Guyana Times Daily - January 9, 2015

India to build world-class IT research centre in Guyana

The Indian Government has announced that it will be building a world class Information Technology (IT) Centre of Excellence as part of a national plan to roll out a number of these facilities in certain countries.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement during a meeting with President Donald Ramotar on the sidelines of the 13th edition of ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ in Gandhinagar.

In making the announcement Modi said he had spoken about the project at the BRICS Summit in 2014 in Brasilia last year regarding the establishment of Information Technology (IT) Centres in the region. He indicated that the Indian Government had taken the decision that Guyana would be the first country in which they would establish an IT Centre, and that this would be inaugurated very soon. During his speech at the BRICS Summit back in July 2014 Modi had noted that almost 250 students from South America, have been taking courses in India every year under its International Technical and Economic Cooperation programme. “I however believe that this is not enough. We

intend to substantially increase the same.

To share India`s expertise in Information Technology, we will establish Centres of Excellence in Information Technology, in South American countries,” Modi announced at the summit. He said then that India also offers to expand cooperation, in areas like Telemedicine, Tele-education and e-Governance. “We extend our Space capabilities, for weather forecasting, resource mapping and disaster management.” Observers say the setting up of the centre will be a big boost to Guyana as it offers another option for students

to have a higher education and will also bring Indian as well as other South American people to these shores to conduct studies. “The choosing of Guyana as the place to set up this centre is very special and the country will no doubt benefit tremendously from this,” one commentator remarked.

In a study carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Centres of Excellence (CoE) as a part of the Project on Innovation, Higher Education and Research for Development (IHERD), said that the development of CoEs is a poli -

cy measure, applied by governments in many parts of the world in order to promote a robust research and innovation environment. This, the study said is achieved by encouraging institutional profiling and generating a critical mass of researchers. CoE initiatives are a flexible instrument and have been applied in several different ways and for different purposes, such as promoting basic research, innovation, social development and education. Because CoEs are often located in higher education institutions, these initiatives increasingly influence the management of institutions and

academic careers. This CoE case study looks at the system in place in India which began in the 1980s, thus offering a comparison with countries that have long-term CoE strategies in place.

CoE schemes in India fall under one of two domains: a) universities under the Universities Grant Commission; and b) science agencies under various ministries. The first type of CoE scheme is geared towards the professionalisation and advancement of science and training in specialised areas of science and technology such as radio astronomy, astrophysics and nuclear sciences.

The second is geared

towards research, innovation and specialised services in new technologies and sustainable living in sectors ranging from biotechnology, urban development, defence-related electronics and polymer sciences, telecommunications and ICT. According to the study preliminary observations from the study of Indian CoEs suggest they have had impact on long-term public support for developing research capacities in high technology and emerging areas of science and technology.

Besides, the schemes have achieved international recognition of staff and internationally competitive research. Additionally, it was pointed out that CoEs have improved the quality of training and helped build skill; developed leadership in some specialist areas of science and technology and in various sectors have resulted in significant improvements in two-way partnerships and collaborations.

The study revealed that the use of Centres of Excellence as a strategy to advance scientific research and build certain scientific and technology capacities in Indian science and technology is a recent development.

UK calls for Govt to end prorogation

The United Kingdom on Thursday called on President Donald Ramotar to end the prorogation of Parliament as it expressed concern over the state of affairs here.

The Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood said in a release: “Parliament is required

by Guyana’s Constitution and the Commonwealth Charter, it provides the necessary checks and balances and enables citizens’ voices to be heard. The suspension of Parliament, therefore, means that an essential element of a functioning democracy has been put on hold.

Ellwood also called for the long overdue Local Government Elections to be held. He said that the UK was calling on “all stakeholders to seek solutions to the political and socio-economic challenges facing Guyana so that the country can develop in a fair, democratic and equitable way”.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Friday, January 9, 2015 – 05:00h-06:30h

Saturday, January 10, 2015 – 08:30h-10:00h

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, January 9, 2015 – 06:45h-08:15h

Saturday, January 10, 2015 – 07:15h-08:45h

Parika departure – 06:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h

Supenaam departure – 06:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h

WEATHER TODAY FERRY SCHEDULE

Thundery showers can be expected in the morning, with heavy rain showers dominating during the afternoon. Thundery showers will return in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly between 4.02 metres and 4.47 metres per second.

High Tide: 06:51h and 19:06h reaching maximum heights of 2.50 metres and 2.55 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:26h and 12:40h reaching minimum heights of 0.63 metre and 0.72 metre respectively.

President Ramotar secures multimilliondollar funding for ECD-ECB road

resident Donald Ramotar on Thursday secured a multimillion-dollar line of credit from the Indian Government to construct a major road, linking the East Coast Demerara with the East Bank Demerara roads.

The agreement was tied up between President Ramotar and India’s, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi held on the sidelines of 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Gandhinagar. Modi also agreed to provide “concessional credit” to supply a passenger ferry to help Guyana overcome transportation problems. The securing of the loan to build the road could be seen as a major success of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration amid a turbulent political climate here.

Modi in his meeting with President Ramotar said too that India would set up its first IT Centre of Excellence on the South American Continent, in Guyana. (See other story on

page 2). MEA spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin said that Guyana has been added to the list of 43 existing countries whose nationals are getting tourist visas on-arrival.

“Guyana will be the 44th country,” the official said. The Housing and Water Ministry had had announced around August last year that it commenced work on the massive outlay of the road project infrastructure linking East Coast with East Bank Demerara.

The project described as the new alternative bypass road would stretch from Diamond, East Bank Demerara, all the way to Ogle.

Housing Minister Irfaan Ali had said then that the project was being designed and that a feasibility study has been completed for this project and was submitted to the Indian Government for financing. Ali had said that while they waited on the decision from India, it had been completing all sur-

veys and designs for the project in the meantime. The Minister explained that the Ministry has been putting itself in a state of readiness to go out to tender.

Only this week Government reported that the project was part of efforts to reduce traffic congestion for commuters on the East Bank of Demerara.

President Ramotar, during his New Year’s message to the nation had said that this will catalyse US$65 million in investment, building 20 kilometres of roads and supporting infrastructure. Moreover, the Head of State said that in the first half of 2015, “we will be constructing an alternative link between Diamond and Eccles, which will greatly relieve traffic congestion for commuters on the East Bank of Demerara.”

This new road, designed as a modern highway with international standards, will provide access for more than 480 acres of unutilised land, and will allow for the

creation of new communities, targeting almost 1500 households, and further adding to the development of the East Bank corridor.

Over the past years, Government has been spending billions of dollars towards improving the country’s road infrastructure.

The East Bank road is being extended into four lanes from Providence to Diamond with US$20 million loan from the Inter American Development Bank (IDB). This project is expected to be completed during the course of this year.

Government had already built a four -lane road from Ruimveldt to Providence in light of the traffic congestion caused by several new housing schemes opening on the East Bank corridor, and the fact that there are about 10,000 vehicles added to the country’s roadways every year. Work is also being undertaken to expand the East Coast road into four lanes from Better Hope to Annandale.

Heavy downpour causes widespread flooding

Just six weeks after heavy downpours caused massive flooding in Guyana, floodwaters were yet again visible in several areas around Georgetown on Thursday, after a few hours of rainfall.

When Guyana Times visited some sections of the city, a number of stores were closed while others were preparing for what seems to be an approaching rainy season.

Sandbags were seen in front of many buildings along Regent and Water Streets as they guard businesses from flood waters. Meanwhile, at Bourda Market, many vendors were forced to close

their stalls due to severe flooding in the area.

Some drivers also complained of water reaching inside their cars, and contended that Government should do more to prevent flooding.

The Government has been engaged in an active clean-up campaign around the country, but many are of the opinion that flood prone areas particularly in Georgetown have not reaped the benefit. Citizens are also calling on the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to execute a project that will enhance the city’s drainage network.

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Progress and prorogation

Today marks 70 days since President Donald Ramotar took the bold and risky decision to prorogue Parliament during one of the tensest periods in the country’s political history.

The President’s decision, as he has articulated on countless occasions, was aimed at the preservation of the life of the controversial 10th Parliament.

It was also aimed at providing a fresh opportunity for talks with the parliamentary Opposition parties on a slew of important matters related to the governance of the country and the way out of the continued deadlock that marred progress in the 65-seat legislature, which was controlled by the Opposition with a one-seat majority.

Perhaps the most important reason offered by the President was his desire to bring some level of calm and normalcy to the affairs of the country by affording all the stakeholders concerned some time to cool out and return to discussions sober-headed, especially in the case of Khemraj Ramjattan’s party, the Alliance For Change (AFC).

Recall that Ramotar’s decision was met with stern criticism and outright rejection by some political stakeholders and so-called independent commentators in our society.

The President and his Government were accused of subverting democracy and attempting to create a system where one party ruled the country.

Seizing the opportunity to attack the Presidency and reduce electoral support for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the AFC and its parliamentary partner launched a brutish campaign aimed at misinforming Guyanese locally, regionally and within the wider Diaspora about what was talking place here.

They even mounted a botched campaign to raise support for ending the prorogation of Parliament and a rebirth of democracy, announcing several resistance tactics to be used.

But weeks after the President’s decision, there is no example of excessive rule that the Opposition parties can point out to support the melodramatic tantrums that they threw when Parliament was prorogued.

The Opposition parties are also unable to clearly point out instances where the Government has engaged in projects and activities that reek of high levels of corruption that the Parliament would have discovered had it been in session.

Government ministries and State agencies are functioning as per norm and the business of the people is being addressed albeit without certain legislative reforms and outcomes being possible given the suspension of Parliament.

Calm and normalcy are prevailing throughout the country. Guyanese have refocused and strengthened their resolve. They have placed their backs against the walls and the wheels of industry are turning.

The two main political parties themselves have calmed down. They too have found something meaningful to do during the prorogation period.

While the AFC is out campaigning in the PPP/C’s stronghold day and night, APNU is busy meeting with its partners and stakeholders in the mining sector, labour, civil society, and corporate and nongovernmental organisations making election pitches and promises in return for electoral support.

These parties also found it useful to announce their intentions to enter secret talks aimed at creating a new coalition party that could contest the next General and Regional Elections.

The truth is, there are no major upheavals or instability as would have been the case had the AFC and APNU moved their noconfidence motion to dissolve Parliament and force the collapse of Government.

All of the objectives outlined by President Ramotar have been achieved except dialogue which forced him to announce his decision to call early General and Regional Elections this year.

Until the President announces the date for elections this year, calm and stability are likely to prevail, and the political parties are being granted a gracious amount of time to plan their campaigns and set their financing in train.

There is no threat to democracy as the Constitution is being upheld. Testimony to this is Granger’s farcical move to the courts to stop Government spending monies from the 2014 estimates which failed to win legislative support, and were disapproved by the Opposition.

This is a diversionary tactics as the Opposition has again run out of ideas and manufactured controversies which would serve their partisan political interests.

Until Parliament is dissolved as the President clearly intends to do, the prorogation of Parliament has had little or no effect on Guyana’s democratic resolve, nor has it deprived Guyanese from keeping their Government accountable.

If we want to assess the impact of the prorogation in a realistic manner, let’s ask the Ombudsman here to launch a probe in this respect.

Winter wonderland

What's behind Jeffrey’s misapplication of the original sin?

Dear Editor,

Dr Henry Jeffrey’s assertion that Adam and Eve’s original sin propelled Western scientific revolution is a pitiful fallacy most unbecoming.

If it required commission of the original sin for scientific revolution which prerequired the coming of Christ to make clear what’s good and bad, is there a cutoff GuySuCo quota to be met for a second coming?

I am not sure if Dr Jeffrey is for, or against the original sin contained in his SN column, titled “Eve ignited the present scientific revolution”.

Of course, Dr Jeffrey was happily assessing Western thought by someone else’s lens, that is, Steve Smith’s book (“Political Philosophy”, Yale University Press, 2012). Omitting Smith is Jewish and the Western tradition owes more to Judaism, which begat both Christianity and Islam, is enough to rockabye that baby on the tree top.

In elation, Dr Jeffrey describes Smith’s book as a “matchless account of the beginning of humani-

ty, the creation of the first family, the rise of civilization and the eventual separation of humanity into distinct peoples and nations”.

He menus biblical Jerusalem in bipolar oscillation with Athens philosophical thought which for him consists of “Western intellectual tradition”, and which he gives endorsement.

Could Dr Jeffrey be in confusion with the Karmic cycle of action and reaction or Newton›s law, that is, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?

The problem with Eve’s criminal action and Adam’s silence of endorsement cannot be in harmony to be good. Dr Jeffrey cannot repudiate that God perfectly created the universe and therefore any need for the coming of a Saviour, even by a backdoor loophole, also became necessary.

Why was it necessary to destabilize God’s law and order … just to give credibility to scientific revolution? It would excuse slavery as a justified necessity in order for its correction.

It promotes Forbes Burnham’s PNC original sin as similarly Jerusalem biblical, most necessity by Adam, Eve and by Dr Jeffrey. It would sanctify Adolph Hitler’s evil as a necessary evil because it weakened Europe and speeded up decolonisation.

It would suggest the American “Amazing Grace” Marshall plan for European reconstruction was just a showoff exercise intent on control and domination.

Should the world accept other German horrors which gave rise to its many scientific breakthroughs like their Hitler era Volkswagens, Mercedes Benzs, tape recorders and Wernher von Braun’s V2 rocketry which sent Americans to the moon?

Jews, once Biblical slaves, of course have a different view and it’s “never again”! My unassailable point emphasises that Eve’s sin with Adam’s complicit aiding and abetting in eating the forbidden fruit should be condemned, totally.

Ennobling Eve’s transgression can only be Dr

Jeffrey’s incredible ratification of slavery, Hitler and Burnham by stealth most unbecoming.

In Hinduism, devotees aspire to moksha to be rid of the cycle of death and rebirth. Nirvana is perpetual bliss without any known evils, pain or suffering somewhat to the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve’s transgression.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna reminds he will return in incarnation only when needed. Should willful mayhem be activated just for Krishna’s return?

Without crime, there will be no need for the Police. I prefer no crime, no Policeman, but those early dictators who brought their own destruction also have admirers who can skillfully infuse evil into good. Let's all strive for moksha (salvation) by yajna (ritual of offerings) by excellent karma (deeds). Krishna does not have to incarnate right now when we do our prescribed duty.

Vassan Ramracha

Sita Ram

Permanent peace and harmony possible in Guyana without deculturisation

Dear Editor,

“We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect.

“To that class we may leave it to refine the vernacular dialects of the country, to enrich those dialects with terms of science borrowed from the Western nomenclature, and to render them by degrees fit vehicles for conveying knowledge to the great mass of the population,” was the active stated policy of the Colonial British towards Indians.

The architect of this deliberate British deculturalisation policy of Indians was Baron Thomas Babington Macaulay, whose father was a former African Colonial Governor.

Subsequent to his being elected to the House of Commons in 1830, Macaulay was appointed to the British governing Supreme Council of India where he spent the next four years.

Considering Western culture in the highest esteem, Macaulay proceeded to “civilise” their Indian subjects to become British. He reformed the criminal code of the Indian colony and established its educational system based upon the British model. The English language was institutionalised at the epicenter.

How well they succeeded in the makeover of alleged pagan Indians as “civilised Englishmen” can be found prominently even in Guyana. Were God’s “Indians” without anything virtuous? Did God make a mistake in creating humanity, or he just had Indians in mind?

Everything “Indian” became targeted for correction by man. For Macaulay to succeed, mind control became institutionalised. The reprogrammed bodysnatchers actively undertook the conquest of their original womb. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar mirrors it best:

“But ’tis a common proof that

lowliness is young ambition’s ladder, where to the climber upward turns his face.

“But when he once attains the upmost round, he then unto the ladder turns his back, looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees by which he did ascend.”

Macaulay’s policy successfully allowed for British occupation of India for some 400 years. Some 60,000 Englishmen were to politically control over 500 million subjects before India’s independence in 1947.

