Teen stabbed repeatedly during confrontation
Diamond businessman trailed, robbed
Concern grows over child beggars in Caribbean 140 students complete work-study stint at GDF
tuesDAY, september 2, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com
Shivnauth’s Lumber Yard at Lot 51 Willamina, De Hoop Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was on Monday morning robbed of an undisclosed sum of cash by three armed men who escaped with a customer’s motor car.
The car was later found abandoned at Hope, ECD.
The incident reportedly occurred about 11:30h.
Information reaching Guyana Times revealed that a young woman, whose name was given as Tulsiedai Shivnauth was alone in the hardware section of the store when the three men entered and held her at gunpoint. One of the bandits also placed a chopper to her head, demanding cash.
During the ordeal, the men went into a drawer and took out the proceeds from the day's sales and escaped, but not before relieving the young woman of her mobile phone. The bandits also took a quantity of phone cards.
Guyana Times understands that it was one of the workers who raised an alarm after he realised what was happening. One of the men reportedly gave chase to the worker, but he managed to escape.
The men, according to reports, went to the business place earlier in the day and purchase a few items.
It was at this time, they noticed that the young woman was alone in the store and returned in a car a short while after. The business does not have surveillance cameras and it is the first time the store has been robbed.
However, Amar Sookar, the customer whose car was taken by the bandits, explained that he went to the lumber yard to purchase some items, but as he entered, he saw the men with guns and a chopper. The Sales Clerk, he noted was on the ground.
In a flash, one of the men walked up to him and
demanded that he hand over the keys to his car.
“Soon as I go fuh run out, one and them come and seh, give me you so and so keys… in no time he pulled the key out meh hand… he and the other two jump in and drive way,” Sookar added.
The man noted that the incident happened sp quickly and he did not get to retaliate. The car, he noted, is a silver grey Allion with registration number PPP 4459. The businessman noted that he had money in the car and several important documents.
He added that the three bandits were neatly dressed and all were armed.
The Police have since visited the scene and statements were taken from the victims.
Police have launched a manhunt for the three men and have alerted their colleagues at other locations, along the East Coast Demerara.
Ateenager is now a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital suffering several stab wounds about the body after a confrontation with a man at David Street, Kitty Georgetown on Sunday evening.
The injured man, Dornell Mayers, 18, of Lot 68 William Street, Georgetown, was reportedly stabbed about five times. While information remains sketch about what transpired on Sunday evening, relatives of the injured man have remained tightlipped.
A brother, who was at home at the time, told Guyana Times that they received a telephone call from his brother’s friend,
informing her about the incident. He said his mother immediately went to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she saw his brother with blood stains on his clothes.
He went on to say that his bother works at the “Fisheries” in Houston, but could not say where the incident occurred.
His mother, he noted, went to the hospital to check on his brother whose condition remains stable.
However, persons in the area were very vocal about the lifestyle of the young man and his relatives. One woman showed Guyana Times an injury to her head, which she claimed she received from the sis-
ter of Mayers.
She recalled she was standing at the head of the streets about 19:00h on Sunday evening when she saw the injured man’s mother rushing out. From all indications, she was confused and was in distress.
The young woman described the family as “warish” and said despite the young members were involved in various illegal activities, the mother condoned their behaviour and defended them.
“While it nah good to say bad things about people… it good fuh he rass… he too wicked,” she added.
The Police are continuing their investigations.
ADiamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) businessman was on Sunday relived of his car containing over $1.2 million in goods and close to $300,000 in cash by three men. The incident took place about 05:00h in front of GUYTRAC.
The victim, Ramanand Jagdeo, 40, of Lot 3036 Grove Housing Scheme, EBD has turned to Police for assistance in recovering his Toyota Spacio bearing registration number PRR 4395.
According to information reaching Guyana Times, it is believed that the three men trailed the businessman ever since he left his friend's home at Peter’s Hall, EBD. They eventually caught up with him after he stopped to chat with a friend on Mandela Avenue.
There, the men, based on reports, pulled Jagdeo out of his car and sped from the scene. The businessman told reporters
that on the day in question, he was heading to Alexander Village to collect a worker when he was stuck up by the three men.
He recalled earlier in the morning, he stopped at Peter’s Hall and suddenly, a car pulled up in front of his and soon after, he saw two men walking in his direction.
Both of them enquired “If everything was ok”, but at that point, he realised something was amiss; thus, he stood bravely and continued to call out to his friend.
As the friend came out, the two men entered their vehicle and drove away. His eyes were still on them, he added but after a while, he did not see them and subsequently left. As he was on his way to the city, he did not pay attention to who was driving behind him, since the goods that he was carrying in the car had blocked his interior viewing mirror.
One of the external mirrors was broken, he
added. As he approached GUYTRAC, he claimed that he saw a friend and decided to stop to have a quick chat, but it was then he realised the car was behind him.
“Two of them were already out of the car, so they come around by the driver’s side and pulled me out, jump in and drive off,” he said with tears settled in his eyes.
He immediately went to the Ruimveldt Police Station, but as he arrived at the gates, he saw a padlock. Due to the urgency, he called several times until he saw a Police rank, who approached him. He said he told her what had transpired but strangely, the rank collected the information on a piece of paper and informed him that she will alert the other Police stations. The father of two is calling on the public as well as the Police to assist in finding the vehicle.
Aminer from Aberdeen Village on the Essequibo Coast was on Monday morning stabbed to death at 4 Miles, Arakaka, North West District.
Dead is Glendon “Zama” Cox, 45, who Police said was involved in an argument with a man and was stabbed during the verbal confrontation.
This information was confirmed by Police in a release on Monday around 01:00h.
The suspect has been arrested and is in Police custody, assisting with investigations.
According to the sister of the deceased, Ester Cox, she received a call around 03:00h on Monday from a relative who related the tragic news.
“He (the relative) said Aunty Ester yuh nah hear wha happen, Zama dead, he was stabbed.”
The sister tearfully re-
lated that she last spoke to her brother on Sunday evening and he told her that he wanted to return home in Essequibo.
The woman said she then told him to go to her daughter and collect $10,000 for his transportation expenses. The sister said before her brother could have left for the
Essequibo Coast, he went for a drink at a nearby liquor shop Sunday evening.
The sister said she was told that her brother was leaving the shop when a man approached him, hugged and stabbed him.
She said her brother then dropped to the ground and was assisted by persons who were also drinking.
“When my daughter went to identify him, all she saw was him lying in a pool of blood, he was stabbed to his abdomen, we believe if he was taken to the hospital on time, he would have been alive,” the sister related.
The assailant then fled the scene; however, one person is in Police custody.
The Cox family is calling on Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. Cox was described as a very hard working father by his two children.
Four men were on Sunday taken into Police custody following the discovery of a 12-gauge shot gun and three cartridges at Chinese Landing, Barama River,
North West District.
According to information received, the Police on Sunday were conducting a search at several camps around the area when the discovery was made at
Chinese Landing
Four men were in the camp at the time of the discovery; hence, they were taken into Police custody. They are expected to be charged shortly.
Monday, September 1, 2014
BY SVETLANA MARSHALL
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has been placed in the spotlight once again; this time over the discovery of close to 3000 dead persons on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).
But GECOM claimed that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is being "malicious" over an electoral process that has been well established.
In an interview with Guyana Times on Monday, GECOM’s Deputy Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud said the names of persons now deceased are included in the National Register of Registrants (NRR) but these names are “flagged” when the Preliminary List of Electors is extracted.
It was further explained that the names of persons now dead can only be flagged by GECOM if the General Register Office (GRO) provides authentic information/documents (death certificates), indicating that an individual or a group of persons have died.
Until authentic documents are provided, the names of decease are left on the PLE.
“Anywhere in the world, there will always be deceased persons on Preliminary Lists of Electors,” he said.
However, he stated that during the extended Claims and Objections period, scrutineers representing political parties and electors who are listed in the division or sub-division of the decease can make representa-
tion to GECOM, but authentic documents such a death certificate must be provided.
GECOM’s Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally said the PPP/C’s request to remove names of deceased from the PLE without the relevant documents, would be asking GECOM to break the law.
“The Deputy Chief Elections Officer had addressed this issue hours after the PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee accused GECOM of list padding.
At a press conference held at Freedom House, Rohee said party activists have found 2958 dead persons on the PLE with the majority in Region Six.
According to him, in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, the names of 450 dead persons were found on the PLE while 232 were found in Region
Three; 345 in Region Two; 430 in Region Five; 925 in Region Six; 288 in Region 10; and another 288 in Region Four.
Empty plot of land
Compounding the situation, he said, the PPP/C field workers operating in Prospect, East Bank Demerara visited an address in the area to verify information that 10 persons were residing there, only to discover that it was an empty plot of land with over grown vegetation.
Rohee said the land has been unoccupied for the past eight to 10 years.
According to him, these are clear cut cases of list padding. He said GECOM should explain the significant increase in new registrants. The
PPP/C has been complaining bitterly over the increase from 11, 000 to 78, 000 new registrants.
“GECOM owes the nation a proper explanation for the massive increase for almost 80,000 new registrants when previously the increase was recorded at 11,000 annually.
"Our country will now have a list of over 550,000 electors whenever elections are called,” Rohee told journalists during a press conference.
He also expressed disappointment that GECOM has blatantly refused to conduct physical verification of claims that 18 electors are registered to a single address in Georgetown, but are placed on different divisional lists.
Rohee maintained that GECOM should ensure that a credible list of electors is produced at the end of the Claims and Objections period. “The PPP/C has always advocated in favour of a list that will not disenfranchise any eligible Guyanese,” he said.
He said GECOM should take corrective actions now and refrain from issuing ambiguous statements in an effort to cover for a list that is highly questionable.
“Our quest is straight forward and simple; all we would like to have is an election that are free fair and transparent,” added Rohee.
He said the PPP/C would not want to see the List of Electors being rejected by stakeholders due to allegations of list padding.
If the list is rejected, he opined that there is a likelihood that new exercises of continuous registration and Claims and Objections would have to be done.
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
When Guyanese think of the Trinidad experience, including its independence, they cannot help but compare and contrast it to their own during the same time period. Trinidad, after all, like the then British Guiana, had arrived late into the British Empire – during the latter’s struggle with Napoleonic France at the beginning of the 19th Century.
Both had inherited Crown Colony Government early, and in addition to similar constitutional developments, both imported large numbers of East Indians following the abolition of slavery in 1834 to create “plural societies”. After World War II, their histories continued to converge when the Moyne Commission’s war-delayed recommendations for the gradual introduction of universal franchise were introduced in both countries.
Up to 1950, their electorates were quite fragmented as the British expanded the poll – still dominated, however, by the middle class. In Trinidad, the entry of Dr Eric Williams into the political arena in 1956 was pivotal in the creation of modern Trinidad – and its marked differences with Guyana’s political history.
An Oxford-educated island scholar, Williams returned to Trinidad in 1948 as a member of the Caribbean Research Council of the US-British-sponsored Caribbean Commission. Even though his thesis for his PhD at Oxford (later published as the seminal “Capitalism and Slavery” took a Marxist analytic slant, Williams was no doctrinaire Marxist as was Dr Cheddi Jagan in Guyana.
He had also participated prominently in the Pan-African Congress at Manchester in 1945, in which several future leaders of Africa and the Caribbean participated. He had a firm grasp of what he wanted for an independent Trinidad.
Williams threw himself into cultural, educational, and semi-political activities and became quite popular. In 1956, he decided to formally enter politics and launched a political party, the People’s National Movement (PNM). Dominated by the local African middle class, its support base was enthusiastically African. The British had already decided to move towards the formation of a Federation of the West Indies, which, unlike Jagan, Williams supported.
Even though Williams did not have a clear majority, the British Governor used his nominated members of the Assembly to give Williams a two-thirds majority, and make impotent the Indian-dominated Democratic Labour Party (DLP). Williams was a clear favourite of the British.
In the Federal Elections of 1958, the PNM lost to the Opposition DLP, but was not deterred since Williams focused on building support in Trinidad. Cabinet Government was given to the PNM and most crucially, the US was persuaded in 1960 – with Williams negotiating equally with the US and Britain – to give up its military base at Chaguaramas .This allowed Williams to claim a great nationalistic victory.
In the elections of 1962, Williams’ PNM won resoundingly and after Jamaica pulled out of the Federation in the same year, Williams made his famous “ten minus one equals zero” assessment of the status of the Federation. Trinidad and Jamaica, the latter under the “safe” leadership of Alexander Bustamante, gained independence.
In Guyana, on the other hand, after the PPP won the 1961 elections, the promised independence was “deferred” to facilitate the removal of the Government via CIA-instigated riots. As in Trinidad, the political parties were split along ethnic lines, but in Guyana the political struggles between the two major groups – Indian and African Guyanese –spilled over into violence. This added an intensity to political mobilisation in Guyana that was never present in Trinidad, even though the PNM ruled Trinidad continuously for 30 years between 1956 and 1986.
The PNC of Forbes Burnham also changed the political climate here with his 1980 Constitution, which created an Executive President, with dictatorial powers. It should be of some interest that in Trinidad, while there have been calls for that island to adopt the Executive Presidency, until last week there had been no major constitutional change affecting the electoral system. Trinidad will now have “run-offs” in its constituency-based elections.
Dear Editor,
I have read an article in the form of a commentary by Neil Kumar” in your Sunday paper. I appreciate your willingness to publish a candid article on such a controversial issue.
I would like to express my happiness and sign of comfort toward such a detailed and powerful article. I am strongly supporting the view ex-
pressed by Neil Kumar.
I feel passionately as normal hardworking citizens do about the stand the Director of Sport has taken towards a matter that has affected our cricket community and Guyanese as a whole.
I would like to thank Mr Neil Kumar for been an informative leader to the public and for continuing
to move sport in Guyana forward. These interventions will only bring positiveness and togetherness in the game of cricket and this beautiful land of Guyana.
The Amazon Warriors were cheated. Let us have “Cricket as Cricket”.
Sincerely,
Name and address provided
Dear Editor,
Kindly publish this letter for me in your National Newspaper. I read the Stabroek News column (Thursday, August 28, 2014) under the caption “How Bai Shan Lin acquired the several areas of State Forest which are now in its 1.3 Million Hectares Empire” by Janette Bulkan and John Palmer.
It seems that despite all the accurate and credible information provided to the media by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) on Bai Shan Lin and the Forestry Sector, Bulkan and Palmer seem to know a lot more than the GFC about Guyana’s forest laws and policies even though they are not living in Guyana and not engaged in Guyana’s forest sector. This means as well that Bulkan and Palmer can ably provide advice or an assessment on whether laws, policies or regulations were breached when Guyana
Defence Force (GDF) guns, according to Army records, were loaned to the National Development Ministry of the illegal PNC Government during the 1970s and 1980s as revealed at the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI). Can Palmer, a British citizen, say if this kind of policy is acceptable to the British Government?
Bulkan and Palmer, it seems, are strong advocates for the upholding of laws and policies in Guyana. This is good. But these two hypocrites seem to be deaf and blind to what happened in Guyana prior to 1992 when there were economic bankruptcy and corruption as a result of not upholding the laws and policies by the illegal PNC Government, which was removed from office by the ballot box in 1992, leaving the State’s treasury empty. So while it is good for Bulkan and Palmer to criticise, it is important as professionals that they en-
gage in constructive comparative analysis to arrive at fair positions. But they will not, since Bulkan and Palmer are supporters of the Political Opposition in Guyana bent on misleading the Guyanese people about Guyana’s forest sector and the Bai Shan Lin logging operations.
I still would like Phillip Bynoe of Linden to challenge her as well to a public debate on the Chinese investments.
