Guyana Times Daily

thursDAY, August 28, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

Schools set to reopen on Monday

The Education Ministry has announced that all schools in Georgetown are ready for reopening on Monday.

The Ministry in a release said checks made by Ministry officials to schools throughout the other administrative regions, revealed that those schools are

also in a state of readiness for reopening on Monday.

“Final preparations in the form of weeding and the arranging of furniture are currently ongoing countrywide, and are expected to be completed in time for the start of the new school year on Monday.

“The Ministry extends

best wishes to all the children across the country as they begin this new term and new school year. The Ministry of Education remains committed to ensuring that it provides the best learning environments for the nation’s children, despite the many challenges faced, and will

continue to deliver the highest quality education possible.

“Parents are also being encouraged by the Ministry to make special efforts to ensure that their children are punctual and attend school regularly during this new school year,” the release concluded.

Lethem man arrested for alleged gun, ammunition possession

Aman is now in Police custody and is expected to be charged shortly following the discovery of a .22 Taurus Pistol and seven matching rounds in a house at Lethem, Region Nine.

According to information received, the weapon and the ammunition were discovered after the Police went to investigate a report of threatening behaviour at the man’s house.

A Police source told Guyana Times that the man had earlier threatened to shoot a relative during an argument at his house. He added that after the Police went to the home, they enquired about the weapon, but the detainee told them that he was “joking around” and did not have any weapon.

Nevertheless, a search was conducted on his premises where the gun and ammunition were found. He was told of the offence, cautioned and taken to the Lethem Police Station where he is assisting with investigations.

Enmore Hope/Foulis CPGs lead clean-up exercise

The Enmore Hope and Foulis Community Policing Groups (CPGs) are leading the way in ensuring the neighbouring communities are crimefree as they embark on a clean-up exercise, which has been aided by the Home Affairs Ministry.

Members of the two groups have collaborated for the exercise, which is geared at clearing several key points in the communities of overgrown bushes.

Recently, residents of the Enmore community and neighbouring Foulis village have been victims of bottomhouse theft, especially at nights, while persons using the access bridge linking the two communities have been robbed on numerous occasions.

Bandits would usually stake out targets by hiding in the bushes which surround the bridge before pouncing on the unsuspecting individuals who use the structure to gain access to either side. To make matters worse, there is limited lighting around the environs of the bridge.

Public Relations Officer of the Enmore Hope and Foulis Community Policing Groups, Ramdeo Ramkissoon, said the exer-

Community forestry outreaches welcomed

In light of contentious information in certain section of the media, the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has begun a public education and awareness outreach programme to report on the sector’s performance and to obtain feedback from stakeholders on how its operations can improve.

Last weekend, the GFC held meetings at Corriverton, New Amsterdam, Anna Regina, Moruca, Kwebanna, Mabaruma and Port Kaituma, all of which it said were welcome and fruitful exercises.

According to a release, additional sessions will be held this week at Bina Hill, Annai on Friday and Savannah Inn, Lethem on Saturday. Both of these Region Nine engagements will commence at 09:00h.

Sessions are also planned for the coming weeks at Parika, Bartica, Demerara, Region 10, and communities in the deep South, Region Nine. The schedule for these sessions will be published in the print and electronic media.

At these engagements,

officers from the GFC update stakeholders on the sectors’ performance to date, obtain feedback on valid concerns of both the sector and GFC; and explore ideas as to how GFC can provide a better service to the sector.

The opportunity was also used to remind stakeholders about the GFC guidelines for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), and correct the misinformation and baseless allegations being reported by certain section of the media about the GFC’s management of the sector.

The public awareness and education activities were welcomed by stakeholders, both in terms of the opportunity that they present in continuing to update persons on forestry sector progress, and in providing clarifications on the misinformation being disseminated by certain sections of the media.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Forestry Commission thanks the public for their support, and looks forward to their continued guidance as it works together to improve Guyana’s forestry sector.

Fisherman died from stab wound to heart – autopsy

cise to rid the villages of unwanted vegetation will be an ongoing one, with help from the Home Affairs Ministry, which recently made available a brush cutter to the groups.

On Wednesday, members of the group focused their attention on a dam that leads off the bridge, but they will venture to other parts of the two villages to help minimise possible hideouts for bandits.

Ramkissoon said that apart from the clean-up exercise, the members would patrol the areas on a nightly basis, ensuring villagers are protected. He added that the groups are open to new members and encouraged citizens to join hands with the CPGs to keep the village free of crime.

Ramkissoon, who was accompanied by several members during the clean-up exercise, which will continue in the coming weeks, expressed gratitude to the Home Affairs Ministry and Minister Clement Rohee for their intervention in providing them with the necessary equipment to bring the project to fruition.

An autopsy performed on the body of Bharrat Sugrim on Wednesday proved that he died from a single stab wound to the heart. The autopsy was performed by Dr Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary who gave the cause of death as perforation of the heart.

The main suspect in the stabbing incident, Angela Khan, will make her first court appearance today at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. She is expected to be charged with murder.

Bharrat Sugrim of Lot 28 Better Hope North, East Coast Demerara, had acted as a peacemaker during a fight between a couple when he was stabbed once to the heart.

According to reports, the Sixth Field, Cummings

Lodge, Greater Georgetown couple usually fight when they are drunk. Only recently, the man was injured during one of the confrontations.

On Sunday, the woman whose name was given as Angela reportedly attacked her husband, Sewag with a knife, inflicting two wounds to his body – one to his back and the other to his abdomen.

Upon seeing this, Sugrim, who was commonly called “Lusty”, intervened and was stabbed. He fell to the ground and reportedly died almost immediately. The couple was taken into custody and initially told Police that Sugrim had fallen and hit his head after which he suffered cardiac arrest.

On Tuesday, Crime Chief Leslie James, said the couple are still in custody and the investigators were awaiting the post-mortem results before charges are laid.

Relatives of Sugrim were very distraught at his death, noting that he was a frequent visitor to the couple’s home. The fisherman left home on Saturday morning to sell his catch after which he went to their home and indulged in a drinking spree. It was during the spree that he was stabbed to his chest. He leaves to mourn his 14-year-old son, father, and six siblings.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Minority Govts are here to stay – Dr Luncheon

Winds: East South-easterly between zero and 4.02 metres per second.

High Tide: 05:55h and 18:09h reaching maximum heights of 2.70 metres and 2.68 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:47h reaching a minimum height of 0.55 metre respectively.

WEATHER TODAY LOTTERY NUMBERS

By Svetlana MarShall

The Guyana Government on Wednesday said that a minority Government may be a permanent feature in this country and urged politicians and other stakeholders to strive to make it work rather than opposing it.

Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon’s comments come in the wake of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) announcing on Monday that it was seeking a national front alliance.

After several years, the PPP/Civic lost its majority to the combined Opposition – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) at the 2011 elections. In the National Assembly, the party has found it very difficult to pass key legislation as a result.

Order of the day

Speaking at his weekly news conference, Dr Luncheon said minority Governments have become the order of the day in many countries across the globe. He opined that it could very well become a feature of Guyana’s political life.

“In essence, minority Governments seem to be here to stay and the emphasis, perhaps, need to be more on making minority Governments work as opposed to preventing minori-

ty Governments,” he told reporters at his Office of the President briefing.

Alluding specifically to the current political climate, Dr Luncheon said since the AFC submitted its No-Confidence Motion to the National Assembly against the Donald Ramotar Administration, political activities on the ground have surged.

“Attention to the constituency politics, attention to alliance politics will, and are occupying the minds of both the theorists and the practitioners of politics. In that context, the remnants of the Burnhamite Constitution are relevant, as that crafty politician in his constitution ensured that you could lose but you can still win,” he said.

Permanent feature

He said the formation of alliances has been a permanent feature of the electoral environment in Guyana, explaining that political parties, at one time or the other in a variety of ways, have addressed the notions of shared governance or a government of national unity.

“I think the public would be aware that one of the major calls for the government of national unity, the desire to have the most inclusive of governments all is deeply rooted in a sense that an alliance is ideally the way forward as opposed to the firstpast-the post and the other forms of electoral system,” he said.

According to him, discourses on alliance policies are often awakened every time elections, whether general or local, are called and placed on the front burner. “In 2014, 2015, 2016, there should be no reason Guyanese should think that theorists and practitioners would approach this issue differently,” he said.

Dr Luncheon said alliances of an electoral nature will remain a permanent feature of electoral strategies not only in Guyana, but elsewhere, where those possibilities exist and are encouraged by political formation.

But though the notion of alliances may have merit, ‘the proof of the pudding is in its eating’.

On Monday, the PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee disclosed that the ruling party was moving to establish a Broad National Democratic Front, ahead of the next General Elections.

Rohee said the PPP/C was “heartened” by the overwhelming interest shown by “a large number” of civic and political stakeholders in the establishment of such an alliance. Of recent, the ruling party has had several discussions with stakeholders and

interest groups on the country’s political climate. Those present were assured that Guyanese will benefit significantly from higher levels of transparency and accountability through shared governance.

Despite his many criticisms of the Opposition, Rohee said APNU and the AFC should join the national conversation on the formation of a national democratic front.

Shared governance

However, he said the Opposition parties should be reminded that shared governance could only be realised if there is serious thought and actions are directed toward building trust.

“Formulation of a common platform on social and economic issues and the rebirth of commitment on the part of the Opposition to-

wards fast-tracking the development of Guyana for the benefit of all Guyanese,” he said.

Rohee added that, as part of that move, the Party maintains the view that any proposal for shared governance has to be based on the social, political and cultural realities in Guyana and not used to score cheap political points.

Long debated

Shared governance has been a long-debated subject in Guyana’s political realm dating back to 1957 when the then PPP under the leadership of the late Dr Cheddi Jagan attempted to form a broad, united front to contest the General Elections, a move which would have seen a government of national unity. At the time, Forbes Burnham had rejected the notion of shared governance.

APNU recently has been calling for a government of national unity. APNU is a coalition which is dominated by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), a party formed following the 1957 General Elections by Burnham.

Since then, APNU has come in for much criticism, not because it has championed the cause of shared governance months ahead of the 2011 General and Regional Elections, but because it has failed to advance the notion.

(svetlanam@guyanatimesgy. com)

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

Danger of the single story

Renowned Nigerian Author Chimamanda Adichie, in what can be described as one of her most impressionable, if not famous motivational speeches at a TED Talk Forum in the US, spoke about the danger of telling a single story. Adichie stated that single stories “create stereotypes and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story”.

She went further to explain during the discussion in 2009 that the single story has the potential to “show a people as one thing and only one thing over and over again and in the end that is what they become”. For example, Adiche spoke about the way the continent of Africa and Mexicans in the US are perceived, because of the manner in which stories are told and written about them in literature and the media.

The author stated that one must always be suspicious of how, when, where and why certain stories are being told, as stories themselves have the ability to “dispose and malign” but also to “empower and humanise”.

“Stories can break and repair the integrity of a people” she advised strongly. But unfortunately, men are now, more than ever before, at risk of becoming the new victims of a single story as they are vilified, demonised and painted as inhumane, senseless and savage aggressors who are taking the lives of innocent women.

While no excuse for taking the life of another person is acceptable, if careful analysis is not done on the underlying factors that led to the reprehensible action, there can be no effective means of preventing similar occurrences in the future, while reducing the onslaught of the scourge of domestic abuse.

That analysis must be far-reaching, multifaceted and aimed at creating a platform for frank and open debates about these underlying factors in the Region and Guyana. It must not become an opportunity for those pursuing various agendas to set one gender against another, or to influence the legislative reforms that are gender-biased and discriminatory in nature.

Unfortunately, with the single story being told by the victims of domestic abuse, entities fighting the scourge and various arms of the state have severely damaged the reputation, integrity, image, rationality and reasoning skills of men as a collective group. The manner in which the single stories of the victims are sometimes reported and sensationalised in sections of the media results in resentment towards men; and a perception that women are the only victims.

There is no attempt to gain access to these abusers and alleged murderers to understand their mindsets and to get first-hand accounts or assessments of what caused them to snap and commit such heinous acts.

All that is reported are assumptions and everybody’s account of what led the accused to take the life of his spouse. Surprisingly, little or no attempt is being made to create a safe and confidential forum for males to speak about the abuse they are made to face in the homes at the hands of their partners.

If and when a man does this, he is made to face ridicule and taunts about his masculinity. His story, therefore, remains untold. Additionally, there appears to be, in Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean, no balance in the rolling out of campaigns to tackle domestic violence. Men are left behind while women are empowered and told that the “law is on their side”.

Testimony to this is the fact that the Men’s Affairs Bureau, which appears tasked with engaging men on this subject matter, continues to fail in achieving the buy-in for men with the ultimate aim of creating a culture and behaviourable in our society.

A serious national analysis, with special emphasis on boys and men, and what drives them to resort to violent methods of resolving conflicts is lacking. Until this is done, the men remain the victims of a single story.

Improving the security sector

Dear Editor, Never in the history of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), or for that matter, the security sector has there been so many reforms and efforts aimed at modernisation and real change. The facts attest to this reality.

These changes are not imaginary, nor far-fetched. They can be tested and proven. Neither can the skimpish reporting, rubbishing nor throwing cold water on these reforms and the significance they hold for the security architecture of Guyana can erase nor diminish the truth.

The abandonment of journalistic ethics at fair and balanced reporting which the Kaieteur News and Stabroek News threw out the window a long time ago, only serves to demonstrate that both of the newspapers feed at the same trough filled with pro-opposition infested and anti-government propaganda.

The editorial policy of these two newspapers is clear for all to see – publish nothing to make the PPP/C look good, publish everything to make the PPP/C look bad, publish little to make the Opposition look bad, and publish everything to make the Opposition look good. Take the Stabroek News for example – its bottom line is to assert its “independence”. INews is slowly but inexorably moving in that direction.

It is all about gaining “credibility” and in Guyana the way to establish one’s credibility is to be critical of Government and to slant stories in such a way to ensure that it is not favourable to Government nor the PPP/C and to give a discern-

able degree of positive prominence to the Opposition. This is the road enabling “media independence” and “credibility” in Guyana.

In sum, to speak well of the Government, its programmes and policies is to be a mouthpiece of the Government or a soup-drinker to the PPP/C. The intellectual skunks want no part in this. This is the extent to which our journalism standards have fallen in Guyana.

The Stabroek News relishes writing about the “lack of democracy” at the Local Government level in the same way the Kaieteur News has fun writing about “accountability and transparency”. But to whom are they themselves accountable? Do they practise internal democracy and good governance in their respective editorial boardrooms?

David Granger would be lying through his teeth were he to deny that the on-going reforms in the security sector have had, and will continue to have, far-reaching effects throughout the law enforcement agencies.

This is probably what he fears most and that is why he wants to torpedo the reform and modernisation process, currently underway. Or is it the eventual withering away of the “kith and kin” syndrome that he morbidly fears?

Granger can only feign ignorance about these reforms in exchange for political expediency, but in the final analysis, facts and the truth are there for all those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. He who is politically deaf and blind in the realm of Guyana’s politics is bound to end up in Jurassic Park.

Vibrant, open and healthy political competition is a sine-qua-non for a thriving democracy, especially for a new democracy that is less than 25 years old. The re-invention of Government and its established institutions to facilitate good governance in the interest of the populace is a vital and compelling necessity for the PPP/C as a ruling Party.

