Guyana Times - Friday, December 23, 2022

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, December 23 –04:15h-05:45h and Saturday, December 24 – 05:30h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, December 23 –16:10h-17:40h and Saturday, December 24 – 17:00h-18:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

WEATHER

Winds:

High

Robotics to be part of Guyana’s modern healthcare system – Pres Ali

As Guyana works to build a healthcare system that is globally recognised, President Dr Irfaan Ali has pointed out, part of that modern medical service would be new technology such as robotics.

The Head of State was at the time speaking at the White Coat ceremony of the University of Guyana’s newly-graduated doctors. He told the graduates that they are entering the medical profession at an exciting time, since Government is taking a ‘hub and scope’ approach to healthcare management in Guyana by developing top-tier hospitals across the country, which would be supported by a se-

ries of health centres and health huts, especially in the hinterland.

“We’re investing in a new series of equipment, so that you will have the best possible tools available to help you in the future. And it’s not only to position our healthcare for our national needs. The long game is to position Guyana as an important medical hub globally that would offer services to the rest of the world and bring in foreign currency earnings,” he disclosed.

This, according to the Guyanese Leader, includes the country moving towards incorporating stem cell and robotics technologies into its healthcare delivery.

“Very soon, you will see a collaboration that would see stem cell technology fully in Guyana, not only from a research perspective, but from a practical perspective. Infrastructure, technology, specialty, and robotics. We are moving full speed ahead in bringing up-to-speed our medical system, to allow robotics to be a part of the

medical care delivery,” he disclosed.

The President further outlined that this batch of graduating doctors, as well as those currently in the programme, have already started to benefit from this transition, having been forced to rely heavily on technology, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There was a little light in the challenge of studying during COVID: because the direction in which the country is going is data-driven and science-driven, we’ve

started telemedicine. So, you’re already perfect in Zoom classes; you’re already perfect at Zoom research; you’re already perfect at using Teams and all the other software. So, there was a little light in that [pandemic], because you were trained during those two years to use technology to overcome the challenges.”

This, the Head of State pointed out, would become a big part of the system of healthcare delivery in Guyana. In fact, he noted that even the Private Sector is investing heavily in ensuring that Guyana’s healthcare system is second to none.

Nevertheless, as they embark on this new phase of their careers, President Ali urged the newly-graduated doctors to ensure they maintain a balanced approach, and not to lose focus on the oath they took.

“You must not take it for granted… Attitude is extremely important to your success. Our attitude is the first thing patients will see… The way we carry ourselves, the way we speak to the patient, the way we relate with our coworkers, the way we relate with your team… In some professions, we get carried away that we’ve arrived… Let us not be among those who believe that they have arrived,” he admonished.

To this end, President Ali recommended to UG’s School of Medical Sciences, if there is none already, for students to undergo customer care and service training before they graduate to become doctors.

“People skills is essential in the success of your career,” he contended.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

The newly-graduated UG doctors

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Season for sharing

The highly anticipated and much prepared for Christmas Day is approaching. Meals will be prepared, and gifts will be exchanged and unwrapped with excitement. Amidst it all, families will gather to share in all the special moments. All across the globe, the giving season is well underway.

During the festive period, it is also customary for communities as well as individuals to demonstrate their generosity. The benefactors of much of these offerings are usually charities and the underprivileged; they are provided with much-needed food, toiletries, and other essentials.

The spirit of giving is a powerful thing, as we have seen over the past few weeks. Guyanese have once again shown great generosity in countless toy drives and holiday parties, to provide Christmas presents and fun for children who might otherwise have had very little.

The collective response and the charitable giving — of food, money and other resources — have been remarkable, particularly around this time. So, too, have been the efforts of local residents and civic group members, who volunteered their time at local fundraisers and other events. Many of the efforts already undertaken this season have brought much joy and relief to beneficiaries.

In general, local communities are very in-tuned with helping others, especially during the festive season. There is something about this time of year that makes persons reflect on just how fortunate they are. This period is also a reflective time for many, with the year coming to a close.

One of the best aspects of helping the less fortunate is not only that it can change a person’s life, but it allows for personal growth as well. Helping others would always lift spirits, make us feel good, and is something from which we can gather a sense of real accomplishment.

Even as we check off our to-do list in the coming days, we must give a thought to families who might not have as much, and who will struggle to put food on the table in the coming year. We must all do what we can, and encourage everyone we know to give what they can, to help the less fortunate here and even throughout the world. If money is tight, perhaps they can give some time to a church, school, or other organisation in need of volunteers. Whatever it is, what is important is that we continue in the spirit of giving. Even if it is just giving blood at the blood bank, this, too, can help save a life.

Christmas and the story of Christ’s birth still teaches each generation the remarkable joy of giving without concern about getting. But so often, the payback is greater than we might ever have imagined. It is comforting to know that all that we give goes to a good cause, and, in the end, we all feel great, because being generous is a gift in itself.

However, after the New Year starts, this spirit of giving disappears. But the question remains: since giving back during the holidays creates universal joy, who don’t we do this all year round? Wouldn’t we become happier if we did?

There are endless opportunities to give back and spread love, and it can be as simple as seeing a friend in everyday life. Holding the door, asking someone how their day is, or just being friendly towards someone, can make a bigger difference than you even know; and it is easy to do any day of the year, not just the month of December. You never know what someone is going through, and treating people with kindness can truly make someone’s life better. There are people in need everywhere, even in your own street, and we should be eager to help them, as we, too, might one day need a helping hand.

By Gordon Brown

This week, the Taliban made a bombshell announcement that they will ban women from attending university or teaching in Afghanistan. It is a decision that has done more in a single day to entrench discrimination against women and girls and set back their empowerment than any other single policy decision I can remember.

Since the Taliban returned to power, girls have been banned from attending secondary school. Now they are being banned from primary school. Thousands of female government workers have been told to stay at home. Other recent rulings prevent women from travelling without a male relative or attending mosques or religious seminaries. Last month, girls and women were banned from entering public places, including parks.

The rest of the world cannot now stay silent in the illusory hope that these bans are temporary. It is time to take the Taliban on – and it is the Muslim nations across the world that follow Islamic law to uphold the education of women and girls, and believe it central to Islamic teaching, that are in the best position to lead the charge. Muslim countries hold the key to restoring women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan.

In the two days since the Taliban’s university ban, we have already heard some welcome voices. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

which has been a mediator between the Taliban and the West, immediately condemned the actions and expressed “concern and disappointment” as it urged Afghanistan to end its ban. The Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed “surprise” and “regret”, and called on the Government to reverse the decision. It was, it said, “contrary to giving Afghan women their full legitimate rights, foremost of which is the right to education, which contributes to supporting security, stability, development and prosperity in Afghanistan”.

After the United Arab Emirates (UAE) representative to the United Nations labelled the move an attempt to secure nothing less than “the erasure of women from public life”, an official UAE statement said the decision not only “violates fundamental rights”, but “the teachings of Islam, and must be quickly resolved”.

And it is these demands for Islamic law to be upheld that could secure a reversal of the policy. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), alongside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is in a position to use its platform to demand that Afghanistan’s de facto authorities end this assault on women’s rights.

Unity on this issue is possible because religious teaching upholds girls’ right to education. “Iqra”, meaning to read, is the first word of the Qu’ran. And the rest of the Muslim world follows mainstream Islamic teaching that promotes girls’ education. Indeed, “the seeking

of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim”, states Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 74, one of the six canonical teachings in Sunni Islam, which emphasises the deep commitment to learning – by men and women – across the Arab world.

Owing to its own strong commitment to providing education to all girls, women’s university enrolment in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has increased from two per cent in 1970 to 39 per cent in 2018. And in Saudi Arabia, half of university-age women attend university – a higher female enrolment rate than in Mexico, China, Brazil, and India. Every country in the Muslim world, except the Taliban-run Afghanistan, is publicly committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goal number four: that every child is ensured access to “inclusive and equitable quality education” by 2030.

The case for reversing the multiple bans becomes even stronger and more urgent when one recalls that Afghanistan itself has enjoyed long periods when girls’ education flourished. Before the Taliban’s 1996 takeover, 60 per cent of Kabul University teachers (and half its students) were women. Afghan women constituted 70 per cent of the country’s schoolteachers, 50 per cent of civilian government workers (and 70 per cent of the 130,000 civil servants in Kabul), and 40 per cent of doctors. In this century alone – up until a year ago – the number of Afghan

girls enrolled in school had increased from just 100,000 in 2000 to more than 3.5 million, and female literacy had doubled.

In the long run, repression will fail. You cannot uneducate millions of Afghan girls who learned in the years before 2021 to write, read and think independently. You cannot forever oppress girls and women who have known what it was like to be free. This is why the international community will enjoy widespread public support as it tackles one of the gravest and most indefensible injustices of our generation.

We know the multiple bans were a decision of the Taliban spiritual leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, based in Kandahar, whose followers insisted on these sanctions at a recent meeting of Taliban officials and policing authorities. He is the real stumbling block to change. Led by our Muslim friends, the world must now plead with him, reminding him of the Islamic texts that justify education for all. It is by mounting all possible pressure through the IOC and the GCC, with the backing of the worldwide women’s movement, that we will ensure girls and women in Afghanistan are finally guaranteed their human rights. This is a fight to the finish. For the sake of girls and women everywhere it has to be won.

(The Guardian)

Gordon Brown is the United Nations special envoy for global education and the former UK Prime Minister

His Excellency President Irfaan Ali and First Lady Mrs Arya Ali were on Tuesday evening serenaded by students of the Queen's College Choir at State House. The 35-member choir was led by Ms Gem Rohlehr, who has been teaching music at that school since 1988.

The Taliban are taking away women’s right to learn. The world can’t afford to stay silent

…In Afghanistan, girls may be banned from primary school. Other Muslim nations hold the key to upholding their rights

Reg 10 records decrease in serious crimes

–

2 fatal accidents recorded for 2022

Regional Police Division #10, under the stewardship and command of Senior Superintendent Hugh Winter and his administrative team, hosted its Christmas Luncheon and Award Ceremony at the Wismar Police Station Compound, where ranks were recognised for their commitment to the job and hard work throughout the year 2022.

During the ceremony, 80 ranks were awarded for their outstanding performances.

Commander Hugh Winter, in his opening remarks, noted that Division #10 is experiencing a reduction in serious crimes and that the traffic situation appears to be quiet, based on the traffic statistics where they had two fatal accidents during the year 2021 and two during the year 2022 thus far.

The Commander also made mention of all the suc-

cesses the Division had experienced throughout the year 2022 in terms of firearms and ammunitions being found and narcotics seizures where several matters are presently before the court, and urged all ranks to keep up the good work as they will be rewarded in time to come. He then wished everyone present a crime-free Christmas.

The featured guest speaker, Deputy Commissioner

Lusignan Prison escapee nabbed in Suriname handed over to GPF

After being five years on the run, prison escapee Paul Goriah has been recaptured in Suriname, and was handed over to Guyanese law enforcement officers on Thursday.

Goriah, 35, escaped from the Lusignan Prison on July 23, 2017 after he was committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Anthony Breedy, which occurred between March 12 and 14, 2016 during the commission of a robbery.

However, upon his return to Guyana, he was taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), where he was questioned, during which he told detectives that after escaping from the penitentiary, he made his way to Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

There he was held by Brazilian authorities, but was subsequently released from custody. Upon his release, he lived in Brazil for another year, before travel-

ling to Suriname.

