Guyana Times - Wednesday, November 30, 2022

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Wednesday, Nov 30 – 23:00h – 00:30h and Thursday, Dec 1 – 12:00h – 13:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, Nov 30 – 09:40h – 11:10h and Thursday, Dec 1 – 11:05h – 12:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine during the day. Expect partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: West North-Westerly to North NorthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 09:53h and 22:18h reaching maximum heights of 2.19 metres and 2.24 metres.

Low Tide: 15:47h reaching a minimum height of 1.07 metres.

Election CoI

“You gon dead tonight” – Deputy RO recalls death threats during Reg 4 tabulation …says

Day Seven of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the 2020 General and Regional Elections, saw testimony from the Deputy Returning Officer for Region Four, who recalled receiving death threats during the tabulation pro cess at the Ashmins build ing.

During Tuesday’s pub lic hearing, Paul Jaisingh, who served as one of the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) Deputy Returning Officers (DRO) for Region Four, took the stand before the Elections Commission of Inquiry.

Jaisingh recalled that on March 5, 2020, he had been inputting data from spreadsheets and was present when controver sy surrounding the laptop and flash drive occurred. After working on the lap top, he recalled that it was taken from him by the IT technician.

As the DRO, Jaisingh’s immediate superior during the elections would have been embattled former Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, who is current ly facing a slew of elector al fraud charges before the courts.

He recalled that the ver ification process for Region Four had stopped after ob jections were raised over the spreadsheet being used. He explained that it was when he went outside the tabulation room that he received death threats from an unidentified wom an.

“I was outside the tab ulation room… a female came and sat next to me and she issued some death threats. (She said) ‘you gon dead tonight’. I know she had on a white T-shirt… I was shocked, but I wasn’t intimidated,” Jaisingh told the CoI, adding that she left after making her threats.

The DRO further ex plained that he had nev er seen the woman be fore, but that GECOM employees were wearing white T-shirts that night. Jaisingh also noted that he would be unable to identify the woman presently.

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 middle of December.

CoI Secretary Javeed Shadick, in an interview with the media, had ex

plained that as the evi dence unfolds, they may need to call back witnesses to clarify 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 (testified), see if there is more information that they may have gotten,” Shadick

had said previously.

He had also said that when the proceedings re sume, they will be able to go in depth into more tes timony. He also noted that the CoI is on track for its previously announced com pletion in January of 2023.

Prior to Monday, the last day the CoI was held, November 10, saw testi mony from Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)

Chief Executive Officer Sase Singh, who was a scru tineer during that period; and GECOM Information Technology (IT) Manager Aneal Giddings.

In their quest for de tailed information, the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Monday visited Ashmins building, ground zero for the con troversy that nearly de railed the tabulation of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Election CoI Commissioners, Retired Justices Stanley John, Godfrey Smith and Carl Singh, conducted the site visit of the Ashmins build ing. They were accom panied by Sophia Chote, the Trinidadian Senior Counsel who has led ques tioning 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 ob server Dr Josh Kanhai, were present to guide the Commissioners on exactly where certain key events occurred at Ashmins build ing. (G3)

suspect was wearing clothes similar to GECOM staff

Deputy Returning Officer for Region Four, Paul Jaisingh

Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761

Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

“Equalize”

Ahead of World AIDS Day, which will be observed on Thursday, an analysis by the United Nations has revealed that inequalities are obstructing the end of AIDS and looking at current trends, the world will not meet agreed global targets.

A new UN AIDS report released on Tuesday titled “Dangerous Inequalities” highlights the need for urgent action to get the AIDS response on track.

World AIDS Day, which will be observed on December 1, brings together people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic. This year the theme is “Equalize”.

The day provides an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the disease and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care in high-prevalence countries and around the world.

According to the United Nations’ 2022 message, the rising new infections and continuing deaths in many parts of the world are underpinned by inequalities. Dangerous Inequalities unpacks the impact on the AIDS response of gender inequalities, of inequalities faced by key populations; and between children and adults. It sets out how worsening financial constraints are making it more difficult to address those inequalities.

Additionally, the UN said that across 33 countries from 2015 to 2021, only 41 per cent of married women aged 1524 could make their own decisions on sexual health. The only effective roadmap to ending AIDS, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring health, rights and shared prosperity is a feminist one.

To quote UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima: “The world will not be able to defeat AIDS while reinforcing patriarchy. We need to address the intersecting inequalities women face. In areas of high HIV burden, women subjected to intimate partner violence face up to a 50 per cent higher chance of acquiring HIV.”

The new report also shows that donor funding is helping to catalyse increased domestic funding. New investments to address HIV-related inequalities are urgently needed.

In 2021, funding available for HIV programmes in lowand middle-income countries was US$8 billion short. This, therefore, means that increasing donor support is vital to getting the AIDS response back on track. On Tuesday, the UN said that fiscal space for health investments in low- and middle-income countries needs to be expanded, including through substantial debt cancellation and through progressive taxation. Ending AIDS is far less expensive than not ending AIDS.

In 2021, 650,000 persons were lost to AIDS, and 1.5 million persons newly acquired HIV.

In the Caribbean region, we can boast of several successes in relation to our HIV response. Programmes to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, reduce new HIV infections and treat people living with the virus have yielded encouraging results. Additionally, the Caribbean is the only developing region that has approached the near-universal coverage of antiretroviral medicines to prevent mother-tochild transmission.

Here in Guyana, a significantly higher number of persons have been coming forward to be tested. The programmes that have been implemented have resulted in significant progress being made and should certainly be continued.

Having said that, the region including Guyana, cannot become complacent. In order to sustain the advances made, Governments and international donor partners need to put more money and effort towards ensuring that their HIV programmes can be sustained.

HIV continues to be a major global public health issue.

While there is no cure for HIV infection, effective antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can control the virus and help prevent transmission so that people with HIV, and those at substantial risk, can enjoy healthy, long and productive lives. International development partners and governments must continue to do what is necessary to win the battle against HIV/AIDS.

Twitter is fast proving that free speech at all costs is a dangerous fantasy

By NesriNe Malik

Free speech absolut ists are like the cocky audience of a specta tor sport – they think they could do better than the players, if they were just al lowed a crack at it. To them, speech should be as free as possible, period. Nowhere is their oversimplification of the issue more evident than on social media, where abuse and disinformation have created a new frontier of regulation – and with it a cohort of disingenuous free speech warriors.

These absolutists are so unaccustomed to facing con sequences for their actions that they have pushed the idea that a censoring “woke” orthodoxy now prevails, and is a threat to freedom of expression. Elon Musk is among them, but, since his takeover of Twitter, he is having to learn quickly that free speech is not simply about saying whatever you want unchecked, but about negotiating complicated compromises.

Musk arrived at Twitter with an approach that I am sure he thinks is pret ty straightforward. The site, he believes, has a left wing bias that should be corrected by allowing sus pended users back on to the platform. The accounts of Donald Trump, Kanye West and Jordan Peterson have been reinstated, along with nearly all those that were suspended for falling foul of old Twitter’s rules on abuse and hate speech.

This means that Twitter is about to turn into a far more unpleasant and po tentially dangerous expe rience. Little of this ap pears to have anything to do with a political strat egy on Musk’s part. Like

Trump, Musk has become the tribune of fascists and racists by way of adolescent contrarianism, an insatia ble need to flaunt his con trol, and a radicalising in ability to cope with being told he’s wrong on the inter net. For him, “free speech” seems merely a vehicle for his delusional plan to make Twitter into a fawning “dig ital town square” that he presides over.

But not even the rich est man in the world can pull that sort of free speech arena off. Twitter isn’t sus tained by previously sus pended users, but by the millions of people for whom the platform feels (most of the time) like a political and cultural slipstream. Twitter has an odd social media profile. It is both ex tremely influential and also often quite trivial, and the coexistence of the two is what makes the site via ble. Twitter is a window into the soul of politicians and opinion-makers – its style of interactive rolling commentary works well in drawing them out to post their views or engage with others, revealing personali ties and politics that other wise would be suppressed or closely edited.

And it is the first resort of citizen journalists and those marshalling politi cal protest. It also remains the only social media plat form where people with lit tle clout or profile can chal lenge elites directly.

But Twitter is also a so lipsistic place, where even small users can become protagonists in spats that are then amplified both by the site’s algorithms and a rightwing media that trawls it for telltale signs of “wokeness” or “cancel cul ture”. For better or worse,

it is Twitter’s adjacency to current affairs and gen eral political and cultur al discourse that makes it, uniquely among platforms, feel relevant.

If you’re not on Twitter, chances are that you have come across stories that started out, or were precip itated there, whether it’s a debate on trans rights that swirls around JK Rowling’s tweets, or calls to organise street protests against dic tators in the Arab world.

For all these things to be possible on the same site, robust content moderation is necessary to ensure con versations don’t descend into doxing (maliciously publishing someone’s per sonal information) and hateful conduct, and that news and journalism are verifiable. In the absence of moderation, or at least the appearance of it, things fall apart pretty quickly. When a place is not fun or hospi table or truthful to users, it also becomes commercial ly pointless for advertisers.

Since Musk took over, half of Twitter’s top 100 adver tisers are reported to have left the site. If things con tinue as they are, it is hard to see a future for the com pany.

The ultimate cause of that demise will be the fail ure of Musk to understand that, for some speech to be free, other speech has to be limited. It is generally true that if a service is free, then it is by definition exploit ative of its users – if you are not paying for a prod uct, the axiom goes, then you are the product. But in the case of social media, the regulation of your speech is the product. If a platform becomes too toxic, then it is useless for anyone ex cept those who want an ex

tremist ghetto of agitators. In that sense, social media is very much like society in general.