I have always maintained that security – call it national security or public safety and security – is a work in progress. Anyone who argues that a state of perfection and or sustainable comfort zone is attainable once an abundance of human resources, technological applications, adequate remuneration and incentives, recruitment and training of law-enforcement officers are available is living in a fool’s paradise.

Ferguson, Missouri is a case in point. This is not to say that we must not strive to attain such levels so long as we can afford them.

Granger must say publicly whether during his tenure as Commander of the GDF under Burnham and later, as National Security Adviser to Hoyte, the security situation in Guyana was better than it is today, and whether the Police and Defence Force had everything they wanted.

Further, he must do the comparative analysis to show what were the budgetary allocations for the GDF and the GPF then, and what it is now. Granger must give concrete details to show whether the GDF and the GPF were better out-fitted under his command compared to how they are outfitted now.

The reality is that the current reforms and changes are manifested in the following:

1. Establishment of a state of the art forensic laboratory

2. Establishment of a Police officers training college

3. Rehabilitation/remodelling of 18 Police stations

4. Establishment of 17 Police outposts

5. Computerisation of Guyana Police Force Headquarters, Traffic Headquarters and CID Headquarters, Central Passport and Immigration Office, and 44 other Police stations

6. Establishment of computer centres at all Police Divisions and at Force Headquarters

7. Establishment of CCTV cameras throughout the city

8. Establishment of a National Intelligence Centre

9. Introduction of the new machine readable passports

11. Procurement of hundreds of vehicles for the GPF

12. Establishment of the Integrated Crime Information System

13. Establishment of a Crime and Social Observatory

14. Establishment of a holding centre for juveniles

15. Establishment of the Electronic Crime Reporting System

16. Establishment of Civilian Staffed Strategic Management Departments at the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Prison Service and Home Affairs Ministry to assist in implementation of their respective strategic plans

GFC strictly complies with legislation and policy

Dear Editor,

In an effort to continue its diatribe towards the forestry sector and its prejudicial attack on foreign investment, some of the newspapers having exhausted their current articles have resorted to old misinformation in its coverage on August 23 and 24.

Perspectives from two very partial individuals who clearly have deep-seated personal grievances with almost all facets of Government policy, released eight months ago by the local media, was used as the information source in its weekend publications.

The GFC will not be intimidated by the unjust and unwarranted campaign to mislead the public that the forest sector on the management and regulation of the forest sector. The Commission stands firmly on the foundation of facts, and robust process which would have been executed for every aspect of its operations.

Christopher Ram, Janette Bulkan, and John Palmer released in January their personal views on the GFC Annual Reports submitted to Parliament. Their assessments of the GFC’s reports are not only misrepresenting the fact but in some cases totally incorrect in the conclusions made. Their assessments of the annual reports are baseless and erroneous as clearly demonstrated below:

Ram alluded to incomplete reporting by the GFC but failed to point to any evidence or specifics to substantiate this claim. The facts would show that GFC has every year of the audited accounts submitted to Parliament, has received an unqualified (clean) audit opinion.

This means that the financial management and reporting of the GFC have fulfilled required standards set both internationally and locally for these areas. In other words, unqualified audit opinion is one of the key elements of good financial reporting and this point needs to be the first notable point in any analysis of the GFC’s financial accounting and reporting practice for the years reviewed.

This assessment was done by the competent legal authority to pronounce on this, that is, the Auditor General’s Office. This is not Mr Ram’s

jurisdiction and he should certainly not attempt to usurp the authority and function of that designated legal authority.

Claims were made by Ram and Bulkan that the structure of the GFC’s annual reports is ad hoc and do not establish clear reporting to the National Forest Plan and Policy. What is clear from this claim is that both Ram and Bulkan have no idea what the National Forest Plan or Policy look like or are selective in their assessment of the annual reports.

A quick look at the National Forest Plan and Policy would reveal that the exact programmatic areas of the Plan and Policy are those that have been reported on in the annual reports. The high quality of the GFC’s reports and reporting systems as a whole, on a number occasion have been found to be clear, comprehensive, transparent. The recent Norway Evaluation concludes that “activities, outputs produced, and outcomes achieved are clear and readily accessible”.

This is an international, independent assessment by experts and proves that Bulkan and Ram are wrong, and partisan in their assessments.

The newspaper extended its misinformation when quoting Ram and Bulkan’s point regarding the effective building of the GFC’s capability to implement the GFC’s mandate and have long term impacts on forest policy implementation.

Every Annual Report contains information on the training sessions completed and also made reference to the persons trained. The GFC has been noted both regionally and internationally as a Commission of high repute and one that has embraced new programmes of work on forestry and has demonstrated a high level of dynamism and professional capability.

This has been endorsed by recent independent audits conducted by Independent Forest Monitoring and MRVS Independent Verification which both found following three successive years of audits, that the GFC has not only built a tremendous level of capacity to undertake the Commission's core mandate, but has also embraced new areas of work in a highly ca-

pable and competent manner.

This is testimony that there is indeed lasting impact of capacity built through various projects implemented by the GFC. Ram and Bulkan are yet again proven wrong.

Ram indicated that there are more questions than answers in the financial statements submitted by GFC to Parliament in addition the accountant Ram highlighted that there are “discrepancies” in the income and expenses. His analysis however, could not identify these “discrepancies” to which he refers. Rather, he spoke of fluctuations in income and expenses. Fluctuations in income and expenses are not discrepancies but in a practical operational environment a normal part of the financial reporting landscape.

The GFC mandates include managing in excess of 12 million hectares of State Forests. There are over 500 concessions and over 200 processing and value-added operators. In addition, the GFC along with other public agencies are responsible for the broader aspect of work on climate change in Guyana.

Surely the nature of business, whether public or private, there are expected to be expansions and contractions. Thus, incomes and expenses will fluctuate from year to year, and it will be more suspicious if the figure remains the same throughout years.

Mr Ram is also very selective when reviewing the GFC Act. The GFC Act has wide ranging financial provisions that allude to transfers, investments, borrowing, loans, etc. The GFC activities are governed by the GFC Act and the Forests Act. The GFC has always operated within the law and thus the financial report presented is in compliance with the law.

It is clear from the above that what we have seen reported in by Ram and Bulkan masquerading as assessment of GFC’s Annual Reports was simply partial reporting by partial persons, who have a narrow political agenda and are not concerned about reporting on facts.

Sincerely,

Jacy Archibald, Corporate Secretary, GFC

GRA needs to launch an investigation

Dear Editor, I am totally shocked at the information relating to the vehicles linked to the alleged duty-free scam apparently involving tax evasion. If true, how hypocritical is this?

This individual loves to highlight that he is totally against corruption, and that he is a true patriot. Can he now explain this transaction?

Will he now have credibility? Does he now have to pinpoint anyone for possible fraud and illegality? No! It would simply be a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Let us Guyanese now ask his

team of expert investigative journalists to give us more details of this juicy story.

I hope on behalf of all really true Guyanese that the media expose this and other corrupt transactions of this individual as fully as possible, and also give it the widest possible coverage so the entire world sees this fraud and hypocrite for who he really is.

And the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) needs to investigate his staff that aided and abetted this corrupt transaction and pos-

With present harvesting, Guyana’s forest resources cannot be exhausted (Part one)

Dear Editor,

With reference to several articles seen in the Kaieteur News, including one that insisted that Bai Shan Lin’s operations be halted and investigated immediately, I wish to outline that this type of irresponsible statement is formulated to degrade the operations of Bai Shan Lin, which further sends a false picture discrediting the Administration of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).

It is totally unfair and unjust to both the Commission and Bai Shan Lin, especially when they are working within the confines of Guyana’s forest laws.

We as Guyanese need to give credit where credit is due and should commend the staff of the GFC for working tirelessly over the years in bringing the Commission to be among the best in the world today. It is sad to see articles humiliating Bai Shan Lin, an investment company that is creating jobs for Guyanese and improving the lives of small loggers and community workers.

As ex-Operational Director of Forest Enterprise Limited and an ex-Forest Officer, having worked and studied forestry operations in several countries in the world – with over 48 years of working experience – I am fully aware of the rules and Code of Practice of the GFC.

From the statements by Mr Harmon, it is very clear that he is ignorant of Guyana’s forest laws and Code of Practice of the GFC, which guides all stake holders in doing sustainable timber harvesting.

It is neither my hope nor desire to respond to the many statements that make the news, but if I do not, I will be

guilty of accepting distorted information, especially when I know the truth. I must let you know that the GFC’s objective of the Code of Practice is for each operation to provide a range of standard, guidelines and rules that will help concessionaires to adopt appropriate practices.

It aims to function as an effective instrument for the implementation of sustainable management of Guyana’s forest and as a brief of guidelines that will facilitate forest activities consistent with international directives and principles, regional criteria and indicators, and procedures of certification.

It also functions as a series of guidelines that will help conserve biological diversity, forest regeneration and wild life protection; a tool for promoting enhance productivity, sustainability and economic viability of forest harvesting; a tool for promoting improved living conditions and safety of workforce; and a tool promoting improved relations between logging companies and local communities.

There have been massive developments from 1992 to date. In 2000, the log tracking system was introduced to verify the origin of logs or sawn lumber and to control the level of harvesting within each and every concession, be it state forest permit, wood cutting lease, or timber sales agreement. The tracking system is controlled by the use of tags and verification.

These tags are given to stake-holders at the commencement of their logging operations and are free and the quota is equated to the number of standing trees which will yield the volume and the number of trees com-

puted. Each stakeholder is allotted a number of tags equivalent to his sustained yield.

The log-tracking tag is fixed onto the stump at the time when the tree is felled and the other bearing the same sequence of numbers as recorded on the stump is placed on the produce being conveyed.

These tag numbers indicate where the produce came from and can be traced as to the origin of the produce. The GFC controls the monitoring of the log-tracking system and the forest station and forest officers are supplied with the logs tags for each area. Forest produce is recorded by each stakeholder for reference and can be verified anytime.

At Forest Enterprises Limited (FEL), our annual allowable cut was based on the company cutting cycle. Senior Forest Officers of the GFC are aware of the growth rates of different tree species and they put systems in place for a cutting cycle. If a cutting cycle is 25 years and the area is ‘x’ hectares you need to divide ‘x’ hectares by the appropriate cutting cycle to get the annual allowable cut which is further calculated to get monthly and daily production.

When you are looking at the total hectare, one needs to include small loggers, clear felling in cases of mining, farms and joint venture with Bai Shan Lin, taking allowance for biodiversity and over grown trees with large canopies. It is necessary to fell these trees and remove them so as to allow rapid growth for the many small plants.

Sincerely,

Tasleem Drepaul

Improving the security...

17. Establishment of a Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU)

18. Establishment of the Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (to address cyber crimes)

19. Passage of the Interception of Communication Act

sibly many more.

The Commissioner General cannot allow his name and that of other GRA staff to be sullied by this corrupt official and bribery.

This man really has a reputation: first as a backtracker, then as a tale bearer, then as a friend of the underworld, and now as a briber of public officials. Yes this is the CV of this individual. The most corrupt, hypocritical and unpatriotic Guyanese!

Sincerely, Terrence Williams

20. Passage of 50 laws in the National Assembly to strengthen law enforcement

21. Establishment of several civilian composed boards to institute internal administrative reforms within the Guyana Prison Service and Guyana Fire Service

22. Establishment of an investigating arm of the Police Complaints Authority

23. Increase in the fixed establishment of the Guyana Police Force from 3410 to 4956

24. Strengthening and expanding the middle management of the Guyana Police

Force by increasing the number of Police cadets from 10 to 50

25. Strengthening the marine wing of the Guyana Police Force through capacity building, procurement of a floating base, a work boat and a number of additional patrol boats as well as provision of specialised training for Police ranks

26. Establishment of a SWAT Team at the Guyana Police Force

27. Expansion and improved equipping of the Community Policing organisations

28. Establishment of Traffic Wardens

29. Expansion of Neighbourhood Police

30. Expansion of Station Management Committees

31. Establishment of Houses of Justice

32. Successful implementation of Citizen Security

from page 4

Programme 33. Modernisation of the Home Affairs Ministry Granger and company must be grinding their teeth with envy at the scale and magnitude of these reforms and changes at the security sector initiated by the PPP/C Administration since its assumption to office.

His unwillingness to support the establishment of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee of the security sector is a glaring indictment of his tongue in cheek, twofaced approach to security matters and by extension the security of the nation.

The deeper these reforms go vertically and horizontally, the more irreversible they will become with the inexorable march of history.

Yours sincerely, Clement J Rohee Home Affairs Minister

Page Foundation

step to make going back to school easier

BY BERNAdEttE NoLL

School starts this past week here in Austin, Texas. It always feels so abrupt, that transition from summer to school.

For three months there are basically no bedtimes, lots of cousins, time with Grandma, swim ming, canoeing, lazy afternoons reading and nap ping and loung ing about and morning after morning spent sleeping in.

Then, BAM! School starts back with lunches and home work and early morn ings and strict bedtimes and lots of things that just have to be done, right away or at least on a pretty tight schedule. Not that it’s bad, just that it’s different, and by different I mean a little bit like a punch in the belly. ESPECIALLY if we are not prepared.

sors and binders and mechanical pencils from last year and had even thrown the backpacks in the wash-

Because really, though it SEEMS like the snooze will give me what I want, and even though I am not natu-

Which this year, I gotta say, even with getting four kids out the door to three different schools, we all felt pretty prepared. We had figured out bus schedules and school supplies and lunch boxes and wake-up times. We had found scis-

The extra 10 minutes And the other thing I did? I took my own advice from my very own book and I set my alarm for 10 minutes earlier than I had set it last year. I also vowed to myself that I would not hit the snooze. And that I would wake the kids up a few minutes earlier too.

for another hour, the snooze doesn’t give me anything but a panicked start to the day.

But this 10 minutes of extra awake time? It gives me the world. It gives me time to put my coffee on and get dressed and even take a few sips of that coffee paired with a nice, deep breath. It gives us all space

around things that need doing, like getting that signature we forgot last night or finding that shoe that’s got to be around here somewhere or changing the stained shirt or just sitting for a minute staring at the ceiling without me freaking out that WE’RE GONNA BE LATE!!!

It’s rather amazing, really, the chilledout-ness that the extra 10 minutes is giving us all. Not to exaggerate or overemphasise, but truly?

With this extra 10 minutes in the morning, we’re happier, easier and surely healthier too, because that feeling of panic that comes from rushing – whether we feel it in our heads or our bellies or in our throats as we’re yelling to get a move on – that feeling cannot be good for

I know we’re only in week one of school, and I have been known to wane on resolutions in the past, but I think this one’s a keeper. And I am going on record here as saying that that extra 10 minutes is a total game changer at our house. Not that we’re all walking out the door singing Kumbaya or anything, but we might. We just might.

My children love it when I sing. (Huffington Post)

Paediatricians officially want high schools to start later

− studies have shown that it helps, top education officials have recommended it, and now doctors are officially saying the same

BY REBECCA KLEIN

On Monday, the American Academy of Paediatrics released a policy statement recommending that middle and high schools delay the start of class until after 08:30h. About 40 per cent of high schools in the country start earlier than 08:00h, a phenomenon that has negative effects on teens’ safety, well-being and education, according to Dr Judith Owens, the director of sleep medicine at Children’s National Medical Centre in Washington, DC.

Adolescents are currently severely sleep-deprived, notes the report, with 87 per cent of high school students getting less than the recommended amount of 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night. The reasons for this are varied. For biological reasons, it can be difficult for teens to fall asleep before 23:00h. Beyond that, lifestyle factors such as homework and extracurricular activities also tend to keep adolescents awake.