Eventually brought as conquered subjects from their original countries, the similar indentured Chinese, preceding Indians, were brought to the Caribbean to a new reality far worse. African slaves had already become dehumanised and were totally acculturised Englishmen. Indian indentureds were also expected to follow suit.

Since considered pagans and last at the bottom in the pits, they had to work a lot harder. For their daily roti, not daily bread, they either worked or all perish. There was no safety net, no Government intervention, no economic subsidy of critical necessity.

Today’s demand for economic “equality” cannot be disputed. What perpetuates our disagreements is the advocacy which orchestrates principally race alone as the problem; acceptance of such a proposal makes the only solution a racial one and nothing else.

Those who accepted the Biblical injunction that the last should be first do not find it valid, by convenience, anymore. It does not deny every human being is indeed entitled to equality in society.

When one condemns the other, to be ongoing conquered, converted and subjugated by race and in culture, even with religious wholesomeness, it only muddies tolerance and coexistence most vital for peace and harmony.

Is permanent peace possible or will the Trojan presence effect Macaulay’s designs ad infinitum?

Sultan Mohamed

CJIA welcomes feedback – positive or negative

Dear Editor,

Let me first thank Devanand Bhagwan for bringing to Management’s attention his encounter/experience at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Departure security screening point on December 24, 2014.

I am advised that upon receipt of the report an immediate investigation was launched and the security staff removed from the airport forthwith.

I am also available to provide Mr Bhagwan with additional information on the investigation, and can be contacted on 592261-2244 or cjiac@cjairport-gy. com.

I take this opportunity to

assure the travelling public of our commitment to providing quality service to all users of the airport. In this regard, we have and continue to conduct extensive training to educate all internal security personnel on the airport’s procedures/policies.

These sessions have proven to be highly successful.

Passengers are reminded to keep their valuables secured at all times and be attentive when being processed. If any irregularities are noticed, they can immediately inform an Airport Security Officer (ASO), a Customer Service Representative (CSR) or an Airport Duty Officer (ADO).

These staff are available to render assistance on a 24-hour basis. Contact can be made via telephone on the following numbers: 261-2281, 600-7022 or 6135117.

CJIA’s management continues to welcome all complaints, suggestions and recommendations as it relates to our overall operations.

Feedback, albeit positive or negative, will provide the Corporation with the necessary tools to deliver a high quality service as is mandated in the airport’s mission statement.

Ramesh Ghir Chief Executive Officer CJIA

When we rise, we all rise

The mist hangs over the Demerara River

The sounds, sights and smells of Guyana awaken the senses...

The braying of a donkey in the daylight hours.

The chorus of croaking frogs, with the onset of dusk.

The crowing of cocks before the break of dawn, still in the dead of the night.

The padi fields filled with water and sprouting lush green shoots shied to perfect densities ... Now that's an art!

Cows chomping on back dam pastures.

Goats tethered to fences mow the trench grasses.

A water snake wriggles among the leafy vegetation below a coconut tree.

Lily pads fill the trenches, yet to be cleaned.

The slow opening of the khoka, drainage, here in Mahaica flows with a purpose, not so far from the ocean front.

The smell of the manure reminds me of the cleaning of sheep guts, a stench like no other! But here, you breathe the air of a healthy inhale.

Ram shackled houses, higgledy piggledy, in the middle distance, see children and youths playing soccer close to the paddi fields. With the shanty as a backdrop.

A green house of seedlings ready for the farms, flourish in sunlight and heat. Nourished on

mulched coconut husks light and hairy with cow manure and irrigated trench water.

This is Guyana.

The old, reminisce of when times were good under the British.

Then the exodus from hardships and tyranny.

That generation has passed.

Those who fled, help from abroad. A new generation of connectedness. Business is booming. Politics is stable. The economy? Struggling at best.

People ask me how had Guyana changed in the 22 years since I last came.

I say the roads are better. Fewer potholes to manoeuvre around. An investment in the infrastructure to match the vibrant economy and the entrepreneurship of a hard working people, seeking a better life for one and all.

People’s homes signal the development of a US lifestyle, built of concrete with all the amenities. They shoot up among the wooden structures that still prevail among those who never had family leave for distant shores. Who now helps those families to rise?

The expatriates now vacation in the homes they built for their betterment.

The cell phone means no one in Guyana is ever alone or isolated. Here globalization means the farmer in the back dam can check the price of rice, while having just shied the budding seeds!

The life blood of Guyana lies in the youth of today, whom will lead Guyana into a better tomorrow.

Unshackled from the politics of yesterday when racial division split a nation of promise. That upheaval and the IMF imposition of floating the once strong Guyana dollar stalled a nation for decades.

The wharfs are now filled with containers, reflecting an economy in take off.

But it is the spirit of the people that will raise Guyana from its tortured past.

As I taxi to Timehri Airport, the mist hangs over the Demerara River. The words and spirit of "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou come to me as I see Guyana with fresh eyes.

Guyana is today and tomorrow. Here, the world has arrived. If Britain was the motherland, Guyana has become the fatherland.

When we rise. We all rise. Then you will rise. So then will I rise. Rise Guyana. Rise Guyana. Rise Guyana. Now. Guyana IS!

Chandrabawn Singh

Written upon my recent visit to Guyana, where I attended a ceremony for my uncle, who passed away a year ago. I reflected on my journey by writing this on the flight back, while the feelings were still fresh on my heart and mind.

Duty-free vehicle scam... US couple gets bail, Glenn Lall back in court

The remigrant couple Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan accused, along with Glenn and Bhena Lall, of defrauding the Government of more than $100 million in import taxes for two luxury vehicles appeared on Thursday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to face fraud charges.

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is claiming that the Brijnanans of Number 61 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, imported two Lexus SUV motor vehicles into Guyana under the Government’s Remigrant Scheme, but gave the vehicles to Kaieteur News Publisher Lall and his wife. According to the GRA, this is in breach of the Customs Act and the conditions of granting the duty-free concession; as such, charges were filed.

The first charge stated that between June 18 and September 13, 2013, they knowingly aided and abetted each other in the fraudulent evasion of import duties of Customs on two Lexus LX570 motor vehicles. The

second stated that they made and subscribed to a false declaration in a matter relating to the Customs by falsely declaring the value of the vehicles to be US$44,158.

In court, when the four charges were read by Magistrate Judy Latchman, the Brijnanans individually pleaded not guilty to the two sets of charges.

Magistrate Latchman released the couple on their own recognisance and told them to return to court on February 6, when the matter will be heard again. The couple was represented by Attorneys Sandyal Kissoon and Robin Hunte during the proceedings. Lall and his wife were also in court to lend support to the couple.

On October 13, the Lalls appeared before the court to answer to the said four charges, to which they pleaded not guilty and were released on self-bail. The charges against the newspaper publisher and his wife included knowingly dealing with goods with intent to defraud the GRA of duties on the said two motor vehicles.

They were represented by a list of attorneys namely: Khemraj Ramjattan, Nigel Hughes, Joseph Harmon, Christopher Ram, Rex McKay, Bettina Glasford, Brendan Glasford, and Robin Hunte. At that time, the Brijnanans had gone back to the US and were hence unable to make court appearances on two separate occasions. The couple subsequently returned voluntarily to Guyana on December 9.

According to documentation submitted by the couple to the GRA for the tax exemption, Narootandeo was a cleaner in the US while his wife was a housewife. It is unclear how, with their income, they were able to raise over US$186,000 (GY$37 million) to purchase two brand new Lexus SUVs.

And since Gharbassi does not have a licence to drive either in the US or Guyana, it would appear that if the money was the Brijnanans’ one of the vehicles was being purchased as a “spare”.

Sources have said that Lall would have likely transferred the over US$186,000 to the couple’s bank account in order for them to purchase the two brand new vehicles, which they later imported to Guyana under the guise of the remigrant dutyfree scheme being run by the Government. This would explain why the vehicles were being driven by Lall and his wife Bhena, and were never taken to Berbice where the elderly couple resides when in Guyana.

Municipal nurses still to be paid after 6 months … City Hall runaround continues

BY ROYDEN JAMES

Six months after being employed as Municipal Nurses, Sandra Hanover and Sharon Chase are yet to be paid their first salary.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Wednesday at the Festival City Health Centre, the nurses who are finding it difficult to cope in these trying times are calling on the relevant authorities to move on their behalf.

Hanover who is a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience noted that since her employment on August 4, 2014, she has not yet been paid. According to her, she has a letter of appointment which was approved by the Mayor and City Councillors but Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba has maintained that their employment did not go though the correct channel.

“I have my letter of appointment which was approved by the Mayor and Councillors but according to the Town Clerk Carol Sooba the employment is illegal and did not went through the right channel, we are not sure how we could be employed illegally and still function like every other nurse within the sector, just that we are not getting paid,” Hanover said.

Hanover, who was a midwife attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC), said that she was a Municipal Nurse for quite a number of years but after her retirement she was called back to continue duties at her post.

“I was trained as a nurse from 1981, and then in 19881989 I did midwifery, worked there and then I left there in

1994 and since then to now, I work with the City Council and I am a retiree that was called back”.

When asked about how she managed to cope during the recently concluded Christmas holiday season, Hanover said that although it was hard for her, she tried to make much with what she had.

“For me it was very very hard with no money to spend but I just try to make much with whatever I had,” she noted.

Meanwhile, Sharon Chase the second nurse who did not receive her salary shared the same sentiments. She noted that she has a lot of responsibilities on her shoulder and children to send to school and would like whoever is responsible for them not being paid to consider them and let them be paid as early as possible.

“The Christmas holiday would have been far better for me if we were paid, I have my children and you know children does always look forward for something around Christmas time but you know I am just bearing up and I am praying that this matter will

resolve soon and we get pay, because it is not easy to find money every day to put food in our lunch bowls and come to work and pay bus fare without being paid,” she said. According to the nurses, the last they heard was from the Secretary within the Local Government Ministry who called them and informed them that the Ministry is not responsible for them not being paid.

She added that they were also told by the Secretary that they would have been paid as soon as a meeting was held with the Councillors. However, the meeting has come and gone and the nurses are yet to be paid.

In a telephone interview with Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba she noted that the nurses were not employed through the normal channel noting that one is a retiree and another one was retired from somewhere else and gained employment as a municipal nurse. Sooba said that the council took a decision that the nurses should be paid, but they cannot be paid without going through the proper channel.

She added that the matter was sent to the Local Government Minister to be dealt with but it has not been concluded as yet. Further, she said the personnel officer took it upon herself to do the interviews and did not submit a report or the results of the interviews, hence this problem arose.

The run around continues But as the blame game and run around continues within City Hall, Mayor Hamilton Greene and Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Greene noted that the nurses were employed through the correct channel, dismissing comments about the duo retired nurses.

The two top Councillors pointed out that majority of the Councillors had approved the applications of the nurses and the Acting Town Clerk had voted against it. According to Mayor Green, the Local Government Minister is aware of the nurse’s employment and is also very much aware that the nurses’ applications were approved by majority of the Councillors, but he has once again decided to collude with the Acting Town Clerk. However, following an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, it was reported that the nurses will be paid by the end of this week.

Trotman paedophile allegations

DPP sends back file to Police for further probe

The file containing details of the rape allegations levied against Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman by 22-year-old Johnny Welshman is back with Police for further investigations to be conducted.

This was confirmed by Communications Officer of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers, Liz Rahaman. She said that the Chambers had sent the file back to the Police for additional investigations to be conducted before any advice is given.

In September, Welshman accused the Speaker who he fondly called “Uncle Raphael” of sodomising him

when he was a 12-year-old boy. Since the allegations were made by the 22-yearold, Trotman has moved to the courts to attain a gag order and filed a $50 million lawsuit against his accuser.

On November 11, acting Chief Justice Ian Chang had ruled to uphold an injunction filed by Trotman that prevented Welshman from repeating his allegations of sexual abuse until the conclusion of the matter, much to the anger of the alleged victim.

After more than 30 minutes of deliberations, Justice Chang had upheld the injunction.

This was confirmed by the Attorney representing Trotman,

told reporters outside the

ues until there is a determination of the matter”.

The young man had previously told the Guyana Times that he was frustrated by the slothfulness of Police in probing the matter.

On Wednesday, November 12, he attempted to take his own life in frustration over what he called the slothfulness and perceived wrongdoings in Guyana’s justice system.

Welshman also indicated that he was no longer being represented by Attorney Peter Hugh. He indicated that he was awaiting the arrival of another Attorney from Trinidad and Tobago before he proceeded in a legal direction.

Welshman was reportedly taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital after reportedly consuming a large amount of chlorine-based liquid. He was treated and sent home.

“I can’t take it anymore: I wanted justice and I am the one that is constantly harassed on the road. Well, live with yourself at my death… I know I will be in hell ‘cause I committed suicide, but I rather die than to continue living in pain… Uncle Raphael, my father and Colin, I will never forgive you’,” Welshman posted on his Facebook page the day of his suicide attempt.

Minister Ramsaran hands over $11M ambulance to GPHC

– plans to expand EMS to other regions in Guyana

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) benefited from an 11 million-dollar ambulance which was donated by the Health Ministry last Thursday at the Resource Centre of the Hospital. The ambulance is expected to further expand the Hospital’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, made the donation to the medical institution. He informed that the donation of the ambulance was made possible through funding from the Vanderbilt Medical Centre and the Morris Foundation of the United States of America (USA).

Ron Morris, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at the GPHC, stated that the ambulance will go a long way in assisting the EMTs in their daily duties. He ex-

up those unable to reach the hospital in time, during every shift.

Morris informed that the ambulance comes with monitors and cots to facilitate the stabilisation of patients if necessary and also radios that can be used by the attending EMTs to keep in contact with the main office, particularly when they need to call in to advise the A&E to prepare for an incoming emergency.

Minister Ramsaran told Guyana Times that two more buses are also expected within the next few months through the donation of a Turkish partnership.

He informed that Vanderbilt Medical Centre and the Morris Foundation have been working with his Ministry and the GPHC to develop Emergency Medicine in Guyana since 2010.

plained that currently the GPHC has four ambulances; however there is only one ambulance for a shift.

With this new addition, there can then be two ambulances available to pick

Dr Zulfikar Bux, who heads the A&E, told Guyana Times that the Georgetown Hospital made a step to develop the “pre-hospital care and in hospital care” of the hospital in 2010.

He informed that he is a beneficiary of the ‘in hospital’ initiative of EMS as he received the Emergency Medical Specialist training and graduated in 2013 with Emergency Medicine Resident, Dr Tracey Bovell.

Dr Bux explained that this means that they’re qualified to attend to emergencies that are rushed to A&E.

The Emergency Medical Specialist informed that the Hospital along with its supporting foreign institutions have put plans in place that should result in there being 14 Emergency Medical Specialists by 2018. It is their goal to have such specialists not only at GPHC but also in the peripheral hospitals.

However, Dr Bux said that with steps taken to develop the hospital’s in hospital’ services, the need for pre-hospital care was seen as equally important.

With the recognition, of this the EMTs was birthed. It was designed to provide emergency medical response for patients in the public that needs urgent medical care. Dr Bux told this publication that the EMTs are specially trained to deliver emergency medical care to patients on the scene and en route to the Hospital.

According to a release from the GPHC, the EMS service is a part of a greater plan to have emergen-

cy medical response to all patients in Guyana. The GPHC EMS is seen as a pilot initiative that will gradually expand in phases to the regions of Guyana.

Dr Bux detailed that the first phase involved GPHC while the second phase involves expanding the initiative to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, then the hospitals in Berbice and the Linden hospital.

The release explained that the ultimate plan is to have a National EMS body that controls the daily operations of EMS services in Guyana.

Meanwhile, at the Resource Centre of the Hospital, the EMT’s were recognised for their outstanding performances for 2014. Ron Morris was awarded the title of the best performing EMT for 2014 and also given the Morris Foundation Award. Minister Ramsaran also awarded the entire group for their overall performances for the year as they have gone beyond what was expected of them in their services to the public. He called them the “best emerging team of health care providers in the country.”

Elderly woman commits suicide at Golden Fleece

An 80-year-old woman from Golden Fleece Village on the Essequibo Coast has ended her life tragically.

