Guyana Times - Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Guyana talks visa-free travel with Italy

Ambassador alluded to sev eral technical cooperation initiatives including Italy’s role in supporting the AgriFood Systems agenda of Caricom towards reducing the Region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

The Caricom Agri-Food Systems Agenda is led by President Dr Irfaan Ali and current implementation of the agenda gives special at tention to priority crops and products in Member States to achieve this target.

The AmbassadorDesignate also presented his Letter of Credence to President Ali on Monday.

The Guyana Government is cur rently eyeing the possibility of visa-free travel to Italy, as Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd engaged Non-Resident Ambassador, Fabrizio Nicoletti.

The Minister received a courtesy call on Monday

from Ambassador Nicoletti, during which he noted that Guyana is committed to fos tering stronger bilateral relations and partnership with Italy in priority areas of the Government includ ing health, education and security.

Minister Todd also ini tiated talks on visa-free travel to Italy for the mu

tual benefit of both coun tries, particularly through private sector engagements and people to people ex changes, which will be ad vanced in the future.

The Foreign Affairs Minister underscored that Italy and the European Union remain valuable partners to Guyana and Caricom. On this note, the

With Guyana catego rised as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Government has boasted of the increased value to the Guyanese pass port. With its 61st rank ing and an overall medi um mobility score as of this year, Guyana’s passport is ranked over a number of countries in the Region when it comes to visa-free travel, including neighbour ing Suriname, Jamaica and Cuba.

This is according to Visa Index, which is owned and operated by Guide Consultants, in its 2022 rankings. It was explained that the ranking gives Guyana visa-free access to 52 countries, including

Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ghana, Ireland, Qatar, Russia and Singapore, in addition to visa on arrival access to 35 destinations.

Just last month, the ground-breaking announce ment was made that hold ers of a valid Guyanese passport would no longer need to have a visa to enter the United Kingdom (UK), following a decision by the UK to remove visitor visa requirements for Guyanese

to travel to their country, for up to six months.

The idea was to foster more business opportuni ties between the two coun tries. Meanwhile, it was re vealed that British Airways would also be providing di rect flights between the two countries from next year.

In response, President Dr Irfaan Ali described the decision as a demonstra tion of British confidence in Guyana. (G12)

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd with Non-Resident Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Italy, Fabrizio Nicoletti

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Tuesday,

The

Tuesday, Nov 29 – 08:30h –10:00h and Wednesday, Nov 30 – 09:40h – 11:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Election CoI Commissioners visit Ashmins building on fact-finding mission

…shown locations of controversial events

In their quest for detailed information, the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Monday visited the Ashmins building, ground zero for the controversy that nearly derailed the tabula tion of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Election CoI Commissioners, Retired Justices Stanley John, Godfrey Smith and Carl Singh, conducted the site visit of Ashmins build ing. They were accompa nied by Sophia Chote, the Trinidadian Senior Counsel who has led questioning during the CoI hearings.

During the tour, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Edgar Thomas, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) IT Manager Aneal Giddings and then Election Observer Dr Josh Kanhai, were present to guide the Commissioners on exactly where certain key events oc curred at Ashmins.

For instance, Giddings responded to questions from Chote and pointed out the area where persons were be ing hindered from delivering Statements of Poll (SoPs) to the then Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo.

“Approximately about where we’re standing, housed the offices for the Returning Officer for District Four… usually, they (persons delivering SoPs) came through the en trance in the rear. And I saw staff use this front en trance as well. And they would usually come and de liver the SoPs to the return ing officer.”

“At the start, it was a smooth process, where the ROs would have come and delivered their Statements on their way. But at some point, I can’t recall exactly, they were hindered in de livering. A lot of them were arriving, at that point. So, they had to take up position here, with their packages,” Giddings said, noting that this was due to the RO’s of fice not functioning at the time.

Dr Kanhai, meanwhile, pointed out areas where oth er significant events hap pened, such as the door he helped breach to gain access to GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh. At the time, Singh was in a locked room with tinted windows, prompting alarm among observers and elec tion agents that she might be in harm’s way.

Previous testimony at the CoI from Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Leader Lenox Shuman had point ed out that at one point the Chair was sequestered from everyone else in a locked room. Shuman recalled go ing after the Chair to ascer

tain whether she was okay.

“After the suspicions that she is being held captive… I personally feared some harm may come to the Chair of GECOM…,” Shuman had said, recounting that he was accompanied in his search for the Chair by Kanhai, who was then an execu tive of The New Movement (TNM). Kanhai was subse quently arrested that night, after he breached the door to get to the Chair.

ACP Thomas was quizzed by the Commissioners about the security and surveil lance arrangements for Ashmins. In fact, the exis tence of cameras and a se curity room in the Ashmins building was a recurring

question. However, it is a question that did not receive an affirmative answer.

The CoI resumed on Monday after an over twoweek break that followed the testimonies of several witnesses. It was previous ly announced that the CoI’s work would continue from November 28, until the mid dle of December.

CoI Secretary Javeed Shadick, in an interview with the media, had ex plained that as the evidence unfolds, they may need to call back witnesses to clari fy their testimonies, or even get more witnesses.

“It was taken to a good point, to pause, gather as much as we can and then,

during this period, we’ve been working on speaking to the witnesses who’ve (tes tified), see if there is more information that they may have gotten,” Shadick had said.

He had also said that when the proceedings re sume, they will be able to go in depth into more testimo ny. He also noted that the CoI is on track for its previ ously announced completion in January of 2023.

The last day the CoI was held, November 10, saw tes timony from Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)

Chief Executive Officer Sase Singh, who was a scruti neer during that period, and Giddings. (G3)

CoI witness, Dr Josh Kanhai describing the events that unfolded at the Ashmins building during the 2020 General and Regional Elections when Commissioners conducted a site visit on Monday

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Lifestyle & bad eating habits

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony recently called out Guyanese on our bad eating habits.

To quote the Minister: “There are a number of bad habits that we have. They include consumption of alcohol and smoking cigarettes. We eat the wrong food and move away from fresh, healthy foods. We eat a lot of fast foods and drink a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages. These contribute to diabetes and we have to change them. In addition, a lot of our population has moved to an inactive way of living.”

Every year, Guyana joins with regional countries as part of a unified response to promote health, and prevent and control the epidemic of Non-Communicable Diseases or NCDs.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impacts on individuals and communities as a whole are yet another stark reminder that both the health authorities and citizens must continue to take the issue of NCDs very seriously.

Based on what the medical professionals have found so far, most of the persons who died as a result of contracting COVID-19 had some kind of underlying health complication, many of which are related to NCDs.

According to PAHO/WHO, people with underlying health conditions such as NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, and are more likely to die from COVID-19. Risk factors for NCDs can make people more vulnerable to becoming severely ill. For example, smokers may have reduced lung capacity, which would greatly increase risk of serious illness.

Even before the pandemic, poor lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity had resulted in large numbers of people falling sick and dying.

It is also believed that around 40 per cent of Guyanese are either overweight or obese, and of that number, the majority are women.

Health experts say that chronic diseases result largely from bad food choices and low levels of physical activity. Reducing the risk of developing chronic illnesses, including Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and various cancers, is associated with living a healthy lifestyle, which includes such factors as non-smoking, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol intake, and a sense of mental well-being.

For example, evidence suggests that half of all cancers could be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle.

Further, NCDs come at a high cost to individuals and nation states in terms of human suffering, expensive treatment, and loss of production. It is estimated that the direct and indirect costs of treating NCDs in Guyana is over 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

What is noteworthy is the realisation that most cases of chronic NCDs are avoidable, and it is within our individual power to prevent these diseases from affecting our lives.

So, how do we make the breakthrough when it comes to getting our citizens to adopt healthy lifestyles, considering the fact that some persons still operate with a high degree of ignorance?

To begin with, we believe that there is need for greater awareness and knowledge in the society about the dangers of chronic illnesses. On this basis, we urge that there be continuous public education and awareness campaigns across the country, to address various health issues.

Research has shown that the numerous media campaigns on HIV/AIDS prevention and care, stigma and discrimination have impacted positively on attitudes and lifestyle changes; and messages in a similar fashion should be created towards addressing NCDs such as hypertension and diabetes, or dealing with overweightness and obesity.

The Government, even though it must take the lead as it relates to policy drafting and implementation etc, cannot do it alone. The entire society must be actively involved.

It is well accepted that better health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more. Everyone should, therefore, aim to live a healthy and full life, and to avoid becoming trapped by NCDs.

We agree with the Health Minister when he said, “the earlier they (children) learn healthy behaviours, then they would have lifelong benefits from this type of behaviour. If we teach children the right thing, more than likely they would go through life using these techniques”.

The heroic people of Iran are teaching the West a song too many of us have forgotten

You don’t have to be Welsh, Iranian or es pecially into football to have found good reasons to watch the World Cup clash of the two nations. Not because of what happened in the game – two late Iran goals to break Welsh hearts – so much as what preceded it. For the few moments be fore kick-off offered a brief glimpse of an uprising that may yet become a revolu tion – an upheaval that not only has enormous implica tions for Iran, its region and the wider world, but which is also reminding those of us in what we like to think of as the liberal, enlightened West of things we take for granted and may even have forgotten.

The specific focus was the pre-match singing of na tional anthems. When Iran played England on Monday, the team pointedly refused to sing, a gesture of defi ance against their coun try’s rulers and in solidarity with its people, many thou sands of whom have spent the last two months en gaged in open revolt against what they see as the cor rupt, repressive theocra cy that has held power in Tehran for 43 years. Before the match, there had been much debate about whether the England Captain should wear an armband to protest against Qatar’s trampling of LGBTQ+ rights; in the end, Harry Kane decided against it, for fear of the referee’s yellow card.

A rather stiffer form of punishment is likely to await the public show of dis sent by Iran’s players. A clue was provided on Thursday,

when a former player for the Iranian national side who had dared speak out against the regime was ar rested for “insulting the na tional soccer team and pro pagandising against the Government”. Even so, and despite knowing the risks, Kane’s Iranian counter part gave a press conference this week in which he sent a message of unmistakable support to the protesters back home, speaking “in the name of the God of the rain bows”, the phrase used by a nine-year-old boy killed ear lier this month.

He told Iran’s grieving families – and there are many, with an estimated 400 killed by the authorities, includ ing more than 50 children, along with detailed evidence of brutal rape and torture of those detained – “We are with them, and by their side, and share their pain”. When the anthem struck up before the Wales game, most members of the Iranian team, perhaps warned of the consequenc es for themselves and their families if they repeated the protest, muttered their way through the song. The cam era cut to fans weeping, but few would have thought those were tears of sporting joy.

Obviously, the impact of all this matters most in Iran itself. Usually cautious ex iles and analysts are openly asking themselves, having seen previous eruptions of discontent, whether this will be the one that, at last, top ples the Islamic Republic it self. They point to the differ ences with rebellions past. How this goes wider and deeper, with protests across the country; how the demon strators are so young, with the average age of those ar

rested just 15; how their de mands are fundamental and not open to compromise: they are not seeking this or that reform, which the re gime, however reluctant ly, might accommodate, but want nothing less than the end of the system that has prevailed for four decades. With an ailing supreme leader and the succession far from secured, the repub lic suddenly looks vulnera ble. Some dream of a swift and peaceful transition to a secular democracy. But oth ers warn that Iran could just as easily descend into being a second Syria. Professor Ali Ansari predicts the au thorities’ next move if they feel power is slipping from their grasp: “What they will do is shoot a lot more peo ple,” he told me. Except, this time, the people might shoot back. If weapons come in from Iranian Kurdistan and Balochistan, a civil war is a real possibility.

Any change in Tehran will, of course, send shock waves through the region, where Iran has been a key and lethal player in the wars in Syria and Yemen; for years, Tehran has been the threat against which the Gulf States (and Israel) have cohered. Iran matters to the wider world too: look no fur ther than the deadly Iranian drones that have been de ployed by Tehran’s ally, Moscow, against Ukraine. And don’t forget the sus tained effort, first by US President Barack Obama and then Joe Biden, to se cure a deal that might curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

And yet, even if the re gional and international pol itics were to remain stuck, we should still be paying

attention to the cry being raised on Iran’s streets. Just as the invasion of Ukraine reminded the West that, for all its flaws and well-docu mented failings, it is pref erable to the alternative –tyranny and aggression, as embodied by Vladimir Putin – so the people of Iran are jogging our memories about the fundamentals.

Recall the incident that started these protests. It be gan with a young woman, Mahsa Amini, pulled over by Iran’s “morality police” because a few stray strands of hair from underneath her hijab were visible. She was taken into custody and beat en to death.

To be clear, this is not about the rights and wrongs of the veil. It’s much sim pler than that. It’s about the right to choose, the right of a human being to decide what they do with their own body. That’s why even hijab-wear ing women are joining these protests. Because the prin ciple is so clear. It stands against Tehran’s ayatollahs telling women to wear the veil and, with equal vehe mence, against the French Government telling wom en not to wear the veil. It is about the human right of autonomy, the freedom of the individual.