Mr Editor, I have noted as well that the Transparency Institute of Guyana (TIGI) is also criticising the forestry sector and the Bai Shan Lin investments. Anand Goolsarran and Geno Persaud should also engage Phillip Bynoe in a public debate. But they wouldn’t because they are cowards. The TIGI should be renamed the Opaque Institute of Guyana, since it only creates useless noise about transparency and corruption without evidence. And while Goolsarran was
Auditor General under the illegal PNC regime prior to 1992, he failed to submit public accounts reports under his watch for 10 years. Wasn’t Goolsarran, therefore, an accomplice to corruption under the illegal PNC Government and in barefaced hypocrisy he is now a noise nuisance on corruption?
TIGI is, therefore, blind and silent deliberately when it comes to the massive corruption that occurred under the illegal PNC Government prior to 1992 when its Chief Spokesman, Goolsarran, was the country’s AuditorGeneral. What hypocrisy is currently taking place in the Political Opposition just to fool the people. But the Guyanese People know better. As the Good Book says “A man shall not be established by wickedness. But the root of the righteous shall not be moved.”
Yours sincerely, Peter Persaud
Dear Editor, I read Sydney Allicock’s letter in the Stabroek News (Friday, August 29, 2014) under the caption “Toshaos should make their voices heard”.
Sydney Allicock’s a PNC/APNU Member of Parliament (MP) belongs to Surama Village, North Rupununi, Region Nine. It is strange that he did not in his letter mention that he is “an APNU MP”. But why? Is he ashamed to be associated with the PNC/APNU Political Party which is totally disrespectful to Guyana’s Amerindian or Indigenous Peoples?
The caption of Allicock’s letter “Toshaos should make their voices heard” is a deception since the voices of our Village Chiefs and Community Leaders are always heard and responded to by the Government through the Amerindian Affairs Ministry.
What the Toshaos must continue to do is to make their voices heard in condemning Allicock and his PNC/APNU party for deliberate budgetary cuts which affect the development of Amerindian Communities in Guyana.
Can Allicock remember when he voted with his PNC/APNU party in cutting $1.4 billion for the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) in 2014 which affected the implementation of 43 Amerindian Community Development Projects, including Region Nine, and the payment of Presidential Grants to the Amerindian Communities of Guyana?
And Allicock is so barefaced to speak about Amerindian development and Amerindian rights? He knows what are Amerindian rights? As an Amerindian PNC/APNU MP, did Allicock consulted with Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples and receive their Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) before he and his PNC/APNU party voted in Parliament for budgetary cuts in 2012, 2013 and 2014 that affected negatively the Amerindian communities of Guyana? Shame on you Allicock!
The Toshaos are indeed making their voices heard, not only when they make their respective Village or Community representations at the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, but also at the National Toshaos Council (NTC) conference.
In my view, the NTC
is transformed into an Indigenous People Parliament where Toshaos raised their concerns, problems and recommendations in a straightforward and sound businesslike manner in the presence of the President, Ministers of the Government and Government officials for on-the-spot problem-solving and follow-up actions.
It is here where some of the more than 180 Toshaos’ and Community Leaders’ recommendations are reflected in the Amerindian Affairs Ministry’s Annual budgetary allocations which are subjected to cuts by the PNC/APNU and AFC, thus denying the rights of Amerindian Communities to their social and economic development.
And mind you, this is a violation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which Allicock as a PNC/ APNU MP is guilty of, since in Parliament he as well voted for the budgetary cuts. And now he has the temerity to call on Toshaos to make their voices heard?
Allicock, an APNU MP, said in his letter: “It is time we give another group a chance at the helm of this beautiful country.” It seems that Allicock is either venturing into senility or psychosis. Which is this “Another Group” that must be given a “chance” at the helm of this beautiful country”?
Allicock did not say, but definitely not the PNC/ APNU or AFC. It is important for Allicock to be reminded that it was his party, the PNC, when in Government illegally for 28 years destroyed Guyana, both socially and economically, when Guyana was ranked second to Haiti in poverty. Allicock must know as well that the illegal PNC Government also neglected and discriminated against the Amerindian Peoples of Guyana.
So Allicock must know that Amerindians will not give his group, the PNC/ APNU, another chance to be at the helm of our beautiful country and neither the AFC will get a chance. Allicock should, therefore, stop fooling the Toshaos of Region Nine.
The Amerindian Act 2006 was formulated as a result of extensive consultations with over 111 Amerindian Communities. It is, therefore, an Act, which is re-
flective of the wishes of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples. Allicock says the Amerindian Act needs revising but did not give reasons. The problem is that Allicock simply does not understand the Amerindian Act and being in the anti-government circus he is just parroting what they say.
Amerindian Heritage Month
It was the late President Cheddi Jagan who in 1995 designated September of each year as Amerindian Heritage Month so as to highlight, encourage and preserve the Culture of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples. Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai, MP, who at the time was not a Minister but worked alongside Former Amerindian Affairs Minister Vibert De Souza was actively engaged with stakeholders such as Amerindian organisations for the identification of a day and month for Amerindian Heritage Month and Heritage Day.
So in remembrance of Stephen Campbell being the first Amerindian who entered Parliament on September 10, 1957. This is how the date and month for Amerindian Heritage Month and Day was identified.
Amerindian Heritage Month is a part of Guyana’s calendar of national events. In his letter, the point made by Allicock on Amerindian Heritage Month seems convoluted, emanating from a twisted mind-set.
The Former Ministers of Amerindian Affairs all did a great job by ensuring the rights and interests of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples are respected and preserved causing harmonious togetherness in our beautiful country.
The current Minister continues to vigorously blase the trail for continued Indigenous Peoples’ Development and empowerment never before seen in the history of Guyana.
The problem with Allicock is that he has realised that he is only wasting his time being with the PNC/APNU and being offensive to his own people by joining to cut Guyana’s national budgets which negatively affects Indigenous Peoples so as to keep them in poverty and division.
Yours sincerely, Peter Persaud
Dear Editor,
Blue CAPS recently has received information about a surge of many unofficially reported cases of Chikungunya, a viral fever illness caused by bites from infected mosquitoes, in Georgetown and the rest of Region Four.
However, it is mystifying that Guyana’s public health authorities remain markedly silent on what might become the first wave of a burgeoning medical crisis.
Mr Clinton Urling, Executive Chairman of Blue CAPS and former President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has received numerous complaints from private sector operatives about employees being sent home on sick leave as a result of the virus.
rash.
The Blue CAPS organisation urges health authorities to investigate immediately this concern and to develop urgently a reporting system for health care institutions and the national Health Ministry to track confirmed cases of the virus.
Providing confirmed information would give the
public an accurate picture about how to best manage this health issue.
Mr Urling says that his business establishment has had three employees proceed on leave for exhibiting Chikungunya symptoms. Two members of Blue CAPS also have exhibited symptoms of the virus, which include fever and severe joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and
If an empirically based investigation uncovers, indeed, that there is an outbreak, the following measures should be implemented:
* Conduct surveillance studies to trace the virus’ spreading pattern to determine deployment of targeted health and preventive interventions.
* Increase the use and application of insecticides to kill mosquitoes and larvae.
* Disseminate informa-
tion to the public on taking necessary precautions to avoid contracting the virus. This includes eliminating water-filled habitats that support mosquitoes’ breeding, particularly those near areas of human habitation. Also, basic precautions should be promoted, such as the use of repellents and mosquito nets, along with reminding residents to wear long sleeves and pants and to fit screens into room to prevent mosquitoes from entering.
We also call on the PAHO/WHO Guyana Country Office to offer technical support and guidance for managing effectively the current situation. The office also could provide public awareness and training sessions on implementing preventive measures as well as guidelines for clinical management and diagnosis of the virus.
Blue CAPS is a non-partisan civic non-government organisation (NGO) that develops and advocates public policy prescriptions for a better Guyana. For more information about Blue CAPS, please contact us at: bluecapsguyana@gmail.com.
With regards, Blue CAPS
− back talk is a frustrating but common problem that can and should
BY KATHERINE LEE
One of the biggest child discipline issues parents have to handle is how to deal with a child who is talking back to them. Back talk can happen at almost any age, starting as almost as early as when children first begin to master their first “No!”
It’s a normal part of child development. Talking back can also be triggered by a variety of causes. It can stem from a child trying to exert control over his own life such as what he wears, eats, or does. It could be a child’s way of testing his boundaries. Or it could simply be grouchiness from being hungry or tired.
That said, back talk is something parents should take measures to address effectively and immediately.
As parents, it is our job to teach our children how to express their wishes and opinions in a respectful and constructive manner.
for how to handle talking back in children:
Get calm; stay calm. How you respond to your child’s retorts can set the tone for your interactions. Children can be extremely skilled at pushing their parents’ buttons. It can be extremely tempting to respond to a five-year-old who declares, “You are not the boss of me!” with a quick, “Actually, I am!” But when you show that you are calm and in control, that sets an example for your child and shows him how he should behave.
Don’t get into a war of words. When parents respond to children’ back talk with retorts of their own, they are inadvertently saying that this is an acceptable way to handle conflict.
natural part of development
Talking back is something all children naturally do as they grow more independent and assertive. As frustrating as this behaviour may be, remind yourself that your child is not talking back because you did something wrong or because they do not respect you.
Here are some suggestions
If you don’t want your child to learn that trading barbs is a good way to discuss problems, then do not respond until you can speak in a calm and controlled manner. In short, if you want to curb talking back in your child, do not feed the back talk beast.
Remind yourself that this is a
Keep track of when back talk happens. Is your child irritable after school or after extracurricular activities? Does she tend to exhibit negative behaviour such as talking back when she hasn’t had enough sleep? Try to keep tabs on when your child talks back so that you can take steps to change or eliminate those triggers.
Give and ask for respect. When your child expresses his opinion about something, it’s actually a good thing. That said, it’s important for parents to balance understanding with a requirement for respect. While children should know that they are safe to express their opinions and that mom and dad are listening to what they think and feel, they must also know that
speaking to you respectfully and calmly is not negotiable.
Be sure to emphasise the message that you will not listen to what they have to say until they are able to speak to you in a calm and respectful manner.
Show your child that you are listening. Once both you and your child have calmed down, give your child your full attention. Show your child that when he holds up her end of the bargain – speaking to you in a respectful and calm manner to express what she wants or thinks – she earns and gets your attention. This doesn’t mean that you should always agree; but it will teach your child that you respect her opinion.
Look at what your child sees. What TV shows is he watching? Many shows today depict children talking back to adults and often displaying sarcasm and a sassy attitude. While that may be good for comedy, it’s definitely not the kind of example you want your child to be exposed to.
As frustrating and upsetting as back talk may be, keep in mind that your positive response will keep this behaviour in check.
Know, too, that countless other parents like you are going through the same thing. Most importantly, remind yourself that the calmer you are and the less you let yourself be affected by sassy back talk, the more your child will learn to use positive ways to express his opinions. (About. com)
is and what it isn’t
BY KATHERINE LEE
One helpful way to think about child discipline is to see it as another way to teaching your child life lessons rather than as something you do to punish your child for misbehaving.
When you show your child what is appropriate behaviour and provide the security that comes from loving but firm boundaries and expectations, you are laying down the foundation from which she will grow to make good choices for herself. Child discipline is about how to prevent behavioural problems so that punishment for misbehaviour is a rare and unnecessary occurrence.
What child discipline is about
Teaching
An important part of child discipline is showing your child what good behaviour is. The times when your child is selfish or mean or lies about something are opportunities for you to step in and say, “How could you have handled this better?” Not to use a cliché, but that is why they are called “teachable moments.”
Setting boundaries
Children who do not have rules and parameteres are, contrary to what some parents might think, happy-go-lucky. Lack of boundaries makes children feel insecure, lost, and unable to discipline themselves.
Correcting
When a child is disciplined in a loving, positive, and logical way for doing something wrong, he will learn to take responsibility for his actions. For instance, if he fails to set the table after being asked several times, he may lose privileges such as TV time. When the rules are clear and the consequences for breaking those rules are logical and appropriate, your child will learn how to discipline himself and regulate his own actions.
Showing respect
How would you like your child to speak to you? That is how you should speak to your child, especially when you are handling matters of child discipline. Make sure you explain to your child that while you may not like something he did or said, that you love him and respect him. Listen to his opinions and let him express his feelings, and then explain what is correct behaviour and why.
Consistency
If you set up a rule one day and then let is slide the next – or suddenly declare that something you’ve repeatedly said is okay is suddenly something your child will be punished for doing – your child will end up confused and resentful. Consistency is a cornerstone of child discipline for a reason. It helps children know what to expect and what’s expected of them. (About. com)
President Donald Ramotar has indicated that he will have to once again extend the life of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry which was scheduled to come to an end this month.
And despite threats by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to withhold its support for additional funding to the Commission, the President said that should the need arise, his administration will have to pump more money into the ongoing investigation.
Completion
Ramotar, speaking exclusively to Guyana Times on Monday, said the work of the Commission, which is aimed at determining the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr Walter Rodney, must come to completion.
“We started and we have to bring it to a conclusion,” Ramotar told Guyana Times, adding that he is not sure how much more money is needed, but “If needs be we would have to put in some more”.
The APNU had early last month said that should Government approach the National Assembly for additional funding for the CoI, it would not lend its support, since according to lawyer representing the party at the hearing Basil Williams,
time and money are being wasted.
Williams had told a news conference that the Commission could expend close to US$1 million during the hearing, which was initially expected to last four months since its setting up in February earlier this year.
He argued too that the inquiry is now open ended and has not been able to address the issues surrounding Dr Rodney’s death.
Williams had insisted that the Commission was expending too much time addressing the Terms of Reference number four, which speaks to the politi-
cal atmosphere at the time, rather than dealing with more relevant issues.
He had stressed the need to bring pertinent witnesses to the hearing, which, in his estimation, would see little time and money being wasted.
He had suggested that witnesses such as the Crime Chief during that time Cecil “Skip” Roberts, head of the Army, Norman McLean and more recently Donald Rodney should come before the Commission.
According to him, they are the witnesses the Commission needs.
Some $112 million was passed by the National Assembly earlier this year to fund the work of the CoI.
However, Ramotar said Government could give
more funds, if the need arises.
And with all the revelations arising from the CoI against the People’s National Congress, Ramotar reiterated that the party has a chance to clear its name.
Evidence
“I can’t speak for the PNC but I think that the best thing for them, they should have come and give evidence and put the thing to bed, that is the best course of action,” Ramotar told Guyana Times APNU Leader David Granger has however claimed that the Government is using the CoI as a political game.
President Ramotar; however, stated that the convening of the CoI was at the behest of Dr Rodney’s wife, Patricia.
Since the death of the WPA co-founder and political stalwart, Dr Walter Rodney on June 13,1980, fingers have been pointed in the direction of the People’s National Congress, accused of using electronics expert and Army Sergeant William Gregory Smith to plant a bomb in a walkie-talkie; a device that was reportedly of interest to the historian.
The sixth round of the inquiry will get underway on October 20, later this year.
A12-year-old student attached to the Wauna Primary School was on Monday morning rushed to the Health Centre to seek medical attention after she was struck by lightning.
The child, Naomi Mohamed, suffered burns to her hands and back as a result of the lightning strike, which occurred during a thunderstorm in the village at approximately 11:00h. She also sustained several cuts about her body measuring about two inches in
depth.
The child’s guardian, Annette Thomas, also received injuries after she was tossed several feet into the air due to the effect of the lightning. At the time, Thomas was in the kitchen preparing meals and might have has a knife in her hands. She was also treated at the Health Centre.
In addition, Guyana Times understands that due to the havoc wrought by the freak storm, a post of Thomas’ house also shifted. A source told this newspa-
per that several other houses in the area were hit by lightning, but cannot verify the damage caused.
She also stated that due to the power of the lightning, a huge hole was bored in a concrete structure. This is the first time the residents have experienced such a storm.
Persons in the village also claimed that they saw several balls of fire in the sky during the thunderstorm which lasted for several minutes.