Dead is Tinka Ramsamooj who was discovered hanging from her bathroom rafter in the lower flat of her home on Wednesday evening around 17:00h.

coming out. When the sister checked, she discovered her body hanging from the rafter.

According to information, the elderly woman went to take her evening shower and after hours past, her sister noticed that she was not

In shock, she screamed and the entire neighbour gathered on the scene.

Ramsamooj lately returned from the United

States. Her entire family is said to be in New York. She was living with her sister at the time of her death.

Ramsamooj’s death is the second reported suicide case in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) for 2015.

Lamaha Springs resident granted bail on charge for

Wfraudulent conversion

Silent nights...

...in AFC

Have you noticed, Dear Reader, that Moses Nagamootoo's disappeared from public view?? And this at a time when Ramjattan and the PNC/APNU are locked in negotiations – which the AFC's demanded be kept SECRET on pain of death!!

The charge read that in April 2012, at Bartica, Essequibo River (Region Seven – CuyuniMazaruni), he was entrust-

ayne Anderson, 37, of Lot 38 Lamaha Springs, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was granted bail after being arraigned on a fraudulent conversion charge, when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, on Thursday.

ed by Rudolph Craig with $1.3 million to buy a hydrologic turbine and a pump. The defendant frequently converted the money to his own use and benefits.

There were no facts read for the case and Police Prosecutor Bharrat Mangru had no objections to bail being granted to the defendant.

Anderson was then granted bail in a sum of $150,000. He will make his second court appearance at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for January 15.

Young labourer remanded for possession of gun and ammo

Nineteen-year-old

Timothy Taylor of Timehri Fire Service Area, East Bank Demerara; was remanded to prison after being charged for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The young man appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday.

It was alleged that on January 6 at Georgetown, he had in his possession a firearm; that is a .32 revolver when he is not a licensed firearm holder. On the same day, it was alleged that he had in his pos-

session three live rounds of .32 ammunition while not

being the holder of a firearm licence. The labourer pleaded not guilty to the charges. It was heard that Taylor has one pending matter before the courts – possession of narcotics – at the Port Kaituma Magistrate’s Court.

Police Prosecutor Denero Jones objected to bail citing the nature and seriousness of the offence and the penalty that the offence carries.

After the objections were laid out, the Magistrate remanded Taylor until January 23.

Miner refused bail for robbery under arms

Twenty-two-year-old

Howard Rambarose of Lot 6 Meadow Bank, East Bank Demerara was remanded after being arraigned on three counts of robbery under arms.

The miner appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Judy Latchman.

The defendant, who was

represented by legal counsel, pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The first charge alleged that on October 31, 2014 at 8th Street, Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Annasa Charles of one Alcatel cellphone valued $10,000.

The second charge read

that on the same date, he robbed Soma Persaud of $500,000 in cash and the final charge stated that he robbed Mersatta Singh of $40,000 in cash.

Defence Attorney Dexter Todd told the court that there was no identification parade done nor was a proper investigation launched so as to “point a

finger at Rambarose”. He added that his client was currently before Magistrate Fabayo Azore on a similar offence.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Joel Ricknauth told the court that indeed there was no identification parade carried out; however, the defendant’s fingerprints were found on the crime scene.

He noted that Rambarose admitted to the offence while on station bail. He added that a firearm was allegedly used to commit the crime.

The Prosecutor objected to bail, citing the nature, prevalence and seriousness of the offence, the fact that a firearm was used and the defendant may be a flight risk, as well as the penalty attached to the offence.

The prosecution’s objections were upheld and the defendant was refused bail. The matter is adjourned until January 23.

Well, don't forget that you heard it here firstNagamootoo's being pushed under the bus by his erstwhile buddy Ramjattan so that HE'd become Granger's PM candidate in the coalition that's all but sealed, signed and delivered.

We'd already signalled this development, but now it's confirmed. Granger, of course, always had a hard on for Nagamootoo. This'd been made clear when he firmly rejected the PPP/C's deserter for the Speaker's position.

He'd never offered his real reason as to why he couldn't stomach Nagamootoo, but in the spirit of give and take in the negotiations, he relented. As an old (very old) army man - who's now surrounded by a military kitchen cabinet - how could he stomach a deserter? Army types figure once a turncoat, always a turncoat.

For Ramjattan's part, he couldn't hold out any longer as to who were the three traitors who'd sold their soul for $30 million each to sink Ramjattan's No-Confidence Motion. Since Ramjattan had sworn the money had already passed hands, Granger wanted a piece of the action for the upcoming hustings. Ramjattan now swore that the names were "Larry, Moe and Curly Joe"!! You fit the cap!!

With that out of the way, believe it or not, the sticking point for the PNC types who now run APNU - unfettered by the WPA, who're in a corner sulking - is the name for the coalition of the AFC/PNC/APNU.

Ramjattan had insisted that one word from each partner's name be combined and came up withPartnership Alliance for National Trust - Yes! (PANTY!). He explained that the "Trust", ending with "Yes!" would engender confidence and positivity.

Granger, we are informed by our informant, listened patiently to Ramjattan, but said the acronym "PANTY!" was just too much for him - especially with the exclamation point at the end!! He explained that personally, he held nothing against this or any other PANTY! (He's old, remember??)

But he just wouldn't be able to shout out lustily at the end of campaign meetings, "Vote for happiness!!! Vote for PANTY!" What would that do to his image? He'd pleaded to no avail.

But this Eyewitness was informed (by his informant), that Ramjattan remained unmoved that Granger's image as a straight-laced fella had already taken a beating with his Gangnam Style horse/prancing moves unleashed during the holidays.

So on the coalition, Granger's about to tell Ramjattan, "Haul yuh ass!!!"

... deadly fights

Now if we haven't been hearing or seeing Nagamootoo, what do we say about the Linden Trio - Norton, Solomon and Kissoon?? Have they been abducted by aliens during some silent night??

Word is, they've been made persona non grata by Granger for showing that the leader had no goddamn clothes on - when it came to democratic principles. He was just a naked dictator like his hero Burnham.

Now we ain't gonna carry any lance for that trio - especially Solomon and Kissoon. But a principle's a principle, no? And we can't have a party leader - who was never in the party, for Chrissake!! - just waltz in and banish party faithfuls to the local gulag beyond Linden.

We've heard about "Night of the Long Knives" - when Hitler purged the Nazi Party by killing off leaders from both the left and the right wings - but here in Guyana in the 21st Century??

And the PNC dares to talk about "democracy"?? O judgement.....!!

...and FUCOP

The "Funding a United Committee for Opposition Presidency" (FUCOP) is closed until its founder (funder?) Glenn "Mook" Lall sorts out his GRA audit!! Ooops!!! We just heard there's no such thing as a "GRA"!!!

This Eyewitness hopes all his tax cheques will be returned!

LEAD in election year... USAID denies any hidden agenda

By Svetlana MarShall

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Leadership and Democracy Programme (LEAD), which got off to a controversial start should not be seen as an initiative with a hidden agenda, its Chief of Party, Glen Bradbury has said.

With General and Regional Elections scheduled for this year, observers believe that some of the activities that form part of the programme could influence voters’ choices one way or the other. The LEAD pro-

venting global terrorism, though some of its interventions since 9/11 have been criticised for undermining democracy”.

A 2006 IRI brochure declared, “When IRI began its work in 1983, advancing democracy was seen as a noble endeavour; today, it is recognised as a defence against terrorism. IRI’s activities have allegedly included funding clandestine opinion surveys in Cuba (2008); monitoring the controversial and violence-tainted elections in Kenya (2007); and undertaking public opinion polls in Pakistan after President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergen-

gramme is said to seek to promote democracy and simultaneously build the capacity of the citizenry. The programme is being spearheaded by the International Republican Institute (IRI), which had been in the news even before the advent of this project.

According to the Institute of Policy Studies’ RightWatch, the “IRI was created by the Ronald Reagan Administration in 1983 to push democratisation efforts and roll back the influence of the Soviet Union. More recently, the taxpayer-funded IRI has claimed to play a role pre-

cy (2007). More controversially, its “democracy building” programme in Haiti was accused of undermining both US State Department diplomacy efforts and the Government of then President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. IRI also channelled funds to forces in Venezuela that sought to overthrow the controversial but democratically elected President Hugo Chávez in 2002.

No political interference

However, in an exclusive interview with the Guyana Times, Bradbury shot down the claims of meddling, em-

phasising that there would be no political interference. “We have no hidden agenda. There is no nefarious scheme or plan,” he posited. He said the programme, which is being executed by the IRI on behalf of USAID, is designed to promote understanding and active participation in democratic governance with special emphasis on the National Assembly, women and youths.

The objectives of the programme were clear, Bradbury emphasised, positing that the project was up for scrutiny, even as he ruled out claims of partiality. According to him, the IRI continues to maintain a high level of impartiality. “We don’t give anyone an opportunity to say that we are obviously in favour of one party or the other. I think that we should keep to the high road and follow our way of doing business.”

The controversy surrounding the LEAD Project began in late 2013 when Government signalled its objection, contending at the time that it was not adequately consulted before implementation of the project. But despite the concerns raised by the Donald Ramotar Administration, the US Government reportedly moved ahead with the project consulting not only with women and youths but political parties primarily A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC).

The US had explained that both Governments had drafted a framework during their 2009 meeting for assistance in governance and democracy, and as such, USAID was under the impression that the programmes being developed were in accordance with the drafted 2009 framework

On advice of DPP, Police Officer now charged for manslaughter

The Police Officer who was remanded to prison for a murder charge was on Thursday granted $400,000 bail after the charge was changed to manslaughter.

Sherwin Stuart of Timehri, East Bank Demerara; was brought before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to the charge on Friday, November 13, 2014. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on November 11, 2014, at Soesdyke/Linden Highway Junction, East Bank Demerara, he unlawfully killed Neil Anthony Narine.

Previously, Stuart was arraigned on the capital offence of murder however after the

files were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice, the charge was changed to manslaughter. While the particulars of the matter were not detailed

by the Prosecutor, it was reported that Narine and the suspect were involved in a heated argument, which escalated into a scuffle. Persons around intervened and separated the men, but as Narine walked away, Stuart claimed to be a Constable and reportedly attempted to arrest Narine.

Narine, a former Police rank, resisted, and Stuart retaliated by repeatedly hitting him to the head and neck. Hospital reports confirmed Narine suffered damage to the brain and a ruptured blood vessel in the neck. As a result of the injuries, he was placed on a life support machine, but after a few days, doctors confirmed that he was brain dead.

Stuart was granted bail and will make his next court appearance on February 16.

that was agreed upon. The disagreement had resulted in Bradbury’s work permit being revoked. However, by August 2014, Guyana and the US had arrived at a consensus, agreeing on the design and implementation mechanisms of the LEAD Project. But although modified, the Project’s fundamental objectives remained intact with the exception of one component.

While the parties agreed to strengthen the work of the National Assembly, provide civic education for Local Government Elections and encourage participation in civic life by women and youths, they disagreed on the political component which involved having consultations with individual political parties, hence it was excluded.

Public education

Since the August 2013 agreement, the IRI team has been hosting a series of town-hall meetings with the last held on December 6 in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). Meetings were also held in Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika and Georgetown. It is estimated that over 600 persons attended these meetings.

“We have been educating the public on the importance of Local Government Elections and the actual voting process. So when Local Government Elections are held, people will have a greater sense, in terms of the rules, regulations and responsibilities for that,” Bradbury explained.

However, he said there was a high possibility that the town-hall meetings would be modified to cater for General and Regional Elections, if they were called by President Donald Ramotar. “Given that the nation is moving towards a National Election, we have

taken a decision to suspend the sessions… but it is not really a suspension… it’s a realisation that people would not want to know about Local Government Elections in the middle of a national elections campaign, they would probably be more interested in how GECOM would be conducting the elections and what are their rights, roles and responsibilities as citizens,” the Chief of Party explained. He made it clear that a decision will be made if or when elections are called. Asked whether any modification to the agenda of the meetings would require the Government’s approval, Bradbury responded in the negative.

It was explained that from the initial stage it was agreed that the citizenry should be more informed on elections in Guyana.

“It is not an issue of partisanship, but it is an issue of public information. The Government would be interested in ensuring that people are informed on the rules and regulations of the elections’ process,” he said. However, it was noted that further consultations would be held with GECOM in an effort to determine the scope of work.

Thieves strike Diamond house again

ADiamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD) family is once again traumatised after thieves broke into their home for a second time while they were at work.

The perpetrators took away several pieces of jewellery and a cellular phone after ransacking the one- bedroom house located at Lot 36 Section B Block X (Seventh Avenue).

Guyana Times understands that the young couple and their two-yearold son had left home at approximately 06:00h on Tuesday and returned home around 19:30h, when they found the house ransacked. .

Maresa Surajpaul told this newspaper that the thieves may have gained entry to her house through a window at the back by removing two bars. The woman said when they saw that they had been robbed, they immediately alerted neighbours and summoned the Police.

“They came through the window and open the (back) door and take out what they had to take out and lock back the door, then go out back through the window,” she said.

Surajpaul disclosed that the men took off with four gold chains, a silver band, several pairs of earrings, and a set of machine-made chains. She stated that the gold chains were kept in the pockets of her husband’s jeans and was in the wardrobe among the other clothing.

The woman added that she had forgot her iPhone home that day and the thieves took that also, leaving the case behind. She related that this was the second time that their home had been robbed. The first time thieves broke into the house, the woman said they came home and found the men in the house, but the men escaped through the back door and used the empty lot behind the home to get to the other

Surajpaul explained that none of the neighbours noticed anything and so it was hard to determine around what time the men broke into the house. However, she believes that the men are from the area or may have been watching them for a while, since they seem to know their way around the area. They got away with jewellery that time also.

“When they finish, they jump over the back fence and walk through the empty land behind us on Sixth Street… there were footprints in the back yard, so we know that’s how they got away again without being seen,” she pointed out.

Most of the neighbours around Surajpaul’s house are not at home during the day. To the Surajpauls’ left, no one lives in the house while the two immediate lots to their right just have incomplete foundations. The woman said

when they called the Police, they took a while before they arrived and when they did, they dusted for fingerprints. Surajpaul noted that the Police did the same for the first robbery, but never got anywhere with the investigations.

Diamond Scheme continues to be a safe haven for criminals because of the layout of the well-developed community. Almost every day, burglaries are committed because the majority of homeowners are working class and are rarely at home, a fact criminals take advantage of.

This newspaper was told that over the past month, there were at least two burglaries in the same street. Even though there is a Police Station located in the community, residents are still fearful of leaving their homes. Persons are calling for more patrols to be carried out in the area.

GTUC calls on GECOM to explain $20M for batteries

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to provide hard evidence justifying its $20 million expenditure for Duracell batteries.

The Union said in a release it did “not accept the flimsy excuse made by Dr Roger Luncheon ‘for all other purposes and in the event of blackout’”.

On Wednesday, at his post-Cabinet press briefing, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon revealed the expenditure and explained that although the amount raised some eyebrows in Cabinet, it was approved because it was better to be “safe than sorry” given the Guyana Power and Light Company’s unstable supply of electricity.

“The expenditure was not idly resorted to. Some see it as an indictment of the power sector,” the Cabinet Secretary said.

He also added that GECOM may have a lot of battery-powered equipment.

The Union, long at odds with the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said, “This seemingly wanton expenditure ... suggests that the State’s coffer, filled with hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars, is ripped open to feed the hunger for personal wealth accumulation...”.

It said while this was going on, public servants and other workers were “left to seek out a living on starvation wages, and the nation’s debt rises astronomically. Children of the working class will inherit the brunt of this in a cycle of workingclass poverty”.

“The continuous pillaging of the nation’s resources is further reason why Parliament needs to be reconvened,” the Union alleged, saying a convened Parliament, “which is a constitutional requirement, would have allowed for careful review not only of GECOM’s budget but specifically review of this item and any other suspicious slush fund....”

The GTUC called on David Granger, as Leader

of the Opposition, to “up the ante” to have Parliament reconvene. It alleged that the Government would continue to “use this prorogation period as a cover to engage in corrupt practices due to lack of oversight that the National Assembly is designed to perform”.