Political and legal au thorities are in the busi ness of content modera tion in order to make our shared space as stable and safe as possible for a major ity of people. The public and other stakeholders, such as the press, businesses and social media companies themselves, are in constant negotiations with these au thorities on what those lim its should be – for instance, whether religious dress is protected speech, or what constitutes incitement to violence.

Old Twitter was far from perfect, and by its own ad mission, its algorithms fa voured rightwing accounts. But it was improving be cause of the drag that ad vertisers, regulators and users were putting on its al gorithmic urge to encourage antagonistic activity. The high-speed destabilisation of Musk’s Twitter should be a warning to free speech absolutists. The set of curbs they object to are those that make users’ experience of social media, and life in general, possible; they pro tect against, among other jeopardies, libel, imperson ation, plagiarism, misinfor mation and grooming.

In essence, all our free speech arguments are about finessing, rather than oblit erating, a system of func tional restrictions.

Those with power have more leeway to define what free speech is, but they can rarely do so without lim itation. Twitter’s chance of survival is dependent on whether Musk chooses to accept that, like freedom of speech, his power is not ab solute. (The Guardian)

Early Christmas cheer reached ranks serving at Base Camp Jaguar, New River (East Berbice-Corentyne), as the Guyana Defence Force kick-started celebrations for the most wonderful season of the year. In photos,GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess is delivering gifts to children of the community (Guyana Defence Force photos)

ECD bond fire Welding sparks ignited mattress near chemicals – GFS

Following a bond fire that occurred at Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, on Monday afternoon, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) said it was most likely caused because welding was done near chemicals.

As such, they said they will be launching an in vestigation to confirm their initial findings. The structure involved was a storage bond owned by Z Mohammed and Sons Hardware Store.

“Investigations re vealed that welding was being done in close proxim ity to a foam mattress; fly ing embers subsequently came into contact with the mattress and ignited,” the report read.

Reports are that the fire started at about 16:00h, and firefighters from the Central, West Ruimveldt, Alberttown, Campbellville, and Melanie Fire Stations responded and managed to get the fire under control.

This was done by using

various water sources and foam, containing it in one building. Upon arrival, the Fire Service said it was ob served that there were no fire suppressants, extin guishers or smoke alarms within the building.

“While the GFS had dif ficulty arriving at the loca tion due to rush hour traf fic and vehicle blockages at the site, the first appli ance arrived on the scene at 16:51 hours, and fire fighters managed to get the fire under control…”,

they said.

Guyana Times was told that while the fire was contained to the bond, it was initially difficult to get under control and ex tinguished, because of the type of items, which in cluded paint, that was stored in the building.

As a result of the lack of access to water, firefight ers had to use water from the Grand Coastal Hotel swimming pool, which is a short distance away from the bond . (G9)

Whither the “evidence”, Professor?

Dear Editor, A letter has been pub lished bearing the bold cap tion “Most citizens would expect that a responsi ble attorney general would take the evidence present ed seriously”. That letter is authored by Andre Brandli, PhD, Professor, LudwigMaximilian’s University, Munich, Germany, and is a response to a letter of mine.

The esteemed Professor first ascribes to me a re sponsibility with which I am not imbued: “the inves tigation” of “the irregular ities that occurred in the

wake of the 2020 General and Regional Elections, March 2, 2022”. The laws of Guyana prescribe identified agencies with this responsi bility; the Attorney General is not one. I have neither been assigned, nor have I assumed such responsibili ty.

The goodly Professor embarks upon another harangue about the lev el of voter turnout at the March 2nd, 2020 General and Regional Elections. In so doing, he again eschews the statistics published by the Guyana Elections

Commissions (GECOM) upon which I relied to de bunk his hypothesis in my previous letter: (list of elec tors -660,998; total votes cast – 468,184 = 70.8% voter turnout). Not fazed, the Professor perseveres in this second letter. The gravamen of his conten tion is herein captured: “to cut a long story short, the adult voting population in Guyana was estimated to range between 470,000 to 508,742. This amounts to a more realistic voter turnout ranging between 91.3% to 98.8%.”

It is obvious that the above is the “evidence” that the Professor insists that I take seriously. I am not aware of the area of the Professor’s training, but in mine, “evidence” is a term of art, and not any materi al conjured up or statisti cal data guesstimated qual ifies to be characterised as “evidence” - moreover, to be taken seriously.

The Professor of fers absolutely no ba sis upon which he arrives at Guyana’s “adult vot ing population” in 2020 to range between 470,000 to

Safety still not a priority

Dear Editor, There has been another fire on the heels of that ex plosion in Berbice last week that killed one person and seriously injured another. In this recent bond fire, it is al leged that welding was be ing done near to flammable and combustible materials, including stored chemicals; while the Berbice explo sion suggested that gasoline was being used to clean tar from the tank, and an elec

trical tool being used nearby caused sparks to fly and ig nite the gasoline. The rest, as they say, is painful histo ry.

The apparent reckless ness displayed in both cas es is unbelievable, and tells that safety is still not a prior ity. To not have firefighting equipment in a bond storing highly flammable materials is just “pure damn nonsense” (that phrase) and must be condemned. The authorities

have been calling for these measures to be implemented in buildings, and it is high time that there be meted out consequences for negligence

and failure to comply with these measures.

508,742. But that aside, it is these guesstimated fig ures that the Professor then uses to calculate a voter turnout of 91.3% to 98.8%. What apparently eludes the Professor is the simple fact that only registered elec tors can vote, and 468,184 of them voted on March 2nd, 2020. It is only those valid votes that are reck oned, and their aggregate is declared as the results of the elections. When that is checked against the total list of electors, it supports a voter turnout of 70.8%.

It appears that the Professor divided the to tal number of votes cast at the 2020 elections (468,184) by his guesstimate of the “adult voting population” in Guyana (470,000 and 508,784) to arrive at a voter turnout of 98.8% and 91.3%

respectively. Perhaps the fault is mine, but at no level does this make sense!

Interestingly, even the fiercest of protagonists ped dling their discredited nar rative of voter imperson ation at the 2020 elections would recognise the excruci ating flaw in the Professor’s reasoning, as they them selves have never advanced a contention even remote ly close to that which the Professor postulates.

In conclusion, I am to re grettably inform that there is no “evidence presented” capable of being taken seri ously.

Sincerely, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, MP Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

The fire that destroyed the bond at Le Ressouvenir

Foundation

Materials:

Pans or Bowls

Baking Soda Pouch (1 rounded tbsp baking soda, in a piece of single-ply toi let paper) (1/4 cup or 75mL)

1/3 cup measuring cups

Ziploc sandwich bag

Instructions:

To make baking soda pouch (prep ahead): Measure 1 rounded tablespoon of baking soda into a square of single ply toilet paper. Fold horizontally and secure with a small piece of tape, then fold vertically and wrap it all the way around with a large piece of tape, ensur ing it will stay closed. Make 1 per group. Find three friends or relatives to help you.

Teammate #1 is bag security guard. This person is in charge on holding the sandwich bag and opening and clos ing it when needed. (Demonstrate how

to open bag only half way and close by sliding fingers across to ensure it is com pletely sealed)

Teammate #2 measures 1/3 cup or 75mL vinegar. #1 should open bag, #2 pour in vinegar, then #1 practise closing bag so it cannot spill Teammate #3 is in charge of the baking soda pouch. Explain all direc tions first before adding pouches, as reaction is fast. *Wear goggles for this step if available.*

Open bag slightly, allow empty por tion to hang over edge of pan and add baking soda pouch so that it does not touch vinegar

#1 zip bag shut without mixing chemical yet

Teammate #4 (That is you!) lift bag, allowing chemicals to mix. Shake three times, place in pan/bowl and ob serve what happens!

How it works:

When the baking soda and vine gar mix, it results in a chemical reac tion that produces carbon dioxide (CO2) along with water (H2O) and sodium ac etate. If the bag is properly sealed, the carbon dioxide is trapped and fills the bag until it cannot hold any more, at which point it pops! (sciencefun.org)

CONTINUED FROM TUESDAY

By The BroThers Grimm

Guyana, Canada discuss visa-free travel

…as authorities push for airline with non-stop flights

In keeping with Guyana's growing clout on the in ternational stage, the Government has been mak ing moves to remove restric tions on Guyanese travel. The latest such country for the Government to enter into talks with is Canada.

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman revealed to the media on the sidelines of an event that the Guyana Government has indeed ap proached Canada, seeking visa-free travel for visitors. It is a request that has been forwarded to Ottawa, which is Canada's political centre.

“We’ve raised the is sue with Ottawa. Our visa policy is different from the United Kingdom. It’s based off different issues. Guyana is only one in a number of countries in the world, a hundred, for whom we have visa requirements," Berman told the media.

“It’s something we’re looking at and we’ll make a determination. The Government of Guyana have indicated their inter est in having that discus sion and we’ve advised on it,” the High Commissioner further explained.

Non-stop services

During a reception in honour of the visit of Energy NL Trade Mission to Guyana, Berman had also announced that the High Commission in Georgetown is pushing for a Canadian airline to offer non-stop ser vices between the two coun

tries.

“The High Commission in Georgetown contin ues to work on bringing a Canadian air carrier service to offer non-stop flights from Canada to Guyana, facili tating Guyanese stakehold ers at Canadian fora that showcase Canadian compa nies and expertise,” the dip lomat said.

Air Canada is one of the airlines being consid ered. According to the High Commissioner, the commer cial relationship between the two countries is expand ing.

“As I have said before, our commercial relationship with Guyana is growing and will continue to grow be cause we are natural part ners, similarly, blessed with an abundance of natural re sources, sharing many val ues, and enjoying strong peo ple-to-people ties stemming from our sizeable Guyanese diaspora in Canada and

many Canadians living in Guyana.”

