Caribbean Times International

Jamaican gov’t agrees to merger of police forces

More than a decade after it was first recommended, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and its main auxiliary Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) are to be merged, a move that the authorities say will place more cops on the streets as the country battles its nagging crime problem.

Shortly after news emerged Tuesday that the Cabinet had approved the merger, National Security Minister Peter Bunting and Police Commissioner Owen Ellington highlighted a number of positives from the decision.

"We will eliminate a lot of the inefficiencies of having two command structures, separate offices, separate administration," Bunting told local media at Emancipation Park during the National Safe Schools Peace Day Concert attended by hundreds of students, and staged to promote peace in schools.

"By combining them you will release more personnel to be on the streets patrolling communities, working in crime control and crime prevention," said

Bunting. Commissioner Ellington, in a later interview, agreed. He said the merger will increase the strength of the JCF to just under its 12,000 establishment.

"It should result in a net increase in the numbers that are deployed on the streets as we give up a lot of administrative and support services that are duplicated because we had to maintain two command structures," Ellington said.

Noting that the merger will be effected during the 2014/2015 financial year, Bunting said the financial implication would be minimal.

Benefits

"Salaries will be the same for the rank equivalent. We have done studies in terms of rank equivalent and they will come in on the JCF scale of salaries. They will carry their benefits, the years of service will count towards their pension, etc and they will be fully integrated into the various divisional formation and branches," he said.

But even as the minister addressed the issue, some ISCF cops were said to be uneasy.

"There is a level of uneasiness out there as a number of rank and file members are still not clear what will be the implications," said Joel Betty, acting chairman of the ISCF Association.

Betty said, since news of the merger was released, the ISCF office has been flooded with calls from concerned members.

Commissioner Ellington assured, though, that now that the policy had been approved by Cabinet, the police high command is in a better position to speak more about it.

Asked to explain some of the changes under the merger, Ellington said that ISCF cops will change from their traditional 'blue seam' uniform to the JCF's 'red seam'.

He also said that ISCF members will have to assume new JCF numbers which will be issued to them.

Asked whether ISCF cops will be required to undergo more training, given the time difference in the instruction period of the two forces, Ellington said 'no'.

(Excerpted from Jamaica Observer)

Caricom expresses deep concern over political tensions between Ukraine and Russia

The 15-member regional integration grouping, Caricom, Wednesday said it was “deeply concerned” at the ongoing political developments in Ukraine, and called for an end to the tensions to prevent possible bloodshed.

“The Caribbean Community (Caricom) is deeply concerned by the recent developments in Ukraine and calls on all parties involved, to act with self-restraint and responsibility in order to reduce tensions and avoid destabilisation in that region,” the

Guyana-based Caricom Secretariat said in a statement.

It said Caricom “supports the people of Ukraine in their efforts to settle their differences peacefully, and calls for the respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“In this regard, the Community also calls for the use of international mediation and/or negotiations, to address security and human rights concerns in Ukraine, under the auspices of the United Nations.

“The Caribbean Community will contin-

Guyana’s AG sues Kaieteur News over “Dem boys seh” articles

Guyana’s Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall on Tuesday was successful in securing an injunction against Kaieteur News, restraining it from publishing any further defamatory contents against him as was allegedly done in two previous editions of its daily column “Dem boys seh”.

The ex parte injunction was issued by acting Chief Justice Ian Chang on Tuesday pending additional court documents to be served.

The affidavit named Editor Adam Harris, Publisher Glenn Lall and the National Media Publishing Company as respondents.

In the affidavit filed by Nandlall’s group of attorneys, which includes Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos, Sase Gunraj, Euclin Gomes and Ganesh Hira, the minister is claiming some Gy$30 million for the public embarrassment caused by the two articles.

The columns referred to by Nandlall were published on February

28 and March 2 titled “Tax Dollars Going to Sleep-In” and “Ah Kneel Deh Pun A Hustle” respectively. The minister also stated in the court document that his attorney had wrote the newspaper’s Editor-inChief Adam Harris, instructing that a retraction be published within 24 hours and warned if not done, legal actions would be pursued.

Nandlall added that he had spoken to Harris about retracting the articles and was told that it was published based upon the instructions of Lall; however, the Editor-in-Chief did promised that a retraction along with an apology would be published.

He said too that he had spoken with Lall who also promise that a retraction would be done, but no such actions were taken.

The Attorney General is asking for damages in excess of Gy$10,000,000 each for the libel contained in the articles titled “Tax Dollars Going to SleepIn” and “Ah Kneel Deh Pun A Hustle”. In excess of Gy$10,000,000 is also being asked for aggravated and exemplary damages caused.

In addition, Nandlall requested an injunction restraining the respondents from furthering publishing any similar libel concerning him.

(Excerpted from Guyana Times)

RBC budgets Cdn$40 million for Caribbean restructuring

ue to monitor developments within Ukraine and hopes for peace and calm as political and economic stability are restored within that country.”

The United States and Russia were expected to hold talks on easing East-West tension over Ukraine on Wednesday.

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday defended Russia's actions in Crimea, a strategic Black Sea peninsula that is part of Ukraine but used to be Russian territory, and said he would use force only as a last resort.

Royal Bank of Canada has set aside Cdn$40 million for payouts to employees of subsidiary RBC Jamaica and other restructuring charges in the Caribbean.

The bank booked the expected losses of Cdn$60 million in its first quarter ending January, and said other provisions had been made for postemployment benefits to be finalised once the deal with Sagicor Jamaica

Group had closed. The transaction is expected to get regulatory approval within the second quarter.

RBC Jamaica employs about 500 staff.

Earlier this year, RBC cut 20 staff in Trinidad and Tobago, and the union there expects more positions will be made redundant. There have also been reports of cuts coming in Dominica.

Sagicor has agreed

to buy RBC Jamaica for Ja$9.5 billion for the operation with the bad debts stripped out. To date, RBC has declined to shed light on the fate of the Wyndham hotel property, which it took over in 2011 and placed into receivership on claims that a Ja$33million loan had fallen into arrears. The hotel owners, in turn, have countered that the bank breached the loan agreement. (Jamaica Gleaner)

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EDITORIAL

Justice Bernard

Justice Desiree Bernard, who is widely respected and admired across the English-speaking Caribbean and farther afield, was honoured for her outstanding contributions to the legal field when the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) held its inaugural sitting in Guyana recently.

Certainly, we were not surprised at all of the many glowing tributes paid to this icon by legal luminaries and other practitioners from various countries, recognising her work and the extremely high standards she has set for others to follow. The event was most fitting and we are happy that those in authority saw the need to recognise the important and necessary work this outstanding Guyanese daughter has been engaged in over the years.

Justice Bernard’s achievements are world-rated. In fact, it is almost impossible for one to properly capture the accomplishments of a woman of such calibre. Bernard is regarded as a pioneer judge and trailblazer, who has utilised her skills and legal training to break down many barriers for women in the legal and other professions, not only in Guyana, but the Caribbean and beyond.

Justice Bernard is a woman of many firsts. She was the first female High Court judge of the Supreme Court of Guyana, the first female Justice of Appeal, the first female Chief Justice of Guyana and in the Caribbean; and the first female Chancellor of the judiciary of Guyana and the Caribbean. She was also the first female Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice at the court’s inauguration in 2005.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh, in his presentation described Justice Bernard as “a judge of considerable learning and experience, and a judge, who in exemplary fashion, has demonstrated discipline and decorum and who is always courteous, polite, and extremely personable”. Her appointment to the apex judicial body of the Caribbean is testimony of the heights that can be achieved by women who commit themselves to the disciplined and delicate study of law.

In his tribute, CCJ President, Justice Dennis Byron gave a summary of Justice Bernard’s legal career, beginning with her graduation from the University of London to her appointment at the CCJ, along with her tremendous work in the social sector.

Throughout her tenure at the court, Madame Justice Bernard has demonstrated the value of the CCJ as a dispute resolution authority for regional integration, economic development in a rule-based community, exhibiting high standards of fairness and governance, opening up new avenues for ordinary people in the region to have a voice and get justice at the highest of the judicial authority.

Justice Byron listed many of the areas in which Mrs Bernard has imprinted her legacy as the first female. He pointed out that “excellence and integrity” are the two words which automatically spring to mind when thinking about Justice Bernard.

“One of the tenets that have been a guide is a constant surge for excellence in all her endeavours. As a student, leader, practitioner, a judge, a judicial administrator; she has always brought her best to date. Her service to the profession and the public, not only nationally or regionally but also worldwide, has been nothing short of service par excellence,” he stated.

Surely, Justice Bernard has left a legacy for others in the legal profession to emulate. It is hoped that even though she has retired from her most recent post as a judge on the CCJ, a new chapter will soon begin where the people of Guyana and indeed the people of the entire region, will continue to benefit from her knowledge and expertise, developed over the years.

Guyana needs as much help as it can get in various areas of development, and experts such as Bernard must be encouraged to continue serving and providing the necessary guidance to younger professionals.

Crimebot wins Digital Jam 3.0 “Caribbean Edition” mobile apps competition

- Silicon Valley experts offer digital work opportunities to young Caribbean techies

Amobile app to map crime hotspots and notify users of crimes happening nearby won the grand prize at the Digital Jam 3.0 “Caribbean Edition” competition.

Crimebot was one of 160 finalists from the Caribbean region that were celebrated Sunday night at the closure of the “Get up, Startup” conference in Kingston, Jamaica.

More than 50 teams from Jamaica, Barbados, Dominica, Haiti, Antigua, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Kitts had a chance to network with key experts from the Silicon Valley, and learn from leading tech companies how to find online work opportunities or get funding for e-business ideas.

“Digital Jam 3.0 provides Jamaican and Caribbean youth with a stage to showcase their talent, creativity, and innovation to generate new products and services and at the same time create jobs and new startup companies,” said Jamaica’s State Minister for Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining Julian Robinson.

Today, more than 120,000 Jamaican youth are neither in school, nor employed nor on the labour market. Youth unemployment rates in the Caribbean are alarming and governments in the region have put forth a number of initiatives to provide young people with skills and job op-

portunities. Digital Jam is one of them.

“Digital Jam 3.0 is about creating a brand to position the Caribbean as a potential hub for the tech industry, linking the Caribbean youth with digital entrepreneurs, angel investors and centres of excellence in the Silicon Valley and across the Latin American region,” said World Bank Senior Social Development Specialist Fabio Pittaluga.

Entries were reviewed by a panel of expert judges, including Bedy Yang, SFO of 500 Startups; JJ Geewax, Vice President of Engineering of Invite Media; Yousef Hamidaddin, CEO of Oasis500; Peter Corbett, founder and CEO of iStrategyLabs; and Jeff Burton, Executive Director from Skydeck Berkeley.

Top five

The top five winners in the competition are: Grand Prize: Crimebot (US$10,000 and a contract with the Jamaica National Building Society Group). For beginners: Route 876 – a transportation app to help you find which bus you need to take and determine how long it will take you to go from A to B. For games: Pan Chicken Dash – a chicken chase game, where users direct the chicken to collect all the eggs on various levels. For expert developers: MediReview – a medical app to help doctors

and patients suffering from Non-Communicable Diseases such as diabetes and obesity to keep track of appointments, treatments and patients’ health conditions. For e-learning: E L Jam Tutor – an education app for children to support learning in Jamaican classrooms.

“It’s shocking to see how an idea can really become a reality,” said Gareth Thompson, who won the Grand Prize in the competition. “We have to have a serious next step, which is developing Crimebot further and trying to address the real issue – crime,” he added.

Following the conference, all finalists will be offered follow-up trainings to turn their app into viable and monetizable products and services.

The coalition behind this initiative includes the government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group, the government of Canada, and key partners such as the Caribbean Development Bank; the Development Bank of Jamaica; the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat; Microsoft; LIME; Google; the Jamaica Gleaner; JAMPRO; InfoDev; and other corporate entities.