Goriah was arrested back in 2020 after he and two other men had attempted to rob a family in June of that year. The other two men were identified as Krisshaun D, 21, and Gordon L, 54.

It was reported that Goriah had initially identi-

fied himself as Kevin Smith. However, when his photograph was sent to local Police, he was identified as a wanted prison escapee. At the time of his arrest, incumbent Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels had confirmed that local authorities were working with officials from Suriname to have him handed over to officials here. He, however, had to serve his time before he was handed over.

The wanted man had escaped while prisoners were being transported to the Lusignan Prisons after the July 7, 2017 fire at the Georgetown Prisons. Goriah’s last known address was given as Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara.

During the fire at the Camp Street Prisons, Lusignan mass killer Mark Royden Williams, ex-cop and double murder accused Uree Varswyk, murder accused Stafrei Alexander, and murder accused Desmond James

had all escaped from the Camp Street penitentiary. One prison officer died and several others were injured during that fire.

Varswyk was killed in a shootout with Police in Linden; while Williams, Alexander, and James were all recaptured. However, Goriah and three other men had been charged and remanded to prison for the murder of remigrant agriculturist Anthony Breedy, who was found dead in his Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara home in March 2016.

It was reported that the men escaped from the swampy pasture of the Lusignan Prison by digging a hole about five feet wide and another five feet deep under the perimeter fence.

While there are three layers of security at the penitentiary, the men were able to escape presumably during a downpour that occurred in the wee hours on the day of their escape.

(ag), Law Enforcement, Wendell Blanhum mentioned that the Guyana Police Force was experiencing a reduction in serious crimes thus far due to the outstanding performance by ranks.

Blanhum also extended greetings on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken to all those ranks who have been rewarded and he encouraged the others to continue doing their utmost in preventative

policing and to maintain partnerships with stakeholders.

In closing, Blanhum allotted $300,000 to Regional Division #10 on behalf of Commissioner Hicken as a token of appreciation to reward all those ranks who would have performed exceptionally.

Meanwhile, the best cop award for the region went to Woman Deputy Corporal Layne-Burgess.

Prison escapee Paul Goriah

A section of the gathering

Best Cop, Division 10, Woman Deputy Corporal Layne-Burgess

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum and Senior Superintendent Hugh Winter along with two awardees

Go for a mix of vintage and current holiday cards to make a creative Christmas wall tree. It can also serve as the perfect photo opp for family and friends. (goodhousekeeping.com)

By The BroThers Grimm

Constitutional Reform Commission to commence work next year – AG Nandlall

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister

Anil Nandlall,SC, has said that, come next year, the Constitutional Reform Commission will be appointed, and will commence its work with public consultations across the country.

“Next year we will see the Constitutional Reform Commission appointed, and (it) will begin the important task of reforming our Constitution… The building has already been identified, it has already been equipped, and we will begin to put the operational infrastructure in place in terms of human resources at the Secretariat, etc,” Nandlall said during his weekly programme of Issues In The News.

The Attorney General reiterated that this Constitutional Reform Commission will not only be balanced, with political and civil society stakeholders, but will also be holding public consultations throughout the country.

“It’s not a politically-influenced Commission, but it has 50 per cent political membership and 50 per cent civil society membership. The 50 per cent political membership comes from the political parties in the Parliament, and other 50 per cent from civil society organisations. And their

mandate is to go out there, hear the people, solicit their views, and to make recommendations in respect of reforming the Constitution.

That important task will begin in earnest in 2023,” AG Nandlall noted.

The way was paved for the establishment of the Constitutional Reform Commission and the commencement of the reform process following the passage of the Constitutional Reform Commission Bill in the National Assembly last month.

Back in August of this year, the Government presented the Constitutional Reform Commission Bill 2022 in the National Assembly. That Bill seeks the establishment of a 20-member Constitutional Reform Commission to review the country’s supreme laws.

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

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

However, when the Bill came up for debate on November 7 last, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition had staged a walkout of the sitting, after their request to have another issue raised was denied by the House

Speaker. Nevertheless, the Coalition Opposition was heavily criticised for not making any contribution to the debates.

In fact, AG Nandlall, in whose name the Constitutional Reform Bill was laid, reminded that APNU/AFC had made numerous promises about constitutional reform.

“I hope that the people of this country are looking on and are seeing that we have made a promise and we are in the process of delivering

on that promise. The other side made a similar promise a decade ago. From 2011 to 2015, though in Opposition, they controlled the National Assembly with a one-seat majority vote. They did nothing for constitutional reform,” Nandlall had said.

“From 2015 to 2020, they made compelling promises to the people of Guyana to start constitutional reform with great immediacy. Five years after, they did nothing. In the first half of the Irfaan Ali Government, this

manifesto promise is halfway down the road. We cannot travel the other side, and I want the people of Guyana to understand that. I hope the empty benches to which I’m speaking is not a forbearing of what is to come in this process.”

The Bill was eventually passed, with only one member of the Opposition present, in the form of Deputy Speaker and Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party –one of the Joinder parties –Lenox Shuman.

Robotics to be part of...

Further, the Head of State urged the graduating group to keep abreast with the changes constantly being made in the medical field around the world.

“As medical doctors, you have to keep up-to-date with your profession. You have to remember that you are part of a revolving profession that requires you to read continuously to advance yourselves,” the President stated.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has charged the graduating doctors to be prepared to step up to health challenges. He posited that one of the most important rewards of being a doctor is being able to make a big difference.

“This [COVID-19] pan-

demic showed the big difference doctors can make when you need to keep people safe. And that’s the life in which you’re entering into; that’s what we’ll expect you to do. We don’t expect that when we have challenges, like pandemics and so forth, people would hide away. We want you to come to the front, because you were trained to do this and you must be able to come out and do this,” he noted.

Dr Anthony further stated, “This [COVID-19] pandemic that we’re going through, it’s not going be the last one. We’ve seen many other pandemics before, (but) this one has been a little bit more challenging. But believe me, there are going to be others that are coming

FROM PAGE 3

down the road, and we are working right now to be better prepared.”

Among those efforts is to modernise Guyana’s healthcare system, and this not only includes improved medical infrastructure – as mentioned by the Head of State – but administrative enhancements that would see more efficient services being offered to citizens.

On this note, the Health Minister disclosed that works are already underway to develop legislation for electronic medical records (EMR) in Guyana. The EMR system is an electronic record of health-related information of a patient. It can facilitate workflow, and improve the quality of patient care and patient safety.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC

Man busted with cocaine gets 4½ years, fined $6.9M

Twenty-eight-yearold Javed Ragnauth of Smythe Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, who was among four persons busted with a quantity of cocaine and marijuana earlier this month, was on Wednesday jailed for four and a half years.

Ragnauth pleaded guilty to two narcotics trafficking charges when he made a virtual appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan earlier this month from the Lusignan Prison. He was unrepresented by legal counsel.

In relation to the charge of trafficking 3.312 kilograms of cocaine, worth $4,968,000, Ragnauth has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, and fined $6,336,000.

And he has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined $129,000 for trafficking 1.520 kilograms of cannabis, valued at $656,000. Both sentences are to run concurrently.

It has been reported that five men and a woman were arrested by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) following a surveillance operation conducted on December 2 in the vicinity of Church Street in Georgetown. It involved CANU ranks observing a suspicious transaction, as a

result of which the officers pursued Ragnauth to his residence at Smythe Street, Charlestown, where a subsequent search unearthed five brick-like parcels, amounting to 3.3 kilograms of cocaine, and two plastic bags containing 1.520 kilograms of cannabis.

Besides Ragnauth, the others arrested were: Samantha Nascimento, 32, of the said Smythe Street address; Yancy Garraway, 35, of Lot 2 North Road, Bourda Georgetown; and Charles Jones, a 48-yearold miner of Four Miles Housing Scheme in Bartica, Region Seven. They were, however, released after Ragnauth pleaded guilty to the charges.

Pre-teen found under hammock died from suffocation – autopsy

An autopsy performed on the remains of 11-year-old Tinesha Johnson of No.50 Village, Corentyne, Berbice proved that she died as a result of asphyxia, or suffocation.

The post-mortem was on Thursday performed by Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan on the remains of the pre-teen, who was found dead under a hammock. It was reported that the child’s 35-yearold mother Latoya Lavric, also called “Toya”, said she had left her four children at home and had gone to purchase fish from a mobile vendor on the public road about 50 metres away from her home.

The child’s mother said she was delayed while making her fish purchase, but maintained that she was not away for a lengthy period of time. While making the purchase, the woman’s nineyear-old son rushed out to her with news that something was wrong with his sister.

According to the late Tinesha’s older sister, Tinesha Johnson was seen alive and jolly. “When my sister come downstairs and swinging for her, she was swinging in the hammock; but a couple minutes after, mommy called for the money, and while I was coming downstairs to put on my slippers, I raised my head and I see her on her knees in the hammock – her neck wrap around the hammock. I went and checked on her and told her to get up now, ‘You can’t fool me’, but then I didn’t see her respond, and I held her hand and loose it and it drop down,” she told Guyana Times.

The sister said she raised her sister’s clothing to see if she was breathing, but she was not. The former firstform student of the Tagore Secondary School was picked up and taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Acknowledgment...

…of horrors committed

So, the Dutch PM finally apologised on behalf of the Netherlands for their role in the African Slave Trade.

This is quite a big deal – and was too long in coming - since all of the European states, who shipped more than 10 million human beings as “slaves” across the Atlantic, have been studiously ignoring the calls for reparatory justice for the wrongs they committed. And an apology is an acceptance that a wrong was committed; in this case, a crime against humanity!

The Caricom Reparations Committee – and especially its Guyanese Chapter - have to now move swiftly to move through the gap made by this apology, so that REAL compensation can be received by the descendants of those who had been enslaved. Now, in all the publicity about the Dutch complicity in slavery, somehow their role in Guyana isn’t mentioned!! Even we Guyanese don’t talk about it, beyond stories to scare kids about “Dutchmen” haunting certain spots! They’ve haunted the entire coast, since their sins can never allow their souls to become free.

The fact of the matter is that it was the Dutch who introduced African slavery to Guyana back in 1621 – up the Essequibo River – to cultivate cotton, coffee, and sugarcane. All of this was organised by the Dutch state through a Dutch West India Company they officially chartered. This company also colonised Berbice a decade later, even though it was governed separately but as a private company. The same is true of Demerara, which was settled after another decade or so. Since they governed these three colonies till 1796, and again after a 5-year gap between 1802 and 1814, you should realize that, for TWO HUNDRED YEARS, it was the Dutch who enriched themselves from the free labour of the enslaved Africans!!

The British took over in 1815, and as we know, combined the three colonies as British Guiana in 1831, and then abolished slavery in 1834!! So, the first great slave rebellion - by Cuffy in 1763 in Berbice - was against the Dutch, while the 1823 one on the East Coast of Demerara was against the British.

While slavery was slavery and it meant that poor enslaved humans were always treated like animals, from the records, it’s clear the Dutch were much harsher than the British in the treatment of enslaved persons. As such, Guyana’s Reparation Commission has to make its demands very specific and evidence-based. While all sorts of numbers have been thrown around as to how many slaves were brought in and how many died to clear our Coastlands etc, in the last few decades, much work has been done to hone in on the actual numbers.