Haiti’s President Michel Martelly agreed over the weekend to engage in political talks with a handful of recalcitrant senators who have been blocking a vote to pass amendments to an existing electoral law, to facilitate the holding of crucial legislative and local elections in the Caribbean country before the end of the year.
Last week, Martelly received a letter from the president of the Haitian senate, Dieuseul Simon Desras, requesting a meeting to discuss ways to solve an impasse created by a group of six opposition senators who have put the electoral process on hold by refusing to cooperate in passing the needed electoral amendments.
Amendments
A spokesman for the Haitian presidency, Lucien Jura, said Martelly would welcome, on Monday at the presidential palace, the recalcitrant senators who have been boycotting senate assembly meetings to prevent the needed legislative amendments from being adopted.
“President Martelly is ready to meet on Monday the president of the senate and the six senators who have been reluctant to help pass the amendments,” Jura told the Haitian-Caribbean News Network (HCNN) on Monday.
“President Martelly
wants to show his good will and his determination to do everything in his power to help move the electoral process forward,” said Jura.
At first, Martelly showed reluctance to engage in the new talks with the so-called G6, following a series of political negotiations that led to an agreement, known as the El Rancho Agreement, signed by the Haitian leader, 50 political parties and representatives of the legislature.
The letter to invite the senators to the meeting was received on Friday at the senate and the senate chairman, Desras, said he had informed all the senators of the G6 about the meeting.
However, Desras, said the six senators told him they would not be able to attend the meeting on Monday.
He said he has already called Martelly’s office to inform the Haitian lead-
er about the unavailability of the six senators. Some members of the G6 blame Martelly for failing to invite hardliners of opposition parties to the meeting as requested, while others argue such a meeting should not take place at the presidential palace, but at a neutral venue.
Representatives Senator Franky Exius says his group is still willing to participate in the meeting with Martelly, but other group members say they would prefer to delegate representatives of opposition parties to attend in their place, should such a meeting take place.
The spokesman for Martelly, Jura, said the Haitian leader has a right to welcome the senators at his office and argued that Martelly had invited only the six parliamentarians because the issue lies in the fact that the senate cannot pass electoral amendments.
“Only the invited senators can help solve the problem, not the representatives of the political parties,” said Jura. Several of those opposition parties wish to force Martelly and his government, led by Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, from power.
The 30-member senate has been functioning with only two thirds of its members after the end of the term of ten senators over two years ago.
Abrawl involving a 61-year-old, a 49-year-old, and a 39-year-old landed the fighters in court before Magistrate Judy Latchman on a host of charges on Monday morning.
Forty-nine-year-old Brenda Dublin; 61-yearold Anthony Sarjune of Lot 50 Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara; and 39-year-old Shemroy Ramsingh of Lot 232 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to charges of abusive language, threatening behaviour, and unlawful assault.
The first charge read
that on August 22 at Regent Street, Georgetown, Dublin allegedly made use of abusive language to Sarjune. The unrepresented defendant pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $5000.
On the other hand, Sarjune was slapped with three charges which were read to him.
The first two charges alleged that on August 22 at Regent Street, he made use of abusive language to Ramsingh and to Dublin respectively. The third charge alleged that on the same day, he made use of threatening behaviour to Dublin.
Two suspected clothing thieves were denied bail in the courtroom of Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday. Ronald Samuels, 22, and Marvin Curt, 20, are accused of breaking and entering the store of Joel Lecock between August 23 and August 25 at Kwakwani Park, Upper Berbice River. They then allegedly stole the following clothing and other articles: five jerseys valued $11,000; eight pairs of pants valued $30,400; eight pairs of trunks valued $12,700; 20 boxers valued $25,000; eight ‘long-foot’ shorts worth $9600; six slip-
pers worth $15,500; six caps valued $10,800; two tops priced for $2000; one haversack valued $2500; and an umbrella worth $2000, a total of $132,200.
Defence Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat told the court that the items were recovered by the Police and the offence did not involve a gun. He admitted to the court that his clients stole clothing, but stressed not the items were not a Lexus SUV and with this, requested reasonable bail.
There were no objections to bail; nevertheless, Magistrate Latchman remanded the men to prison until their next court appearance on September 9.
West La Penitence resident charged for unlawful assault on Police
A27-year-old resident of West La Penitence, Georgetown was released on $20,000 bail for allegedly assaulting a Police Officer at a Police Outpost.
Sarjune pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to him.
He was represented by Attorney Juman Yassin who told the court that his client operates a business on the second floor of the Regent Street Mall. He added that his client was the first one to lodge a complaint and then the two other persons lodged theirs.
Police Prosecutor
Michael Grant had no objections to bail. Sarjune was granted, for each count of abusive language, $5000 bail and for the threatening behaviour charge, $30,000 bail – $40,000 in total.
The last of the trio,
Ramsingh, was charged with using abusive behaviour to Sarjune on August 22 at Wellington Street, Georgetown, and allegedly unlawfully assaulting him.
His third charge alleged that he on Wellington Street one day later again made use of abusive behaviour of Sarjune.
There were again no objections to bail, and Ramsingh was placed on $10,000 bail for the two counts of abusive behaviour and $20,000 bail for unlawful assault offence.
The three persons will return to court on September 9 to face Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
A22-year-old accused of robbery with aggravation on Monday was remanded to prison by Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
His first charge alleged that on August 26 at First Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, in company of others, Jonathan Ishmael, a resident of Lot 22 Yarrow Dam, West Ruimveldt, he robbed Suresh Ramnarine of a quantity of items valued $33,200.
His second charge read that on August 28 at Rambarran Poultry Depot, La Penitence, Georgetown he unlawfully assaulted and made use of threatening language to Yasin Mohamad. The unrepresented defendant pleaded
not guilty to both of the charged laid against him.
For his first charge there were no objections to bail by the Police Prosecutor, Michael Grant however for the second charge it was objected on the grounds of the offence prevalence and seriousness also he made mention of the threatening language nature.
Ishmael was granted $20,000 for the unlawful assault and $30,000 for the threatening language. As it related to the robbery with aggravation charge, he was further remanded to prison.
Ishmael will make his second Court appearance on September 9 before the Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine Beharry.
There’s been some debate about who should get the money once the “reparations’ battle” is won. Note this Eyewitness is saying “when” and not “if”. And that’s because when your cause is just, you have history and time on your side. To echo one visionary for justice denied, it might not come tomorrow, but it will come as sure as the sun will rise every day in the East.
It’s been suggested that reparations should go towards “debt write-offs” for the countries making the claim –which unquestionably have descendants of the enslaved Africans and/or Indigenous Peoples on whose behalf the claim’s been made. But it is this Eyewitness’ contention that such a disposal would constitute an injustice as great as the original acts of exploitation.
The debts of the Caribbean countries were accumulated because of the policies of independent Governments that inherited the structural deformities of the imperial experience.
To offer debt relief absolutely doesn’t fulfil the principle of “restorative justice” under which the claim for reparations’s being made. A mechanism must be worked out so that the Target Victims’ Beneficiaries (TVB) benefit directly from the payout. In Caricom’s 10-point claim, the Reparations Committee proposed several macro-projects that’ll improve the overall well-being of the TVB. That is all well and good.
But that isn’t enough. The individual TVB must personally receive reparative justice. And that’s the key point that isn’t being made strongly enough in the Caribbean. While the original injustice might’ve been done centuries ago... its effects not only “linger” in the present in individual persons – but so suffuse their reality that it has a crippling effect for most. Who can deny the virulent racism that’s still directed at TVBs in every facet of their lives??
The racism against Japanese – and now Chinese – from the 19th Century has certainly dissipated quite a distance, now that they’re seen as economically self-sufficient. This is the same empowerment that’ll accrue to the descendants of slaves and genocide victims if the reparations’ money is used to directly improve their economic situation.
What we are proposing then is that reparations funds be placed in trust for TVBs in every country that would act as their personal development bank. Need an education but can’t fund it?? Need to start up a business but can’t get a loan?? Just apply to the Reparations Fund for Development (RFD).
The charge alleged that Layne on August 29 at East Ruimveldt Police Outpost unlawfully assaulted Police Officer Owen Clarke Holder while he was in the process of executing his duties.
There were no objections to bail. Layne will return to court on September 9.
Appearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday before Magistrate Judy Latchman, Michael Layne, of Lot 55 West La Penitence Housing Scheme, denied the charge of unlawful assault laid against him.
ANew Amsterdam resident who stands accused of stealing 12 drums of fuel was granted his pre-trial liberty in the sum of $200,000 on Monday at Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The charge was read to Nkhamo King, 33, also known as “Bun Up” of New Amsterdam, Berbice, by Magistrate Judy Latchman. It is alleged that on July 25 at Turn Basin, Port Kaituma, North West District, he stole 11 drums of diesel
valued $440,000 and one drum of gasoline $30,000, property of Amir Ali.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge laid against him. He was represented by Attorney Paul Braam, who told the court that his client has no priors and made an application for reasonable bail.
King will return to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on September 9.
Twenty-seven-yearold Ravin Singh, of Lot 46 North East Grove, East Bank Demerara, was placed on $1 million bail when he was arraigned on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving on Monday.
The charge alleged that on July 14 at the Avenue of the Republic, Singh drove motor lorry GNN 8476 with trailer TPP 2337 in a manner dangerous to the public, causing the death of Rajmattie Ram.
The defendant was not required to plead, since his case was deemed indictable. Singh was represented by Attorney Debra Kumar, who told the court that her client has been employed with Guyana Beverages
Inc for the past three years. She also noted that since the accident occurred, her client has been required to visit the Brickdam Police Station and has complied; hence, he was not a flight risk.
She noted that the minibus driver who was also involved in the matter was also supposed to report to the station, but had not. She added that she had eyewitnesses’ testimony that the deceased was struck down by the minibus driver and not her client.
There were no objections to bail by Police Prosecutor Michael Grant. This matter will be recalled on September 9 before the Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
We hope we don’t have to mention that the RFD will be run by professional financial experts drawn from the TVB population.
Over the last week, the Stabber News gleefully followed the MuckrakerKN in dragging the Chinese company Baishanlin over the (forestry) coals. This followed the pattern over the past year on Chinese investments in general. Even though they’ve been crying out for Guyana to develop, seems like the Chinese money ain’t green enough – even though it came off the US presses!
Makes you wonder if some power isn’t threatened by the Chinese presence and is calling in its favours to the Stabber and the Muckraker. Which favours, you ask?? Hey!! Guess who funded one newspaper and returned a visa to the owner of the other after it was cancelled? Now it’s always possible that the allegations against Baishanlin might have something to them, but are they probable?? From the evidence, it’s clear that truth is the major casualty in this propaganda war.
But if duty-free “luxury vehicles” for Baishanlin’s an issue – because of the state’s possible lost revenues –why has the Stabber gone mute on the remigrant scam on vehicles involving Glenn Lall, owner of the Muckraker??
Different strokes for different (friendly) folks??
...a clean voters’ list
What’s wrong with PPP/C checking the voters list? When the PNC demanded – it was a thing of virtue. Suddenly it’s subversion?? What’s changed?? Ahhhh...how could the PPP/C do anything right to the Opposition media??
Amid fierce criticisms of the composition of the new Board of Directors at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the ruling the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) said any attack on the company is an attacks on the economy and the people of Guyana.
Speaking at Freedom House on Monday, PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee condemned recent statements made by A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge on GuySuCo.
Greenidge had criticised Government’s move to appoint Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Chief Executive Officer Shaik Baksh as the Chairman of GuySuCo’s Board of Directors.
Greenidge also signalled his dissatisfaction over the appointment of other members to the Board.
He was reportedly quoted as saying, “The Government should harbour no illusions about the likelihood of parliamentary support for future request for funds for GuySuCo.”
Based on his analysis of Greenidge’s statement, Rohee opined that APNU would do all in its power to obstruct financial support for the sugar industry in an effort to impede its progress.
Surprise
But Rohee said Greenidge’s statements come as a major surprise considering that he would have served as the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Ministerial Spokesman on Trade and Commodity Protocols on Sugar and the Secretary General of the ACP Group of States during the period March 1995 to September 1996.
“He was a front row witness to the heated and prolonged debates about the future of the industry in the ACP countries with the European Union Commissioners; he witnessed the battles to save the preferential market access to the European Union mar-
kets as well as the complex negotiations at the World Trade Organisation,” Rohee explained.
But APNU said the PPP/C should desist from using GuySuCo as a political football.
“The scare tactics being used by PPP/C to agitate sugar workers needs to be challenged. We can do better and the workers must be educated that modernisation and diversification is not a death sentence or guaranteed unemployment,” the coalition said in a release on Monday.
According to the APNU, the PPP/C is bent on controlling the management of GuySuCo, but this will only result in taxpayers’ monies being wasted.
Turnaround
The coalition noted that it is still waiting on GuySuCo to produce a credible turnaround plan, adding that although Government has pumped more than $500 billion into the industry over the last 10 years, there is no indication that there will be a turn around.
“President Donald Ramotar has admitted that the industry cannot meet its cost, or pay its bills without Government’s support.
"The failure of successive politically dominated GuySuCo Boards cannot be
APNU Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge
overlooked. The PPP/C cannot expect to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.”
Additionally, “GuySuCo needs Board members who understand large scale labour management and a working knowledge of the sugar industry.
"GuySuCo needs a Board that is chaired by someone who can set long and short term goals to improve the viability of the sugar industry,” APNU said.
The Government and by extension GuySuCo, should follow in the footsteps of Brazil; a country which has established a system which allows for the production of sugar and simultaneously the production of ethanol, the coalition said.
Michael D’Anrade, the businessman of Waini River who was detained by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) for questioning into his suspected involvement in the discovery of the semi-submersible vessel in the Waini area was released on Monday afternoon.
According to CANU Head James Singh, the detainee’s lawyer, Glen Hanoman, had filed Habeas Corpus proceedings in the High Court for his client’s release. Nevertheless, Singh said, the investigation will continue into the discovery of the vessel.
D’Anrade was arrested on Friday by agents of CANU and taken to the City where he was being interrogated. Taking into consideration the 72-hour legal detention period would have
expired on Monday evening, D’Anrade’s lawyer secured his release. The businessman was arrested in the hope that he could have provided information with respect to the ownership of the vessel that authorities believed was being built to traffic cocaine. The man, however, denied any knowledge of the vessel and the identity of those who might be involved.
Singh also confirmed that the vessel was brought to Georgetown where more forensic tests are being conducted. Initially, forensic tests were conducted on the vessel to determine if it was capable of crossing the Atlantic. The tests entailed looking at the design to verify whether or not it was similar to those built in other countries. The vessel’s engine is also being assessed
as well as its shape and size among other features.
The camp where the vessel was found was reportedly built about eight months ago. More than two weeks ago, CANU, along with Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Special Forces, Coast Guard and Air Corps personnel, acting on intelligence from an ongoing investigation, conducted an operation along the Waini River.
During a search of one of the creeks branching off from the Waini, the vessel was discovered about two miles in, along with a camp consisting of three structures – living quarters, workshop area and generator.
The living area had the capacity to sleep approximately 12 persons. In addition, there was a kitchen area located within the liv-
ing quarters. The workshop contained pulleys, power tools, paint, and several fibreglass materials. Based on the items present, it is believed that the vessel found in the creek was built in the area.
These semi-submersibles were first detected over a decade ago. The craft are so called because they cannot dive, since they only have a small area for the cockpit with the exhaust gas pipes above the water. But with the advancement of technology and officials clamping down on narco-trafficking, more modern and fully submersible craft are being built. Back in 2011, the US Coast Guard recovered a so-called “narco submarine” that was reportedly used by Colombian drug cartel members to ship cocaine to the US.
Fwere sworn in on Monday. A simple ceremony, held at the Office of the President,
saw five members of the Public Service Commission taking the oath of office before President Ramotar. The new members of the Service Commission are: Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) President Carvil Duncan; Guyana Public Service Union President Patrick Yarde; Patricia Went; former Chief Labour Officer Mohamed Akeel; and Vidyawattie Looknauth.