Archives of live streaming are still available online courtesy of sponsors LIME. To view, go to https://new. livestream.com/LIMELive/ DigitalJam3.

Several Guyanese children recovering well after heart surgeries in Dominican Republic

- made possible with the intervention of Canadian doctors

Several Guyanese children, who had travelled to the Dominican Republic (DR) earlier this year for heart surgeries, have had successful operations, and some of them have since returned home, where they are currently recovering.

The initiative was made possible through a collaborative effort of the Guyana government through its Health

er ones passed away and another could not be operated on due to the advanced stage of their illness. However, seven of the children who had successful surgeries returned to Guyana a few weeks ago and have since been receiving necessary follow-up treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in Guyana.

A team of doctors from Calgary is expected

Ministry, international non-governmental organisation, Baby Heart, and the University of Calgary.

The group of 11 children, ages ranging from 10 months to 18 years old, was screened, diagnosed and selected for overseas treatment by a team of doctors from the University of Calgary, led by Canadian-Guyanese Dr. Narendra Singh and his colleagues Dr. Kishan Narine and Prof. Debra Isaac along with pediatricians from Guyana, Dr. Seepersaud Chatterdeo and Dr. Clive Bowman Dr. Singh, president of the Guyana Help the Kids Foundation (GHTK) and who is well known for his outstanding contributions to enhance Guyana’s health care, was also instrumental in coordinating the initiative for the kids to seek medical treatment in the DR.

While nine of the children had successful surgeries, one of the young-

to return to Guyana by month-end to assess the children and ensure that they are healthy and progressing well.

According to reports reaching this newspaper, the remaining two kids were unable to travel back to Guyana with the group last week as they had fallen ill with the flu in the Dominican Republic. They are recovering well though and expected back home later this week.

Thankful

In the meantime, the beneficiaries especially the parents of the children, who have had successful treatment, are very grateful for the intervention.

Had it not been for the initiative, many of the children might not have had the needed surgeries in time since some of the families, who hail from various areas of Guyana, were unable to afford the cost of the treatment. Through the collaborative venture, the

children, accompanied by their parents, were facilitated at the Chadasha hospital in the DR, where they underwent the surgeries. The families did not have to pay for the treatment.

One parent, Marcia Beete, whose daughter, seven-year-old Marissa Beete had surgery, told this newspaper that she is very thankful for the initiative and is hoping that it will make a big impact on her child’s health. Marissa was discharged from the GPHC last Friday and is currently recovering at home in Georgetown.

The mother recalled that Marissa developed breathing complications at six months at which time she was diagnosed with “a tiny hole in the heart.” Despite continued follow-up and treatment since then, Marissa’s condition persisted without hope of her being healed. However, when Dr Singh and the team of Canadian doctors visited Guyana, they recommended sur-

gery.

“I didn’t know the medical terms then, but they (Canadian doctors) explained everything to me in detail so I could un-

derstand…at first I didn’t want the surgery because I was worried if it will go well and if it will help my daughter…but then I decided to go ahead with it,”

Mrs Beete related. Since the surgery, Marissa has faced some bout of illnesses but overall is doing fine, according to her mother.

Guyana’s economic freedom has advanced – U.S. think tank

Historically, the Washingtonbased think tank, the Wall Street Journal/ Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom has always been critical of Guyana, failing to recognise the strides made in moving the economy forward.

However, the organisation recently ranked Guyana the 121st freest country out of 178 countries with a score of 55.7, about two points higher than that of last year’s.

Over the 20-year history of the index, Guyana has advanced its economic freedom score by 10 points. This overall increase has been achieved by enhancements in sev-

en of the 10 economic freedoms, notably the management of public spending, freedom from corruption, and monetary freedom, the scores for which have improved by 10 points or more.

The report, which was released last month, stated that this increase reflected notable score increases in control of government spending and investment freedom.

According to the report, “Guyana slipped back into economically repressed” status during the late 2000s, but has risen out of that category since 2012 and recorded its highest score in eight years in the 2014 Index.” Guyana has been ex-

periencing real growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately five per cent per annum for the past eight years

as a direct result of the conducive policy framework that the government has put in place.

Finance Minister, Dr

Guyana, Japan seal deal on

Ashni Singh in a recent interview stated that economic performance in the last two years has not only seen GDP growth, which is the universally accepted measure of economic performance in a country, but all of the correlators are evident as well.

These include: strong inward foreign direct investment, continued growth in credit to the private sector, stable prices, low inflation rates, low interest rates which continues to trend downwards and other key macroeconomic fundamentals remaining on a favourable trajectory.

Last month, the United Nations’ an-

nual World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report 2014 projected that Guyana and Haiti will take the lead in economic growth for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Caribbean-based financial institution, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) also projects that Guyana and Haiti will take the lead in the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is the authoritative institution for assessing a country’s economic performance projected economic growth of six per cent for Guyana this year.

(Guyana Times)

US$2.9 million grant

AUS$2.9 million grant aid project agreement was on Monday morning inked between the governments of Guyana and Japan in the boardroom of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Georgetown.

The grant is intended to boost Guyana’s economic and social sectors. Monies will be available for lending to members of the private sector and will also be utilised for the importation of products such as civil engineering equipment and electric power machinery.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said the funding was a unique mechanism. She explained that while the private sector would be allowed to borrow funds, the repaid loans will be used by government for the further development of Guyana.

She pointed out that the project was a man-

ifestation of the growing relationship between the nations. RodriguesBirkett said the countries have been developing in different areas over the years, and recalled the many Japanese-funded projects that have taken root in Guyana.

“I would also like to say that this is a further demonstration of Japan being a true friend to Guyana, as Japan has, over the years, provided quite a lot of resources to our dear country. You would remember the New Amsterdam Hospital, the Corriverton water supply project, Japan’s contribution to work in the water conservancy, and we have been benefiting from scholarships,” she told media operatives.

Rodrigues-Birkett added that government would welcome the day when Guyana would be able to export its products and services to Japan, since there has

been an increase in trade from Japan to Guyana. Currently, more than 90 per cent of vehicles in Guyana are imported from Japan, RodriguesBirkett said.

Bonds of friendship

Japan’s Ambassador to Guyana, Yoshimasa Tezuka said the Japanese government considers the project an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of friendship and deepen the mutual understanding of the two countries.

“Japan and Guyana have long enjoyed and benefited from friendly relationships. In fact, this year, we are celebrating the Japan-Caricom Friendship year, which marks 20 years since the first Japan-Caricom consultation in 1993. This grant aid is a good indicator of the strength of our relations,” he said.

Ambassador Tezuka said 2014 will commemorate the 50th anniversa-

ry of the establishment of diplomatic relations

between Japan and Jamaica, and Japan and Trinidad and Tobago. He said the governments of Japan, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago will observe the historic event with cele-

brations in Japan and Caricom member countries. These activities, he declared, will enhance Japan-Caricom relations in diverse fields such as culture, trade, and tourism. (Guyana Times)

Guyana launches plan to ease City’s traffic congestion

Guyana’s Home Affairs Ministry last Friday initiated a soft launch of its “Which Way?” campaign; an initiative designed by Tagman Media and Renaissance Marketing to address the issues of congestion and safety on the roadways in Georgetown.

Under this strategic plan, some two-way streets in Georgetown will be transformed into a one-way flow of traffic, Public Relations Consultant Alex Graham disclosed during the launching at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

The campaign is set for an official launch on March 28 and the changes will take effect from March 31.

In developing the strategy, Tagman Media and Renaissance Marketing divided the city into four quadrants.

Graham explained that Georgetown was divided into East-West halves along Vlissengen Road from the Sea Wall to Mandela Avenue.

It was subsequently divided from NorthSouth by Croal Street/ Homestretch Avenue to Sheriff Street/Kitty Avenue, effectively dividing the city into four quadrants.

Alluding to the changes to be made, Graham said while the Kitty Public Road will remain

a west-bound one-way street, David Street, which is now a two-way street will be converted to a one-way west-bound street from Sheriff Street to Vlissengen Road. Garnett Street will also be converted to a westbound street.

Meanwhile, Sandy Bobb Street will be converted to a east-bound one-way lane from Vlissengen Road to the Eastern Highway; however, Thomas Lands will remain a two-way street.

Princes Street, Norton Street, Durban Street and Hadfield Street will flow east-west in the southern part of Georgetown.

West-bound traffic will now be encouraged to use Princes Street while Durban Street will become a one-way street, west-bound from High Street to Mandela Avenue.

However, Norton Street will be converted to one-way traffic east-bound from George Street to Mandela Avenue while Hadfield Street will be converted to a one-way east-bound traffic from Lombard Street to Mandela Avenue.

Notably, Homestretch Avenue and Regent Street will remain twoway roads.

Graham said to guarantee a smooth transition; a public education campaign will also be launched.

“We are actually going to have what we call a traffic chopper in the first week of the campaign. We will put a chopper over the city that will be able to describe to the persons listening to the radio… what are the options available to get to your destination,” Graham explained.

Additionally, live streaming of the East Bank corridor will be done online, so viewers can determine the best time to traverse the main access road.

According to the public relations consultant, 60 per cent of the campaign’s content will be designed to deliver education and information to meet the regular man in the street.

It was further explained that a “route approach” will be used to fulfil the objective of the project. (Guyana Times)

Jamaica targets diaspora during World Cup tourney

While Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will play no part in this summer's World Cup, state minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, Damion Crawford, says there are plans to provide entertainment for visitors to the island during the period.

According to the minister, while many will be heading off to Brazil for the month-long tournament, Jamaica will share in the excitement and target its diaspora.

"The World Cup falls under our ongoing plans for the ‘90 Days of Summer’ entertainment package. We are looking to have a situation where persons can watch it on big screens and that the diaspora can be a part of it. We haven't decided on venues for that yet, but the idea is open for private partnership. Local sports bars will also facilitate that type of entertainment during the World Cup season, but our job is to bring the foreigners here," Crawford told local media.

Tourists heading to Brazil

The minister anticipates that several tourists will be making Brazil their destination instead of Jamaica, and therefore aims to make the season special for Jamaicans living abroad, who, despite not having their home team in the competition, still want to join in the cele-

Trinidadian couple killed in Valencia accident

Acouple from Sangre Grande became TT’s latest road fatalities Sunday, after the car they were in crashed into a utility pole in Valencia while they were returning home from a fete.

According to police reports, Otto Gilbert, a 28-year-old off duty taxi driver, and his girlfriend Kerry Ollivierre, 27, were heading east along the Valencia stretch towards Sangre Grande around 3.10 am when tragedy struck.

Gilbert’s black Mitsubishi Lancer taxi reportedly collided with a silver Nissan Wingroad, which was travelling in the opposite direction. Gilbert’s car only came to a stop when it collided with a utility pole at the side of the road. Gilbert was thrown from the vehicle, while Ollivierre was crushed in the front passenger seat. Police and fire officers, led by Senior Supt Othniel Williams, arrived on the

scene within minutes and removed Ollivierre from the wreckage using hydraulic power tools. Gilbert, of North Eastern Settlement, Ojoe Road, Sangre

Grande, and Ollivierre, of Eastern Main Road, Sangre Chiquito, were pronounced dead on the scene by a District Medical Officer (DMO). The driv-

brations.

"We are trying to attract our diaspora, so it will be like an alumni association with various activities that they can take part in," he said.

The minister is one of the many football fans the island has, and will also take part in the festivities, with Spain being his favourite team.

Reggae-inspired festival

Crawford said one of the biggest festivals in Brazil is inspired by reggae music, though that festival will not be held during the World Cup. He also said he was uncertain if there would be any major Jamaican events in Brazil during the World Cup games.

