutting.

Harry Brook

Ramiz sacked and Sethi reappointed chair of Pakistan cricket

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Ramiz Raja has beenremovedaschairmanof the Pakistan Cricket Board by the government and NajamSethireappointed.

Sethi heads a new 14member management committee including former Pakistan captains Shahid Afridi and Sana Mir The government has given them 120 days to restore department teams in the domestic setup and form a newboardofgovernors.

The government also r e p e a l e d t h e P C B constitutionandrestoreditto the 2014 position, aiming to bring back department teams The current constitution,formedin2019, didnotrecognizedepartment teams. “The cricket regime headed by Ramiz Raja is no more,” Sethi tweeted late Wednesday. “The 2014 PCB constitution stands restored. T h e M a n a g e m e n t Committee will work tirelessly to revive first class cricket Thousands of

cricketers will be employed again. The famine in cricket willcometoanend.”

The move followed the Pakistan test team’s first 3-0 whitewash at home on Tuesday, inflicted by England.

New Zealand arrived on Thursday for two tests and three one-day internationals, starting with the first test on MondayinKarachi.

Sethi said the home squad for the New Zealand series was announced by the previous board and they won’t change it. “I wish the team is not announced and we could have approached from a different angle, but now it’s not the right time,” hesaid.

Sethi served as chairman from 2013-18. During his tenure, international teams gradually returned to Pakistan after the Sri Lanka bus was attacked in 2009. Sethi also started the Pakistan Super League which attracted foreign cricketers.

He was replaced by Ehsan Mani after cricket great Imran Khan became the country’s prime minister Mani abolished department teams and squeezed domestic cricket into six provincial teams at the behestofKhan.

However, prominent players and former board members urged the government to bring back departmentteams.

Mani didn’t accept an extensionafterhisthree-year tenure ended last year and Khan brought in Ramiz as the new chairman. Ramiz continuedastheheaddespite Khan’s government ending this year and Shahbaz Sharif becomingprimeminister

It is a normal practice in Pakistan that the prime minister,whoisalsothePCB patron, appoint the head of the board though direct nominations.

“My primary duty is to restore the spirit of the 2014 constitution,” Sethi said at PCB headquarters in Lahore

onThursday

“The most important thing for us is to change the domesticcricketstructure bring back departments and alltheregionsasthere’sbeen a famine for the last four years.

“Tell me how many cricketers have come through domestic cricket? It looks like only PSL is supplyingplayers.

PSL is a very big international brand, and we willtakethedomesticcricket to that level, too, so that we can get good players from it.” During Ramiz’s tenure, Pakistan reached the T20 WorldCupfinalthisyearand the semifinals last year, and qualified for the final of the T20AsiaCup.

However,Pakistandidn’t fare well in test matches at

home.

Flat, grassless pitches were the focal point and P a k i s t a n l o s t a n unprecedented four home tests in a row in series losses toAustraliaandEnglandthis year The pitches prepared for both series were severely criticized and rated u n w o r t h y b y t h e International Cricket Council.

New FIFA rankings released after 2022 World Cup

NBC Sports - The latest FIFA rankings have been released following the 2022 World Cup and there are some big changes as teams surgeupanddownthelist.

World Cup winners Argentina aren’t top of the FIFA rankings yet, but they did jump up to second with only South American rivals Brazil ahead of them as they cling on to top spot despite a disappointingWorldCup.

Having the team who won the World Cup not ranked as the No. 1 team on the planet in the latest FIFA rankings will have people everywhere scratching their heads And that is fair enough Why aren’t Argentina top? Given the way FIFA calculates its rankings, Lionel Messi and Argentina were given points basedonthestrengthoftheir recentopponents.

Brazil have a total points tally of 1840.77, just over two points more than Argentina’s 1838.38. That means that Argentina will overtake Brazil after their next game if they win and Brazilfailtowin.

FIFAchanged its method for calculating these rankingsin2018andhereare

the full details of exactly how it’s done. Basically, if youfacestrongeropponents, you earn more points. And there is no longer a time period attached to these rankings. If you’re bad, you fallfasterandifyou’regood, yourisequicker Who are the big climbers?