Government's talks with Canada on visa-free trav el also follow similar talks it has entered into with Italy, for visa-free travel. Talks with Italy were initi ated when Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd met with the Non-Resident Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Italy, Fabrizio Nicoletti, recently.

A release from the Foreign Affairs Minister noted that the two officials spoke on improving bilat eral relations between the countries and visa-free trav el is viewed as a key pur suit.

Holders of a valid Guyanese passport will no longer need to have a visa to enter the United Kingdom (UK) after November 9, fol lowing a decision by the UK to remove visitor visa re quirements for Guyanese to travel to their country, for

up to six months.

The decision to remove visitor visa restrictions for travel to the UK was an nounced in October during a press conference host ed by the British High Commission. According to British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller, OBE, the removal of visa re quirements is for an indefi nite period.

President Dr Irfaan Ali, who was present at the press conference, described the decision as a demonstra tion of British confidence in Guyana. While he urged Guyanese to take up the vi sa-free opportunity for trav el, he also cautioned them to be conscientious and not abuse the visa waiver.

"What the UK Government has done for

us, is demonstrate confi dence in us as a people and a country. And I think we should applaud the UK. Demonstrating that trust would go no small way in pushing others, because the UK is part of the developed world. And you can’t tell us you have security con cerns beyond a certain level, that the UK doesn’t have," President Ali had said. (G3)

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud (second left); Canadian High Commissioner Mark Berman (third left) and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh (fourth left), along with other key officials during the reception

Canadian High Commissioner Mark Berman

Assault of traffic cop Minibus driver slapped with 13 charges

Okemi Omali Harry, the irate minibus driver who assault ed two traffic ranks that were on duty at Montrose, East Coast Demerara, on Saturday, appeared on Tuesday at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court to answer to 13 charges.

Harry, a 30-year-old of Lot 93 Middle Street, Anns Grove, appeared before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool where the 13 charges were read to him.

The charges were: failure to wear

a seatbelt; failure to carry a conduc tor; having tinted glass on his minibus; failure to behave in a civil and order ly manner; two charges of assault of a peace officer; damage to property, use of indecent language; disorderly be haviour; careless driving and failure to comply with Police directions.

He pleaded not guilty to the all charges.

According to reports, on Saturday, Harry was pulled aside by two traffic ranks after he was seen speeding on

the roadway. He was told of the offence and was told to produce his driver’s li cence. However, while writing a ticket for the Harry, he attempted to pull his driver’s licence away, but the officer held onto it.

As such, the man started to attack the officer, punching him about his body, then choking him and throwing him to the ground.

While the prosecution objected to bail, the Magistrate granted bail in the sum of $150,000 and ordered the ac cused to return to court on December 19. (G9)

Expanding...

…travel horizons?

Your Eyewitness notes the frisson of excitement at the prospect of more and more countries offering “visa-free travel” to us. First it was England – which Guyanese call “Britain” – and now the possibility has been raised that Canada and Italy might be next. “Talks” are being held!! We’re still a pi55-poor country, according to that World Bank Report which showed that 48% of us are living in poverty. And notwithstanding what the PNC say, it’s not just the 48% who voted for them!! All abee poor!!

So, what gives?? What’s going on?? Each of those countries has stringent measures in place to keep out immigrants from the “Darker World” – who’d do anything, including swimming through shark-infested waters! - to share their “good life”. Well, obviously, it’s a signal that with our new OIL economy, they don’t think that we’d wanna leave in droves to settle in their countries like we used to do. And from that perspective, it’s really a vote of confidence that the PPP will dodge the “Dreaded Dutch Disease” that seemed to’ve infected other new oil economies which didn’t take precautions. And no…it’s not like COVID, where the countries didn’t have a “mask up and don’t touch” policy - they had to have the foresight to diversify their economy. Which the PPP are doing!!

But your Eyewitness wants to remind those who’re jumping for joy and clicking their heels in the air to remember that fella from Linden, who turned up at Heathrow Airport with £400 in his pocket and a sister waiting to “receive” him - but was turned back. Now, £400 amounts to more than $80,000, and the poor fella obviously felt that with his sister providing room and board and taking him around London, this was MORE than enough to live “life in London”!! But the immigration officer didn’t think so!! And that’s a lesson we should all remember: the folks in those countries don’t understand our WI culture, where it would be rude to put up at a hotel when you have relatives in the country!!

Now, for all intents and purposes, the Yanks have been offering “visa-free” travel to their “land of the free and home of the brave” for years now!! Think about it…after decades of having to pay US$10,000 to go “backtrack” –even to some IN the Embassy!! – do you know anyone who was refused a visa recently?? Even the fella cleaning drains?? And their visas are renewed even when they stay six months and it’s an open secret that they work during that time!! Even our vaunted WI hospitality doesn’t accept guests for six months!!

So, all in all, “visa-free” travel just means that those countries want a piece of OUR oil action!!

…war

Well, for sure Putin knows by now that his blitzkrieg strike into Ukraine – allowing him to annex the friendly neighbouring Donbas region – is gonna be long and drawn out. And that’s because the combatants know that the attack was the “occasion for the war; not the CAUSE of the war”. And until that cause is addressed, that war is gonna be dragged out.

Look where matters stand right now. It was thought that with Russian gas that keeps Europe warm now cut off, the Europeans would lose all stomach for continuing the fight. But it’s clear that the US is willing to fight to the last freezing European!! And amazingly, the Europeans are falling into line!! And we return to the cause of the war - Russian pride, and wanting to save face after NATO encircled it.

WWII was triggered because Germany lost face at the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI. And while your Eyewitness doesn’t think we’ll careen into WWIII, Russia has a point to prove!!

And the war goes on!!

…Trini floods

Spare a thought for our poor Trini friends as their island is under water from the torrential rains. They partied away their oil money, and never bothered to make preparations for a rainy day!!

Silica City!!

Charged: Okemi Omali Harry

The Lance Corporal being attacked by minibus driver Okemi Omali Harry on Saturday

Work progressing on Lindento-Mabura all-weather road

grading all the bridges be tween the Kurupukari River and Lethem to concrete bridges, residents say they are now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Proprietor of Pakaraima Mountain Inn, Charles Defreitas said for the first time he is seeing the realisa tion of a promise he has been

hearing about for more than half a century.

“It’s improving, where you use to sink one foot, you are only sinking six inches now... now you don’t sink at all because it is passable. The dream of the GeorgetownLethem Road is finally here with us; any bus driver can tell you that right now and to

go down the road where the bridges were once wood, you can see concrete bridges be ing erected there; it is a joy to watch the development in our country in this point in time,” Defreitas, who lives and operates a business at Aranaputa, which is situated 65 miles off of Lethem, said.

(Andrew Carmichael)

The upgraded road net work between Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and Lethem in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) is beginning to take shape.

The Linden-Lethem Road is being upgraded to an all-weather road, with the contractor being required to produce an asphaltic surface capable of withstanding the heavily laden lorries which currently use the thorough fare.

Some $3.19 billion has been allocated to the 32 bridges between Kurupukari and Lethem and US$190 mil lion for the Linden to Mabura Road project. The first phase of the project will see a twolane highway being con structed from sand and dirt

to an asphaltic concrete sur face. The road will be approx imately 121 kilometres long and 7.2 metres wide. The project is expected to last for three years.

With tangible works tak ing place, residents have started focusing on the new possibilities for business op

“We have secured over US$100 million from the sec tion from Linden to Mabura Hill which is currently under construction and we are cur

try and commerce between Region Nine and the coast and indeed the wider world. We have also committed to

rently actively seeking fund ing for the Mabura to Lethem segment. When completed, the road will be a transfor mation catalyst for indus

the paving of all roads in the township of Lethem,” she ex plained.

Traversing sections of the Linden to Lethem Road has been a nightmare for heavily laden lorries, with many top pling off of the roadway. The bridges are even worse. Some vehicle operators would have to align the boards before at tempting to cross. They do not always make it over safe ly.

With massive work cur rently taking place on up

portunities.

Only on Saturday, Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge

Walrond while declaring open the Rupununi Expo, pointed out that the Government is seeking funds to upgrade the Mabura to Lethem section.

Hire car driver, wife arrested after gun found in toy car …3 guns found in 1 week

An intelligence-led op eration conducted by Police ranks on Monday in Berbice, led to the discovery of a Beretta handgun and 25 live rounds of ammunition in the home of a Belvedere Village, Corentyne, Berbice couple.

Reports are that at about 16:30h, acting on in formation received, a party of Police ranks went to the home of a 49-year-old hire car driver and his 35-yearold wife at Belvedere Village, Corentyne, Berbice, where a search was conducted on the premises.

During the search, the gun along with ammuni tion was found hidden in an electric toy car by the Police ranks. The hire car driver and his wife were immedi ately told of the offence, cau tioned, and arrested.

They were subsequently escorted to the Albion Police Station along with the fire arm and ammunition.

They remain in custody, pending charges, as investi gations continue.

This is the third firearm that was found in a week by ranks of the Guyana Police Force.

arate locations on the East Coast of Demerara.

The first incident oc curred at around 20:50h on Friday.

Police said that acting on information received,

a Deputy Superintendent and a party of Police ranks went to Haslington/Enmore Front, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where they contacted a 37-year-old wash bay own er.

On Sunday, two men were arrested after they were found with guns in their possession on at sep

The gun and ammunition that was found at Belvedere Village, Corentyne, Berbice

Largest dredger arrives in Guyana for shore base project

MV Galileo Galilei, owned and oper ated by the Jan De Nul Group – the joint venture partner of NRG Holdings – has docked in Port Georgetown and has been deployed to the Vreeden-Hoop shore base project site.

The vessel’s arriv al marks the beginning of the sand key reclamation phase of the project, during which the dredger will clear the existing area and begin the process of adding reclaimed material for the creation of an artificial is land on which the construc

tion of the new terminal will be situated. This proj ect will, in the first phase, add more than 44 acres to Guyana’s coastline.