"If we had qualified, we would have had a Jamaica House in Brazil and we would have greater impact. The cul-

er of the Wingroad, Darryl Sookdeo, 21, of Wallenville Road, Sangre Grande, also sustained serious injuries in the crash and was taken to the Sangre Grande District Hospital for treatment.

Investigators believe that Gilbert may have been intoxicated, as both the couple’s bodies and their car smelt of alcohol, and both were wearing wristbands from a Carnival fete. Officers said Gilbert was more than likely driving well over the speed limit, as the car was almost completely destroyed in the accident.

ASP Ramkelewan, Sgt Johnson and Cpl Kitsingh, of the Sangre Grande Police Station, are continuing investigations.

TT’s road fatality toll for the year stood at 30 Sunday, according to statistics from the Highway Patrol and Traffic Branch. (Excerpted from TT Guardian)

ture and the country would have been in the minds of the consumer," Crawford said.

The ministry is finetuning its plans for the ‘90 Days of Summer’ entertainment package and will be having a public call in coming weeks to create awareness about the supporting activities for major events of the summer.

A slew of events will play part of the ‘90 Days of Summer’ promotion, with Reggae Sumfest, Dream Weekend and SPF among the more well known.

"We intend to give visitors more value for their money. Instead of buying a ticket and booking a room for one event, visitors will have access to several events," Crawford disclosed.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

Jamaica gets US$11 million grant to revive cotton industry

The Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation (JADF) has signed an US$11 million grant agreement with the Japanese government, for the revitalisation of the West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) industry in Jamaica. The signing, which took place recently, also marked the commemoration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and Japan.

Speaking at the ceremony, which was held at the offices of the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA), on Winchester Road in Kingston, Agriculture and Fisheries minister, Roger Clarke, commended the JADF for spearheading the development of the WISIC industry, and the partnership with the Japanese government.

The minister said WISIC, due to its superior quality, is one of the crops which gives the re-

gion its distinct competitive edge. “Efforts to grow it elsewhere in the world have not resulted in the kind of quality achieved when it is grown in this region,” he added.

“There is hardly any competition from other countries when it comes to producing this cotton…it does not spoil, you are able to add value to the primary product, it fetches a high price, and is not known to have suffered from any act of praedial larceny,” he outlined, noting that the return on investment in WISIC is more than 30 per cent. The minister said the government must support rejuvenation of the WISIC industry, as it could create 15,000 new jobs, and earn close to J$1 billion in foreign exchange.

Meanwhile, chief executive officer of the JADF, Vitus Evans, said the foundation is seeking to have 5,000 acres of cotton under production over three years. (JIS)

U.S. report says TT struggling to deal with trafficking, use of illegal narcotics

The United States says corruption, lack of sustainability of governmentfunded programmes as well as gaps in legislative and organizational implementation continue to be challenges facing Trinidad and Tobago in its efforts to curb the trafficking and use of illegal narcotics.

The U.S. Department of State in its just released “2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report” notes that the location of the oil-rich twin island republic, porous borders, and direct transportation routes to Europe, West Africa, Canada and the United States make it an ideal location for cocaine and marijuana transshipment.

Washington said that marijuana is produced in TT and is the most widely used drug domestically, but other drugs, including cocaine, hero-

in, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and ecstasy, are also available.

It said interdiction efforts are robust and continuing and though overall seizures in 2013 increased from 2012, the TT government continues to struggle to coordinate and adequately fund its counter-narcotics efforts.

Under-resourced

“Rehabilitation facilities are insufficient and under-resourced to meet local demand for treatment. Lack of sustainability of governmentfunded programmes, particularly in the area of demand reduction, corruption, and gaps in legislative and organizational implementation remain challenges to the country’s efforts to curb the trafficking and use of illegal narcotics,” the reported stated.

Washington said that while the country continues to demonstrate

washington said that marijuana is produced in tt and is the most widely used drug domestically but other drugs, including cocaine, heroin, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and ecstasy, are also available

a high level of commitment to drug control by fostering bilateral cooperation and intelligence sharing with countries of origin, transit and destination, “there is continuing distrust within and between units of law enforcement, the military, and the intelligence community preventing effective information sharing and collaboration.”

The report indicated too that marijuana is the only known locallyproduced illicit drug and

that production is concentrated in small farms in the heavily forested, mountainous regions.

It said local producers compete with imports from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Guyana, and Venezuela, and that other illicit drugs –primarily cocaine, but also small amounts of heroin and ecstasy – are trafficked through the country by transnational organized crime groups operating in TT.

Marijuana

“There has been an increase in Jamaican nationals within Trinidad and Tobago bartering shipments of marijuana for cocaine for re-export.

In addition, increased government eradication efforts have driven up the local price of marijuana, causing some traffickers to shift their focus from cocaine to marijuana,” the reported outlined.

It added that law enforcement entities in Port-of-Spain seized 110.6 kilogrammes (kg) of cocaine and 3.7 metric tons of marijuana between January and September, 2013.

“Approximately 328,600 mature marijuana trees were also destroyed during this period. Higher seizure rates could indicate increased efforts by and a greater ability of law enforcement officers to detect trafficking. It may

also indicate an increase in the volume of product being trafficked through Trinidad and Tobago, which would be consistent with reports that project an increase in trafficking through the Caribbean as a result of counter-narcotics efforts in Central America and Mexico,” the report said, noting however that prosecution and conviction rates for narcotics offenses are low.

“Senior leaders have not been successful in translating political will to combat trafficking into operational effectiveness. To raise conviction rates and deter traffickers, the government of Trinidad and Tobago should implement reforms to expedite prosecutions, revise outdated laws and standard operating procedures, and establish an evidence-based criminal justice system,” it added.

(Excerpted from CMC)

Caribbean Airlines exploring service to St Vincent

The Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines (CAL) Monday would neither confirm nor deny reports that it was conducting inquiries into the possibility of including St. Vincent and the Grenadines on its Caribbean routes.

tacted at least three local companies about the possibility of one of them being handlers for the airline.

sidy was “illegal” under the treaty that established the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and had threatened to go

to the Caribbean Court of Justice if the matter could not be resolved through arbitration.

But the Kamla

Persad Bissessar government subsequently discontinued the subsidy that in 2012 was estimated at US$40 million.

An airline industry official reportedly told CMC that CAL officials came to St. Vincent recently to do a site inspection and that they were accompanied by personnel from its security, engineering, operation, and marketing departments.

The source further said that CAL has con-

A report from the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) quoted Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves as saying that while he had not been “formally approached” on the matter, “I understand from our authorities that they have come in and they were doing inquiries. But I haven’t seen anything formally coming to the state administration”.

CAL Communications Manager Clint Williams, while he would not confirm nor deny the possibility of the airline servicing the route, said “Caribbean Airlines is continuously evaluating new routes and new opportunities.

“Currently with our new business plan we are evaluating all the flying on our fleets including our ATR fleets,” he added.

Gonsalves, who is chair of regional carrier LIAT, had in the past objected to CAL servicing the same routes as the Antigua-based airline while CAL was receiving a fuel subsidy from the Trinidad and Tobago government.

He said that the sub-

Jamaican police seize over 2,000 lbs of ganja at Kingston port

Aman has been arrested and over

Ja$10 million worth of ganja seized following a two-day operation by Jamaican police at the Kingston Container Terminal in the capital city.

The police's Corporate Communications Unit reported that the operation was conducted by the Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division last Friday with as-

sistance from the police's Ports Division and the Contraband Enforcement Team of Jamaica Customs.

A total of 2,168 pounds of ganja were seized. Seven hundred and twenty seven pounds were discovered about 3:00 p.m. last Friday in a 40-foot container originating from Panama and bound for Mexico.

Another 677 pounds were found about 12:30

p.m. Saturday in barrels inside another container, also bound for Mexico. A third parcel of the drugs, weighing approximately 764 pounds, was found in travelling bags inside a container destined for the United Kingdom.

The police are withholding the identity of the man in custody as they continue their investigations. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Caribbean states named among major money laundering countries

The United States has named several Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries as major money laundering states whose financial institutions engage in currency transactions involving significant amounts of proceeds from international narcotics trafficking.

In its "2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report", the U.S. State Department listed Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize and Haiti as among major money laundering countries and jurisdictions around the world.

In addition to these Caricom countries, the other Caribbean islands named were the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.

The report also noted that countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Brazil, Russia, France, Canada as well as the Dominican Republic, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands had been designated major money laundering countries

The report, which described the steps taken during the previous year by the governments of nearly 90 countries to reduce illicit narcotics production, trafficking and use, as well as money laundering and financial crimes, said that the "complex nature of money laundering transactions today makes it difficult in many cases to distinguish the proceeds of narcotics trafficking from the proceeds of other serious crime.

"Moreover, financial institutions engaging in transactions involving significant amounts of proceeds of other serious crime are vulnerable to narcotics-related money laundering," it added.

Washington said that "this year's list of major money laundering countries recognises this relationship by including all countries and other juris-

dictions, whose financial institutions engage in transactions involving significant amounts of proceeds from all serious crime".

The report also noted that Caribbean countries like the Bahamas, Belize, Haiti and Jamaica had been classified as major drug-transit countries.

The State Department defined a major drug transit country as one "that is a significant direct source of illicit narcotic or psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances significantly affecting the United States; or through which are transported such drugs or substances".

It said that apart from the Caribbean countries, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela were identified and notified to Congress by the president on September 13, last year. (CMC)

Barbados following recent measures in Canadian budget

The Canadian Federal government recently released a budget including a number of measures targeting international tax planning that could have serious implications for Barbados, as an international business and financial services centre.

However, President of the Barbados International Business Association (BIBA) Ryle Weekes, last week at the BIBA luncheon held at Hilton Barbados Resort, assured, “Like all developments that occur in Canada, our largest source market for International Business, BIBA is exceeding vigilance in all the areas possible that can impact Barbados from these recent changes.”

He explained, “Our banking, insurance, tax and legal professional committees have been actively consulting member firms in their respective sector to develop an holistic picture of the threats and opportunities that can result from these budgetary measures. Last month, we held a special committee with the board and committee members to review our findings and synthesise a plan of action at both the national and organisational level. We are also in open dialogue with Invest Barbados and the Ministry of International Business on the best ap-

proaches to take to mitigate the possible impacts on this ongoing development.”

Weekes stressed, “Barbados is in a perilous economic state and any new developments that have the potential to further undermine our growth must be swiftly accessed and responded to....”

“While we recognise that these new measures are not targeted specifically to Barbados, 80 percent of our international business comes out of Canada thus our jurisdiction will feel the impact of this more than others, therefore it is up to us to be more agile than any other time in the history of our international business sector.

We have several pieces of corporate legislation

Prime minister’s son gets bail for abusing sister-in-law in Guyana

The son of Guyana’s prime minister appeared in court on Monday before Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer the charge of unlawful assault and threatening behaviour.

Nikolai Hinds, 33, of Lot 83 Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown pleaded not guilty to the charges after it was alleged that on February 28 at Duke Street, Kingston he unlawfully and maliciously assaulted Tenzin Lyn causing her actual body harm. It was also alleged that on the same day in question he made use of threatening behaviour.

Police prosecutor Kenita Benton said on the day in question the defendant called the woman a thief and threatened to kill the virtual complainant, adding that the defendant also physically abused the woman. Facts stated that the accused grabbed the virtual complainant’s hair and slammed the woman to the ground after which he allegedly stomped the woman to the face. The prosecutor went on to say that the accused also dragged the victim by the hair and dealt her multiple lashes about the body with a cane. The defendant also

allegedly drew his firearm and threatened to kill the victim. Prosecutor Benton objected to bail on the grounds that if he is released on bail, the defendant can be of more danger to the virtual complainant, since he still has the firearm in his possession.