Others
President Ramotar noted that while the Commission was late (in its reinstitution), he was hoping to have the other three Commissions sworn in by the end of this week. The President urged the newly sworn-in members to work for the betterment of Guyanese.
Additionally, Ramotar stated that he was looking forward to the swearing in of all the Rights Commissions, and called on the Parliament to hasten the process.
“Many of the Rights Commissions have not been functioning for a while and I do hope work will accelerate in the Parliament, so that we can have these Commissions established and we have them functioning so that we can add value to the service we provide to the people of our country,” he stated.
Speaking with the media, Yarde pointed out that this was a step in the right direction while urging his fellow members to stay true to their oath. He referred to a quote by late United States
Don’t put on sticker fuh de same wickedness whah yuh doin
Denial is de usual ting fuh some body when dem guilty of some ting wrong. That is why when a thief get ketch, even if he get ketch red-handed, he does always seh is not he. A thief does even go to court and seh is not he. Plus a thief does tell he mummah and daady plus he friends that is not he.
That is a common ting nowadays. Some people does even plan whah dem gon seh before dem do dem wickedness. So fuh any questions after de fact, if dem get ketch, dem done gotta excuse waitin. But it gotta special set of people who who does even deny to John Public and mek up a story to hide de real truth.
One man who is a paper man so brazen that he does put it in he own paper. Then another paper just don’t put any ting at all. De whole of de country know whah de paper man do to get two duty free SUVs into de same country whah he does cuss out.
But he tink he alone got nuff sense so he claim he had borrow dem. A man by a market seh de other day after de story buss out that when yuh borrow other people ting yuh not suppose to behave like yuh own it. And put on sticker to condemn de same wickedness whah yuh doin!
Well, this ting wid lyin in de paper to hide de truth ketchin on. De man kisser worried that a lotta people know bout he man kissin behaviour. So he write a whole column to to defend he (w)hole situation.
De man kisser tryin to do de same ting whah de paper man do. That is, tek dem doodoo and put it pun some body else behind. And dem behind business is right up de man kisser alley.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Plus de man kisser seh he don’t read a certain paper often, yet he know whah does deh in de letter column every day!
President Abraham Lincoln: “Most men could deal with adversity, but if you need to see the character of a man, gave him power.”
Yarde said, “I do hope that the oath people took today is one that they took with sincerity. These people today were given power over public servants and I do hope that they deal with it with dignity, fairness, with justice and in the interest of Guyana.”
Meanwhile, Duncan, a former member of the Public Service Commission, explained that now the members were sworn in, the next step would be a meeting to elect a chairman and vice chairman for the Commission. However, Duncan stated that he could not say when the meeting would be held.
He noted that he was a part of the Public Service Commission for two stints, during which he served in the positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman. “So what I will try to do, regardless of what capacity I serve, is to continue the work of the Commission to ensure public
servants get justice and that they will be given the opportunity for promotion to the highest level,” Duncan reaffirmed.
Last week during the post-Cabinet briefing, Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, disclosed that the Judicial Service Commission, Police Service Commission, Public Service Commission, and the Teaching Service Commission will soon have their new members sworn in.
According to the HPS, the lives of these Commissions would have expired over the past year and in accordance with the Constitution, the provisions for their reconstitution ended on August 22. Leila Ramson, Mayda Persaud and Allan Monroe were appointed to the Teaching Service Commission body while former Justice Prem Persaud and former Justice Lennox Perry were assigned positions on Judiciary Service Commission. Then Harold Martin, Keith John, Omesh Satyanand, and Alvin Smith were appointed to the Police Service Commission.
With NonCommunicable Diseases (NCDs) being identified as an emerging public health threat issue, the Government of Guyana is working vigorously to battle this epidemic, and the Health Ministry’s Wellness Warriors is one aspect of that fight.
Speaking at the launch of a five-day training exercise for the Wellness Warriors which commenced on Monday at Ramphal House, Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran said, “A few years ago, we celebrated the anniversary of the Medex Training Programme. At that celebration, we had a fun day, and I decided that there is too much work and no exercise. I challenged the medex who were gathered there to have a Health and Wellness Club, thus the Wellness Warriors.”
Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths – 17.3 million annually, followed by cancers (7.6 million); respiratory diseases (4.2 million); and diabetes (1.3 million). These four groups of diseases account for around 80 per cent of all NCD deaths.
Minister Ramsaran said, “Over the past seven years, many countries and international organisations have identified the epidemic of NCDs as the most serious emerging public health threat.” He added that international organisations recognise that the four categories of NCDs are reinforced by certain things people do or don’t do in daily lives. “In other words, they are saying that these four categories are difficult for us to change because of factors such as age and ethnicity.”
Cigarette smoking and second-hand smoking, alcohol abuse, poor diet and too much salt (which the Minister referred to as white death) and lack of exercise are the factors accountable for the rapid increase in NCDs. He further said as civilisation further advances, these diseases are becom-
ing more prevalent. With education, social support groups and other aspects, the Minister said health and wellness can be promoted by addressing these modifiable practices. The first advanced groups of Wellness Warriors will be walked through the theory of these four categories of risk factors for NCDs. He also addressed the reshaping of the market to address healthy foods. He looked at the possibility of intervening in the school canteens to de-
diseases.
The Health Minister added that a coordinator of NCDs has been appointed and a small NCD unit will be established within the Health Ministry. Also the issue of teenage pregnancy will be targeted, along with promoting healthy choices and health literacy in schools by the Wellness Warriors. On September 13, a Wellness Camp will be held at the Square of the Revolution.
Dr Kavita Singh,
termine a stricter and more regulated diet for children and to add an environmental component, that is, suggested foods can be placed in recyclable and biodegradable containers.
“We hope to get a massive army of people who know to perform basic tasks, for example pressure and sugar testing in every part of the society. Also, they will have a strong health literacy component,” the Minister explained. He reiterated the recognised need for the creation of a national or presidential commission on NCDs. He said it was proposed that the commission be patterned after the same module used to fight the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, which is now almost a chronic disease. He added that with the suppression of HIV/AIDS, many more people that would have died from the virus are now living and may be suffering from chronic
Nominations are now open for the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Youth Work.
According to a release from the body the annual awards recognise the invaluable contribution of young people to development, in community, national and global contexts. Part of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, the awards provide a platform to showcase and expand the work of outstanding young people across the 53-nation Commonwealth community. Past winners have brought their talents and commitment to powerful ventures such as environmental waste management, solar energy in remote villages, online education communities, and youth leadership.
Nominations for 2015 should demonstrate how a young person’s work, whether professional or voluntary, has helped to promote a development goal, such as empowerment of marginalised groups, education for all, peace, democracy, hu-
man rights, health, sport and culture, or protection of the environment. The entry period closes on 30 October 2014.
Four finalists from each region (Asia, Africa & Europe, Caribbean & Americas, and Pacific) will be selected, and from these sixteen finalists, one from each region will receive a regional Commonwealth Youth Award. Each finalist and winner will receive a cash prize, and the regional winners will also travel to London in Commonwealth Week in March 2015, where the overall pan-Commonwealth Commonwealth Youth Award winner will be announced.
Speaking at the global launch of the awards during an intergenerational dialogue with youth leaders in the Pacific nation of Samoa, Deodat Maharaj, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General, stated: “The Commonwealth Youth Awards showcase the tangible and meaningful impacts being made in development by young people.
“These awards encourage us to take note of their contribution, and to include and support them more. In addition, the passion and commitment exhibited by the young award winners is inspiring to other young people. By amplifying their work, the awards help them become beacons to others.”
Harry James Olikwailafa from Solomon Islands, a finalist last year for the Pacific region, said: “There are young people out there who do many good things for their community or country. The Commonwealth Youth Awards give them an important platform, recognising their contribution to society.” Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral Kamalesh Sharma added: “More than any generation in history, today’s young people are shaping the social, economic and political landscape that they will inherit. This is an exciting opportunity to recognise their energy, talent and commitment to development across the 53-nation Commonwealth.”
The heads of three regional organisations, together with the Commonwealth, have called for the strengthening of a global partnership to support climate change planning and finance in small island developing states.
decision-making, and ensuring institutions are well positioned to apply for climate finance.
Coordinator of the Chronic Diseases Department, said participants in the Wellness Warriors Programme are expected to take up a charge for society. She said NCDs can be prevented and controlled even though some of them are not curable. “It so happens that most of the population is unaware that they are at risk of developing these diseases and this is where the Wellness Warriors come in. Your job is to be able to go out in the communities in which you live after you would have completed training and impart the knowledge and experience you would have gained,” Singh told the participants. Caribbean Wellness Day will be celebrated on September 12 with the launch of the Presidential Commission on NCDs, at which Dr Carissa Etienne of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) will be present.
The Climate Resilient Islands Partnership was formed in 2011 and launched at the Rio+20 summit to support island nations, many of whom face existential threats as a result of climate change and rising sea levels, by providing a facility for sharing learning and providing mutual technical assistance.
Ahead of the International Conference on Small Island Developing States, in Samoa between 1-4 September 2014, the Commonwealth, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre and the Indian Ocean Commission united in calling for new partners to scale up the partnership.
Speaking at a parallel event, the heads showcased some of the achievements of the partnership since it was launched at Rio+20. These include joint initiatives to help SIDS to plan for disaster risk reduction and climate change, applying climate models to support
The event on 30 August, which involved a dialogue with over fifty guests from national governments and regional and international partners including the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the European Union, was hosted at the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in Apia, Samoa.
David Sheppard, Director General of SPREP, said: “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports note that the worst case scenario is an increase of up to 90 centimetres in sea levels by 2100. “Put that in perspective in our region, where we have three out of five of the world’s lowest lying countries on Earth, ranging from between 2.8 metres and 3.5 metres. This is a matter of security which requires our response.”
Deodat Maharaj, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General, said: “The Commonwealth fully supports the development of a Climate Resilient Islands Partnership with a regional approach joining organisations from across the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean.” “We aim to
work closely with the partners to help small island developing states unlock climate financing, and offer support to strengthen their institutions and ensure robust planning to effectively respond to climate change.
Dr Kenrick Leslie, Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, said: “The work being done by the regions in promoting a home-grown system of adaptation speaks resolutely to the commitment of the partners. South-South small island cooperation twinned with meaningful partnerships can bring about real change in the lives of many.”
Jean Claude de l’Estrac, Secretary General of the IOC, added: “It is through such partnerships that we can make our islands voices heard for ensuring fair consideration of our interests in the global agenda for development 2015-2030.” The partnership has established a comprehensive work plan to facilitate mutual learning on climate finance and planning. The organisations are also working together to strengthen public information portals on climate preparedness. New partners and interested parties are encouraged to join the partnership, to contribute to and support future initiatives.
tuesDAY, september 2, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com
In a ground-breaking move towards improved environmental stewardship, the Government of Guyana on Monday announced that the country will contribute approximately US$10 million (G$2 billion) in mining revenues to the National Protected Areas Trust Fund (NPATF).
This landmark declaration was made by the Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, at the first Board of Trustees meeting of the NPATF.
According to the Minister, the country has recently made significant strides in establishing a national protected areas system, and this endowment will further support efforts to conserve the natural heritage.
The announcement also underscores the Government’s commitment to the Low Carbon Development Strategy and the conservation of biodiversity in Guyana.
The Protected Areas Trust Fund is called for under the Protected Areas Act 2011, and is the latest major component of the country’s multifaceted approach to protected areas develop-
ment to come on-stream.
The trust is separate and apart from the Protected Areas Commission, and is managed as a body corporate by a six member Board of Trustees. The trustees were nominated by the Government, the Private Sector Commission, the University of Guyana, the National Toshaos Council, and non-governmental donors.
To date, the NPATF has also received commitments of US$5.3 million from the Government of Germany and US$3.5 million from Conservation International’s (CI) Global Conservation Fund.
The NPATF will function primarily as an endowment fund, where the funds received will be invested in various secure international markets to ensure a steady and attractive rate of return, competitive with other similar trust funds.
The revenue generated by these investments will then be used to implement management plans, strengthen monitoring and enforcement in protected areas, support sustainable community enterprises, biodiversity conservation, and environmental education
and awareness.
Guyana established its Protected Areas System with the passing of the national Protected Areas Act in 2011. This was quickly followed by the creation of new protected areas, the Protected Areas Commission and interventions aimed at improving the management of the system.
The Protected Area System is made up of the Kaieteur National Park, Kanuku Mountains Protected Area, Shell Beach Protected Area, Iwokrama Rainforest, the Zoo and Botanical Gardens and other urban parks.
With the contribution of US$10 million by the Government to the NPATF, Guyana joins a select group of countries that have made similar commitments to their protected areas financing.
However, unlike many of countries in the Region, Guyana has taken the novel approach of using proceeds from the extractive sector to support protected areas management, and in doing so, further reaffirms Guyana’s deep and abiding commitment to finding the balance between conservation and development.
The Agriculture Ministry through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has awarded three contracts on Monday for empoldering works in the Lower Pomeroon.
Handing over the contract documents at a simple ceremony held at Charity Market Centre was Minister within the Agriculture Ministry Alli Baksh.
According to Minister Baksh, hundreds of cash crop farmers in the Lower Pomeroon area will be beneficiaries for the works to be executed.
He said while works have been done in the Pomeroon River, works are ongoing in the Upper Pomeroon in areas such as Kabakaburi, Siriki and Warapana.
Baksh said the works will be strictly monitored by regional and NDIA engineers.
For Lower Pomeroon, a contract for empoldering of farmlands on the right bank of Akawini Creek, Lower Pomeroon River was awarded to Rakesh Samaroo.
The contract worth some $370,000.
Two contracts were awarded to local contractor Satesh Narine for empoldering of farmlands from the left banks, Jacklow to left bank opposite Charity, Upper Pomeroon River and empoldering of farmlands from Charity to Cozier Canal, Lower Pomeroon River, Region Two. Those contracts cost in excess of $9 million for drainage and irrigation works.
The works are expected to commenced shortly and have a duration of six month.
Comparison statistics reflects the current road chaos
In the Caribbean, there is growing concern over child labour and indirect forms of begging. Children are being seen working various forms of street hustling such as the selling of counterfeit movies, stolen electronic devices, or local produce like fruits and vegetables.
In more severe cases, child’s rights advocates have reported a high incidence of sexual abuse of children who are expected to provide for themselves. These economic burdens that are placed on children can have a devastating impact on their lives. Many of these children are lured in various forms of illicit activities, like child pornography, theft, gangviolence and child trafficking.
Child trafficking has become a serious concern for many Caribbean societies, in particular as many are struggling with their economic and social inequalities. Child trafficking can take various
forms, including but not limited to forced child begging, sexual exploitation, child pornography, child marriage and child soldiers.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has also reported that the numbers of children being trafficked across the globe are mainly trafficked to engage in street begging, prostitution and crimes like stealing.
The rights of children are often under-evaluated. It is known that children under the age of 18 years are often forced to work to provide for their families. Many of these children die as the result of the harsh environments that their tender and under-nourished bodies endure. As a result, developing nations have designed specific guidelines to protect children from social implications that have had dire effects on their lives.
The Caribbean Region is not immune to child exploitation. In various countries, during the vaca-
tion or school breaks, children can be seen begging for money, food supplies and other forms of basic necessities. Some of these children, because of the harsh economic realities of their households, are placed in unbearable dilemmas to contribute to their families’ misfortunes.
Many families believe that it is harmless to have their children participate in the economic contributions of the household, but many are unaware of the dangers that their children may face if they are placed in unsupervised environments.
The difficulties in curbing child begging are mainly due to the fact that children are minors and the guardians are usually the ones who enforce their activities. As a result, these vulnerable minors are coerced by a family member or loved ones to take up their responsibilities by becoming economic providers for their families. (Caribbean News Now)
The Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) is once again appealing to all road users to be more responsible in their day-to-day activities on the roadways.