The Dutch themselves helped to digitalise our slaveshipment records. Let justice be done…

…of discrimination against women

Your Eyewitness was aghast that the Taliban in Afghanistan banned women from entering university. Hadn’t they promised women equal rights when they took over? Now, your Eyewitness is hip to the fact that different cultures have different strokes for different folks, but why shouldn’t women’s minds be developed to the same extent as men’s in the same society? One expects that the curriculum in these universities has passed muster with the Taliban authorities, so it now boils down to discriminating against women!! And imagine, we were just discussing treating humans as animals!??

This isn’t a matter of covering up one’s body to ensure modesty and such. Hey, that’s being sorted out in Iran, no? No…the right to education is a fundamental right of all human beings, since whether it was God or evolution that gave us our brains for negotiating this world, it’s necessary for those brains to be developed through education.

What is that slogan?? A mind is a terrible thing to waste – especially women.

…of

the arc of justice

Let’s get this straight: even with all the “cowboy movies” he lapped up, your Eyewitness doesn’t believe in frontier justice. What power made that gold thief get stabbed to death?? Karma’s a bitch!!

Jailed: Javed Ragnauth

The hammock in which she was rocking prior to her death

Dead: Tinesha Johnson

Manifesto promise to reduce land rent, issue house lots being delivered – PM Phillips

…as dozens of leases handed over

the demand for land across the country has risen incredibly in recent years.

“In 2021, we had over 5000 requests for land and currently, we have over 5000 requests for lands in Region Four alone that are pending. There are just requests; they have not been applied as yet. We’re in the process of allocating and we’re working from a list of around 5000. This is more than double the historic records the Commission has seen,” he noted.

Prime Minister, Brigadier Retired Mark Phillips says that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is fulfilling its manifesto promise of not only delivering 50,000 house lots but also reducing the rent of leased lands across the country.

He made this remark while handing over dozens of leases through the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) in conjunction with the Office of the President on Wednesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

The Prime Minister told the recipients that the distribution exercise was especially important to the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government since it was a promise delivered, from its manifesto. He reminded too that the Government also promised to reverse land rent fees –a promise which was delivered.

“The manifesto’s promise to reduce land rent has been done, rents were doubled and, in some cases, tripled [by the previous A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition]. For example, land on the [Linden-Soesdyke] Highway was moved from $100 per acre to $400 per acre, and this has now returned to $100 today… This is just delivering on the promise that we made in our manifesto when we were campaigning that many of these payments that we considered to be unconscionable will be removed,” he stated.

PM Phillips also disclosed that there were many irregularities found in the land distribution process and so a lot of corrective work had to be done by the Commission. These include Government reviewing many of the transactions that were done during the transitioning of governments in 2020 and reissuing

those approvals within the laws of Guyana.

“The current Government has been issuing regular approval for applications in keeping with the law. The latest batch has not seen a single refusal and leaseholders can remain confident that their leases are legitimate… Nobody can question it,” he declared.

Another manifesto promise of the PPP/C was the provision of 50,000 house lots across the country, and according to the Prime Minister, fulfilling this promise has been made possible through the GLSC’s efforts to make lands available to the Government.

In fact, Phillips disclosed that the Commission has delivered over 500 residential lots to the State particularly in the hinterland regions to advance the Government’s housing plans in those communities.

“So, we have this Commission working overtime to ensure that we achieve our promise to you the people of Guyana,” he stated.

Women empowerment

The Prime Minister also praised the Lands and Surveys Commission for its efforts to provide leases to a number of females, noting that this provides opportunities for empowerment.

“I’m always overjoyed when I see a lot of women collecting leases because we’re empowering women, and that’s another promise we made to the people of Guyana. We want to see more women involved in owning properties, in establishing businesses, and in owning their own homes,” PM Phillips posited.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GLSC, Enrique Monize, disclosed that the agency had to deal with a backlog that existed prior to 2015.

According to the CEO,

Monize further pointed out that providing lands that are accessible is becoming increasingly difficult. However, he explained that the challenge is not necessarily the availability of land but rather accessibility.

“There are a lot of lands in Guyana, but [there is] the issue of accessibility… Most persons who come to the Lands and Surveys

Commission will ask you if they want a piece of land close to the road and next to a creek. That has been the basic thing… We have

many creeks, but we have a few roads so in order to meet that criterion, it has to be a very selective process,” the GLSC Head noted.

Prime Minister, Brigadier Retired Mark Phillips

Prime Minister Mark Phillips, GLSC CEO Enrique Monize and staff of the Commission with the dozens of new leaseholders

Govt to create laws for patients’ privacy amid digitalisation of records – Health Minister

Laws will be drafted in the new year to enable privacy of patients in the health system, in light of the digitalisation of records in that sector.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony shared this position on Wednesday

during a visit to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), when he announced that electronic documentation would become an integral part of the Health Ministry’s operations, and laws would have to be created to ensure confidentiality as well as

training to ensure successful implementation.

“This is something that we’re working on, to make sure that our records over the next three to four years would be totally electronic. Therefore, that is something that you would also have to

train for, to make sure you understand how to operate the system,” he explained.

He added, “It also speaks to privacy, because you would now have such vast amounts of information, because you will be seeing this patient’s whole life history in many instances. Therefore, there must be privacy laws that will be in place.”

The Health Minister announced that work has already commenced towards having legislation in place, and this is likely to materialise in the new year. The Ministry is also aiming to commence a pilot of the digital system in 2023.

“One of the things we have already started working on is to make sure (that) by sometime next year, that will be able to pass - the relevant laws to allow for digital or electronic record systems, but also to create a legislative environment to ensure that these records and peoples’ information are kept safe,” he noted.

With a digitalised system, a patient’s data and medical history would be stored in a database, and can be easily accessed by the medical professional on duty when that person visits a health facility. It puts their information at the fingertips

of those persons employed at the hospital or health centre, and can even indicate how many times a person had visited the facility.

Doctors would also be able to access patients’ records quickly, and when a diagnosis is made, a prescription for medication would go directly to the pharmacists, to dispense medication to the patient.

Dr Anthony emphasised, “You would see that our attitudes towards these things would have to change. We would have to make sure that we understand how to operate it, but also that we’re much better in how we input information.”

A working group has been established within the Ministry, and it has collaborated with the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to design the electronic patient record system. The Health Minister expressed, “Think about three years from now, when a patient comes to the health centre or hospital, you would have a computer where you would be entering the records electronically. If that patient had come before and is already in the records, all you have to do is take the patient’s unique identifier and put that in, and all the patient’s records would come up.”

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Bettering lives of Guyanese not “seasonal” – Pres Ali tells senior citizens

President Irfaan Ali has posited that the relationship his Government shares with the Guyanese people and the strides it has been making in terms of bettering the lives of the elderly are not seasonal things, but are rather a round-the-clock effort to ensure a successful country.

The Guyanese Leader brought Christmas cheer to hundreds of senior citizens from across Region Three on Wednesday, December 22, during a luncheon hosted at his residence at Leonora, West Coast Demerara. In remarks he made then, the Head of State shared that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, and in the face of global shortages, his Government has been able to deliver more than 75 percent of what was promised in their elections manifesto in just over two years.

“We have been able to overcome all of this and still deliver more than 75 per-

cent in two years, of what we promised the people we would deliver… For us, our relationship with the people of this country is not a seasonal relationship; it is a relationship that is based on working hard every day to do the best we can to make

the lives of our citizens better. We have launched many innovative programmes over the last two years to support our elderly, our young people, and our children. We have brought back many of the important policies like we had before,” the

President told the gathering of elderly persons.

The President reminded that healthcare has been high on the agenda of his Government, and a brandnew, state-of-the-art facility would soon be built in the De Kinderen-Tuschen area

as one of three hospitals to be built in Region Three.

“We are now looking at when we have space to upgrade West Demerara Hospital, or whether we will just have a new location and build a brand-new level four hospital here in Region Three,” he explained.

According to Ali, Region Three has demonstrated respect for the rule of law and for democracy, being comprised of mixed communities that are known for their peaceful coexistence.

“A lot of our communities in this region are integrated,” he said. “Region Three has always been a bedrock of peaceful coexistence amongst people. We need to take this all across the country, and that is the environment in which I am proud to be brought up and to come out of. We know how to live together and how to do things together.

“I want you to know that we all worked to elect this Government. We did

so knowing that we want to serve all the people of our country. That is exactly what we’re doing,” he disclosed.

The PPP/C Administration had, in October, announced a oneoff cash grant of $28,000 for all old-age pensioners across Guyana, which provided an additional $1.8 billion in disposable income to pensioners. Last year, a oneoff grant of $25,000 was also paid to all old-age pensioners across the country. That initiative alone had placed an additional $1.6 billion in the hands of pensioners.

After assuming office in 2020, the PPP/C Government raised the oldage pension from $20,500 to $25,000 in 2021, and from $25,000 to 28,000 in 2022.

To the senior citizens, he assured “We want you to know that your quality of life is improving, and will continue to improve. We ask of you to continue to have patience, trust, and belief in your Government.”

President Ali sharing a photo with a few attendees

The gathering of senior citizens in Region Three

2 non-violent prisoners released for Christmas after FFTP pays their fines

Thanks to Food for the Poor (Guyana) Inc., two non-violent prisoners have on Monday been released from jail, and are back home with their families in time for the holidays.

At a ceremony for these two inmates’ release from prison, FFTP (Guyana) Inc’s CEO Kent Vincent encouraged the prisoners to pray and work hard. Food hampers that included lunch, loaves of bread, personal care items and a Bible were given to each of these former inmates.

“Mistakes happen, but (the prisoners) should set their lives in order. Let God be the focus of their lives, and always show the kind-

ness they received from Food For The Poor to others,” he said.

According to a statement from the NGO, twice a year - at Christmas and Easter - for more than two decades, it has honoured the tradition of securing the release of nonviolent offenders throughout the Caribbean and Latin America by paying their accumulated fines.

Generous donors who support the charity’s Prison Ministry have also been thanked.

“Many were arrested for stealing to feed their families, or for something that would be considered a minor offence; and later held in some of the most notorious prisons throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, unable to pay the fines for their release,” the statement noted.

Since the inception of the FFTP Prison Ministry Programme in 1998, it has assisted in freeing, training, and reintroducing prisoners back into the community as productive citizens.

Chief Executive Officer of Food For the Poor (Guyana), Kent Vincent and Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot interacting with the two prisoners who have been released in time for the holidays

Nursing Assistant Programme launched in Reg 2

The first Nursing Assistant Programme in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has been launched on Wednesday, December 22, when 46 students commenced their 18-month stint. They will be employed by the Health Ministry upon successful completion of the programme.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, during the event, underscored that to be on top of the game in the medical sector, continuous studying is important.

“When a person comes to you, you want to make sure you’re offering that person the best advice. You want to make sure you have upto-date information to give

to people. The only way you will stay up-to-date is if you’re reading and constantly learning,” he charged.

As these persons commence their training, Dr Anthony said, it is not only about gaining knowledge, but also about lending support and compassion.

“Nursing is a profession where you have to be compassionate. Nursing is a profession where you will be meeting people when they’re at their most vulnerable point. They’re sick, and come to you for help. When they come to you for help, they need a sympathetic ear.”

Within the system, the Minister underscored, some health workers can be impo-

38-year-old woman dies 2 days after giving birth at GPHC

lite, but that approach needs to be changed when dealing with the public.