The first step of this proj ect started in June with the dredging of the access channels in the Demerara River, including the deep ening/widening of the exist ing nautical channel, berth pockets, and turning basin.

MV Galileo Galilei is one of the largest trailing suction hopper dredges in Guyanese waters. It has worked on projects such as the recent beach expansion in Brazil, and on other port

projects.

Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc (VEHSI) forms part of the Port of Vreed-enHoop. Phase one of the proj ect is meant to be the special purpose vehicle to serve as subsea umbilicals, flowlines and riser shore base for proj ects of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

VEHSI is currently the largest Guyanese private sector investment in the oil and gas sector, and is ex pected to cost over US$300 million. The project is ex pected to become operation al in 2023.

Hire car driver, wife arrested...

Minibus BAC 140, which was at the wash bay, was searched in the presence of the wash bay owner, and a firearm was found under the driver’s seat. When told of the suspicion and cau tioned, the wash bay own er claimed the bus was brought to his wash bay by a man (name unknown) to be washed. The man report edly left the bus in his care and custody and went away.

This wash bay owner was escorted to the Cove and John Police Station, where the firearm was fur ther examined and found to

be an air gun.

Meanwhile, the follow ing day, while on patrol du ties, ranks from Regional Police Division 4B, while in the vicinity of Bliss Sports Bar, which is located at ‘sec ond bridge’ in Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, ob served a group of men standing on the roadway.

Upon seeing the Police, the men walked off, but one of them was acting sus piciously. The Police said they observed this individu al walking to a nearby gar bage bin, taking out an ob ject from the waist of his

pants, and throwing the ob ject into the bin.

One of the ranks ap proached this individu al (name withheld), and he said he was a 23-yearold construction worker. A search was conducted in the garbage bin in his presence, and the Police found one black metal object suspect ed to be a firearm.

The Police told him of the allegation, and he remained silent. He was arrested, es corted to the Golden Grove Police Station, placed in custody, and later charged. (G9)

MV Galileo Galilei

Murder of WCB pensioner

Great-niece confesses to plotting robbery, admits to leaving door open for killer

…says murder committed by neighbour

The 37-year-old greatniece of Sumintra Sawh has confessed to plotting to rob the 85-yearold woman.

This publication under stands that the housewife, who was taken into custody as Police commenced their investigations into the rob bery and murder of the Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice pen sioner, has detailed in her

confession, the plan to rob her aunt and the identity of the killer.

On Monday, Sawh was found lying motionlessly in a pool of blood on her bed after her home was invad ed. Police said the wom an’s 37-year-old great-niece claimed that she was awak ened by a male who was in her room and who had a knife to her throat, demand

ing money. She had also claimed that she was pulled out of her bedroom and saw a second stranger in the house.

She also told Police that she was placed in a chair and bound to it with a piece of ‘sling’.

However, under intense interrogation, Guyana Times understands that the woman broke down and confessed to being part of the plan to rob

her aunt of cash she had in the house. In her confession, the woman admitted that she was never tied up but in fact she had left a door open for her aunt’s neighbour to enter the house to carry out the robbery. She said she showed him the bag which contained some $350,000 and documents, and the neighbour went into the bed room and started beating

the woman with an object. In fact, she admitted to wit nessing the man killing her aunt. She said in her confes sion statement that the kill er is a 48-year-old neighbour who would normally visit the home.

When contacted, Regional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Kurleigh Simon said he would neither deny nor say that there was

a confession statement from a relative of the dead woman. He said that the Police still have one suspect in cus tody and the investigations have gone a “very far way” and before the end of the week Police will be seeking legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Police have since launched a hunt for the neighbour. (G4)

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

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

When will the voters’ list ever not include names of dead persons?

Every single week, for two to four days, President Irfaan Ali is out meeting the citizens, talking development with the people of the country. It is just about 30 months since he became President. In that time, he has visited every region in Guyana. He has visited every sub-region of Guyana. There is not a single community in our country that has not benefitted from Government programmes. At the pace President Ali is going, he will probably be the first ever President of any country to have visited every community in the country.

He has been patient, even in instances when a small number of persons have chosen to voice the false narrative of political leaders like Aubrey Norton. But nothing deters President Ali.

There is visible enthusiasm among citizens, people feeling that their Government has a genuine interest in their welfare. The style of engaging people directly is driving desperation among political parties in the face of imminent Local Government Elections. They know that the President’s party is not only consolidating its support in its traditional strongholds, but that President Ali is genuinely touching people’s hearts. He has made people believe in his ONE GUYANA message. For that reason, in municipalities like Georgetown, Linden, new Amsterdam and Bartica, which are municipalities controlled by the PNC, there is, among PNC leaders, angst that they might have a fight on their hands for holding on to those municipalities. Even in NDCs like Fyrish and Dartmouth, the PNC are worried that the PPP might fetch away enough seats to weaken their control.

In two weeks, it would be Nomination Day for LGE 2023. The actual LGE 2023 will be held on March 13, 2023. The AFC have announced that they would not contest; we know why. Several small parties or one-man or one-woman parties have also decided to be bystanders. None of these parties has the courage to tell the truth. All of them know that they would be embarrassed at LGE 2023, when the results show that they could not even muster a handful of votes. They therefore have to invent an excuse for deciding to be bystanders. The excuse is an old one – the Voters’ List. They all claim that the Voters’ List is bloated. They claim that the Voters’ List includes persons who have died, and also persons who no longer live in Guyana. No one in Guyana doubts that the Voters’ List includes dead people and persons who no longer live in Guyana, but every name on the Voters’ List was registered during a process in which all political parties were stakeholders, and in which each party had actively participated. Some were registered during a houseto-house registration process, and some were registered during a continuous registration process. Whether it was during a houseto-house registration process or during a continuous registration process, all political parties in Parliament were present. They all had paid scrutineers who ensured that only persons physically present were able to register. In fact, GECOM staff, accompanied by the parties’ scrutineers, had visited the addresses to verify that persons lived at the addresses they had given. No dead person could have registered, and no person who was not present in Guyana could have registered.

However, people who might have registered to be included in the National Register of Registrants (NRR) do die or do migrate. Even if a new house-to-house registration is done tomorrow, the very next day, names of persons who would have died or who might have migrated would be on that list. Are we therefore prepared to do a new list every day? The fact is that the names of dead people are removed by a constitutional process. What the country needs to do is to ensure that the legal process of removing names of dead people is made more efficient. In terms of persons who have migrated, their names cannot be removed. There are several reasons, and some very experienced persons, like Ralph Ramkarran, have explained why. One of the things we must bear in mind is that Guyana has a law that permits dual citizenship. How, therefore, can anyone deny persons of Guyanese citizenship the right to be included in the Voters’ List? Once a person’s name is included in the list through a legal process, that name remains there until that person dies.

The truth is that the Voters’ Lists in the vast majority of countries include dead people and people who no longer live in their own country. More than a hundred countries around the world have a continuous voters’ registration process. Anyone who has voted in Guyana since 1992 knows that it is virtually impossible for anyone to vote for someone else, outside of those who would have been granted permission for a proxy vote. Persons given that permission are scrutinised by all political parties in Guyana. It follows, then, that no other person can vote for those who have died. Similarly, since Guyana only has in-person voting, no one who is not physically present can vote. Those who are using the fact that the names of persons who have died are still on the list as an excuse to not participate in LGE are simply inventing a reason to not subject themselves to the humiliation of not even garnering a handful of votes. The AFC are one of those parties. The PNC wish there is a way to stay out too.

Almost 600 persons benefit from Snap-On Spectacles – Health Minister

Since the rollout of the Snap-On Spectacles initiative this month, some 597 persons have ben efited.

The Snap-On initia tive is a new programme introduced by the Health Ministry after recognising the ease in distributing eye wear to persons in remote areas.

Twenty-three pairs of spectacles were distrib uted in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice); 124 in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), and 450 in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

Speaking about the pro gramme, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony shared on Tuesday, “In total, we have given out 597 specta cles so far. The programme is going to continue in dif ferent regions. We should be going to Regions One and Nine shortly. I’m sure a lot of people would benefit from

the programme.”

In total, Government has procured 4500 pairs of spectacles to be distribut ed. Teams have been visit ing communities across the country, where the specta cles are delivered immedi ately after persons are diag nosed.

“This year, we were able to buy 4500 spectacles through this programme. We are now introducing this

into hinterland communi ties. We have a team going out to these communities, test everyone’s eyes to see whether or not they require a spectacle and those who require would get it almost instantaneously. They’re able to give you your spec tacles right there. You don’t have to wait,” he relayed.

In most instances, per sons with eye complications suffer from short or long

sightedness, which is typi cally corrected with specta cles. With age comes the de velopment of cataract, which can be removed via surgery.

A few weeks ago, Government said it was moving closer to estab lishing an eye bank, en abling better services for persons requiring corneal transplants. Corneal trans plants are conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital. In recent years, over 100 such operations have been done. With the eye bank fa cility, corneas can be donat ed and will be readily avail able for patients in need.

In August, it was re ported that the National Ophthalmology Hospital at Port Mourant, Corentyne, had a backlog of some 1500 cataract surgeries still to be performed, and authorities were working assiduously to reduce this. At the beginning of this year, this backlog had stood at 2100 surgeries. (G12)

Dr Leslie Ramsammy

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Over 300 persons recruited via National Job Bank

Within eight months since the launch of the National Job Bank in Guyana, Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton has an nounced over 300 persons were successful in secur ing employment.

This was announced as the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency of the Labour Ministry host ed its first Job Fair at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre on Monday.