On Monday, the new school term began and the Council is asking drivers to look out for school children and for teachers and parents to enforce the road safety education and school safety patrols in schools.
The Council is also reminding students of the curb drill: look right, look left, look right again, when the road is clear, walk briskly across. All pedestrians should take note of the Curb drill.
“Major accidents resulted in loss of lives and serious disability to persons. All categories of accidents impacted financially on our economy and have distressed all parties involved; emotionally and physically. Also, serious accidents have significantly disturbed the social welfare of all the affected families.
“Drivers be reminded of the five Cs: Care, Courtesy, Consideration, Caution and Common Sense when
using the roads.
“Blatant disregard for traffic laws and traffic advisories are the major contributing factors for road accidents which we, as responsible Guyanese, are desperately trying to reduce substantially,” the release said.
The GNRSC said pedestrians and cyclists are also to be blamed for their carefree and sloppy attitudes when using the roadways. These behaviours should be discontinued immediately to put an end to some of these “needless road crashes and deaths”.
“Fellow road users, please be advised that the reduction of road accidents can only be achieved with your input. So again, the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) is pleading to all road users and responsible Guyanese to join with us in our campaign to help stop the road carnage by correcting the careless ways we use our roads and adhering to the road safety and traffic laws to make our streets and roads safer. Road safety is everybody’s business,” the release said.
Two laboratories costing some $300 million were on Monday commissioned at the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
Present at the ceremony were President Donald Ramotar, Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy and representatives from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), along with local stakeholders.
The Bio Control and Tissue Culture laboratories are in keeping with the Agriculture Ministry’s and NAREI‘s strategic plans, aimed at the monitoring and controlling of pest and diseases affecting plants, particularly those for exportation.
Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy in his brief remarks said Guyana has taken one more step towards the realisation of science and technology to drive the development of the nation. That drive and aspiration, he acknowledges was part of his own contribution to agriculture in Guyana. Dr
Ramsammy said over the last 20 years, Guyana has been able to solidify making the dream of science and technology a reality.
“Over the last 20 years, we have made significant progress and with
the vision to make science and technology in agriculture contribute meaningfully to the development,” the Minister told the audience on Monday.
Dr Ramsammy said the Ministry is directing
Minister and on behalf of my colleagues to make the adequate investment in the sector.”
The Inter-American
each decade, we move to process a little faster. In the period 2000 to 2010, significant progress was made and in the period 2010 to now, we have seen further concretisation of
the way through which agriculture can benefit from science and technology.
“That takes considerable investment and therefore it is my duty as
Development Bank, he reported, has been a very significant partner in agriculture as they do in other areas. “The bulk of our partnership has been with the IDB.”
Dr Ramsammy said with Guyana being an agriculture country, it cannot rely on external support for soil testing. He said while the labs in the agricultural sector would allow for basic soil testing, comprehensive soil testing which is necessary is not possible in Guyana today. The Minister has extended an invitation to students from the University of Guyana and Guyana School of Agriculture to come on board.
Among the benefits of the Tissue Culture Laboratory is its ability to produce plantain plantlets tissue culture with help from friends between now and next year.
Dr Ramsammy said Guyana, like the rest
of the Caribbean and Central America, must combat pest and diseases that destroy the banana and plantain industry across the region.
President Donald Ramotar, during the feature address, said the commissioning of the two labs is another demonstration of Government’s seriousness in pursuing a strong agriculture programme. He said there are huge scope and possibilities to develop the local agriculture sector.
He said from an economic point of view, Guyana is able to ensure food security, not just for itself, but for nations around the world.
“This is vital for the world because of the rapid growth of our population. In another few years, they
say there will be seven billion of us on the planet. That means seven billion mouths to feed.... I would say that we have a responsibility to the rest of humanity to produce food.”
Ramotar said there is a growing health awareness of people who are becoming more conscious of what they eat and what they need to eat to remain healthy. He said there is a lot more scrutiny on foods that are exported to countries.
“Looking at the amount of pesticides that are used in food production,” he said, pointing out that labs like these are extremely important in these modern times, as they help to ensure a high level of food security.
Director of the National Operations Centre (NOC), Commander Garvin Heerah on Sunday confirmed that the 28-yearold patient admitted to a private health facility exhibiting signs resembling the deadly Ebola virus had shown “marked signs of improvement.” Heerah was responding to questions from the Sunday Guardian following reports that a second patient had transferred to and been quarantined at the Caura Hospital late Friday night.
“After extensive checks by the Ministry of Health, the point person designated to treat all issues relating to the Ebola, Chief Medical Officer, Dr (Clyde) Tilluckdharry and the NOS was officially informed that no admission was made to the Caura Health Facility with any suspicious signs or symptoms similar to that of Ebola,” Heerah said.
He said further checks
were made by the Health Ministry and the District Medical Officer responsible for that area and again, there were no reports of any such admission.
“The Ministry of Health further advises that there are no reported cases of Ebola in TT,” Heerah said. Health Minister, Dr Fuad
Khan said treatment of the patient was strictly precautionary.
“There is no reason to panic. Yes, the man visited Nigeria but there are 110 million people in Nigeria and 17 known cases of Ebola, so yes, while there is a reason for concern, there is no reason for panic,” he said. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
The Antigua and Barbuda Government says over 12 major conglomerates in China have expressed interest in doing business in the Caribbean state.
During a meeting in China on Saturday, Prime Minister Gaston Browne told a group of Chief Executive Officers and Presidents of corporations attached to the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province that Antigua is part of a net-
work of trade agreements that allow goods to enter the European Union, Canada and the United States.
“Antigua and Barbuda has a stable investment environment. When you invest in our country, there is no need to worry about a fall in the value of your products; in fact, value will increase instead,” said Browne in a statement. “Investing in Antigua and Barbuda is also a gateway to other markets within Latin America and
the Caribbean, I urge you to capitalise on investing in a country that is poised to become the economic powerhouse of the Caribbean.” he added.
Deputy Director General of Shandong Department of Commerce, Yan Zhaowan, said that Chinese business leaders were impressed with Brown’s presentations and the economic possibilities in Antigua and Barbuda, the statement said. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)
Popular environmentalist Marina Silva looks capable of winning Brazil’s presidential election in October but a major campaign gaffe and mounting attacks from other candidates and the media suggest the race is still wide open.
Polls have shown Silva with a lead of about 10 percentage points over President Dilma Rousseff if the October 5 election goes to a runoff, as seems likely.
Silva’s meteoric rise has led Brazilian stocks to rally
10 per cent in the last three weeks on hopes she would be more business-friendly than Rousseff and help stir a stagnant economy.
In the last week, Silva has successfully begun to address some of the doubts voters have about her –namely, whether she has the personal gravitas and organisational support to govern this continent-sized nation of 200 million people.
An anti-establishment icon who grew up poor in a family of rubber tappers,
taught herself to read as a teenager, and then became a leading advocate for the Amazon rainforest, Silva has inspired many Brazilians with her earnest demeanour and clear voice on moral issues.
Yet many voters have been unconvinced that a great life story would make for a great President. Silva, 56, has struggled during her political career to recruit and maintain allies, having quit two parties since 2009 and failed to organise a third. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Grenada and St Lucia in top
10 countries where people drink the most booze
The World Health Report has released the results of its 15year global alcohol consumption survey, and two Caribbean nations –Grenada (number 5) and Saint Lucia (number 9) – appear in the top 10 countries ranked by per capita consumption. The Bahamas is number 22.
The per capita yearly pure alcohol consumption in Grenada is 12.4 litres; in other words, researchers looked at all the different drinks people consume solely in terms of their alcohol content, which eliminates differences between wine, beer and spirits. That works out to between three and four drinks per person every single day.
According to Caribbean News Now senior correspondent, Grenadian Marcia
Cuba is bringing in new rules limiting personal imports of foreign goods into the country, where locally-made items are scarce and expensive.
Some US$2 billion (£1.2 billion) in goods have been flown into Cuba in travellers’ baggage each year since air travel restrictions were lifted in 2009.
Many ordinary Cubans say the new rules will throttle one of their few sources of high-quality consumer goods. The Government says the new measures are aimed at professional “mules”.
The changes across Cuba are taking effect on Monday, and the Communist Government has already published a list of the restrictions. Travellers will now be allowed to bring in 10kg (22 pounds) of detergent instead
of 44kg and 24 bras instead of 48.
But four car tyres and two flat-screen TVs will still be permitted. Many Cubans fly to the US and also Europe each year and return home with luggage bursting with goods that are often scarce, badly made or expensive in Cuba.
The baggage carousels at Havana airport often seem to be offloading what looks like the entire contents of a supermarket warehouse.
But the changes have angered many Cubans. “Very far from protecting the economy, these measures will only bring disadvantage and the only protection they bring is to state monopoly shops,” one reader complained to the online edition of Cuba’s Granma official newspaper. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Braveboy, the culture of intoxication there began after Hurricane Ivan hit on September 7, 2004.
“As the first journalist on the ground at the time, it was a heartbreaking experience. One could have cut the sense of trauma with a knife, so palpable was the shock and fear people exuded,” she recalled.
Hurricane Ivan had a de-
bilitating effect on the people at the time and it seemed that developing illnesses accelerated under the heightened stresses brought on by the storm.
“It does not surprise me that there may have been other hidden side-effects of Hurricane Ivan on the people of Grenada,” Braveboy added. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)
Less than a month after a raid of the prison for contraband, a convicted inmate has a mobile phone, which he has been using to navigate Facebook and to comment on the photographs of other users.
The inmate, who is serving time for shooting, has been behind bars for several years and was very active on the social media site up to Thursday night.
On his own Facebook page, where he uses his own name (name withheld), the convict, in recent months, also posted photographs of himself with a phone in his right hand, sitting in his jail cell. The Minister responsible for prison, Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin and the Police hierarchy only
learned of the developments over the weekend.
Benjamin told Observer media he was “shocked” at the “disgusting” situation, since it gives rise to much greater concerns regarding the prisoners’ connections with the outside world and organised crime.
“It will be dealt with immediately. Drastic action will be taken against those involved,” Benjamin said on Sunday. Meanwhile, Deputy Police Commissioner Henry Christian said, “I will put things in place for an investigation to be done right away.”
The Observer newspaper also learnt the inmate is “involved” with a prison officer, who has been smuggling in the prohibited items to him.
(Antigua Observer)
Ukrainian forces have suffered a series of setbacks, as proRussian rebels advance in the east of the country.
Officials said nearly 700 soldiers had been taken prisoner since the rebel offensive began.
Earlier, the military said Government forces had been forced to withdraw from Luhansk airport, saying they had been attacked by a column of Russian tanks.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister said it was now fighting a “great war” with Russia in which tens of thousands could die.
Valery Heletey said on his Facebook page that the
Ukrainian forces are said to be retreating in several areas
rebels had been defeated and Russia had been forced to begin a full-scale invasion of the region with regular forces.
“A great war has arrived
An Indian woman who swam across a river swollen by monsoon rain in her ninth month of pregnancy has had a baby boy.
Yellavva had used dried pumpkins and gourds as buoyancy aids to swim nearly a kilometre from her river island village three weeks ago because she wanted to give birth in a hospital.
She said there was no medical centre in her village and she wanted her baby born safely.
She gave birth by Caesarean section in a private hospital on Saturday night.
Yellavva’s daring swim had won her much praise
with villagers and doctors describing it as an amazing achievement.
Resident of a small island-village on the Krishna River in the southern Karnataka state, Yellavva, 22, had swum to the mainland as its swirling waters were rising 12 to 14 feet and even experienced swimmers would have hesitated to get into the river at the time. She was helped by her father, brother and cousins who swam with her.
“I am very happy he was born in a hospital. They cut my stomach open and took him out. He weighs 4kg [8.8lb],” Yellavva told BBC Hindi from her hospital bed on Monday." (Excerpt from BBC News)
at our doorstep -- the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War Two,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the losses in such a war will be mea-
sured not in the hundreds but thousands and tens of thousands.”
Russia has repeatedly denied Ukrainian and Western accusations that it is providing troops and equipment to the rebels.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Russian officials are holding talks with separatist rebels and international monitors in Minsk.
Some 2600 people have died in eastern Ukraine since fighting began in April.
The conflict broke out after Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s southern Crimea peninsula in March. (Excerpt from BBC)
With protests raging in the streets of Islamabad, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with military leaders Monday to discuss the option of resigning for three months, a Government official with direct knowledge told CNN. Discussions also included the creation of a Judicial Commission to investigate the elections that led to Sharif’s party taking power, said the source, who did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject matter.
But the website for the Inter Services Public Relations, the military’s publicity wing, said reports of the meeting and the possibility of Sharif resigning
are “totally baseless”.
Thousands of protesters demanding Sharif’s resignation have battled Police and soldiers in the street for weeks. Three people have died and 450 have been injured, Pakistani medical authorities have said.
Sharif has vowed to remain on the job in spite the violent demonstrations. The protesters accuse him of rigging last year’s elections that allowed his party -- the Pakistani Muslim League Nawaz -- to take power.
On Monday, the Pakistani military was called in to protect the state-run television station from protesters, CNN’s Saima Mohsin reported from Islamabad. (Excerpt from CNN)
It is a decision thousands of protesters feared.
China’s powerful National People’s Congress Standing Committee voted Sunday to change the way Hong Kong picks its Chief Executive, ruling that only candidates approved by a nominating committee will be allowed to run.
A top Chinese official made clear the candidates all must “love the country and love Hong Kong”.
The city’s current leader insists it is a step in the right direction.
“The majority of Hong Kong citizens, namely, the five million qualified voters of the selection of Chief Executive in 2017, will be able to cast their votes to select the Chief Executive,” said Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chunying.
Speaking at an event Monday to explain the NPC’s decision, he added:
“This is the first opportunity a very good opportunity for Hong Kong to have one man, one vote universal suffrage. This is something we should all feel proud of.”
But that is not how Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Occupy Central movement sees it. The group has vocally pushed for elections in which any candidate can
run for Chief Executive. For weeks, protesters have taken to the streets.
In a statement on its website, the group slammed Beijing’s decision as a move that stifles democracy and blocks people with different political views from running for office.
“Genuine universal suffrage includes both the
Politicians had accused Rahimi, right, of heading up an embezzlement scheme
Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Iran’s first Vice President under former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been sentenced to prison and fined.
“I cannot reveal the details because the sentence is not final, but it includes a term of imprisonment and a fine,” Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejeie, the secondranking member of Iran’s judiciary, told the AFP news agency on Monday.
Iranian media previously reported that Rahimi, 65, was on trial for corruption.
Appointed by Ahmadinejad after a controversial election win in 2009, Rahimi would be the
most senior official from that era to be convicted.
Politicians had accused him of heading up an embezzlement scheme. He was questioned by judicial officials before being placed on bail in December 2013.
In March, local Iranian media reported Rahimi had been indicted, though details of the charges were unclear. Rahimi has said he is innocent. According to Iranian law, the sentence must be confirmed by the Court of Appeal before it becomes final.
The media does not have the right to reveal details of the conviction until that time. (Al Jazeera)
The US has urged Israel to reverse its decision to seize nearly 400 hectares of land in the occupied West Bank, a move anti-settlement activists termed the largest land grab in 30 years.
Israel announced the massive land appropriation on Sunday in the Etzion settlement bloc near Bethlehem just days after Gaza ceasefire.
A Palestinian official said the latest land grab by Israel would cause only more friction after the Gaza war that left more than 2000 Palestinians dead and over 10,000 injured.
rights to elect and to be elected,” the statement said. “The decision of the NPC Standing Committee has deprived people with different political views of the right to run for election and be elected by imposing unreasonable restrictions, thereby perpetuating ‘handpicked politics.’” (Excerpt from CNN)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Israel to cancel the appropriation. “This decision will lead to more instability. This will only inflame the situation after the war in Gaza,” presidential spokesman Abu Rdainah said.