“We really feel that this is such a compelling health problem that it really is in the best interest of students for schools to take this step,” said Owens, the report’s lead author. “We’re hoping the more we educate school districts and various stakeholders, the more schools will actually implement this on a practical basis.” Research shows that sleep deprivation negatively affects students’ grades. A 2012 study found that middle school students who started class an hour later than usual saw their standardised test scores increase over two percentile points in Maths on average.

“The score changes are comparable to other differences we might see: The effects of starting school one hour later are similar to the increasing grades we see when children’s parents have more education,” researcher Finley Edwards told HuffPost at the time.

Sleep-deprived teens also have higher self-reported rates of depression, higher rates of obesity and lower rates of school attendance. “When you delay school start times, all these factors improve: less self-reported depression, fewer driving accidents, better grades, better test scores, better attendance,” Owens said.

The nation’s top education official agrees with Owens’ assessment. In 2013, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that while schools are free to set their own start times, it’s worth considering a delay.

“There’s lots of research and common sense that lots of teens struggle to get up... to get on the bus,” Duncan said last year in a broadcast interview. But, as an Associated Press article pointed out at the time, changing school start times isn’t easy and can have unintended consequences.

“If you’re starting the high school children later, you’re starting elementary children earlier. No one wants those children out on the streets when it’s dark,” Patte Barth, director for the Centre for Public Education at the National School Boards Association told the outlet. “If they’re contemplating this switch, they need to look at the costs.” (living.msn.com)

$63M cleared for organised crime HQ

The headquarters of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) will be constructed at a cost of $63.1 million at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon said on Tuesday, Cabinet signalled its no-objection for the construction of the unit.

The SOCU, which will be under the leadership of acting Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, will work closely with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

The unit will investigate suspected financial transactions of money laundering and financing of terrorism, in keeping with Guyana’s treaty obligations to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).

The FIU was established under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act of 2009, with the primary objective

to monitor the financial sector, but with the operationalisation of the SOCU, the bar will be raised from monitoring to investigation.

The establishment of the SOCU was announced back in November 2013 in response to the Opposition’s refusal to support the AML/ CFT (Amendment) Bill.

The $63.1 million approved for the construction

of the SOCU’s headquarters was among 12 projects approved by Cabinet during its last sitting on Tuesday. In the area of health, $58 million was approved for the procurement of an x-ray machine with fluoroscopy for the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The hospital is also in the line up to benefit from a $17.6 million ultra-sound system with mammographic features while an additional $26.8 million has been approved for the provision of attendant services for the said hospital.

In the field of security, Dr Luncheon indicated that Cabinet granted its no- objection for the construction of a fire-fighting simulator for the Guyana Fire Service at the cost of $19.2 million.

Cabinet also signalled its no-objection for the procurement of a well-master flexible rising mains and fittings for the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). Additionally $42.3 million

has been allotted for the supply and delivery of electro-mechanical equipment for the water company.

At the cost of $90.6 million, video surveillance cameras will be supplied, installed and commissioned at the Office of the President, the Cabinet Secretary reported.

In the area of Public Works, $154.6 million was approved for the rehabilitation of sections of the main access roads in Regions Two, Three, Four and 10, while $185 million has been approved for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Linden-Lethem Road. This particular project will be executed within five lots.

Also, 18 pontoons at the Demerara Harbour Bridge will be rehabilitated and connecting posts fabricated at the cost of $97.7 million. The final sum of $28.9 million was approved for the construction of river defence at Endeavour Leguan, Region Three.

Body of woman washed ashore at Kitty

The body of a nude woman, who is believed to have been drowned, was on Wednesday washed up along the Kitty Seawall. Police suspect that the unidentified woman may have been a vagrant.

The discovery was made by a few persons who were jogging in the area, who immediately alerted the Police.

The woman is of African descent and is about five feet in height. Investigators believed that she might have gone to the area to take a bath and was pulled further into the waters by the strong current.

She might have drifted some distance before she was taken ashore by heavy waves. After the Police arrived on the scene, they were forced to tie the woman’s body to a nearby stump to

PAHO Director to visit Guyana

The Presidential Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and the Warriors Wellness Club will be launched in the presence of Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) Director, Dr Carissa Etienne during her visit to Guyana.

Dr Etienne will be here in Guyana from October 1013 during which she will participate in a number of activities including the two ceremonies which will unfold at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Greater Georgetown.

These activities will coincide with Caricom’s Wellness Day on September 13.

The Presidential Commission on NonCommunicable Diseases which will be launched on September 12 forms part of Guyana’s 2013-2020 Health Strategy and will function similarly to the Presidential

Commission on HIV/AIDS.

Interventions will relate to lifestyle awareness, diet, activity and the avoidance of certain types of activities that contribute to the incidence of NCDs.

It was pointed out too that the Warriors Wellness Club has been designed to promote healthy lifestyles

among the young and the old with the aim of reducing the risks of acquiring NCDs.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDs such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes are the leading cause of death in the world.

In 2008, 36 million of the 57 million global deaths were due to NCDs while 29 per cent of NCDs deaths in low and middle-income countries in that year occurred before the age of 60.

WHO estimates that 80 per cent of premature heart disease, stroke and diabetes can be prevented.

It was pointed out that modifiable risk factors underlie the major NDCs. These include tobacco, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity, obesity, raised blood pressure, raised sugar pressure and raised cholesterol.

Airports in compliance with international security standards

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn has clarified a section of an August 27 press release, pointing that the perspective he was referring to was his personal expectation of the security staff of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

avoid it from floating away.

The body was subsequently removed by undertakers and taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Home for identification and post-mortem examination.

According to a release, his charge was to raise the standard of service delivered to the passengers and users of the airports.

The article headlined “GCAA/TSA workshop

commences – Hon Benn emphasises the need to lift airport security profile”.

Part of the article was quoted as follows: “Minister Benn told the 25 plus participants that a dispassionate review of the airports [CJIA and Ogle] security status indicates that ‘we are not meeting the minimum standards. We do not yet accorded with, mitigated to, the threats we are faced with… we need to take a hard look at ourselves’."

The release said Minister Benn was challenging participants to be more industrious when executing their duties, since passengers rely on them to be safe and secure.

Since 2003, the CJIA has been successfully audited by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on an annual basis. Likewise, the Ogle International Airport is also audited by the GCAA for compliance with international standards on an annual basis, the release said.

thursDAY, August 28, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

National rugby player accused of illegal firearm possession

Standing before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts was 35-year-old Robin Curdis, who resident of Lot 37 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown after being remanded for illegal possession of a firearm charge.

The charge alleged that on August 22 at Castello Housing Scheme, West La Penitence, Curdis had in his possession one Taurus

pistol when he is not a licensed firearm holder.

According to his Attorney Abiola WongInnis, the court should consider the fact that he has no antecedents and that he was in the car with Jacklin Curdis and two other individuals when the weapon was found. The Attorney added that all occupants of the car were taken into custody, but only her client was not released.

Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence, the type of weapon found and the fact that the accused admitted the firearm belonged to him.

The national rugby player was refused bail and was remanded until September 18 where he will face Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Construction worker denied bail for break and enter charge

Thirty-five-year-old construction worker Cleveland Nurse, of North East Squatting Area, Georgetown, was on Tuesday remanded after pleading not guilty to a break and enter charge.

Cleveland Nurse appeared at the Georgetown Magistarates’ Courts before presiding Magistrate Judy Latchman. His charge read

that on January 4, he allegedly broke and entered the dwelling house of Vanessa Sampson and stole the following items: a laptop computer valued $110,000; a digital camera valued $90,000; a $10,000 haversack; $50,000 in groceries and $10,000 cash.

Nurse denied the charge brought against him. He was unrepresented and when

asked if he had anything to say, he did not. There were no prior antecedents for the defendant however objections to bail were made by Police Prosecutor Sean Blackman.

Blackman told the court that the defendant may be a possible flight risk if bail is to be granted to him. Bail was refused and Nurse was remanded to prison until September 29.

Charlestown man remanded for alleged robbery under arms

Thirty-three-yearold Seron Skeete, an employee at Cevons Waste Management Services, who residing at Lot 17 Broad Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, was on Tuesday charged for robbery under arms.

Skeete appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Judy Latchman. The charge alleged that on August 23, at Saffon Street, Charlestown,

being in possession of an offensive weapon: that is to say a knife, he robbed the Virtual Complainant (VC) Nankumarie Maraj of the following items: one Nokia cellphone valued $6000; one handbag valued $1000 and a kitchen bowl worth $500.

Skeete pleaded not guilty to the charge and told the court that he did not rob anyone, however according to Police Prosecutor Michael Grant, on the day in ques-

tion at around 18:00h, Maraj was on the street waiting on her husband when the defendant placed a knife to her neck and relieved her of her handbag which contained the items. Maraj gave the defendant that bag after which the defendant made good his escape.

She then raised an alarm and a Police patrol responded to her call. They caught the defendant some distance away and he was arrested

and taken to the Ruimveldt Police Station.

The unrepresented defendant has no prior antecedents and bail was objected by Prosecutor Grant on the grounds of the offence’s prevalence and the nature. The objections were taken into consideration and Skeete was remanded until September 29, where he will face Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Speaking truth to power...

...by APNU’s PR flak

There was a letter in the Stabber by Mike Archer.

“Who’s Mike Archer,” you ask, Dear Reader? Well, for years and years and years he served in the Army under Granger. Don’t impute any homoerotic implication in the use of the word “under”. Even though for ex-Captain Archer to leave a cushy life in the US to serve Granger the moment the ex-General announced he was jumping into politics, does raise the question, no?

Anyhow, after the elections Archer became the PR man for Granger –a looking out to protect the latter’s reputation and all. In the letter, Archer exclaims: “Why our intellectual class is so silent, why many find themselves aligned to political parties amazes me.” What “amazes” Archer is that our “intellectual class” doesn’t “speak truth to power”.

Now after a phrase like that, right away you know you’re dealing with a true-blue “intellectual”. “Truth to power!!!” Your Eyewitness is astounded at the intellectual rigour of the ex-captain. Not that he’s quoting Havel Vaclav or anything like that – army people are inveterate readers. What else do they do in all the years they serve?? We haven’t had an invasion since Ankoko in 1966, have we?? But that Archer’s challenging intellectuals to jump into the sorry situation that’s developed in the PNC following the rigging pulled off by his boss to retain the leadership of that party.

What more intellectual depth do you want? While Archer couldn’t bring himself to call a spade a spade what else could he mean when he defined “truth to power” as “sharing analyses and observations about the core reasoning, manoeuvring and strategies behind the actions of our political leaders”. What else did Granger do, but “manoeuvre” at the late lamented Congress?

So while this Eyewitness is no “intellectual” – in the army he was just a private and couldn’t get in much reading – he’ll pick up Archer’s challenge and give it a stab. His analysis is that Corbin rigged matters to favour Granger, because he just couldn’t stand Greenidge, who he felt was a stuck-up fella. Back in the day, he was Corbin’s superior and treated Corbin like an unlettered lout.

What Corbin didn’t realise was that Granger also didn’t like to truck with louts. And showed his true colours when he rigged matters to exclude Norton. In the PNC power struggle, it’s all about who like who and who’s a lout.

How about that for “speaking truth to (PNC) power”? Intellectual, eh?

...on R Corbin

The latest revelation from the Rodney CoI is that hundreds of weapons were transferred from the GDF to one R Corbin. Not being “intellectuals” most Guyanese thought that the records were referring to Robert Corbin –the same one that passed power to Granger. What dolts!! So what if weapons were also transferred to one Corporal Skeete and that Robert Corbin’s driver was a “Corporal Skeete”??

Didn’t people realise that not one dog named “Pompey”? All they had to do was check the voters’ list of the times – there were thousands and thousands of R Corbins. And don’t bring up the point that our dear old Robert Corbin was in charge of preparing voters” lists, it is immaterial!

So the odds of the Robert Corbin we all know as the once and future PNC leader with a driver named Skeete being the R Corbin who got the guns now rises from a sure thing to a million-to-one shot.

And all of this was argued by the great intellectual of the modern PNC – Basil Williams. Right, Bannuh??

...on bureaucratese

Your Eyewitness finally understood why Le Repentir Cemetery is always overgrown and looks like something from the Lost Kingdom. The contracts were just announced for the “de-bushing” of the cemetery. By not specifying the job as “weeding”, as the British used to do, the workers are confused.

GDF’s PNC-era record keeping dubbed “lazy, incompetent”

By Alexis Rodney

Head of the Intelligence Unit of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Lieutenant Colonel Sydney James on Wednesday continued his condemnation of the shabby record keeping and documentation by past officers of the military institution.

That level of tardiness by the Force during that time has now resulted in the absence of pertinent information which could have assisted the three- member Commission of Inquiry probing the death of Working People’s A lliance (WPA)cofounder and historian Dr. Walter Rodney.

On the second day of the fifth round of the investigation, and under cross examination by attorney representing the Rodney family, Queens Counsel Andrew Pilgrim, Lt Colonel James described the work of the officers during the 1970s as “lazy and incompetent”.

Discrepancies

Evidence presented to the Commission by the G2 Branch head has exposed numerous discrepancies and omissions. During his evidence in chief, James had reported that there were many inconsistencies on documents which reflected the purported transfer of weapons from the army to external organisations and individuals.

He had highlighted the failure of officers to register their regimental numbers and first names on the issuing forms. Issues were also raised about the absence of return dates on many of the vouchers, along with the absence of stamps. This he said was downright laziness.

Under cross examination by Attorney at law Basil Williams, evidence of tattered work was also recorded. Williams established that while it was necessary to highlight by what means the missing 155 weapons

had left the army base, there was no documentation on the issuance form presented at the inquiry, showing a gate pass or the method of conveyance.

James said that he could not find any records indicating such information.

According to Williams, the vouchers presented showed only that certain weapons were issued to individuals and organisations. However, there is nothing to suggest that those guns had indeed left the army’s headquarters at base camp Ayanganna.

Williams then put it to the witness that because there were no records, the weapons might not have left the army base at all.

Colonel James had told the Commission on Tuesday that of the 237 weapons issued by the Guyana Defence Force to various individuals and organisations during the 1970s, 155 are still outstanding. That amount represents a 65.4 per cent of guns issued.

James had hinted too on Tuesday that the Army was

somewhat derelict in its responsibilities regarding the missing William “Gregory” Smith’s personal file

He had said that, that particular file was considered confidential and should have been kept under lock and key.

Disappearance

But instead, the document, which could have assisted Commissioners investigating the death of Dr. Walter Rodney, in determining if his alleged assassin had indeed been employed by the military body, has mysteriously disappeared.

James said his department, on June 13 last had received a letter from the army’s General Personnel Department, informing it of the missing file of officer 4141 W. Smith.

James, who is responsible for carrying out searches for the missing files of army officers, said the investigation into the disappearance of Smith’s file is currently ongoing. So far, nothing has been uncovered.

Online visa application to be introduced in Guyana – Dr Luncheon

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon has disclosed that Guyana will be moving to introduce online processing of visa applications.

Speaking at his post-Cabinet briefing on Wednesday, Dr Luncheon said the decision was taken by the

Defence Board at its August 21 meeting. He informed that the decision is based on the policy of visa-free travel to Guyana that was adopted by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Administration during former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s tenure. This policy position is a

demonstration of the administration’s commitment to the regional integration process.