“This is a fight for univer sal values,” says the Iranian writer Maryam Namazie. She is right. This is a battle for liberties so basic, articu lated and demanded in the age of the Enlightenment, that many Westerners now take those rights entirely for granted. But to the Iranians of 2022, they are new and precious – and out of reach.

President Dr Irfaan Ali visited the French Navy Vessel La Combattante at the Georgetown Sugar Wharf on Monday afternoon. The vessel is in Guyana to mark the accreditation of the new Non-resident French Ambassador to Guyana, Nicholas De Lacoste. Also in photo is Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd (Office of the President photo)

By Jonathan Freedland

Why corporal punishment?

Dear Editor,

In light of growing com plaints about teachers se verely beating children in schools, Education Minister Priya Manickchand has said she believes it is time that Guyana decides on a definitive position when it comes to corporal punish ment in schools.

This focus on the Government with respect to national consultation on corporal punishment is rather astounding given that Guyana has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and that conven tion makes it rather clear that corporal punishment is an unacceptable practice. The obligation to prohibit all corporal punishment of children falls directly under Articles 19, 28 (2) and 37 of the Convention.

Article 19 (1): “States Parties shall take all appro priate legislative, admin istrative, social and educa tional measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental vio lence, injury or abuse, ne glect or negligent treat ment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sex ual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guard ian(s) or any other per son who has the care of the child….”

Article 28 (2): “States Parties shall take all appro priate measures to ensure that school discipline is ad ministered in a manner

consistent with the child’s human dignity and in con formity with the present Convention.”

Article 37: “States Parties shall ensure that: (a) No child shall be subject ed to torture or other cru el, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punish ment nor life imprisonment without possibility of re lease shall be imposed for offences committed by per sons below eighteen years of age….”

But that is not the only reason why corporal pun ishment should simply be abolished by the Ministry of Education without a con sultation. For one, it is not a Government policy to have a national consultation be fore it makes decisions af fecting the entire popula tion. Nor does Government apply consultation in mak ing decisions about the edu cation sector. So why should there be an exception for corporal punishment?

As well, corporal pun ishment as a strategy for discipline is dated. It was thought to be effective at a time when information to the contrary was not avail able. Today there is moun tain of evidence that ex plains the negative effects of corporal punishment. And there is significant re search that indicates how corporal punishment affects the mental, emotional and social well-being of the child

and classroom dynamic.

The fact is that those parents who still hold on to corporal punishment as a viable a tool and cite their own experiences as evi dence, still do not know any better and thus do not have a basis to make compari sons. As well, many of them simply dismiss any evi dence presented to them by saying, ‘I’m proof that cor poral punishment works’, unaware that lack of corpo ral punishment would not have made them lesser indi viduals any which way but could have provided greater scope of the development of their overall well-being and its resulting concomitants.

As an individual who taught both in Guyana where I used corporal pun ishment and in New York City where I did not, I say with absolute certainty that I was a far better teacher for not using corporal pun ishment. I also recall how bitter many of ex-students from Guyana were about my use of corporal punish ment during a number of exchanges on Facebook. And as I indicated during those exchanges, I could not justify use of corporal pun ishment and was profuse in my apology to them.

The fact is that in the seventies and eighties I used corporal punishment in Guyana because it was a classroom norm prac ticed by all teachers and none of us knew any better.

After migrating to the US, I learnt better and my sub sequent teaching practice borne out the fact that cor poral punishment was un necessary.

As well, my wife and I brought up my son without corporal punishment and he grew up to be caring, com passionate, ethical, princi pled, generous every which way as well as a fabulous learner.

Thus, Minister Priya Manickchand should ad here to the demands of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and consider all the evidence that indi cates that corporal punish ment is a harmful, scarring practice. Perhaps too, the Honourable Minister may consider provision of ongo ing training for teachers on ‘Classroom Management Without Corporal

Punishment’ so that they will be armed with tools that would make corporal punishment obsolete, retro gressive and absolutely un necessary. If needs be, The Caribbean Voice can offer a free train the trainer pro gramme whether virtual or face to face.

Sincerely, Annan Boodram

The Caribbean Voice

Expectation of recourse from GPF and EPA pointless

Dear Editor,

As I prepare to write an other letter about the ex treme discomfort expe rienced on the night of November 26, 2022, due to an event being held on the parking lot of MovieTowne, I pause to ponder what will be the outcome? There is no shortage of letters in the newspapers from per sons complaining about noise in Guyana. Recently, I came across a letter from Devanand Bhagwan which was aptly titled: “Not even the sanctity of our homes is immune to the boom box madness” and “Noise in Guyana at madness lev el”. This letter clearly re veals the plight of so many Guyanese who are forced to endure noise nuisance on a daily basis, especially in our

homes, the place where we all go for comfort and peace of mind. So, I wonder, what is my right as a Guyanese in this regard? The expec tation of recourse from the Guyana Police Force and EPA is pointless. It is easy to blame the victim for not wanting to be part of the revelry and enjoyment of others. We try to live decent lives demonstrating respect and consideration to persons in our community but we are forced to succumb to the de cisions made by a few, who I’m sure sought comfort in their homes after partying all night. We are blamed for living close to MovieTowne, even though at no time were the residents in Turkeyen consulted on the decision to build a mall in the residen tial area. It was imposed

upon us and we are now suffering from all the ef fects of this establishment, be it noise from the activi ties in the car park to traffic congestion from poor plan ning. So again, I ask, what are my rights as a citizen of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana? Am I supposed to move from my home? Should I endure the inconvenience to the detriment of my men tal and physical health? Where can I go to experience peace and quiet if not in my home? Am I expected to seek recourse from the courts? What is clear is that there will be no help from the Guyana Police Force nor the Environmental Protection Agency.

Sincerely, Zorina Gafoor

The heroic people...

That is why it’s so mov ing to see the banners car rying the slogan of this re volt: Women, Life, Freedom. Or to hear of the female re porters now behind bars for covering Amini’s death. Or to hear of the women who have had enough of courts that regard their testimony as worth exactly half that of a man. Or to read of the ingenuity of protesters cov ering the lenses of security cameras with sanitary pads, knowing that their tormen tors will scarcely dare touch them to remove them. Or to see crowds singing the im provised anthem of their movement.

At a time when there can be great confusion in the West about what feminism is or should be, and when there is often a squeamish

FROM PAGE 4

ness about the application of universal rights everywhere – born of an understand able urge to seem respectful to different cultures, even when the masters of those cultures show no respect to (at least) one half of the hu man race – it is valuable to be reminded once more of the basics.

The people of Iran are showing the world that peo ple everywhere yearn to be governed by those whom they can elect and throw out, rather than by sup posed holy men claiming unique authority to inter pret holy texts. That people everywhere yearn to speak, or sing, the sentiment that is in their hearts. That peo ple everywhere yearn to be free. (The Guardian)

Question 1:

Foundation

Materials

Pie pan Cornstarch Water

Measuring cup

Liquid food colouring or watercolour paint. One colour is enough to do the activity, but several colours will yield a more colourful painting.

Small bowl to mix food colouring or paint with water, one for each colour you use.

Paint brush(es)

A sheet of watercolour or construction paper, preferably a light colour.

Cloth or paper towels

Optional: Sponge Optional: Fork

Prep Work

Warning: Prepare to get messy! This activity tends to get all over. Be careful to not splatter in your eyes and to wash up well after.

Slowly mix two cups of cornstarch with one cup of water in the pie pan. If you have a small pan, use half as much. You can use your hands or a fork for mixing. The result should be a gluelike mixture that slowly oozes between your fingers if you pick it up. Add small amounts of water if the substance seems too dry. This mixture is often called Oobleck. Exploring Oobleck is an

activity by itself!

Leave the paste in the middle of the pan and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Watch how it slowly oozes out and fills the pan.

Mix a few drops of food colouring or watercolour paint with a bit of water in a small bowl. This is your water-based paint.

Just before you start the activity, let water run over the paper or wet it with a sponge so its surface is wet (but not soaked through).

Instructions

In a moment, you will paint a line on the wet paste in the pie pan and on the wet paper. Think about: Do you expect the lines to look sharp and crisp, or soft and spread out?

Take a paintbrush, pick up some paint, and paint a line on the wet paper.

Think about: What happens? Why would this be?

Pick up some more paint and paint a line on the wet paste in the pie pan.

Think about: What happens now? Why would this look different?

Go ahead and paint whatever you feel like on the wet paste and on the wet paper. Think about: Is the effect of the water-based paint on wet paper and on wet paste different? Why would this be?

Once you are done painting, let both paintings dry and observe the

results. Think about: Can you explain why these techniques create such different results?

Clean-up

Wash all equipment with soapy water and wipe them clean. Wash excess paste down the drain with plenty of water. Discard dried paste with the trash. Do not forget to wash your hands once you are done.

What happened?

Were your lines soft and spread out on wet paper, and sharp and crisp on the wet paste? That is expected!

Even though the paste is wet, it is not saturated; it can absorb more water. As a result, the water-based paint penetrates the paste, carrying the colourful pigments with it. This leaves a crisp, well-defined line on the surface.

Painting on wet paper is slightly different. The little air pockets between the paper fibres quickly fill up with water. Once the paper is saturated with water, it can absorb no more. Waterbased paint applied on a saturated surface floats on top of the paper, carrying the pigments with it. The result is a soft line with crinkly edges.

In both cases, the water evaporates, leaving the pigments and cornstarch or paper behind. (Excerpt from sciencebuddies.org)

By The BroThers Grimm CONTINUED FROM MONDAY

Frontera, CGX postpone drilling of Wei-1 well

…construction starts on Berbice Deepwater Port

Frontera Energy Corp and CGX Energy Incorporated, two Canadian companies which are joint venture partners in the Corentyne oil block, have announced the post ponement of drilling of the Wei-1 well offshore Guyana, citing contractor obligations.

The two companies an nounced this in a state

semi-submersible mobile drilling unit that was slated to spud the well was expect ed to arrive in Guyana’s wa ters since October.

Wei-1 is one of two wells on Guyana’s Corentyne Block that the companies have committed to drill. The other well, Kawa-1, struck light oil and gas condensate in May, though the compa

“The joint venture looks forward to building on the light oil and condensate dis covery at Kawa-1 with the spudding of the Wei-1 well in the northern section of the Corentyne Block, off shore Guyana,” Narine said.

Port

Meanwhile, with respect to the Berbice Deepwater Port, CGX announced that in-river construction activ ity has begun on a 50 x 12 metre access trestle, togeth er with the necessary dredg ing of the river.

ment on Monday, explain ing that an agreement was reached with the Guyanese Government to start drill ing no later than January 31, 2023, to allow contrac tor Noble Corp Plc to com plete current obligations in Trinidad.

According to CGX in its statement, this timeline “is in keeping with the schedule provided to CGX Resources Inc by Noble Corp so as to allow for the Noble Corp Discoverer to complete its current obligations.”

Frontera and CGX were previously scheduled to be gin drilling the well by November 27. Additionally, the Noble Discoverer

nies had not said how much oil was found or whether it was commercially viable.

In a statement, Executive Co-Chairman of CGX, Professor Suresh Narine expressed appreciation for the collaborative approach of the Government. He also noted that the joint venture partners have been in regu lar contact with both Noble Corp and the Government.

“Given the delays in ar rival of the Noble Corp Discover to the Wei-1 drill ing location, the joint ven ture has, with support from the Government of Guyana, revised its anticipated spud window for the Wei-1 well to January 2023.”

“Construction of the wharf, perpendicular to the trestle, will follow. The car go terminal aspects of the BDWP are targeted to com mence in mid-2023 and oper ation of oil and gas support base in late-2023, subject to construction schedules and supply chains,” CGX said.

CGX noted that in collaboration with the Government, the immediate focus of the port has shift ed to service expected de mand for aggregates and building materials to sup port the Government’s in frastructure development in Berbice. It was noted that these necessary commodi ties must be imported into the region from both local and foreign sources.

The CGX deep-water harbour project has been in the works since 2010.

CGX’s subsidiary, Grand Canal Industrial Estates Inc

(GCIE), has been engaged in civil works related to the construction of the US$130 million Berbice Deepwater Port, which intends to serve as an offshore supply base for the oil and gas industry, and as a multi-purpose ter minal cargo handling base to service agricultural im port/export, containerised and specialised cargo.

Initially, it was expected that the offshore oil and gas support shore base would be operationalised by the third quarter of 2022, and the car go terminal by the end of 2023. However, in its finan cial statements in August, CGX informed sharehold ers that it would be unable to meet the 2022 deadline and that a revised schedule

for completion is being dis cussed with the contractor.