A US State Department official called the announcement as “counterproductive to Israel’s stated goal of a
negotiated two-state solution with the Palestinians”.
“We urge the Government of Israel to reverse this decision,” the official said in Washington.
Peace Now group, which opposes Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank, territory the Palestinians seek for a state, said the appropriation was meant to turn a site where 10 families now live adjacent to a Jewish seminary into a permanent settlement.
Construction of a major settlement at the location, known as “Gevaot”, has been mooted by Israel since 2000. Last year, the Government invited bids for the building of 1000 housing units at the site. Peace Now said the land seizure was the largest announced by Israel in the West Bank since the 1980s and that anyone with ownership claims had 45 days to appeal.
A local Palestinian Mayor said Palestinians owned the tracts and harvested olive trees on them.
(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
tuesDAY, september 2, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com
Japan and India agreed Monday to step up their economic and security cooperation as visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi won pledges of support for his effort to revitalise the lagging Indian economy.
Modi, who brought a delegation of more than a dozen Indian tycoons to Japan, said he hopes to elevate still relatively low-key business ties with Japan to a “new level.”
In a joint statement issued after their talks, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of upgrading defence ties, a priority for both given China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Modi also welcomed Japan’s relaxation of restrictions on exports of defence-related equipment and technology.
He and Abe “recognised the enormous future potential for transfer and collaborative projects in defence equipment and technology,” the statement said.
As part of their “Investment Promotion Partnership,” the two sides set a target of doubling Japan’s foreign direct investment in India. Abe also pledged to raise public and private investment and financing from Japan to 3.5 trillion yen (US$33.6 billion) within five years and to provide an aid loan of 50 billion yen (US$480 million) to the India Infrastructure Finance Co.
Abe said he would work with Modi to “strengthen the cooperative relationship between our two countries.” The statement listed construction of high-speed railways and other transport systems, cleanups of the Ganges and other rivers, food processing and rural development and construction of “smart cities” as priorities.
In a speech to Japanese business leaders on Monday, Modi promised to set up a team to facilitate trade and investment. Modi became Prime Minister in May with pledges to transform India’s troubled economy and is keen to win more support for
ambitious energy and construction projects, including high-speed railways.
“When I became Prime Minister, there were high expectations. Not just high expectations, but people expected speed in decisions,”
Modi told leaders of Japan’s five big business groups. “I give you the assurance that what we have done in the past 100 days, the results will be seen very quickly.”
In the joint statement, Abe reiterated his hope India would adopt its bullet train technology, promising Japanese financial, technical and operations support.
Japan and India agreed also to continue joint and Japan-US-India military exercises and to accelerate talks on the purchase by New Delhi of US-2 amphibian aircraft.
The two sides said they would step up talks on nuclear energy cooperation, claiming “significant progress” despite having failed to reach a last-minute agreement on safeguards sought by Japan. The two sides meanwhile pledged to strengthen work on preventing proliferation of nuclear weapons and on nuclear safety.
The statement said Japan and India will cooperate on advanced, clean coal technology, which is expertise sorely needed to help combat the choking pollution in India’s major cities. The two countries said they are in the process of finalising a commercial contract on production and export to Japan of rare earths, which are minerals used in mobile phones, hybrid cars and other high-tech products.
During Abe’s first term in office, in 2006-2007, the two countries signed an agreement on cooperating in building an industrial corridor between Mumbai and New Delhi, two of India’s biggest cities. At that time, Modi was Chief Minister of the fast-growing, businessfriendly state of Gujarat.
In a gesture toward his golf-loving Japanese hosts –Abe golfs frequently – Modi
Countries in the Americas – which have the highest obesity rates in the world – are fighting the obesity epidemic with new, stricter regulations on food labeling, promotion and advertising.
The regulations, which seek to inform and protect consumers while creating incentives for healthier eating, are “important advances that should be stimulated throughout the region,” said Dr Carissa F Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), speaking this week at the International Conference on Food Labeling and Fiscal Policies on Healthy Food and Obesity Prevention in Quito, Ecuador.
also significant increases in overweight and obesity. She said Ecuador’s response to overweight and obesity includes a new system of food labeling based on WHO recommendations, which tells consumers how much sugar, salt and fat are in processed food products.
Other measures taken by Ecuador include regulations on school meals, an obligatory hour of physical activity during the school day, promotion of breastfeeding, promotion of healthy spaces for physical activity in towns and cities, and stricter regulations on tobacco and alcohol.
boasted of having beefed up the links in Gujarat during his years as Chief Minister.
Since taking office, Modi has travelled to neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan and attended a summit of the BRICS emerging nations –Brazil, Russia, India and China. He helped launch an effort to open bank accounts for the poor in India and has set up an investigative team to look into corruption. Meanwhile, the economy has picked up pace in what some analysts are calling the “Modi bounce.”
Japanese businesses are increasingly looking to expand trade and investment in fast-growing Southeast Asia and India, a market of nearly 1.3 billion people. (AP)
In the Americas, 1 in 2 adults is overweight or obese, and the proportion reaches 75 per cent or more in some countries. Among school-age children and adolescents, some 20-30 per cent of are overweight or obese, and these figures are increasing. Growing obesity is one of the major contributors to chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, which are now the leading causes of death and illness throughout the region. “These conditions bring not only suffering and pain but also the specter of economic bankruptcy for both national economies and family budgets,” said Etienne.
The causes of the epidemic include “profound changes in eating patterns in recent decades, with an unprecedented increase in consumption of processed foods and a parallel decrease in consumption of natural products,” said Etienne. Although the coun-
tries of the Americas are “rich and diverse” in healthy, natural foods, the region is increasingly making junk food “the new basic food.”
Etienne said Ecuador’s Law on Food Security and Sovereignty, which was updated in 2012, is an example of the kind of efforts that are needed to reverse this trend.
The law’s provisions protect small farmers’ rights to produce healthy foods, guarantee consumers’ rights to decide what they want to consume, and stimulate the development of fair international trade. Efforts such as these, aimed at increasing access to affordable healthy foods, “fall within the framework of strategies that both PAHO and WHO promote to stop this pandemic,” said Etienne.
Also during this week’s conference, Minister of Health of Ecuador Carina Vance presented data from her country’s National Survey on Health and Nutrition (ENSANUT) that show declines in malnutrition but
“Measures directed only at education and action that is directed only at promoting healthy individual behaviours are necessary, but they are not sufficient,” said Etienne.
“The great challenge is to promote public policies that aim to transform the environment, encourage healthy behaviour, and inhibit those unhealthy behaviours that are increasing exponentially and that promote harmful and unhealthy patterns of consumption.” The International Conference on Food Labeling and Fiscal Policies on Healthy Food and Obesity Prevention was organised by the ministries of social development and public health of Ecuador with support from PAHO and UNICEF. PAHO, founded in 1902, is the oldest international public health organisation in the world. It works with its member countries to improve the health and the quality of life of the people of the Americas. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of WHO.
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will launch a special report during the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples that will take place September 2223 in New York, in the context of the United Nations General Assembly.
The document will present an analysis focused on Latin America that will contribute to exchanging viewpoints and best practices to guarantee respect for indigenous peoples´ rights. This report, which will be available as of September 23 on ECLAC’s website, was prepared at the request of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas platform (ECMIA). Its purpose is to gather updated information on the progress and challenges seen in terms of indigenous peoples’ rights in Latin America and identify and propose actions post-2014, which will be debated at the conference.
The study contains updated figures on the indigenous population, their processes
of internal and international migration, and the specific situation of women and children, as well as their access to health care and education, among other indicators. In addition, it highlights information on international standards and state legislation related to the protection of these peoples’ rights, their demands for autonomy, and the participation of indigenous organizations in different spheres of representation.
In that regard, the report points out that in the last decade there has been progress in the political participation and recognition of indigenous peoples’ territorial rights, as well as in their living conditions, which has been reflected for instance in a decline in infant mortality and greater access to and permanence in the education system. However, the study warns inequality still affects indigenous peoples and that challenges remain in order to effectively protect and guarantee their rights.
The holding of the highlevel plenary meeting to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples was agreed in
December 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly and will be made up of two plenary sessions-the opening and closing sessions-three roundtables, and an interactive colloquium. The results of this meeting will be written up in a concise final document oriented towards action, based on the inclusive and open consultations held between member states and indigenous peoples.
According to the organizers, there are more than 5,000 indigenous groups living across some 90 countries in the world. In total, they account for about 370 million people, representing more than 5 per cent of the global population.
According to ECLAC’s study, the minimum standard of indigenous peoples’ rights, which is obligatory for states, includes five dimensions: the right to be free of discrimination and to free, prior and informed consent, the right to political participation, the right to development and social well-being, the right to cultural integrity, and the right to own, use, control and access land, territories and natural resources.
One of the challenges that democracies in the 21th century face is the observance of these standards and its articulation with the post-2015 development agenda.
The United Nations has been a pioneer in addressing the human rights of indigenous peoples and this work has crystallized in, among other achievements, the establishment of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2000), the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2001), and the creation of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). On a regulatory level, the main milestones are the Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization (1989), which recognized their rights as peoples for the first time, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, approved by the General Assembly in 2007 and which takes into account these groups’ right to self-determination.
The final 66, of the 140 students who participated in the 2014 Work Study Programme with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), were presented with Certificates of Participation, at a simple closing ceremony at Base Camp Ayanganna on Friday last.
During the ceremony, some students performed a poetry recital. Seventy-four other students had completed their attachments earlier. Staff Officer One General Five, Major Lorraine Foster, congratulated the students on their successes at the 2014 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, and encouraged them to continue working hard to achieve
future goals.
“On behalf of the Chiefof-Staff and all the officers and ranks of the GDF, I congratulate you all. To those who realised their dreams, you have gained the fruits of your labours. However, those of you who may have fallen short of the mark, know that this is not the end of the road,” she said.
“You can return to school and re-sit those subjects in which you did not fare well. You have the opportunity to enhance your performance, by being a bit more disciplined and dedicated.
“Those of you, who are continuing on to university, understand that you cannot take the high school mentality there with you. You are going to have to mature
very quickly and continue to work hard to be successful,” she added.
“Those of you who are going on to the world of work, it is our hope that you have learned from us much that you can take to your places of employment that will make you excellent employees and assets to the various firms. You too, will have to dedicate yourselves and work hard. And, to those returning to school to re-sit exams, be diligent, study harder and commit yourselves to excellence. The Guyana Defence Force wishes you all well in whatever future undertakings you pursue!”
The Work Study Programme is an annual activity that sees the GDF
providing on-the-job learning for students graduating from various educational institutions across the country.
The students, who participate each year, are drawn from the Education Ministry, the Kuru Kuru Cooperative College, the Government Technical Institute, GRECO, and a few private educational institutions.
The GDF’s partnership with these educational institutions is in keeping with the Force’s remit to contribute to national development, by aiding youths to gain the much needed experiences of the workplace, so necessary for developing their appreciation for occupational life.
The teachers and pupils of the East Bank Special Needs School at Diamond, East Bank Demerara are in enhanced surroundings for the new school year following a beautification exercise conducted by the employees of Associated Industries Limited (AINLIM) and NMSL last weekend.
Over 40 employees of the two companies took part in the exercise which included painting and repair work to the exterior of the building, cleaning the surroundings of the school compound, preparing the classrooms and painting educational messages on the walls in preparation for the new school year which started Monday.
According to a release by AINLIM, Renate Jordan, acting Headteacher of the school said the teachers and pupils are extremely happy with the assistance provided by the entities.
“The Ministry of Education had given us a task to enhance the school environment to make it childfriendly for the needs of the pupils with special needs, so we were very pleased when AINLIM/NMSL offered to
assist in the beautification of the school compound,” she added.
The school caters for the needs of pupils who are physically challenged, learning disability, hearing impairment and multiple disabilities. Some 60 pupils
between ages five and 21 are attending the school.
Jordan said therapy for the pupils is done on Mondays by therapists from the Georgetown Public Hospital.
AINLIM Chief Executive Officer Lekhnaraine Shivraj, who spearheaded the project, said the company was very motivated to assist the school in the project.
“The enhancement exercise was done in keeping with our mandate to offer assistance in the communities in which we operate and forms part of the company’s corporate social activities,” he added.
AINLIM and NMSL are members of the Neal and Massy Guyana Group of Companies, which includes the Demerara Oxygen Company (DOCOL), Geddes Grant, Marketing and Distribution (M&D), CCS and NMSS.
International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is a worldwide event initiated by Ocean Conservancy in 1986. It is celebrated on the third Saturday of September each year. Its aim is to engage citizens to remove trash and debris from beaches and waterways all around world, identify the sources and change the behavioural patterns that contribute to pollution. This year, ICC will be celebrated on September 20 under the theme “Turning the Tide on Trash.”
Where does the marine litter come from?
* Recreational activities
* Rubbish from fishing boat, ferry, boat/vessel operations
* Dumping activities such as from landfill site, household and construction.
* Refuse from medical health and personal hygiene products
Why is the problem so bad?
* People do not bother to throw rubbish into bins properly.
* Visitors to sea walls or picnic site left their food packages, bottles and forks behind without proper disposal.
* Rubbish throwing out from the boats because it is easier than bringing them ashore for proper disposal.
* Construction workers
Government action
* With the new Litter Enforcement Regulations persons can and will be fined for littering. Litter wardens are placed around the city to find and charge these “litter bugs” – they will soon be placed in other regions.
* Under the litter regulations it is an offence to litter in a public place or from a moving vehicle unto a public place. An individual found committing such acts will be fined $50,000 and in case of with company or organisation $100,000
Marine litter is a serious and worsening problem in marine and coastal environments worldwide. Sea turtles, which are one of the oldest creatures on Earth are imperiled. They are very susceptible to a range of threats posed by plastics and other trash than any other marine animal. When plastic blows, washes, or is dumped into the sea, it may remain intact for decades. However when it breaks down, it is only into smaller pieces. These plastic pieces are mistaken by marine wildlife for food and this leads to choking or strangulation.
During the International Coastal Cleanup, volunteers do their part to clean up plastic and other trash on the coast (seawall). In do-
leaving rubbish and dumping refuse on reclamation and building sites.
* Restaurant operators not disposing of their waste properly.
Individual action
* Be responsible for the rubbish you generate. Don’t throw the rubbish in the sea when you are on a boat or at the sea wall. Take your rubbish and dispose of it properly in bins.
* In order to reduce the waste, you should support recycling
* Take part in the annual International Coastal Cleanup
ing so, they raise awareness of the persistent problem of trash generated by a throwaway society, and encourage people to make better choices.
Sources: http://www.oceanconservancy.org http://www.greencouncil. org
You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com
Eleven past and present Berbice Test cricketers, along with cricketing administrators past and present, have been honoured by the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB).
A ceremony which took place on Sunday and took the form of a dinner was held as part of the BCB’s 75th anniversary celebrations. The “Diamond Jubilee” event saw some of the past legends of Test cricket honoured.
Speaking at the event, President Donald Ramotar noted that cricket is part of the nation’s life and congratulated the BCB on its achievement. “Cricket has inspired writers and musicians, cricketers have grown to be more than just cricketers but also role models,” he said.
In explaining his Administration’s approach to the game, the President said the lights which which were recently installed at the Albion Sports Complex are a testimony to the in-
terest that Government has in the development of the sport.
“Cricket is changing and we all have to adapt to those changes. That is why we provided the lights at Albion so that Berbice can continue to produce top cricketers, as well as cricketers for the new format of the game, which is here to stay,” stated Ramotar.
The President noted that, in 2014, 73 community grounds in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) will be upgraded. Also attending the ceremony was Culture Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy. Those honoured were Rohan Kanhai, George Trim, Azad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Devendra Bishoo, Narsingh Deonarine, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Alvin Kallicharran, Joe Solomon and Basil Butcher.