“Undoubtedly, the increase in arrivals through the visa-free mechanism has contributed to the decision to examine going online with the processing of visas for Guyana,” the Cabinet Secretary added.

Standing before the Commission, James told the Tribunal that Gregory Smith’s file was considered confidential and should have been kept safe and secured in the Personnel Department.

Asked what the procedure is if the army were to deliberately destroy Smith’s file, James said there is no policy in the army for the destruction of any personal file.

He expressed too that in order for any official to receive the personal file of any member, he must go through the regular process of making a request and having that request seen and signed by the GDP.

The army has already been accused by WPA lawyer Christopher Ram of tampering with the investigation into the death of Dr Rodney, in an effort to hide pertinent information which could corroborate allegations that it had a hand in aiding former member and accused assassin William “Gregory” Smith, out of the jurisdiction on June 14, 1980.

He had told Colonel Patrick West that the disappearance of the records is not “an act of God” or an accident, but a well orchestrated plan by the hierarchy of the Guyana Defence Force to conduct a massive cover-up into Dr Rodney’s death.

A friend does turn into a bully

Some people gotta a really big mouth, so dem always talkin some ting loud or shoutin at some body fuh somebody to hear. Some does play a big bully, so dem always tryin to get dem own way. Well, it got one man who not only gotta big mouth, but he also does wanna play a big bully, all at de same time.

Like all bullies, when demain’t get dem own way, dem does behave like bad woman and buse down leff, right and centre. But big mouth people does always meet some body some day wid a bigger mouth,and bullies does always meet a badder bully.

De same man open de Guvament paper de other day and he jaw drop, plus he nearly drop dead. Mouth get small. Bully meet a badder bully. De same ting fuh whah he been cussin de same Guvament is de same ting he get ketch wid.

Suddenly, dem boys who does fool people that dem is real boys get quiet. One seh he outta de country when a reporter call and that he ain’t able pay roamin fees, and de other seh he can only seh whah de other one seh, and he can’t sehnutten before de other one seh.

Long ago, neighbour used to cuss out dem mattie neighbour fuh thiefin one another mango, but is when one of dem get ketch on top de tree and can’t come down that de real fight does start.

Well, this man get ketch red handed on top de tree and some body start to cut down de tree limb by limb. So a lotta tings gon be crashin down soon. But just like how monkey does know which limb to climb up, a bully does know who next to bully. But de bully does meet a badder bully again some time.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! That is why old people seh a friend in need is a friend indeed. But when a friend don’t get whah he want, he does turn a bully. Don’t call no name!

Guyanese-Canadian philanthropist helping girl with heart illness

Guyanese-Canadian philanthropist and restaurateur Shamie Adeken is back on the fundraising wagon.

Adeken hopes to raise Cdn$2500 by the end of September for a young Guyanese girl living with a severe heart condition.

Shamie was in Belvedere, Guyana, last winter helping to rebuild her former elementary school when she met Soma Prittipaul, a six-year-old suffering from a heart condition that requires expensive and frequent treatment.

“When she took my hand and put it on her heart it was like a chainsaw and that gave me goose bumps,” Adeken said.

“For a child of six years old to go through something like this, I can’t imagine what this child is going through.”

Soma’s hospital stays are costly to her family, according to Adeken who donated about Cdn$500 to Soma’s family before leaving Guyana and promised herself she would raise more support upon returning to Ucluelet.

“I’ve seen a lot of kids pass away (and) horrible deaths growing up,” Adeken said. “I’ve seen a lot of families lose their children because they don’t have the finances.”

She hopes to raise Cdn $2,500 for Soma’s family by September’s end to help relieve some of the family’s hospital bills.

“I’m asking for a little bit of help,” Adeken said. “There are so many kids all over the world going through this but if we reach our hands out and help one, that goes a long way.”

She recalled growing up in Guyana where community members would donate money each week in case an emergency ever struck one of the community’s families and she knows what it’s like to need the community’s support.

“I know what it’s like first-hand because my kids were sick too,” she said. “My oldest daughter was born over there (Guyana) and she was sick and everybody chipped in to help.”

Adeken, who owns and operates Ucluelet’s 4-Spice Restaurant, has turned her

restaurant’s tip-jar into an emergency fund for Soma and is also collecting direct donations.

She is confident Ucluelet will answer her call of support.

“It’s a small town and everyone knows everyone and everyone helps each other,” she said.

“From day-one that I’ve been here they’ve been supporting me and my business with everything; they support us and I’m confident they will help us...I know they will support us and help this child.”

She is excited to help locals experience the good feelings that come from helping others and hopes her fellow West Coasters realise the global importance of assisting children in need.

“Kids are important to all of us and if we don’t take care for them, we have no future,” she said.

“Without them there is no future so we have to help them and not just my kids, or your kids, or kids from my country, but kids from everywhere; they all deserve our attention.”

(Tofino Ucluelet Westerly News)

GGMC, Gold Board Port Kaituma offices for November opening

Port Kaituma, Guyana’s second highest gold declaring district, is set to have fully operational offices of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Gold Board by November.

This announcement was made by Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud and GGMC Chairman Clinton Williams, both of whom said the offices will boost mining operations in District Five.

The offices will be housed in the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) building in Port Kaituma. It was revealed that GBTI will be in charge of the Gold Board office and will be buying gold on behalf of the facility.

This is especially welcome news since the Gold Board’s sub-office in Bartica was closed in April following the discovery of multimillion-dollar fraud at the facility. So far, seven persons were questioned by the Police in connection with the fraud, but it was unclear whether any arrests were made.

Presently, there are two operational offices of the Guyana Gold Board and the

Minister had previously indicated that the Government will be looking to work with the private sector in the establishment of Gold Board offices around the mining districts.

Meanwhile, the construction of the new GGMC office in Bartica, Region Seven, which is slated to be completed in September, is behind schedule.

The building was scheduled to be completed in September, but the contractor, Eustace Lowe has blamed the unavailability of materials and the inclement weather for the delays. Lowe explained that the project started in March and maintained that he would be able to meet a mid-September deadline for the completion of the job.

He explained that the wood used to construct the building – Greenheart – is unavailable in Bartica; and, there is a major issue with transporting the wood from Parika.

When Guyana Times visited the construction site, workers were seen mixing cement and engaged in other work on the building at Seventh Avenue, Bartica, next to the beach.

Woman Constable in custody for stealing from Sergeant

Afemale Police Constable has been taken into custody after she reportedly stole a quantity of gold jewellery and cash from a Sergeant.

Guyana Times understands that the constable, whose name was withheld, was given the keys to her senior’s vehicle to collect an item during which she saw the articles and allegedly stole them.

Later when the Sergeant discovered the jewellery and cash were missing, the 20-year-old rank was detained and questioned.

Following intense grilling by detectives, the female officer confessed and directed detectives to the location of the items.

This newspaper was told that another female was also taken into custody after it was revealed that the officer had given her the cash to keep.

The Constable has been in the Guyana Police Force for almost two years and is currently stationed at the Brickdam Police Station attached to the Traffic Department. Investigations are continuing and charges are expected to be laid soon.

thursDAY, August 28, 2014

Natural Resources Ministry to provide $80M to GWI

– towards water treatment plant in Port Kaituma

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will provide $80 million towards the construction of a water treatment plant in Port Kaituma, Region One, in light of pollution of the main water source, the creek, as a result of mining activities.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, who was in the community Wednesday for an interactive session with miners, said “we also knew there is an issue of water supply and we did not sit back and say this is a GWI problem although GWI has been making some efforts,” as he mentioned the $80 million support.

He added that the Ministry has been working along with GWI, because they realise that water sourcing will be difficult, especially during the dry season, given increased mining activities.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is awaiting the bills of quantities from GWI so that payments can be made in aid of the project.

According to the GINA report, Minister Persaud said the initiatives taken by the Ministry show the Ministry’s interest in supporting development in the mining community. “We don’t want to only tell min-

ers to produce more and what we have been doing to improve mining conditions, but also we look at how we can work with other Government agencies in supporting socio- and infrastructural development.”

Port Kaituma is the second highest gold declaring region in the country.

Minister Persaud said as a part of the Ministry’s interest in the development of mining communities, a specific lottery will be done so that Port Kaituma miners will have more access to mining properties. He further urged miners to ensure mining is done in an environmentally safe way.

Meanwhile, the Ministry presented four drums of fuel to the Power Generation Committee (PGC) of Port Kaituma.

The presentation of fuel to the PGC Chairman Shawn James followed a request to Minister Persaud from miners/residents for fuel.

GoldSource’s Guyana project shovel-ready after receiving medium-scale permit

Gold project developer GoldSource Mines has received a medium-scale mining permit from the GGMC for operations on a 250-hectare portion of its Eagle Mountain deposit

Gold project developer GoldSource Mines has received a medium-scale mining permit from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) for operations on a 250-hectare portion of its Eagle Mountain deposit located within the 5050-hectares Eagle Mountain prospecting licence.

The permit granted GoldSource permission to mine gold, diamonds, precious metals and precious minerals within the permit area, located in Potaro Mining District Number Two.

The Eagle Mountain prospecting licence was held by GoldSource’s Guyana subsidiary, Stronghold Guyana.

However, owing to Guyana’s legal requirements, a medium-scale mining permit was required to be held by a Guyanese national, prompting Stronghold to sign agreements with Kilroy Mining, a private arm’s

length Guyanese company under which Stronghold and Kilroy would jointly operate the property.

Kilroy, as holder of the permit, had granted Stronghold the exclusive right to conduct mining operations on the property, including any additional areas acquired by Kilroy.

Stronghold would fund all expenditures on the property and receive all revenues, subject to applicable Government royalties and a two per cent net smelter return royalty to Kilroy as compensation for its participation.

Positive results

“Following the recent announcement of the positive results of our preliminary economic assessment for the Eagle Mountain gold deposit, we are extremely pleased with the grant of the permit.

"The project is now fully permitted for mining activities and ready for con-

struction financing and subsequent Phase One development,” GoldSource President Ioannis Tsitos said.

As part of the agreement, GoldSource agreed to issue Kilroy 250,000 common shares, subject to regulatory approval.

GoldSource at the end of July published the positive results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the Eagle Mountain deposit, saying it planned to take a four-pronged approach to developing the project over four years.

Phase One would target a milling rate of 1000 t/d, ramping up to 4000 t/d by its fourth year. The company would use conventional open pit mining and downhill-gravity slurry to transport weathered saprolite ore for processing.

The study expected the strip ratio to be low at 0.9:1, while the operation would not require blasting or surface haulage.

Eagle Mountain’s total capital costs were pegged at Cdn$24.2 million, with Phase One expected to cost about Cdn$5.9 million.

The PEA estimated that the project would process about 7.3 million tonnes of ore at a head grade of 1.2 g/t, producing about 168, 700 ozs of gold at cash costs of Cdn$480/oz over the project’s eight-year mine life.

The conceptual approach entailed the first four years of output being 5600 ozs, 14,400 ozs, 21,600 ozs and 28,800 ozs of gold, respectively.

Eagle Mountain hosted 3.9 million tonnes, grading 1.49 g/t gold for 188,000 ozs, in the indicated category and 20.6 million tonnes, grading

Caribbean agricultural institute creates revenue generating unit

W1.19 g/t gold for 792,000 ozs, in the inferred category.

About 40 per cent of the project’s overall ounces comprised saprolite, or weathered ore, which could allow GoldSource to fast-track operations through low-cost gravity processing, potentially starting production by the end of the year.

GoldSource would have an inventory of about 162,000 ozs of gold in its settlement ponds, owing to the gravity processing, that could potentially be milled at a later date.

Resource calculations

Also not considered in the PEA were Eagle Mountain’s in-situ ‘freshrock’ resources of 2.3 million tonnes, grading 1.52 g/t gold for 114,000 ozs, in the indicated category and 13.4-million tonnes, grading 1.13 g/t gold for 486,000 ozs, in the inferred category. Resource calculations were modelled on a 0.5 g/t gold cutoff grade.

At an assumed gold price of Cdn$1250/oz, GoldSource’s PEA placed a 63 per cent after-tax internal rate of return and a Cdn$46 million net present value at a five per cent discount rate, on the project.

Pretax undiscounted operating cash flow before capital expenditures were estimated at Cdn$123 million, while the PEA pointed towards a favourable sensitivity analysis for a potential dip in the gold price or recoveries.

GoldSource’s TSX-Vlisted stock on Tuesday rose 11.36 per cent to Cdn$0.25 apiece, having gained 70 per cent in value since the start of the year. (miningweekly.com)

ith a focus on increasing crop and small ruminant productivity by equipping the region’s agribusiness sector to deal with the challenges of climate change, increasing incidence of invasive pests, low productivity and increasing costs of inputs, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) has established a revenue generating unit.

The unit, established in 2013 to supplement the institute’s operating cost, has a focus to generate revenue from research activities with commercial potential and align CARDI’s technical assets for greater revenue generation and cost reduction.

Revenue centres

The unit has since established 11 revenue centres in its first phase. Four of these are based in Belize and have been generating revenue from mercantile corn and soybean grain production and corn and soybean seed production and sale.

29,000 lbs of corn seed was produced in late 2013 and sold for farmers to establish over 1800 acres of corn for the 2014 crop. This represented a 50 per cent increase in corn seeds produced and supplied by CARDI for the region’s farmers.

The new markets supplied with corn seed included 7500 lbs of the variety of yellow field corn CARDI YC 001 for Grenada farmers to establish just over 400 acres for supplying to boiling and roasting fresh markets. The seeds are being distributed in Grenada by GEO F Huggins.

An additional 1000 lbs was also supplied to National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute of

Guyana for evaluation and 10,000 lbs in Belize.

A further 10,000 lbs of CARDI’s white corn seed varieties were also supplied to the Agriculture Ministry in Belize for distribution to farmers for production of corn flour for the 2014 crop.

Fully mechanised

Annually, CARDI has been producing corn and soybean grain, for livestock and the Mennonite poultry feed mills in Belize at competitive prices at its farm located in Central Farms, Belize, using a fully mechanised planting, harvesting and drying operation.

The 2014 corn crop is on the way and is expected to produce 137,000 lbs of corn grain from 34 acres to supply to the feed mills. The soybean crop will be established in November 2014 and is expected to yield 141,100 lbs of soybean grain from 79 hectares.

The revenue generating unit expects to assist CARDI in achieving its mandate, primarily by increasing the availability and usage of Caricom’s member states’ indigenous planting material to the wider Caribbean farming community; and providing sustainable technology, technical support and monitoring systems developed by CARDI to the region’s agribusiness sector.

Under the stewardship of Dr Arlington Chesney, Executive Director, the resource mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation unit was instituted in 2008 to attract and retain financial resources for research for development from international and regional sources.

This became necessary since the contributions from member states have not increased relative to inflation over the years.

(Caribbean360)

Sheriff’s Sergeant helps send two ambulances to Guyana

Guyana Development Mission

International, an international relief organisation created by Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Mike Mielke, will receive two refurbished ambulances formerly owned by TransCare Medical Transportation to help provide critical emergency medical services to the people of Guyana.

The ambulances have been stocked with critical medical supplies and mechanical replacement parts with the help of Pasco County Fire Rescue, the sheriff’s office, Wilderness Lake Church, Crockett’s

Towing and Scaife Enterprises. They will be used through two hospitals in Georgetown.

Ambulances with more than 300,000 miles can no longer be used for medical transportation in Hillsborough County, and have minimal resale value, according to a release.