“Against the back drop of rapid technologi cal changes globally and in Guyana, this launch allowed for the moderni sation of the work of the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency and strengthened the network between employers and prospective employees,” Hamilton pointed out.

The National Job Bank

was initiated as part of a mechanism to address em ployment and placement of Guyanese. With no fees attached, employers are able to post their vacan cies on the platform where job seekers can browse openings.

Holistically, over 4000 persons benefitted un der the agency in 2022.

Recounting for 2020 to 2022, more than 6000 per sons used the services of CRMA.

The Minister analysed, “One must view this from

the background that when I became Minister, I real ised my predecessors were attempting to disband the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency. Such a move would have result ed in greater hardship for many Guyanese.”

From the time Government took office in 2020 to present, the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) has trained over 7000 individuals there by allowing them to be come employable. This is a stark difference from the 1300 to 1500 persons who were trained under the last Administration.

Hamilton boasted that training has also been ex tended to remote loca tions like Kurukabaru, Kato, Karasabai and Paramakatoi – a first for the Ministry.

“Also, BIT was just a

coastal operation. Region One, Seven, Eight, Nine; hinterland regions, riv erine communities nev er heard of the Board of Industrial Training. So, there was no equity with regards to the training given. Today, we can boast that the highest peak in Guyana where people live, during the last two years we have had training pro grammes.”

The Labour Minister underscored that mak ing persons employable is only the first aspect. It is also essential to en sure they are employed. As Guyana advances on a new developmental course, Hamilton point ed out the importance of technical and vocational education.

“In my view, we cannot seriously talk about de veloping this country and

where we want to take it and we are failing to grasp the understanding, that without technical and vo cational education train ing, all the plans we have cannot be successful,” he underscored.

This, he shared, paints the need for the education system to pay attention to and foster such talents within student popula tions across the country.

He added, “I believe, that in every classroom of 35 students, there are 10 students with the teach ers trying their utmost. But for those 10, their in terest is utilising their hands. Therefore, the edu cation system must create the conditions to ensure that the same attention we pay to academic devel opment, we must pay to technical and vocational education.” (G12)

Since the COVID-19 pandemic was reported in Guyana during March 2020, a total of 1248 persons lost their lives after contracting the virus. From 164 deaths in 2020, this number rose to 891 for 2021. This spike was linked to the Delta wave.

In a breakdown of 2022’s

the Health

that 116

January, 48 in February, seven in March, two in April, nine in May, 18 in June, 16 in July, seven in August, three in September, zero in October and three for November.

It was noted that Government is still work ing to procure Paxlovid vac cines for COVID treatment through UNICEF. When these vaccines become avail

able, Guyana will receive them at a discounted rate.

“We have been working with UNICEF. They have a global agreement with Pfizer and through that agree ment, we were hoping to get Paxlovid at a very discount ed rate. So far, I don’t think UNICEF has been able to source any of the Paxlovid as yet but we remain optimistic. Once they are able to initiate that process, Guyana will cer tainly benefit.”

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton

Statistics have revealed that some 229 fatalities as a result of the nov el coronavirus were reported for 2022, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony informed on Tuesday.

deaths,

Minister informed

deaths surfaced in

Crying couple slapped with narco-trafficking charge

Mohamed Esuph, a 45-year-old man of Hope Lowlands, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and his reputed wife Latchmine Singh, 47, who were arrested on Friday, were slapped with a posses sion of narcotics for the pur pose of trafficking charge.

The duo was also charged with cultivating a prohibited plant, contrary to Section 8 (1) (a) (i) of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (Control) Act 10:10.

The crying couple ap peared at the Vigilance Magistrate's Court, ECD, on Monday where the charges

were read to them.

Esuph pleaded guilty and was fined $20,000 for possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and $16,000 for cultivating

a prohibited plant, while, Latchmine Singh pleaded not guilty and was released on $35,000 bail for both charges.

The case was adjourned to March 22, 2023. (G9)

229 persons succumbed...

From 206 tests, 19 new cases surfaced within one day. This was reflected in Tuesday’s dashboard. There are 71,603 confirmed cases – 32,824 males and 38,779 females.

Active cases stand at 100 – a reduction due to recoveries. Nine pa tients are being housed at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, with three per sons in the Intensive Care Unit.

Nevertheless, six per sons are under institution al isolation with 91 in insti tutional quarantine. There have been 79,218 recover ies to date.

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 com pleting the primary vacci nation series; the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leav ing your home; the impor tance of maintaining a safe distance of six feet from others and; good hand hy giene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. (G12)

Mohamed Esuph and Latchmine Singh

Regional

Peru Opposition lawmakers launch 3rd impeachment attempt against Castillo

Peru Opposition leg islators on Tuesday presented anoth er impeachment motion against President Pedro Castillo, the third formal attempt to oust the leftist leader since he took office last year, calling him mor ally unfit for office.

The impeachment at tempt comes amid escalat ing tensions between the two Government branches. Castillo has said the legis lature is attempting a coup d’état against him while Opposition lawmakers say he is trying to illegally shut down Congress.

The motion was pre sented with the signature of 67 lawmakers out of 130. Now Peru's Congress has to decide whether to pro ceed to an impeachment trial. Ultimately, lawmak

ers would need 87 votes to remove Castillo from office.

It was not clear when Congress, controlled by right-wing parties, would

schedule a session to de bate whether to accept the motion.

"Due to the allega tions of corruption against

Castillo, we have reached an untenable, unaccept able point of immorality," lawmaker Edward Malaga, manager of the impeach ment motion against the President, said during a news conference.

Castillo, who took of fice in July 2021, has been besieged by scandals and has already survived two impeachment attempts in Congress. He cannot be charged while in office.

He is accused of using the presidency to bene fit himself, his family and close allies, among other allegations of corruption. Prosecutors have opened six criminal investigations against him, including one for alleged obstruction of justice in the firing of a for mer Interior Minister.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazil's primary budget surplus tops expectations in October

Brazil's Central Government post ed a better-than-ex pected primary budget sur plus in October, Treasury data showed on Tuesday, as federal revenues contin ued to surprise on the up side.

The primary surplus totalled 30.8 billion reais (US$5.8 billion), above the 25.7 billion reais surplus expected by economists polled by Reuters.

Tax revenue hit a monthly record in October,

lifted by oil royalties and robust collection from com panies and fixed-income in vestments after the central bank aggressively hiked rates to battle inflation.

In the 12 months to October, the Central Government recorded a primary surplus of 85.7 bil lion reais, equal to 1.02 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.

The Treasury said in a statement that the annu al primary budget surplus is expected to reach 0.4 per

cent of GDP, its first sur plus since 2013, helped by booming revenues and the country's constitutional spending cap.

The cap limits the ex pansion of public expenses to the previous year's infla tion. President-elect Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, a fre quent critic of the cap, has promised to abolish it.

Lula's transition team has requested Congress ap prove a multibillion-dollar waiver to increase welfare spending next year.

The Treasury said Brazil should continue its fiscal consolidation effort amid uncertainties abroad.

"It is important for the country to continue its ef forts towards fiscal consoli dation, especially in a glob al context in which lower growth and higher inter est rates are expected in the coming years, a combi nation that will require a greater contribution from primary accounts to the sus tainability of public debt," it said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Death toll mounts as gangs rule Haiti

Several thousand peo ple have been gunned down in Haiti this year, as a result of violence caused by heavily armed gangs calling the shots in the capital’s poor and dense ly populated slum areas, in complete defiance of the Caribbean country’s author ities and frail Police Force, human rights groups say.

Defenders Plus (Défenseurs Plus), a prom inent Haitian rights group, said in addition to the deaths, dozens others were wounded and admitted to the hospital.

“But this figure does not include a number of people who died in hospitals after being attacked and injured.”

Several rights groups have called attention to an exponential increase in vi olence in Haiti and com plained about the fact that people do not seem to bother anymore about seeing dead bodies on the streets in their neighbourhoods.

“On many occasions, you see corpses lying on the ground, while everyone goes about their normal business, as if nothing had happened,” Mortimé said.

“Two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-nine peo ple were killed in the capi tal’s metropolitan area from January 1 to October 30, 2022,” Antonal Mortimé, head of the human rights or ganisation, told HCNN on Monday.

“Therefore, what should have been seen as tragic is considered normal,” the rights advocate told HCNN, adding “also there have been more than 20,000 people displaced, during the past months, just in the capital”. (Excerpt from CMC/HCNN)

The Press Association of Jamaica, (PAJ) is condemning the re ported attack of a camera man and newspaper report er in Homestead, Spanish Town, St Catherine on Tuesday.

The PAJ in a release said the Journalists report ed that while on assign ment at the Homestead Primary School, covering a sickout by staff members, they were filming a scene by the school gate when the photojournalist was at tacked by a man from the community who punched him.

It was further reported that the man grabbed the photojournalist’s camera, ripped the microphone ca ble and attempted to dam

age the camera. He also re portedly tried to seize the mobile phone of the news paper reporter.

“The Press Association of Jamaica condemns un equivocally this reprehensi ble act and display of thug gery towards our workers,” the PAJ said, adding that it wishes to remind the pub lic that journalists must be free to conduct their duties without any form of threat or interference.

The PAJ also said it is calling on the Police, who reportedly visited the scene and took statements, to en sure a thorough investiga tion is done and appropri ate penalties are applied to the attacker.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Mexico's planned GM corn ban "deep concern" for US

Arow between the US and Mexico over a plan by the latter to ban imports of genetically modified (GM) corn by 2024 deepened on Monday.

US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack warned Mexico's President that the US would be forced to take legal action if no "acceptable resolution" was found.

Mexico argues that ge netically modified seeds are a threat to its own ancient native corn varieties.

But on Tuesday, Mexico's President said he would seek a deal with the US.

A ban would have "sig nificant impact" on USMexico trade, Vilsack had earlier warned.