Previously, the Government had expressed concerns over the slow pace of the project and had given the company up to September month-end to submit a plan on how it in tends to move forward with the port facility. (G3)

An artist’s impression of CGX’s deep-water harbour

Duo in deadly piracy attack found guilty, to be sentenced next year

The two men who were on trial for the 2018 piracy attack that had left five fishermen dead, were found guilty as charged on Monday by a mixed 12-member jury.

Premnauth Persaud, also known as “Sand Bat”, 47, of Cromarty Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and 43-year-old Nakool Manohar, called “Fyah”, of Number 43 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, faced two indictments for murder ing five fishermen.

Between April 14 and June 3, 2018, they murdered Bandara (only name given), called “Spanish Man” or “Dora”; Lalta Sumair, called “Bora” or “Puduck”; and Lokesh De Couite. These murders occurred on board the vessel Joshua SK 1418, which was attacked by pi rates.

They also murdered Mahesh Sarjoo, called “Kuba” or “Vishal”; and Tilaknauth Mohabir, called “Camion” or “Kaimon”, “Pollom” or “Palam,” and “Cold Record”, between April 14 and June 3, 2018,

on board the vessel Romina SK 764, which was under at tack during the incident of piracy.

Like Persaud, Manohar had pleaded not guilty to the charges upon their ar raignment before Justice Navindra Singh at the Berbice High Court. The jury, after deliberating for over two hours on Monday, returned unanimous guilty verdicts in favour of the two accused men.

Following the convic tions, the trial Judge or dered that social reports be prepared on the convicts, who he further remanded to prison to await sentencing on January 16, 2023.

During their tri al, Special Prosecutor, Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Rahamat, and State Prosecutor Nafeeza Baig called to testify, Doronodeo Persaud called “Archie Boy” and Deonarine Goberdan called “Tatar”, both fisher men and survivors of the pi racy attack.

Goberdan was the cap tain of Romina SK 764 while Doronodeo Persaud was a crewmember of Joshua

SK 1418. The survivors re counted the harrowing or deal of seeing their fellow fishermen beaten, chopped up, tied to weights, and then thrown into the Atlantic Ocean.

Goberdan and Doronodeo Persaud recalled that Premnauth Persaud, whom they had known prior, was among the pirates who at tacked a group of Guyanese fishermen.

The pirates wore no face coverings.

Alexander Denheart called “Shame Face”, an eye witness, testified that the

piracy attack was in retali ation for the execution-style killing of Somnath Manohar, Nakool Manohar’s brother.

Somnath Manohar was gunned down on March 30, 2018 (Good Friday) in Suriname during a driveby shooting. Denheart said that as Nakool Manohar lit the fire to burn his brother’s body, he instructed him and others that they must “go and kill out all the Guyanese fishermen like how they killed out his brother.”

According to him, Nakool Manohar ordered them to “make the sea red”, while warning them that if they did not do what he asked, Premnauth Persaud, would kill them.

He testified that he did not want to kill anyone so he contacted his sister, who sent money for him to return to Guyana from Suriname via the backtrack route.

Aside from these five fishermen, 15 others are still missing and are consid ered dead.

The badly decomposed re mains of the fishermen were discovered in Surinamese waters, and Police had to rely on DNA testing to prop erly identify the corpses.

Nakool Manohar was rep resented by Senior Counsel Mursaline Bacchus, while Premnauth Persaud was represented by Attorney -atLaw Horatio Edmondson. (G1)

Making…

…money

t used to be said that “money doesn’t grow on trees”. Meaning that money doesn’t sprout and grow just like that – you gotta earn it!! You gotta WORK for it. And that, of course, is what we’ve been doing for centuries. We even worked as slaves when we didn’t even get any money!! We were supposed to be thankful that we were given the opportunity to become “civilised”. And we were whipped mercilessly if we dared to complain!! And now THEY complain we’re not civilised when we express our frustrations a tad violently nowadays!! It’s civilised, innit??

But did we ever get the money promised for working –even after slavery was “abolished”?? Well, not if you go by the evidence all around us! We’re still lumped among the poorest in the hemisphere – so what to do?? Well, from what your Eyewitness has been reading recently, while money still doesn’t grow on trees – unless it’s ganja, but that’s illegal!! – it’s perfectly legal to create some once you got a computer!! Seems that some very smart folks realised that money can be ANYTHING – the trick is to get other folks to accept it to give you stuff you want.

It used to be that cowrie shells and beads were used as money, no? At some point or other gold, became acceptable – and still remains so!! Did you ever really think about that? That you could just go out with a pick and shovel and dig up gold and buy whatever you want? It’s just pieces of metal you unearthed – but you can get real stuff like food and cars, etc!! Countries also created money from metals and then moved on to pieces of paper printed with arbitrary amounts of “dollars”, pounds, dinars, reals, yuan, rupees, roubles, etc, etc. Their citizens HAD to accept them!! And once they could get other countries and folks to accept those pieces of paper as money because of their armies –presto they were rich!!

So, recently, a few wise guys decided that why not create something in hyperspace that you can’t touch –cryptocurrency – through a computer technology called “blockchain”. This can be done by having computer geeks hack away at their computers for hours and hours in a process called “mining” – get it?? Like mining gold!! The creators justified their “invention” by virtuously claiming they were taking the power to create money from the powerful countries – and putting it in the hands of everybody!! Folks started accepting the concept and a whole new payment system came into play.

But for all the idealism, it’s all falling apart, because four college kids with big connections were human – they got greedy!!

They scammed some US$8 billion before anyone got wise!!

…joke

Only in Guyana! A month ago, a Panamanian oil carrier violated all protocols, disobeyed instructions from the onshore authority and – in the face of a screaming Guard on the DHB – veered off course to slam the Bridge in two!! Mass pandemonium ensued as drivers of the 9000 vehicles that cross daily had to make alternative arrangements. Through the valiant efforts of the conscripted private sector, the bridge was repaired in record time –at a cost of a BILLION DOLLARS!!

All your Eyewitness could conclude was “mischief thou art afoot”!! When it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, you know it’s a prime candidate for the duck curry competition!! But nobody was held responsible for the sabotage! While the vessel was held at Grove and the Ministry talked tough about getting its $1 billion back. Now lo and behold, persons on the same DHB opened the bridge for the vessel to slip out of the country – with no fine collected.

Heads better roll!!

…precautions

With markets so tight, some are questioning whether we should’ve hired a sales agent for our portion of oil –even with BP taking no commission. Could you imagine the questions about “transparency” if the Government sold directly??!!

Convicted killer: Premnauth Persaud

Pensioner murdered on 85th birthday during home invasion

Police are investigat ing the circumstanc es surrounding the death of an 85-year-old woman who was killed in her Lot 131 Section B Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice home.

Dead is Sumintra Shaw called “Aunty Betty”. She would have celebrated her 85th birthday on Monday.

According to Police, the woman’s great-niece report ed that two men, dressed in black and armed with knives, invaded Shaw’s home at about 03:00h on Monday morning.

Investigations revealed that Sawh lived alone in a two-storey wooden and con crete house but on Sunday afternoon her 37-year-old great-niece of Section D Bush Lot, visited her at about 16:45h.

The woman, who is a housewife, told investiga tors that at about 19:00h on Sunday evening, she and Sawh retired to bed. She said Sawh went to sleep in the front bedroom of the

house and she in the back bedroom.

According to Police re ports, at about 03:00h on Monday, the great-niece said she was awakened by a male who was in her room with a knife to her throat, demanding money.

Police said the woman in her statement said the man then took her out of the bed room, at which point she saw another male suspect with Sawh in her bedroom.

She related that the

home invader took her to the lower flat, placed her in a chair, and tied her with a sling.

The woman further said that while she was in the lower flat, she heard Sawh saying, “Don’t kill me grand daughter”.

Shortly after, the male who was with Sawh re turned downstairs and both of them searched the low er flat. They then walked through the northern door of the lower flat which was open and escaped in an un known direction.

Enquiries further re vealed that the great-niece then untied herself and went to the upper flat to check on Sawh, where she saw her lying motionlessly in a pool of blood on her bed. She then raised an alarm.

Police said the greatniece claimed that Sawh had a handbag where she usually kept her money, identification card, pen sion book, and other arti cles, and the handbag was missing from her bedroom.

According to her, Sawh had about $350,000 in the bag, of which she was saving to build her fence.

“When Police ranks ar rived on the scene, they saw the body of Sawh lying on a bed on her back. Blood stains were seen on the en tire body and the bed. Six wounds were seen on her:

one each on both sides of the temple, three on the fore head, and one to the back of the head,” Police said in a statement to the media on Monday.

The body was re moved and escorted to Fort Wellington Public Hospital, where it was pronounced dead on arrival. The body

was then escorted to Bailey’s Funeral Parlour, awaiting post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, abrasions were seen on the greatniece’s neck and right hand. She claimed that the suspect had injured her and she was escorted to Fort Wellington Public Hospital. An investi gation has been launched.

Sumintra Sawh, called “Aunty Betty”

The Section B Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice home in which the pensioner was killed

Nullification of Parliamentary Secretaries Judge to decide if to recuse self from hearing appeal against CJ’s decision

tutional motion against then Attorney General Basil Williams, SC, chal lenging the legality of the appointments of former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Technocrat Ministers Keith Scott and Winston Felix. Felix, who was at the time the Minister of Citizenship, and Scott, the Minister with responsi bility for Labour, were can didates on the APNU/AFC’s List of Candidates for the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Appeal Court Judge Dawn GregoryBarnes said she wants to satisfy herself that she can hear an appeal against acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC’s decision to nullify the appointments of Vickash Ramkissoon and Sarah Browne as non-elected members of the National Assembly and as Parliamentary Secretaries. In arriving at that de

cision, Justice George had used the case of the Attorney General v Morian, as a precedent. That case was first decided by then Chief Justice Ian Chang whose ruling was later challenged at the Court of Appeal where Justices GregoryBarnes, Rishi Persaud, and Franklin Holder adjudicated and made a certain ruling. Appearing before the Court of Appeal on Monday, Senior

Counsel Douglas Mendes, on behalf of Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, con tended that since the Court of Appeal’s ruling in the Attorney General v Morian was only on the issue of ju risdiction and not the sub stantive matter, the case cannot be used as a bind ing precedent and therefore Justice George fell into error when she applied it in decid ing to nullify the appoint

ments of Ramkissoon and Browne.

“A court is only bound by the ratio decidendi of a case, and therefore if the court has not made any pro nouncement on the issue, it does not constitute bind ing authority. Even if the court on some occasions as sumes a proposition of law to be correct, without actu ally considering it, the au thorities we have put before the court indicate that that does not constitute binding authority either,” Mendes argued.

In 2015, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) member Dennis Morian had filed a consti

In 2016, the now-late Chief Justice Chang de clared that both Scott and Felix were unlawfully and unconstitutionally occupy ing seats in the National Assembly due to their status as elected members (named on the coalition’s List of Candidates).

Applying the rationale by the Court of Appeal in its decision in the Attorney General v Morian, Chief Justice George had held that Browne and Ramkissoon’s appointments violated Articles 113, 186, and 103 (3) of the Constitution of Guyana.

The Chief Justice had pronounced that they cannot be appointed as non-elected Members of Parliament (MPs) since they

were named on the List of Candidates presented by the PPP/C for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

To recuse self or not?

Given that she was one of the Judges who heard the appeal against Chief Justice Chang’s decision, Justice Gregory-Barnes said that she will revisit that decision to clarify what position she had taken before determin ing whether to recuse her self from hearing the case at bar. Mendes had no objec tions to her sitting in the ap peal.

Vickash Ramkissoon

Sarah Browne

Douglas Mendes, SC Roysdale Forde, SC

Justice of Appeal Dawn Gregory-Barnes

Govt’s plans for diversification of non-oil economy discussed with British officials

…UK-Guyana partnership on mobilisation of development support also discussed

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh on Monday outlined Government’s plans, includ ing to utilise its oil revenue to diversify its non-oil econ omy into a globally compet itive one, and to invest in citizens to create a suitably equipped and skilled work force in line with the current and future demand for new sets of skills.

The Finance Minister was at the time holding dis cussions with Development Director for the Caribbean, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and UK Director to the Caribbean Development Bank Malcolm Geere, and Economics Adviser, Team Leader for Inclusive Economic Growth, Caribbean, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Liz Brower at the Finance Ministry during an in troductory meeting. The British officials were led by British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller.

Besides its introductory purpose, the meeting served as an opportunity for the British team to discuss with the Minister how the United Kingdom could partner with Guyana to increase mobili sation of development sup port as Government con tinues to forge a number of international partnerships to catapult its current devel opment agenda.

“Notwithstanding the commencement of oil pro duction in Guyana and this illusion that there is wind fall revenue, we still feel strongly about utilising as much development support as we can,” Dr Singh ex

plained to the UK officials as he reminded that Guyana values its longstanding rela tionship with the UK.