This latest effort was made possible by Terence Ramotar, Vice President of TransCare, whose parents immigrated to the US from the small coastal nation. His connection to Mielke was practically coincidence for the time his organisation was looking for ambulances

to help the country.

“It was a matter of being in the right place at the right time,” said Ramotar, in a release. “The two vehicles had recently come to the end of their service life, and we met Sergeant Mielke at the same time. I’ve travelled to Guyana and have seen the need first-hand. These vehicles have saved lives in the Tampa Bay area. It’s great to know they’ll now be used to save lives in Guyana.”

TransCare is a division of the Crisis Centre of Tampa Bay, a not-for-profit organisation that responds to 183,000 requests for help each year. (The Laker/Lutz News)

Region 4 representatives taught effective communication, management skills

Afour-day workshop for selected members of the Region Four Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to enhance their management and communication skills at the Georgetown Club has just concluded.

The initiative was part of the Solid Waste Management Community Participation and Public Awareness Programme being implemented by

Guyenterprise on behalf of the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry and funded by the Inter-American Development Bank.

Well-known communication expert, Dr Rovin Deodat, trained the participants on the basics of effective communication, including recognising communication problems and barriers – both within and outside the organisation and

All set for reconstitution of four service commissions

Consultations between President Donald Ramotar and Opposition Leader David Granger concluded on the reconstitution of the service commissions on August 22 and the stage is now set for the swearing-in of members.

The four service commissions are: the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Teaching Service Commission (TSC), the Public Service Commission and the Police Service Commission.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President on Wednesday, said the lives

of these commissions expired over the past year and the constitutionally mandated provisions for their reconstitution have finally been completed.

With the exception of the TSC, parliamentary inputs into the membership of the other three had to be garnered. Nominations through the parliamentary procedure include former Justice Lennox Perry for the JSC; Patrick Yarde and Patricia Went for the Public Service Commission and Harold Martin, Keith John, Omesh Satyanand and Alvin Smith for the Police Service Commission.

Discussions between the

President and the Opposition Leader resulted in the appointment of Leila Ramson, Mayda Persaud and Allan Monroe for the TSC; former Justice Prem Persaud for the JSC and Carvil Dincan, Cecil Seepersaud, and Vidya Looknauth for the Public Service Commission. The President and the Leader of the Opposition consulted on the chairperson of the Police Service Commission and agreed on the appointment of Omesh Satyanand; while the members of the TSC and Public Service Commission will meet to elect their respective chairs, deputy chairs and full-time members.

Minibus driver on bail for dangerous driving charge

Standing before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts was a minibus driver who was charged for dangerous driving.

The charge which was read by the presiding Magistrate alleged that on August 12 at the Providence Public Road, the defendant Bevon John drove minibus BPP 2426 in a manner dangerous to the public.

On the day in question at around 07:30h, the defendant was proceeding West along the southern end of Mocha Public Road at a fast rate. When the defendant applied the brakes, it failed and the bus did not stop. The defendant however continued to drive at the fast rate and as he approached the Providence Public Road,

he collided with motor car PNN 8806. As a result of this, persons were injured in both vehicles. An investigation was carried out leading to defendant being arrested and charged.

After the charge and the Police facts was read to the court, John, 44, pleaded guilty but with an explanation. John however, offered a different story to the court.

According to the defendant, he was stopping to get passengers and when he applied the brakes, it failed. He was driving behind a truck but did not want to collide with it hence his reason for crashing into the motor car.

Based on his explanation, Magistrate Latchman told the court that it was a mechanical defect used as a defence and entered a not guilty plea into John’s case. There were no objections to bail and he was granted bail in the sum of $60,000. His case was transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court for September 27.

techniques to resolve such problems and barriers.

Participants also learned about how they could use social media, particularly the Facebook platform, to achieve these objectives.

Experienced facilitator, Lorna McPherson, then conducted sessions with participants in which she introduced them to specific leadership (and management) concepts and tools that would facilitate more effective job performances from those receiving the training.

Guyenterprise, with the input of these two experts, developed this training workshop to address the need to strengthen leadership, management and communication skills that was earlier identified when the agency conducted a needs assessment of Region Four NDC personnel.

The Local Government and Regional Development Ministry anticipates that workshop participants would use the skills and knowledge acquired to elevate the operating standards of their respective NDCs.

Regional fisheries body to make arguments before international court

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) says it will present oral arguments to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Germany next month in response to a request for an advisory opinion on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in African waters.

ITLOS, which is made up of 21 Judges, including two from the Caribbean – Judge Dolliver Nelson (Grenada), and Judge Anthony Amos Lucky (Trinidad and Tobago) – is hearing oral submissions from States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and International Organisations with an interest in the subject.

CRFM legal counsel Professor Pieter Bekker of the United Kingdom-based Dundee University will join representatives of nine countries and the SRFC, the European Union (EU), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and

Natural Resources (IUCN) on September 5 in presenting oral arguments.

“The hearing is as important to the Caribbean as it is to the States that have sought advice, as it could set significant precedents for the way illegal fishing is dealt with in the future,”said CRFM executive director Milton Haughton.

Enterprise

“IUU fishing is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that inflicts great economic and environmental harm on States that are victims, especially developing countries such as CARICOM countries, with limited capacity for monitoring, control and enforcement of their fisheries laws,” he added.

The SRFC is seeking advice in response to four questions namely, what are the obligations of the flag State in cases where illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities are conducted within the Exclusive Economic Zone of third party States; to what extent shall

the flag State be held liable for IUU fishing activities conducted by vessels sailing under its flag?

It is also seeking advice where a fishing license is issued to a vessel within the framework of an international agreement with the flag State or with an international agency, shall the State or international agency be held liable for the violation of the fisheries legislation of the coastal State by the vessel in question and what are the rights and obligations of the coastal State in ensuring the sustainable management of shared stocks and stocks of common interest, especially the small pelagic species and tuna. The case was initiated on March 28, last year when the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) representing seven African States sought the Tribunal’s assistance regarding IUU fishing by vessels registered in foreign States within waters under the national jurisdiction or control of its members and on the High Seas. (CMC)

Regional

Brazil dismantles "biggest destroyer" of Amazon rainforest

The authorities in Brazil say they have dismantled a criminal organisation they believe was the “biggest destroyer” of the Amazon rainforest.

The gang is accused of logging and burning large areas of public land in the Amazon and selling these illegally to cattle farmers.

In a statement, Brazilian Federal Police said the group committed crimes worth more than US$220 million (£134 million).

A federal judge has issued 14 arrest warrants for alleged gang members.

Twenty-two search warrants were also issued and four suspects are being called in for questioning. The Police operation covers four Brazilian states, including Sao Paulo.

Alert systems ramped up to block Ebola in TT

The 911 emergency ho-

tline has been activated by local civil aviation authorities to deal with any suspected cases of the deadly Ebola virus arriving in Trinidad and Tobago, Licensing manager, Civil Aviation Authority, Kingsley Herreira has announced.

Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), Dr Stephen Ramroop agreed with Herreira that the airto-ground measure had become necessary to activate emergency systems to prevent the importation and spread of the virus.

the meeting, said:

“There is absolutely no reason for fear or panic. There is a reason for us to be cautious.” Assuring the public that systems were in place to deal with any eventuality, Griffith said the co-ordinated approach was a “proactive” step by Government.

“I do not think we should wait for things to happen and it is very important to prepare now, rather than later,” Griffith said.

Five men and a woman have already been arrested in Para state in northern Brazil, Globo news reported. “The Federal Police carried out today [Tuesday] Operation Chestnut Tree designed to dismantle a criminal organisation specialising in land grabbing and environmental crimes in the city of Novo Progresso, in the south-western region of Para,” the police said in a statement.

Grenadian Government launches soft loan scheme for housing

The Grenada Government says it has established a soft loan scheme to assist lowincome to earners construct their own homes.

Economic Development Minister Oliver Joseph said the soft loan scheme is part of a wider initiative by the Keith Mitchell Administration to tackle the major problem of housing on the island.

“People have approached us for soft loans to build their houses, so Cabinet decided to establish a soft loan with the sum of two million EC dollars (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) allocated for that purpose. Low income earners who wish to construct a house can access this small loan,” Joseph said.

“As you know, it is very difficult if you do not have adequate security to get a loan from the commercial institutions. So, a lot of people cannot go to the banks or credit unions to obtain a loan and we see it as part of our responsibility to assist them.”

Joseph estimates that eight out of every 10 people who visit his constituency office seeking help have been requesting housing assistance.

“It is a major problem with respect to housing. Over the next four years we really plan to make a big dent on the problem of housing in Grenada. We feel the decision to put two million dollars in this scheme will go a long way in assisting the needy,” Joseph said.

(Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

“Those involved in these criminal actions are considered the greatest destroyers of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.” The group members face charges of invading public land, theft, envi-

ronmental crimes, forgery, conspiracy, tax evasion and money laundering. They could be sentenced to up to 50 years in jail, although the maximum length that can be served by law in a Brazilian prison is 30 years.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Medical school in Barbados to open clinic

Free health care in Barbados will soon get a boost with the opening of a new clinic. The American University of Barbados (AUB) is planning to open a free clinic at its Silver Sands, Christ Church complex in September.

“The clinic will handle the range of health problems other clinics do and we will also be delivering free medicine,” AUB President Meesam Ali Khan told the Midweek Nation recently. “We will treat whoever comes in. We will be in a position to do CAT (computerised tomography) scans and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging).”

Doctors attached to the university will offer their services to the clinic. “We

want to be more than just a university that trains doctors,” Khan said. “We want to give back to Barbados, which is something done at our associate Era’s Lucknow Medical College in India.”

UAB founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Gary Barr told a medical conference here last weekend that Era’s Lucknow Medical College had a 950-bed hospital and treated more than 2500 patients free of cost daily.

Both Barr and Ali told the media that AUB and its students were becoming increasingly involved in local outreach programme, working with agencies such as the Diabetes Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados.

(Nation News)

Former Trayvon Martin lawyers to support family of prisoner killed in Jamaican Police custody

The Florida-based attorney who represented the family of 17-yearold Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by a neighbourhood watch volunteer in 2012, is providing support to the family of a Jamaican national who died in Police custody earlier this month.

Jasmine Rand will be joining prominent US civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump, in providing support to the legal team representing the family of Mario Deane, 31, who died in hospital in the western city of Montego after being beaten at the Barnett Street Police Station where he was being held for possession of marijuana.

“I’m going to bring any support, resources and help develop legal strategies as best I can. This is a signature case, this will put the face to Police brutality and miscon-

duct in Jamaica by using this case we can look at the greater systemic issue.

“I noticed that the Prime Minister made a statement that she won’t see human

rights violated. So I’m hoping that the Government will stay true to its word and put all of its resources to providing transparency for the people,” said Rand.

Crump is currently represents the family of Michael Brown, 18, whose fatal shooting by a Missouri Police officer has ignited violent protests in the town of Ferguson and controversy across United States.

Six Police Officers have been interdicted and suspended with immediate effect following a probe by the Inspectorate of Constabulary (IOC) into the circumstances surrounding Deane’s death on August 3. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Addressing stakeholder agencies during a meeting at the National Operations Centre (NOC), Knowsley Building, Port of Spain, National Security Minister Gary Griffith, who chaired

He said several ministries, including Health, National Security, Transport and Social Development, along with the ODPM, TT Defence Force, NOC, Police, fire, Customs, immigration, the Strategic Services Agency and the Counter Trafficking Unit, were all working closely to tackle the issue of the Ebola virus. (Excerpt

Peru seizes Europebound cocaine hidden in coal

Police in Peru say they have seized at least 3.3 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a shipment of coal bound for Europe. Officers discovered the stash in a house near the town of Huanchaco after a six-week surveillance operation with the help of the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

They arrested two Mexican and seven Peruvian nationals suspected of working for a Mexican drug cartel. Peru is the world’s top grower of coca, the raw ingredient for cocaine.

Counter-narcotics Police Chief Vicente Romero said it was the largest amount of cocaine seized in the Andean country so far this year.

Interior Minister Daniel Urresti said the cocaine was

hidden inside lumps of coal the size of footballs bound for export to Belgium and Spain.

Peru overtook Colombia as the country with the largest area planted with coca bushes in the world in 2012. The Peruvian authorities say they are doing their best to eradicate the illegal crops.

According to United Nations figures, the size of Peru’s coca plantations dropped by 17.5 per cent between 2012 and 2013, bringing them down to 49,800 hectares.

Police say much of the cocaine produced from Peruvian coca leaves is smuggled to neighbouring Brazil, or north via Mexico to the United States, with a sizeable quantity also being taken to Europe. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Around the world

Breakthrough hopes dented as Ukraine accuses Russia of new incursion

Ukraine accused Russia of launching a new military incursion across its eastern border on Wednesday, as hopes quickly faded that Tuesday’s talks between their two presidents might mark a turning point in a five-month-old crisis.

Accusations of direct Russian support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine have prompted Western Governments to impose sanctions on Moscow, despite its denials, and fanned tensions with NATO to levels not seen since the Cold War.

Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said a group of Russian soldiers had crossed the border in armoured infantry carriers and a truck and entered the town of Amvrosiyivka, not far from where Ukraine detained 10 Russian soldiers on Monday.

Ukraine’s Security Services also said in a statement it had detained another Russian soldier in the east of the country who has confessed his unit provided military support to separatist rebels.

India’s Modi eyes nuclear pact on Japan trip

No comment was immediately available from the Russian Defence Ministry on the alleged incursion. Russia denies sending weapons and soldiers to help the rebels, and says the men captured on Monday had

Lysenko said fighting in two other towns, Horlivka and Ilovaysk, had killed about 200 pro-Russian rebels and destroyed tanks and missile systems. Thirteen Ukrainian service personnel had been killed in the past 24 hours and 36 had been wounded.

crossed an unmarked section of the border by mistake.

Late-night talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk had appeared to yield some progress towards ending a war in which more than 2200 people have been killed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

China planes ‘violated Taiwanese airspace’ Girl, 9, kills gun instructor

Two Chinese military aircraft violated Taiwan’s airspace on Monday, officials said, causing Taiwan to scramble jets.

Taiwan said Chinese Y-8 maritime patrol planes entered the island’s ADIZ (air defence identification zone) in both the morning and the afternoon.

Taiwan scrambled planes which “followed them closely to make sure they left”, an air force spokesman said.

The alleged incident came days after the United States accused a Chinese plane of dangerous manoeuvres near its aircraft.

Washington said the Chinese aircraft came within 10 metres of a US Navy patrol plane over international waters off Hainan Island on August 19.

China described the

claims as “groundless”, saying the pilot’s conduct was “professional”.

In the latest incident, Taiwan said the two Chinese planes violated its airspace twice each as they flew towards the South China Sea and back.

In a statement to Reuters news agency, China’s Defence Ministry said its planes had carried out a “routine flight” in “relevant airspace”. There was no “abnormality”, the statement said.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of China, but the two have been governed separately since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Economic ties have improved significantly in recent years but on a political level the two remain far apart. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Anine-year-old girl in the United States has killed her shooting instructor by accident while being shown how to use a high-powered submachine gun.

The instructor was giving the girl a lesson at a shooting range in Arizona when the recoil from the automatic fire caused her to lose control of the Uzi.

Charles Vacca, 39, was shot in the head and died after being airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas.

The girl was at the shooting range with her parents, who filmed the lesson.