“I think the right word would be to say they’re hoggish because of the way sometimes they deal with people. They’re rude! We can have the best improvements in the healthcare sys-

tem. We can have the best buildings, equipment, everything; but if you got one person who got the wrong attitude and is hoggish to people, people would feel upset,” Dr Anthony reminded.

In cultivating better attitudes and behaviours among medical staffers, the

Ministry is aiming to reduce complaints coming from patients in relation to poor treatment.

“We want a new set of people with a different attitude. We don’t want complaints that when people come to Suddie Hospital, or the new hospital that we’re

building, that in the nights no nurse is responding to them. We don’t want those complaints.”

He added, “We want to hear that when you go there, despite the hour, if you have a challenge, the people will come and look after you. That’s what we want to hear, because that will make a big difference in terms of nursing care.”

In early December, Government adjusted the minimum salaries for nurse aides and patient care assistants upwards from $80,892 to $100,000. This represents an additional 23.6 per cent increase on the current minimum salary paid to each worker.

Meanwhile, the current minimum salary for nursing assistants has been adjusted upwards from $88,525 to $115,000. This represents an additional 29.9 per cent increase on the current minimum salary paid to a nursing assistant.

A38-year-old woman succumbed to health complications on Thursday at the Georgetown Public Hospital, days after giving birth.

This was revealed by that medical facility via a press statement. “The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) regrettably informs of the maternal death of a 38–year-old female,” the hospital’s statement noted.

The institution has expressed its sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased, and has said it would make every effort to provide all the necessary support during this difficult time, in rendering any assistance or information needed.

“The GPHC is appealing 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.

As recently as last month, two pregnant women: a 19-year-old and a 40-yearold, lost their lives at the GPHC and the Infectious Diseases Hospital respectively. Subject Minister Dr Frank Anthony had related, “Both of these were extremely complicated cases; and the medical response, in any event, would have been quite difficult to work with these patients, because they were very, very complicated. Nevertheless, as is our protocol, any deaths that occur at the Georgetown Hospital

would undergo a thorough internal review with the specialised staff of the hospital. That review has commenced for both cases.”

According to him, findings from both reviews would determine whether there were gaps in providing care, and measures to address those gaps.

Dr Anthony reported that the 40-year-old woman had hailed from New Amsterdam, and had been transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown after developing complications and requiring intubation. She eventually died after numerous attempts to save her life had failed.

The teen who died had had pre-eclampsia – a hypertension disorder that can occur during pregnancy.

“This resulted in the person having several seizures before even coming to the Diamond Hospital, and then (being) sent to the Georgetown Hospital.” This teen had reportedly died shortly after giving birth to twins, and the babies were stillborn.

In addition to those cases, back in October, a 31-year-old mother of two, Rashanna Dindayal of Lodge, Georgetown, and her unborn child had died at that city hospital. Also, Navita Maraj, a 39-year-old mother of five, and her unborn child had died at the GPHC on October 29.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony speaking to the trainees

By Rupa SeenaRaine

Crunchy macaroons adorned with a Christmas design and oozing a delicious filling when bitten into are one of the newest treats on the block to be experienced this holiday season.

A true Guyanese Christmas is known for its rum-soaked black cake and

scrumptious pepper pot, but bringing new delights to the scene is a showstopper at any holiday gathering. This year, Lydibakes, in sparing no effort to offer something new to the public, is offering the delectable holiday macaroons and delicious carrot cakes.

The business was founded by 24-year-old Georgetown resident Lydia

Alphonso, who recently graduated from the University of Guyana with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Lydibakes was founded in November 2019 but started operations in August 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. According to Alphonso, she offers desserts such as macaroons, carrot cake squares, cookies, brownies; and, as of recent, full-sized cakes.

Reflecting on the holidays, the entrepreneur shared that Christmas is a favourite season, and she uses the opportunity to offer something new for people to put on their table, or share with special ones.

“Christmas is definitely my favourite time of the year, when everyone loves to enjoy sweet treats. Every Christmas since I started my small business, I have sold boxes of different Christmas character macaroons with Christmas flavours. My carrot cake squares are always a top seller, and especially perfect for the holidays also,” she shared.

She disclosed that she managed to perfect her macaroons after years of trial and error, and it is now offered as a must-have dessert.

“Macaroons have always been one of the most challenging desserts that I have recreated. It took me around 5 years to somewhat ‘perfect’ my recipe, but, of course, there is always room to improve. Macaroons are the perfect dessert, especially around the holidays, because of the size and numerous flavour options that can be shared among a group.

“Christmas parties and movie nights always require delicious desserts. Whether they are regular or character macaroons, they would definitely add extra cheer and spirit to any festivity,” she declared.

Every Christmas, she creates several Christmas Character Macaroons that are presented with various flavours. These macaron boxes are perfect for the holidays, being ideal to share among family and friends as

gifts, or to just enjoy during the very festive season.

Looking back at her journey in baking, Lydia told Guyana Times that, from a tender age, she has always had a passion for baking, and was keen on exper-

ficult desserts because of the challenge, hence my fondness for making macaroons,” she reflected.

As a baker, she shared her five essential baked goods that should be enjoyed during Christmas - black

imenting with new flavours and textures.

“Baking has always been a hobby that I enjoyed from a very young age. My mother is an amazing cook, and would often bake several desserts, especially around Christmas. I would always keep her company, and try to take notes and learn whatever I can when she was in the kitchen. However, I was more interested in the baking category of things. Growing older, I would experiment with different desserts, where I would tweak the recipes until I felt confident enough to let my family and friends be my taste-testing guinea pigs. I definitely lean towards trying more dif-

cake, macaroons, Swiss roll cakes, carrot cake, and sugar cookies.

For now, Lydia plans to just keep on baking amid the holiday rush to find the right treats. She noted that Christmas remains one of the busiest times of the year.

“From the beginning of my business, I have been having tremendous support, which encourages me to keep going. Baking has always just been a hobby and something I enjoy doing, but turning it into a small business has been challenging, yet rewarding. Christmas season is one of my busiest times of the year, when the demand for my baked goods is higher than at other months.”

Carrot cakes by Lydibakes

Founder of Lydibakes, Lydia Alphonso

Festive Christmas macarons created by Lydia

Reg 1 Police ranks rewarded for commitment, dedication

– Detective Constable cops ‘Best Cop’ award

Regional Police Division No. 1 (Barima-Waini)

on Thursday held its Annual Christmas Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, during which hardworking and dedicated ranks stationed within the Division were rewarded.

Members of several Community Policing Groups, along with members of the Corporate Sector who had played a crucial role in the delivery of law and order and continue to assist the ranks within the Division, were also recognised and awarded.

The event was held in

the Regional Democratic Council’s Conference Room at Mabaruma, North West District (NWD), and several top-ranking members of the GPF attended. Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley was also present.

While several ranks were awarded, Detective Constable Marvin Sam, who had performed exceedingly well during the year, was awarded ‘Best Cop’ for the Region. Constable Sam, who is stationed at the Matthew’s Ridge Police Station, joined the Guyana Police Force in 2015.

During the year 2022,

Detective Constable Sam was integrally involved in the investigation and solving of seven murders that occurred between January and November 2022, as well as the seizure of over 400 grams of cannabis and a .32 pistol within the Region.

While the Division’s crime-fighting posture has been commendable throughout the year, it was further boosted with the receipt of three new pick-ups and four ATVs, which will play an integral role in allowing the ranks to effectively patrol the terrain, and attend to reports.

3 women win grand prizes in Trinchloro promotion

Three women have each secured one of the three grand prizes of one Toyota Axio motor car in the ANSA McAL Trading Limited Trinchloro Christmas Promotion.

The three cars were handed over to the respective winners: Keri Boucher, Nereisa Theresa, and Kestine King, at ANSA McAL’s Head Office at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara on Wednesday.

Head of Consumer Goods, Subrina Bhajan-Kishore, noted that the Trinchloro White Christmas Promotion was in keeping with ANSA McAL’s core values: to provide excellent services to our customers.

She added that their promotions recognize the needs of their consumers by giving them chances to win prizes relevant to their sustainability.

Winner Nereisa Theresa stated that her family wanted to purchase a car for quite some time now, and given that she has won a car, it will be of great benefit to her family.

Winner Keri Boucher expressed that she is very happy to have won the car, and it has been an exciting journey partaking in this competition. She stated that she and her husband had recently been trying to purchase a motorcycle, but did not, due to undisclosed reasons. Boucher added that when she broke the news to her husband that she had won a car, he was in shock.

“We went down to town to get a bike for my husband, and it was a bit of a disappointment … So I tell him, ‘Babes, don’t stress; next year we got to buy the bike. And hearing the day of the promotion that I win a car, it was…so exciting,” Boucher exclaimed.

She explained that she entered the promotion with the intention of winning an iPhone 13, because her current device is not fully functional. However, she is elated to have claimed one of the grand prizes.

In order to win the prizes, customers had to submit any Trinchloro label with their names, contact num-

bers and addresses in the Trinchloro White Christmas Promotion box available at sixty-five leading supermarkets nationwide. In addition, there were other grand consolation prizes that were up for grabs, which included two trips for two to any Copa destination; one cash prize, and two shopping sprees along with two Apple iPhone 13 devices.

The three grand prize winners of the ANSA McAL Trinchloro Christmas Promotion

Detective Constable Marvin Sam, along with Deputy Commissioner, Operations (ag), Ravindradat Budhram; Head of Special Branch, Assistant Commissioner Errol Watts; and Regional Commander, Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh

London-based NGO to challenge lawfulness of Guyana’s death penalty at CCJ ...retention of punishment represents intention of Parliament – AG’s Chambers

ALondon-based non-governmental organization (NGO) has said it is preparing to challenge the constitutionality of Guyana’s death penalty at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), after the local appellate court had refused its request to strike down the capital punishment as being unconstitutional.

In June 2021, The Death Penalty Project, which has for over three decades been providing free legal representation to those facing the death penalty, reported that it had facilitated the submission of expert reports from leading academics for the case of three former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast

The three men appealed to the Court of Appeal of Guyana, arguing, among other things, that the death penalty should be outlawed because it is unconstitutional; it is arbitrary, irrational, disproportionate; and is contrary to the principles of the rule of law.

They had particularly averred that the death sentence contravened the fundamental rights provisions of the Constitution of Guyana, among them being Articles 40, 141 and 149.

While the Court of Appeal, in its December 21 ruling, had declined to strike down the death penalty as unconstitutional, the three death sentences were overturned

Project offered assistance to the trio, and supported their legal team in Guyana. In the course of their appeal, the NGO provided evidence from leading academics.

In a statement issued on Thursday, The Death Penalty Project described the case as a “landmark challenge” to capital punishment. According to the organisation, “The evidence showed that capital punishment does not act as a greater deterrent to crime than lesser forms of punishment, and that there is a growing consensus that capital punishment is inherently inconsistent with respect for the rule of law.”

Supported by The Death Penalty Project and barristers from Doughty Street Chambers, the men’s legal team argued that the death penalty was unconstitutional; being arbitrary, irrational, disproportionate, and contrary to the constitutional principle of the rule of law.

“The Court of Appeal has not accepted these arguments, and has declined to declare capital punishment unconstitutional in Guyana.

Guards.