Attorney Charles Ramson Jr, in association with Sanjiv Datadin, appeared for the defendant. Attorney Ramson told the court that the defendant is a gold miner and a father of a six-year-old child. Council told

the court that the victim and defendant had an argument, and the virtual complainant attacked his client. Council noted that the virtual complainant grabbed a knife and threatened to kill his client in the presence of her sister. Ramson said his client felt threatened and reached for his firearm, but did not cock the gun (which he noted the defendant owns a licence for).

The attorney also stated that the woman was also charged for assault and causing bodily harm to the defendant. The attorney asked for bail to be granted on the grounds that the accused and the virtual complainant no longer live at the same address and even if so, he noted that his client is willing to move from the said address and is prepared to lodge his passport with the clerk of court and the firearm at the police station.

Bail was granted in the sum of Gy$150,000 on the conditions that the defendant stay 200 yards away from the virtual complainant and all witnesses, and that he report to the Brickdam Police Station every Friday at 15:00h. The defendant is expected to make another court appearance on March 21 for trial at 10:00h.

in the pipeline that must be pushed through and put on the books that we can simply exploit those in other niche areas and markets for which Barbados is a perfect fit.”

In terms of BIBA’s role, he maintained, “We are continuing on our path internally to make the organisation better, we are also going to be looking at a more focus way in engaging Invest Barbados and the ministry on aspects on how we can promote the sector better, we are trying to get more sophisticated in terms of utilising the same or lesser funds to be more effective. We are ardently looking at how we can continue to maintain our base in Canada and grow the Latin American market.”

(Barbados Advocate)

Teen girl charged in Trinidad for stripping in public

A-17-year-old teenage girl Monday appeared before a magistrate in San Fernando charged with exposing her body during J’ouvert celebrations at a judging point.

She appeared before magistrate Indira Misir-Gosine following her arrest by police officers who were on duty in front of the National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA) on the Rienzi Kirton Highway, a judging point for the official bands which participated in the celebrations.

The girl was arrested by WPC Helen Straker and Acting Inspector Dexter Martin, of the San Fernando Police Station, at about 10.20 am.

Misir read a charge to the girl that she exposed herself to the annoyance of persons. But when the magistrate asked attorney Ainsley Lucky what exactly the girl did to offend 46 (h) of the Summary Offences Act Chapter 11.02, the attorney replied, “She stripped herself and got on badly, and charged for two acts that are happening right now, on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.”

On advice from Lucky, the girl pleaded not guilty and after addressing the court, magistrate Misir remanded her to St Ann’s Hospital for observation and treatment. She is to reappear on March 17. (TT Newsday)

Seelall tipped for Guyana’s police commissioner post

President Donald Ramotar is expected to make a pronouncement on the post of Police Commissioner any day now.

However, information reaching this publication revealed that Deputy Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, who is currently the Crime Chief, is expected to assume the top post as soon as March 15.

Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell, whose last day on the job was supposed to be Friday, will stay on briefly to facilitate a smooth transition for his successor. He is expected to leave in full later this month.

Brumell took up

the post as Police Commissioner in October 2013 after acting in the position since December 19, 2011, when then Police Commissioner Henry Greene became embroiled in controversy. Greene subsequently died in a road accident on the West Coast Demerara.

Persaud, 50, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Management and a Post-Graduate Diploma in International Studies from the University of Guyana (UG).

He also holds a Certificate Course for Senior Executives in National and International Security from Harvard University.

TT boasts safest Carnival ever

TT’s National Security Minister Gary Griffith said Tuesday 2014 was one of the safest Carnivals ever and if the trend continued he would be the happiest minister alive. Griffith spoke with reporters as he toured the downtown Carnival areas Tuesday and he was accompanied by Ag Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, Chief of Defence Staff Kenrick Maharaj and other security officers.

He said: “The success speaks for itself. What we have seen here is a first whereby, the forces have worked together; there has been proper collaboration, in no small part because of the National Operations Centre and you have seen the success. That is why I continue to ask all law-abiding citizens to continue to work with the law enforcement officials, provide them with that information and the success will follow.”

He said the success did not just have to do with Carnival Monday and Tuesday, but rather throughout the entire season. He said every day law enforcement officials put their heads together, there was a

plan done based on the threat assessment of the events, all-inclusives and Carnival functions

included. “We will continue along that line and it shows that we are in the right direction,” he

stated.

“Some people have actually complained. Some people were like they were hearing too many sirens and encountered too many road blocks but you can’t win,” he said. Griffith highlighted that there were plans to increase this. “This has been the safest Carnival in a very long time and if this continues…I would be the happiest minister alive,” he quipped.

Meanwhile, at the Socadrome, Williams said there was a lot of cooperation from the public and masqueraders. “We’ve had a fantastic Carnival.”

“Far more officers have been deployed this year. Hope that next year we can take it to another level,” he added. Griffith said the new Socadrome venue made it easier for police to get to different locations in a faster time. He promised that the 2015 Carnival will be better. He said there will be an immediate post mortem to look at what needs to be improved. He also voiced concerns about minors drinking alcohol in allinclusive bands and at the possibility of banning glass bottles. (Excerpted from TT Guardian)

Upcoming Caricom meeting to address Canada trade agreement, security

Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders meet in St Vincent next week for their inter-sessional summit, with Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves confirming that there is "quite a long" agenda for the two-day meeting.

Gonsalves, who is chairman of the 15-member grouping, told Caribbean media that the March 10-11 summit will discuss the

economies of regional countries and efforts to deal with the challenges confronting them.

Climate change and disaster preparedness are also expected to be high on the agenda.

"We have to address in a more focused manner climate change and disaster preparedness, all the dimensions of it. And that is a big item of practical importance," Gonsalves said, noting also the importance of

crime and security.

Gonsalves said the decision to postpone the summit, originally scheduled for late last month, was due to the absence of Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, who has lead responsibility for security within the quasi Caricom cabinet.

"I want crime and security to be discussed, and she is the lead prime minister on this issue in

the region," Gonsalves said, adding that he hoped the meeting would sign off on some of the matters regarding Caricom's trade agree-

ment with Canada.

There are some newer issues, including the report on the regional commission on reparation, and the issue

of medical marijuana, which Gonsalves placed on the Caricom agenda last year.

"Those are newer ones, and then the sturdy perennial, the governance issues," Gonsalves said, adding that the leaders would also be receiving an update on marine and air transport from the Caricom transport commission.

"But the work on the transport commission is not as far advanced as the work on the economic commission," said Gonsalves, who is also Caricom's lead spokesperson on transportation. (Excerpted from CMC)

Jamaican gov’t presents land titles to 85 Arnett Gardens’ residents

Eighty-five residents of Arnett Gardens in South St Andrew, Jamaica, were last Thursday presented with titles to lands they occupy, becoming the latest beneficiaries of government's land titling project.

Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, held in the South St Andrew community, Member of Parliament Dr Omar Davies, who is also the Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, described the occasion as "transformational" for the residents.

Dr Davies said all the new land owners have a responsibility to ensure that the community has organisational structures that can

chart development, and to preserve the value of their property, as he encouraged residents not to engage in anti-social activities, including taking electricity illegally. "Your lives are going to be transformed, and you will no longer be termed 'informal settlers'. You are people with houses, with legal documentation, and the extent to which you allow the area to run down, the value of your property will go down," he said.

The area saw an overhaul in its housing development in 1972, and lasted up to the end of that decade, where more than 1,200 housing units were constructed. It consisted of two and three bedroom semi-detached

units, townhouses, and high-rise apartments, which had replaced wooden shacks and zinc fences. A number of the homeowners, however, allowed their property to run down, thus decreasing their values.

Minister without portfolio with responsibility for housing, Dr Morais Guy, meanwhile, encouraged residents to form a citizens association in the community, adding that his ministry was willing to get its social workers to help them to form the association. "I want you to commit and make a promise that you are going to make your community one that others look at and admire," Dr Guy urged. (JIS)

Antiguan DPP award for exceptional work

Antigua’s Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Anthony Armstrong Monday received an award in recognition of his exceptional work prosecuting money-laundering cases. The inaugural “Prosecutor of the Year

Indictment Award” was presented by Victoria Dean, British High Commissioner to the Eastern Caribbean and Barbados, and was a joint award from the U.S. Embassy and British High Commission.

Dean told Antiguan media, “We selected

your DPP particularly for work he has done on money laundering, which is very brave and very difficult to do. He has really pursued that, and from what I understand, had the first real successful case in terms of money laundering

Jamaica’s Children's Registry to get Canadian assistance for Ananda Alert

The Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), is seeking to adopt best practices from Canada in order to improve childcare and protection in Jamaica.

The objective is to improve the mechanisms for addressing child abuse and children who go missing.

Registrar of the OCR, Greig Smith, and Ananda Alert Officer, Barbara Gardner recently participated in a one-week United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF-sponsored study tour to Toronto, where they held dis-

cussions with government officials from the Children’s Aid Society and the Chief of the Police Services Division in Toronto.

The team witnessed the operations of the Amber Alert child abduction warning system, which the Canadian authorities adapted from the United States’ model. It was named for Amber Hagerman, a nine-year old girl, who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas in 1996.

“Our objectives were to assess and review the Amber Alert system, to see how best we can forge collaboration with

partnering agencies in Canada and to improve our operational mechanism to deal with child abuse on a daily basis,” Smith said.

“The trip was also intended to improve our

multi-agency approach in fighting the issues of missing children and children, who have been abused,” he added.

Smith indicated that the Toronto Police Services Division has

offered to assist with the improvement of the Ananda Alert system, which was established in 2009 following the abduction and death of 11-year-old Ananda Dean.

“Whether they will be coming here or we will be going back, is something for discussion, but we will be having further dialogue with them,” he said. He noted that this would be done in consultation with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

“I have written to the Police Commissioner. He did respond and we are now in dialogue with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, who is responsible for operations, in which we will see how best we can strengthen the system, in terms of who can be considered missing,” he said. (JIS)

Guyana records significant decrease in malaria cases

Guyana recorded a significant decrease in the number of malaria cases in 2013, and health authorities continue to urge early diagnosis of the vector-borne disease in a bid to reduce the mortality rate.

Figures released by the Ministry of Health show that in 2013, there were 23,489 cases of malaria as against 31,602 for the previous year.

The authorities gave no figures regarding deaths, but said malaria mortality rates however, continue to fall as

increased malaria prevention and control measures continue to dramatically reduce the impact of the disease.

They said efforts at combating the disease, driven through the Vector Control Services (VCS) of the Ministry of Health continue to bear fruit, but that the hinterland locations continue to remain the most vulnerable to the disease.

They said within these regions, climatic and other conditions favour transmission that also occurs when people

with low immunity move into the areas, in search of jobs and are negligent in taking protective measures such as sleeping under mosquito nets and using insect repellents.

The health officials said that one of the VCS’ biggest interventions in 2013 has been the distribution of over 42,000 insecticide-treated nets for uses on beds and hammocks. The VCS said it intends to distribute 52,000 this year and would work with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in

Antiguan DPP award for...

conducting a survey on the effectiveness of the net distribution exercise.

There are three different types of malaria in Guyana: plasmodium falciparum, plasmodium vivax, and plasmodium malaria. Over 50 percent of the malaria cases in Guyana are of the most serious form – plasmodium falciparum.

The government said it has been distributing free of charge, the very

expensive anti-malarial drug, Coartem, recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and certified by PAHO.

“One of the major reasons why people die of falciparum malaria in Guyana is due to neglect. Persons using the Coartem tablet sometimes neglect to conform to the rules of use as instructed by their physician, in terms of dosage

and period of treatment, with the result being a relapse and deterioration of the affected person’s health,” the Government Information New Agency (GINA) said. It said that with proper treatment, symptoms of malaria usually go away quickly, with a cure within two weeks. Symptoms of malaria include chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting

Antigua and Barbuda’s DPP Anthony Armstrong is awarded for outstanding prosecution of money laundering cases

prosecution in Antigua and Barbuda.”