Public Relations Officer of the BCB Hilbert Foster noted that the first major achievement of the Board took place in 1948 when John Trim became the first Berbician to play Test cricket for the West Indies. To date, 16 males and one female have followed in his footsteps.
Speaking of some of the achievements of the BCB over the past 75 years, Foster said these include hosting the Pakistan International Airlines team in 1973 and 1975, and a three oversees tours by Berbice teams in 1974, 1978 and 1984.
“The BCB also hosted the MCC team in 1974 and created history when in 1977 it hosted the first ODI match in the Caribbean, West Indies versus Pakistan at the historic Albion Cricket ground,” he said.
Over the last six years, the BCB has undergone a remarkable transformation which some have described as a revolution, Foster not-
ed. The Board in 2009 formed a Special Events Committee which has been
able to raise in excess of $20 million since that time. This has allowed the game to continue at the club level, although the BCB has not received any sponsorship from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) for the past four years.
Other activities planned by the BCB as part of the celebrations include renaming on the BCB of-
fice in New Amsterdam in honour of the late Leslie Amsterdam, erecting of a Hall of Fame for administrators, distribution of school bags, unveiling of Kanhai’s portrait, a musical evening, a televised panel discussion, handing out food hampers, an essay competition, renaming of pavilions, and a quiz competition.
Glen Campbell was named Man-of-the-Match
By Avenash Ramzan
In an effort to encourage commu-
nity involvement in sport, Tiger Sports travelled one and a half hours by land on Sunday to tackle hosts Laluni Sports Club in a friendly 25-over cricket match at the village’s picturesque ground, located about 45 minutes off the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
Tiger Sports, a team based in Enmore, but comprising players from
other areas such as Georgetown, East Coast Demerara and East Bank Demerara, was making its maiden trip to that part of the country, and though Tiger Sports ended up on the wrong end of the result, camaraderie and excellent hospitality by the home team were undoubtedly the winners on the day.
Tiger Sports skipper, Sheik Mohamed, the former national wicketkeeper/batsman and senior national selector, called correctly at the toss
and inserted the hosts to take first strike on pitch that would prove difficult for strokeplay.
The Laluni players, obviously with more familiarity to conditions and solid support from a few vocal spectators, racked up a challenging 147-8 from the allotted 25 with several of their players making solid contributions. The hard-hitting opener and captain David Francis led the way with a topscore of 30, while Reon Shewman made 27, Elroy Henry 25 and the attacking Glen Campbell chipped in with a robust 24 at the death of the innings.
Bowling for Tiger Sports, left-arm spinner Bashur Khan picked up two wickets and tested the home team’s batsmen with his guile and deception through the air.
It was always going to be a tough
The Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) has named a strong 14-man squad to represent the Cinderella county in this year’s Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Senior InterCounty 50-overs tournament.
Former national Under-19 players Anthony and Ricardo Adams were appointed Captain and Vice Captain respectively.
The tournament, which gets underway on Thursday, forms part of the preparation for the regional 50-over competition. It is also being used as a benchmark to select the local squad to participate in the regional competition.
Anthony Adams
imum of 10 games in the tournament.
The four-day tournament will then break in January to make way for the Super50 limited-overs tournament. The four-day competition will resume thereafter and culminate in March.
task chasing such a target on an unfriendly batting wicket, and the Laluni boys made maximum use of that advantage, bowling with an admirable level of accuracy.
Tiger Sports never really recovered from losing skipper Mohamed cheaply and the middle-order was rocked by brilliant spell from Campbell, who picked up a hat-trick on his way to figures of 3-9 from four overs.
Fellow seamer Romel Khedu provided excellent support, cleaning up the lower-order to finish with 3-6 from four overs, as Tiger Sports fell for 68 in 18.4 overs to lose by 79 runs.
At the presentation ceremony that followed, Campbell carted off the Man-of-the-Match prize for his allrounder effort, while he was also adjudged Best Bowler for his hat-trick. Francis was named Best Batsman for
his knock of 30, while Laluni Sports Club received the winner’s trophy. All trophies for the game were sponsored by Tiger Sports of Old Road, Enmore, East Coast Demerara.
Mohamed, speaking as sponsor and captain, commended the Laluni Sports Club players for their excellent hospitality and promised a return match soon, noting that Tiger Sports will be travelling around the country playing cricket as a form of recreation, while also helping to foster unity among the communities.
Laluni’s captain Francis was elated to come out with the win, noting that it served as good preparation for his boys, who have been dominant in the Goodwood cricket competition on the East Bank of Demerara. They have won all five of their games and have also qualified for the semi-final.
Republican Boxing Gym won the best gym award after the second night of action in the National Intermediate Boxing Championship organised by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) concluded on Sunday at the East Ruimveldt Community Centre ground, also known as California Square.
This year the GCB has included the successful Under-19 team which won both the three-day and 50over titles for the first time in the history of regional youth cricket, making it a four-team tournament.
The ECB squad reads: Anthony Adams (Captain), Ricardo Adams (Vice Captain) Royan Fredericks, Norman Fredericks, Kevon Boodie, Ricardo Peters, Anthony Ifill, Vijay Surujpaul, Hemchan Persaud, Eknauth Persaud, Brian Hubert, Mark Gonglaves, Mark Tyrell and Royston Alkins.
The season will start in November and will have four-day cricket played in a home and away format, paving the way for a min-
The coach is Vibert Johnson, while team manager is Leroy Halls.
The standby are: Grayson Paul, Tulsiram Premnauth, Danzil Harry and Wayne Osborne.
Clifton Graham out of Republican Gym was named as the best boxer of the tournament after tactically taking after Jason Phillips of Young Achiever’s in the men’s 69k bout. Graham’s tight defence as well as excellent use of the jab allowed the boxer to move at free will while controlling the bout for a 3-0 judge’s decision.
Anandram Dharamray also of Republican won against his own gym mate Claude Daniels via a 3-0 judge’s decision. Christopher DaSilva also of Republican was in fine form as well as he boxed his way to a 3-0 judges decision over the Guyana Defence
Force (GDF) Rupert Gillis in the men’s 60 kilo category.
Republican’s Kevin Alicock dominated Dewayne Kawall in the men’s 52 kilo bout to win by way of a 3-0 judge’s decision as well. However, not every Republican boxer was able to produce wins for the gym as Ravendra Bisoondai suffered at the hands of Victor Low, falling to the canvass in the second round for the referee’s 10-count.
In the youth category Colin Hinds of Rose Hall Jammers (RHJ) lost to his gym mate Joel Williamson byway of a 3-0 judge’s decision while in the junior category Dwayne Harris scored a 3-0 from the judges to win against Shoquincy Wright of Essequibo. Meanwhile, the GDF was given the best runner-up gym after the two day event that started on Saturday.
India have risen to No 1 in the ODI rankings, while Australia toppled to fourth place after their defeat to Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Elton Chigumbura lifting his No 10-ranked team to only their second success against Australia - the first in 31 years - has meant South Africa and Sri Lanka have leapfrogged the freefalling Australia, who were joint-No 1 with India ahead of that match. India had equalled Australia’s points tally following their victo-
ry at Trent Bridge, in the third ODI against England on August 30.
However, the situation at the top remains quite fluid. India will retain their place at No 1 if they beat England in the remaining two matches of the Royal London ODI series and Australia beat South Africa at least once over the coming week - either on Tuesday or, if they make the final, on Saturday.
South Africa will move to the top if they win their two remaining league
games and the subsequent final, even if India win the fourth and fifth ODIs.
Australia, too, have a chance at reclaiming No 1 if they beat South Africa in their remaining league stage game and again in the final. Concurrently, though, India would have to lose at least one of their two ODIs to England.
India had been the No 1 side when they visited New Zealand in January, but lost the top rank after failing to win a match there.
(Cricinfo)
England coach Peter Moores insists skipper Alastair Cook can be an influential batsman in one-day cricket. Last week ex-England spinner Graeme Swann said Cook should not be in the one-day team as he scores too slowly.
“Alastair has taken some criticism but is a very good one-day player with five hundreds and 19 fifties,” Moores said.
Following successive heavy defeats, England trail 2-0 in the one-day series with India and need to win at Edgbaston on Tuesday to keep the contest alive.
Cook top-scored with 44 in England’s modest 227 at Trent Bridge on Saturday, which India overhauled with six wickets intact and seven overs to spare. The captain has 3,030 runs from 84 ODIs at an aver-
age of 37, with a strike rate of 77 runs per 100 balls.
He shared a second successive half-century stand with new opening partner Alex Hales, who made 42 from 55 balls, and Moores said: “He’s different to an Alex Hales who will play a different role. The key is we find the right balance of different sorts of players to be able to get where we want to.”
Following the dismissal of the two openers, England failed to hit a boundary between the 18th and 44th overs, and scored only 12 runs in the batting Powerplay.
“In the middle overs we haven’t played well enough,” Moores said.
“You’ve got to score at a rate that is appropriate for the pitch you’re playing on and keep wickets in hand to strike at the end of the
The Supreme Court has granted the Mudgal Committee a further two months to present its report on corruption in the IPL, and also ruled out allowing N Srinivasan to be reinstated as the BCCI until the investigation is completed. The court will next hear the case on November 10.
The Mudgal Committee, represented by senior counsel Raju Ramachandran, told the special two-man bench of TS Thakur and FM Ibrahim Kalifulla that it needed two more months to complete the investigation pertaining to the IPL spot fixing case, particularly the 13 individuals whose names were mentioned in a sealed envelope handed over to the court in February this year.
While the court granted the committee the extension, the counsel for ICC chairman N Srinivasan and the BCCI asked for his reinstatement as BCCI President, because the BCCI’s annual general meeting is to take place by the end of the month.
Srinivasan was represented by senior counsel Kapil Sibal and the BCCI by A Sundaram, both arguing that Srinivasan’s reinstatement was central to the BCCI being able to hold its annual general meeting with due procedure.
Sibal asked the judges if there was anything against Srinivasan in the committee’s interim report, and if not, requested that he be allowed to resume functioning as BCCI President.
Sundaram said the BCCI’s Interim President Shivlal Yadav was unaware of matters pertaining to its annual reports, which could only be passed after it was signed by the President.
The court, however, said that issues pertaining to the BCCI’s annual general meeting were “not our concern,” referring to its or-
der earlier in April, when the now retired Justice AK Patnaik stated that Srinivasan “could not come back as BCCI President as long as the probe is on.”
The bench also suggested to the Mudgal panel that it could, if it was considered viable, offer an interim report pertaining to the allegations against officer bearers whose names featured in the sealed envelope.
With the court ruling out Srinivasan’s reinstatement, the BCCI might postpone its elections beyond the usual deadline of September 30, because the law would not allow Srinivasan to contest while the investigation is still on.
According to the BCCI rulebook, the AGM has to convene before September ends with a notice period of three weeks. The board, however, could convene the meeting as per the rulebook and adjourn it until the investigation ends. There is no deadline for an adjourned AGM to be reconvened. In 2004, the AGM was deferred for three weeks with Sharad Pawar and Ranbir Singh Mahendra engaged in perhaps the fiercest-ever battle for the BCCI presidency.
It is also understood that the Mudgal investigation may now include interviewing members of the Indian team currently in England,
innings.
“We haven’t done that and we’ve paid the penalty. It’s not good enough, the players know that more than anybody else.”
After the opening match of the series at Bristol was washed out, England lost seven wickets for 78 runs against India’s spinners in a 133-run defeat at Cardiff, and it was the slow bowlers who did the damage again at Trent Bridge, claiming six wickets for 122 runs.
“The players are really clear in what they want,” Moores said. “They want to get in, put the Indian bowlers under pressure, get two or three guys to go through and release some of our striking batters as the game goes on.
“We’ve got to find a way of rotating spin better and playing the middle overs better.”
whose names are in the sealed envelope.
The case dates back to June 2013 when Aditya Verma, secretary of the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB), raised charges of a conflict of interest in the BCCI’s original two-member inquiry panel for the IPL corruption issue. A Bombay High Court ruling later termed the probe panel “illegal”.
The BCCI and the CAB filed petitions in the Supreme Court against this order, with the CAB contending that the Bombay High Court could have suggested a fresh mechanism to look into the corruption allegations.
The Supreme Court then appointed a three-member committee, headed by former High Court judge Mukul Mudgal and comprising additional solicitor general L Nageswara Rao and Nilay Dutta to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations of corruption against Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, India Cements, and Rajasthan Royals team owner Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Limited, as well as with the larger mandate of allegations around betting and spot-fixing in IPL matches and the involvement of players. (Cricinfo)
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said after Saturday’s defeat: “The sooner England accept they can’t play modern-style ODI cricket the sooner they might play it a little better.”
Swann, who said Cook was only one of several players who should be dropped, added that England are happy “to tootle along in a two-litre diesel in a Formula 1 race”, while former England opener Geoffrey Boycott wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph that the team should accept constructive criticism.
Moores insisted the England camp did not have an issue with criticism, stating: “I don’t mind people having a view of what they think is the best side, that’s their right as a pundit.” (BBC Sport)
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New Amsterdam Warriors gained a 'walkover' from Smythfield Rockers in their playoff game in the Legend Classic Basketball Tournament on Sunday.
The Rockers failed to show up for the game, disappointing basketball fans of the ancient town.
Both teams had already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition
following wins over Ithaca Hardliners.
The result means that the Warriors have topped the group and will meet Canje Knights on Sunday in the first semi-finals at the New Amsterdam Basketball Court.
The second semi-finals will be between the Rockers and Fyrish Black Sharks to be played at Fyrish the following Sunday.
Meanwhile, organisers are to meet to decide on the penalty which the Rockers will have to face for not turning up to play on Sunday.
The competition is being played on a round robin basis and is being sponsored by Ponai’s Pharmacy, A Ally and Sons and Nand Persaud Rice Mills.
The event is being organised by Vibert Garrett.
Top seed Novak Djokovic reached his 22nd consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final with a straight-sets win over Philipp Kohlschreiber at the
Williams, 32, beat Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-3 6-3 in 65 minutes. The victory keeps Williams on course to become only the second woman to win three consec-
utive US Open titles since the Open Era began in 1968. It is the first time Williams, a five-time champion in New York, has reached the last eight of a Grand Slam in 2014. Pennetta, the 11th seed, beat Australian Casey Dellacqua 7-5 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals in New York for the fifth time in seven years. Were Williams to win the title for a third straight year, she would emulate compatriot Chris Evert, who won the US Open four times in succession from 1975 to 1978. (BBC Sport)
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The world number one secured a 6-1 7-5 6-4 victory over the German and will play either Andy Murray or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight. Two-time defending champion Serena Williams set up a US Open quarter-final meeting with Flavia Pennetta.
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Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez has joined Spanish side Real Madrid on a season-long loan. Real have an option to buy the 26-year-old, who joined United from Guadalajara in 2010, at the end of the deal.
The Mexican international is surplus to requirements at United after they agreed to take Colombia striker Radamel Falcao on loan from Monaco. European champions Real were looking to add to their attack following Alvaro Morata’s £15.8m move to Juventus. Hernandez, who is un-
der contract with United until June 2016, will provide back-up at the Bernabeu for first-choice striker Karim Benzema. Hernandez scored 20 goals in his debut season as United went on to win the Premier League title in 2010-11.
He added another league title in 2012-13 and has scored 37 times in 102 league appearances, although over half of those were as a substitute.
The striker helped Mexico reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Brazil, scoring in the 3-1 group-stage win over Croatia to take his tally with the national team to 33 goals in 66 appearances.
Hernandez could make his debut for Real when they travel to Deportivo La Coruna in the Primera Division on September 20.
Guyana’s successful Under-19 cricket team, which won both the three-day and 50-over titles for the first time in the history of regional youth cricket, will be competing in the senior Inter-County competition starting on Thursday.