Mexico is the sec ond-largest importer of corn in the world after China, and much of the corn it buys comes from the United States.

But this ban could re sult in Mexico halving its US imports of yellow corn, a

Mexican Minister told news agency Reuters last month.

Press Association condemns reported attack on Journalists in Homestead Mottley makes investment pitch

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a presiden tial decree on December 31, 2020 calling for GM corn for human consumption to be phased out by the end of January 2024.

The decree caused huge concern among US corn ex porters and with the dead line approaching, efforts by the US to sway President López Obrador to drop or soften the planned ban have increased.

On Monday, Vilsack met President López Obrador in Mexico and told him of the "deep concerns" US farmers had.

"We must find a way forward soon," Vilsack said, warning that the US "would be forced to consid er all options, including tak ing formal steps to enforce our legal rights under the USMCA", referring to free trade agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Prime Minister Mia Mottley

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is again appealing to the Private Sector to invest more in small businesses, even as the Barbados Government is doing its part to assist the sector.

She was speaking Monday at the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the International Food

Science Centre, Building 11, Newton Industrial Estate, Christ Church.

“If we are going to trans form, what is required in al most every sector is recon struction and deconstruction, political will and financial capacity. However, financial capacity doesn’t only come from the Government – in fact, it needs to come more and more from the Private Sector, private producers and private savings in this country.

“So the next conversa tion we are going to have as a country in the next 12 months is how to be able to pool our resources as a coun try to increase production.

Other countries do it well and other cultures do it well, so maybe we have to ask what is it about the culture that stops us from trusting one another,” Mottley said.

(Nation News)

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo addressing the audience during the opening of the VII Ministerial Summit on Government and Digital Transformation of the Americas, in Lima, Peru on November 10, 2022 (Reuters/Sebastian Castaneda)

Defenders Plus Head Antonal Mortimé

Oil up on China COVID hopes, but OPEC+ output concerns offset gains

Oil rose on Tuesday on expectations for a loosening of China's strict COVID-19 controls, but concerns that OPEC+ would keep its output unchanged at its upcoming meeting limited gains.

Brent crude futures settled at US$83.03 a barrel, losing 16 cents, or 0.2 per cent. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled at US$78.20 a barrel, up 96 cents, or 1.2 per cent.

Chinese health officials said the country plans to speed up COVID-19 vaccinations for elderly people, aiming to overcome a key stumbling block in efforts to ease unpopular "zero-COVID" curbs.

"The prospect of a return to normality, in an economy that is the world's largest oil importer, was enough to make oil prices jump in the first significant price rebound of the last two weeks," said ActivTrades analyst Ricardo Evangelista.

Rare street protests in cities across China over the weekend targeted President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and were the strongest public defiance during his political career, China analysts said.

Weakness in the US dollar, which tends to trade inversely with oil, also helped to boost crude prices. The dollar index has fallen to 106.65 from a 20-year high as investors look toward the Federal Reserve reaching a peak rate early next year with inflation pressures expected to ease.

"(The) strong rebound is being furthered by a weakening in the US dollar and a need to discount some loss of Russian crude availability via next week's scheduled initiation of sanctions," said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates.

Oil prices, however, were hampered by concerns that the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, a group known as OPEC+, would not adjust their output plans at their next meeting on Dec 4.

Five OPEC+ sources said OPEC+ is likely to keep oil output policy unchanged at its Sunday meeting, while two sources said an additional production cut was also likely to be considered. Neither, however, thought another cut was highly likely.

The meeting, planned as an in-person gathering, may be made a partly or fully virtual event, sources said, which added to worries that a cut was not imminent.

OPEC+ started to lower its output target by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in November, aiming to shore up oil prices.

Markets are also assessing the impact of a looming Western price cap on Russian oil.

Diplomats from the Group of Seven (G7) nations and the European Union have been discussing a cap on Russian oil between US$65 and US$70 a barrel, aiming to limit revenue to fund Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine without disrupting global oil markets.

However, EU governments on Monday failed to agree on the cap, with Poland insisting it should be set lower than the level proposed by the G7, diplomats said.

The price cap is due to come into effect on Dec 5, and if there is no agreement, the EU is set to implement harsher measures agreed at the end of May - a ban on all Russian crude oil imports from Dec 5 and on petroleum products from Feb 5. (Reuters)

Around the World

Ukraine war: NATO pledges to provide more weapons and fix power grid

NATO has pledged to give more weapons to Ukraine and help fix critical energy infrastructure badly damaged by massive Russian missile and drone strikes.

At a summit in Bucharest, the secretary general of the military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, accused Moscow of "trying to use winter as a weapon of war".

The Russian strikes have left millions of Ukrainians without electricity and run ning water in freezing tem peratures.

Ukraine has for months been asking NATO for more advanced air defence sys tems.

Under the Geneva con ventions, attacks on civil ians, or the infrastructure vi tal to their survival, could be interpreted as a war crime.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's prosecutor-gen eral told the BBC that the Russian attacks amounted to genocide.

At a gathering in Berlin,

justice ministers of the G7 group of wealthy nations said they would co-ordinate investigations into alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine.

"Judicial examination of the atrocities committed in Ukraine will take years, per haps even decades. But we will be well prepared - and we will persist for as long as it takes," said German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann.

Russian President Vladimir Putin - who or dered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February -

and other senior Kremlin of ficials deny the allegations that Russian troops are com mitting war crimes.

In a separate develop ment on Tuesday, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska told lawmakers in the UK Parliament in London that Ukrainians were going through a terror similar to that experienced by the UK in World War Two, when Nazi Germany bombed cit ies in the blitz.

"Victory is not the only thing we need, we need jus tice," Mrs Zelenska said,

adding she "came to you for justice, because it will lead to the end of this war".

Speaking at the start of the two-day gathering of NATO foreign ministers in the Romanian capital, Mr Stoltenberg said: "Russia is actually failing on the bat tlefield. In response to that they are now attacking ci vilian targets, cities because they're not able to win terri tory."

His words were echoed by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who said that Russia was aiming to "freeze the Ukrainians into submission". Later on Tuesday, NATO is sued a statement that said Russia's persistent attacks on Ukrainian civilian and energy grids were "depriv ing millions of basic human services".

NATO members would assist Ukraine in repairing its energy infrastructure and protecting people from missile attacks, the state ment added. (BBC)

India asked by sanctions-hit Russia for parts for key sectors

Moscow has sent India a list of more than 500 products for po tential delivery including parts for cars, aircraft and trains, four sources familiar with the matter said, as sanc tions squeeze Russia's ability to keep vital industries run ning.

The list, a version of which has been seen by Reuters in New Delhi, is provisional and it is unclear how many of the items will eventually be ex ported and in what quantity, but an Indian Government source said the request was unusual in its scope.

India is keen to boost trade in this way, said the source, as it tries to narrow a ballooning trade deficit with Russia. Some companies have expressed concern, how ever, about potentially falling

Malawi starts landmark malaria vaccination drive

Malawi has begun vac cinating children as part of a world-first, large-scale campaign against malaria.

The RTS,S vaccine - more than three decades in the making - was developed by pharmaceutical company GSK.

However, early trials show just more than 30 per cent of the five to 17-month-olds who received it were protected.

But Malawi believes it will still play a key role in the fight against the disease, which killed some 2500 infants in the country two years ago.

"We're quite aware of its low efficacy... [but] in malar ia control there is no single in tervention that does it all," Dr Michael Kayange, the coun try's national malaria control programme manager, told the BBC's Focus on Africa.

"We're not saying that the malaria vaccine has come to eliminate malaria but it's one tool towards malaria elimina tion."

Malaria has been one of the biggest scourges on humanity for millennia and mostly kills babies and infants.

But the disease, caused by parasites transmitted through

the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, dis proportionately affects Africa: in 2020, the continent record ed 95 per cent of malaria cas es and 96 per cent of malaria deaths.

Children under five ac counted for about 80 per cent of all malaria deaths in Africa, according to the World Health Organisation.

Dr Kayange said the new immunisation campaign will ensure that all children un der five, even in the remotest parts of the country, will be covered. (Excerpt from BBC News)

foul of Western sanctions.

An industry source in Moscow, who declined to be named because of the sen sitivity of the issue, said Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade asked large com panies to supply lists of raw materials and equipment they needed.

The source added that further discussion would be

needed to agree specifica tions and volumes and that the outreach was not limited to India.

Russia's requests were made weeks ahead of Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar's visit to Moscow starting Nov 7, two of the Indian sources said. It was not immediately clear what was conveyed by

New Delhi to Russia during the visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Government has not joined Western countries in openly criticising Moscow for the war in Ukraine, and has sharply increased pur chases of Russian oil that have cushioned it from some of the impact of sanctions.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Rare success for Alzheimer's research unlocks hope for future therapies

The first big break through in 30 years of Alzheimer’s research is providing momentum for clin ical trials of “cocktail” treat ments targeting the two hall mark proteins associated with the mind-robbing disease, ac cording to interviews with re searchers and pharmaceutical executives.

Drugmakers Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen reported in September that their therapy lecanemab could slow prog ress of the disease by 27 per cent over 18 months compared with a placebo.

The finding validates the theory that clearing the amy loid protein that forms clumps in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients could slow or halt the disease and has strengthened the support from some scien tists for simultaneously tar geting another notorious pro tein linked to Alzheimer's: tau.

Eisai and Biogen are scheduled to present full data from their lecanemab study on Tuesday at the Clinical

Trials on Alzheimer's Disease conference in San Francisco. The US Food and Drug Administration is expect ed to make a decision by ear ly January on the companies’ application for accelerated ap proval.