The Finance Minister ex plained that Government plans to ensure that reve nues earned from oil cur rently being extracted will be used to lay the founda tion for the future as he list ed agriculture, transport in frastructure (for improved access to productive land and to improve access to continuous markets), ener gy infrastructure (to provide reliable and affordable ener gy as this would be import ant especially to facilitate a competitive manufactur ing sector), physical infra structure such as roads, bridges schools and hospi tals, investing in people en suring they are adequately equipped with the skills to meet new demands.

Dr Singh also noted that Government intends to fully capitalise on its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and will continue to manage Guyana’s tropical rainforest in a sustainable manner in order to be com pensated by the world for its forest conservation and clean air contribution.

He also briefly discussed Guyana’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, which he remind ed comprises part of the oil proceeds being put aside for future generations but added that along with this, Government wants to en sure the improved well-be ing of Guyanese such as al lowing for them to have their own homes, are edu cated and have marketable skills and careers while the future generation will also

be able to enjoy a modern, diversified economy where they can continue to thrive as well as be provided with modern healthcare once the country’s oil is exhausted in the future.

Guyana and the UK have been collaborat ing on a number of devel opment projects, and re cently, the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund pro vided US$66 million toward the US$190 million Linden to Mabura road project. The two-lane highway be tween Linden and Mabura Hill forms part of the arte rial link between Linden and the Lethem Highway and links Georgetown to the Brazilian border.

Additionally, through the UK Export Finance (UKEF) the Government of Guyana is constructing a Paediatric and Maternal Hospital. The building and equipping of the state-of-the-art hospital will cost 149 million pounds.

Meanwhile, Co-operation programmes/projects be tween Guyana and the UK also include the Diamond Diagnostic Centre; the Lethem Hospital; the Leonora Cottage Hospital; the Mabaruma Hospital and the Paramakatoi Hospital. Through collaboration be tween the two countries as well, Guyanese are now able to visit the UK visa-free.

President Dr Irfaan Ali had stressed as well during the announcement of this waiv er on visas, that the two Governments aim to further expand bilateral relations with the hope of furthering investments, including ex pansion of Guyana’s tourism market.

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh meeting with British officials Malcolm Geere, Liz Brower and British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller at the Finance Ministry on Monday

Ministry on alert for virus among young children

The Health Ministry is currently on high alert for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and COVID-19 combination ill nesses, amid trends which have been affecting chil dren under two years.

Three viruses, name ly COVID-19, RSV and Influenza sometimes pres ent in combinations which lead to a higher chance of hospitalisation and even death.

Trends have shown chil dren presenting with a combination of RSV and COVID in recent months, putting local medical au thorities on the lookout.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony informed during Monday’s COVID update, “RSV is a virus that would normally infect people. Generally, it’s mild.

However, what we have no ticed over the last couple of months is that RSV now is in combination with COVID and it is presenting a lot of problems for small children below the age of two.”

“We haven’t received any cases but we are on the alert because we have seen in the United States, there are three viruses that sometimes presents in combination which can re sult in hospitalisation and sometimes even death.”

Generally, RSV is pre sented with lower respira tory tract infection. This

means children would have difficulty breathing and bronchitis.

As such, the Health Minister urged, “If parents know that their children

are having breathing prob lems, they should bring them to the hospital for

an examination and treat ment. Generally, it is symp tomatic. Depending on what symptoms the child presents with, the doctor would be able to treat.”

can cause severe infection in some people, including babies 12 months and younger, and especial ly premature infants, old er adults, people with heart and lung disease, or any one with a weak immune system (immunocompro mised).

COVID figures

In Guyana, 120 ac tive COVID cases are be ing monitored, with 10 per sons hospitalised and four in the Intensive Care Unit. Regionally, there is a break down of six cases in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 91 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), three in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 10 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), one in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and nine in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

On Monday, the Health Ministry reported two new cases. No new fatality was reported. There are 71,584 confirmed cases to date – a breakdown of 32,817 males and 38,767 females.

Four persons are in the Intensive Care Unit, six in institutional isolation, 110

in home isolation and zero in institutional quarantine. To date, 70,179 persons have recovered.

In the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 179 mil lion while the death toll in the Region has gone up to 2.8 million. Globally, there are 627 million confirmed positives with 6.5 million deaths.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms asso ciated with COVID-19 or needs any additional in formation, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

All Guyanese are being encouraged to continue ob serving the public health measures set out by the Health Ministry. This en courages the need for ev eryone five years and old er to get vaccinated against COVID-19; the need for ev eryone to get a COVID-19 booster dose after complet ing the primary vaccina tion series; the need for cor rect and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining a safe dis tance of six feet from oth ers and; good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. (G12)

Parikawarinau Village gets $18M water system

Better water qual ity is now a real ity for the village of Parikawarinau in the Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), after a new $18 million water supply system was commissioned by the Housing and Water Ministry.

This means travel ling far distances to use a well is a thing of the past. This new system is expect ed to benefit some 211 per sons from 56 households in the village. Commissioning the structure was Housing and Water Minister Collin

Under this project, en gineers from the Guyana Water Incorporated in stalled a complete water supply system comprising a newly drilled well, a two-ki lometre distribution net work, 40 stand pipes, and elevated storage. This new system now serves 95 per cent of the community with access to potable water at a household level.

However, a total of 12 households reside far from

the system and are not con nected and would require approximately eight kilo metres of the network to be connected.

Parikawarinau is situ ated approximately 35 ki lometres south of the main town of Lethem. It is home to approximately 211 per sons, amounting to over 50

households. Before the up grade of the water supply system, residents relied on a hand-dug well and windmill system to supply the com munity with potable water. Some residents would have to travel far distances to ac cess potable water for con sumption - one of the major challenges faced by the peo

ple of Parikawarinau since there was no network to serve the community.

The Minister reminded of Government’s commit ment to ensure that there is 100 per cent coverage of potable water in all hinter land regions. He urged res idents to play their part in ensuring that they get the

maximum benefit from the system by taking care of all components of the system.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that only 53 per cent of the four hinterland regions have access to pota ble water, in which pledg es were made to reach 100 per cent by 2025. In its quest to achieve this, the Government has inject ed some $1.5 billion into its hinterland water pro gramme since taking office.

This sum has resulted in the drilling of new well sys tems and upgrades to ex isting systems in Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Nine. Several riverine Amerindian communities within the coastal regions are also being looked at for upgrades to the water sys tems.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Six speaks to “equi table access to safe and af fordable drinking water for all” and is a target to be achieved by 2030. However, GWI is confident that all communities in Guyana will have access to pota ble water five years earlier. (G12)

Croal, Regional Chairman Brian Allicock, Hinterland Service Director Ramchand Jailal and Toshao Brian James.

The new water system being commissioned in Parikawarinau village

World AIDS Day Medical conference to update practitioners on HIV treatment, PrEP

Amedical conference, organised in com memoration of World AIDS Day, is expected to up date practitioners in Guyana on treatment guidelines and usage of the various medica tions to treat patients.

World AIDS Day is celebrated annually on December 1. This year, among the activities planned is a conference on December 4, updating practitioners

on management of HIV pa tients.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony announced on Monday that experts will be here in Guyana to share their input from pres tigious organisations within the Region and the United States.

He shared, “We will have experts coming from the United States, along with local experts who will be

Digicel rewards new customers with 10GB bonus

Digicel Guyana has announced more re wards for its custom ers with the introduction of a 10GB bonus of any-use data monthly for the next three months.

On Monday, the tele phone company said that through Digicel’s exclusive SIM offer, new customers purchasing SIM cards from November 28 to December 31, will receive a 10GB bo nus of any-use data month ly for the next three months (January to March 2023) once a 7-day or higher Prime Bundle Plan is acti vated monthly.

“This Christmas keeps on giving at Digicel. The holiday season is a time for being thankful, so Digicel has taken on an attitude of gratitude and is welcoming

new customers by reward ing them with more data for the next three months,” the company said.

It noted that customers can look forward to more data; more rewards and prizes with Pick & Win in the My Digicel app; more speed, reliability and cover age on the fastest network; and more savings and dis counts on devices and SIMs.

Digicel Guyana CEO,

Gregory Dean said “We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, it’s the Christmas that keeps on giving at Digicel, so we are also re warding new customers for joining the fastest LTE net work this Christmas. For the next three months, all new customers from our Christmas SIM offer ac tivating a 7 Day or more Prime Bundle will receive 10GB of bonus any-use

“Skull City” murder accused pleads guilty to manslaughter

Fifty-two-year-old Hemraj Bramdeo has admitted to a man slaughter charge over the stabbing death of another man at Skull City, Patentia, West Bank Demerara (WBD), six years ago.

Bramdeo called “Rickey Scrawley”, a father of three, and former resident of Back Street, Patentia, unlawful ly killed 25-year-old Dellon Bradford, called “Chicken” on March 23, 2016.

The incident occurred at Skull City, Patentia.

Bramdeo, upon his ar raignment last week before Demerara High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall, was indicted for the capital of fence of murder, to which he pleaded not guilty.

However, on Monday, which was set for the start of his trial, he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count. As such, he was further re

manded to prison to await sentencing on December 12.

Following the murder of Bradford, the Police had is sued a wanted bulletin for Bramdeo.

It is alleged that on the day in question, while a cer

tain woman was at her moth er’s residence, Bradford had broken into her home at Lot 1 Skull City, Patentia, and stolen $200,000 in cash and other items. The woman had reportedly come home and caught Bradford in the act, and a scuffle had en sued between them and oth ers, during which he was stabbed multiple times.

The injured Bradford was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), but was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he died.

A post-mortem examina tion revealed that Bradford had been stabbed six times, and his death had been due to kidney failure, spinal damage, and brain injuries. At the time of his demise, Bradford had been employed as a labourer at the sugar estate in Wales, WBD. (G1)

data, on us. For us, it’s all about continuing to put our customers first, and reward ing them with more for ev ery interaction they have with us.”

Customers can also win more in the My Digicel app through Pick & Win, the new gamified way to be re warded for any interaction with Digicel. Whether it’s switching to join the Digicel family and buying a Prime Bundle or paying bills in full and on time, customers will get the chance to Pick & Win lots of cool prizes.

talking about updates and treatment of HIV. We will have topics such as updates on treatment guidelines, up dates on preexposure pro phylaxis, new techniques in mother to child preven tion. We’re looking also at the management of TB, with persons who have HIV and TB coinfections.”

Presenters will come from institutions like the Mayo Clinic, the Pan American Health Organisation, National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) and Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS, (PANCAP).

“We would like to see doc tors, nurses, other health care professionals and per sons with a general interest in HIV medicine…There are lots of interesting topics for persons in this field.”

In Guyana, it is estimat ed that over 9000 persons are estimated to be living in Guyana with the virus. However, an alarming 2400 of them did not return for treatment after the pandem ic struck. Last year, data showed that over 94 per cent

of the persons living with HIV in Guyana know their status but only 70 per cent are on treatment with an tiretrovirals and 87 per cent are virally suppressed.

The 2030 goal is to end the HIV epidemic: to have 95 per cent of people with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of persons on treat ment and 95 per cent of pa tients on treatment virally suppressed. For 2021, only 71 new cases were reported.

Guyana is one of the first countries in the Region to have achieved the First 90. It has also made significant progress in delivering PrEP to key populations; develop ing PrEP guidelines through NAPS; and training clini cians. PrEP is available at 15 public, private and CSO locations.

HIV self-testing was also in the pilot phase, and Guyana’s testing algorithm was validated. Kits can be accessed from four public, private and CSO locations. In addition, the NAPS had signalled plans to scale up and make more sites acces sible.

Confessed killer: Hemraj Bramdeo

GECOM starts countrywide distribution of ID cards

The Guyana Elections Commission

(GECOM) has started the distribution period for National ID cards, warning that persons who conducted transactions with the com mission previously and have not uplifted their ID cards, should also do so now.

On Monday, GECOM an nounced that ID cards will be distributed at all of their registration offices coun trywide from November 28, between the hours of 8:00h to 16:30h from Monday to Thursday and from 08:00h to 15:30h on Friday, with a one-hour lunch break.

GECOM made a special appeal to persons who com pleted registration during the Continuous Registration that was held between March 2022 and May 2022, as well as the Claims and Objections exercise that was held between August and September, 2022, to visit the offices where their trans actions were done to collect their IDs.

“The commission is also advising persons that au thorisations will not be ac cepted and, in this regard, registrants must uplift their ID cards personally in accor dance with GECOM’s stan dard operating procedures in relation to the verifica tion of identity, transparen cy and accountability.”

“Specifically, only per sons who would have com pleted new registration transactions, changes to their registration particu lars or applied for a replace

ment are required to vis it the registration office,” GECOM said.

They also urged per sons who conducted trans actions in registration ex ercises predating 2022 but did not uplift their ID cards, to do so now… ahead of Local Government Elections (LGE), which are due to be held on March 13, 2023.