The footage shows the instructor coaching her as she fires a single shot at a target at the Last Stop shooting range in White

Hills, Arizona.

The Uzi then appears to be switched to automatic as the girl pulls the trigger and loses her grip of the weapon.

The video, edited and released by the Mojave County Sheriff’s office, ends abruptly before the instructor is shot.

The website of the shooting range, called Bullets and Burgers, says children aged eight and older can shoot a weapon if they are accompanied by a parent and an instructor.

Range operator Sam Scarmardo told the Associated Press news agency the rule was industry standard, but the range is reviewing its safety procedures. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Gaza truce holding, but Israel’s Netanyahu under fire at home

An open-ended ceasefire in the Gaza war held on Wednesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced strong criticism in Israel over a costly conflict with Palestinian militants in which no clear victor has emerged.

On the streets of the battered, Hamas-run Palestinian enclave, people headed to shops and banks, trying to resume the normal pace of life after seven weeks of fighting. Thousands of others, who had fled the battles and sheltered with relatives or in schools, returned

home, where some found only rubble.

In Israel, sirens warning of incoming rocket fire from the Gaza Strip fell silent.

Netanyahu told a news conference Israel had dealt Hamas its toughest blow ever and had rebuffed its demands for a truce. He said it was “too early to say” whether the calm would be prolonged, then threatened the Islamist group:

“If it resumes fire, we will not tolerate a sprinkle of shooting at any part of Israel, what we did in response now, we will respond

even more vigorously.”

But Israeli media commentators, echoing attacks by members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition, voiced deep disappointment over his leadership during the most prolonged bout of Israeli-Palestinian violence in a decade.

Israeli opinion polls showed his popularity plummeting, such as a survey on Channel 10 television in which viewers gave him a grade of 55 per cent, down from a 69 per cent score at the beginning of the month. (Excerpt

India is hoping to win Japanese backing for a nuclear energy pact during a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and lure investment into its US$85 billion market while addressing Japan’s concern about doing business with a nuclear-armed country.

India has been pushing for an agreement with Japan on the lines of a 2008 deal with the United States under which India was allowed to import US nuclear fuel and technology without giving up its military nuclear programme.

But Japan wants explicit Indian guarantees not to conduct nuclear tests and more intrusive inspections of its nuclear facilities to en-

sure that spent fuel is not diverted to make bombs. India, which sees its weapons as a deterrent against nuclear-armed neighbours China and Pakistan, has sought to meet Japan’s concerns and over the past month, the two sides have speeded up negotiations ahead of Modi’s visit.

“Serious efforts are being made to resolve any special concerns that Japan has. Whether it will be fully resolved and ready for signing before the end of the PM’s trip is unclear,” said a former member of India’s top Atomic Energy Commission who has been consulted in the drafting of the energy pact. (Excerpt from Japan News)

UN moves to slap sanctions on Libyan militias

The UN Security Council has moved to impose sanctions on militias and their political supporters who are fuelling Libya’s escalating war.

In a resolution adopted unanimously on Wednesday, the 15-member council also tightened an arms embargo and asked experts to draw up a list of names of Libyans targeted for sanctions.

The move came as Libya warned the Security Council that the chaotic North African state could descend into full-scale civil war if heavily armed warring factions are not disarmed.

“The situation in Libya is complicated,” Libya’s United Nations Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the council.

“Yet the situation since the 13th of July has become even more complicated and

the situation might unravel into a full-blown civil war if we’re not very careful and wise in our actions.”

Libya has been sliding deeper into chaos over the past weeks, with factions now backing rival Prime Ministers and assemblies, while Egypt and the United Arab Emirates carried out airstrikes against Islamists.

Islamist fighters seized the Tripoli airport at the weekend, compounding the crisis in Libya that has been boiling since the fall of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

UN Mission Chief in Libya, Tarek Mitri, told the council that the clashes in recent days “have been unprecedented in their gravity and to be sure, very alarming”.

Mitri said there had been unprecedented waves of Libyans fleeing fighting in Tripoli. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

GDF hosts meeting with Brazilian military

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Wednesday hosted the Brazilian Army for the inaugural bilateral Defence Work Group meeting between the two neighbouring countries.

A simple opening ceremony for the meeting was held at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, during which the delegations from both countries were introduced.

Delivering his opening remarks, the GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips said that Guyana’s first goodwill mission to Brazil 45 years ago paved the foundation for what has become a strong relationship between the two countries. He noted that there has since been the achievement of a regime of peace and understanding between Guyana and Brazil.

Defence cooperation

The Chief-of-Staff continued that the defence cooperation between the neighbouring countries have benefited ranks of the GDF, with them receiving much training.

“Many of our officers and ranks have done courses and continue to be trained at the excellent training schools and colleges of the Brazilian Armed Forces… and our jungle and amphibious training school continues to be staffed by a team of Brazilian instructors, along with the fact that we have a physical education month ... [with] the football coaches which has resulted in the Guyana Defence Force football team being the secondbest team in Guyana,” the Brigadier proudly stated.

He pointed out that military cooperation is further exemplified in Guyana’s appointment of a Resident Military Attaché to Brazil – Brigadier General Julian Bruce Lovell. Brigadier Phillips added that Brazil has been a good neighbour as he acknowledged the fact that the country has showed respect for Guyana’s territorial integrity.

The Chief-of-Staff concluded by saying that the meeting between the

delegations must serve as a means of sustaining their defence cooperation and contributing to the strengthening of the bonds between the two countries, but, more particularly, the GDF and the Armed Forces of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

The Brazilian delegation was led by Major General Dacio Luis Schons, who said that the relationship be-

tries. He said the Work Group meeting provides oversight in following up the defence agenda between Guyana and Brazil that was decided upon two years ago during a visit by the Brazilian Minister.

“There were a series of compromises that were established and those points are the ones we have in mind today… I hope the consequences of

tween the two countries is set to face progress in the near future. He noted that this is all part of a bigger job to integrate the entire South American continent and ‘get to know the neighbours’.

Major General Schons reaffirmed the intentions of the Brazilian Defence Ministry to promote military cooperation between the two coun-

this first meeting group will be very profitable for both sides and that we can leave with better understanding of our positions, our dispositions, and proceed with future cooperation,” Major General Schons said.

The two armed forces will be engaged in discussions for the next two days to better understand each other’s operations.

Mom pleads for life of Islamic State hostage

An American woman has pleaded for the life of her journalist son, held hostage in Syria by the Islamic State group, just over a week after selfdeclared jihadists beheaded a fellow US reporter and threatened more murders.

In a video released on Wednesday, Shirley Sotloff directly addressed the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, saying her son Steven Sotloff was “an innocent journalist” who had no control over US pol-

icy in the Middle East. The plea came just over a week after the group threatened in a video to kill the 31-year-old unless the US stopped bombing its territory in Iraq. The group murdered James Foley, another American journalist, in the same video.

Amnesty

“You, the Caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you, please, release my child. I ask you to use your authority to spare his life,’’ Mrs

Sotloff said in the video, which was first broadcast on the Al Arabiya network.

Islamic State supporters later Wednesday shared the video on the internet, but blurred Mrs Sotloff’s face because their interpretation of Islam does not allow a woman’s face to be shown.

Steven Sotloff has been missing in Syria in August 2013.

Josh Earnest, a spokesman for US President Barack Obama, said he

Stay focused, study hard

– Abram Zuil Secondary School top student urges

Abram Zuil Secondary School top performer Laveenah Sohan, who secured 12 Grades One and two Grade Twos at the recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, has credited her success to extra lessons.

Speaking to Guyana Times in a recent interview, Sohan, 16, also noted that her parents and teachers were the driving force behind her success.

An ardent member of her school’s Hindu Society, Sohan praised Mother Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) for showering her divine blessings upon her.

According to the young lady from Spring Garden Village, who was in the business stream, she knew she would have done well as she had spent many sleepless nights studying and was focused on making her school proud.

She told this publication that she wants to become an accountant, and is advising students sitting the upcoming examinations to stay focused, “study hard” and believe in themselves.

Her mother Veena said she knew that her daughter would have done well as she was always a high flyer in school.

In 2012, Sarah Hakh of Abram Zuil Secondary topped the Caribbean at the CSEC examinations.

Guyanese drug dealer in shootout with US Marshals

Gunshots were fired at United States Marshals and New York cops when they used a battering ram to make their way into the home of a suspected drug smuggler in Queens, authorities said.

Guyana-born Oswald Lewis was armed with several guns and wearing a bulletproof vest when the Marshals broke down the rear door of his Springfield Gardens home on 175th Street around 23:00h Tuesday. He then unleashed a hail of bullets at the specially trained squad.

“The guy inside just started busting shots at the cops. The cops ran for their lives,” said witness Aberdean Lysaith, 31.” I swear I’ve never seen cops run like that and they had their guns drawn.”

team of Marshals tackled the man and cuffed him as he walked out of the house and then loaded him into an ambulance.

did not know whether he had seen the appeal, but he said the administration was “deeply engaged” in trying to gain release of all Americans held hostage in the Middle East.

A UN commission in Geneva, meanwhile, accused the Islamic State group of committing crimes against humanity with attacks on civilians, and photos emerged of the extremists’ bloody takeover of a Syrian military air base.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Police sources said Lewis, who was wanted for cocaine trafficking, fired anywhere between 15 and 20 shots from inside the house before heading into the backyard. There, he came face-to-face with NYPD cops who provided backup for the Marshals.

The fugitive fled back into the house before he was shot in the hand, after which he tossed his weapon out the door and surrendered.

“I’m shot, I’m shot. Don’t shoot. Don’t shoot,” Lewis whimpered to cops. The

“They dragged him out,” said Lysaith. “One of the cops stepped on his head. They disarmed him, took his bulletproof vest off and put him on the stretcher. He was bleeding like crazy.” Lewis was wanted on drug charges in three states — North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland — and is suspected of stabbing a man in Brooklyn earlier this year, law enforcement sources said.

In recent days, investigators obtained information that he was going back and forth between Brooklyn and Queens, trafficking cocaine in the East Flatbush area. “He was on the run for a long time — since the 90s,” said a Police source. (New York Post)

Miners call for more infrastructural support

By Jomo Paul

As events for the much anticipated annual mining week got under way in Port Kaituma, Region One on Wednesday, miners from the area pleaded with Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud and Chairman of the Board of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Clinton Williams to fix the many decrepit roads in the mining districts.

Port Kaituma, Mining District # 5, is vaunted as the second highest gold-declaring district in Guyana.

The small community nestled in the BarimaWaini region is reportedly home to more than 5,000 small and medium-scale miners in Guyana.

On Wednesday, when Minister Persaud and GGMC Chairman Williams, visited the area to usher in the activities of mining week 2014, they were met with a barrage of complaints from miners in the area as they complained about the infrastructural state of the community.

Gold declaration

The miners said that while Port Kaituma was the second highest gold- declaring district in Guyana,

have something else to sustain them.

He mentioned several feasible areas of diversification which included farming, aquaculture, tourism and logging.

Meanwhile, another miner, who opted not to give his name, pointed out that the “people in North-West

However, Minister Persaud pointed out that both the Ministry and GGMC recently became aware of the flaw in the lottery and have since taken steps to have it resolved.

The Minister said that the government will be looking to facilitate another lottery by the first week in

the Port Kaituma mining community, noting that the Natural Resources Ministry and the GGMC are working with other government agencies to address the woes faced by the community.

He said: “You are miners and this is a mining community and we believe that is imperative that we support

used to mine in a nomadic way and now when the laws are enforced, people have nowhere to mine.”

The miners pointed out flaws in the recently held GGMC lotteries which was intended to give mining

November.

However in this instance, persons would have to provide proof that they are from the community to gain access to the lottery.

He said too that while that flaw was present, the

it was not being given due attention and miners were being relegated to substandard living.

One miner, Christopher Cush, was particularly vocal while raising concerns faced by miners in the area.

Williams noted that monies were allotted at the board level of the GGMC and works are in the pipelines to properly develop mining communities in Guyana.

Williams also spoke of the need for diversification in the mining sector, an idea which has been peddled by President Donald Ramotar himself.

Williams said that it was important for miners to now look at additional sources of income within their communities, so that in the event of a collapse within the mining sector the miners will

properties to small miners in the areas.

It was noted that persons that are not resident in the areas took part in the lottery and had several entries ,thus lessening the chances of a local gaining a mining block.

lottery system remains the fairest way for small miners to be able to acquire mining blocks.

Challenges

The Minister also made reference to the infrastructural challenges faced by

whether Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development or Ministry of Public Works or any other ministry or government agency in bringing a better life to you and your community.”

Previous allocations

He noted too that the issues faced by the communites are nothing new and previously allocations would have been made and contracts awarded to facilitate physical infrastructural work, but that backfired when the contractor opted out of the deal.

Persaud said that “one year ago we were faced with some issues that today, we are faced with the same issues, the issue is whether its roads, whether its sanitation….we need for much to be more proactive… there is need for more interventions to take the community forward”.

With respect to the existing situation of water pollution, the Natural Resources Minister pointed out that GYD $80 million has been allocated to the Guyana Water Inc for the construction of a wter treatment facility in the district.

Rohee roasts Granger over missing Army guns

Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, has called on Opposition Leader, David Granger to tell the nation in whose hands are the over 150 guns that were handed over by the Guyana Defence Force back in 1979 to the People’s National Congress.

The revelation of the missing guns came during crossexamination of Lieutenant Colonel, Sydney James at the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the killing of Dr Walter Rodney.

“As the sitting Minister of Home Affairs I have noted with utmost dismay and distress the revelation emerging from the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry concerning the huge amount of firearms that were distributed to the Ministry of National Development on August 10, 1979, which to date cannot be accounted for.

"This is indeed troubling and a politically harmful development for our country,” Rohee said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Not returned

He said according to evidence provided by the Officerin-Charge of the “G2” Branch of the Guyana Defence Force, the firearms were issued to the Ministry of National Development, “comrades” Skeete and R Corbin. The 150 guns were not returned to the Guyana Defence Force, James said.

Among the firearms issued to these two “comrades” were:

One hundred (100) M10 Browning Pistols; fifteen (15) M70 rifles; five (5) M72 Light Machine Guns; sixteen (16) Smith and Wesson Pistols; four (4) HK11 Light Machine Guns; fourteen (14) G3 Rifles; four (4) General Purpose Machine Guns; forty (40) Beretta Sub-Machine Guns; thirty-three (33) SLR Rifles; six (6) .22 Pistols; six (6).30 Carbon Pistols; six (6) .33 Rifles and one hundred and seventy-nine (179) 9MM rounds were issued.

“As the minister responsible for Public Safety and Security, this astounding revelation has brought about an interesting but diabolical turn of events surrounding the assassination of Dr Walter Rodney,” he said.

Rohee said the revelation also places in jeopardy the internal security of the country, since no one knows for certainty in whose hands these missing firearms are, save for the capture of firearms at the crime scene at Mahaicony.

When some of the firearms were recovered from bandits

during a robbery back in 2008, ballistics test showed that they were indeed part of the missing firearms that were handed over to the Ministry of National Development, and “Comrades” Skeete and Corbin.

Rohee said that particular crime perpetrated by a criminal gang with the use of some of the missing weapons clearly demonstrated the link with past to the present and provided incontrovertible evidence of the use of the missing firearms belonging to the GDF passing from the PNC to criminal elements.