Morocco are the big winners as the Atlas Lions surged up 11 spots to 11th in the world The job Walid Regragui did was sensational and they were the darlings of the2022WorldCup.

Japan also moved up four spots to 20th, while the USA and Switzerland each moved up three spots with the Americans ranked 13th in the worldandSwitzerlandin12th

Australia moved up 11 spots to 27th as the Socceroos shocked us all by reaching the last 16 at the World Cup, where they gave eventualchampsArgentinaa really tough game

Cameroon moved up 10 placesto33rd,thankslargely to their famous victory against Brazil in the group stage. Who slid down the rankings? Belgium moved from second to fourth and they are likely to fall further

after their shocking group stage exit at the World Cup. The Golden Generation is gone.

Spain, Germany, Mexico and Uruguay all fell too, while reigning European champs Italy (remember them!?)felltwospots,which was inevitable after Roberto Mancini’s side failed to reachtheWorldCup.

Denmark moving down eight spots to 18th reflects theirawfulWorldCup,while Iran dropped four places, Wales slipped nine place, Serbia moved down eight to 30th, Canada dropped 12 spots to 53rd and Qatar fell 10 spots to 60th John Herdman’s Canada saw the biggestfallofanyWorldCup team. What to make of the USA’sranking?

Therankingof13thisthe USMNT’s second-highest position since Gregg Berhaltertookchargeasthey were ranked 10th in 2021. The USMNT have fallen as low as 36th place in these rankings but for much of the last 12 months they’ve been rankedinsidethetop20.

With a Gold Cup coming up in 2023 and then the potential to play in the Copa America in 2024 (according

to reports), the USA could climb into the top 10 as they have two huge international tournaments to play in and you gain more points for wins in major tournaments comparedtofriendlygames.

Below is the FIFA rankings for the top 20, which shows the movement up and down for teams, plus a graphic which shows

where each team at the 2022 World Cup landed. FIFA rankings, Top 20 as of December22,2022

Brazil–Even

–Up1

France – Up 1 4. Belgium–Down2

England–Even

Netherlands–Up2

Croatia–Up1

Italy–Down2

Portugal–Even

Spain–Down3

Morocco–Up11

Switzerland–Up3

USA–Up3

Germany–Down3

Mexico–Down2

Uruguay–Down2

Colombia–Even

Denmark–Down8

Senegal–Down1

Japan–Up4

England’s Ben Duckett, right, celebrates with teammate Ben Stokes after winning the third test cricketmatch against Pakistan, in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Run machine Theo Edward a definite West Indies prospect if he follows the right pathway, says coach Alton Crafton

SportsMax - Alton Crafton, Coach of St Lucia’s national U15 cricket team believes Theo Edward with the right guidance and work ethic has the potential to become a West Indies player inthenextfewyears.

The 15-year-old student of the St Lucia Sports Academy, who in 2019 expressed his ambition to one day play for the West Indies, scored four consecutive centuries in the r e c e n t W I N L O T T Windward Islands Cricket Board U15 Tournament that helped guide his side to the titleplayingundefeated.

Edward had scores of 198, 101, 137 and 104 for a totalof540runsandaverage of135.

“Even if you are playing in your backyard, you might score one 100, but four in a row?”saidCrafton,whowas impressed with Edward’s o u t p u t d u r i n g t h e tournament declaring that he

is confident that the allrounder can make it all the waytothetop.

“Certainly. If he just follows the right pathway and have the correct influence around him, for sure.”

S p e a k i n g w i t h Sportsmax.TVdays after the c o n c l u s i o n o f t h e tournament, the proud coach

revealed that while it is still early days young Edward is always showing signs that alreadyhasmanyofthetools needed to become a successful international cricketer.

“He knows his game and he keeps his game very simple,”hesaid.

“You wouldn’t find him goingoverthetopinthefirst

fiveovers.

He’ll get set and play each ball on its merit and he h a s h i g h l e v e l s o f concentration. He can focus for long periods of time and he did so exceptionally duringthetournament.