The official said Armstrong is “exactly the kind of person who can win the award and be a luminary and a leading light for others involved in prosecution across the region.” Armstrong said he was elated and humbled to have been considered and given the award.

He said it was a “most pleasant surprise” which he accepted “on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda.”

The DPP has been working in Antigua and

Barbuda since 2006 and practising law for 20 years. He also has a background in economics.

On July 16, 2012, Armstrong secured the country’s first-ever conviction for money laundering.

As a result of the conviction of Paula Pieterson, the then All Saint’s Court Magistrate Asquith Riviere ordered the forfeiture of the US$60,000 the authorities had found stashed in Pieterson’s underwear on her arrival in the

state from St Maarten.

The arrest was carried out by Customs officials and officers from the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP).

The DPP successfully prosecuted the second money laundering case last September, in which a Venezuelan couple, Juan Antonio Gil Diaz, 29, and Andreina Guerra Marin, 20, pleaded guilty and had to forfeit over US$124,000 to the state. (Antigua Observer) from page 12

Guyana police making significant strides with new fingerprint equipment

The recently-acquired Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which was donated to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) by the U.S. Embassy, has already been yielding results in helping the police to crack stalled cases.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said the equipment is a shot in the arm, as the police have been using several outdated methods in solving crime.

“We had an old system, actually the first generation of AFIS, it’s a standalone system so it don’t connect anywhere else and we had a lot of date in there that when we transfer, we start getting it,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Persaud also disclosed that the equipment has so far enabled the force to make progress in its investigations with at least three murder cases and several break and enters. The crime chief disclosed that among these cases is the Pegasus taxi driver murder.

However, he noted that having fingerprints is not the end of an investigation.

“Fingerprints being there does not mean there is a case, it just means that fingerprints was found so there is still a need for investigations to be done,” Persaud added.

The AFIS was acquired by the police force in November last year through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) as part of a U.S.funded project.

The equipment allows for fingerprints of suspects to be matched with those obtained from crime scenes, or those already in the system, in an effective and timely manner.

Database

It can also be used to identify deceased persons. The AFIS further allows for fingerprints to be recorded with an electronic light scan and be stored in the AFIS database. The database is said to be connected to others regionally.

With the acquisition, representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have recently conducted a training session with local police on how to operate the equipment. Several stations already have computers and scanners installed to collect fingerprint data. This data would be sent to the CID headquarters where it will be checked for matching suspects.

Since its acquisition, local police over the past few months have being restoring the prints of individuals with criminal backgrounds, along with their mug shots, into the new database. So far, one perpetrator has been apprehended and placed before the court. It has also helped to identify the suspect in a murder which occurred some two years ago. (Guyana Times)

TT nationals to travel to Europe visa-free

The European Union (EU) has said nationals from 16 small island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific regions, the United Arab Emirates, Peru and Colombia will be able to travel to the Schengen area without a visa. Trinidad and Tobago is among five Caribbean island nations listed.

"I am pleased that once the necessary procedures are completed, nationals from 16 small

island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific regions, the United Arab Emirates, Peru and Colombia will be able to come to the Schengen area without a visa—be it for business, touristic or family visit purposes," EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom said in a statement from Brussels last Thursday.

"This will open up opportunities and advantages also for EU citizens, as any existing

visa requirement for EU citizens to travel to these countries will be eliminated," said Malmstrom.

"The solution found to include Peru and Colombia on the visafree list is a good result. It strikes the right balance between the desire to offer visa-free travel to Peruvian and Colombian nationals and the need to avoid migratory risks and safeguard the security of the EU," she added. (TT Guardian)

Longer runway for Jamaica’s Sangster airport

The runway at the Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is to be extended at a cost of US$65 million.

The airport, which forms a critical part of the country's tourism infrastructure, was privatised in 2003. Since then it has undergone major improvements, making it comparable with any first- world facility.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller made the announcement last Friday, while addressing an Economic Reform Programme (ERP) stakeholders' conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St James.

She pointed out that due to the existing length of the runway, the airport is unable to accommodate "certain size of aircraft".

"Specific steps have been taken to address this. The design for the expansion of the runway by another 450 metres has been completed, and the Airports Authority

has begun acquiring the additional parcels of land which will be needed," she informed.

She stated that there are some minor details to be worked out between the Airports Authority and the present lessee of the facility, adding that as soon as those discussions are completed the project should get started.

The prime minister said that a number of other projects are to come on stream, aimed at boosting economic growth and employment opportunities.

Highway 2000

Among them is construction of the North/ South link of Highway 2000. The Linstead to Moneague leg is expected to open mid-year, and the entire project is scheduled for completion by 2016.

"When completed, this road will open up for housing and commercial development areas of the country which have been hampered by limited accessibility. Additionally, many critical elements

that contribute to the nation's tourism product can be found on the north coast," she stated. Plans for the proposed development of a transshipment facility, and an economic zone in the Goat Island/ Portland Bight area of southern St Catherine were also mentioned by the prime minister. She stated that although the government is still in discussions with the proposed investor, Cabinet has laid down clear steps to ensure that regulatory requirements are adhered to before a final decision is taken.

"We have been frank and open with the country about this project, and we welcome a healthy debate about the environmental and other issues," she stated.

She emphasied that the government does not intend for the rest of the world to leave Jamaica behind, as the country is going for growth and development. (Jamaica Observer)

Guyana, Brazil to conduct studies on road link, hydropower

Guyana and Brazil have given the green light for pre-feasibility and feasibility studies to be carried out in Mazaruni to determine the best location for hydropower development.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett made this disclosure during last Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly.

This agreement has paved the way for the Guyana government to commence a sensitisation programme.

According to RodriguesBirkett, political parties in the National Assembly in addition to other stakeholders, including the communities in the Middle and Upper Mazaruni, will be briefed on the pre-feasibility and

feasibility studies.

“Needless to say, these are pre-feasibility and feasibility studies and no decisions will be taken until these studies have been completed,” the Foreign Affairs Minister was keen on noting.

She said this new development stemmed from a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Infrastructure Development that was signed by the two countries on December 5, 2012, with the primary objective of stimulating projects in the area of hydropower, road development, and the construction of a deepwater port.

Through the MOU, a Guyana-Brazil Joint Technical Working Group was established with the mandate to craft

proposals for concrete actions. The technical group was also required to submit timetables for the construction of hydroelectric plants and transmission lines, in addition to the construction of a deepwater port and upgrades to the GuyanaBrazil road link.

Recommendations

Following the staging of four meetings–three in Georgetown and

one in Boa Vista–the Joint Technical Working Group submitted its report in July 2013 to Guyanese President Donald Ramotar and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

It was in this report that the group recommended that pre-feasibility and feasibility studies be carried out at two sites in the Middle and Upper Mazaruni in

order to make a determination on the way forward.

“Upon receiving the report of the Joint Working Group with the aforementioned recommendations, the two presidents endorsed the report and approved the establishment of a Joint Commission for the Development of the Infrastructure Projects in Guyana,” the Foreign Affairs Minister reported to the House. The commission would be led by Ambassador Elisabeth Harper.

But in addition to the development of hydropower in the Middle and Upper Mazaruni, the Joint Working Group also recommended that an engineering design be done for the LindenLethem road. This is nec-

essary for the project to be accelerated, complementing work already done.

Regarding the development of a deepwater port, Rodrigues-Birkett said it was recognised that the road and the port are separate projects; however, they are interrelated.

“The port will be dependent in part on goods coming out of Brazil, mainly the city of Manaus,” she explained, noting that the route will reduce time and costs associated with exports from the north of Brazil.

According to the minister, if there are positive movements with the road and hydropower development, automatic interest in the port will be generated by the private sector. (Guyana Times)

PM Kamla opens new TT embassy in China

Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar last Wednesday declared TT’s new embassy in Beijing formally open, ending years of preparation and marking a new phase in the country’s bilateral relationship with the world’s second largest economy.

Addressing the 200-strong audience at a ceremony held outside the embassy and with the temperature officially dipping below freezing, the prime minister thanked all those who contributed to making the establishment of the mission a reality “in our first term of office.”

She added: “And I do say first term because I do intend to go for a second term with other projects.” Persad-Bissessar said: “We see China as a trusted partner who comes to the table, like us, with goodwill focused on mutual benefit and on

enhancing our relationship.”

In her speech, the prime minister underscored the contribution that Chinese construction companies have made to TT.

She noted that the two academies of the performing arts in

Port-of-Spain and San Fernando and the official residence and diplomatic centre had been constructed by Shanghai Construction Company.

“The same company is currently in the process of constructing six large multi-purpose sporting facilities. Chinese firms

are currently involved in constructing the UWI South Campus as well as the Children’s Hospital project in Couva,” she added.

Persad-Bissessar opened the embassy on the third day of recent five-day visit to China in which the TT delega-

tion signed agreements for about US$750 million in new construction for Chinese companies, which have been given the mandate to build the new port at La Brea as well as seven new industrial parks.

During talks on Tuesday with China’s premier, the TT government signed Memoranda of Understanding in air services, energy and energy-related matters, co-operation in sport as well as a protocol on health and services.

The prime minister also pointed out that a Chinese company acquired a ten per cent stake in Atlantic LNG in 2012 and that a consortium from China owns about 25 per cent of blocks 2 (a) and 3 (c), which are operated by BHP Billiton.

China’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Xie Hangsheng, compared the opening of the em-

bassy to the sowing of a seed of friendship in early spring. Xie said: “I am sure that with efforts from both sides, this seed of friendship will bear bountiful fruit. The Chinese side is ready to provide every facilitation and assistance in the work discharged by the embassy.”

The opening attracted the entire corps of Caribbean diplomats posted in Beijing, including the ambassadors of Barbados, Suriname, Guyana and Grenada along with officials from the embassies of Jamaica and The Bahamas. Several diplomats from other countries also attended the opening as well as scores of Chinese businessmen and TT nationals living or studying in China along with a delegation of over 30 businessmen under the umbrella of InvesTT. (Excerpted from TT Guardian)

Goat Islands won't be a Chinese enclave - Jamaica’s Transport Minister assures

Jamaica’s Minister of Transport, Works and Housing Dr Omar Davies has confirmed that the official worker ratio between Jamaican and Chinese nationals employed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) on the North South link of Highway 2000 remains at 1:1.

However, Dr Davies said that the Chinese investors have never fully utilised their quota, hence, of over 1,000 workers he said currently working on the project, there are over 600 Jamaican workers.

Davies also assured the House of Representatives that the government is looking at implementing measures to ensure that CHEC's proposed US$1.5-billion investment in the Goat Islands does not evolve into an enclave or an economic zone for the Chinese governmentowned company.

"These are issues which we appreciate, and let me just speak unambiguously: This will not be an enclave or an economic zone," Davies responded to questions in the House of Representatives last Tuesday from opposition MPs Pearnel Charles and Mike Henry.

He said that the government is aware that it is an issue of concern to many Jamaicans, and, last Monday, the Cabinet spent a long time discussing what measures could be used, from the point of view of Jamaica's

national security, to ensure against the area becoming an enclave.

"This is part of the reason why we are looking at the ratio of Jamaican workers to foreign workers," Davies acknowledged.

He said that the foreigners do not necessarily have to be Chinese immigrants, as companies will want to recruit skills from various areas.

He said that he would be willing to discuss with the opposition what would be a reasonable proposal for protecting Jamaica's national interests, including the interests of skilled Jamaicans.

Jamaican trade union leaders have raised the issue in the past that a 3:1 ratio in terms

of the employment of Jamaicans as against foreign nationals on sites in the construction industry involving international contractors has given way to the 1:1 ratio since the emergence of CHEC as a major investor.

The unions have also criticised the absence of union representation on most CHEC sites, as well as accused CHEC of disguising labourers as skilled or supervisory staff with work permits. However, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security says it has no evidence of this happening, although it suspects that skilled Chinese personnel would not object to assisting with unskilled tasks. (Jamaica Observer)

President Ramotar inspects CJIA expansion project

President Donald Ramotar along with Public Works Minister Robeson Benn and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh and several engineers on Sunday inspected works ongoing on the East Bank Demerara four-lane road, and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project.