“It is now clear that the missing firearms were handed to criminals who used them to unleash a wave of terror in our country which David Granger so cynically described as the troubled period," he said. Rohee added that it is important to recall that “the noise and hullabaloo Granger stirred up pretending to be a security expert, a champion of the National Security interest of our country as well as a defender of public safety and security was a smokescreen to direct attention from this diabolical period administered by the PNC".

He said the “mask has now fallen from the faces of those who sought to hide behind these sordid events coloured by the placing of GDF Firearms in the hands of criminals to wreak havoc in our country”.

Rohee said what is even more troubling and dangerous is the fact that this huge number of firearms “are out there in the hands of unknown persons who most likely are not licensed to bear them.

He said the claim by Granger that guns are “pouring across our borders” must now be weighed against the knowledge that “we now have about these missing GDF firearms in the possession of unknown persons and freely circulating in our society. These two ominous factors pose a danger too frightening to imagine”.

Rohee said in light of this “dangerous situation it is necessary for Mr Granger to come clean and reveal the truth to the nation about this huge number of missing firearms at large in our society.

"Now we know it is Granger and his PNC party, who pose a security threat to our country and people. In the interest of public safety and security I demand that the missing weapons be returned to the GDF, lest they be used for political objectives,” he added.

SUDOKU

22Jan. 19)

Don’t listen to someone who is cynical. Once you have decided the best route, keep moving forward. It’s pointless to wait for everyone’s blessings.

20Feb. 19)

Make sure that everyone around you is clear about your intentions. Your insight will inspire others to follow you, giving you the support and muscle required to reach your goals.

By Bernice Bede Osol

21July 22)

Your opponents will not give an inch. Instead of stepping into the spotlight where it is easy for others to criticise your actions, keep your ideas quiet until your presentation is flawless.

Good advice is useless if you don’t take it. Listen to the experts to discover a way to overcome anything you face. A delay could cause trouble.

(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)

You are a dependable and dedicated person, but it’s also important to take time to replenish and rejuvenate. Don’t take on demands or errands at the risk of getting rundown.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

If you are ambivalent about your current career, look into other options. It’s never too late to change your direction, go after a dream or pick up a new skill.

(March 21-April 19)

A hasty decision could turn out badly if you haven’t checked your sources. Before you proceed, check to see if someone with ulterior motives has misled you.

(April 20-May 20)

Procrastination will be your downfall. You have decided on your direction, so don’t waste time second-guessing your moves. Take the plunge and get on with your life.

21June 20)

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(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

You may be feeling uncertain about a situation at work. If immediate action isn’t necessary, focus on doing the best job possible. Keeping busy will help free your mind from worry.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Don’t let anyone push you to make a hasty decision. Take all the time you need to investigate the details of a pending financial, legal or medical matter.

23Dec. 21)

Your popularity is growing within your peer group. Don’t take any of your relationships for granted, or the tables will turn. Nurturing what you have built with others will always be necessary.

BCB Senior One Day Inter-County Trials…

Jonathan Foo continued his good form in the second Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) trial match played at Albion Sports Complex on Wednesday, August 27, 2014 but was unlucky to just miss out on a century.

In a match reduced to 30 overs a side due to heavy overnight rain, Narsingh Deonarine's XI won the toss and inserted Anthony Bramble's XI to take first strike. They lost two early wickets in Verapen Permaul for 8 and Joemal LaFleur 9.

The pugnacious Foo joined Seon Hetmyer and together they flayed the bowling to all parts of the ground. Foo missed out on his century when he went for 99 (6x6 and 4x4). Hetmyer went on to score 36. Skipper Anthony Bramble contributed 20.

Anthony Bramble's XI ended on 200 for 5. Devon Clements took two wickets for Deonarine XI.

In reply, Deonarine's XI were bowled out for 129 to lose by 71 runs.

Kandasammy Surujnarine top scored with 33 and Romario Shepherd made 22. Bowling for Bramble's XI, Steven Latcha

took 3 for 20 and Shawn Perriera 2 for 23.

Meanwhile, a fine half-century from Foo, a four-wicket haul from national pacer Raun Johnson and a good all-round performance by Test cricketer

Jonathan Foo hits second half-century

Deonarine were the highlights of the first Berbice Cricket Board’s Senior trial match on Tuesday.

Three trial matches are being staged to help select the county’s One-Day team for the upcoming Inter-county tourna-

Monedderlust to meet NA United in Hope Memorial final

New Amsterdam (NA) United and Monedderlust will clash in the final of the Hope Memorial Football Tournament on Sunday. Both teams recorded emphatic victories in their semi-finals Sunday last.

Playing at Burnham Park, NA United looking for their second win in the competition demolished Rosignol United 4-1.

The West Berbice team entered the game hoping to get a chance to avenge their loss to Monedderlust a week earlier but found the going too though.

NA United had only registered one goal in two games, but were on target four times to signal their readiness to take on the West Berbice Champions in Sunday’s final.

Also on Sunday, Monedderlust booked their place in the final with a comprehensive 4-0 thrashing of hosts of the competition, Hope Football Club (HFC).

Monedderlust used their home advantage as they did when they recorded a 3-2 win over Rosignol United in

Jomaul Butts

the preliminary stage of the competition.

HFC’s midfielders and forwards found scoring difficult and goalkeeper James Isaacs found the low hard surface of the West Berbice pitch difficult to cope with as he watched the ball rock the back of the nets on four occasions.

Monedderlust, noted for their potent attack and with two national players in the likes of Kevin Layne and Brian Thom, easily booked a meeting with the East Berbice top team.

Sunday’s game will be an East verses West affair

and lots of pride at stake.

The NA United side will be looking to forward Jomaul Butts to do the bulk of their scoring as he is in good touch at the moment. Butts, who led all scorers with nine goals in the Region Six Zone of the Digicel Schools Tournament, will be looking to utilise his pace to trouble the Monedderlust backline. He will be supported in attack by Shkeel Grant, Stephon Boucher and winger Graham Stevenson.

NA United’s backline will be anchored by center half Jeremy Samuels, while

Berbice U-17 Goalkeeper Omari Bentham will be between the uprights.

However, Bentham will have his work cut out as Monedderlust will be led by Layne and Thom who are both just back from the Dominican Republic where they represented Guyana at the Under-17 level. Both are utility players; Layne playing midfield/defence and Thom midfield/forward. Also included in the lineup for Monedderlust is the skilful Akimo Watts.

Kickoff time for Sunday’s final is 5:30h. (Andrew Carmichael)

ment, which will commence on September 4.

Deonarine's XI won the toss and elected to take first strike. They started poorly, losing Rafael Estriado and former national youth batsman Seon Hetmyer. Skipper Deonarine and Foo combined to take their team out of trouble with the highest partnership of the match to help their team post a formidable total of 212 all out in 47 overs of their allotted 50 overs.

Foo topscored with 67. He was assisted by Deonarine with 40. Johnson took 4-39 off eight overs.

Assad Fudadin's XI batted poorly in their reply, finishing 157 all out. Gudakesh Motie (30) and Jason Sinclair (27) were the leading scorers as Deonarine returned to take 2-21 and Krishendat Ramoo 2-19.

The third trial match will be played tomorrow at the same venue from 9:00h.

Samuel Eto’o will give Everton fear factor

Samuel Eto’o will give Everton an unpredictable “fear factor” according to manager Roberto Martinez. The 33-year-old Cameroon striker, who was a free agent after being released by Chelsea, has signed a two-year contract with Everton.

Martinez could hand Eto’o his debut against his former club on Saturday.

“When you see him on the team sheet you know the unpredictable play he has. Now we can enjoy the talent and that fear factor from Samuel,” Martinez said. Martinez said that Eto’o made a “football decision” to join Everton even

though he had other options which might have been more lucrative. “His emotional state and mental focus was impressive,” added Martinez. “There is a real desire and hunger to achieve. He’s desperate to create good moments in the British game.” Eto’o refused to be drawn on his relationship with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who questioned the player’s official age in private conversations broadcast on French TV. But the forward insisted he was “physically and mentally in top form” and had “not felt better” ahead of a potential debut against his old club.

Clinical South Africa gun down 327

South Africa needed 91 runs from 77 balls when AB de Villiers, with 91 to his name and cramp slicing through his hamstring, walked across his crease, got down on one knee and scooped James Faulkner over his left-shoulder onto the open stands for six. In that one shot, all the questions about South Africa’s ability to take on the best were answered.

De Villiers saw his childhood friend Faf du Plessis record his first ODI century in his 51st game, scored a hundred of his own and was there to scamper the winning single when JP Duminy called for it with 21 balls remaining.

The seven-wicket win in a 300-plus chase was as comprehensive as South Africa could have wanted after Australia controlled most of first half. Aaron Finch’s fourth ODI century saw them through the middle-over squeeze and set up for a strong finish. Australia took 93 runs off the last 10 overs to post 327 but South Africa did not need a similarly swift response. De Villiers and du Plessis shared a record 206-run third-wicket stand, the highest at Harare Sports Club and the highest for South Africa against Australia, to break the back of the chase and put bowling issues on the backburner for now.

Both teams would be disappointed with their performance in the field, Australia more than South Africa, because they put down two chances as well as bled runs. Mitchell Johnson let de Villiers off the hook in his follow through when he was on 78 and George Bailey put him down at point on 85. Add that to the knowledge that none of their bowlers held an end and Australia will have some scrutinising to do.

Johnson was over-reliant on his short ball, which lacked its usual venom on a surface without much in it. Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson and James Faulkner also struggled to find the right length and the absence of a specialist spinner, with Nathan Lyon benched, was shown up especially against Imran Tahir’s returns.

Tahir was South Africa’s best performer with the ball and put the brakes on Australia after Finch and Phillip Hughes gave them a start of 62 runs in the first 10 overs. He removed both Hughes and Mitchell Marsh in his first spell which formed part of a ten-over period in which South Africa gave away just 32 runs and one boundary.

That proved vital because they lacked control later on as Finch and Bailey combined to threaten a late burst. Finch went from 80 to a century in 11

balls while Bailey tore into Morne Morkel and Ryan McLaren short balls to leave de Villiers without a banker for the death. Wayne Parnell, who conceded 46 runs in six overs thanks largely to a misdirected line down the leg-side, was used in the final over and cost de Villiers 20 runs. But all that was made to seem minimal when South Africa were at the crease.

Quinton de Kock and Hashim Ama were merciless on width in the opening passages and wiped away 44 runs in seven overs before Australia grabbed the upper-hand. Amla was well caught by Steven Smith at point and de Kock top-edged a pull to deep square leg to leave South Africa stuttering.

But de Villiers and du Plessis played partly with the watchfulness they em-

ployed in the Adelaide Test match almost three years ago and partly with aggression to keep South Africa in the hunt. They ran well between the wickets even when de Villiers was in so much discomfort he needed on-field treatment, they punished anything on a length and did not take risks until de Villiers offered his twin chances.

The two drops may have been the turning point because as Australia’s confidence waned, South Africa’s swelled. Du Plessis maiden ODI hundred came up off 95 balls with a crack through the covers, de Villiers’ followed two balls later with a loft over mid-off and as they partnership grew to a double-century, South Africa only had victory in sight even though du Plessis was not there at the end to see it. Fittingly, de Villiers was.

SCOREBOARD

Australia innings (50 overs maximum)

AJ Finch c Duminy b McLaren 102

PJ Hughes c de Villiers b Imran Tahir 51

MR Marsh lbw b Imran Tahir 5

GJ Bailey* c †de Kock b Morkel 66

GJ Maxwell c de Villiers b Morkel 7

SPD Smith b McLaren 31

BJ Haddin† c Amla b Steyn 9

JP Faulkner not out 10

MG Johnson not out 23

Extras (lb 12, w 10, nb 1) 23

Total (7 wickets; 50 overs; 231 mins) 327 (6.54 runs per over)

Did not bat: MA Starc, KW

Richardson

Fall of wickets: 1-92 (Hughes, 18.2 ov), 2-115 (Marsh, 23.5 ov), 3-229 (Finch, 39.2 ov), 4-242 (Bailey, 40.6 ov), 5-253 (Maxwell, 42.4 ov), 6-268 (Haddin, 44.2 ov), 7-301 (Smith, 47.6 ov)

Bowling: DW Steyn 10-0-54-

AC Milan make bid for Fernando Torres

AC Milan have made a bid to take Chelsea striker Fernando Torres on a season-long loan. The Serie A giants are looking for a striker following Mario Balotelli’s £16m move to Liverpool.

“Torres is certainly an important forward and we will see if we can sign him or another player,” Rossoneri vice-president Adriano Galliani told the Italian club’s website.

Milan have also made an offer for Torres’ team-

mate Marco van Ginkel. Galliani added: “We will see if we are able to acquire an important forward. This is our main aim.”

On Chelsea’s 21-yearold Dutch midfielder Van Ginkel, Galliani said: “It’s possible.

“We have written to Chelsea and are awaiting a response. We are optimistic.”

The Blues paid Liverpool £50m for Spain forward Torres in 2011, which was then a British record. However, the 30-year-old has not been a success in west London and his chances have been further limited by the arrival of countryman Diego Costa. Last season Torres played in 28 Premier League matches and scored only five goals. Chelsea signed Van Ginkel from Vitesse Arnhem for an undisclosed fee in 2013. He missed six months of last season with a knee injury. (BBC Sport)

Zimbabwe tri-series... Panyangara expelled for indiscipline

Tinashe Panyangara has been removed from Zimbabwe’s squad for their tri-series, for allegedly sharing a video of Mitchell Johnson bowling during the Ashes with team-mates via their group Whatsapp chat. Panyangara was also fined US$1,000 for the alleged offence, with a ZC spokesman confirming that the bowler’s “indiscipline” meant he would play no further part in the remaining games.

1, WD Parnell 7-0-66-0, M Morkel 10-1-63-2, R McLaren

9-0-64-2, Imran Tahir 10-0-452, JP Duminy 4-0-23-0

South Africa innings (target: 328 runs from 50 overs)

Q de Kock† c Faulkner b Starc 19

HM Amla c Smith b Richardson 24

F du Plessis c Smith b Starc 106

AB de Villiers* not out 136

JP Duminy not out 33

Extras (w 10) 10

Total (3 wickets; 46.4 overs; 221 mins) 328 (7.02 runs per over)

Did not bat: DA Miller, R McLaren, WD Parnell, DW Steyn, M Morkel, Imran Tahir

Fall of wickets: 1-44 (Amla, 7.2 ov), 2-51 (de Kock, 8.6 ov), 3-257 (du Plessis, 37.6 ov)

Bowling: MG Johnson 10-063-0, MA Starc 8-0-62-2, KW Richardson 10-0-68-1, MR Marsh 5-0-36-0, JP Faulkner 8.4-0-59-0, SPD Smith 2-0-20-0, GJ Maxwell 3-0-20-0

While ZC’s official statement made no mention of the specific reason for Panyangara’s removal, Zimbabwe’s team disciplinary committee found Panyangara’s actions to he be “disruptive in the buildup to the first ODI of the triangular series,” which they lost by 198 runs. Johnson took one wicket but conceded only seven runs in six overs, making frequent use of his bouncer and beating Zimbabwe’s batsmen for pace on several occasions.