“At that age, he is a work in progress, He knows the game. He has a very good pullshot.

He drives off the back foot and front foot. There is a l w a y s r o o m f o r improvement but what he has now is enough to carry himthrough.”

E d w a r d a n d h i s teammate Leon Alexander, who also enjoyed a successful tournament with both bat and ball practice with Crafton’s training group. The coach reveals that even though both spend time working on their physical skills, they also focus on other critical areas of development.“We put a lot of emphasis on them (skills)andtheygetachance topractice,practice,practice (but) there is a lot of emphasis on the mental

space, keeping them in the right direction, letting them know what exactly they are about and I have no doubt theywillgoalltheway.”

Crafton said it is essential that Edward keeps the right people around him to ensure that he maintains his discipline and focus and believeshealwayshasthat.

“I know for sure he has hisdadinhiscorner

He just needs to keep it narrow and simple to people hecantrustandjustmoveon and keep with the hard work,”hesaid.

For now, he just needs to spend a little more time working on his game while finding a balance with his academics, Crafton said, the restwilltakecareofitself.

“We will give him all the support that we can give him,”hesaid.

England teenager Ahmed poised for IPL auction

AFP-Teenagerisingstar Rehan Ahmed could take another step in his rapid ascent through the ranks of world cricket by earning an Indian Premier League contract.

The 18-year-old legspinner became England’s youngest men’s Test cricketer when he made his debut in the recently completed series finale in Pakistan.

He then became the youngest debutant from any country to take five wickets inaninnings,withhishaulof 5-48 in Karachi helping England to a 3-0 series whitewash. His performance in an eight-wicket win alerted the rest of the cricketing world to his undoubted ability and came

just days before Friday’s player auction in Kochi for themoney-spinningIPL.

Ahmed is one of 27 English players who will go underthehammer

There had been reports Ahmedwouldignorethelure of the Twenty20 franchise competition in order to start the County Championship seasonwithLeicestershirein April.

But even though Ahmed had played just three firstclass matches before making his Test debut, the England management believe the IPL could aid, rather than hamper,hisdevelopment.

England red-ball coach Brendon McCullum, a seasoned IPL campaigner, was enthusiastic about the prospect of Ahmed playing

in a tournament that features numerous global cricket stars.

TheformerNewZealand captain, speaking to BBC Radio this week, said: “It would be awesome if he (Ahmed) did I’ve been involved with the IPL a couple of times so sometimes it works out for guys and sometimes it doesn’t.Whynot?”

McCullum added: “Why not get an opportunity to go and play under different coaches and different captains and rub shoulders with different players and pick up those experiences? What 18-year-old kid anywhere else in world cricket is going to get those chances? I think we should encourageit.”

Theo Edward scored 540 runs in four matches in the WICB U15 Tournament.

Teenage rising star Rehan Ahmed

Coach Alton Crafton

Umesh, Ashwin help India dominate Bangladesh

AFP - Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four wickets apiece Thursday as India bowled out Bangladesh for 227 runs in their first innings of the secondTestinDhaka.

Mominul Haque topscored with 84 but Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals to end their innings about an hour before stumps after electing to bat first.

India reached 19-0 before bad light forced an early end to the opening day, with six overs still to be played.

Stand-in India skipper KL Rahul was batting on three with Shubman Gill 14 notoutatstumps.

Rahul was given out legbefore on three off Shakib in the final over of the day, but the decision was reversed afterreview

Umesh earlier picked up 4-25 andAshwin grabbed 471 as India stopped the hosts from building a significant partnership, despite several batsmen getting decent starts.

Mushfiqur Rahim (26), Liton Das (25) and Najmul Hossain (24) were all unable to lend Mominul an extendedspellofsupport.

Mominul, playing his first match in the series,

departed as the ninth wicket when he nicked Ashwin behindthestumps.