The latter is expected to meet its August 2015 deadline as works are scheduled to commence on several aspects of the building during the course of this year. The East Bank four-lane expansion has a June deadline.

President Ramotar inspected three segments of the East Bank road expansion at Mocha, Little Diamond and Diamond New Scheme, where works are in progress, and expressed sat-

isfaction with the works thus far. Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA) at the CJIA, President Ramotar stated that the new airport will bring Guyana up to world class standard, which is very important for the country.

Meanwhile, Minister Benn explained that there were some delays with the East Bank expansion, due to several factors including inclement weather, supply of road material, and the removal of utilities. He noted that now that the weather has improved, works are progressing, and the latest completion date is June monthend.

CJIA Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Ghir said the airport expansion project is moving as planned, and the contractor is currently car-

rying out excavation work at the end of the runway. Ghir further said that excavation and back filling works have started on a test section of 160m x 160m of the runway, which is about 10 per cent of the runway extension and that in itself, is about 70 per cent complete.

“We anticipate that in a few months, we will begin the designs for the terminal building and start construction works on that building,” Ghir said. The US$150 million project is funded by the government of China through the Chinese Exim Bank. The expansion will cater for a new terminal building with eight boarding bridges, elevators and CCTV. The runway will be extended by 3500 feet, and there will be eight international parking positions.

Antigua requests Caricom observers - as it prepares for general elections

Antigua and Barbuda has asked the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to send a mission to observe the general election likely to be held this month.

The Baldwin Spencer administration, which is seeking a third consecutive term in office, has requested that the regional grouping mount a Caricom Electoral Observer Mission (CEOM) “when the date is announced and which is at least 21 days before the actual day of polls”.

Prime Minister Spencer has not yet named the date for the poll, but earlier told supporters of the United Progressive Party (UPP) to keep March 15 as an important date, hinting that the polls could come around that time. He later told Caribbean media that the reference to March 15 was intended to get people sensitised to the fact that an election was imminent “and in the planning process I just

wanted to set the stage for the people of Antigua and Barbuda to place certain dates in mind.

The 15th of March is the date something will certainly happen in Antigua and Barbuda.” Spencer said he was

confident that the electorate would return his United Progressive Party (UPP) back into office, saying “we believe we have kept faith with the people of Antigua and Barbuda and we have done the great-

est good for the greatest number since we took office in 2004”.

But Gaston Browne, who is leading the main opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) into the general election, told reporters that the UPP

government had over the past few years “actually dismantled the economy” and that the island had lost approximately 25 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

“Today you have unemployment in excess of 25 per cent and the poverty level in excess of 35 per cent. So in essence they have destroyed the country, and I think Antiguans and Barbudans are desirous of change and I believe they have every confidence that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party will make a difference in their lives”.

Browne said voters could look forward to a transformation of leadership as the new government seeks to revive an ailing economy. (CMC)

Caricom accredits first Botswana Ambassador

Astrong working relationship between Botswana and Caricom member states would go a long way to ensuring growth and a stronger voice on issues which concern them such as climate change, gender equality and the fight against terrorism and nuclear disarmament, Ambassador Bernadette Rathedi said recently.

Ambassador Rathedi, who was accredited as the first plenipotentiary representative of Botswana to Caricom, underscored the need for the region to make greater efforts to work together and strengthen one another in advancing common concerns on the international scene.

“There is, indeed, power in unity,” she told the audience at the Caricom Secretariat after she presented her letters of credence to Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.

In his remarks, Ambassador LaRocque highlighted Botswana’s progressive establishment

of formal relations with Caricom member states that began with Guyana in 1978. Botswana, he recalled, was one of few African countries with accredited diplomatic representatives to almost all Caricom member states. Those ties have been strengthened through shared membership in the Commonwealth, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) and the United Nations.

The Secretary General pointed to the similarities between Botswana and Caricom member states such as their experiences with the global financial and economic crisis, the quest to diversify their economies, and economic activities being pursued such as tourism, agriculture and financial services.

“As the community seeks to deepen ties with the African continent, through strengthened relations with individual states and sub-regions, Botswana presents itself

as a meaningful interlocutor with Caricom states in this regard. Your position as the headquarters country for the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as a willingness in seeking to strengthen relations at this time augurs well for our close collaboration. Indeed, the two communities face similar developmental challenges in the process of regional integration and cooperation,” he said.

Ties between Caricom and SADC were also a point of reference for Ambassador Rathedi, who indicated that her country supported the continuing cooperation between the community and SADC and between the community and the African Union. Such collaboration, she said, would improve market access between the two regions; improve opportunities for trade and investment and people to people interaction.

(Excerpted from Guyana Times)

Two killers maybe hanged in Trinidad

Areputed gang leader from Sawmill Avenue in Barataria and his partner may become the first two men to be hanged for several years in Trinidad and Tobago after they were denied leave by the Privy Council in London to appeal the local court of appeal affirmation of their murder convictions.

In an order last Friday, UK Law Lords Mance, Sumption and Hughes, refused permission to Garvin “Beam” Sookram and Keron “Bellies” Lopez to appeal the order made by the Court of Appeal on April 20, 2011.

The Law Lords said after considering the application and written submissions filed by the men’s attorneys and the State, they found no risk that a serious miscarriage of justice had occurred in

their case.

“The trial judge handled the trial and summing up with great care,” the Law Lords held. Justice Joan Charles presided over Sookram and Lopez’s trial while their appeals were heard by Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Justices of Appeal Paula Mae Weekes and Alice Yorke-Soo Hon.

Sookram, a reputed gang leader from Sawmill Avenue, Barataria and his partner Lopez, were convicted on March 2, 2009, of the murders of Kerwin “Richie” Hinds and Kerwin “Ox” Cyrus, on July 28, 2004, at Sawmill Avenue, Barataria.

Hinds and Cyrus were ambushed in a track off Granado Street, Sawmill Avenue and shot several times. One man, Sean Quamina, man-

aged to escape and went to the Morvant Police Station where he identified Sookram and Lopez days later as the two who killed Hinds and Cyrus. Quamina was killed on February 2, 2011 in New York by a gunman who stormed his apartment at Lorraine Street in the Red Hook District and shot him in the head. Legal sources said Sookram and Lopez fell outside of the Pratt and Morgan guidelines for executions to take place since they were convicted in 2009.

In the Pratt and Morgan judgment, the Judicial Committee held that to carry out executions of prisoners who spend more than five years on death row would amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. (TT Newsday)

Jamaica rallies around 100,000 women, girls suffering from pelvic disease

As Jamaica observes March as Endometriosis Month, co-founder of the Better Awareness and Support for Endometriosis (BASE) Foundation, Shauna FullerClarke, is urging employees and school administrators to become more sensitive to and supportive of the approximately 100,000 women and students grappling with the disease locally.

According to Fuller-Clarke, who has been diagnosed with stage four endometriosis—a condition that occurs when cells from the lining of the uterus grow in other parts of the body causing a string of symptoms including intermittent and/ or chronic pelvic pain, bowel or urinary disorders, irregular bleeding, painful menstruation, rectal pain, painful intercourse and infertility—loss of productivity is perhaps the biggest challenge those affected face.

"Depending on how severe

resit the course.

"I also know of another girl who has gone through five jobs because of the number of sick days that she has taken," Fuller-Clarke added.

In addition to the loss of productivity, the endometriosis advocate said the disease also affects relationships, in some case resulting in divorce.

"I know of women who have got divorced because their partners are unable to deal with the disease and how it affects their sex life," she added.

Depression

the disease is, if you don't get treatment, it can result in loss of productivity so you can't attend work or school," she said.

"I know of a university stu-

dent who had missed her final exams because of the pain she was feeling and when she told the school they thought she was faking the pain and she had to

Aside from the physical symptoms, endometriosis can lead to depression in some women because of the impacts on their sex lives and the stigma that is attached to women who are unable to have children.

"Some of the cases I have come across, it's amazing that we haven't talked about (endometriosis) and it is so preva-

lent. Every other woman I talk to has it or know of someone who does have it," she said.

The lack of awareness in society is therefore something that she would like to change.

"One of the things that we hate is when people say that painful cramps are normal. It is not; the pain is crippling," she said.

Fuller-Clarke was speaking to Jamaican media following Sunday’s church service at Waltham Park New Testament Church in Kingston as a part of the activities for the month's celebration.

The main activity, she noted, will be the country's participation in the first ever staging of the 'Million Woman March for Endometriosis', on March 13, in which over 50 countries are involved. The event is to bring awareness to the disease which affects 176 million worldwide. (Excerpted from Jamaica Observer)

Chinese shipyard commissioned in Guyana

Partnerships are indispensible to spurring Guyana to its fullest economic heights, and as such President Donald Ramotar last Friday extended a welcoming hand to all Chinese investors.

The president was at the time addressing the opening of the Chineseowned Zhanghao Shipyard in Coverden, East Bank Demerara, and also the launch and naming ceremony for a logging vessel christened Yhan Heng freighter. Also present were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Zhang Limin.

“I want to extend special greetings to the Chinese investors who have come here and to let them know that they are welcome in Guyana,” Ramotar said.

He pointed out that Guyana has been seeing the many examples of the effectiveness and

at the Convention Centre (the Guyana International Conference Centre), we are seeing it now at the Marriott Hotel, the way they have produced, and the quality of work that is being produced, and we see it in the rest of the region, how much they have invested,” he said.

“So on behalf of the government and people

that we are going to put all the facilities available that we give to investors, to try to attract more investments from China, in our country, to help us build Guyana and help us reach the full potential that this country can achieve,” the president indicated.

Infrastructure development Construction on the Zhanghao shipyard

efficiency of the Chinese investors and work with regards to the country’s infrastructure development.

“We saw their work

of Guyana, I want to express our sincere thanks to the Chinese government, people and investors, and to say that I look forward to, and I am ready to say openly

started in 2012, but it was not until late 2013 that construction began on the vessel that was meant to facilitate the transport of logs from Kwakwani where the

company owns a logging concession.

The vessel, whose designers and engineers are Chinese, and its steel plates pre-formed in China as well, has the capacity to carry 200,000 tonnes of logs and six crew members and will take about four days from Kwakwani to the shipyard in Coverden, laden with the logs. The vessel was constructed with efficiency and pace by the workers of the company with 95 per cent of the work being completed in just over three months.

President Ramotar said the Zhanghao investment has the potential to revitalise the local ships and ports “For me, this is a really joyous occasion, because what we are seeing here is the expansion of our production capacity…this investment here will certainly help to stimulate a lot of other activities and allow the use of our rivers to cheaper transportation cost,” he said.

(Excerpted from Guyana Times)

Seven suspects in Trinidad’s TT$4.5 million bank heist

Seven persons believed to be the masterminds behind the TT$4.5 million robbery at the Sangre Grande branch of Republic Bank last Saturday are expected to be taken into custody within the next few days.

Sources revealed Tuesday that key information and evidence obtained from the bank’s surveillance cameras have led police to certain conclusions with respect to who may be the suspects in the heist. According to well placed sources, some of the suspects may be persons working in Republic Bank. The robbery was carried out by persons involved in organised crime, and investigators believe that their accessibility to the vault was made easy

believed

Canada cracks down on citizenship fraud

As concerns heighten over the recall of former St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Deputy New York Consul General, Edson Augustus, the Canadian government has announced that it is cracking down on citizenship fraud.

Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said he is reinforcing the government’s commitment to tackling citizenship fraud through measures proposed in Bill C-24, the “Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act”.

“The government is cracking down on citizenship fraud by enforcing stronger penalties for those who do not play by the rules,” said Alexander in a statement.