In furthering its argument that the prorogation of Parliament was a mistake, the veteran trade Union umbrella body posited that the act itself was an act of denying workers, in this instance, parliamentarians the right to work. It added that the fact that Government continued to pay parliamentarians wages raised moral and ethical issues.

The Union concluded its release by calling on the “independent media, civil society and opinion leaders to join forces and speak in common voice that would bring pressure to bear on the [Donald] Ramotar Government to reconvene Parliament forthwith and respect the will of the people to be involved in national decision-making and oversight”.

Trouble does follow some people

Old people seh don’t trouble trouble till trouble trouble yuh. That is why Shal Marshall sing bout some gyal who was causin trouble and mashin up de place. Trouble does mash up people too, so is always good to tek old people advice.

But not every body does listen to old people, especially de young people nowadays, or people who tink dem young and does try hard to look young. So is some kinda trouble got Freedie lookin so mash up.

It musbe that Freedie trouble some kinda trouble whah he ain’t supposed to trouble. And that ain’t include dem Canadian and UG Library books whah he wasn’t suppose to trouble

But tryin so hard to look young (if yuh wanna kiss a man, yuh had betta look young), it musbe that Freedie trouble some body who trouble he back. That is why Freedie always in back-to-back trouble.

Lalloo does tek on a lotta trouble to look young too. But no matter whah he do wid he clothes, he always got pants trouble – de pants can never stay up, just like other tings fuh Lalloo. One ducktor in town seh Lalloo in trouble fuh de rest of he life.

Dr Dr Dr Flip Mofart Thomas deh in trouble too. Mofart try to bluff he way outta trouble. But that itself cause more trouble. Now de Conference Centre people gon give he plenty trouble fuh de money whah he owe, even though he got money trouble. And hope Mofart pay this newspaper fuh all dem trouble some ads whah he give people a lotta trouble to publish, and put people in trouble by callin dem names.

De Mayor-Fuh-Life does still try to give de Tongue Clerk trouble wid a lotta tongue lashin. But de Mayor-FuhLife can’t tek a tongue lashin or any kinda lashin fuh that matter. So he in de same trouble like Lalloo

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! A Linden woman seh Green Jah in de same kinda trouble. Lookin at Green Jah dance de other day, it got to be true!

FAO food price index drops in December

FAO’s monthly Food Price Index declined in December after three months of stability. Continued large supplies and record stocks combined with a stronger US dollar and falling oil prices contributed to the decline.

The December Food Price Index averaged 188.6 points, a drop of 1.7 percent from November, led down by sugar and palm oil. For the whole of 2014, the Food Price Index averaged 202 points, down 3.7 percent from 2013, marking the third consecutive annual decline. This year-on-year drop came despite FAO’s sub-index for meat rising to an all-time high annual average of 199 points, up 8.1 per cent from 2013. Cereals, by contrast, dropped 12.5% from the previous year, buoyed by forecasts of record production and ample inventories.

FAO’s Food Price Index is a trade-weighted index that tracks prices of five major food commodity groups on international markets. It aggregates price sub-indices of cereals, meat, dairy products, vegetable oils and sug-

ar. Four of those indices fell in 2014 and are at, or close to, their lowest levels in five years.

The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 183.9 points in December, up 0.4 percent from November as wheat prices rose on the back of worries that Russia may restrict exports. However, the increase was capped by the stronger U.S. dollar. Moreover, rice prices fell markedly amid abundant export supplies. The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index average declined by 2.4 percent to a five-year low of 161 points in December, due mainly to depressed demand for palm oil as a biodiesel feedstock, itself linked to falling global oil prices.

The FAO Dairy Price Index declined by 2.3 percent to 174 points, its lowest level since late 2009, as slowing imports by China and Russia left abundant export supplies for international markets. Price declines were greatest for milk powders, butter and cheese.

The FAO Meat Price Index also declined in December, down 1.9 percent from the

previous month, as a stronger U.S. dollar curbed price quotations for beef and mutton from Oceania and pork from Europe. However, at 204 points, this index is near its monthly all-time highs, and on a full-year basis rose 8.1 per cent in 2014 from 2013, the only commodity group to post higher average prices over the year. The FAO Sugar Price Index dropped 4.8 percent to 219 points in December, largely because of ample supplies in major producing countries such as Brazil. Falling crude oil prices, which reduce demand for sugar crops to be converted into ethanol, also weighed on international sugar quotations in December. Lower crude oil prices spelled bearish price trends for commodities that can be used for biofuels, notably sugar but also palm oil, which has the largest weight inside the vegetable oils index, said FAO senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian. “Ample supplies aside, the drop in oil prices obviously makes ethanol production less attractive,” he said.

A compromise can be reached on paper committals – Attorney Bond

Attorney and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament, James Bond has suggested that paper committals be used to protect victims while the defendant is given the chance to question the witness in cases where discrepancies are found in the accuser’s statements.

Bond told Guyana Times that a compromise can be reached over the embattled paper committals as it is an advantageous tool in

Guyana’s judicial system and should not be thrown out.

He says in such cases the defendant should be able to question the plaintiff before he is expected to face trial, as any discrepancies in the prosecution’s case may well show there is no case to be tried.

Bond informed that he is very much aware of the fact that paper committals are quite an advantage in rape

cases as it prevents the rape victims from having to face their attacker more than necessary. However, he also understands that this does prevent the defendant from having the case dismissed before reaching trial, indicating that this can make the accused save face before a trial.

Senior Council Bernard De Santos had commented that most cases are thrown out before a trial and the defendant should not have this opportunity taken away from him or her with paper committals.

However, Attorney Bond believes said paper committals serve a purpose in Guyana’s judicial system and cannot thus simply be removed, even if just for rape cases.

He said paper committals dismiss the cases of the prosecution that have no potential of holding up in court. By doing this, Magistrates and Judges can attend to serious cases where substan-

tial evidence is available.

Danuta Radzik, of Help and Shelter, also shared this view. She stated that “a majority of cases don’t get heard,” adding that the time taken before the cases are called is more often than not extremely lengthy, and this affects the level of justice the victims receive through the judicial system.

Radzik gave an example of a young woman who was sexually assaulted when she was a child and when the case was finally called to be tried, she was an adult. By this time, the young woman had already moved on with her life and did not wish to relive those memories.

This is the reality of the judicial system without paper committals, Radzik commented.

Paper committals have already been deemed successfully unlawful in two rape cases by Attorney Mursalene Bacchus in 2012 and in 2014, and from the grumblings of lawyers, more is definitely expected.

President of the Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC), Indra Chanderpaul, posited that when Chief Justice Ian Chang’s ruling was made on paper committals, she stated that she was quite disappointed but relieved that the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, stepped up to challenge this ruling.

She indicated that she understands that persons may accuse the defendant wrongfully but stated that they have a chance to prove their innocence in court through a trial.

9-year-old cancer patient passes on

Nine-year-old Javier Anderson, who had been battling cancer for over one year, succumbed on Tuesday at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Paediatric Ward around 13:15h.

“He just laid there in my arms, and he said, ‘Mummy I love you’ then I asked him ‘If you hearing me, open your eyes’, he did; I asked him again, and he did, but I don’t know why everything happens on the third time, I asked him to open his eyes and he didn’t,” his mother, Lizanna Anderson said, recounting her last moments with her son.

Javier was eight years old when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancer that gruesomely attacks the bones.Just a few months later, Javier was bedbound in the paediatric ward as the cancer started attacking his lungs.

When Guyana Times visited the young lad during Christmas time, Javier only had one wish.

“I pray for Jesus to heal me.”

Javier, who was an A student at the North Georgetown Primary School,

was described by family members as an extraordinary and brilliant young man.

“This boy, he is the type of child that makes a parent proud. He is the type of child that makes any parent proud to be a parent,” Javier’s grandfather, Gerald Browne had said, almost in tears.

Although his mother was hoping for a Christmas miracle, she explained that she had accepted that her little boy would no longer be with her.

Javier leaves to mourn his mother, four-year old

Terrorist attack on French magazine... Nations continue to condemn the cowardly act

The terrorist attack on the French Magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris continues to receive widespread condemnation.

On Thursday, the Government of Guyana joined the international community in condemning the reprehensible terrorist attack launched on the magazine. The attack which took place on Wednesday, result in the death of 12 persons including eight journalists and two Policemen.

The Donald Ramotar Administration, in expressing condolences to the people of France, said it “subscribes to the principle of the full and effective exercise of the freedom of the press, which is an indispensable instrument for the functioning of representative democracy, through which individuals exercise their right to receive, impart and seek information.”

In this regard, the Government said its stands in solidarity with the French authorities and the rest of the international community in their efforts to bring

the perpetrators to justice.

Head of the European Union Delegation in Guyana, Ambassador Robert Kopecky also condemned the act. Ambassador Kopecky said “The horrific and cowardly attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris… is an attack not only on over 20 innocent civilians, but also on two of the most fundamental values shared by the European Union and democracies the world over.”

The European Union and its Member States in condemning the attack in the strongest terms, underscored the importance of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, saying that there are essential elements of any democratic and open society.

“Each is protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, by the European Convention on Human Rights, and by the Constitutions of all the Member States. These values are a central tenet of who we are as Europeans,” the Ambassador said on Thursday.

He also thanked the Guyana Government and the Guyanese people for standing in solidarity with Paris and by extension, Europe. “A chorus of condemnation has rung out across the globe following this barbaric attack. Those who would seek to deprive us of our fundamental freedoms, anywhere in the world, should be left in no doubt that our collective resolve to defend these freedoms will never be diminished.”

Currently, a huge Police operation is underway in North-east Paris in search for the main suspects who have been identified as Cherif and Said Kouachi. According to Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, 88,000 Police Officers and soldiers have been deployed across France since the attack.

Meanwhile, vigils for the victims continued across France on Thursday evening, with the lights of the Eiffel Tower in Paris turned off after dark in tribute to those killed.

Monies owed being paid to fuel suppliers Port Kaituma Power Company woes...

Port Kaituma fuel suppliers have expressed satisfaction with the system put in place by the power company to ensure they receive monies owed to them.

brother, grandparents, and other relatives and friends.

His mother explained that Javier’s younger brother often asks if Jesus will be able to take care of his older brother.

“He would ask ‘Mummy’ remember how you used to complain about back pain when you lift Javier? You think Jesus will get back pain?’”

The funeral for Javier will be held on Saturday.

The little boy will always be remembered for his resilience, determination and strength during his battle against the dire disease.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Port Kaituma Power Company, Shawn James explained that while persons have not received their monies in full, systems have been put in place to ensure they are paid.

He said at present there are three persons who are owed large sums of money for supply of either fuel, lubricant or transportation services to the company. These outstanding balances he stated were reflected in the company’s 2014 liability statement. There are also a few other persons who are owed small amounts of money, James disclosed.

He said two of the three

suppliers have received some of their monies while the third supplier is not in receipt of monies owed to him thus far. However, all three suppliers are presently enjoying a free supply of electricity from the power company until their monies have been recovered.

Renald Moore, who supplied lubricant to the company and has not been paid the over $500,000 owed to him by the power company, told Guyana Times that he is happy with the arrangement.

“I sent my electricity bill to be paid and they sent it along with my money back to me. There was also a receipt stating that I had paid and a note stating that I should call Mr James,” Moore said. He further explained that when he called James he was informed that he will no longer be charged for the

electricity he consumes, so long the power company is indebted to him.

“I am very happy about this arrangement. Every month the light bill is normally about $12,000 to $15,000 so at some point, I will reach the $500,000.” However, James said the company is working feverishly to ensure that persons are paid the remainder of the monies owed to them before the end of the first quarter of 2015. It was recently disclosed by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds that the company was financially strapped because it was charging less per kilowatt hour of power in comparison to the cost to produce the same unit of power. The Prime Minister could not say when the suppliers would be been paid the monies owed to them in full.

Guyana backs India’s bid for UN Security Council seat

Guyana on Thursday pledged its support to India in its bid to become a permanent member of the powerful United Nations Security Council.

Announcing this at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), in India where he is on an official visit President Donald Ramotar said India has greater responsibility to support other developing countries and asked New Delhi to play a proactive role in fighting global challenges like climate change.”India has greater responsibility to support other developing countries. India should play a major role in confronting global challenges like cli-

seat on the UN Permanent Council. Firstly, with a population of a tad more than 1.2 billion, India will soon overtake China as the most populous country of the world. So no one can deny its ubiquitous physical presence in the world stage and the resultant need for adequate representation in a strategic forum like UNSC, one commentator wrote. Secondly, India is the largest democracy in the world. Excluding the 21-month interlude of ‘emergency’ during 1975-77 under Indira Gandhi, it religiously adhered to the norms of democracy since gaining independence from the British In 1947. Third, it is the 10th

than 100 days,” said Modi. “Like environment, cleanliness and spirituality, it is also a subject of economic development for me,” said Modi, adding, “Economic development of states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal can be done through development and cleaning of Maa Ganga.

In fact, economic development of 40 per cent of India’s population is connected with Maa Ganga,” he said. Modi said that Mauritius had built an artificial lake, Gangasagar, named after the river, by transporting some of its water there. Modi also said that a “Namami Gange” fund had been launched, for which people from across the

mate change. I want to assure you that my country will support India in securing a permanent seat in UN Security Council,” he said, addressing the mega meet of Indian diaspora at Mahatma Mandir.

He shared the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi Patel, Governor O P Kohli, Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Ravi Shankar Prasad, among others. Paying glowing tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, Ramotar described him “as the greatest man” of his time and recalled his deep influence on the Guyanese people. He said 2015 is a historic year as it marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa, where he fought for basic rights of his countrymen settled there, and later served as an inspiration in the struggle against apartheid. Ramotar highlighted the long-standing bilateral ties and lauded the contribution of Indian diaspora in the South American country.

“Indian diaspora is the second largest in the world and it includes political leaders, Prime Ministers, Presidents and CEOs of Fortune-500 companies,” he said.

Elusive

While India was among the founding members of United Nations, the permanent membership in UNSC always remained elusive. In fact, India’s endeavour for permanent membership in UNSC began in 1955 when the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reportedly turned down the coveted status offered to India which was then grabbed by China. Commentators say that the reasons are aplenty as to why India is deserving of a

largest economy in the world and its army is the third-largest globally. Fourth, India has been a member of the UNSC for six terms totaling 12 years besides being a member of G-77 and G-4; therefore, a permanent membership in UNSC seems a logical extension. Fifth, it is the third-largest contributor of troops (close to 160,000 soldiers) to more than 40 UN peacekeeping efforts including those in Korea, Egypt, the Congo, Somalia, Angola, Haiti, Liberia, Lebanon, Rwanda and South Sudan and more than 150 Indian soldiers lost their lives while serving in UN missions.

Clean Ganga campaign

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi in his address attempted to broaden the Clean Ganga campaign by getting the Indian diaspora involved. Speaking at the event Modi said the economic development of 40 per cent of the country’s population “is connected with Maa Ganga”. Modi also described himself as a “Pravasi Gujarati (nonresident Gujarati)” welcoming the “Pravasi Bharati”. He said that earlier, Indian immigrants went abroad looking for opportunities, but today, that situation had changed drastically. “In the global context today, India had huge strength and capital,” he said. Giving an example of how “the world was waiting to embrace India”, Modi said that when he made a passing suggestion in his speech at the United Nations that there should be an international yoga day, it was co-sponsored by 177 of 193 member countries of the UN.

“Of these, 40 were Muslim countries and it was the fastest executed decision in less

Govt willing to discuss E-Governance project with critics

Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon has expressed a willingness to discuss the $32 million E-Governance Project with former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran.

In one of his many columns, Goolsarran opined that Guyanese will be saddled with the repayment of the multimillion-dollar loan expended on the E-Governance Project. The project entails the laying of fibre-optic cables from Brazil to Guyana.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, Dr Luncheon said greater clarity is needed from Goolsarran before a response is given. “So as far as former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran’s comments are concerned, I would prefer to engage for the interest of clarity, I need to be advised specifically on what he said and what his concerns are before I can give a fairly adequate response,” he said.