The trio of Devon Gordon, Deon Greenidge and Sherwyn Harte had, back in 2013, been found guilty of the robbery and murder of gold miner Dweive Kant Ramdass, 24, and had been sentenced to death by trial Judge Franklin Holder.

Ramdass was, in August 2019, on his way to drop off $17M for his boss when Coast Guard ranks lured him into their boat and relieved him of the large sum of cash before tossing him overboard and splitting the money equally among themselves.

and replaced with life sentences.

The Appeal Court Bench of acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud ordered that Harte, who according to the evidence was the mastermind behind the attack, must serve 25 years of his sentence before being eligible for parole, while his two co-convicts have each to spend 18 years incarcerated before being eligible for parole. Each of them was credited for time already served.

The Death Penalty

The Court of Appeal overturned the appellants’ sentences of death on the basis that it was unconstitutional for the trial court to hand down the death penalty automatically, without affording the appellants individualised sentencing hearings. The failure to do so was a breach of their constitutional rights,” the NGO noted.

The Death Penalty Project pointed out that the Court of Appeal should have declared all death sentences unconstitutional, and that given the court’s position on the issue, it would explore a further appeal to the Trinidad-based CCJ — Guyana’s apex court.

Reacting to the appellate

proach to the constitutionality of the death penalty itself is extremely disappointing.

“The death penalty is inherently arbitrary, and contrary to the constitutional rights of those whom it affects. We remain resolved to abolish the death penalty in Guyana, and will work with the legal team in this case to mount an onward appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice.

“Guyana remains the only country in South America to retain the death penalty, and we call on the country’s leaders to take the necessary steps to abolish the punishment.”

Intention of Parliament

Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Chambers on Thursday said that, on the

subject of the constitutionality of the death sentence, as currently provided for, the Appeal Court did not indicate that the death penalty, as a sentencing option, as opposed to the only option in certain cases, is unconstitutional.

It therefore noted that the death penalty remains a viable sentence option for courts in Guyana, and represents the intention of the Parliament. According to the AG’s Chambers, the statement by the Death Penalty Project “disregards the reasoning of the [Court of Appeal], and the intentional express text of the Constitution of Guyana, and therefore constitutes an affront to that very Constitution and the rule of law.” It has been said that “one cannot seek to allegedly uphold the Constitution by breaching an express provision thereof.”

While quashing the capital punishment, the Appeal Court held that although the ex-soldiers were convicted of murder under the old Criminal Law (Offences) Act, and were liable to the mandatory death sentence, the imposition of the death penalty had not been appropriate in this case, since amendments to the Act had taken a modern approach to sentence.

As the law which was amended in 2010 stands, a Judge now has the discretion to impose the death sentence, imprisonment for life, or such other term he/ she considers appropriate. In their ruling, the Judges stayed clear of making any declarations on the constitutionality of capital punishment.

In the proceedings be-

fore

In response to their lawyers’ contention that the death penalty was unconstitutional, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC had, among other things, said that its retention as part of Guyana’s sentencing regime is a manifestation of the will of the Guyanese people exercising their sovereignty.

“The death penalty is neither inconsistent with Guyana’s municipal law nor its international law obligations…the death penalty has been engrained in Guyana’s constitutional framework from time immemorial, and has been deliberately retained,” the Attorney General had said. This, he had pointed out, is evidenced by its survival despite numerous constitutional and legislative amendments. “The retention of the death penalty as part of Guyana’s sentencing regime is a manifestation of the will of the Guyanese people exercising their sovereignty.”

According to The Death Penalty Project, it is driven by the belief that the death penalty is cruel, and often discriminates against the poorest and most disadvantaged members of society.

As such, it pointed out that it works strategically to safeguard the rights of those facing the death penalty and other vulnerable prisoners; adding that its work has saved thousands of prisoners and transformed the legal landscape in over 30 countries in which it operates.

court’s ruling, Co-Executive Director of the Death Penalty Project, Saul Lehrfreund, said: “Whilst we are pleased to see the three appellants removed from Death Row, the Court of Appeal’s ap-

the Court of Appeal, the killers were represented by Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes from Trinidad and Attorneys-at-Law Nigel Hughes and Latchmie Rahamat.

Murdered: Dweive Kant Ramdass

Convicted killers: From L-R: Sherwyn Harte, Devon Gordon and Deon Greenidge

No year-end promotions for Police Officers – Top Cop

Commissioner of Police

Clifton Hicken has announced that there will be no year-end promotions this year for officers of the Guyana Police Force.

The Commissioner made the announcement while speaking during the Guyana Police Force’s annual awards ceremony in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) on Thursday.

"We are into the festive season and unfortunately, we are not going to do any promotions for this year’s end, because our last promotion was the largest ever and

so we filled the slots. What I can do as we are in the season of giving, I want to reward you for your good work with the sum of $400,000,” the Commissioner said as he applauded Commander Shivpersaud Bacchus for his excellent work at the helm of the regional police Division.

Hicken also announced that some Police Officers will be off-duty on Christmas and Boxing Day. Others will get Old Year and New Year’s Day off, to balance family time while still remaining committed to their roles and responsibilities as members of the Force.

Earlier this year, Senior Superintendents of Police Calvin Brutus, Errol Watts, Khali Pareshram and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum were among eight senior Police ranks who were promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police.

Senior Superintendents of Police Fizal Karimbaksh, Ravindradat Budhram, Kurleigh Simon and

complete the list of promotions to Assistant Commissioner.

In addition, a list of 11, including Regional Divisional Commander, Superintendent Dion Moore; Superintendent Khalid Mandall; Superintendent Boodnarine Persaud and Superintendent Raphael Rose were promoted to Senior Superintendents.

Further, in January, 21 officers were promoted to Superintendents of Police, 25 to Deputy Superintendents, while 42 were promoted to Assistant Superintendents of Police.

Twenty-one were also promoted to Assistant Superintendents on Probation, four to Cadet Officers, and six to Chief Inspectors, while 97 were promoted to Inspectors of Police. In the junior Police promotions lists, 104 were promoted to Regular Sergeant, 109 to Corporal and 85 to Lance Corporal.

During the ceremony,

the Best Cop for Region Six, Constable Courtney Sampson charged his colleagues to stand sternly against corruption.

Sampson, who is current-

ly stationed at Central Police Station, in New Amsterdam over the past year would have investigated a series of high-profile matters. He has also been part of drug eradication exercises along the Berbice River which resulted in millions of dollars of cannabis being destroyed and firearms being removed from the streets.

He told the media that it was a joyous occasion for him.

“But before you can have joy, you have to work hard. In order for you to enjoy your work, you have to love it, but before you can get anything done you have to love what you do. You cannot just join a job because you want; in order for you to enjoy your job and help people, you have to love what you do. Everything comes with hard work,” he said.

Speaking of challeng-

hard.”

He said his main reason for joining the Force was to solve crimes. “I have seen a lot of drug users out there and how it affects them; this is one of the main concepts that motivated me to join the Police Force.”

The detective, who lives at Khotbradt on the East Bank of Berbice, says he intends to be dedicated and to serve and protect the citizens.

“There are persons out there who would approach you and try to influence you to do corrupt things. Just be

es and sacrifices, Detective Sampson said he had to endure many sleepless nights.

“Sometimes you have to go the extra mile and some-

times you have to walk to get things done, because there isn’t always a vehicle available, but as I said in order for you to get what you want, you have to work

positive and don’t let anything out there fill your eye. Once you work hard, people will see your work and appreciate it.”

Detective Simpson, who has been hard on those involved in the narcotics trade, says just like every police officer, he is also targeted.

“The job itself is a risk. Once you are going to be placing persons behind bars, it is a risk. Once you are out there solving crime, you are going to be targeted.”

Meanwhile, Police Prosecutor, Corporal Winston Poliah was adjudged second best cop. Poliah is considered one of the fierier police prosecutors. Currently, he is prosecuting a case involving the largest drug bust ever made in Guyana’s history.

In addition, traffic rank Constable Balraj Budhoo is the region’s number three cop who would have made a total of 1112 traffic cases against errant drivers.

Mahendra Sewnarine

(Andrew Carmichael)

First runner-up Corporal Winston Poliah receiving his award from Assistant Commissioner Calvin Brutus

– Berbice Best Cop urges colleagues to stand sternly against corruption

The officers who were awarded on Thursday for their outstanding performances during the year along with senior ranks of the GPF

Top cop Detective Constable Courtney Simpson receiving the award from Commissioner Clifton Hicken

Second runner-up Constable Balraj Budhoo receiving his award from Assistant Commissioner Calvin Brutus

Regional

Venezuelan Opposition vote to remove Guaido's interim Government

Venezuela's political Opposition to the ruling Socialists voted on Thursday by a wide margin to remove the interim Government led by Juan Guaido, as they seek a united front ahead of presidential elections tentatively scheduled for 2024.

The motion was backed by three of four major Opposition groups, but rejected by Guaido's Popular Will and must pass through another consultation scheduled next week before it is finalised. The other three major parties - -Justice First, Democratic Action and A New Era – have for weeks been drafting a plan to create a Board of Directors to manage Venezuela's assets held abroad, especially USbased refiner and fuel retailer Citgo, as a way to dislodge Guaido.

Acting as congress chief and interim president following Nicolás Maduro's disputed re-election as President in May 2018, Guaido in 2019 appointed the board of Citgo, a subsidiary of State oil firm PDVSA.

While mostly powerless at home where Maduro's Government exercises control over nearly all institutions, including security forces, Guaidó's interim Government has supervised the foreign assets and runs many embassies.

Thursday's Opposition motion passed in a virtual Zoom session with 72 votes in favour, 23 against, and nine abstentions.

If approved next week, Opposition lawmakers

will then choose five representatives for the Board of Directors that will head assets held abroad, and Guaidó's interim presidency, along with his Government, will be removed.

A majority stake in the company was used as collateral for a bond on which PDVSA defaulted, but is being protected from creditors by a US licence that expires in January. Opposition groups hope this will be renewed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

BVI court lifts freeze order of zipline company in THA lawsuit

In the release, Hreniuk said the unfreezing of the accounts of the Directors and the company in the BVI court was a “serious blow” against the THA.

The release also said he and Graham were “relieved” by the ruling.

“The pair of OCT Directors, Richard Graham and Darren Hreniuk, are relieved that courts were able to unfreeze their accounts after the THA through its lawyers, Alexander Jeremie & Co claimed that the company acted fraudulently in its dealings with THA zipline project.”

ABritish Virgin Islands (BVI) Judge has unfrozen the bank accounts of the Directors of Original Canopy Tours Enterprises Ltd, a statement from the Directors said on Thursday. In November, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) received two freezing orders against OCT Directors Richard Graham

and Darren Hreniuk in Trinidad and another in the BVI, where the company is based. The two freezing orders mirrored each other.

The freezing orders were sought by the THA ahead of its lawsuit for US$416,900 for alleged breach of contract in the 1.5 kilometre zipline project planned for the Main Ridge Forest Reserve.

The release said Justice Tana’ania Small Davis, KC, in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s commercial division for the High Court of the BVI lifted the freeze order last Tuesday, “after she found no basis to continue the freeze based on the arguments put forward by the THA’s legal team”. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Former

Argentina Policeman gets 15 years in jail for Dirty War-era crimes

An Argentine court has sentenced a former Police Officer extradited from France to 15 years in jail for the kidnapping and disappearance of a young man during the country's so-called Dirty War some four decades ago, a court clerk said on Thursday.