“Changes to the Citizenship Act reinforce the value of citizenship and will help ensure new Canadians are fully prepared to participate in Canadian life and have a stronger attachment to our country,” he added.

be authorised to act as consultants on citizenship matters.

“This change will help protect applicants and deter third-party fraud,” said the statement, adding that Bill C-24 “reinforces the value of citizenship by cracking down on fraud and ensuring Canadian citizenship is only offered to those who play by the rules.”

The proposed measure includes stronger penalties for fraud and misrepresentation (a maximum fine of Cdn$100,000 and/ or five years in prison); expanding the grounds to bar an application for citizenship to include foreign criminality, “which will help improve program integrity”; and making it an offence for unauthorised individuals to “knowingly represent or advise a person on a citizenship application or hearing for a fee.”

through the assistance of employees.

“We are close to making a breakthrough and suspects will be rounded up shortly because we intend to get to the bottom of this and solve the

crime,” a senior police source said.

TT media reported that a party of officers is expected to secure search

warrants to search places where the stolen cash may be stashed. Additionally, some pieces of jewelry stolen by the bandits may also still be in the possession of the suspects.

Last Saturday, at about 2 am, bandits broke into the bank’s Sangre Grande branch and stole TT$4.5 million from a vault. A quantity of jewelry was also stolen. The bank’s surveillance equipment and lightings were tampered with. When the alarm was eventually triggered, officers from Amalgamated Security went to the bank and discovered that it was broken into and house-breaking implements were left behind.

All the crucial pieces of evidence are now in the hands of the police and bank staff has been working closely with investigators. (Excerpted from TT Newsday)

“Stronger penalties for those who commit citizenship fraud will protect the integrity of Canadian citizenship,” Alexander continued. “The government's changes to the Citizenship Act reinforce the message that Canadian citizenship is valued around the globe and will be afforded those who recognize that it comes with duties and rights, privileges and responsibilities.”

Citizenship matters

Under the new legislation, the Canadian government will have the authority to develop regulations to designate a regulatory body whose members would

Alexander said “ongoing large-scale” fraud investigations conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have identified more than 3,000 citizens and 5,000 permanent residents linked to major investigations—a majority of them related to residence.

In addition, he said nearly 2,000 individuals linked to the citizenship fraud investigations have withdrawn their applications.

He said permanent residents who commit these acts will be barred from applying for citizenship.

Kenny’s announcement had come amid what has been described as heightened fraudulent claims for asylum in Canada by Vincentians and other Caribbean nationals. (Excepted from CMC)

Jamaican gaming industry scores big time

At a time when the Jamaican government is finding it difficult to garner sufficient revenues, the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) has valiantly charged in as a white knight bolstering revenues from a buoyant local gaming industry.

Through the Consolidated Fund, Betting Gaming and Lotteries, Chase Fund and Jamaica Racing Commission, the government saw an increase in taxes from Ja$2.9 billion last year to Ja$4.1 billion in the current year.

As the special guest speaker at the Rotary Club of St Andrew North Luncheon last week, the Chairman of the BGLC, Gary Peart said that for the year 2013 to 2014, the BGLC will pay out a capital distribution of Ja$360 million, a whopping improvement on the meagre Ja$26.5 million

garnered in the previous year.

Peart further explained: "For the period 2012-2013, our surplus distribution to the Ministry of Finance from the previous year's earnings was a dividend at 5 per cent or (Ja)$6.5 million and our capital distribution was (Ja) $20 million, for a total of (Ja) $26.5 million. So far, for

the current fiscal year 2013-2014, we have paid out a capital distribution of (Ja) $210.15 million and we project another 150 million in capital distribution to the MOFP at the end of this fiscal year. This would bring the total distribution to the MOFP for the period 2013 -2014 to over (Ja) $360 million as opposed to last year's (Ja) $26.5 million."

Greater efficiencies Peart has sought to imbued the BGLC with

greater efficiencies and make it a more potent organisation with greater attention paid to regulation. He has sent a message that miscreants will not go unnoticed and that illegal activities will be dealt with accordingly.

Gaming lounges have proven to be most lucrative in Jamaica and Gassan Asan's "The Vault" and other gaming enterprises as well as the Hussey's "Monte Carlo" lounge in the Terra Nova

Hotel will attest to. Peart noted, "the slot machine/gaming business is a very profitable one, with machines programmed to pay out an average of between 93-96 per of their intake, a percentage that meets favour with the operators, owners and obviously, players. Notwithstanding the recent closure of one of the oldest gaming lounges in St. James, gaming lounge operators, particularly in Montego Bay, have recorded significant growth; surpassing the growth of all lounges in the rest of the island combined. Our records show the city of Montego Bay had an increase of 347 or 46 per cent in the number of machines growing from 742 in 2012/13 to 1099 in the year 2013/14, compared to an increase of only 1,301 or 20 per cent across the rest of the island, which grew from 6,504 to 7,805 machines."

Unclaimed winnings

The Gaming Industry as a whole is made up of four sectors: Betting, Gaming Machines, Prize Promotions and Lotteries.

Total Sales in all four sectors of the Gaming Industry, for 2012 was Ja$28.136 billion with government taxes earned amounting to Ja$2.989 billion or 11%. In 2013, the combined sector earnings totalled Ja$32.98 billion, with taxes amounting to Ja$4.121 billion. A lot has been made about unclaimed winnings. Peart disclosed that in 2008/09 unclaimed winnings were Ja$238 million. The following year 2009/2010 it fell to Ja$64 million. The year 2010/2011 saw it climb again to Ja$73.34 million and it increased again in 2011/2012 to Ja$117 million. (Excerpted from Jamaica Observer)

Guyana Parliament unanimously approves free movement of skills bill

The Caribbean Community Free Entry of Skilled Nationals (amendment) Bill 2014 tabled by Foreign Minister Carolyn RodriguesBirkett was unanimously passed in Guyana’s National Assembly last Thursday.

The bill puts Guyana one step closer to complying with international standards established under the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, in particular the country’s commitment to the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME), Rodrigues-Birkett argued.

The minister contended that the issue of free movement evokes different reactions by varying groupings, explaining that there have been cases where per-

sons of particular nationalities have complained bitterly about not being treated equitably across the region.

“Indeed, several Guyanese have expressed disappointment with the treatment meted out to them when travelling to various Caricom territories,” she said, while admitting that some countries have shown signs of improvement.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling in the Jamaican Shanique Myrie case, the foreign affairs minister said, reminds the government of its duty to protect and safeguard the traveling public from unnecessary victimisation.

As a result, she said the bill creates greater opportunities for Caribbean na-

tions. It was explained that in 1996, the House passed the Caribbean Community Free Entry of Skills National Acts, Chapter 9302; however, it was amended in 2011 to allow for nine categories of skilled nationals, including media work-

ers, musicians, sport persons, teachers, registered nurses, persons holding associate degrees and artisans possessing a Caribbean vocational qualification or an approved national certificate.

Sense of belonging

The bill will allow for

a greater sense of belonging by Caricom nationals, granting spouse and dependent family members of the principal beneficiary similar rights.

The foreign minister pointed out that clause three of the amendment “provides for a skilled national to apply to the minister to have his certificate verified. Once that certificate is verified and meets the requirements, the holder of the certificate can apply to the chief immigration officer to remain in Guyana for a period of indefinite duration”.

Notably, the amendment will also allow Caricom nationals to work while the certificate is being verified; a process which normally takes six months.

Additionally, it sets out the parameters for

the minister to disregard a certificate, providing that there are solid grounds to do so, as in the case for persons convicted of certain offenses. In supporting the Caribbean Community Free Entry of Skilled Nationals (amendment) Bill 2014, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Africo Selman said the coalition’s support is based on the premise that “free movement of whole families is a precondition to a common market, it is vital to the fostering of any integration movement”.

Meanwhile, Alliance For Change (AFC) MP Cathy Hughes endorsed the bill, stating that it will encourage skilled nationals to stay in the Caribbean. (Guyana Times)

More cases of chikungunya virus reported in the Caribbean

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) says there are reports of new cases of the chikungunya virus in the Caribbean.

The ECDPC said in the past week, 293 new cases of chikungunya have been reported in the region, with confirmed ones in St. Martin (French), Martinique, St Barthélemy and Guadeloupe.

New cases also surfaced in Dominica and French Guiana as well

as St Kitts and Nevis.

The ECDPC said as of February 21, 2014, more than 5, 900 suspected cases have been reported in the region.

An outbreak of chikungunya in the Caribbean was reported from the French part of the island of St. Martin on December 6. The chikungunya transmission was detected during a concomitant dengue outbreak in the Caribbean. Both diseases are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Chikungunya is a

mosquito-borne viral disease causing symptoms such as fever, joint pain, muscle pain, headache and nose and gum bleeding.

Chikungunya is present in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and on the Indian subcontinent.

The most recent large outbreaks were reported in 2005–2006 from Réunion Island, Mauritius, Mayotte and several Indian states.

The first transmission within continental Europe was reported from north-eastern Italy in August 2007. Every

Some 400 Guyanese gathered Saturday in South Florida for an evening of cultural entertainment, traditional cuisine and congratulatory messages as they celebrated the 44th anniversary of their homeland becoming a Republic.

The celebration, held at the Walter C Young Performing Arts Centre, was particularly special as the event was graced by Guyana’s Foreign Carolyn RodriguesBirkett along with her Barbados counterpart, Senator Maxine Mc Clean.

Following a sumptuous dinner of cook-up rice and curry and roti ‘washed down with good old Guyana El Dorado and XM rums’, patrons heard tributes paid to their homeland from a host of officials, including the Barbados Foreign Minister, Florida State representative Hazell Rogers, Broward County Commissioner Dale

Holness, Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Barrington Russell and Miramar Vice Mayor Alexandria Davis as well as the Consul General of St Lucia, Kent Hippolyte, Dean of the Caricom Consular Corps.

The feature address was delivered by Rodrigues-Birkett, who brought the audience up to date with developments in Guyana and with Guyana’s relation-

ships with Caricom and with the U.S.

The minister acknowledged the contributions which Guyanese in the diaspora make to their homeland and their sense of patriotism. “I wish to commend you for keeping the spirit of Guyana alive in Florida and for continuing to strive with us at home to uphold our motto of ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny.’”

Visit Guyana

In his message published in the souvenir journal, President Donald Ramotar said “I want to say to all that great things are happening in Guyana. You have to see it to believe it! I therefore want to encourage all the Guyanese who reside in Florida to come back home and see for yourself the progress that is being made and to examine how you

can be an integral part of taking our country to even greater heights in the future.”

The diverse cultural entertainment featured Terry Gajraj, Winston Duggin, Harold Caribbean, The Tempets, dance and drumming ensemble with roots from Buxton and The Jaya Devi Dance Company with dances by Shameeza Roshanali, Rehan Ally, Leena Ally, IIlcia Dow, Varuna Ramersaud Singh, Ashley Dindial, Alana Resaul, Hannesa Ramnarine and Kayla Dean.

The event was put together by a committee headed by Wesley Kirton and included Leslie Latchmansingh, Tina Beharry and Larry London. In welcoming guests to the event, Kirton explained that “this is not a fundraiser

per se, but surplus funds from last year’s celebration helped finance the participation of a University of Guyana law student in an important workshop in Washington, DC as well as support the work of the Ruimveldt Children’s Aid Centre”.

The event was sponsored by Laparkan Trading, CGX Energy Inc, Dipcon Engineering, MACORP, Seafreight Agencies, Caribbean Airlines, NEW Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (Limacol), Demerara Distillers, Hab International, Suriname Airways, Banks DIH Limited, Harry Rambarran and Family, Trans Caribbean Shipping and the Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ministries. (Excerpted from Guyana Times)

Jamaican youth expo pulls hundreds

Over 300 Jamaican youth, between the ages of 15 and 24 years, from several high schools, training institutions and youth clubs in Hanover attended a Youth Empowerment Expo held at the Jockey Factory in Lucea, Hanover last Friday.