In one of his columns published in sections of the media, Goolsarran said the Government acquired a loan from the Import-Export Bank of China (EXIM Bank) finance part of the E-Governance Project.

According to him, the future generation will have to repay the loan from 2017 to 2032. “They have left us not only without any meaningful tangible assets for the expenditure incurred but also a huge debt burden that future generations will have to repay. Many of those responsible may not be around to witness the completion of the loan repayment,” the former Auditor General contended.

The project was suspended in November 2013 after commencing four years ago. However, it was only in December 2014 that the project manager Alexei Ramotar disclosed that the project has been suspended.

Nevertheless, Dr Luncheon

disclosed that the Government is working along with local and foreign firms to execute remedial works on the cable. It was reported that the cable had gotten damaged in sections leading from Lethem to Georgetown by local contractors.

“We have a formal proposal that is under consideration from the consortium on what will be provided in exchange or to meet the cost of repairing and restoring the cable to serviceability,” the HPS said.

Dr Luncheon stated that the cable needs to be fixed before the installation of the bandwidth which is being purchased from Brazil. Once this is done, the cable is expected to be available for domestic use. Dr Luncheon also sought to clear the air on assumptions that cables landed by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) are being used as a part of the project. He said GPL’s project is not a component of the E-Governance Project.

NAC, CVET programmes secure grants from CSME facility

The Project Steering Committee of the Standby Facility of the Caricom Single Market Economy (CSME) has approved funding for a number of projects in Guyana

world could contribute. About 4,000 NRIs from 58 countries are attending the three-day event.

Announcing the various decisions his government had taken to ease travel for the Indian diaspora, Modi obliquely referred to the US having denying him a visa for nearly a decade. “Aap jaante hain aapko kya kya takleef jhelni padti hai?… Main jaanta hoon (Do you know what problems you have to face to get a visa? I know.” Started in 2003 by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Modi said the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated regularly “except a period in between when…”. He then trailed off, with a gesture to indicate that it had gone slow, amid laughter from the audience.

Elaborating on this period, referring to the UPA regime, Modi said, “You all also did not feel like coming… some came because they had to.”

One of the projectsInstitutional Strengthening of the National Accreditation Council (NAC) was given a grant of US$171,856. The project aims to improve the capacity of the NAC to regulate the delivery of post-secondary educational services that are critical to improving productivity in the public sector and the competitiveness of the private sector, and positioning nationals to take advantage of the free movement regimes under the CSME; facilitate increased local, regional and international investment in Guyana’s education sector. The project will entail the development of a National Qualifications Framework based on the Caricom Qualifications Framework; the development of a quality assurance and accreditation system based on international standards and best practices and the drafting of regulations

drafted to support the full implementation of the mandate of the National Accreditation Council of Guyana.

The second project is: Institutional Strengthening of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). A grant of US$104,052 was given to CTVET of Guyana. The primary objective of the project is to improve the capacity of the CTVET to deliver quality and robust TVET services which are accessible to all Guyanese nationals. The project will entail the development of a TVET Financing Strategy and a Gender-Responsive TVET Communications Strategy, aimed at increasing enrolment and promoting equal participation by girls and women in TVET courses.

According to a release the Caricom Single Market Economy (CSME) and CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) are key agreements and tools for promoting trade among Caribbean countries and between the Caribbean and the EU and, by extension, supporting the achievement

of the region’s development goals. The Standby Facilities of the (CSME) and (EPA) were set up by the European Union (EU) and are being funded through the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) with €3.45 million for the CSME Facility and €3.5 million for the EPA Facility. The facilities are aimed at assisting Caribbean countries with furthering the implementation of the CSME and EPA at the national level. Each Standby Facility has a Project Steering Committee which comprises representatives of European Commission, Caricom Secretariat and senior public servants. The Committees approve projects for funding and oversee the administration of the Facilities. Requests for funding are sent to the Caribbean Development Bank. CDB then assists States to elaborate these requests into sound project proposals. The proposals are then reviewed and approved by the respective Steering Committee. The Bank is also the administrator for the Standby Facilities.

China to invest US$20B in struggling Venezuela

China has agreed to invest more than US$20 billion in economic, social, and oil-related projects in Venezuela, as the country struggles in a financial crisis brought on by falling oil prices.

President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday he was seeking to strengthen ties with Chinese banks after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, a week after Caracas announced it was in a recession.

“We have wrapped up over $20 billion in investments during the course of this day’s work,” Maduro told Venezuela’s official AVN news agency.

The sweeping investment

deal covers a wide range of areas including technology, housing and urban planning, AVN said.

Maduro, however, did not say whether the latest investments include new loans for the cash-strapped Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member, or if the investments were part of an existing oil-for-loans deal between Venezuela and China.

Beijing has extended US$42 billion in long-term loans to Venezuela, $24 billion of which has been paid out so far, according to Venezuelan officials.

Xi said that China, the world’s second-biggest econo-

my which has been bolstering its diplomatic and economic reach in South America, had agreed to “strengthened cooperation”.

The South American nation is desperate for hard currency as it suffers from the highest inflation in the Americas, at more than 60 per cent, and plummeting global oil prices.

Oil accounts for 96 per cent of Venezuela’s Gross Domestic Product, but has lost more than half its value since June 2014 owing to a glut in global supply and slowing growth.

A key ally of Venezuela since Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999, China is looking to

strengthen its role in South America. According to the InterAmerican Dialogue, China has provided more than US$100 billion in loans to Latin American countries since 2005.

Earlier this week, China reached a deal to lend US$7.5 billion to Venezuela’s neighbour Ecuador, whose economy has also been hammered by falling oil prices. That loan agreement was reached by Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa, who, like Maduro, is attending a two-day forum in Beijing organised by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. (Al Jazeera)

Mexico Police held over abduction of journalist Sanchez

Thirteen municipal Police Officers are being held in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz over the kidnapping of a journalist on January 2.

Moises Sanchez was abducted from his home by armed men. Sanchez works for a newspaper in the city of Medellin and is known for his coverage of drug-related violence.

to a local drug gang who are believed to have killed them, has shone a spotlight on allegations of widespread collusion between the police and organised crime.

Colleagues and friends of Sanchez also voiced their concern that the security forces were involved in his abduction, holding up signs saying “It was the state” at a demonstration in the town of Xalapa on Wednesday.

US court sentences Jamaican national for murder of teen girlfriend

AJamaican man was on Wednesday sentenced to 29 years in prison for murdering a teenager who refused to abort his baby.

Christian Ferdinand, 22, was found guilty of murdering a 14 year-old-girl, setting her body on fire and throwing her remains in the sea.

On Wednesday, the court was told that Shaniesha Forbes, 14, met Ferdinand on Facebook. The Police report that via text message she told him about her pregnancy and stated that she would not have an abortion due to her mother’s religious beliefs.

ACuban secret agent, Gerardo Hernandez, who was released last month by the US as part of a diplomatic thaw with Cuba, has become a father.

The US granted his request to have his wife artificially inseminated with his sperm while he was still in jail. Hernandez is one of the Cuban Five, a group of Cubans convicted on spying charges in the US and sentenced to lengthy prison terms in the 1998. Their case long soured relations between the two countries. Hernandez, who was serving a double life sentence for spying, was hailed as a hero upon his return to Cuba in December 2014. His frozen sperm was

The arrests come amid a series of horrific disappearances and murders in which the security forces are alleged to be involved. Mexicans have taken to the streets almost daily in support of 43 students who disappeared in the state of Guerrero on September 26.

Prosecutors said forensic tests were being carried out on a body found in a nearby village to establish if it could be that of Sanchez.

The case, in which municipal officers confessed to handing the students over

Mexico’s National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH) says 97 journalists have been killed in Mexico in connection with their work since 2010. (BBC News)

Freed Cuban agent Gerardo Hernandez becomes father

transported to Cuba via Panama. Pictures of the smiling father holding baby Gema were published in the Cuba’s state-run newspaper, Granma.

BBC Cuba correspondent Will Grant says some newspapers have dubbed it a “diplomatic conception” in reference to the unusual cooperation between historic rivals Cuba and the US to grant the couple’s wish for children.

US Senator Patrick Leahy, who has long campaigned to restore US relations with Cuba, said he had been approached by Hernandez’s wife, Adriana Perez.

Ms Perez told him she feared she was running out of time to have children and

Cuba frees two more political prisoners, dissidents say

Cuba freed two more detainees, dissidents said on Thursday, as Havana began to release 53 people the United States considers political prisoners, as part of an agreement between the two nations aimed at ending decades of hostility.

Five detainees have been liberated over the past 24 hours, political Opposition groups on the communistled island said, including three others on Wednesday –all members of the dissident Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU).

The commitment by Havana to free the prisoners was a major part of an historic deal announced last month, under which the two Governments agreed to renew diplomatic relations after more than 50 years.

The latest two detainees to be freed were Ernesto

Riveri Gascon and Lazaro Romero Hurtado, UNPACU said. Like the three released on Wednesday, the pair had been accused of relatively minor offenses.

Romero was arrested in 2012 and sentenced to four years behind bars on charges including making a public disturbance and threats, apparently during a confrontation with police. Riveri was given two years on the same charges.

Cuba’s Government does not comment on police actions involving detentions, and has said nothing about this week’s releases.

Elizardo Sanchez, president of the dissident Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, which monitors such detentions, said more releases were expected on Thursday and over the coming days. (Excerpt from Reuters)

asked him to intercede with the US Government on her behalf.

According to Senator Leahy,

Puerto Rico to host 2015 investment summit next month

Puerto Rico is getting ready for the 2015 Puerto Rico Investment Summit, the second of the series, to be held on February 26-27. After a successful summit held in April 2014 in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, with keynote speakers including the Governor of Puerto Rico, Alejandro García Padilla, and John Paulson from Paulson Group, the island is said to be ready to host over 300 US investors and entrepreneurs that will learn, firsthand, about all the competitive advantages that it has to offer.

“Puerto Rico is more competitive and advantageous than Singapore and Miami in many fronts,” said Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce, Alberto Bacó-Bagué. “We have created a solid platform of tax

incentives and we have the foundation that businesses require: manpower, infrastructure, federal compliance and an unsurpassed location in the Caribbean, easily accessible from any place in the United States and Latin America.”

The two-day programme will present Acts 20 and 22 on tax incentives, new private equity laws and investment vehicles, other incentives and competitive advantages, and insights on living in Puerto Rico. The programme also includes testimonials from early adopters that are living and doing business in the island. Among the benefits that Acts 20 and 22 provide is a four per cent corporate for businesses in Puerto Rico exporting services and 100 per cent tax exemption on interest, dividends and capital gains, respectively.

(Caribbean News Now)

Ferdinand, who was convicted of the January 2013 slaying late last year, maintained his innocence. But Police produced a confession during the trial.

Ferdinand pressured her to abort the baby and when she refused, he smothered her with a leather pillow, set her body on fire, and left her charred remains in a suitcase at his cousin’s place. (Caribbean360)

Missing TT teen found dead in Santa Cruz

An emotional group of relatives looked on in sombre silence as Police excavated a body believed to be 19-yearold Shabana Mohammed, missing since January 3.

The body, which was found after a foul stench led to its discovery near Mohammed’s Santa Cruz home, has been taken to the Forensic Sciences Centre, St James, for autopsy.

The teen was last seen on January 3 at home. On the day that she went missing, relatives found signs of a struggle, and reports were made of screams coming from the house.

North Eastern Division officers returned to the scene on January 8, along with Crime Scene Investigators and Homicide Bureau officers, who collected two large bags of evidence. A manhunt may soon be underway, as heavily armed soldiers were also at the crime scene. (Trinidad Guardian)

Taiwan restructures Grenada debt at 50 % reduction

The Government of Grenada has concluded a comprehensive agreement to restructure its US$36.6 million (EC$98.8 million) indebtedness to the ExportImport (ExIm) Bank of Taiwan.

This landmark agreement, which reduces the principal outstanding on the loan by 50 per cent, resolves Grenada’s dispute with ExIm Bank and puts an end to the bank’s legal proceedings in the New York courts.

Under the terms of the agreement, the reduced balance on the loan will be repayable over 15 years –including a grace period of three and a half years – at an interest rate of seven per cent.

The agreement also includes a ‘hurricane clause’, which will allow

Grenada to defer payments for a predetermined period should a natural disaster compromise the government’s ability to service debt in a timely manner in the future.

Commenting on the development, Grenada’s Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, said, “We are very pleased that with this new agreement we have now been able to work out much more manageable terms to honour our debts with ExIm Bank.”

The dispute with Taiwan arose over outstanding and unpaid loans made to the previous Mitchell administration by the ExIm Bank, which filed a law suit in the United States and obtained a default judgment against the Government of Grenada. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Modi throws open doors to people of Indian origin around the globe

India has the world’s second largest Diaspora after China, with more than 25 million people settling overseas since colonial times, from Guyana in South America to Singapore in East Asia.

Modi’s desire to harness the group’s skills and resources is bolstered by his Hindu nationalist leanings towards reasserting India’s position as a global leader with a unique civilisation stretching back thousands of years.

“There was a time when professionals in India went to distant lands to explore new possibilities,” Modi told

an annual gathering for people of Indian origin in Gujarat. “Now India awaits you with opportunities.”

The Diaspora event was timed immediately prior to a large investment meeting that will be addressed by US Secretary of State John Kerry and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

On Wednesday, President Pranab Mukherjee approved an executive order to ease the way for those whose families left India as many as four generations ago, as well as their spouses, to get lifetime visas and own property in India.

Modi’s pitch has a harder

economic aspect too, as the Diaspora holds investments of more than US$100 billion in India.

Young, foreign-educated Indians came back in droves at the turn of the millennium and poured in funds as the economy took off with a roar, but the flow has dried up as growth sputtered in the past few years. Modi is keen to reverse that trend.

Officials said they are also assisting citizenship efforts by those whose ancestors left India centuries ago, shipped by British rulers to distant corners of the globe as indentured labourers.

(Excerpt from Yahoo! News)

Russia says drivers must not have ‘sex disorders’

Russia has listed transsexual and transgender people among those who will no longer qualify for driving licences. Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also included as “mental disorders” now barring people from driving.

Around the world

French Police swoop on villages after Paris attack suspects seen

Heavily armed anti-terrorism Police swooped on woodland villages North-east of Paris on Thursday in a manhunt for two brothers suspected of being the Islamist gunmen who killed 12 people at a French satirical weekly.

About two dozen helmeted and masked officers carried out house-to-house searches in the village of Corcy, a few kilometres (miles) from a service station where Police sources said the brothers were sight-

ed in ski masks. Helicopters flew overhead.

The two fugitive suspects are French-born sons of Algerian-born parents, both in their early 30s, and already under Police surveillance. One was jailed for 18 months for trying to travel to Iraq a decade ago to fight as part of an Islamist cell. Officials said they were armed and dangerous.

In Paris, a Policewoman was killed in a shootout with a gunman wearing a bulletproof vest. Police sources were unable to say whether that incident was linked to Wednesday’s assault at the Charlie Hebdo weekly newspaper, but the authorities opened another terrorism investigation.

Bewildered and tearful French people held a national day of mourning, and the bells of Notre Dame pealed for those killed in the attack on Charlie Hebdo, a left-leaning slayer of sacred cows whose cartoonists have been national figures since the Parisian counter-cultural heyday of the 1960s. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Police: Blasphemy accused killed after release in Pakistan

Police say a 52-year-old Muslim man arrested for blasphemy was killed by gunmen after being released from jail.

(25 miles) from the capital Islamabad.

He says Mahmood was arrested in 2011 after claiming to be Islam’s prophet, but authorities freed him recently after concluding that he was not mentally stable.

The announcement follows international complaints about Russian harassment of gay-rights activists. In 2013 Russia made “promoting non-traditional lifestyles” illegal.

Valery Evtushenko at the Russian Psychiatric Association voiced concern about the driving restrictions, speaking to the BBC Russian Service. He said some people would avoid seeking psychiatric help, fearing a driving ban.