GECOM has already des ignated December 12, 2022, as nomination day for the upcoming LGE. On nomina tion day, parties make their way to a designated loca tion, where their represen tatives are usually required to submit their list of candi dates to the Chief Election Officer, as well as sign on to the required documents, such as a code of conduct, to contest the elections.

Since losing the March 2020 elections, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition has been claiming that the voters’ list is bloated and that they want biometric se curity measures to be used in addition to ID cards.

Their claims of a bloat ed list come despite GECOM already conducting Claims and Objections, a legally mandated method of cleans ing the list. The exercise captured more than 3000 new applicants who will be eligible to vote by October 31, 2022, with only 18 ob jections to names on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).

And based on a 2019 High Court ruling, GECOM cannot remove any person from the National Register of Registrants (NRR) – from which the voters’ list is com piled – unless they are dead or otherwise disqualified un der Article 159 (2), (3) and (4) of the Constitution.

LGE, which are usual ly due every two years, was last held in 2018. At the last LGE in November 2018, the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition had secured 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs). This followed the holding of the LGE in 2016, during which the PPP/C also claimed the ma jority of the LAAs. (G3)

Massive fire destroys ECD storage bond

Amassive fire of un known origin de stroyed a storage bond at Felicity, East Coast Demerara (ECD.

Reports are that the fire started at about 16:00h on Monday at the Z Mohammed and Sons hard ware bond.

Guyana Times was told that while the fire was con tained to the bond, it was initially difficult to get under control and extin guished, because of the type of items, which includ ed paint, that was stored in the building. As a re sult of the lack of access to water, firefighters had to use water from the Grand Coastal Hotel swimming

pool, which is short dis tance away from the bond.

Up to late Monday eve ning, firefighters were still dousing the fire.

The Guyana Elections Commission

Remove all derelict vehicles, encumbrances along roadways – Edghill to citizens

In keeping with a call for residents to clean and upkeep their communi ties by President Dr Irfaan Ali since the year started, and more recently, during a walkabout on Saturday at Herstelling and Grove, East Bank Demerara, the Public Works Ministry has restart ed its campaign to remove derelict vehicles and all en cumbrances from along the

roadways.

In this regard, vehicle owners are being warned to immediately remove such encumbrances, or have them removed by the Ministry’s team.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill on Monday ad vised that all derelict vehi cles should be taken to the Ministry’s derelict dump site, located at Laluni,

which can be accessed from the Kuru Kururu, SoesdykeLinden Highway entrance. This exercise will contin ue throughout the country, and owners of these dere lict vehicles have been given the next 24 hours to act. The Minister made it clear that the Ministry will not be re sponsible for any damage or loss when these derelict ve hicles are removed.

Derelict vehicles being removed by Public Works Ministry staff

Govt committed to small business development – PM Phillips

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips said the Government remains committed to the develop ment and expansion of small businesses in Guyana.

He made the statement while attending the Small Business Bureau Annual Awards Reception and Dinner on Sunday evening.

“Our Government is committed to creating such an environment to allow the expansion and success

of small and medium-sized enterprises and the private sector in general, to thrive and expand while achieving the capacity to operate on a globally competitive scale,” Phillips said, while noting that in the past two years, the Government, through sound and consistent invest ments, has strengthened the business climate.

The emerging oil and gas industry, the Prime Minister explained, has brought mas sive opportunities for busi

nesses to benefit through partnerships or by becoming part of its massive supply chain with their products and services.

He told recipients that the “Government is also aware that for these busi nesses to thrive there must be adequate access to fi nance for small businesses, which directly contributes to their increased output and employment and the over all advancement of econom ic growth and development”.

$161M Early Childhood Centre of Excellence commissioned

Early childhood educa tion is on a transfor mational trajectory, with the commissioning of the Early Childhood Centre of Excellence at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus.

The Early Childhood Centre of Excellence is fund ed by the Government and the Caribbean Development Bank, through Basic Needs Trust Fund Guyana. It cre ates a conducive environ ment for young learners to explore, grow and develop.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand in her remarks, noted that Guyana has the highest nurs ery enrolment rate in the Commonwealth, as such, the investment is fitting since Guyana and the Caribbean can learn from practices which will be implemented at the institution.

She stated that the im portant level of education is at the early childhood age and urged people to not view the Early Childhood Centre of Excellence as just another nursery school.

“This as a research unit can make all the difference in education in Guyana…I didn’t say early childhood education, it can make all the difference in education across all sectors - prima ry, secondary and nursery,” the Minister is quoted as saying in a release from the Ministry.

UNICEF Representative,

Nicholas Pron expressed that UNICEF believes the centre will not only contrib ute to the best start to life, it will also facilitate and fos ter a holistic, inclusive ap proach to improving ear ly childhood development, as well as enhancing the knowledge and competen cies of early childhood de velopment practitioners, re searchers, parents and other caregivers.

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed said the project was long in the making and will help the university to find solutions to the chal lenges in the way in which children are socialised and raised.

Director of the Centre, Dr Lidon Lashley said the facility currently caters to 102 young learners, 26 of whom require additional ed ucation needs. He noted that

each child’s need is catered to.

“And we do so in an at mosphere that embraces the Ministry of Education’s Early Childhood Curriculum but also extended it with practices and research that is done on the upper level.”

Representing the Finance Ministry, Karen Roopchand stated that it was designed as a premier centre to provide a develop mentally appropriate learn ing environment for young children in the surrounding communities and give ear ly childhood education stu dents a venue to gain prac tical experience in the care and education of children.

The $161 million facility is equipped with all the ame nities needed by learners and early childhood practi tioners and caregivers. The building was also designed to accommodate different ly-abled learners.

He also emphasised the essential role of the Bureau in facilitating small busi

ness development and called it “a hub for opportunities”, while congratulating its

management unit.

“With the Small Business Bureau, you have a dedicat ed guide in helping you to access financing; you also have access to training and education, increased visibil ity through the promotion of your products and services, access to Government pro curement opportunities and a range of other business and technical support.”

He also encouraged re cipients and all small busi ness owners to pursue upward mobility and diver sification of their business es, products, and services on a continuous basis.

The Bureau is a Government-funded insti tution that aims to make fi nancing more accessible to small businesses and ad dress issues they face.

Judge to decide if to...

“I would want to be satis fied that I ought to sit. And that would be a determina tion I would want to make for myself,” Justice GregoryBarnes, however, told him.

The decision to recuse is at the Judge’s discretion and is usually made on the main basis of actual or po tential bias or the appear ance thereof.

Back in December 2020, Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones had moved to the High Court challenging Browne and Ramkissoon’s appointments.

He had contended that Browne and Ramkissoon cannot be appointed as non-elected parliamentari ans since they were named on the List of Candidates presented by the PPP/C for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

This, he contended, made them elected members of the National Assembly, since their names were extracted from that party’s list.

Among other things, he had asked the Chief Justice to grant an order compelling the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, to prevent Browne and Ramkissoon from sitting and participating in the business of the National Assembly.

The Chief Justice, how ever, refused to grant the co ercive order, stating that it was left in the hands of the House Speaker to enforce her judgement.

Binding precedent

Roysdale Forde, SC, who is representing Jones, submitted that his under standing of the appellate court’s decision in Attorney General v Morian, was that the court dismissed the ap peal filed by then-Attorney General Williams and af firmed the decision of Chief Justice Chang. According to him, the Court of Appeal’s order specifically stated

that it had affirmed Justice Chang’s ruling.

The Senior Counsel ex plained that he took the posi tion that the Court of Appeal had embraced Justice Chang’s decision and conse quently, it became a decision of the Court of Appeal and a binding precedent. He is of the view that the decision in Attorney General v Morian is a fundamental issue “one way or the other”, in the in stant case, in terms of his and the court’s approach. He, therefore, asked the Court of Appeal for guidance as to the impact of Attorney General v Morian.

Besides Justice GregoryBarnes, acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud, were the other Judges on Monday’s panel. The case was adjourned to January 26, 2023 for contin uation/hearing.

Erroneous

Shortly after Justice George rendered her rul ing, Nandlall had filed an appeal in which he, inter alia, argued that the Chief Justice’s decision that a Parliamentary Secretary cannot sit in Parliament is erroneous and misconceived in law.

“The decision does not accord with the clear and unambiguous binding lan guage of the Constitution,” stated one of the Attorney General’s grounds of appeal.

Public Trustee and Official Receiver Prithima Kissoon, in an affidavit, said she was advised by Nandlall and believes that the Chief Justice erred and misdirect ed herself in law by failing to appreciate that although there are similarities in the two cases (Technocrat Ministers/Parliamentary Secretaries), there are also differences in the consti tutional regime on the ap

FROM PAGE 10

pointment of Technocratic Ministers in comparison to Parliamentary Secretaries.

According to Kissoon, his torically, in Guyana, Parliamentary Secretaries were appointed from among members of the National Assembly, and the category of persons who may be ap pointed as Parliamentary Secretaries was expand ed in the 1980 Constitution to include persons who were qualified to be elect ed. She reminded that in the ninth Parliament, Pauline Sukhai, now Amerindian Affairs Minister, whose name appeared on the List of Candidates for the PPP/C, was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary to assist the Tourism Minister as a non-elected member of the National Assembly, without any objection for the duration of that Parliament.

The Public Trustee also re minded that during the tenth Parliament, Joseph Hamilton, now Labour Minister, whose name did not appear on the List of Candidates for PPP/C or any other List of Candidates, was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary as a non-elect ed member without any ob jection for the duration of that Parliament. Having re gard to these circumstances, Kissoon submitted that “It cannot be disputed that the appeal is not only ground ed in merit but raises fun damental issues of interpre tation of the Constitution, as well as issues integral to Guyana’s parliamentary and constitutional democra cy.”

Browne and Ramkissoon were appointed Parliamentary Secretaries to the Amerindian Affairs and Agriculture Ministries, respectively. Nandlall had asked the Court of Appeal to stay Justice George’s ruling invalidating their appoint ments. (G1)

Prime Minister Mark Phillips

The $161 million Early Childhood Centre of Excellence commissioned

Venezuelan political talks set to enter challenging phase –Opposition delegate

Collapsed crypto currency exchange FTX remains the subject of "an active and ongoing investigation" by Bahamian authori ties, Bahamian Attorney General Ryan Pinder said on Sunday, as he praised the Bahamas' regulatory regime and swiftness with which it responded to the crisis.

FTX, which had been among the world's largest cryptocurrency exchang es, is headquartered in The Bahamas. The firm, whose liquidity crunch forced the company to declare bank ruptcy on November 11, is the subject of inves tigations by Bahamian and US authorities. In mid-November, the Royal Bahamas Police said that Government investigators in The Bahamas were look ing at whether any "crimi nal misconduct occurred".

"We are in the ear ly stages of an active and ongoing investigation," Pinder said on Sunday, according to prepared re marks for the speech. "It is a very complex investi gation." He said it involved both civil and criminal au thorities.

Pinder said that The Bahamas Securities Commission, Financial Intelligence Unit and the Police's Financial Crimes Unit would "continue to investigate the facts and circumstances regarding FTX's insolvency crisis, and any potential viola tions of Bahamian law”.

Pinder also defended The Bahamas' regulato ry regime and said that its Securities Commission had moved quickly "because of the strength of the legisla tive framework".

Bahamas securities reg ulators had revoked FTX Digital's licence and began involuntary liquidation proceedings the day before the US bankruptcy case kicked off.

"Any attempt to lay the entirety of this debacle at the feet of The Bahamas, because FTX is headquar tered here, would be a gross oversimplification of reality," Pinder said, adding that the Bahamas Securities Commission had moved with "remarkable" speed in response.

Sam Bankman-Fried, 30, founded FTX in 2019 and rode cryptocurrency boom to a net worth that

Forbes pegged a year ago at US$26.5 billion. BankmanFried resigned as FTX's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) the same day as the firm's bankruptcy filing.

The liquidity crunch came after Bankman-Fried secretly moved US$10 bil lion of FTX customer funds to his proprietary trading firm, Alameda Research, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

The US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, led by veteran securities fraud prosecutor Damian Williams, in mid-Novem ber began investigating how FTX handled custom er funds, a source with knowledge of the probe told Reuters. The Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission also opened probes.

FTX's demise comes af ter a string of meltdowns that have taken down oth er key players, includ ing Voyager Digital and Celsius Network, and led some global investors to question the viability of the cryptocurrency sector. (Reuters)

FTX remains focus of “active” investigation, Bahamas Attorney General says Credit default ratio in Brazil hits highest in almost 4 years

Abroad measure of Brazilian consumer and business cred it default ratios rose in October to its highest lev el in almost four years, cen tral bank data showed on Monday, amid high borrow ing costs and aggressive monetary tightening.

The default ratio in non-earmarked loans in creased to 4.2 per cent from 4.1 per cent in September, the highest since August 2018's 4.22 per cent.