Mario Sandoval is one of many former officers who have been sentenced for crimes against humanity committed during the 19761983 dictatorship's brutal crackdown against suspected leftists and political dissidents.

Human rights groups estimate that close to 30,000

people were kidnapped or disappeared at the hands of the armed forces in the South American nation. Sandoval is accused of multiple human rights violations, including torture.

He was sentenced for the disappearance of university student Hernan Abriata, who was kidnapped from his home in 1976. According to State news agency Telam, Sandoval had before the sentence said he was not involved in Abriata's disappearance.

The court clerk, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters that Sandoval had been sentenced for being a "co-perpetrator of the

crimes of unlawful deprivation of liberty, sadly aggravated in concurrence with the infliction of torture."

The full grounds for the sentence will be made public on February 2, the clerk added.

"This ruling is fundamental because it shows the importance of continuing to seek justice everywhere," Horacio Pietragalla Corti, Argentina's human rights secretary, told Telam.

After the fall of the dictatorship Sandoval moved to France where he obtained citizenship in 1997. After years of legal tussles, he was extradited in late 2019.

(Reuters)

Chile plans to open Embassy in occupied Palestinian territories

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has welcomed Chile’s plans to open an Embassy in the occupied territories, a move that Chilean President Gabriel Boric said would signal a demand that “international law be respected”.

Chile’s Foreign Minister, Antonia Urrejola, confirmed the plan on Thursday but said there was no timeline in place yet and Chile continued to recognise both Palestine and Israel as legitimate states.

Boric, a left-wing politician and former student activist who took office in March, had announced the decision on Wednesday evening during a private cere-

mony in the Chilean capital, Santiago, hosted by the city’s large Palestinian community.

“I am taking a risk [saying] this,” he said at the ceremony. “We are going to raise our official representation in Palestine from having a chargé d’affaires. Now we are going to open an embassy.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates “strongly commended the move”, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Thursday.

The decision, the Ministry said, “affirms the principled position of Chile and its President in support

of international law and the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state”.

Chile’s Palestinian community is estimated to include more than 300,000 people, many of whom come from families originally from the Bethlehem area of the West Bank, including the villages of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour.

In 1998, Chile opened a representative office to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank city of Ramallah. And in 2011, the country also recognised Palestine as a State and supported its entrance into UNESCO.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Haiti PM would welcome multinational task force

Prime Minister Dr Ariel Henry says he hopes the international community will agree to a request for a multinational support force to assist the Haitian National Police (PNH) restore peace and security in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

Addressing the end-ofyear meeting with heads of diplomatic missions, representatives of international organisations, the dean and members of the consular corps, Henry said he wanted to thank the United Nations Secretary General Antonia

Guterres “for relaying to the Security Council our request for assistance from a specialised force to accompany our National Police.

“We hope that in the near future, this multinational support force for the PNH can be at work. We appreciate the support of the international community, which has confirmed its commitment to guide us in the search for a lasting solution to the crisis by taking the initiative to sanction those who support armed gangs and engage in illicit trafficking of all kinds,” he told the meeting.

Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau said while he did not rule out the possibility of his country being part of a military intervention, or even leading one in Haiti, he also wanted European countries to join the North American country in sanctioning the elites in Haiti over alleged ties to the violent gangs.

Speaking during a yearend interview with The Canadian Press, Prime Minister Trudeau noted, however, that Canada would seek to avoid some of its past mistakes as it responds to the request for a foreign military intervention. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T&T teacher, guard charged with raping girls at school

Afemale school teacher and male security guard have been denied bail after they appeared in court jointly charged with the sexual assault of two 12-year-old female pupils of a private primary school in east Trinidad.

The 46-year-old teacher and 35-year-old security guard are jointly charged with sexual penetration and one count of trafficking a minor for sexual exploitation.

They appeared before Magistrate Indra RamooHaynes at the Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

The teacher is facing a total of nine charges, including sexual penetration on the school compound, causing or

inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of sexual penetration at a house in east Trinidad and trafficking a minor for sexual exploitation.

The guard was also charged with one count of sexual penetration of both minors at a location in Malabar between September 1st and November 3rd, 2022.

According to the TTPS, a report was made to the Police by the principal of the educational institution to the Special Victims Department on November 3.

Both minors alleged that they were sexually penetrated on the school compound and sexually assaulted at a location in Malabar between September 1 and November

3. Police said further investigations uncovered a sexual exploitation ring involving minors.

The adults were arrested following a search warrant exercise.

The charges were laid on December 18, following the advice of legal officer Zaheer Ali. The teacher and security guard are expected to reappear in court on January 16, 2023. Assistant Police Commissioner Sharon Cooper, who spearheaded the investigations, said she hoped the latest charges would prompt more pupils to come forward if they have been abused at the institution. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó speaks during an interview with Reuters, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 6, 2022 (Reuters/Gaby Oraa)

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine

Oil falls by US$1/bbl as rate hike fears outweigh tighter US stockpiles

Oil fell by around US$1 a barrel on Thursday in volatile trade as the impact of tighter US crude stocks due to a winter storm in the United States was outweighed by fears that Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and China's rising COVID-19 cases would dent demand.

Brent crude futures settled at US$80.98 a barrel, losing US$1.22, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled at US$77.49, falling by 80 cents, or one per cent.

Oil gave up its daily gains after the release of US economic data showed the number of people filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased less than expected last week and the economy rebounded faster than previously estimated in the third quarter.

The rosy data increased concerns the Fed was more likely to intensify its rate hikes in a move that could slow the economy and hamper fuel consumption.

At the same time, airlines cancelled nearly 2000 US flights scheduled for Thursday and today, disrupting holiday travel for thousands and sending a bearish signal for travel fuel demand.

Also keeping a lid on prices was a rising US dollar and fall in equities, said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates, along with demand worries stemming from China's COVID-19 surge.

China may be struggling to keep an accurate count of COVID-19 infections as it experiences a big spike in cases, a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official said on Wednesday, amid concerns about a lack of data from the country.

A Shanghai hospital told its staff to prepare for a "tragic battle" with COVID-19 as it expects half of the city's 25 million people will get infected by the end of next week, as the virus sweeps through China largely unchecked.

Both benchmark oil contracts jumped on Wednesday after Government data showed US crude inventories fell by much more than analysts had expected, posting a drop of 5.89 million barrels for the week ending December 16.

Distillate stocks, which include heating oil and jet fuel, also declined, going against expectations for a build, in what PVM analyst Stephen Brennock called "an overwhelmingly pricesupportive stock report from the EIA".

Stockpiles fell as demand for heating oil was set to soar because of the powerful winter storm, with sub-zero wind chills expected as far south as Texas and record-breaking lows forecast for Florida. (Reuters)

Afghanistan: Taliban arrest women protesting against university ban

The Taliban have arrested five women taking part in a protest in the Afghan capital, Kabul, against the ban on women attending universities.

Three Journalists were also arrested. Protests are also understood to have taken place in the Takhar province.

Guards stopped hundreds of women from entering universities on Wednesday – a day after the ban was announced.

It is the latest policy restricting women's education since the Taliban returned to power last year.

Girls have already been excluded from most secondary schools.

The new ban was implemented with immediate effect by the Higher Education Minister on Tuesday, with public and private univer-

sities ordered to bar women from attending.

The Education Ministry said its scholars had evaluated the university curriculum and environment, and attendance for girls would be suspended until "a suitable environment" was provided.

Later, the Taliban Minister of Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, said on State television that women were banned from university for not following the dress code.

"They were dressing like they were going to a wedding."

Footage shared on social media on Thursday showed about two dozen Afghan women dressed in hijabs marching through the streets of Kabul, raising banners and shouting slogans. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Around the World

Putin says Russia wants end to war in Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia wants an end to the war in Ukraine and that this would inevitably involve a diplomatic solution.

Putin made the comments a day after US President Joe Biden hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the White House and promised him continued and unwavering US support.

"Our goal is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict, but, on the contrary, to end this war," Putin said. "We will strive for an end to this, and the sooner the better, of course."

White House spokesman John Kirby said Putin has "shown absolutely zero

indication that he's willing to negotiate" an end to the war, which began when Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24.

"Quite the contrary," Kirby told reporters during an online briefing. "Everything he (Putin) is doing on the ground and in the air bespeaks a man who wants to continue to visit violence upon the Ukrainian people" and "escalate the war".

Kirby reiterated that Biden was open to talks with Putin, but only after the Russian leader "showed a seriousness about negotiations" and after consultations with Ukraine and US allies.

Russia has persistently said it is open to nego-

tiations, but Ukraine and its allies suspect a ploy to buy time after a series of Russian defeats and retreats that have swung the momentum of the 10-month war in favour of Kyiv.

"I have said many times: the intensification of hostilities leads to unjustified losses," Putin told reporters.

"All armed conflicts end one way or another with some kind of negotiations on the diplomatic track," he added. "Sooner or later, any parties in a state of conflict sit down and make an agreement. The sooner this realisation comes to those who oppose us, the better. We have never given up on this." (Excerpt from Reuters)

Shanghai hospital warns of 'tragic battle' as COVID spreads

AShanghai hospital has told its staff to prepare for a "tragic battle" with COVID-19 as it expects half of the city's 25 million people will get infected by the end of next week, while the virus sweeps through China largely unchecked.

After widespread protests against strict mitigation measures, China this month began dismantling its

"zero-COVID" regime, which had taken a great financial and psychological toll on its 1.4 billion people.

China's official death count since the pandemic began three years ago stands at 5241 – a fraction of what most other countries faced –but now looks bound to rise sharply.

China reported no new COVID deaths for a second consecutive day for

Wednesday, even as funeral parlour workers say demand for their services has increased sharply over the past week.

Authorities – who have narrowed the criteria for COVID deaths, prompting criticism from many disease experts – confirmed 389,306 cases with symptoms.

Some experts say official case figures have become an unreliable guide as less testing is being done following the easing of restrictions.

Infections in China are likely to be more than a million a day with deaths at more than 5000 a day, a "stark contrast" from official data, British-based health data firm Airfinity said this

week.

Airfinity said it examined data from China's regional provinces, noting that cases are rising quicker in capital Beijing and southern province Guangdong.

The Shanghai Deji Hospital, posting on its WeChat account late on Wednesday, estimated there were about 5.43 million positives in the city and that 12.5 million in China's main commercial hub will get infected by the end of the year.

"This year's Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, and the Lunar New Year are destined to be unsafe," said the private hospital, which employs some 400 staff.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Arctic 'bomb cyclone' threatens holiday travel for millions of Americans

The Governor of the US state of Arizona, which shares a border with Mexico, has agreed to remove shipping containers erected as a makeshift barrier on the border in defiance of the Federal Government.

According to court documents filed on Wednesday, Arizona’s Republican Governor Doug Ducey has entered into an agreement with the Biden Administration to remove the containers from federal lands, including national forests.

In a lawsuit filed by the Federal Government last week, the Department of Justice described the barrier as “hundreds of dou-

ble-stacked multi-ton shipping containers that damage federal lands, threaten public safety, and impede the ability of federal agencies and officials, including law enforcement personnel, to perform their official duties”.

Ducey has countered that the containers were a temporary measure meant to pressure the Federal Government to construct a permanent wall on the southern border.