This confirmation came on Monday from Territorial Development Officer of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Colin Stuart.
The Under-19 team will join the senior Demerara, Essequibo
and Berbice teams, as the GCB moves to develop the next generation of cricketers in a more effective manner.
This year the Under-19 tournament hosted by Guyana, Brian Sattaur became the first captain to win both the three-day and 50-over titles in the same year.
The batting was led by openers Shimron Hetmyer and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who both scored hundreds in both formats, as well as the supremely talented Kemo
Paul, who followed his two 50s in the three-day tournament with four halfcenturies in six innings in the 50-over version.
The bowling was centred on spinners Sharaz Ramcharran, Balchand Baldeo, Steven Sankar and Daimon Waldron, who consistently combined to bowl out the opposition.
Meanwhile, the GCB is expected to release more details on the Under-19 participation and the fixture for the tournament sometime today.
Three of the four top clubs advanced to the semifinals of the 20th anniversary of the Victory Valley Royals knockout basketball tournament held last weekend at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court in Linden.
Host, VVR was the first team to advance to the semis after a 53-44 win on Friday against Block 22 Flames. After trailing early in the first quarter, VVR took control in the game to end the first half ahead 21-15. Block 22 Flames played more aggressive in the third quarter to close the gap to four points with the score on 34-30. However, in the fourth VVR pulled away to close out the game behind 19 points by Orlando Glasgow. Chris Williams also had 10 points in the win.
Selwyn Henry and Shane Carmichael netted 17 and 15 points respectively in the loss. The second game of the night saw the Amelia Ward Jets defeating the Falcons with a game high 17 points from Allister Webster. Guard Amaniniki Archibald had 16 points in the game as well.
On Saturday, The Kashif and Shanghai Kings delivered a 70-33 blowout to Blueberry Hill when the second day of the tournament got rolling. Steve Neils, Jr, was on fire from downtown pouring in six three pointers to score 23 points while teammate Quincy Easton also had 23 in the win. Eon Reddock also supported with 12 points.
Meanwhile in the weekend’s final game the Half Mile Bulls created an upset against the Retrieve Raiders with a 63-62 win.
Bulls always looked positive with their post play to gain an early advantage over the Retrieve Raiders who was obviously miss-
ing the presence of their power forward in Dwayne Roberts who was suspended by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF).
Terron Welch scored a game high 23 points, while Kevin Easton had 11 and Travin Dryden 10 points.
Meanwhile, the Half Mile Bulls will now play the Kashif and Shangai Kings in the first semifinal on Friday while the Amelia Ward Jets will trade buckets against the Victory Valley Royals.
Andy Murray saw off Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets to reach the US Open quarter-finals and claim his first top-10 win in over a year.
The Briton won 7-5 7-5 6-4 in humid conditions in New York, and goes on to face world number one Novak Djokovic in the last eight. Murray, seeded eighth, extended his run of Grand Slam quarter-finals that stretches back to Flushing Meadows in 2010.
And he finally claimed a much-needed victory against one of the game’s leading names in Tsonga, the ninth seed who had been enjoying a fine summer. “Today was a good match for the most part,” said Murray.
“I feel like I’m playing well. I’m going to have to play extremely well to win the event or even just to get through the next match. “You never know what can happen in a couple of days. A week ago I didn’t feel great at all.
“Obviously after the first match [when he struggled physically] was a big concern, and now a week later I’m in the quarters. A lot can happen in a few days.
“Murray set the platform by dropping only three points on serve in the first set, and then took the initiative by attacking Tsonga’s second serve when the Frenchman went set point down. The second set finished in exactly the same way, but only after Murray went into attack mode when 2-4 down.”
“He had real fire in his belly throughout, and was unrecognisable from the man who lost to Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon. Djokovic will start Wednesday’s quarterfinal as a worthy favourite, but will not enjoy the ride if
burnett’s
Explosive guard Travis Burnett led the Trinity Grid Holding Pacesetters to a 75-71 win over the Pepsi Sonics on Sunday in the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Trifecta First Division tournament, held at the Burnham Hard Court.
Holding an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, Pacesetters seemed on cruise control with the game in hand. However, Jason Squires came alive in the early part of the fourth [period nailing a couple of daggers from beyond the arc to cut the lead to single digits.
Squires play ignited a 15-0 run as Sonics took a 65-61 lead before Burnett
Murray can produce more of the same.”
Murray’s previous top-10 win came against Djokovic in the 2013 Wimbledon final, since when he has failed to get past the semi-finals of any tournament. That form, and victory in their last meeting in Toronto three weeks ago, gave Tsonga real hope that he could further improve on a 2-9 record against the Scot.
But Murray came out firing on serve and, as in their past encounters, continually pressured the Frenchman with his returns. The 2012 champion dropped just three points behind his best serving of the tournament in the opening set, and took it with a with a clinical volley in game 12.
A great deal of Murray’s recent struggles have centred on his failure to build on leads, and he let Tsonga back into the contest with a poor drop shot early in the second set, but the Briton responded impressively.
A sharp backhand winner created a second breakback point and Murray converted with a blistering forehand, that had both the player and his support team in the stands fist-pumping in unison.
With the adrenaline flowing, Murray raced through his next service game and, again, when Tsonga offered up a glimpse of the set, the Scot leapt on a return. Murray only converted five out of 13 break points - but he only gave five break points away It was not all going his way and Murray berated himself, not for the first time, when he fell behind at the start of the third set, but a terrific backhand in game four took him to 0-40 and Tsonga obliged with a wayward backhand.
The Frenchman faced a long way back after twoand-a-half hours on a stifling afternoon, and he all but handed over the match with two double-faults to fall 0-30 down in a desperate service game.
Murray cracked a backhand winner down the line to earn three match points, and Tsonga sent a tired backhand over the baseline on the second. “The only explanation for what’s happened today is my opponent was better than me on the court,” said Tsonga.
“I missed of course a few things, but at the end we have to play each point, and he was just better than me in these three sets.”
went into overdrive, made a move into the lane at the five minute mark to stop the drought. Burnett’s aggressive attitude in the fi-
nal five minutes of the intense ball game seemed to lift the spirit of his team at the Pacesetters played with a renewed edge that eventually won the game with help from teammates Royston Siland and Joslyn Crawford. Burnett scored a team high 24 points while to help lead his team while Crawford had 12 points to contribute to the win. Jason Squires who was named as the Most Valuable player of the final lodged a game high 28 points while Earl O’Neil had 11 points in the loss. The win for the Pacesetters was their first major win in a year after the Dynas Ravens basketball club dominance of during the last year.
Veteran left-hander
Shiv Chanderpaul issued a stern warning to Bangladesh ahead of Saturday’s start of the first Test, when he hammered a top class hundred in the Tour Match on Monday.
The West Indies batsman carved out a brilliant 183 as St Kitts and Nevis and Bangladesh played to a predictable draw on the final day of the three-day game at Warner Park.
Resuming the day on 232 for four, St Kitts were eventually dismissed for 399 in response to Bangladesh’s first innings of 377 for seven declared.
Chanderpaul, who resumed the day unbeaten on 70, reached his hundred before lunch when he square drove seamer Robiul Islam to the point boundary for his 12th four. He required just over 4-1/2 hours and 207 balls, to reach three figures.
Overall, Chanderpaul faced 315 deliveries, batted just shy of seven hours and counted 20 fours and two sixes.
He put on 94 for the fifth wicket with Jeremiah Louis who scored 35, as St Kitts and Nevis reached lunch strongly at 328 for six. Chanderpaul was eventually last out, taken at cover by Shuvagata Hom off Rubel, forcing an early tea.
Off-spinner Shuvagata Hom (3-48), seamer Rubel Hossain (3-90) and leftarm spinner Taijul Islam (3-109), all picked up three wickets apiece. In their second innings, Bangladesh got knocks of 46 from Shamsur Rahman and 43 from Tamim Iqbal, as they reached 148 for four.
West Indies face Bangladesh in the first Test at Arnos Vale in St Vincent starting September 5.
Summarised scores: Bangladesh 377-6 (Mushfiqur Rahim 106 not out, Nasir Hossain 100; Quinton Boatswain 2-47, Jeremiah Louis 2-57) and 148-2. St Kitts & Nevis
399 (Shiv Chanderpaul 183, Shane Jeffers 118; Shuvagata Hom 3-48, Rubel Hossain 3-90).
Schedule of matches: Dhaka Bank Cup 2014, Bangladesh in West Indies August: Sun 17: Tour Match –Bangladesh won by 95 runs – Progress Park, Grenville,
Grenada
Wed 20: 1st Dhaka Bank
One-day International –West Indies won by 3 wickets – National Stadium, St. George’s, Grenada Fri 22: 2nd Dhaka Bank
One-day International –West Indies won by 177 runs – National Stadium Mon 25: 3rd
Dhaka Bank One-day International – West Indies won by 91 runs –Warner Park, Basseterre, St. Kitts (day/night) Wed 27: Only Dhaka Bank Twenty20
International – No result –Warner Park (night) Sun 30 to September Mon 1: Tour match –Match drawn St. Kitts & Nevis vs Bangladesh –Warner Park
September Fri 5 to Tue 9: 1st Dhaka Bank Test – Arnos Vale Multiplex, Kingstown, St. Vincent Sat 13 to Wed17: 2nd: Dhaka Bank Test – Beausejour Cricket Ground, Gros-Islet, St. Lucia
BANGLADESH 1st Innings 377-7
1st
KITTS &
(overnight
for four) S Martina c wkp
Rahim b Rubel Hossain 9 S Jeffers c Mahmudullah b Shuvagata Hom 118 J Hodge c Mominul Haque b Taijul Islam 7 *S Chanderpaul c Shuvagata Hom b Rubel Hossain 183
T Willett c Mominul Haque b Mahmudullah 21
J Louis lbw b Taijul Islam 35 +J Clarke lbw b Taijul Islam 0
J Taylor b Shuvagata Hom 0
E Berridge c wkp Anamul Haque b Shuvagata Hom 1
S Berridge b Rubel Hossain 15
Q Boatswain not out 2 Extras (b2, w2, nb4) 8 TOTAL (all out, 127 overs) 399
Fall of wickets: 1-77, 2-110, 3-161, 4-226, 5-320, 6-328,
7-349, 8-355, 9-390, 10-399 Bowling: Robiul Islam 12-351-0, Shafiul Islam 15-5-380, Rubel Hossain 25-3-90-3, Mahmudullah 19-6-34-1, Taijul Islam 31-8-109-3, Shuvagata Hom 17-4-48-3, Nasir Hossain 3-0-8-0, Mominul Haque 1-01-0, Shamsur Rahman 1-05-0, Imrul Kayes 3-0-13-0 BANGLADESH 2nd Innings Tamim Iqbal ret. out 43 Shamsur Rahman ret. out 46 Imrul Kayes c E Berridge b Martina 9 Mahmudullah not out 24 +Anamul Haque lbw b E Berridge 15 Shuvagata Hom not out 1
Extras (b9, nb1) 10
TOTAL (2 wkts, 36 overs) 148 Fall of wickets: 1-94, 2-97, 3-103, 4-133 Bowling: E Berridge 13-348-1, Tonito Willett 4-2-150, Martina 10-0-45-1, Jeffers 2-0-13-0, Taylor 7-1-18-0
Monedderlust are the new Hope Memorial Football Champions, defeating NA United in an exciting final which went down to the wire and into the dark on Sunday.
The team from Number Five Village West Coast Berbice won against NA United on sudden death penalty after a 2-2 draw.
Sporting two national players, Monedderlust were off to an early start when Atlyn Brown sent a powerful right foot shot which rocked that back of the nets two minutes into the game leaving Goal keeper Omari Bentham sprawled on the ground as Brown registered his fifth goal of the tournament.
An equalizer did not seem did not seem likely as defender Dowet Watts
was equal to any advances made by forwards Steffon Boucher and Gladwin Grant from NA United.
Meanwhile Kevin Layne playing in the middle for Monedderlust created problems for NA United defense. His passing was excellent as controlled the game but the defense of NA United spearheaded by Bentham ensured that the final kept its interest.
Determined to beat the New Amsterdam team in their own back yard, Monedderlust continued their efforts and was rewarded in the 27th when Layne took things into his own hand, but used his foot and Bentham could not hold on to the ball on that occasion.
Down 2-nil NA United were forced to go against the breeze in the second half
and Monedderlust saved their energy and watched the clock as the outcome of the game seemed already decided.
Without any warning Striker Glenton Lyte found a burst of energy and got away from the defenders taking the ball with him but his shot was over the cross bar.
Minutes later he did the same thing this time sending the ball between the uprights but failed to get pass Goalkeeper Sherwin Jack. It then seemed that a goal was in the making and Monedderlust started to counter attack.
In the process as the lights started to fade, Watts was tackled just outside of the 18-yard-box. To the surprise of all Bentham decided to face the shot without a wall being created be-
tween himself and the ball. His team mates breathed a sigh of relief when he held onto the ball and sent it into the mid field where it found the feet of a lurking Glenton Lyte who this time sent it over to Howard Smith who pushed it to the right of Jack as he moved to his left. The back of the nets rocked and the score was 2-1 in the 74th minute.
Two more shots were sent to Jack which he saved. The third in the 88th minute was another from Lyte who came one on one with the goalkeeper but kicked the ball over the uprights and it seemed all over.
Grant was given the ball in a last effort to find an equalizer but just could not find the right player to give the ball to. It was tak-
en from him and sent out of play giving NA United a corner.
With only seconds left in regulation time Boucher took the shot, it crashed into the up rights and rebounded to be sent into the goal by Lyty in the 90th minute. It was almost too dark to see and the match referee decided that there will be no extra time play and the game will decided from the penalty spot.
Monedderlust did not score in their first three shots and when NA United did not score off their last two shots the games was forced into sudden death. Eight shots were needed before the winner was decided in almost total darkness.
Bentham was asked by Referee Sherwin Johnson weather he was able to see
and he said yes before he faced his last shot. He did not move. The goal was scored.
The MVP of the tournament went to Kevin Layne who received $20,000. Vice President of Hope Football Club Mark Adams using the lights from as vehicle to conduct the presentation ceremony admits mosquitoes noted that organizes were not just looking for someone who could score goals but lifted the performance of the entire team in arriving at the MVP.
Akeem Watts of Monedderlust received the best midfielder trophy while Jason Drakes of NA United was adjudged the best defender. Jack received $12,000 for being the best Goalkeeper of the tournament and Brown $15,000 for scoring the most goals.
Guyana’s premier squash player
Nicolette Fernandes has slipped three places down the world ranking, which was updated on Monday by the World International Squash Players Association (WISPA).
Fernandes, who was sitting on a career-best 19 for the past five months, dropped to 22, but will have chance to move further up in the coming months. She is slated to compete in a few tournaments before the end of 2014 and will have a chance to improve on her current ranking.
Since returning from injury however, Guyana’s most decorated squash player has been on the rise, significantly moving up the ranking with each passing competition. Such was her outstanding performance that at the end of 2009, Fernandes, who is based in England and is under the expert guidance of award-winning coach Carl Ince, had taken her ranking below 100, ending the year at 88.
Ever since then, it has been a steady climb up the ladder for the multiple Sportswoman-of-the-Year, consistently racking up points and making her way up the WISPA leaderboard. (Avenash Ramzan)
The dip in ranking was a direct result of suffering a first round loss in the main draw of the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open 2014 in August. The 31-year-old Fernandes lost to England’s Victoria Lust 8-11, 9-0,1012, 0-11, 10-12. That tournament was won by the long-standing world number one, Nicol David, of Malaysia. The win solidified David’s status as number one, a position she has held since January 2006. Despite this small setback, Fernandes is credited with making a remarkable turnaround in her career. At the start of 2009 she was rated a lowly 249 after a recurring knee injury that kept her out of competition for a protracted period of time.