At the same time, bank lending spreads were up to 30.3 per cent from 28.6 per

cent the month before.

The central bank recent ly warned of its growing concern about the effects of lower economic activity on credit risks in the country, pointing to a "relevant" in crease in risks on financing families this year.

It comes amid aggres sive monetary tightening to battle inflation in Latin America's largest economy, which has lifted rates to 13.75 per cent from a record low two per cent in March 2021, although the central bank has since left the rate unchanged at its last two

policy meetings.

According to the central bank, individuals' ability to pay has deteriorated even amid better indicators for the economy and the labour market.

Outstanding loans grew 1.0 per cent in October from the month before to 5.215 trillion reais (US$964.1 bil lion), but the 12-month rate slowed to 15.8 per cent from 16.4 per cent in September.

The central bank fore casts 14.2 per cent credit growth this year.

(US$1 = 5.4092 reais) (Reuters)

US weighs sending 100-mile strike weapon to Ukraine

The Pentagon is consid ering a Boeing propos al to supply Ukraine with cheap, small precision bombs fitted onto abundant ly available rockets, allow ing Kyiv to strike far behind Russian lines as the West struggles to meet demand for more arms.

US and allied military inventories are shrinking, and Ukraine faces an in creasing need for more so phisticated weapons as the war drags on. Boeing's proposed system, dubbed Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB),

is one of about a half-doz en plans for getting new munitions into production for Ukraine and America's Eastern European allies, in dustry sources said.

Although the United States has rebuffed requests for the 185-mile (297km) range ATACMS missile, the GLSDB's 94-mile (150km) range would allow Ukraine to hit valuable military tar gets that have been out of reach and help it continue pressing its counterattacks by disrupting Russian rear areas.

GLSDB could be deliv

ered as early as spring 2023, according to a document re viewed by Reuters and three people familiar with the plan. It combines the GBU39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with the M26 rock et motor, both of which are common in US inventories.

The invasion of Ukraine drove up demand for American-made weapons and ammunition, while US allies in Eastern Europe are "putting a lot of orders," in for a range of arms as they supply Ukraine, Bush added.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Talks between the Venezuelan Government and the country's Opposition, which resumed over the weekend, are set to enter a crucial stage, the head of dialogue for Venezuela's Opposition said on Monday, as the political ri vals seek to end a prolonged economic crisis.

"Now is when negotia tions get tough," Gerardo Blyde, who leads the team of negotiators for Venezuela's Opposition, said in an inter view with local radio station Circuitos Exitos.

The talks are ongoing, but do not have a fixed schedule as yet. The discussions are held in Mexico City and are mediated by Norway.

The Opposition will seek to meet with the Venezuelan Government again before the end of the year to discuss hu man rights, political prison

ers and other topics, includ ing "electoral conditions", Blyde said.

Delegates for President Nicolás Maduro and the Opposition met in Mexico City Saturday to resume for mal talks after a hiatus of more than a year.

The parties signed a "so cial agreement", asking the United Nations to manage the Venezuelan money cur rently frozen in international accounts in a fund to be used for aid purposes, reportedly totalling some US$3 billion.

The agreement "is not the solution", however, said Blyde, describing it as a "pal liative" step.

The US$3 billion is not enough to meet Venezuela's needs, he said, adding that once the fund is created, the plan is to dole out the cash in phases, taking around three years.

A date has not been set to create the fund, which will be used to make improvements to the electric grid, hospitals and schools in the nation, where around half live in pov erty.

Blyde also said the Administration of US President Joe Biden had been key in getting the Venezuelan Government back to the table by easing some Washingtonimposed sanctions.

US oil company Chevron Corp also received an expand ed license on Saturday, allow ing it to resume oil production in the South American coun try and bring Venezuelan crude to the United States.

The decision gives broad er freedom to Chevron, the last large US oil produc er operating in Venezuela, though it restricts the com pany from paying royalties in the country. (Reuters)

The head of the Opposition delegation of Venezuela, Gerardo Blyde Perez talks to the media accompanied by other delegates, in Mexico City, Mexico, November 26, 2022 (Reuters/Henry Romero)

RegionalHaiti still needs foreign strike force to confront gangs, official says

The international com munity should send a strike force to Haiti to confront gangs even though Police have ended a block ade of a fuel terminal that caused a humanitarian cri sis, Haiti's Ambassador to the United States said on Monday.

The United Nations Security Council in October discussed sending troops to confront gangs, but those proposals have received little attention since po lice took back control of the Varreux terminal in November.

"The situation has not changed, the opening of the fuel terminal did not bring a solution to the problem," said Bocchit Edmond in an interview at the Haitian Embassy in Washington, adding that gangs continue to expand their territory.

"If you don't have an in ternational presence to help confront the armed gangs, the situation will become even more dire," he warned.

Such a force should sup port the Police, and troops should be provided by what he called a "coalition of the

willing for Haiti".

Most countries have ap peared sceptical of sending troops to Haiti.

Brazil's incoming Government is unlikely to provide military assistance to Haiti, two officials said, noting that Brazil's partic

ipation in the MINUSTAH UN peacekeeping force, which operated in Haiti from 2004 to 2017, was un popular.

Gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier in September blocked the en trance to the fuel terminal in response to a decision by the Government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry to cut fuel subsidies.

The nearly six-weekslong blockade prevented the distribution of gasoline and diesel, halting most eco nomic activity and creating critical shortages of basic goods just as the country re ported a renewed outbreak of cholera.

Gang activity including kidnappings and confron tations with Police have jumped as day-to-day activ ity resumed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazilian Senator files Lula's welfare waiver from spending cap for 4 years

Acontroversial propos al to make room for more spending in the 2023 budget under Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – who takes of fice on January 1 – was for mally presented to Congress on Monday, providing for a shorter welfare waiver, but maintaining its annual im pact.

Brazilian Senator Marcelo Castro, the point man for next year's bud get, said that he filed a con

stitutional amendment backed by Lula to exempt the "Bolsa Familia" welfare programme from a constitu tional spending cap for four years starting in 2023.

Earlier in November, he had said that Lula want ed to permanently strip the programme from the cap known as Brazil's main fis cal anchor.

The programme is slat ed to cost 175 billion reais (US$33 billion) annually based on Lula's campaign

Jamaica among 84 nations hit by WhatsApp data leak - report

Jamaica is reportedly among 84 countries af fected by a WhatsApp data leak, with nearly 400,000 local phone num bers compromised.

The announcement was made by online security publication Cybernews via its Twitter account.

Cybernews’ official web site states that someone is allegedly selling up-todate mobile phone num bers of nearly 500 million WhatsApp users from 84 countries. It said a data sample investigated by Cybernews likely confirms the allegations to be true.

It was reported that on November 16, a threat ac tor posted an ad on a wellknown hacking community forum, claiming to be sell ing a 2022 database of 487 million WhatsApp user mo bile numbers, with over 32 million US user records in cluded.

Meanwhile, another huge chunk of phone num

bers reportedly belongs to the citizens of Egypt (45 million), Italy (35 million), Saudi Arabia (29 million), France (20 million), and Turkey (20 million).

The dataset for sale also allegedly has nearly 10 mil lion Russian and over 11 million UK citizens' phone numbers, while 385,890 Jamaican records were not ed.

The threat actor stat ed that the US dataset was being sold for US$7000, the UK – US$2500, and Germany – US$2000, Cybernews said.

Cybernews added that this information is mostly used by attackers for smish ing and vishing attacks. It is recommending that us ers remain wary of any calls from unknown numbers, unsolicited calls, and mes sages.

WhatsApp is reported to have more than two billion monthly active users global ly.(Jamaica Observer)

promises.

But the bill filed by Castro also removes some public investments from the cap, opening space for another 23 billion reais in public spending next year, bringing its total impact to nearly 200 billion reais.

Along with Lula's latest remarks downplaying fis cal responsibility over social needs, the proposal had trig gered negative market reac tions, with economists warn ing it could push public debt

to record levels and force a monetary policy shift.

Castro acknowledged in a statement that the text would undergo changes in Congress.

"Given the short time we have to approve the proposal to amend the Constitution, and because it is absolute ly essential for the coun try's governance next year, we will make the necessary adjustments for approval during its course," he wrote. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Ecuador gangs: Gunmen storm hospital in attempt to kill teen

Police in Ecuador have arrested seven gun men who stormed a hospital in an attempt to kill a teen being treated there.

Gang members took nurses hostage and ex changed fire with Police be fore they were detained.

All hostages were freed and no one was injured, of ficials said.

The 17-year-old target of the attack, known as "Dirty Face", is thought to be a ri val gang member who is in intensive care recovering from bullet wounds.

The gunmen held five staff members hostage for more than an hour, one em ployee told local newspaper El Diario.

Video circulating on so cial media appears to show balaclava-clad men holding guns and briefly shoving a screaming woman through one of the hospital's exit doors before dragging her

back into the building.

Other employees at the hospital in the town of Chone, in western Ecuador, said they had locked them selves in rooms while the gunmen broke down doors in search for the teenager.

"They didn't know the hospital layout, it seems, and that's why these de linquents were roaming through the entire hospi tal," Homero Andrade, who represents employees at the hospital, told El Diario.

"Thanks to God and to the Police we're still here to tell the tale," Andrade said.

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso also thanked the Police, saying that their intervention had saved lives.

The President shared footage on Twitter showing armed officers poised to en ter the building ahead of the arrests.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Colombia to launch military operation against armed groups on border

Colombia will launch a military offensive against illegal armed groups operating in border areas, and it is seeking col laboration from neighbours, Interior Minister Alfonso Prada said on Monday.

The South American country has been rocked by almost six decades of inter nal conflict, leaving at least 450,000 dead.

President Gustavo Petro, the first leftist to lead the country, who took pow er in August, recently re started peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, with negotiations in Venezuela, while also looking to im plement a 2016 peace deal with now-demobilised FARC guerrillas.

Under plans for total peace, Petro also hopes to end fighting with two dissi dent FARC factions who re ject that peace deal, while drug traffickers and crim inal gangs involved in co caine production and traf

ficking could receive reduced prison sentences if they sub mit to justice, share details about trafficking routes, and turn over their fortunes.

"We have established contact with the countries on the border, because we noticed activity on the bor der that we are going to combat with our forces, but also with the internation al collaboration of Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela and Panama," Prada told Journalists.

The aim is to confront criminal groups operating internationally with focuses in various illegal industries, which requires collaboration with other countries, Prada said.

Six platoons of 400 per sonnel each will be deployed to the south of the country, Prada added. Recent fight ing in the region between two factions of FARC dissi dents over control of drug trafficking left at least 18 people dead.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Cuba’s municipal elections see lowest turnout in 40 years

Cuba saw its low est level of voter turnout in munici pal elections since at least 1981, according to prelimi nary Government figures on Monday.

Municipal elections, held every five years, are one of few opportunities ordinary citizens on the island have to directly participate in the electoral process.

Election officials said nearly 69 per cent of reg istered Cuban voters had participated in Sunday's vote. While that turnout still compares favourably with many regional neigh bours, it marks a significant drop from the 89 per cent who voted in 2017 in the

first such elections since the death of former Cuban lead er Fidel Castro.

Cuba has long prided it self on high levels of voter turnout, billing participa tion in elections as a demon stration of the grass-roots nature of its electoral sys tem.

The sharp drop in par ticipation on Sunday ver sus the 2017 elections fol lows calls from Cuba's political Opposition to ab stain from voting in pro test of the Administration of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. The munici pal elections were the first since Diaz-Canel became President in 2018.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Drivers wait in line to fill their vehicles at a petrol station as Haiti resumes fuel supplies after Police break a two-month gang blockade that left the economy without petrol or diesel and sparked a humanitarian crisis, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, November 12, 2022 (Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol)

Voters wait in line to enter a polling station during municipal elections in Havana, Cuba, November 27, 2022 (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini)

US crude turns positive, Brent pares losses on OPEC+ cut rumours

Global oil benchmarks pulled back from their lowest levels in nearly a year on Monday, with US crude ending positive, bolstered by talk of an OPEC+ production cut that offset concerns about strict COVID-19 curbs in China, the world's biggest crude importer.

Price action was volatile. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled up 96 cents, or 1.3 per cent, at US$77.24, after earlier touching its lowest since December 2021 at US$73.60.

Brent crude also briefly turned positive, but settled down 44 cents, or 0.5 per cent, at trade at US$83.19 a barrel, having slumped more than 3 per cent to US$80.61 earlier in the session for its lowest since Jan 4, 2022.

Both benchmarks have posted three consecutive weekly declines.

"The word on the street is there's rumour that OPEC+ is already starting to float the idea of a production cut on Sunday," said Matt Smith, lead oil analyst at Kpler. "That's helped reverse losses that were caused overnight by Chinese protests."

Analysts at Eurasia Group suggested in a note Monday that weakened demand out of China could spur the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia to cut output after reducing supply in October.