Wednesday’s agreement to remove the containers comes as the United States contends with a record number of border crossings from undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Adangerously frigid arctic air mass gripped a vast expanse of the United States on Thursday ahead of what could be one of the coldest Christmas Days on record, as a looming winter storm threatened to upend travel plans for millions of Americans.

Leading into the holiday weekend, the impending storm was expected to bring blizzard conditions to the Great Lakes region, up to five centimetres (2 inches) of rain followed by a flash freeze on the East Coast, wind gusts of 100 kilometres per hour (60 miles per hour ) and bitter cold as far south as the Mexican border.

As the storm took shape over the Great Lakes on Thursday, a weather phenomenon known as a bomb cyclone was expected to develop from a "rapidly deepening low-pressure" system, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

The cyclone could spawn

snowfalls of 1.25 cm (a half inch) per hour and howling winds gusting to 97 kph (60 mph) from the Upper Midwest to the interior Northeast, producing blizzard conditions and near-zero visibility, the weather service said.

Combined with the arctic cold, wind-chill factors as low as minus 40 Celsius were forecast in the High Plains, the northern Rockies and Great Basin, the NWS said. Exposure to such conditions without adequate protection can cause frostbite within minutes.

Power outages were likely, and the storm was expected to make travel by land or air precarious or impossible at times.

"It's dangerous and threatening," President Joe Biden said at the White House, urging Americans with travel plans to not delay and to set off on Thursday. "This is not like a snow day, when you were a kid, this is serious stuff." (Excerpt from Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference after a meeting of the State Council on youth policy in Moscow, Russia, December 22, 2022 (Sputnik/ Sergey Guneev/Pool via Reuters)

Arizona's Republican Governor Doug Ducey has sparred with the US Federal Government over a makeshift barrier on the border with Mexico [File: Ross D Franklin/AP Photo]

Arizona Governor to remove makeshift border wall criticised as “stunt”

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Refuse to let anyone suck you into something you don't want to do. It's important to contribute, but you also must feel comfortable and willing to do so to do a good job. Walk away from bullies.

(March 21-April 19)

Refuse to let what's going on daunt you. A positive attitude will help you join in and offer what you can to the festivities. Live in the moment and enjoy long overdue conversations with loved ones.

(April 20-May 20)

(May 21-June 20)

(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22)

Set a path that ensures you will complete whatever's on your to-do list. Discipline, energy and your desire to please someone special will make a loved one grateful. Don't let uncertainty get you down.

Handle situations and people with kindness, compassion and care. It's a busy time of the year, which makes it essential to be accepting, forgiving and thankful for what you have.

Don't let the changes others make upset you. Do what's best for you, and you'll feel good about yourself and what you achieve. Being receptive to new ideas will unlock useful information.

You can reach your destination. A confident look and approach will win acceptance and the help required to reach your goal. Socializing will help you open doors.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

If you try to make unnecessary changes at home, someone will challenge you. Shake it off and go with the flow throughout the festive season, but don't lose sight of your dreams.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Discuss matters that need your attention before the year ends. Go over your financial situation and make changes to ensure you continue to be on stable ground. Be wary of situations that involve shared expenses.

Put your energy where it counts and make someone happy. A kind gesture will go a long way. Showing your feelings isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength and courage.

Sit back and enjoy what you've created for yourself and your loved ones. Share your thoughts with those who hold a special place in your heart, and the feedback you get will encourage you.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

(Feb. 20-March 20)

With big ideas, a small budget, innovative thoughts, you'll find a way to make everyone feel right at home. Don't worry about keeping up with the neighbors. Be yourself and use your imagination.

Refuse to let pressure build and anger rise. Be observant, and you'll realize you've got what it takes to please everyone you love with kind words and positive suggestions. Romance is in the stars.

ARCHIE PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

DILBERT

Archer nears England return after making squad for South Africa ODI series

Jofra Archer is in line to make his long-awaited England return in January after he was named in a 14-man squad for the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against South Africa.

The Sussex bowler has not played at the senior level since a white-ball tour to India in March 2021, having been sidelined with a succession of injuries since then.

After missing out on T20 World Cup success in November, Archer's return to the fold

will be a timely boost in the year England look to defend their 50-over crown and take on Australia in the Ashes.

Mark Wood and Joe Root, as anticipated, are both rested, but there is room for Ben Duckett, who could play his first ODI match since 2016 after impressing upon his Test comeback.

Liam Livingstone, who was injured during England's red-ball series with Pakistan, misses out while Harry Brook will look to win

Paris 2024 Olympic Games opens artistic swimming to men

his first ODI cap after a superb multi-format season.

Reece Topley, who is continuing to recovery from injury himself, will hope to join Archer in marking his return to action during the three-game tour, which starts in Bloemfontein on January 27.

A second match at Mangaung Oval follows on January 29, before the final encounter takes place at Kimberley on February 1.

A subsequent Test tour to New Zealand

follows. England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (Lancashire); Moeen Ali (Worcestershire); Jofra Archer (Sussex); Harry Brook (Yorkshire); Sam Curran (Surrey); Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire); Dawid Malan (Yorkshire); Adil Rashid (Yorkshire); Jason Roy (Surrey); Phil Salt (Lancashire); Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire); Reece Topley (Surrey); David Willey (Yorkshire) and Chris Woakes (Warwickshire). (Sportsmax)

FIFA investigating Salt Bae's “undue access” to pitch after WC final

Men will be able to compete in Olympic artistic swimming, formerly known as synchronised swimming, for the first time at the Paris 2024 Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved up to two men being picked in the eight-strong team event.

Men have been able to compete in artistic swimming at the World Championships since 2015.

It has been a women-only discipline at the Olympics since it was introduced at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Italian Giorgio Minisini, who won two world mixed duet gold medals alongside Lucrezia Ruggiero in Hungary in June, welcomed the decision.

"Our sport's evolution towards inclusivity is going on fast forward," he said.

"This decision from the IOC and World

Aquatics will help us become an example for the whole Olympic movement.?"

American Bill May, the first-ever male world champion in the inaugural mixed duet technical event in 2015, also heralded the landmark.

"The inclusion of men was once considered the impossible dream," he said.

"This proves that we should all dream big. The male athletes have endured. Now, through their perseverance and the help and support of so many, all athletes may stand alongside each other equally, reaching for Olympic glory."

However, some female swimmers have previously opposed men's inclusion.

Russian former world champion Varvara Subbotina told Sport Express in August that the "aesthetics" of men's legs meant it was better the sport was female-only. (BBC Sport)

FIFA is investigating how celebrity chef Salt Bae and a number of other people gained "undue access" to the pitch at the end of the World Cup final in Qatar.

Salt Bae, the Turkish chef whose real name is Nusret Gokce, was pictured holding and kissing the World Cup trophy while celebrating with Argentina players after their win over France.

FIFA rules state the trophy can only be held by a "very select" group of people, including tournament winners, FIFA officials and Heads of State.

In a statement to BBC Sport, a FIFA spokesperson said: "Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail stadium on December 18.

"The appropriate internal action will be taken."

Salt Bae owns a chain of luxury steakhouses and rose to fame in 2017 after his technique for preparing and seasoning meat became an Internet meme.

Many current and former footballers, including Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham, have eaten at Salt Bae's restaurants.

In November, during the World Cup, he posted a video of himself embracing FIFA President Gianni Infantino, with whom he was later pictured in the VIP seats at a game with Brazil legends Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, and Cafu.

Messi appeared to ignore Salt Bae in the hectic scenes after Argentina's win as the chef tried to get his attention. (BBC Sport)

Italy's Giorgio Minisini (left) is one of the leading male artistic swimmers after winning two golds at this year's World Championships in Hungary

Salt Bae was seen kissing the World Cup trophy

GFF, FIFA+ commit to bringing live matches to global audiences

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) 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 interacting with the beautiful game, FIFA+ offers free access to live football action from every corner of the globe, which now includes matches from the GFF Pro-League,

GFF Women’s League, GFF Men’s Super 16 Cup, and the GFF Women’s Super 16 Cup.

The platform, which is available on the web as a mobile app and on select connected devices, and is now accessible in 10 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 monumental

forward leap for the development of Guyana’s football. More importantly, however, is the level of exposure our players will enjoy throughout the football season.

Displaying our football pedigree before a global audience will vastly increase the chances of our players, both males and females, securing international scholarships and professional contractual opportunities. This level of exposure will also drive the GFF to lift the standards of

our football infrastructure, facilities and game management protocols, so that the viewing experience would be the best we have to offer, ” said GFF President Wayne Forde.

Charlotte Burr, Director of Strategy, Corporate Development and Digital FIFA, said: “For the first time ever, our Mas [Member Associations can seamlessly tap into a truly global football fan base and grow a direct relationship with

A very rich history of Guyana’s cricket commentators!

By Joseph “Reds” peRReiRa

While conducting my research on the brave men who presented ball-by-ball commentary to the Guyanese and regional public, I reached out to a wide cross-section of people to be able to document the various personalities who provided important information while painting a word picture for listeners not at the same venue.

I believe early commentary might have been done on the ZFY station just around the corner from Bourda on North Road, and later carried by Radio Demerara (Rediffusion owned) and the Guyana Broadcasting Service (GBS). My recollection of some of the early voices include Herman De Caries, Harry Cressall, Claude Viera, Kenny Wishart, and Peter Bailey. Names like Brian Sadler, Reggie Aaron, Norman McLean, and Clyde Walcott were also part of the Radio Demerara team.

In 1968, when GBS came into operation yours truly along with Frank Bettencourt, Rocky Mann, Fred Wills, Stanley Moore, and Cuthbert Monchoir. Others who followed included Sean Devers, Allan LaRose, Nayem Chan, Inderjeet Persaud, Matthew Kissoon, Keith Austin, Allan Brasillio, Clive Bacchus, Edwin Searaj, Imran Khan and John Ramsingh.

Some of the personalities who served as comments men were Ronnie Willock, Steve Comacho, Basil Butcher, Clive Lloyd, Rodrick Lovell, Sydney Jackman, Germain Neblett, Travis Dowling, Steve Jacobs, Neil Barry, Clyde Butts, and Mark and Roger Harper.

Given that none of the commentators, including yours truly, ever received any formal training, I've always felt the cricket-listening public was over-critical of those personalities who faced the microphone, as they had to deal with live radio describing play as it happened in a matter of seconds. The same applied to the comments personalities who on occasion had a little more time to analyse a dismissal or a good bowling or batting performance, condition of the pitch and bowling changes. By contrast, the Guyanese/ regional cricket writers returning to their desks at close of play would have adequate time to provide readers with a description of the days' play, but not under the same time constraints of the spoken commentary on live radio.

To further improve the art of ballby-ball commentary, regular opportunities must be provided by a radio

Joseph “Reds” Perreira

station in Guyana to sports commentators. On some occasions, it would be valuable to arrange for ball-by-ball broadcasts of weekend matches and where necessary schedule individuals to do ten-minute reports from various grounds providing opportunities to be on-air on a regular basis, for all club events.

The cricket venues in my early days were Bourda; Everest; DCC; Hampton Court; Rose Hall; Albion; Enmore; Leonora; Uitvlugt; Blairmont; the New Amsterdam Mental Hospital; Mackenzie Sports Club; all the club grounds in Georgetown, Berbice and Essequibo; and of late the Providence National Stadium. The cricket writers in the 60s and 70s were Jake Croker, McDonald Dash, Rick Ferier, Prior Jones, Julian Mends, Bruser Thomas, and Ceddi Wilshire.