The left-hander hit 12 fours and a six to make his 16th Test fifty, also his first in the last seven Tests

Ashwin ended the Bangladesh innings two balls later, with last man Khaled Ahmed giving a catch to Jaydev Unadkat at deep mid-wicket

Fast bowler Unadkat, returning to Test cricket for the first time since his unremarkable 2010 debut against South Africa, impressed in the opening two sessions before finishing with 2-50 Bangladesh had scored 184-5 at the tea break and crumbled in the final session when Umesh bowled an incisive spell to claim three successive wickets

India won the first Test by 188 runs but are again without injured skipper Rohit Sharma, who was replacedbyRahul.

Thevisitorsdroppedleftarm spinner Kuldeep Yadav — who was named player of the match in the firstTest for his eight wickets — and brought in paceman Unadkat.

Bangladesh made two

changes, bringing in Taskin Ahmed for the injured Ebadot Hossain and MominulforYasirAli.

Scores: India 19 for 0 (Gill 14*, Rahul 3*) trail Bangladesh 227 (Mominul 84, Umesh 4-25, Ashwin 471)by208runs.

Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin leave us with a puzzle. (Associated Press)

Mominul Haque scored many of his runs in boundaries. (AFP/Getty Images)

Salt Bae mocked for handling World Cup trophy on pitch after final

Turkish chef and

restauranteur Salt Bae has been mocked for hijacking Argentina’s World Cup win inQatar

Lionel Messi and his teammates sparked wild scenes of jubilation on the pitch in Doha - and back home in Argentina - after

beating France in a dramatic penalty shoot-out on Sunday night. But nestled among the players and coaching staff was the unexpected face of thecelebritychef.

Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, gained popularly five years after a video of him pouring salt on

asteakwentviral.

His Nusr-Et chain sells steaks covered in gold flakes formorethan£1,000.

The controversial chef has gone viral again, after he was roundly criticised on social media for implanting himselfintothemiddleofthe A r g e n t i n a t e a m ’ s

celebrations.

At one point he grabbed M e s s i , A rg e n t i n a ’s footballing hero, repeatedly by the arm in order to get a word with him. In the end, Messi did pose for a photo with the chef, which Bae postedonhisInstagram.

At another point in the

celebrations, Bae was pictured with the World Cup trophy itself (pictured above),contrarytoFifarules about who is allowed to handleit.

Baepostedavideoonhis Instagram account of him holding the trophy beside

Salt Bae kisses the World Cup trophy. (Getty Images)

Argentinian goalscorer Angel Di Maria, then giving the cup a slap when handing it back to the player In another image, Bae his seen biting an Argentina player’s winningmedal.

Fifarulesstatethatthe (Continued on page 25)

2022 KFC Goodwill Tournament… DesreyFoxSS,St.Benedict’s toplayforchampionship

Thestagehasbeensetfor the culmination of the 2022 edition of the KFC Goodwill Tournament, which ends tonight, following an exciting semifinal stage on Wednesday evening at the Ministry of Education (MoE)Ground.

Chances of Title retention were extinguished when defending champions, Annai Secondary School, lost their semifinal encounter against St Benedict’s College (SBC), 1 – 2, to underline the fact that a new champion will be crowned Desrey Fox Secondary School (DFSS) continued their excellent form to win the other s e m i f i n a l a g a i n s t Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School (CWSS), 2 – 0, and deservingly take theirseatinthefinale.

The finalists, DFSS and SBC, will collide for top honours from 19:30hrs, while CWSS and Annai are billed to contest the third place showdown in the preceding match from 17:30hrs,atthesamevenue.

A longer format… The Under-18 tournament which beganThursday last with the Group stage had the teams contending matches 70 minutes long, however, the semi final stage matches ran for the full 90 minutes, as willthematchestoday

It was evident in the Group stages that the eventual finalists along with Annai, all had impeccable fitness compared to the

teams, but DFSS’s style of play led them to traverse the allotted time with relative easeonallthreeoccasions.

In the first match on Wednesday, Annai struck first through Davey Jacobus in the 20th minute then the opposition’s opportunity to equalize came six minutes short of the half time whistle when Jerrell Griffith found the back of the net. The second half held more close shaves by both sides but the only chance that mattered was the 80th minute blow, whichwasstruckbyRaheem Nelson,forSt.Benedict’s.