The Government says it is tightening medical controls for drivers because Russia has too many road accidents. “Pathological” gambling and compulsive stealing are also on the list. Russian psychiatrists and human rights lawyers have condemned the move.

The Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights called the new law “discriminatory”. It said it would demand clarifications from the Russian Constitutional Court and seek support from international human rights organisations.

But the Professional Drivers Union supported the move. “We have too many deaths on the road, and I believe toughening medical requirements for applicants is fully justified,” said the union’s head Alexander Kotov. (Excerpt from BBC News)

German nurse admits killing 30 with fatal overdoses

Aformer German nurse has admitted killing 30 patients in the hospital where he worked, a court was told.

The 38-year-old allegedly confessed to taking the lives of the patients by injecting them with an overdose of heart medication. He made the confession to a psychiatric expert who relayed the evidence in court.

Investigators said his motive was to improve his own resuscitation skills. The

former nurse has been on trial since September and is accused of murder and attempted murder.

He is alleged to have killed three patients and tried to kill two others at a clinic in Delmenhorst, near Bremen in north Germany. But a psychiatric examiner told the court in nearby Oldenburg that he had confessed to as many as 30 killings.

The patients are believed to have been injected with

heart medication between 2003 and 2005. In a further 60 cases he injected patients but managed to revive them, according to the psychiatric assessor.

Police are investigating more than 100 suspicious deaths at the Delmenhorst clinic.

The nurse, identified by the authorities only as Niels H, had already been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison in 2008 for attempted murder. (BBC News)

Police officer Mohammad Ayub said Thursday that the bullet-riddled body of Abid Mehmood was found the day before in Taxila, a town about 40 kilometers

Ayub says relatives of the man buried him at the courtyard of his home af-

ter residents objected to his burial at a local graveyard. Under Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws, anyone convicted of insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad can be sentenced to death. However, people often take the law into their own hands. (MSN)

Boko Haram destroys at least 16 towns, villages in Nigeria

Boko Haram launched renewed attacks around a captured town in restive North-east Nigeria this week, razing at least 16 towns and villages, a local government and a union official told AFP.

“They burnt to the ground all the 16 towns and villages

including Baga, Dorn-Baga, Mile 4, Mile 3, Kauyen Kuros and Bunduram,” said Musa Bukar, head of the Kukawa local government in Borno state.

At least 100 were people killed in Baga over the weekend, according to Reuters, who cited district head Abba Hassan. Abubakar Gamandi, head of Borno’s fish traders union and a Baga native, confirmed the attacks, which happened Wednesday, adding that hundreds of people who fled were trapped on islands on Lake Chad. (France24)

In about two weeks time, a new Miss Universe will be crowned in Dora, Miami with over 86 delegates from across the world vying for the coveted title. Guyana’s delegate, 24-year-old Niketa Barker has left Guyana with the aim of bring home Guyana’s first Miss Universe title.

Ever since her arrival in Dora, Miami, the Guyanese beauty has been a part of several photo shoots and preliminary competitions and is said to be doing well. The pageant is slated for January 25 and will be televised live across the world.

Barker was crowned Miss Guyana Universe in October 2014 after she outshone eight other delegates to win the title.

This beauty is two years away from attaining her Degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Guyana. Not all about the books, Barker

Eighteen Guyanese soca singers have been shortlisted to vie for the title of Carib Soca Monarch 2015 when the event kicks off on January 31, with the semi-finals in New Amsterdam, Berbice. The 18 semi-finalists were drawn from the 32 entries that were submitted to the sec-

The entries were judged on lyrics, diction, originality, rendition and musical arrangement and making the tough decision as to who the finalists are were Curtis “Casual” Armstrong, Paul “Rocky” Carew, Kerwin Christian and Devon Roberts.

The competition will see the return of Adrian Dutchin and George Abrams also called “Chiney” with their entries titled, “592 Posse” and “Mirror” respectively. Two- time Carib Soca Monarch Jumo Primo is ready to take over

is in fact a philanthropist, a children’s advocate and a part time model.

This family oriented nature-lover, fashion and pageant enthusiast, lost her home to a fire at age 15. This loss was a lifechanging experience for the young woman.

Then two short years later, at the age of 17, she lost her dad; an extremely traumatic event. Niketa is a firm a believer that such tragedies only serve to make a person stronger.

She has been motivated not only to pursue a prestigious career but also to live everyday as if it were her last. She hopes that when she leaves this world, she leaves nothing short of a legacy in her wake, a legacy that others would be proud to emulate.

This left handed beauty stands 5’ 9” and is very comfortable in the kitchen since, she started preparing meals for her family at age 10.

from the reigning champion, Kwasi “Ace” Edmondson with his entry, “Unruly”.

The others are Ashanti Hostad with “Wickedee Wine”, Dean McRae with “Mash Up”, Devon Lewis with his entry “I Ain’t Gon Be Late” while Ernesta Nelson will be performing “Ain’t Stopping” and Jermaine Mac Been with “Bumpa”.

The others include Jonathan King with his entry “Mash Up De Place”; dancehall artiste, Jory Hector with “Whistle”; Kemmyanna Garnett with “One for My Country”; Levar Gittens will be perform ing “Monster Attack”; Mark Amar with “Right Now” and Melissa Roberts with “Massive”. Rounding off the top 18 is Onassis Croker with his soca song titled “Enjoying My Life”; Orlando Johashen with “Ebola”; Quacy Coates will be performing “She Ready” and

As we gear our minds towards Mashramani celebrations 2015, Pulse Entertainment is giving partyholics a once in a lifetime experience with some of the wildest, most provocative concept parties that will set the tone for the grand costume and float parade come February 23.

This year, be sure to pencil the dates into your calendar as soon as they are announced for the concerts leading up to Mashramani with live performances by the best in the soca arena.

But the icing on the cake will be the Pulse Entertainment party truck titled “Heartbeats”. With this

new invention, Guyanese are encouraged to be on the road and more so, be on the Pulse Party Truck and have a blast. Fete through the streets of Georgetown in style

as Shall Marshall, Olatunji, Parliament, DJ X-Bass and DJ Ryan add some steam to the engines.

It will definitely be a live, heart pumping concert

through the streets of Georgetown and you all could be a part by just signing up today.

Patrons can party in comfort with the fully shaded trucks, comprising a beverage bar, food and non-stop soca vibes all day long. Pulse Party Truck menu will be prepared by Dixie Lee Chicken, 704 Evolve and Miami Subs.

Standard party packages cost $5000 while the VIP party package costs $10,000. The Celebrity party truck package costs $20,000

For details on sponsorship packages, contact the Pulse Entertainment Office on at 223-8998 or via email at pulseent@hotmail.com

KWilkinson was born in Suriname to Guyanese parents and is a teacher by profession but an artist at heart. His teaching career began about nine years ago as an art teacher at Queens College, one of the most prestigious secondary schools in Guyana.

There, he spent one year and then continued to teach at Marian Academy; one of the leading private learning institutions, for eight years. Kodzo then returned to the land of his birth, to pursue his passion, doing what truly makes him happy.

During his tenure at Marian Academy, Kodzo truly made an impact in the lives of his students. Apart from teaching his craft, he founded the Design Club and headed the Chess Club.

The National Cultural Centre is the place to be on Saturday January 31, when the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha presents its majes tic production Naya Zamana – A Royal Twist for a second time.

The show has all of the elements which make it a truly spec tacular extravaganza. Superb dance sequenc es, music and dra ma, combined with breathtaking and elaborate set designs, special lighting effects and glamorous and daz zling costumes in this not to be missed pres entation. Meticulous attention has been paid to every detail.

The cast of sing ers, dancers and ac tors is super excit ed to present this special install ment of Naya Zamana, one of Guyana’s most await ed dance and theatrical productions.

The story, which covers two eras, straddling the present and past seamlessly, follows the adventures of a young director as she attempts to present the historic love story of Saleem Anarkali. Director and Choreographer of the production, Dr Vindhya Persaud, has been working

has prompted producers to restage the event so more persons can enjoy the production and, of course, those who loved it can come again.

Tickets for the show cost $3500, $3000 and $2000 and are on sale at the Pandit

According to Dr Persaud, Naya Zamana –A Royal Twist has allowed her the opportunity to let her imagination run riot in crafting a script which conjures up the splendor and romance of a bygone era as well as the drama of present day. Costumes and sets, which are designed by Trishala Persaud, capture in equal parts the grandeur of the Mugal era and the vi-

mous Mughal

dancer Anarkali, Arun Subramaniamas Prince Saleem and Nazim Hussain as Emperor Akbar. Winner of the E-Networks Emerging Voices Competition, Vishale Sukram will also be part of the production. The show, which was first presented last August, received rave reviews by those in attendance. This

Reepu Daman Persaud

Dharmic Kendra, Prashad Nagar, Greater Georgetown; Red Mango, Robb Street, Georgetown; E-Networks, Camp Street, Georgetown; Bhagwans, Water Street, Georgetown and the National Cultural Centre or patrons can call telephone numbers 227-6181 or 2191900. Naya Zamana fans are encouraged to get their tickets early.

The talented young man gave students tools which enabled them to think outside the box, bringing out their creativity and pushing the limits of their imagination. In the process, the impressionable young minds learnt to be more disciplined and more responsible.

Wilkinson can be described as selfless, considerate and also determined and outspoken. Kodzo is versed in designing and decorating, which ranges from fashion, to make-up, to relationship advice; he was the ideal brother and son.

But without knowing it, most of Kodzo’s own experiences were learning lessons for his sibling. His decision to leave everything behind and return to Suriname to make his dream a reality in itself proved his temerity – how brave and fearless he really is – in pursuit of his dreams and happiness.

His every work offers a learning experience to those who dare to be determined, who persevere, sweat and make beautiful things happen.

Kodzo grew up in Dijkveldt and from a young age his creativity and artistic talents were evident.

Playing shop and drawing on paper was always fun according to his sister because he would always come up with interesting ideas for games to play. He also loved to draw cartoon characters, and that he did well.

Later his mom sent him to art school during the summer and that was what really catapulted Kodzo’s interest in the arts. Throughout the years his artistic talents only got better.

After completing high school in Guyana, Kodzo studied at the ER Burrowes School of Art and graduated in 2004 with a distinction and was even given the best student award. Kodzo’s artistic style can best be described as bold, daring, unique and always fresh.

The 10th annual Barbados Music Awards is shaping up to be a grand affair, as the event, set for January 11 at the recently upgraded Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, has attracted some major names in music and film.

Over the years the BMA has graciously opened its arms to the people of Guyana, with Lisa Punch, Travis Bowen, Mystic, designer Sonia Noel (who serves as Regional Director of the event) and music executive Christian Duncan, being hosted at the event.

Similarly, Guyana has embraced the Founder and President of the Barbados Music Awards – Ronnie Morris, who has publicly referred to himself as Bajan-Guyanese, de -

spite not being born in Guyana, and visits the country at least

Deciding to write a novel is never an easy thing, so deciding to write 13 chapters of a novel and post it on a blogging site for the world to read as the book progresses could have never been easy. For 20-year-old Shadana Pereira, who goes by the pen name Shae-Zonna, it was a difficult but rewarding decision.

Shae-Zonna’s debut novel Purple Flame takes locally written fantasy to a level that is has never seen before. It follows the life of Levin Spenser, an assassin who has a peculiar pastime – being a psychopath.

twice a year. Headliners for this edition of the BMAs include Hollywood heavy-hitter Boris Kodjoe, soul

/R&B legend Shirley Murdock of As We Lay fame, and all of the winners of Barbados’ Crop Over competitions for 2014 including Porgie And Murda (Ah Feeling), Imani (Bacchanal Road), Gorg (Rum) and Biggie Irie (Pankatang). The winner of the Pic-O-De Crop competition, Ian “iWeb” Webster will also be performing his hit Barbados “Is Still My Home”. Guyanese Fashion Icon, Sonia Noel will be a part of the awards and has already departed for the land of the Flying Fish. Noel was invited to the event for the second year by the committee who were impressed with her designs and the popular ‘Guyana Top Model’ runway show.

She explained that the book is more of an online series. The young author, who works as a full time Graphic Editor, explained to Guyana Times Entertainment that she intends to make it more than a book, as there are plans to have it in a audio mini-series.

While each Monday, another chapter of the novel is uploaded to Facebook, the 20-year-old explains that it is not a task, but a labour of love penning the book.

“Each night when I get home, I write. Sometimes in the morning before I leave for work I write. Its not hard. I love writing so it comes naturally. Each line flows effortlessly… sometimes at two in the morning I am up writing,” said ShaeZonna.

When asked what her initial inspiration behind the novel was, she said it was just a piece of writing that was posted and garnered a lot of support.

“It wasn’t meant to be a novel, I just wrote that first chapter and people read and they liked and I just decided to make it a series, so that’s what it is for now,” she said.

The young writer related that Facebook was chosen as the platform for her writing since people are more likely to read it there rather than on paper.

Since her first chapter, support for her Facebook page has grown significantly with her readership and viewership increasing daily. So if you just happen to be on Facebook, you can look up the page, Purple Flame, read the chapters and add your comment.

The Caribbean Film Academy (CaFA) along with its partners – Groundation Grenada, Audiovisual Society of Dominica, ChantiMedia and SASOD Guyana – is set to launch Caribbean Film Project, an initiative which aims to showcase the talent of unknown and emerging writers in the Caribbean and the Diaspora.

Through Caribbean Film Project, CaFA and its partners will not only tackle storytelling in films coming out of the Caribbean, but will provide an opportunity for Diaspora filmmakers to have their work included in a Caribbean film compilation.

The initiative will focus on assisting in the production of films in countries

which have mostly been absent from the current Caribbean filmmaking renaissance, such as Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, and St Kitts and Nevis, as well as Caribbean filmmakers in the Diaspora.

The Caribbean Film Project will be run as a script competition open for entries from January to February 2015. The winner from each country will be paired with a coach who will work with the writer to make their script production ready. With the help of each producing partner, the films will then be produced.

CaFA plans to raise the funds needed for the project through sponsorship, fundraisers and crowd-funding.

This focus on writing is long overdue, according to

CaFA’s Co-founder, Romola Lucas, who has led the effort to organise this new project.

“Spurred by the availability and increasing affordability of filmmaking equipment, the Caribbean is currently experiencing a surge in filmmaking.

More people who may never have considered filmmaking an option are making films encouraged by new opportunities to have their work screened at the growing number of Caribbean film festivals.

Many of the films are excellent, well-written, professionally produced, and visually appealing. However, there are many others which suffer from technical issues and incomplete storytelling,” Lucas said.

“From our perspective,

well-written stories underpin every sustainable film movement, and in order for Caribbean storytellers to be counted among the best in the world, specific focus and attention must be given to the development of great writers,” Lucas continued. The Film Project competition is open to writers/ filmmakers who are residents/nationals of Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and to those of Caribbean descent/heritage living in the Diaspora and writing Caribbean stories. Submissions opened on January 2 and close on Friday, February, 28, 2015. To learn more about the project and submit a script, visit www.caribbeanfilm.org or email us at submissions@cafafilmproject.org.

Powell claims return to cricket scuppered by regional authorities

Embattled opener

Kieran Powell says mixed signals from West Indies cricket authorities left him “deflated and confused” and foiled his attempt to return to international cricket, following a self-imposed break from the game.

In a statement issued Wednesday – his first since playing his last competitive game last June – the 24-year-old left-hander confirmed he had taken a break from cricket “to deal with a personal issue” and had received support from then coach Ottis Gibson, team manager Sir Richie Richardson and then chairman of selectors Clyde Butts.

Powell said he also spoke to West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron who also pledged the board’s support.

However, three months after stepping away from the game, Powell said he revisited his situation and decided to make himself available for the tour of India, which was eventually abandoned following a players strike.

He said he subsequently had a “positive” conversation with West Indies coach Stuart Williams about his decision to return, with Williams asking him to ensure the “relevant measures” were taken to facilitate his comeback.