Among the official Cricket Board Scorers were John Barwell, Ron Legall, Bahrat Mangroo, Rudolf Haynes, Trevor Hussein, and Zandra DeFlorimonte. Ron Legall later became the Scorer for GBS Radio and reached the international level, scoring many Test matches, ODIs and numerous First-Class games. On Radio Demerara at five to eight and “do not be late”, BL Crombie provided a 5-minute sports cast covering the major events of the day for well over 26 years. BL later became full time on Radio Demerara after GBS was opened in October of 1968.

The reporters on radio were Claude David, Zandra DeFlorimonte, Troy

Peters,

In addition to Sean Devers, cricket writers in Guyana are Brandon Corlette, Clifton Ross, Akeem Greene, and Avenash Ramzan.

The T20 white-ball game is changing the language of cricket which it is hoped will not be used, when the commentators describe the Four-Day First-Class format or the Test game. Listeners and viewers are now hearing pace off – pace on ( as if Franklyn Stephenson is totally forgotten as the man who created these deliveries), we go back to the descriptions: Hard length, batting got heavy lifting –Match Up – Dug Out – Change room(no mention of dressing room) – leg pole – off pale-grab(catch) bowel got 4 bullets left – bowler got two rocks to come – there are four soldiers in the covers, hit and a miss as well as stand and deliver, curve-ball!

Because of the excellent availability of stats and players, a great deal is being provided by some commentators and although such information is in general appreciated, it must not get to the level of being too technical to eliminate 60-70 per cent of viewers and listeners. In giving advice, some commentators tend to cross the line and are found to be coaching while on air. Others seem to forget that they are broadcasting to the world and not about players only from their land of birth.

During the halcyon days of the conventional five -Test series in the Caribbean, some of the top international voices who visited and worked included EW Swanton, Don Mosley, Trevor Bailey, Jonathan Agnew, Jeff Boycott, Allen McGuilvery, Jim Maxwell, Nevil Oliver, Harsha Bhogle, Dickie Rutnigar, Sunil Gavaskar, Berry Sarbadhikari (1971 Indian Tour ) Allan Richards, Bryan Waddle, Gerald DeKock, and , of course, Tony Cozier. It is also important to note some of the early West Indian journalists who covered the 1950 England Tour, such as Barbados’ ELC Cozier ( Father of Tony Cozier) and Guyana’s Earnest Itel (did the 1951 Tour to Australia.)

In this recap, there may, of course, be those whose names have been inadvertently not included. My sincerest apologies are, therefore, extended to any and all of those who may have been missed.

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, the Caribbean, and beyond.”

Since its launch, FIFA+ has steadily expanded its reach and added exciting new content streams in order to deliver a truly multifaceted digital experience. Completely free, the platform offers an extensive archive (including all men’s and women’s FIFA World CupTM matches), thousands of live fixtures every year,

interactive games and predictors, and a slate of original documentaries, docuseries, talk shows, and shorts.

By the end of 2022, FIFA+ will be streaming the equivalent of 40,000 live games per year from 100 MAs across all six confederations, including 11,000 women’s matches. FIFA+ provides live coverage ranging from Europe’s top-flight leagues to previously unserved competitions from around the world in men’s, women’s and youth football. FIFA+ can be accessed worldwide at fifaplus. com and at major app stores.

Chanderpaul to leave role as USA Women's Senior and Under-19 Head Coach

West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul is reportedly not expected to renew his contract as Head Coach of the USA Women’s Senior and U-19 Cricket Teams after the 2023 U-19 Women’s World Cup in South Africa.

Chanderpaul was appointed in July of this year.

Last week, USA Cricket announced its U-19 Women’s team for the World Cup, and the new development has come in as a massive surprise for the Board.

“We already have half a dozen renowned Head Coaches disconnected from the National team (s) since the new Board is in place and I doubt if Shivnarine will renew his contract after the U-19 World Cup in South Africa. I had a word with Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s Manager and he has confirmed that he will not consider extending or renewing Chanderpaul’ s contract after the Women’s U-19 World Cup in SA,” said USA Cricket Hall of Famer Jatin Patel at the Atlanta Cricket League Banquet in Mumbai last week.

Chanderpaul started his role as Head Coach with immense success for the national team and in franchise cricket.

In July, he led the USA U-19 Women’s team to a title in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s U-19 Championship, where they defeated hosts and defend-

ing champions, Trinidad and Tobago, in the final.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Famer then led the Jamaica Tallawahs to their third Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title in September.

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Franklin Wilson, Chunya Huvel. Courtney Gonsalves reported on sport in Essequibo and similar reports came from Berbice correspondents.

Guyanese batting legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Final clash between Waramadong, St Benedict’s on today

seal the victory.

In the following game, DC Caesar Fox (Waramadong) Secondary completely outplayed Christianburg-Wismar Secondary School (CWSS). The contest looked evenly matched early on, until Waramadong’s Deomar Henrito broke the ice in the 33rd minute.

CWSS upped their urgency but were unable to convert, while Bevon Jones made it a 2-0 game in the 88th. Waramadong went on to win 2-0.

“I want to thank the Petra Organisation for hosting the tournament and for inviting us as well,” St Benedict’s Captain Connielus Hannaway shared at Thursday afternoon’s press conference.

There were fireworks and surprises in store on Wednesday evening when the finalists of the KFC Goodwill International Schools Football Tournament were decided at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown.

However, if the final goes according to the plans of the players who will be competing, there is sure to be an abundance of entertainment at the same venue tonight, between DC Caesar Fox (Waramadong) Secondary of Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and St Benedict’s College of Trinidad and Tobago.

Some of those expectations were expressed hours after the exhilarating semi-finals, at KFC’s head office, Vlissengen Road,

where the final captains traded words.

The two teams secured their places in Friday night’s final, following two exciting semi-final games on Wednesday evening at the MoE Ground.

In semi-final one, T&T’s St Benedict’s were tasked with overcoming 2019 champions Nanai Secondary, and they did, successfully ending their title defence in a 2-1 affair. Annai Secondary struck first, by way of a Davey Jacobus goal in the 20th minute; however, Jerrell Griffith’s 39th minute goal levelled the scores, heading into the half.

St Benedict’s feverish pursuit of the game-winner came to fruition in the 80th minute when Raheem Nelson found the back of the net to

The youngster went on to add, “The tournament, so far, has been very competitive. Good experience within the country. We’ve had a hard fight to get into the finals, plenty competition from the teams, plenty quality within the teams, but we’re going into the finals tomorrow very confident.

“Although the team that we’re facing tomorrow had bested us in our previous meeting, we coming with a positive mindset that we would come out on top tomorrow and go back to Trinidad with the trophy,” Hannaway concluded.

On the other hand, Waramadong’s Raydon Kraimmer stated, ““Throughout the tournament, it has been really tough for us, but we have made it through and now we are into the finals and we’re going to face one of the most

stiff teams. So, myself, my team, we will do our best to go and win the finals tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, the players and fans were not the only ones looking forward to tomorrow’s final, as KFC’s Kenneth Moonsammy and Esan Daniels wished the players well.

“Just want to wish the two teams all the best and may the best team win,” KFC Operations Manager Kenneth Moonsammy briefly remarked.

Home Delivery Manager Esan Daniels further added, “Basically, on behalf of KFC, I would like to wish the St Benedict’s College of Trinidad and the DC Caesar Fox good luck in your game. I cheer you, I’ve heard good things. Organisers,

fans, I would just like to highlight that the kids are our future, sports is a way of character building, so, I encourage you, I commend you on your work for this tournament.”

The KFC final is scheduled to kick off at 19:30h at the MoE Ground, tomorrow evening. At 17:30h, Annai Secondary will take on Christianburg Wismar Secondary in the third- place playoff.

The KFC Goodwill International Schools Football Tournament is sponsored by KFC; MVP Sports; Guyana Beverages Inc; Tiger Rentals; Trophy Stall; the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) and the Ministry of Education (MoE). (Jemima Holmes)

Boxing Day horse racing will continue to extend legacy of late Justice Cecil Kennard

By Brandon Corlette

In 2022, Justice Cecil Kennard passed away, but his legacy continues to live on at the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) . Horse racing action will return on Monday, December 26, for the annual Boxing Day horse meeting.

According to Justice Kennard's widow, Mrs Chan Kennard, the Boxing Day event is important.

"All meetings at Kennard Memorial have been important to him, but Boxing Day more so, because it is our biggest meeting, and we look forward to see people enjoy themselves, and see people come from abroad," Mrs Kennard told Guyana Times Sport in an exclusive interview.

She added: "With the 106-years that the family has been involved with it, it gave him that satisfaction that to know that he was still able to carry on that legacy. Boxing Day meeting brings out family, and it is good to bring family close together. We want to get the community involved."

Justice Kennard was a great sports enthusiast, well known for his involvement in sports, particularly horse racing. Through his involvement and contribution to the sport, he was later honoured as the President of the KMTC. He also served with distinction for many terms at the Guyana Horseracing Authority (GHA).

Cecil Kennard, who was also known as “Racing Patriot” lived a rewarding life. The Retired Justice died on March 12, 2022 at his New Heaven home, Bel Air. He was 86 years old at the time of his death.

Aside from horse racing, Justice Kennard had an illustrious career in law. His legal career spanned several decades, and first begun in 1962, after he graduated from the prestigious Lincoln’s Inn in London. He was also called to the local Bar that same year. In 1965, he was appointed Crown Counsel in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and after Guyana gained independence in 1966, he continued in that office as State Counsel.

Justice Kennard also served as Legal Advisor to

the Guyana Police Force (GPF) from 1971-1973, during he acted as a rent assessment magistrate on a part-time basis.

Justice Kennard also spent a number of years in Antigua working on high-profile cases there. He later returned in 1977 and was appointed High Court Judge. In 1985, he was appointed a Justice of Appeal. Ten years later, in 1995, he was appointed Chief Justice. In 1996, he was awarded the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) for distinguished service in the area of law. But,

of course, his most proud moment was said to be his appointment as Chancellor of the Judiciary in 1999.

Justice Kennard served this country with distinction and humility since 1962. He was a great husband, father and friend to many, a true stalwart, and a true son of the soil.

Kennard Memorial Turf Club in good shape for Boxing Day

After the pandemic halted sport, the Kennard Memorial Turf Club had a drought in horse racing. However, in 2022, infra-

structural work was done at the venue. Chief Executive Officer of the venue, Basil Bactawar said: "When the COVID-19 came, there was no horse racing. What we had to do was to look at our stands and see what repair is needed, so it was retrofitted with 800 new bolts. We look at the foundation, refurbished – all the rotten woods was taken care of and we did a general repair to the stands, so as it is, it is in perfect conditions, ready for the next race meeting."

He added: "This track is excellent. If you have rain in the morning, and if you have good sunshine from 1012, or half-day sunshine, the track is ready for racing. It is well drained, it is the best in Guyana, this race track here."

The real development of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club started way back in 1962. It became dormant for a few years due to some teething problems, but was resuscitated in 1978. The upcoming event set for December 26, 2022 will see six exciting races.

The late Retired Justice Cecil Kennard

A horse about to go on a walk at Bush Lot early Thursday morning

A look at the St Benedict’s College-Annai Secondary semi-final

DC Caesar Fox (Waramadong) Secondary did well to hold off CWSS in their semi-final meeting