The video is a highlights package of Johnson’s shortpitched barrage against England. The sharing of such a video might be brushed off as a bit of bantering among team-mates, albeit with a gallows humour element to it. The humourless response from Zimbabwe’s coach and team management, however, means the team will be without their most experienced seamer. With 34 one-

day caps, Panyangara has played more than double the number of ODIs as Shingi Masakadza, the next most experienced specialist seamer. Panyangara’s isn’t the only alleged breach of team rules in recent times. Luke Jongwe, the 19-year-old allrounder, was fined his entire match fee from his debut one-day international against South Africa in Bulawayo after allegedly breaking team curfew after that match.

Panyangara will be allowed to train with Zimbabwe A as they prepare for their tour of Bangladesh next month. The response to his alleged infraction is in keeping with the coaching department’s disciplinarian approach in recent times. The Zimbabwe squad have a 9.30pm curfew when they are in camp, and aren’t allowed any alcohol or female visitors to the team residence at any hour. (Cricinfo)

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Suresh Raina hit a superb century as India cruised to victory against England by 133 runs in the second one-day international at Cardiff. Raina scored 100 off 75 balls and Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni also hit half-centuries as the tourists posted 304-6.

Ravindra Jadeja then claimed four wickets as England subsided to 161 in their rain-adjusted chase of 295.

Alex Hales hit 40 on his debut but England will have to come from behind in the five-match ODI series.

The hosts began promisingly enough after Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to bowl under grey skies.

Chris Woakes was an impressive performer in Birmingham’s Twenty 20 Finals Day victory at the weekend and the seamer continued his good limitedovers form as he removed two of India’s most out-ofform batsman in an early burst.

First Shikhar Dhawan edged behind to Jos Buttler attempting an extravagant drive, then Virat Kohli inexplicably drilled his second ball straight to Cook at midoff.

At 19-2 after eight overs, India were in trouble, but Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane showed the sort of application India lacked so badly in the Test series as they rebuilt the innings.

Rahane fell to the excellent James Tredwell for 41, but the breakthrough failed to check India’s momentum as it brought Raina to the crease.

The left-hander looked fluent from the start, timing the ball sweetly as he combined with first Sharma and then Dhoni to accelerate the Indian innings.

England gave the tourists plenty of assistance with a wayward bowling performance, with Chris Jordan

particularly culpable as he sent down 12 wides in returning figures of 0-73 from his 10 overs, including five in one 11-ball over.

India plundered 133 runs off the last 13 overs, with Raina reaching his fourth ODI century off 75 balls as India posted 304-6.

A brief rain delay after the interval ensured that England would chase an adjusted target of 295 off 47 overs, and when the showers abated, the hosts began brightly enough.

Cook and debutant Hales compiled 53 off the first 10 overs before Mohammed Shami swung the match decisively in India’s direction.

The paceman removed Cook and Ian Bell within three balls, and when Joe Root perished to Bhuvneshwar Kumar soon after, England were 63-3.

Hales played some styl-

ish shots on his debut but he was caught for 40 trying to sweep Jadeja, before the spinner removed Buttler for two.

England’s last hopes rested with Eoin Morgan, but when the Middlesex batsman fell to Ravichandran Ashwin for 28, the game was up.

Jadeja claimed two tailend wickets to finish with impressive figures of 4-28 as India completed a straightforward victory.

The crushing win provides a much-needed fillip for the tourists, who were comprehensively beaten 3-1 in the Test series.

England meanwhile have now lost four of their last five ODIs, and their search for a consistent winning formula in the 50-over format continues with the World Cup just six months away. (cricinfo)

AN Cook* lbw b Mohammed Shami 19

Sharma c Woakes b Tredwell 52

Dhawan c †Buttler b Woakes 11

Kohli c Cook b Woakes 0

AM Rahane st †Buttler b Tredwell 41

SK Raina c Anderson b Woakes 100

MS Dhoni*† b Woakes 52

RA Jadeja not out 9 R Ashwin not out 10

Extras (b 1, lb 11, w 16, nb 1) 29

Total (6 wickets; 50 overs) 304 (6.08 runs per over)

Did not bat: B Kumar, Mohammed Shami, MM Sharma Fall of wickets 1-19 (Dhawan, 7.1 ov), 2-19 (Kohli, 7.4 ov), 3-110 (Rahane, 23.5 ov), 4-132 (RG Sharma, 29.2 ov), 5-276 (Raina, 46.1 ov), 6-288 (Dhoni, 48.3 ov)

Bowling: JM Anderson 101-57-0, CR Woakes 10-1-524, CJ Jordan 10-0-73-0, BA Stokes 7-0-54-0, JE Root 3-014-0, JC Tredwell 10-1-42-2

England innings (target: 295 runs from 47 overs)

AD Hales c Ashwin b Jadeja 40

IR Bell b Mohammed Shami 1 JE Root b Kumar 4

EJG Morgan c Mohammed Shami b Ashwin 28

JC Buttler† c Kohli b Jadeja 2

w 2) 5 Total (all out; 38.1

Home Affairs Ministry Anniversary Month of Sports…

Fire Service keen on dethroning Police at Inter-Agency dominoes

Defending champions Guyana Police Force (GPF) cannot afford to drop their guard when the Inter-Agency Domino Competition is held as part of the Ministry of Home Affairs Anniversary Month of Activities next month, as the Guyana Fire Service have promised to bring on the heat.

The month of activities kicks off on Monday September 1 with Chinese checkers and will continue with dominoes, draughts, whist and a day of sports.

The Inter-Agency Domino Competition will get cracking from Wednesday September 10, 2014 at the Police Sports Club, Eve Leary and will see each agency hosting a round until the final in December at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Speaking at the launching of the month of activities, Station Officer Kirklan Harry of the Guyana Fire Service said he expects the Guyana Fire Service to do well at the domino competition. “It’s my first time competing as a Sports Officer and I know for a fact we will do well,” Harry told Guyana Times Sport.

Meanwhile, Administrator for the month of activities Ovid Glasgow, DSM, said preparations for the events are “fine” and that 47 members

of staff are preparing themselves for the various competitions.

Glasgow noted that a day of sports will be held at Lusignan on the 14th of

September “where we will have a day of sports that will involve members of community policing groups and youth groups. Last year we had it in B Division, that’s Berbice. This year we will be in C Division at the Lusignan centre. Next year will be West Demerara. So we are moving the activities around so that each Division can have a fair share of the activities.”

It was mentioned that corporate support has also been fantastic as has been the case over the years. “We are most grateful for this type of support that keeps the sport and participants alive and well and more than less together. The objective is to strengthen our spiritual, moral and material selves,” Glasgow stated.

The various sponsors are West Indian Sports Complex (Chinese checkers), Trophy Stall (Dominoes), Digicel (draughts), Woodpecker Products, Trophies and Sports (Whist) and Mr Cedric Williams who donated the huge championship trophy for the InterAgency Dominoes. (Reuben Stoby)

ECCB Second Division semifinals on this Sunday

The finalists of the Upper East Coast Zone of the East Coast Cricket Board’s (ECCB) second-division competition will be known on Sunday when semi-final action takes place at two venues along the East Coast corridor.

Strathavon Cricket Club will take on Bravados Sports Club at Strathavon with Cyril Singh and Gavin D’Aguiar being the umpires, while over on the Unity ground, the hosts will meet Perseverance Cricket Club with umpires Charles Gibbons and Gyananand Sukhdeo calling play.

In the lone match of the Lower East Coast Zone, Enterprise Busta Sports Club ‘B’ will do battle with Better Hope Sports Club ‘B’ at Enterprise, with Kenalyn Baker and Dhanraj being the officials in charge of play. All matches are scheduled to start at 10:00h.

Teams can contact Chairman of the Competitions Committee, Raymond Barton, on 6260223 or 220-1636 for further information.

DCB Elite Youth Camp exceeding expectations – Coach Nedd

Demerara’s head coach Garvin Nedd said the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) Elite Youth Camp, sponsored by W&H Rambaran Marine, exceeded his expectations with the extent of interest it is receiving.

The DCB set out to have 25 youths of each age group (U-15 and U-17) but on the third day of the camp, more than 30 boys turned up for

each group.

“I am so pleased to see the young players giving importance to the camp and more so the keen interest they have been showing in every session. They want to be here and I’m happy to have them,” stated Nedd.

The coach said the programme is a well planned one and it has the necessary classes to widen the youths’ knowledge. He noted that

all the areas focused on are vital to a cricketer and that each player needs to know them at an early age.

The sessions include Introduction to Scoring by Calvin Roberts, Relevant Law of the Game by Umpire Matthew Kissoon, Public Speaking by Delron Aaron from the group ‘Area Governor for toastmasters in Guyana’, Review of the History of West Indies Cricket by television sports

presenter, Edwin Seeraj, and Injury Prevention and Management by a trainer from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

Apart from these classes, physical and technical aspects of the game are also done every day. These include batting, bowling and fielding drills, along with specific warm up drills.

The sessions are spearheaded by Coach Nedd who is supported by Coach

Grimmond. The GCB Territorial Development Officer, Colin Stuart, is overseeing the camp.

The aim of the camp is to challenge, improve and develop the younger cricketers’ ability, widen their knowledge of the game, and make them more appreciative of it.

The DCB said it is grateful to have W&H Rambaran Marine onboard as a sponsor.

Teams outfitted for Cricket for Unity game

− action set for DCC on September 6

The two teams for the Cricket for Unity 20/20 match have been outfitted ahead of the highly anticipated clash on September 6 at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, Queenstown. The game was originally billed for July 5 at the same venue, but had to be postponed due to inclement weather.

At a simple ceremony at the Windjammer Hotel in Kitty on Wednesday afternoon, representatives of the two teams, Roraima Strikers and Kaieteur Thunders, were presented with uniforms for the game, which will bowl off at 19:00h.

The game is the brainchild of sport enthusiast, Dexter “Bushman” Garnett, who said the game is geared to bring several prominent personalities of society to-

‘Last

gether, thereby attracting a wide cross-section of persons to view them in action.

Garnett said that all systems are in place for a successful game with players for the two teams already assigned and will commence training soon.

The coaches of the teams, Clive Grimmond of Roraima Strikers and Quason Nedd of Kaieteur Thunders, were high in praise of the organisers for putting together such a game, and said they are looking forward to some good cricket from a number of prominent members of society, including businessmen, government officials and of course, former cricketers.

Grimmond commended Garnett on the initiative, noting that citizens should come out and witness the

Lap’ race walk for Linden on Sunday

Race walkers from across the country will match steps on Sunday August 31, 2014, when the Cavaliers Sports and Tour Club (CSTC), in association with the Half Mile/Wismar Community Group, stages the ‘Last Lap’ race-walk in Linden. The race will commence at 06:30h at Four Corners, Wismar and proceed to Five Corners, Mackenzie, for the finish. The event will bring the curtain down on the CSTC’s 11th race walk for the month of activities held under the theme: “Preparing Race Walkers for Participation in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.” Trophies, medals and other prizes will be at stake for the first top three finishers in the various categories, which would include male and female Juniors, Seniors, Veterans, and DifferentlyAbled participants. Race walkers must be at the starting line at 06:00h for registration. Meanwhile, plans are being finalised for the staging of the club’s annual Amerindian Heritage Month’s 10K race walk around the National Park, Thomas Lands, on Sunday September 14, 2014 at 6:30h.

game, while Nedd said the name of the match “Cricket for Unity” speaks for itself, given the divisions that have been created in local cricket administration.

Meanwhile, Carey Griffith of Windjammer, one of the sponsors of the match, will also take the field, turning out for Roraima Strikers. While he was pleased to be on board as a sponsor, Griffith admitted that he hasn’t played the game much, but will be turning out on September 6 to have some fun. He challenged the organisers to make it an annual event.

Apart from a host of former cricketers, the match will feature politicians, singers, journalists, businessmen, police officers and lawyers.

Roraima Strikers squad

reads: Travis Dowlin, Aaron Fraser, Rabindranauth Seeram, Mark Harper, Clyde Butts, Esaun Crandon, Rayon Griffith, Jermaine Neblett, Neil Barry, Charles Ramson, David Granger, James Bond, Raphael Trotman, Malcolm Perreira, Gordon Moseley, Carey Griffith, Ramesh Sunich, Steve Ninvalle and Shahabadeen Ahmad.

Kaieteur Thunders squad reads: David Harper, Alfred Mentore, Lennox Cush, Anthony Rigby, Sheik Mohamed, Orin Forde, Reon King, Colin Stuart, Lloyd Harper, Sanjeev Datadin, Khemraj Ramjattan, Dr Frank Anthony, Jomo Primo, Tony Najab, Basil Williams, Lakeram Mike Singh, Alfred King and Clifton Hicken. (Avenash Ramzan)

FIFA referees off to Champions League

Two of Guyana’s FIFA-accredited referees, Sherwin Moore and Venton Mars, departed Guyana on Wednesday to officiate in the CONCACAF Club Champions League, which now switches to Jamaica. Guyana is being represented in the League by the country’s number one

club side, Alpha United, who suffered defeats in their opening two games at home earlier this month. In photo, Moore (left) and Mars moments before they left for Jamaica. The Guyana Football Federation wished the two officials well during their games in Jamaica.

alonso retires from spain duty

Real Madrid’s Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso has announced his retirement from international football.

The 32-year-old played 114 times for Spain, winning the 2010 World Cup and two European championships.

Alonso was part of the squad that lost 5-1 to Netherlands at the World Cup in Brazil as the defending champions went out in the group stage.

He tweeted: “I announce my retirement from international football. It’s been an enormous honour for 11 great years.”

Alonso was part of a Spain team that dominated world football following their first

European championship victory in 2008.

La Roja won the World Cup two years later and added another European title in 2012. Vicente del Bosque’s Spain were among the favourites to

win the World Cup this summer and their shock early exit signalled the end of an era for the players. Barcelona midfielder Xavi, 34, announced his retirement from international football earlier this month.

Home Affairs Ministry Anniversary Month of Sports…

Fire Service keen on

dethroning Police at Inter-Agency dominoes

22

WI vs Bangladesh T20…

Heavy rain ruins one-off T20

Bangladesh captain

Mushfiqur Rahim chose to bat first against West Indies in the only T20 at Warner Park. It was the logical thing to do and they were going well until a sudden heavy shower came and interrupted proceedings when Bangladesh were 31/0 after 4.4 overs.

Tamim Iqbal was on 11 and Anamul Haque was on 19.

The match officials, after a long, drawn out discussion, called off the match.

Shamsur Rahman and Mohammad Mithun were included in the team at the cost of Imrul Kayes and Mominul Haque who played in the third ODI. Mashrafe Mortaza was sidelined with a groin injury while Sohag Gazi was dropped. Abdur Razzak, thought to be out of

Bangladesh’s T20 plans, remained in the side.

West Indies had four medium-pace bowling allrounders filling up the spots from No. 5 onwards. Andre Russell who was one of the standout players in the recent Caribbean Premier League was picked, while Sulieman Benn and Andre Fletcher were benched. They had two left-arm pace bowlers - Krishmar Santokie and Sheldon Cottrell - in the playing XI while Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo were back in the T20 side.

West Indies: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Dwayne Smith, 3 Lendl Simmons, 4 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Krishmar Santokie, 11 Sheldon

Cottrell

Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shamsur Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Nasir Hossain,

7 Mahmudullah, 8 Abdur Razzak, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Al-Amin Hossain, 11 Rubel Hossain

So with that the T20 series will be shared by the two teams as a product of

this no result. Bangladesh have somehow managed to get a hand on the trophy without winning, which will provide some semblance of comfort after the kind of run they have had in the

limited-overs format of late. Both teams now go away to make preparations for the upcoming Test series, which begins on September 5 in St Kitts.