If approved on an acceler ated basis, the companies said they would immediately apply for full US regulatory approv al which could help secure Medicare coverage. To date, two deaths have been report ed among patients who re ceived lecanemab in conjunc

tion with medicine to prevent or clear blood clots, though in dustry analysts do not expect those developments alone to prevent approval.

Tau naturally accumu lates in a memory centre of the brain called the medial temporal lobe as people age. A growing body of research sug gests that rising levels of am yloid in Alzheimer’s patients act as an accelerant, caus ing an explosive spread of tau that forms toxic tangles inside brain cells, eventually killing them. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Ukraine says it needs more advanced air defence systems to protect itself from Russian missile strikes

A test tube is seen in front of displayed Biogen logo in this illustration taken, December 1, 2021

DAILY HOROSCOPES

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

Pay attention to your financial well-being and what's new in your in dustry. Abide by the rules and regula tions. Handle your responsibilities with care. Take a look at the latest technol ogy.

You may want change, but if some one has a legitimate reason to sit tight and wait for a better opportunity, listen to them. Put your energy into something that will improve your skills.

Stay focused on what's important to you and refuse to let outside influences disrupt your plans. Something you dis cover will change the way you deal with personal information and institutions.

(May 21-June 20)

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

Don't share too much information with your colleagues or superiors. By gathering facts and familiarizing your self with who is doing what, you will con trol what transpires. Protect your posi tion.

Keep your money and important doc uments in a safe place. Keep a watchful eye over what others choose to do, and it will give you some valuable insight. Don't overspend on entertainment.

Take it easy. If you disrupt your home or relationships to bring about an unwanted change, you will miss out on the chance to implement a worthwhile plan. Step outside your comfort zone.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

You'll have plenty to contribute, so don't hold back. It's up to you to finetune whatever you oversee if you want things to run smoothly. Do whatever it takes to reach your destination on time.

You've got the right idea, but your timing is off. Rethink the framework of your plan, and you'll either speed up or slow down to meet your mark appropri ately. Ask questions and schedule activ ities.

Rein in emotions and use common sense to ensure you avoid a path paved with good intentions but little substance. Get the facts before you agree to some thing that can hurt your reputation.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Look at the possibilities, and you'll figure out a new way to use the skills and services you have honed over the years. Explore something you enjoy do ing.

Expect to face opposition. Keep your thoughts and plans to yourself until you have everything ready to launch. The el ement of surprise will be to your advan tage.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Choose to remain calm and avoid conversations with opinionated individ uals looking for a fight. Put your energy where it counts and spend your time do ing what you do best.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

ARCHIE PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

DILBERT

FIFA WORLD CUP: QATAR 2022 ROUNDUP…

Gakpo nets again as Dutch beat Qatar to top Group A

In-form Cody Gakpo has scored again as the Netherlands finished atop of Group A, ending Qatar's miserable involve ment at their home World Cup with a third consecu tive defeat.

PSV Eindhoven winger Gakpo has now scored the opening goal in all three of the Netherlands' group games, driving forward and rasping a finish into the bottom corner on this occa sion.

Qatar looked to hit back immediately, but Ismaeel Mohammad's shot on the stretch from outside the area was straight at Andries Noppert.

Rashford unstoppable as England fly into last 16

er, was an entirely different prospect. Marcus Rashford lit this game's touch pa per with a sweet free kick that rocketed into the back of Danny Ward's net, and the Manchester United striker was involved again as Phil Foden doubled the lead - Rashford's run pro viding Harry Kane with the chance to fire a low cross into Foden's path.

stitutions allowed Gareth Southgate to rest his key players as he and England turn their attention to Senegal in the Round of 16.

Gareth Bale has so long been the star, the saviour and the symbol of Welsh foot ball, that it is almost hard to believe there will soon be a generation of Wales fans who will not cheer Bale's name.

Louis van Gaal's men then scored at the start of the second half to quash any Qatari hopes of a come back, as Frenkie de Jong poked into an open net af ter Memphis Depay's shot was saved. The Dutch could have won by more, as Steven Berghuis had a goal ruled out, and also hit the crossbar.

Qatar's dismal showing

means they have become the first host nation to exit the tournament with three group-stage losses, finish ing bottom with no points.

The Dutch, who failed to qualify four years ago, prog ress to the last 16 with an unbeaten record, and face the team that finish second in Group B. Those games kick-off at 19:00 GMT. (BBC)

Senegal beat Ecuador to clinch 2nd place in Group A

African champi ons Senegal have beaten Ecuador to clinch sec ond place in Group A and face the team that finish top of Group B in the knockout stage.

The first ever match be tween two British na tions at a FIFA World Cup has ended in victory for England, as they progressed as group winners by elimi nating Wales from the tour nament.

Other than forcing a smart save from Danny

Ward at the feet of Marcus Rashford, England strolled through the first half of this encounter, threatening to show signs of the stagnancy demonstrated in their goal less draw against USA, as Wales sat back in perfect shape and structure.

The second half, howev

The goals forced Wales into action, with efforts from Dan James and Kieffer Moore threatening Jordan Pickford's goal and provid ing some long-awaited jeop ardy to England's night. The result was put beyond all doubt when Rashford dou bled his tally with just over 20 minutes to play, thrash ing a shot in off Ward's legs after a mazy run.

A smattering of sub

The forward has un doubtedly written his name into Wales's history books, but this World Cup has done more than finally given Bale a show on the world stage - it has introduced his predicted successor.

The 21-year-old attacker Brennan Johnson replaced Bale at half time in this match - the youngster's sec ond appearance of the finals in a direct swap that could be symbolic. (FIFA)

Pulisic sends USA into last 16

Christian Pulisic has scored the winner against Iran, and it has sent the United States through to face the Netherlands in the World Cup last 16.

The Chelsea forward turned AC Milan defender Sergino Dest's header over the line seven minutes before halftime, but collided with Iran goal keeper Alireza Beiranvand in the process, and needed sev eral minutes of treatment before being replaced at the break.

It was a match with lots at stake, as both teams had a chance to seal a place in the

knockout stages; but Iran, who would have gone through with a draw, could not muster a shot on target.

In the second half, they came close - Brentford's Saman Ghoddos coming off the bench to strike inches over the bar when he was unmarked in the box, before Saeid Ezatolahi also curled over.

Perhaps their best chance came deep in stoppage time, when Morteza Pouraliganji met a free-kick with a diving header that went just wide.

And there was still time for controversy, as Mehdi Taremi appealed for a penalty as he

In the end, Iran exited the

Kalidou Koulibaly's nerveless volley sent Senegal into the World Cup's knockout stag es for only the second time in their histo ry, as they eliminated Ecuador at a rowdy Khalifa International Stadium.

All three goals scored in this game have come from players based in England, with Ecuador's Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo cancelling out a penalty by Watford's Ismaila

Sarr, before Chelsea defend er Koulibaly's side-footer won it.

Ecuador needed just a point to progress, but paid the price for a passive display, as Senegal were spurred on by an almost non-stop cacoph ony of drumming from their supporters in Al Rayyan.

Watford winger Sarr cool ly stroked home from the spot to put the African cham pions deservedly ahead, af ter he had been clumsily up ended by Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie. Ecuador lev elled with their first real chance, as Caicedo swept home Felix Torres's flick-on, but Koulibaly's composed fin ish immediately regained the

lead for Senegal, who knew that only victory would be enough to go through, bar ring an unlikely Qatar upset against the Netherlands.

They held out amid a nervy six minutes of stop page time to finish as run ners-up in Group A, behind the Dutch, who clinched top spot by handing the tourna ment hosts a third defeat in three games with a comfort able 2-0 win in Al Khor.

Aliou Cisse's side are po tential last-16 opponents for England, given the Lions of Teranga will next face the winners of Group B - a berth Gareth Southgate's team could seal later on Tuesday.

(BBC)

went down with Cameron Carter-Vickers trying to stop him, but their penalty appeals were rejected.

World Cup with a sense of disappointment, as the USA made the knockout stages for the third time in four tourna ments. (BBC)

Marcus Rashford celebrating after scoring his second goal and making it 3-0 for England (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Senegal kept Ecuador at bay with a 2-1 victory

Netherlands beat Qatar 2-0

England Women’s tour to the West Indies: December 4-22…

Walsh looks forward to

“important” England series

West Indies Women’s head coach Courtney Walsh is looking forward to his team’s white-ball series against England Women in December, when England will play three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies Women in Antigua and Barbados from 4-22 December.

Speaking before a 15-player camp assembled for this series, Walsh ac knowledged the importance of the series by telling CWI Media, “This series is also important because points towards the ICC Women’s Championship (are) also up for grabs towards qualifica tion for the next World Cup.

“In addition, it will also give the Maroon fans anoth er opportunity to come out and support the ladies, be fore we all settle in with our families to enjoy the holiday season.”

Walsh, a former West Indies Men’s Team captain, has said it is always good to have a camp before the se ries begins, and he disclosed the guiding theme of the camp.

“This camp is to focus on our execution and consis tency, and the roles various players have throughout the innings. With Kycia Knight and Shemaine Campbelle back in camp, it’s always good to have experienced players back in the squad,” Walsh has said.

“I’m excited to see their fitness levels and how they contribute on the team, be cause you can’t really beat experience and the knowl edge they give to the young er members of the team,” the former fast bowler added.

Karishma Ramharack is the lone Trinidad and Tobago player in this West Indies Women’s training camp in Antigua ahead of the upcoming series against England. The 15-play er camp is without skipper Hayley Matthews, who is on her way back from the 2022 Women’s Big Bash in Australia. Also miss ing is star batter Stafanie Taylor, who is recovering from a back injury. Lefthander Kimone Homer of the Windward Islands is the only new player in the squad.