The night’s final match sawtheLindenunitputforth a good fight although the evening belonged to the DFSS team. A 33rd minute goal from Deomar Henrito put DFSS in command during the first half while CWSS kept searching franticallyfortheequaliser

Theyweredeniedintheir attempts for the entirety of the match, however, with two minutes left before injury and stoppages time, DFSS put the nail in the coffin with a Bevon Jonesgoal (88’). On the stroke of 90,KelvinHintzenofCWSS picked up a Red Card and will miss their final match today This tournament is sponsored by KFC, Tiger Offshore Rentals, MVP Sport, Trophy Stall, Guyana Beverages Inc and

Demerara Life with support from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry ofCulture,YouthandSports.

Pelé’s cancer worsens, kidneys and heart affected

SAO PAULO (AP) —

Pelé’s health has worsened during his hospital stay to regulate his cancer medication, doctors said Wednesday The Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo said in a statement Wednesday that Pelé’s cancerhasadvancedandthat the 82-year-old Brazilian soccer great is under “elevated care” related to “kidney and cardiac dysfunctions.”

The hospital did not mention any signs of the three-time World Cup winner’s recent respiratory infection, which was aggravatedbyCOVID-19.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who is globally knownasPelé,isundergoing chemotherapy in his fight against cancer since he had a colon tumor removed in September 2021. Neither his family nor the hospital has

said whether it had spread to otherorgans.

Kely Nascimento, one of his daughters, said Pelé will stay in the hospital during Christmas “We decided with doctors that, for many reasons, it will be best for us to stay here, with all the care that this new family at Einsteingivesus,”shewrote on Instagram. “We will even make some caipirinhas (no kidding). We love you and we will give up an update next week ” Newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported Saturday that Pelé’s chemotherapy is not workingandthatdoctorshad decided to put him on palliative care. Pelé’s family denied that report The Associated Press could not confirm the newspaper’s information. Pelé led Brazil tovictorythe1958,1962and 1970 World Cups and remains one of the team’s

GFF and FIFA commit to bring live matches and more to global football audiences

G u y a n a F o o t b a l l Federation and FIFA+, the new one-stop digital destination for football fandom, have teamed up to take Guyana football to the world. As part of its mission to give fans engaging and innovative ways of interactingwiththebeautiful game, FIFA+ offers free

monumental forward leap for the development of Guyana’s Football More importantly however, is the levelofexposureourplayers will enjoy throughout the footballseason.

Displaying our football pedigree before a global audiencewillvastlyincrease the chances of our players, both males and females securing international s c h o l a r s h i p s a n d professional contractual opportunities.

all-time leading scorer with 77 goals. Neymar tied Pelé’s record during the latest WorldCup.

Several tributes and getwell soon wishes were made for the former footballer duringtheQatartournament, whichwaswonbyArgentina onSunday

access to live football action from every corner of the globe, which now includes matches from the GFF ProLeague, GFF Women’s League, GFF Men’s Super 16 Cup and the GFF Women’sSuper16Cup.

The platform, which is available on the web, as a mobile app and on select connected devices, and is now accessible in ten languages, represents a ground-breaking approach to showcasing live football from men’s, women’s and youth leagues and cups to a global audience. “This is a

This level of exposure willalsodrivetheGFFtolift the standards of our football infrastructure, facilities and g a m e m a n a g e m e n t protocols, so that the viewing experience would bethebestwehavetooffer,” saidPresidentWayneForde.

Charlotte Burr, Director of Strategy, Corporate Development and Digital FIFA,said:“Forthefirsttime ever,ourMAscanseamlessly tapintoatrulyglobalfootball fan base and grow a direct relationship with it on a daily basis. We are proud to work side by side with the Guyana Football Federation and are excited about helping to really grow the game across Guyana,theCaribbeanand (Continued on page 25)

Brazilian fans hold a banner showing the Brazilian soccer legend Pele with the message ‘Get well soon’ during the World Cup (AP Photo/Jin-Man Lee)

Pelé’s

Wayne Forde, President of the Guyana Football Federation

St. Benedict’s College’s scorersBevon Jones and Deomar Henrito