However, after speaking to Cameron and Director

of Cricket, Richard Pybus, along with the new selection panel chaired by West Indies legend, Clive Lloyd, Powell said he was left confused about his immediate future with the squad.

Awkward hesitancy

“During my conversation with Mr. Cameron, I communicated my wishes to make myself available for international cricketing duties again,” Powell said.

“This time there was an awkward hesitancy throughout the conversation – less than four weeks after our initial conversation where he had been extremely encouraging about my return to international duty.

“He stated during our conversation that I had not been practising, which was assumed on his part. He then asked me to contact Mr. Pybus, which I immediately did.”

Powell said that in his subsequent conversation with Pybus, he was accused of “walking off the job” and told that he needed to return to grassroots cricket in order to make his way back into the regional squad.

The Leeward Islands batsman, who has played 21 Tests and also captained the West Indies A team, said the conversation left him “confused and flabbergasted” as he felt he was being unfairly targeted.

“During my conversation with Mr. Pybus, he stated that he had made numer-

ous attempts to contact me but had been unsuccessful,”

Powell explained.

“I responded that various people from both the board and team management, had by then, contacted me several times, including the President of the Board and the coaches and manager of the West Indies team, therefore, I was baffled as to why

Mr. Pybus would have been unable to contact me.

“Furthermore, he claimed that I had simply “walked off the job” when this was utterly untrue. I had explicitly made my unavailability known to both the Team Manager and the then-coach.”

Powell continued: “Mr. Pybus insisted that I write

a letter to him outlining my plans to return to cricket. He also pressed me to divulge details of my personal issue which I did not wish to discuss. He then went onto imply, in my opinion, that my future position in the squad would be compromised if I was not willing to disclose this information, which I felt was coercive, intrusive and unjust.

“He went onto suggest that I return to grass-roots level cricket, in my bid to make a comeback. In my mind, I immediately compared this to other situations in the recent past, in which senior players in the West Indies team, had not been expected to follow same protocol and I wondered: why me?

“Following this conversation, I felt confused and flabbergasted as I had been contacted numerous times by Board officials and Team Management regarding my return to international cricket. Having made myself available, I felt I was now being made an example of.”

Not forgotten

Asked to urgently contact the selectors, Powell said he spoke to Courtney Browne and chief selector Clive Lloyd and was told he was regarded as a future captain and was assured he had not been forgotten.

Left “astonished and befuddled” by the conversation, Powell said he called Browne and Lloyd again to

indicate his availability for the India tour. When he did not get a firm answer, Powell said he asked if he could be considered for the A team four of Sri Lanka which ran parallel to the India tour last September/October, but again was not given a “firm answer”.

“Feeling deflated and confused by several months of rollercoaster events, I made a firm decision to take a step away from the game in its entirety, to reflect and refresh,” said Powell.

“There have been numerous reports in the media and in the public domain about my absence from the game of cricket, ranging from alleged struggles with “acute fatigue syndrome” to apparently being “in exile.

“My management has also been unfairly condemned for not speaking out about my absence from cricket. I would like to categorically, state on record that I am doing well and remain focused but that I am taking time away from the game.”

Powell, the sixth Test player to emerge from Nevis, last played for West Indies in the first Test against New Zealand last June, did not feature in the Caribbean Premier League, the early rounds of the WICB Professional Cricket League, and was not named to in the Leewards squad for the NAGICO Super50 starting next week in Trinidad and Tobago.

Pooran suffers leg injury in car accident

Emerging wicketkeep-

er batsman Nicholas Pooran has been forced to withdraw from the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force after suffering leg injuries in a vehicular accident near his home town in Couva on Tuesday.

Pooran, 19, underwent surgery on Wednesday after suffering a fractured left ankle and a damaged left knee from the accident which occurred while he was returning home from training at the National Cricket Centre.

The accident happened hours after Pooran was named on the Red Force squad preparing for next week’s NAGICO Super50 regional one-day series to be

staged here.

“The situation is being monitored and our doctors are in touch with the doctor who is treating with Nicholas,” CEO of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Suruj Ragoonath told the Express.

“The first priority is his general well-being and the second priority would be his cricket.”

Pooran’s absence is seen as a blow to the Red Force which is already without regular wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin due to West Indies duty.

“It is a huge setback,” said Ragoonath. “Nicholas is one of the most if not the most talented young players in the

Caribbean. His career was very much on the launching pad. We are hoping that there is positive news coming out of the surgery.”

Among those who visited Pooran at the hospital were his team-mates Yannick Ottley, Steven Katwaroo, captain Rayad Emrit and national team technical director David Williams.

Cricket Operations Officer of the T&T Cricket Board, Dudnath Ramkessoon, has announced that Pooran, who was warded at the San Fernando General Hospital, would be replaced by fellow wicketkeeper/batsman Steven Katwaroo.

“He seriously hurt his ankle and knee of his left leg

in the accident and unfortunately would not be able to play in the Super 50 which gets underway on January 15,” said Ramkessoon.

“We wish him a speedy recovery so he can be back to fitness”.

The left-handed strokemaker burst onto the scene with a debut half-century for the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 tournament in 2013.

Also, he scored 143 out of a total of 208 for West Indies Under-19 , in a losing cause against Australia at last year’s under-19 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Australia v India, 4th Test, Sydney, 3rd day…

Kohli and Rahul hundreds lift India

It is hard to decide what was more predictable on a belter of a Sydney pitch, the Steven Smith century that was raised on day two or the Virat Kohli hundred that arrived on day three. They now have four centuries each for the series, and are duelling for records. Much less expected was a maiden Test ton from KL Rahul, whose debut in Melbourne was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

The third day at the SCG was much the same as the first two, terrific for batting and full of toil and despondency for the bowling side. Australia managed four wickets for the day, including two in two balls from Shane Watson after tea, but India added 271 runs to their total and by stumps were 5-342. Kohli was on 140, Wriddhiman Saha had 14, the deficit was 230, and a draw was the favourite.

Of course, with two days to play Australia could yet run through India’s tail, or sporting declarations could make a game of it. But a total of 12 wickets from the first three days of play was an indication of the true nature of the surface. Kohli and Rahul enjoyed it most of the Indian batsman, although Rohit Sharma also managed a half-century on his return to the side.

The key partnership for India was the 141-run thirdwicket stand between Rahul and Kohli. Together they steered India untroubled through the second session, and lifted the scoring tempo following a tepid first session in which dot balls piled up and only 51 runs were scored. If it was slow, it was at least solid, and gave India the platform they required.

A slipshod fielding effort from the Australians helped India - Smith put down two catches and a run-out chance was missed when a substitute fielder threw to the wrong end. But the batsmen made the most of their opportunities and scored all around the wicket. Kohli’s hundred came from his 162nd delivery with a push past the bowler Josh Hazlewood for two, and it continued a remarkable series.

Kohli in good company

Kohli became the third visiting batsman after Herbert Sutcliffe and Wally Hammond to score four centuries in a Test series in Australia, and later he went past Rahul Dravid’s 619 in the 2003-04 series in Australia for the most runs by an Indian in a BorderGavaskar Trophy series. Both he and Smith remain in the hunt to break Don Bradman’s all-time record of 715 runs in an AustraliaIndia series.

Kohli struck 20 fours and was especially strong driving through the off side and pull-

ing anything short, but really there was almost no weakness in his game. He did give a chance on 59 when he edged the second new ball to second slip off Mitchell Starc, and was fortunate that it burst through the hands of Smith above his head.

Kohli’s first ball had been eventful - he pushed at Lyon and the ball ricocheted off Brad Haddin’s thigh, and Rahul wanted a run. He was turned back, but the substitute fielder threw to Haddin instead of the bowler. Smith was frustrated at that lapse, which could have ended Rahul’s innings, and it was far from the only frustration for the Australians throughout the day.

Smith gave Rahul a life before lunch when on 46 he

the final session. Ajinkya Rahane was unlucky to be given out lbw to a Watson delivery that would have gone over the top, and next ball Suresh Raina’s longawaited return Test innings ended first delivery when he edged a fullish ball behind to Brad Haddin. Watson missed the hat-trick but for the first time since the 47 all out Cape Town Test of 2011, he had taken more than one wicket in a Test innings.

It meant Australia had four wickets for the day after Nathan Lyon claimed Rohit in the first session. Rohit’s half-century had come from his 132nd delivery when he drove a boundary through cover off Ryan Harris, but on 53 he tried to sweep Lyon from outside off and his un-

top-edged a pull off Watson and Smith running back from slip appeared distracted by SpiderCam and put down the chance. Rahul then brought up his half-century from his 161st delivery with a boundary through extra cover off Lyon.

Like Kohli, Rahul was impressive when pulling the spinners but mostly when finding the gaps through the off side. Nine of his 13 boundaries came in the region from backward point to extra cover, and his century came in the final over before tea when he steered a Starc delivery behind point for a boundary from his 253rd ball.

Having been out slogging across the line batting down the order in both innings in Melbourne, this was a chance to prove himself in the more familiar opening role, and he did not disappoint. Eventually, Rahul fell for 110 when he skied a topedged pull off Starc and the bowler did well to avoid colliding with the batsman and take the return catch.

It was the first of three wickets for Australia in

Walton to captain CCC in NAGICO Super50

Jamaican wicket-keeper/batsman Chadwick Walton will captain Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) in the 2015 WICB Nagico Super50 Championship in Trinidad & Tobago, January 15-26. There are seven Jamaicans in the 14-man squad. Squad (with territories): Chadwick Walton, Cassius Burton, James McDonald, Paul Palmer, Christopher Powell, Royman Powell, Shacaya Thomas (Jamaica), Ryan Austin, Kyle Hope,

Kyle Mayers (Barbados), Keron Cottoy, Kesrick Williams (St. Vincent & the Grenadines), Kavem Hodge (Dominica), Kristopher Ramsaran (Trinidad & Tobago).

Management: Steven Leslie (Manager, Barbados), Floyd Reifer (Head Coach, Barbados), Anthony Gray (Assistant Coach, Trinidad & Tobago), Keshava Ramphal (Assistant Coach, Trinidad & Tobago), Lee Ann Johnson (Video Analyst/Statistician, Barbados). (Barbados Cricket Association)

Miller ready to fill the boots of Baugh

Opener and wicketkeeper, Horace Miller, believes he has what it takes to fill the boots of Carlton Baugh Jr during the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)/NAGICO Insurance Super50 Tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.

The 25-year-old, who has played second fiddle to Baugh, Jr in recent years in regional tournaments, was recently given the task of gloveman on a regular basis by the national selectors.

This was after he was named as the specialist wicketkeeper in a 14-man squad.

This means that Baugh, Jr, who has been keeping wicket at the first-class level since 2000, was being left off a Jamaica contingent for the first time, providing that he was not on West Indies duties or injured.

“Taking over from Baugh on a full-time basis should be a challenge, but it is one that I am prepared for,” said Miller.

“I was the full-time wicketkeeper when the coun-

try played in the Caribbean Twenty20 in 2011, and since then, I have kept wicket when he is not around.”

Miller, a former West Indies Under-19 opener, made his one-day debut for Jamaica in 2008.

Since then, the former Jamaica Under-19 and Under-15 standout has gone on to play seven matches for an average of 18.71, including a top score of 42.

He has also played 10 First-Class matches, averaging 14.64 runs, with a highest score of 66.

Baugh, Jr, in the meantime, has played 103 oneday encounters for an average of 20.08 and a top score of 72.

He has also played 47 one-day internationals for the West Indies, with an average of 20.08 and a highest score of 49.

Meanwhile, Miller, who is unaware if he will be asked to open the batting, or bat in the middle to lower order, said he would be comfortable at any position.

“I am not sure if I will open, but I have played batting roles at the top and the bottom in the past, and I have no problem,” he said. “My intention always is to get as many runs as possible, and that will continue to be my focus.”

Jamaica, champions of the Super50 in 2011, will play Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their opening Super50 Group B clash next week Thursday. (Jamaica Gleaner)

der-edge deflected back onto the stumps.

Although Lyon was the only wicket-taker in the first session, the pressure built by the other Australian bowlers was generally excellent. Collectively the Australians bowled 157 dot balls during the session and India had 22 scoring shots. By the end of the day, they had many, many more. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Asian Confederation backs Blatter over Prince Ali

The Asian Football Confederation will support incumbent Sepp Blatter in the Fifa presidential election despite their Vice-president Prince Ali’s decision to stand as a candidate.

Jordanian Prince Ali, 39, joined Jerome Champagne as a rival to Blatter, 78, who is seeking a fifth term of office.

AFC general secretary Dato Alex Soosay told BBC Sport its members had agreed to back Blatter at their 2014 congress.

(4-nb, 1-w, 1-b, 6-lb) 12

(for 5 wickets; 115 overs) 342 Bowling: Starc 21-477-2, Harris 23-6-63-0, Hazlewood 20-5-45-0, Lyon 32-7-91-1, Watson 15-442-2, Smith 4-0-17-0 Fall of wickets: 0 (Vijay), 97 (Ro Sharma), 238 (Rahul), 292 (Rahane), 292 (Raina)

“And I think that sentiment still remains,” he added. “But I’m not here to stop anyone from having their own rights. The election is independent and democratic.”

Football’s world governing body has suffered a number of corruption allegations during Blatter’s 17-year reign.

Former Football Association chairman David

Bernstein, Uefa president Michel Platini and current FA chairman Greg Dyke have welcomed Prince Ali’s decision to stand in the election, which takes place on May 29.

Soosay added: “We made a pledge in congress in Brazil that the entire Asian football family was supporting the Fifa president. As Asia we should also stay together and be united rather than divided. For us the Asian Cup is paramount and I’m sure the member associations don’t want to be affected by this situation. We just want to focus on football.” The Asian Cup starts on January 9. (BBC Sport)

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Pakistan cricket legend Khan marries ex-BBC journalist

Pakistan’s legendary cricket star and politician, Imran Khan, tied the knot on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation about whether one of the country’s most famous bachelors was getting married for a second time.

Khan married Reham Khan, a former BBC journalist who now hosts a talk show on Pakistani television, during a ceremony Thursday at his house on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad. Party officials said it was a simple ceremony.

“We hope that this marriage will be successful, and it will be a good omen for the nation,” said Naeemul Haq, a senior official with Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf political party.

Khan, who led Pakistan to the World Cup in 1992, was previously married to British socialite Jemima Khan and has two sons. His new wife reportedly has three kids from a previous marriage. Khan’s PTI is the third largest party in the parliament, and he has been one of the most vocal opponents to the current government.

Pakistan has been abuzz for weeks about the remarriage and in a press conference earlier this week, Khan promised to share some good news with the country. His former wife, Jemima, with whom he had an amicable divorce, said on Twitter that she hoped Imran would be happy in the new phase of his life.

Pakistani television showed photos of the cou-

ple in formal Pakistani wedding attire. Imran wore a gold-colored achkan, a kneelength coat for formal occasions, and white pants, called salwar. His bride wore a more elaborate, silver-colored wedding outfit.

Little is known about their romance, although Reham Khan has interviewed the politician on her talk show. The two are not related, and Khan is a common family name in the country.

Weddings in Pakistan are often elaborate affairs, but PTI officials said only close friends and relatives were invited to the ceremony and that instead of a reception, food and clothes would be distributed to poor families.

Even so, some opposition politicians slammed Khan for getting married at a time when the nation is still mourning last month’s Taliban massacre at a Peshawar school.

Bangladesh cricketer Rubel Hossain held in sex case

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Bangladeshi cricketer Rubel Hossain has been detained after his ex-girlfriend alleged he fraudulently promised to marry her in order to have sex. The allegations made by 19-year-old actress Naznin Akter Happy amount

to a rape claim under Bangladeshi law.

The bowler denies any wrongdoing and his lawyers say he will appeal against the court’s decision to deny him bail.

Mr Hossain was named in Bangladesh’s squad to play in next month’s World

Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

It is unclear how long he will be spend in detention, but the case has cast doubt over his participation.

Taboo subject People who file rape allegations are given anonymity in Bangladesh, but Ms Happy has regularly spoken to the media about the case.

She filed the case in December, saying that her nine-month relationship with the cricketer had ended when he reneged on a promise of marriage.