"The decision will depend on the trajectory of the oil price when OPEC+ meets and how much disruption is evident in markets because of the EU sanctions," the group wrote in its note.

OPEC+ will meet on Dec 4. In October, OPEC+ agreed to reduce its output target by 2 million barrels per day through 2023.

The rumours of a possible cut outweighed an earlier selloff built on the weak outlook out of China, where hundreds of demonstrators and Police clashed on Sunday over strict COVID restrictions that have limited free moment among millions of residents.

China has stuck with President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy even as much of the world has lifted most restrictions.

Speculative buyers also helped reverse early losses, said Robert Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York.

"Pretty much every time we have a multiple percentage point move lower, you'll see the specs come in in the afternoon and buy the dip," he said.

Group of Seven (G7) and European Union diplomats have been discussing a price cap on Russian oil of between US$65 and US$70 a barrel, with the aim of limiting revenue to fund Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine without disrupting global oil markets, and will meet again on Monday.

However, EU Governments were split on the level at which to cap Russian oil prices, with the impact being potentially muted.

The price cap is due to come into effect on Dec 5 when an EU ban on Russian crude also takes effect. (Reuters)

Around the World

Mauna Loa: World's largest active volcano erupts in Hawaii

The world's largest ac tive volcano, Hawaii's Mauna Loa, has erupted for the first time in almost 40 years.

The lava flow is mostly contained within the sum mit, but residents have been placed on alert and were ear lier warned about the risk of falling ash.

The US Geological Service (USGS) has said the situation could change rapidly.

The volcano's alert level has also been upgraded from an "advisory" to a "warning" - the highest classification.

No evacuation orders have been issued and pop ulated areas are unlikely to be impacted at this stage, emergency officials say.

Mauna Loa, located in side Hawaii Volcanoes

National Park, covers half of the US state's Big Island. The volcano rises 13,679ft (4169m) above sea level and spans an area of more than 2000 sq miles (5179 sq km).

It erupted at 23:30 local time on Sunday (09:30 GMT Monday) at Moku'?weoweo,

the volcano's summit cal dera. Calderas are hollows that form beneath the sum mit at the end of an erup tion.

It followed a series of warnings that an eruption was possible after a spate of recent earthquakes in the

region, including more than a dozen reported tremors on Sunday.

An advisory for ashfallwhich can contaminate wa ter supplies, kill vegetation and irritate the lungs - was in effect for the surrounding area overnight but has since been lifted.

According to the USGS, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1843. The pre vious eruption in 1984 sent lava flows within 5 miles of Hilo, the island's most popu lous town.

But the Big Island's pop ulation has more than dou bled since 1980 to around 200,000 residents and Hawaii's civil defence agen cy has warned residents could face a "lava disaster". (Excerpt from BBC News)

Cocaine ‘super-cartel’ dismantled in Dubai, Europe – Europol

Police have dismantled a huge drugs “super-car tel” that controlled a third of Europe’s cocaine trade, arresting 49 people in various countries, including six chief suspects in Dubai, according to Europol.

The huge international operation seized 30 tonnes of the drug and led to ar rests in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Spain, the European Union’s Police agency said in a statement on Monday.

The crackdown – which involved one “extremely big fish” from the Netherlands who was based in Dubai – largely targeted co caine coming from South America through the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp.

“The drugpins, consid ered as high-value targets by Europol, had come togeth er to form what was known as a ‘super cartel’ which con trolled around one-third of the cocaine trade in Europe,” Europol said.

“The scale of cocaine im

China's lockdown protests spread to campuses and cities abroad

Protests against China's strict zero-COVID pol icy and restrictions on freedoms have spread to at least a dozen cities around the world in a show of soli darity with rare displays of defiance in China over the weekend.

Expatriate dissidents and students staged smallscale vigils and protests in cities around the world in cluding London, Paris, Tokyo and Sydney, according to a Reuters tally.

In most cases, dozens of people attended the protests, though a few drew more than 100, the tally showed.

The gatherings are a rare instance of Chinese people uniting in anger at

home and abroad.

The protests on the main land were triggered by a fire in China's Xinjiang region last week that killed 10 peo ple who were trapped in their apartments. Protesters said lockdown measures were partly to blame, though offi cials denied that.

On Monday evening, doz ens of protesters gathered in Hong Kong's Central busi ness district, the scene of sometimes-violent anti-gov ernment demonstrations in 2019.

"I think this is the nor mal right of people express ing their opinion. I think they should not suppress this kind of right," said Lam, a 50-year-old Hong

Kong citizen.

Dozens of students also gathered at the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to mourn those who died in Xinjiang, ac cording to video footage on line.

UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence, in an email on Monday, urged "the authori ties to respond to protests in line with international hu man rights laws and stan dards."

Laurence added that al lowing broad debate across society could "help shape public policies, ensure they are better understood and are ultimately more effec tive." (Excerpt from Reuters)

portation into Europe un der the suspects’ control and command was massive and

over 30 tonnes of drugs were seized by law enforcement over the course of the inves

tigations.”

Europol said Dubai had arrested two “high-val ue” suspects linked to France, two connected to the Netherlands and another two linked to Spain.

Ten people were arrested in Belgium, six in France and 13 in Spain. Another 14 peo ple were arrested in 2021 in the Netherlands as part of the same operation, the Haguebased organisation said.

The arrests were the latest in a series that fol lowed a Police hack of so phisticated encrypted tele phones used by organised crime networks last year, Europol said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Adani Port: Violent protests over billionaire's Kerala project

change.

Last week, the Kerala high court had said that the protesters must comply with its earlier order to allow "un hindered ingress and egress" to the project site.

But over the weekend, protesters blocked the com pany's vehicles from enter ing the construction site, prompting Police to arrest some of them.

Amob stormed a Police station in the south ern Indian state of Kerala on Sunday night, in juring 36 Police officers, as months of protests against a port project escalated into vi olence.

The port is being built by Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd, owned by Asia's richest man, Gautam Adani.

Protesters, mostly local fishermen, have alleged that the US$900 million (£744 million) project is causing coastal erosion and destroy

ing their livelihoods.

The company has denied the allegations.

The protests have been going on for more than 100 days but had been large ly peaceful until now. Many of the protesters say their homes have been destroyed by coastal erosion, forcing them to live in temporary shelters.

The company, howev er, has said that the project complies with environmen tal laws and that sea erosion is occurring due to climate

On Sunday night, hun dreds of protesters stormed the local Police station, lead ing to clashes with the Police.

"A mob gathered at the police station in the evening and demanded the release of a few persons who were ar rested in another case," a se nior State Police official told reporters, adding that they had deployed around 900 Police personnel in the area.

Several protesters were also injured, and some Police vehicles were damaged. Around 3000 people have been charged by Police in connection with the violence. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Mauna Loa, located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, covers half of the US state's Big Island

Locals have been protesting for months against the project

An exterior view of the Europol headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands [Jerry Lampen/EPA]

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Pay attention to what’s happening around you. Your input will position you for unexpected opportunities. Business trips or meetings will prove enlighten ing.

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

You’ll be confused by what you want to do. Get an early start to avoid run ning out of time. Put your muscle where it counts and your energy into success. Change only what’s necessary.

Build momentum and show everyone what you’ve got to offer. Put your best foot forward, and don’t trust anyone to handle matters for you. Romance is fa vored.

(May 21-June 20)

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

Handle your cash creatively. Look for investments that you can control and build over time. Solid and secure plans will alleviate stress and make it easier for you to forge ahead.

Take nothing for granted. Keep an eye on what others say and do, and you’ll avoid being blindsided. Let discipline and integrity be your calling cards if you want people to treat you respectfully.

Change begins with you, so don’t let anyone else decide your next move. Mull over your options and study the ramifi cations. Protect your home and family from risky situations.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Size up your situation and use your attributes to get ahead. A good idea ex ecuted with finesse and enthusiasm will draw positive attention and help you make a positive difference.

Take care of responsibilities before someone asks you to get moving. Build a stellar reputation by going above and beyond the call of duty. Set the standard instead of lowering the bar.

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

Do things for yourself and avoid dis appointment. You’ll be prodded to do things that don’t suit you. Set high stan dards, and don’t stop until you are hap py with the results.

A proposal that sounds good will have hidden drawbacks. Play it safe and back away from any dubious or costly situations. If you want a change, make your surroundings comfortable.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Don’t hide your feelings. Speak up and find out where you stand. Your drive, insight and desire to get ahead will have a lasting impression on some one who can help you advance.

Be careful what you wish for and whom you share with today. Someone will intentionally misinterpret you if given a chance. Choose your words wise ly, and promise only what you can de liver.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

ARCHIE PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

DILBERT

FIFA World Cup

2022

Brazil, Portugal seal last-16 spots; Ghana victorious as well

… Cameroon-Serbia contest end in draw

Cameroon 3-3 Serbia: Aboubakar keeps Indomitable Lions alive

Cameroon hit back from two goals down to secure a 3-3 draw with Serbia that preserves both sides' chances of ad vancing to the World Cup round of 16.

The Indomitable Lions, with regular goalkeeper Andre Onana reportedly on his way home after a fall ing-out with Coach Rigobert Song, scored first through Jean-Charles Castelletto only for Serbia to seize con trol through goals from Strahinja Pavlovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

It seemed Dragan Stojkovic's men were cruis ing, but they were stung by two goals in three sec ond-half minutes, substi tute Vincent Aboubakar's clever finish reducing the arrears before Eric ChoupoMoting brought Cameroon

level.

Serbia bossed the bulk of the first half, but had to wait until just before halftime to make their superi ority count in the Group G clash at Al Janoub Stadium on Monday.

Mitrovic fired a left-foot ed strike against the post in the sixth minute following a neat one-two with Dusan Tadic and, six minutes later, came close again by shooting wide from close range after the ball bobbled around the Cameroon box.

Serbia were made to pay for his profligacy when Cameroon took the lead ap proaching the half-hour mark.

Pierre Kunde whipped in a corner from the left that was flicked on by Nicolas Nkoulou and Castelletto tapped in at the far post.

Portugal into last 16

Cameroon could have doubled their advantage af ter 43 minutes, but Kunde fired straight at goalkeep er Vanja Milinkovic-Savic when clean through before slicing the rebound horribly wide.

It was to prove a critical moment as Serbia turned the game around before the break.

First, Pavlovic headed in Tadic’s floated free-kick be fore Sergej Milinkovic-Savic drove home from the edge of the box, although Onana's deputy, Devis Epassy should have done better.

Mitrovic got the goal his all-round display deserved

eight minutes into the sec ond half.

Lovely interplay from Filip Kostic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic en abled Andrija Zivkovic to

Casemiro hits winner as Brazil seal last-16 spot

Portugal secured their place in the last 16 of the World Cup with victory over Uruguay in a scrappy encounter at Lusail Stadium.

A game short on real qual ity saw the deadlock broken in the 54th minute when a cross from Bruno Fernandes floated beyond Uruguay keeper Sergio Rochet, the goal given to Manchester United's midfield man de spite Cristiano Ronaldo claiming it had glanced off his head.

Portugal made most of the running until they went ahead, but Uruguay, who must now beat Ghana in their final Group H game to have a chance of qualifying, created chances of their own

and could have taken a point.

Rodrigo Bentancur's bril liant first-half run was halt ed by Portugal keeper Diogo Costa's save, while substi tute Maxi Gomez hit the post as Uruguay went in search of an equaliser.

Portugal wrapped up the win in stoppage time when Fernandes got his second from the spot after a video assistant referee (VAR) in tervention which adjudged Jose Gimenez had handled.

The game was inter rupted in the second half by a pitch invader carrying a rainbow flag and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Save Ukraine” on the front and “Respect for Iranian woman” on the back.

(BBC Sport)

Casemiro scored for Brazil when it mattered

Casemiro struck his first World Cup goal with seven minutes remaining in a cacopho nous Stadium 974 to break Switzerland’s resistance and book Brazil’s place in the Round of 16.

Brazil didn’t alight on any rhythm in a stuffy open ing half, their only attempts coming from Vinicius Junior, whose scruffy contact in front of goal allowed Yann Sommer to save, and Raphinha, who struck a hard-hit effort into Sommer’s midriff.

Richarlison, the twogoal hero against Serbia on Thursday, needed one shoe size bigger to connect with Vinicius Junior’s cute out side-of-the-boot cross 11 min

utes after half-time. And there was more frustration for Brazil when it came to light Richarlison was offside in the build-up to Vinicius Junior slotting beyond Sommer after 65 minutes.

Coach Tite’s team pressed for the goal to seal their prog ress, however, and Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo com bined to feed Casemiro for a fabulous first-time penal ty-box strike beyond Sommer.

Sommer tipped over a late Rodrygo effort and the same Brazil player was denied by Manuel Akanji’s excellent block. One goal was all Brazil required, however, against a Switzerland team that didn’t muster a shot on target. (fifa. com)

ended South Korea's valiant turnaround attempt as Ghana won 3-2 on Monday to tee up an engross ing World Cup revenge mis sion against Uruguay.