The first ODI begins on 4 December at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. (loopnews)

FULL TRAINING CAMP SQUAD

Aaliyah Alleyne

Shemaine Campbelle

Afy Fletcher

Cherry-Ann Fraser

Shabika Gajnabi

Sheneta Grimmond

Chinelle Henry Kimone Homer

Kycia Knight Kyshona Knight

Chedean Nation

Karishma Ramharack

Shakera Selman

Kaysia Schultz

Rashada Williams

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

West Indies Women vs England Women

CG United ODIs start 2pm local time (1pm Jamaica time)

Sunday, 4 December 1st CG United ODI at Sir

Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua Tuesday, 6 December – 2nd CG United ODI at Sir

Vivian Richards Stadium Friday, 9 December – 3rd CG United ODI at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

T20Is start 6pm (5pm local time (1pm Jamaica time) Sunday, 11 December 1st T20I at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

Wednesday, 14 December – 2nd T20I at Kensington Oval, Barbados Saturday, 17 December – 3rd T20I at Kensington Oval Sunday, 18 December 4th T20I at Kensington Oval Thursday, 22 December – 5th T20I at Kensington Oval.

Chris Gayle rolls back the years with 95* at T20 exhibition in Australia

Cricket fans in Victoria were treat ed to the full Chris Gayle experience at a T20 exhibition between Endeavour Hills and Queensland team Western Districts at Shepley Oval in Dandenong on Sunday.

Gayle was one of sever al headliners to line up for Endeavour Hills, with for mer Pakistan internation al Shoaib Malik and ex-Sri Lankan star Tillakaratne Dilshan also being present.

The West Indies legend rolled back the years, bat ting the entire 20 overs on his way to an unbeat en 95 runs from 65 balls, with eight sixes to guide Endeavour Hills to a to tal of 4-167. It was a con tinuation from the night before, as Gayle revealed he was out on the town in

Melbourne on Saturday night with Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt. However, the festivities will be shortlived, as the 43-year-old revealed he would be in Australia for only two games.

“It’s good to be here,” he told Australian newspa per The Age. “I’m here for a good time, not a long time. I’m just here for two games, and then that’s it.”

Gayle and some of his teammates’ involvement in the T20 exhibitions for Endeavour Hills have been shrouded in controversy after Victorian Police an nounced they have charged a 35-year-old with 18 counts of alleged theft and deception offences in re lation to $250,000 stolen from a company with ties to the event. (Sportsmax)

MVP

Sports’

futsal tournament… Top player, Top fan to ride out in style, compliments of Luminous

The MVP Sports’ futsal tournament will go a cut above simi lar tournaments as it fur ther builds on fan inclu sion. With the assistance of Luminous Manufacturing and Distribution Guyana, the tournament would not only re ward its Most Valuable Player (MVP) with a motorcycle, but one lucky fan at the finals would similarly be rewarded.

Presentation of the two motorcycles donated by Luminous was made during a simple ceremony on Tuesday afternoon at the company’s North Road branch, during which Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca emphasised on the organizer’s vision for keeping the fans in the loop.

“Today also, we have with us joining the tournament is Luminous motorbikes. Like I said from before, the MVP Futsal tournament is a tour nament for the people and the players. So, today Luminous Cycles are presenting to the tournament,” Mendonca shared.

He went on to express his gratitude to the fast-rising motorcycle and parts/ acces sory distribution company. “On behalf of Petra, we would like to thank you for your do nation at such a timely man ner; and rest assured that the two winners will be grate ful for this contribution,” the Petra Co- Director stated.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Luminous

Manufacturing and Distribution, Eron Baptiste, has expressed the company’s readiness to contribute when presented with the opportuni ty to do so.

“It’s my pleasure to do nate these two bikes to Petra Organization on behalf of me and my team, who work very hard to get these bikes organ ised,” Baptiste related.

After a short break, the MVP Sports’ futsal tour nament will return this Saturday, December 3rd 2022, with the semifinal matches in both male and female tournaments be ing played. For the females, Fruta Conquerors will take on GT Panthers in semifi nal 1, after which the Police would confront Tiger Bay in semifinal 2. The winners of these matches would vie for a place in the coveted inaugu ral women’s final.

The men’s semifinals would equal the fireworks, as Stabroek Ballers oppose Future Stars before the mon umental clash between Bent Street and Gold is Money.

The men will battle for a $500,000 grand prize. Second place is worth $300,000, while third place is worth $200,00 and fourth place $100,000.

On the distaff side, the women will fight for a chance to grab the $200,000 first prize. Second, third and fourth places will be reward ed with $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000 respectively.

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CEO of Luminous, Eron Baptiste, sealing the deal alongside Petra's Co-Director Troy Mendonca

GBBFF’s Seniors Championships December 18, NCC…

…still hunting elusive gold at CAC Campbell looking for 6th Men’s Physique title

By TimoThy Jaikarran

Guyana

TheBodybuilding and Fitness Federation’s Seniors Championships are set for staging at the National Cultural Centre on December 18, and five-time winner Emmerson Campbell is preparing to grab his sixth Men’s Physique title as he aims to ‘better’ his pre vious physique and subdue his opponents in the battle on stage.

When Campbell was in vited by this publication to share his assessment on how his training is progress ing, he responded, “I’m al ways excited to step on stage and try to beat my last phy sique, and battle it out with the boys. It’s going to be quite competitive and en tertaining. I’m hearing a lot of chatter about who’s com ing to dethrone me, so they are gunning for me, and I’m

all for it. Training has been smooth, and everything is going according to plan. This prep has been one of the best. I’m injury free and I’m ready to go for the sixth Mr. Guyana title.”

Regarding his mindset leading up to the competi tion, Campbell explained that it is pretty much “tun nel vision”, as he is focused on getting the win and head ing back to CAC in Aruba next year to go after the elu sive Pro Card, as he has won two silver medals back-toback at CAC. He says he be lieves it is now his time for the gold.

Campbell clarified that in the hunt for his sixth ti tle, on a scale of 1-10, his confidence level is perhaps 100. “There are no COVID protocols, as was the case in the previous years; so (ev eryone) come out and show your support for the ath letes who have been work

ing their tails off for months in and out the weight room. The nation’s best physiques will be on one stage bat tling for the top honours,” Campbell has reminded in regard to the December 18 event.

This highly decorated Guyanese has touted that, come December 18, fans can expect a more confident, complete, sharp and full package from him, as they are going to feel that what they are witnessing is com ing from a movie.

Campbell is also express ing gratitude to his friends and family members, and es pecially to Jamie McDonald of Fitness Express, who has been a pillar of support throughout his competitive fitness journey.

Campbell is a threetime CAC silver and bronze medalist (El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Mexico); five-time Mr

CUB OF THE TIGER… -ahead of Australia Test series

Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s view of son Tagenarine

name. All five scores of three figures came at home, how ever, with the left-hander having been unable to con vert on Australian soil, mak ing five fifties at an average of 30.20. For Shivnarine, though, it was challenging his game against the best, at the time an all-dominant Australian side, that primed him.

In line to follow his fa ther’s footsteps as a West Indies Test crick eter, a tough Australian initiation stands in front of Tagenarine Chanderpaul.

Having made scores of 119 and 56 against a Prime Minister’s XI boasting a bowling attack of several Australian internationals, the 26-year-old has all but locked in his spot in the tour ing side’s playing XI for the first Test match in Perth, beginning on Wednesday (today).

The left-hander would likely open the batting alongside captain Kraigg Brathwaite, a just reward for a prolonged stretch of runs in first class cricket. The runs in Canberra com plement an unbeaten hun dred for West Indies A on a recent tour of Bangladesh, on top of two centuries for his native Guyana, of which he has been a consistent contributor.

Chanderpaul’s 439 runs in the West Indies four-day competition is bettered only by his skipper’s 584, and his first class average of 35.55 might not jump off the

page, with the figures telling the tale of batters in the re gion being forced to cut their teeth on slow surfaces.

Nkrumah Bonner, for example, stands 24 innings into his Test career with an average of 37.47, a far cry from his 28.43 while build ing his game in Jamaican colours.

Tagenarine’s early suc cess in Australia bodes well for his international future, and his father Shivnarine, a recent ICC Hall of Fame in ductee, has said a good se ries Down Under can help him climb the ladder even quicker.

“It’s not going to be easy in Australia. No other team has come here and done well,” Chanderpaul admit ted to icc-cricket.com on the evening he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. “If (he) can do well against Australia, it is going to be a feather in his cap, and prob ably help him to propel his career.”

Shivnarine boasts a strong record in Test crick et against Australia, having made 1649 runs at 49.96, with five centuries to his

“I used to love playing against Australia, especially in the beginning of the year, because they push to raise your standards, and if you can do well against them throughout the year, you will do well, because you’re playing at a different level,” he has said. “If he (son) can get a start and do well out here, it will help him with his career.”

It’s not difficult to see the parallels between the two at the crease, both facing up al most front on to the bowler, and both placing a huge val ue on their wicket.

The pair batted togeth er for Guyana when their respective careers over lapped, and Shivnarine says his technical philosophies of moving forward into the ball to prevent the head and eyes dropping were key val ues applied as his son moved through the ranks.

“He’s one of those guys who, when he gets a chance to get in, he’ll try and bat long.

There (are) a few other things he can work on, but he’s got an opportunity now, and hopefully he can grab it.”

At the other end, though, Australia’s attack stands as one of the world’s best with red ball in hand, and they will provide stiff opposition in their own backyard. (Taken from ICC and adapted)

Guyana Men’s Physique Champion; three-time Stage of Champions Men’s Physique Champion; and

Darcy Beckles silver medal ist (Barbados). He is also a Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and National Sports

Commission (NSC) Sports Journalist of the Year, and a certified personal trainer and nutritionist.

Emmerson Campbell

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

By TimoThy Jaikarran

GBBFF’s Seniors Championships December 18, NCC…