She told reporters at the time that she would withdraw her allegations if the bowler would marry her.

Ms Happy has so far appeared in one Bengali film, Kichu Asha Bhalobasa (Some Hopes, Some Loves), released in September 2013.

Mr Hossain, a big star in Bangladesh, has accused her of blackmailing him.

The case has garnered huge attention in Bangladesh, where public discussion of sex before marriage is still taboo. (BBC Sport)

T20s offer WI chance at redemption

The Proteas have opted to rest several of their leading players ahead of the one-day series, which will be their last real test ahead of the 50-over World Cup next month.

The quartet Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, captain Darren Sammy and Andre Russell will make their first appearance in the series, but will come with the advantage of familiarity to conditions, having recently participated in the Ram Slam, South Africa’s domestic T20 tournament.

If the inclusion of the ‘big guns’ is an indication of how seriously the West Indies takes T20 cricket, the decision by South Africa

to rest four of their leading players fashion a totally different notion.

“Twenty20 is about getting new guys into international cricket and it’s a good opportunity for guys that have been in the squad for a while, like myself and JP [Duminy], to share what we have created as a culture with them so they can also grow as cricketers,”

South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis said on the eve of the match.

Cricket South Africa has used the opportunity to groom some new players, giving batsmen AB de Villers and Hashim Amla and fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel a rest

ahead of the ODI games.

It’s a situation the West Indies must be enthused about, given that the history between the two teams does not inspire much confidence. West Indies and South Africa have not met in T20s since 2010, but after six meetings, the Caribbean men have won just one game, dating way back to 2007 at Port Elizabeth.

With some of the best exponents of the format set to take the field at noon today, West Indies would no doubt fancy their chances of improving that record, but as Sammy said at the prematch press conference, “In T20 every ball is an event. The momentum of the game will shift every ball.”

West Indies: (probable)

1 Chris Gayle, 2 Dwayne Smith, 3 Lendl Simmons, 4 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Andre Russell, 10 Sulieman Benn, 11 Sheldon Cottrell.

South Africa: (probable) 1 Morne van Wyk (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks/ Rilee Rossouw, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Farhaan Behardien, 5 David Miller, 6 David Wiese/Justin Ontong, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 David Wiese, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Marchant de Lange, 11 Imran Tahir.

Russell credits mid-night cardio and Youtube video

West Indies allrounder Andre Russell says strength training and late night cardio vascular exercises to Youtube videos have formed an important part of his training routines and are responsible for improvements in his bowling speed.

The 26-year-old Jamaican cricketer has improved his speed and accuracy with the ball, and showed good all-round form in the local league in South Africa recently.

Russell will suit up for West Indies against South Africa in the upcoming three-match T20 International Series which starts today.

“I have been doing a lot of strength work. I am always doing strength work but I have been having a lot of chat with experienced guys who have been playing the game for a while just to strengthen the most important areas,” said Russell.

“I have been doing a lot of core work in my room like late nights .If I can’t sleep I just sacrifice the time to do all of those things.”

Russell is one of four players on the West Indies T20 squad who played in South Africa a little less than a month ago, in the domestic twenty-over tourna-

ment.

“I watch some 10 minutes, 15 minutes abdominal work out sessions on Youtube,” said Russell, an athletic fielder with a good throwing arm.

“So I think those things strengthen my body and get me a bit stronger so I can hit the ball a bit further now and also bowl in 140s and 145s and you know it’s a good feeling.”

The West Indies, known to be better at playing the T20 format as opposed to Test, will be attempting to avenge a two-nil defeat to

Fernandes remains outside top 20

By Avenash Ramzan

Guyana’s ace squash player Nicolette Fernandes has started this year in the same position she occupied at the start of the 2014, according to the World International Squash Players Association (WISPA) website.

WISPA updates its world rankings at the start of each month, and according to the latest post, the 31-year-old Fernandes sits at number 21 after starting with the same ranking in 2014. She remains the highest ranked Caribbean player.

The last year was a relatively stable one for the England-based athlete, moving between positions 19 and 22 during the 12-month period. Fernandes spent six months during 2014 at number 19, her career-best ranking without moving up.

This was partly due to being inactive during a spe-

cific month or not being able to win championships.

During 2015 however, Fernandes will have numerous opportunities break new grounds, as several tournaments are lined up for the next 12 months. Fernandes, however, is slated to get into action late in February at the Windy City Open in the United States of America where she will take on world number 16 SarahJane Perry of England in the Round of 32.

The constant rise up the ranking is a remarkable turnaround for Fernandes, who only at the start of 2009 was rated a jaw-dropping 249 after a recurring knee injury had keep her out of competition for a protracted period of time.

Since returning from injury however, Guyana’s most decorated squash player has been on the rise, significantly moving up the ranking with each passing

competition.

Such was her outstanding performance that at the end of 2009, Fernandes, who is based in England and is under the expert guidance of award-winning coach Carl Ince, had taken her ranking below 100, ending the year at 88.

Ever since then, it has been a steady climb up the ladder for the multiple national Sportswoman-of-theYear, consistently racking up points and making her way up the WSA leaderboard.

Meanwhile, Nicol David of Malaysia remains the world number one, a position she has held since 2005. She currently has 29,125 points, with Raneem El Welly of Egypt in a distant second position on 18,185 points. David has won the World Championships a record eight times.

Federer comes from behind to defeat wild card Millman

South Africa in the Test series.

Russell believes he has an important role to play in the T20 series and says he is reader to deliver with both bat and ball.

“I am just going to be Andre Russell, put a 100 percent out on the field and then when I get my chance to bowl I come, do the simple things, get the job done then contribute big with the bat as usual,” he said.

“So it’s going to be a good contest and I think I am ready and I am up for it.”

Roger Federer avoided an embarrassing start to the new season as he fought back from a set down to defeat Australian wild card John Millman at the Brisbane International.

A runner-up in last year’s tournament, Federer was broken once to drop the opening set and trailed 3-1 in the second against a player ranked 153rd in the world.

However, the Swiss top seed, who had received

a first-round bye, broke Millman twice to level the match before putting away two of four break points in the decider to seal a 4-6 6-4 6-3 win in just over two hours.

“I was under a lot of pressure and I thought I got quite lucky in the second set,” said Federer. “He was playing some great tennis until the last couple of games, so credit to him.”

Federer, who needs just three more wins to chalk up 1,000 career victories, looked

a shadow of the player who has captured 17 Grand Slam titles when he committed 38 unforced errors at the Pat Rafter Arena.

The world number two conceded the opening set when he sprayed a forehand volley over the baseline then fell behind in the second when he dropped serve for the second time in the match.

But once Federer elevated his game and began to eliminate some of his mistakes, Millman, a 25-yearold local from Brisbane, was unable to stay with him.

Federer twice broke Millman’s serve to claim the second set then broke him twice more in the decider to book his place in Friday’s quarter-finals against James Duckworth, another wildcard recipient. The 33-year-old was unfazed by his rusty start and relieved to begin 2015 with a victory as he prepares for the Australian Open.

“It’s the first match of the season, so you never know what to expect,” he said. “I was sweating like crazy. I was just happy to win.” (Sky Sports)

Cricket Ombudsman ready to act

– set to begin consultations with boards

I am not sure what the issues are and where they are in the court and so on, but I will have to consult with all the boards whether they have factions or not.”

The post of Cricket Ombudsman is new to Guyana and is a feature of the recently enacted Cricket Administration Law.

Dr McGowan will be responsible for calling the elections of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) and Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) in accordance with the provisions of Cricket Administration Law.

This Law was assented to by President Ramotar in August after the ‘Cricket

Bill’ was enacted in Parliament on June 20.

However, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) elections have already been completed with Anil Beharry voted in as the new president. According to Dr McGowan, he will consult with the BCB on the way forward.

“I have to consult the BCB to know their position, but right now I don’t have any kind of anticipated response and so on,” he stated.

Further, Dr McGowan pointed out that there is no timeline set out for the holding of new elections;

since according to him, for any elections there is always a procedure that must be followed.

“The intention is to have the elections as early as possible, but there is always a procedure,” he concluded.

Dr McGowan, who has given distinguished service to the University of Guyana for close to four decades, was appointed by the Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, subsequent to Cabinet’s approval.

His appointment comes at a most opportune time in Guyana’s cricket history when the sector’s image has been plagued with headlines of internal power struggles, fraudulent elections and numerous court battles among administrators of the game.

WICB directors to discuss governance matters at Antigua meeting

The Board of Directors of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will hold its first meeting for 2015 on Saturday at the Tradewinds Hotel in Antigua.

High on the agenda of the Board Meeting are matters relating to the governance of West Indies cricket.

At the previous meeting of the Board of Directors in December last, the meeting reviewed various governance reports and committed to further discussing the various recommendations with a view to implementing best practice in corporate governance.

The WICB has previously implemented over 80% of the recommendations of the Patterson Report and agreed to the majority of the Governance Committee report which was chaired by Charles Wilkin QC.

At a specially convened meeting of the members of the WICB in 2012, 10 of the 17 recommendations were agreed to. Specifically directors nominated by the Territorial Boards no longer represent the Territorial Boards at Annual General

Meetings.

Further as generally recommended by the Patterson Report the WICB is about to conclude the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the six Professional Cricket League franchises. This follows the implementation of the PCL and the six franchises which are being independently and professionally administered through the Territorial Boards.

The Board Meeting will

also further discuss the Task Force report relating to the premature end of the tour of India.

Task Force Chairman Michael Gordon QC had presented the report and responded to questions and clarifications from members of the Board at its previous meeting in December. The Board studied the full report and will make a specific announcement relating to way forward following the Saturday meeting.

Jaguars’ final practice game on today

– Griffith pleased with players’ attitude

Buoyed by their big victory that was achieved on the back of a clinical all-round display in the first practice game on Wednesday, the Guyana Jaguars will look to continue the winning momentum when they lock horns with the Rest XI in the final practice game today at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

The game, which is a day/night encounter and begins at 13:00 hours, forms part of the Jaguars preparation ahead of the 2015 NAGICO Regional Super 50 tournament.

Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith has expressed satisfaction at the attitude of the players during training and the first practice game. In fact, Griffith said the attitude has been positive from players.

“Looking at the players during training and during yesterday’s [Wednesday’s] practice game you can see

the guys are putting out the effort and showing the enthusiasm, so hopefully we can move forward from here,” Griffith said.

The Jaguars depart for Trinidad and Tobago on January 13.

The Jaguars have been placed in Group ‘A’ alongside defending champions Barbados Pride, Windward Islands Volcanoes and

will play the

Islands

on January 15, Barbados Pride on January 17 and CCC on January 19 in their three preliminary round games.

All three games are day/ night matches, which will commence at 13:30 hours at the Queen’s Park Oval. (Rajiv

Charlie Hebdo attack… French sport to observe silence

Aminute's silence will be observed at football, rugby and basketball matches across France in honour of the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris.

Players from Lille and Evian wore black armbands during Wednesday's Ligue 1 game, which was preceded by a minute's silence and the French national anthem.

More tributes are set to take place over the weekend as France marks Wednesday's fatal shootings.

Twelve people were killed at the office of sa-

tirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

"The entire family of French football joins the general spirit of solidarity and affirms its support for the families of the victims," the French Football Association (FFA) said in a statement.

Paris St-Germain, who are based in the city where the attacks took place, are away to Bastia on Saturday.

The French Rugby Federation, France's governing rugby body, called for a minute's silence before all their matches this weekend from "school

tournaments to professional games".

The French Basketball Federation (FFBB) said it would also be paying tribute.

In a statement, the FFBB added: "The values of our sport, and of sport in general, should contribute to the fight against all forms of barbarity and to preserve the national unity which we all need."

French Athletics Federation boss Bernard Amsalem called on French athletics "to express its solidarity with the victims and their families".

No Bravo, Pollard for World Cup: Ramnarine

Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard are not part of 15man West Indies World Cup squad, according to Dinanath Ramnarine, former West Indies leg-spinner and the longtime expresident of West Indies Players Association.

"Confirmed Bravo and Pollard are both out of the 2015 WC," Ramnarine, who was the WIPA CEO and president between 2001 and 2012, said on his personal Twitter account on Thursday afternoon Caribbean time.

Ramnarine's tweet came as a surprise considering the WICB has not yet announced officially the World Cup squad even if there

has been a growing speculation about Bravo and Pollard missing out once they were left out of the ODI series in South Africa. Asked the source of his information, Ramnarine said he could not reveal but said it was true.

The WICB, when contacted by ESPNcricinfo, did not want to respond to Ramnarine's statement, saying that they would "neither confirm nor deny" the news and asked to await a formal announcement likely on Saturday if not later Friday once the first Twenty20 between South Africa and West Indies is over.

There have been no public comments made by Bravo and Pollard. The two are currently with the West Indies squad for the three-match Twenty20 series.

Last month Clive Lloyd's selection panel dropped the trio of Bravo, Pollard and Darren Sammy from the five-match ODI series against South Africa, starting on January 16. Jason Holder, an inexperienced fast bowler, replaced Bravo as the ODI captain, while Sammy was later added back into the squad.

The change in the ODI leadership came two months after West Indies pulled out of their tour to India with one ODI, one T20 and three Tests pending, due to a protracted disagreement between the players, the board and the players' association over the payment structure specified by the players' revised contracts. Bravo had vocalised the players' stance in

several letters to the WICB and WIPA.

According to Ramanarine, the WICB had ignored the advice of its own task force set up to investigate the contracts dispute, which lead to the players pulling out of the India tour. The task force - comprising Michael Gordon, Wes Hall and Richard Cheltenham - said all three par-

T20s offer WI chance at redemption

SayS avenaSh Ramzan

Now that the Test matches are over, West Indies and South Africa switch focus to the shortest format, a three-match T20 entertainment package sandwiched between the Test and ODI series.

West Indies were soundly beaten 2-0 in the threematch Test series, but today’s start of the T20 rubber offers the Caribbean men their best chance of redemption in a format which they relish.

Despite the absence of ace spinners Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree, the West Indies have all the other globe-trotting T20 stars at their disposal.

ties including WICB, WIPA and the players carried the blame for the debacle. "WICB set up their own Task Force - Task Force findings - WICB wrong, WIPA wrong and Players wrong End resultPollard & Bravo get dropped," Ramnarine, who tussled long, hard and frequently with WICB during his WIPA role, said.

The WICB has remained silent despite vehement criticism to explain the reasoning behind the dropping of the trio from some eminent former West Indies players like Michael Holding and even St Vincent and Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.

In a guest column on ESPNcricinfo, Holding said the players were being punished by the administrators for no reason. What was appalling for him was how a player like Bravo, who had made it in the ICC ODI Team of 2014, could not find a place in the West Indies squad.

In a similar scathing assessment, Gonsalves blamed WICB president Dave Cameron for "dishonouring" the agreement that the players who abandoned the India tour in October would not be victimised.

According to Ralph Thorne, the players' legal counsel, the inclusion of the dropped trio in the Twenty20 leg of the South Africa series was just a "consolation prize" and a deliberate move by the WICB to push aside his clients from participating in the World Cup. "Their retention in

the Twenty20 team is not merely a consolation prize, but that inclusion, joined with their exclusion from the ODI team, is a gentle form of ruthlessness that disqualifies them from the most meaningful opportunity to compete for a place in the World Cup squad."

(Cricinfo)

Cricket Ombudsman ready to act – set to begin consultations with boards

By Rajiv BiSnauth

Guyana’s first Cricket Ombudsman, Cricket Historian Dr Winston McGowan, said his immediate task will be to iron out any shortcomings within the three constituent members of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) before deciding on a date for new elections of the GCB. He made this announcement during an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport on Thursday.

“Currently, based on my responsibility I am supposed to arrange for the first election under the new act that was passed, so that’s my main responsibility, so obviously I have to proceed along that way with the three boards involved,” Dr McGowan said.

Asked how he decides to deal with the troublesome Demerara Cricket Board, which is currently divided into two factions, Dr McGowan said, “Everything that involves the three boards I have to deal with, but with regard the DCB, the court will have to resolve what so ever those things are.