The Taeguk Warriors looked the favourites to go on and edge what was a thriller at Education City Stadium after fighting back from 2-0 down, but Kudus' second goal of the game proved decisive.

After a shaky start, Mohammed Salisu had the Black Stars ahead against the run of play, and Ghana –who then began to play with real swagger – were soon 2-0 up thanks to Kudus.

Cho Gue-sung scored with two brilliant headers in a fe rocious three-minute spell for South Korea, but that brace did not prove to be the cata lyst for victory, as Kudus' cool 68th-minute finish sealed it in Ghana's favour.

All the early purpose came from South Korea, with Daniel Amartey's vital inter vention denying Cho a tap-in

find space on the right side of the area and his cut-back was perfect for Mitrovic to tap into an empty net.

Cameroon appeared to be beaten, but the 55th-minute introduction of Aboubakar turned the game on its head.

The Al Nassr striker made it 3-2 after 64 minutes, running on to Castelletto's through ball before produc ing an impudent scoop over Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic – the goal given after a VAR check.

He then turned provider two minutes later, escaping down the right before cross ing for Choupo-Moting to fire in.

Mitrovic could have clinched it, but shot straight at Epassy. (Sportsmax)

after just five minutes. But Ghana weathered the storm and edged in front before the half-hour mark, Salisu smashing in from close range after Jordan Ayew's free-kick delivery caused hav oc.

Another brilliant Ayew cross from the left brought a second goal 10 minutes lat er, as Kudus' glancing head er found the bottom-right cor ner.

South Korea had hope just before the hour. Lee Kang-in robbed Tariq Lamptey and saw his exquisite cross guid ed home by Cho.

And the striker towered above the Ghana defence to equalise a few moments later.

But Ghana had the last laugh, as Kudus clinical ly found the bottom-left cor ner after Inaki Williams com pletely missed his kick, and South Korea never found a response, with Head Coach Paulo Bento shown a red card after the final whistle for arguing with the officials. (Sportsmax)

Mohammed Kudus

South Korea 2-3 Ghana: Kudus lifts Black Stars after 2nd-half scare

Ghana defeated South Korea 3-2

Portugal defeated Uruguay 2-0

The Cameroon-Serbia match-up ended 3-3

Holder urges West Indies quicks to not get

“carried away seeing carry and bounce” in Perth

On what is expected to be a bouncy and quick Optus Stadium pitch – a far cry from the slower Caribbean surfaces –West Indies’ pace attack has been urged to be restrained and patient against the ex perienced Australia batters in the first Test starting on Wednesday.

assault against a team re turning from a four-month Test break, they have been advised against bowling too full or too short at a ground where runs can come quick ly.

“People get carried away seeing carry and bounce, but you still have got to find a really good length suit

to make sure the Australian batters work really hard for their runs. We’ve just got to assess the conditions early and make the necessary ad justments.”

Holder said he would be available to bowl in the Tests after not being used during the two warm-up matches.

Anticipation is build ing for fiery quick Alzarri Joseph’s first Test in Australia. In a bid to rattle a veteran Australia top or der, Joseph is expected to be used in short, sharp bursts in warm Perth.

“We’ve been through a lot as a side and it’s not going to be an easy tour”

“He’s got pace and he’s very aggressive. A guy who will be an enforcer,” Holder said of Joseph, who can con sistently bowl at around 145kph/90mph. The add ed responsibility underlines Joseph’s growing maturity after making his Test debut as a 19-year-old in 2016.

“I was actually quite shocked that he’s 26... we cel ebrated his birthday on tour recently,” Holder said. “It’s amazing the time that has flown, so good to see him fit and healthy. He’s obvious ly developed a lot as he was very introverted, and didn’t say much in the dressing room. He’s a lot more com fortable around his peers, he’s one of the more seasoned campaigners when it comes to all-format cricket.”

much swing in these condi tions, but he’s good enough to extract some seam move ment.”

While West Indies’ dip in white-ball cricket was un derlined by an early exit at the T20 World Cup recent ly, they have shown glimpses of a Test rebirth marked by an impressive home victory against England in March.

“If you look at the nucle us of the Test side, I think we’ve been together for the last five, six years,” Holder said. “I think that is really important in comparison to the other sides... probably a little bit more chopping and changing.

“I think our long-format cricket has really developed, so it’s really good signs and a lot of our players are devel oping.”

With West Indies re freshed after a much-need ed breather, Holder took in spiration from quick Kemar Roach’s memorable ven omous spell against Ricky Ponting at the WACA in 2009 as they eyed ending a

hoodoo in Australia.

“It’s a tour that peo ple can make their names. Kemar Roach... has gone on to be one of our leading bowl ers,” Holder said. “We’ve been through a lot as a side and it’s not going to be an easy tour.” (ESPNcricinfo)

Dallas Mavericks to sign Kemba Walker

Having not won a Test in Australia for 25 years, West Indies are the underdogs in the two-Test series, but their talented quicks provide hope of a positive result in likely bowler-friendly conditions. While it will be tempting for them to unleash an all-out

able for the wicket,” Jason Holder said on Monday. “Understanding when to at tack, when to defend, and just understanding the con text of scenarios and the phase of the game.

“I think the most import ant thing for our bowlers is

Joseph should form an exciting pairing with Jayden Seales, who has burst into Test cricket with 36 wickets at 21.77 from nine matches.

“I think Jayden has a lot of skill... he has swing and control. I think that’s his two greatest attributes,” Holder said. “Maybe there won’t be

Lionel Messi is not in negotiations to seal a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami at the end of the sea son, the Paris Saint-German forward's representative has declared.

Reports broke on Sunday that claimed the Argentina superstar was close to an agreement that would see him move to the United States after his contract with PSG expires next year.

Such a move would pro vide a huge boost to the sport in North America ahead of the World Cup in 2026, which will be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with Messi previ ously indicating a desire to play in MLS.

However, his represen tative Marcelo Mendez has dubbed the reports as "fake news" and made it clear discussions are not taking

place.

"It's false, it's fake news. There is no negotiation for Lionel to join Inter Miami next season," Mendez told CNN.

Messi is currently fo cused on leading Argentina to glory in the World Cup, having scored in both of his side's matches so far – in

cluding the opening goal in the crucial victory over Mexico on Saturday.

Argentina meet Poland on Wednesday, where vic tory will secure a spot in the knockout stage. A draw would also be enough if Saudi Arabia and Mexico finish level in the other Group C match. (Sportsmax)

The Dallas Mavericks are set to sign fourtime NBA AllStar Kemba Walker, accord ing to reports.

The Mavericks have struggled of late, losing their last four as they sit on 9-10 for the season, and they ap parently intend to do some thing to arrest that slide.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reports that Dallas plan to waive Facundo Campazzo in or der to make room for expe rienced guard Walker, who himself was waived by the Detroit Pistons last month.

Walker has suffered from injuries in recent years, but the Mavs appear to be willing to take a chance to help out star man Luka

Doncic, who in spite of his team's struggles, is lead ing the league on points per game this season, averaging 33.1 from his 18 appearanc es.

Walker will hope to redis cover the form he showed in his last few seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, having been limited during his time at the Boston Celtics, while he only made 37 appearanc es for the New York Knicks last year.

His average of 11.6 points per game was the worst of his career so far, though he also averaged fewer than 26 minutes per game for the Knicks, before being briefly traded to the Detroit Pistons.

(Sportsmax)

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ason Holder expects Jayden Seales to extract seam movement in Perth

Jason Holder

Munroe hails performance of table tennis players after dominant display at IGG Games

… Suriname take IGG title

across, players coming over for training stints among other developmental initia tives. I think it was an over all win for sports,” Munroe shared.

The results for the games played on Sunday were:

* Boys’ Singles (3-2) Rahim Saalih (Guy) lost to Bipat Shariq (Sur) (11-7, 1-11, 11-5, 11-13, 11-5)

* Boys’ Singles (3-0) Colin Wong (Guy) defeat ed Bipat Shariq (Sur) (11-7, 11-7, 11-6)

* Boys’ Singles (3-0) Ebo McNeil (Guy) defeat ed Bipat Shariq (Sur) (11-8,

Ebo McNeil/Akira Watson (Guy) defeated Shariq Bipat/Maria Kanhai (Sur)

In the table tennis seg ment of the Inter Guiana Games played on Sunday at the National Gymnasium, Team Guyana continued their dominance over Suriname with a 7-1 victory. Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) President Godfrey Munroe has noted that the games

truly a success, I believe that it truly met the ob jectives as set out by the Hon Minister, Mr Charles Ramson and Director of Sports and us as a nation al sports association, in terms of proving key expo sure, building strong bonds, friendships, excellence and respect which allowed ath

cluded Caribena pre-cadet championships with the ad dition of a few other play ers, the likes of Colin Wong and Salih Rahim to fortify the team. He also explained that the games provided the opportunity for the GTTA to further develop the young emerging talents, provid ing them with the exposure needed for their technical and tactical development and confidence, thus build ing team camaraderie, which is critical to realising their true potential.

were truly a success for the association.

In a statement on how the games went, Munroe said, “Coming off of our suc cessful recently-concluded Caribbean pre-cadet cham pionships held in October, the IGG Games for us was

letes from other sports dis ciplines to become familiar with each other through the medium of sports.”

The GTTA President also went on to note that the association fielded their cadet team which partici pated in the recently-con

“Moreso, it provid ed Coaches the opportuni ty to look at technical de ficiencies and areas they can work on. Suriname tru ly has some young emerg ing talents, young in the likes of Shariq Beepat, Yasmin Idrisman, Kayleigh Jossdiwonso, and Maria Khania, who are all good prospects for the future. We have already established key projects which we will lend our support to in terms of training camps for their players, coach venturing

11-5, 11-8)

* Girls’ Singles (3-0) Akira Watson (Guy) de feated Yasmien Jodiwongso (Sur) (11-1, 11-3, 11-9)

* Girls’ Singles (3-0) Samara Sukhai (Guy) de feated Kayleigh Idrisman (Sur) (11-3, 11-4, 11-4)

* Girls’ Singles (3-0) Jasmine Billingy (Guy) de feated Yasmien Jodiwongso (Sur) (11-1, 11-3, 11-4)

* Mixed Doubles (3-0)

(11-3, 11-8, 11-9)

* Girls’ Doubles (3-2) Shackecy Damon/Seona Barker (Guy) defeat ed Yasmien Jodiwongso/ Kayleigh Idrisman (Sur) (511, 11-6, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6)

Suriname pip Guyana to take IGG title

Suriname were crowned overall champions despite Guyana bagging five of the nine sporting disciplines

played at the Inter Guiana Games. The nine events were athletics, badmin

ton, cycling, volleyball, ten nis, football, table tennis, swimming, and basketball. In the end when everything was tabulated, Suriname racked up a total of 110 points, while Guyana came in second with 108 points, French Guiana took third with 26 points as they only participated in two disci plines. The event attract ed a whopping total of 400 athletes.

GPF embarks on initiative to engage youths, sports teams across EBD communities

… overseas foundation supports Beterverwagting youth group

In its continued efforts to bridge the gap with communities across the country while engag ing the youths through sports, the Guyana Police Force on Saturday, dis tributed a quantity of foot ball and cricket gear to 19 sport teams stretching from Agricola to Soesdyke on the East Bank of Demerara.

The initiative was spear headed by acting Deputy Commissioner (Operations), Ravindradat Budhram with collaboration and support from the Grove/Diamond

bers of the corporate sector.

The gear, which includ

and bats were handed over to the teams in front of a packed audience of resi dents, who came out in support of the initiative at the Golden Grove Housing Scheme.

Deputy Commissioner Budhram, in brief remarks at the handing-over, high lighted that while the aim of the initiative was to bring the communities closer to the Police, it will also centre on keeping the youths active and healthy.

"The aim behind the proj

ect as well is to ensure we have a healthy lifestyle, and we keep fit," Budhram said.

Also present at the hand ing-over were Commander of Regional Division 4B, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh; Chairperson of the Grove/Diamond NDC, Indrani Ramnarine, Grove/Diamond NDC Councillor Clemsdord Belgrave and members of the corporate sector.

Overseas foundation supports Beterverwagting youth group

Members of the

Group had a table ten nis session on Saturday, which was supported by Mr Beveny, an overseas-based Guyanese from the Beveny Foundation, where he inter acted with the children and donated a number of table tennis racquets, nets, and balls.

This is in keeping with Mr Beveny's committed ef forts to help the youths de velop their personal skills. The contribution was timely and worthy, and Mr Beveny was applauded for his contri bution which brought smiles

to faces of the children in at tendance. (GPF)

Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and mem

ed footballs, cricket balls

Beterverwagting Youth Empowerment Police Youth

Suriname took the IGG crown, having bagged 110 points