The expo, which was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Culture in collaboration with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, Sandals Resorts and several other companies, targeted "at risk" youth and introduced them to social entrepreneurship, capacity building, skills training, and related areas.

They received free career counselling as well as HIV counselling and testing, and participated in workshops on mobile app development, animation, web and graphic design. The young people were also in empowerment sessions focusing on careers in sports, creative arts, hospitality, wealth creation opportunities, and employability skills. There were also mock interviews, TRN

registration and a songwriting seminar for singers, DJs and songwriters.

The expo also featured information booths from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, National Youth Service, the National Council on Drug Abuse, and the Hanover Health Department, as well as displays from several educational and training institutions and business development entities. Representatives from Sandals Resorts in Negril were also in attendance and did demonstrations on various activities in the tourism industry. They also shared details on the resort's Hospitality Training Programme which allows youth to gain training, experience and certification in various areas in the hospitality field over a six-week period.

A stakeholders forum, which facilitated discussions on the proposed Hanover Youth Information Centre and NYS Training Facility to be built in Lucea, Hanover, followed the expo. (Jamaica Observer)

Machel Montano holds onto Power soca title

Defending champion

Machel Montano continues to rewrite the soca history books, becoming the first person ever to win four straight Soca Monarch titles on Fantastic Friday at the International Soca Monarch finals in Trinidad.

Putting in his work on the “Ministry of Road” to clinch the Play Whe Power Soca Monarch crown, Machel maintained his perfect record in that format since returning to the competition in 2011.

The popular artiste staved off strong efforts from Grenadian star Mr Killa and his “Rollie Pollies”, soca queen Destra Garcia (Mash Up) and veteran Neil “Iwer” George (Mama Oye) who all tied for second place.

Soca king Montano, compared to previous editions, seemed to have gone with a less extravagant presentation in pursuit of the TT$2 million first prize as there were no flying stunts, harnesses or mind blowing props this time around.

Opening his performance with a video of a street protest with people chanting ‘we want M.O.R.’ Montano, dressed smartly in a yellow suit and black tie, quickly gave the people M.O.R. (Ministry of Road) while backed up by his always

Montano had the crowd in a frenzy and made them “drop on the ground” while he mashed up the “road.”

energetic gyrating female dancers and acrobatic hip hop dancers.

As his performance neared its climax, the 39-year-old soca star gave his version of the infamous Michael Jackson “lean” from his video “Smooth Criminal” while a road worker emerged after with a sledgehammer to mash up the “road” he had placed on stage.

Earlier, Grenadian star

'Chuckey' crowned Trinidad's new Calypso Monarch

Roderick

‘Chuckey’ Gordon won the one million dollar prize in Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Monarch crown on Sunday in a competition that likely signals the end of an impressive career by a longstanding veteran and former multiple win-

ner. Gordon, who has described himself as the “last badjohn of Calypso” overcame a strong field of 12 that included three former monarchs, to lift the title with his political rendition ‘Wey You Think’ and the social commentary ‘Wedding of De Century’.

The results may have also signalled the end of an illustrious career for Dr Hollis Liverpool, who was seeking to win his ninth crown, but had to settle for fourth place with his tunes ‘Ah Miss De Bards’ and "De Guest List".

Former monarch Winston Rawlins (Cro Cro) placed eighth while defending monarch Eric Taylor (Pink Panther) placed one spot from the last place that went to Roger "Bodyguard" Mohammed, whose song ‘False Papers’ had generated much controversy leading up to the competition.

Former monarch Kurt Allen placed second with his tunes “Sweet Sizzling Summer” and “The Lost Psalm Of King David” while crowd favourite Selvon ‘Mistah Shak’ Noel took the third prize with his political commentary ‘Bois’ and ‘Crime Round De Clock’.

Allen and Noel received prizes totalling TT$500,000 and TT$250,000 respectively.(Excerpted from TT Newsday)

Hollis Mapp aka Mr Killa brought out the “ultimate Rollie Pollie” in an elaborate and entertaining performance, but exceeded his time limit significantly which may have cost him the title. Starting with a skit set at the Piarco International Airport, Mr Killa was asked by a customs officer if he had anything to declare.

Groovy Soca Monarch

Meanwhile, a bold chal-

lenge from respected singersongwriter Kerwin Du Bois earned him the title of Groovy Soca Monarch, out-performing defending champ Montano and ten other contenders.

This is the first time Du Bois has ever won the competition. In 2012, he placed second with the song, “Bacchanalist”.

At the International Soca Monarch competition, Du Bois put on such a fantastic performance of his hit song, “Too Real”, that the large crowd chanted his name for seconds after he was done.

Before performing in position number 10, an excited crowd began chanting, “We want Kerwin” and went on so for a few minutes.

Before he came on stage, pyrotechnics were set off, thrilling the crowd. People seated in the stands moved quickly to the front of the stage when the music began.

In a post performance interview, Du Bois said he really wanted to win the title this year. Asked about his verse on Montano, he said he has respect for him, and they were friends, but it was a competition.

Last year’s champ, Montano, placed second this year with his song, “Happiest Man Alive”. (Excerpted from TT Newsday)

Carnival Kings & Queens

Carnival Queen 2014, Peola marchan with her costume 'Zamara, mirage of the oasis' at Big Friday at the Queen's Park savannah, Port-of-spain.

carnival king 2014, Wade Madray shows off his costume, 'Quars Al sahraa--desert Sting’ at the Kings and Queens of carnival show at the Queen's Park savannah last Friday night. (TT Newsdayotos)

the champions: Petrotrin Phase 11 Pan grove players, holding a replica cheque for tt$1million, celebrate their back-to-back win and six titles after the large band Panorama finals at

savannah, Portof spain, on Saturday night.

She was recently recognised as the leading young female chemist in Latin America and the Caribbean; holds two masters degrees and a doctorate; was named the Young Scientist of the Year in Jamaica in 2011; and has several other awards to boast about, but though noteworthy, Dr Simone Badal-McCreath believes her greatest achievement to date is having a good character.

The 32-year-old believes she has her father and her Christian upbringing to thank for this and feels her tenacity to be her best self has spilled over into her professional and academic life. Now in the middle of her research aimed at developing drugs to treat cancer, managing a lab and lecturing, she is penning her first book: ‘A woman's journey to success’.

Dr Badal-McCreath has no doubt that her journey to becoming a topranked scientist was divinely ordained. Her intention throughout high school was to become a doctor, but then she was unable to do physics in CXC and decided to apply to do pure and applied sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI) first in order to matriculate into medicine. However, she had a change of heart once she realised how much she loved bio-chemistry.

Cancer research

Currently, she is responsible for managing a recently completed cell culture lab at the UWI Natural Products Institute and also lectures part-time

Adroit in glass blowing, Andrew Thom creates impressive artwork using nothing but his hands and a blowtorch.

In an interview, Thom described himself as a “scientific and artistic glass blower”. He shapes molten glass, turning and blowing it into work of art.

“I describe myself as a scientific glass blower because I make test tubes, and artistic because I create various glass ornaments. I have been doing this for the past 24 years and enjoy every moment of it,” Thom pointed out.

After high school, Thom attended the Government Technical Institute. He graduated from the institution but did not get a job. A neighbour noticed this and asked Thom if he would like to learn something different. Thom readily accepted.

at the University of Technology. Her primary interest now lies in screening Jamaican plant isolates that potentially hold properties to treat cancer which is among the leading causes of death in Jamaica. She is also working with a group of experts to create a novel Jamaican cancer cell line, since the Caucasian cell line is what is being mostly used for testing.

Her work in cancer research has been documented in local and international publications and it was based on her achievement in these areas that she was nominated and selected as one of five women worldwide to receive the Elsevier Foundation Award for Early Career Scientists in the Developing

“That was when he introduced me to Mr Denny, a glass blower. He is now in the U.S. and about 90 years old. Mr Denny was very instrumental in teaching me glass blowing techniques and helping me to excel in it. Also, when I became employed by the Institute of Applied Science and Technology, which has the largest glass blowing workshop in the country, I received further training and was able to develop my skills,” Thom recalled.

Through a scholarship, Thom attended the Technical University of Nova Scotia in Canada, studying glass blowing. When he returned to Guyana, he registered his business, Creative Glass Works, in 1993. Unfortunately, the business was not established because of lack of funding.

“I never had the funding to do so

World on February 15. The award is presented by the World Academy of Sciences and the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World to women representing five regions--Central and South Asia, East and South-East Asia and the Pacific, the Arab region, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, which Dr Badal-McCreath claimed.

Although the lack of funding to finance research continues to be a roadblock in the journey to progress, Dr

Badal-McCreath said she was elated at winning the award.

"It is challenging in terms of the time and the tiredness, but when I won this award and I told my students, you should have seen their eyes, it brought so much motivation to me," she said.

Awards

Other awards Dr Badal-McCreath has won over the years include the Scientific Research Council Young Scientist of the Year award for 2011 as well as the Luther G Speare Memorial Scholarship in 2010. This scholarship was used to undertake her PhD work in biochemistry entitled "Screening for anticancer and chemo-protective properties of natural and synthetic compounds" at UWI.

Dr Badal-McCreath does not intend for her research to just stay in the lab. She hopes they will become commercial products and achieve the intended results. As such, she spent a year at the London School of Commerce so she could achieve a master of business administration from the University of Wales. She also has a master of philosophy from UWI.

Although she is focused on becoming a pioneer in cancer treatment, Dr Badal-McCreath finds that being a wife is one of her most fulfilling roles. She enjoys spending as much time as possible with her husband of six years who is now completing his first degree in business at UWI. (Excerpted from Jamaica Observer)

or anyone willing to invest in it. I am doing the artistic aspect of it as a hobby. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to showcase my talent in Antigua at the ‘Go-Invest- Guyana On Show’ exhibition and also at GuyExpo,” he mentioned.

It is impressive to observe Thom at work. He artistically uses florescent tubes to make vases, animalshaped ornaments, even write out names in glass. At his home, in a humble workshop, Thom fires up his blowtorch, during his leisure time, to create artistic ornaments. He recently made an elaborate glass tree for a client, which was applauded as being distinct and artistic.

Thom demonstrated in his workshop, how he makes a swan. He

stretched and blew the supple glass until it took a swan-like shape. He then mixed red food colouring in water and filled the ornament. Thom molded the glass expertly and effortlessly, creating a swan. It was a spellbounding process.

“I do make glass ornaments for clients and I am planning on establishing my business. I consider my talent a gift because it comes so easily to me. The tree I did for a client took me about two days to complete. Grateful to my neighbour and Mr Denny for helping me develop my talent, I am now willing to impart what I know to all those interested. If I get the funding or resources, I can start a glass blowing programme,” he declared. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

NBC’s The Voice Season 5 winner, Tessanne Chin, will be receiving an award on March 29 in Toronto at the University of the West Indies fifth annual Toronto Benefit Gala, slated to be held at the Ritz Carlton hotel.

According to thestar.com, Chin will be given a Luminary Award alongside her long-time mentor, Jimmy Cliff.

The singer will re-

There was a noticeable decrease in mud and oil bands as compared to previous years as paint and powder seemed to rule the road for J’ouvert Monday morning.

Port-of-Spain was transformed into one large street theatre as J’Ouvert masqueraders paraded through the streets in paint-splattered clothing.

A young man wearing a bib and diapers turned to his girlfriend, smacking his lips against her cheek, a beer in his hand and a smile on his face as music blared from a set of speakers on Ariapita Avenue.

At around 4 am, characters pranced through the streets, calling out friends, dancing with strangers and sharing one commonality, smiles that stretched from the lips to eyes as they welcomed the early morning festival.

Large crowds gathered near the bars with the loudest speakers, enjoying their own street

turn to Toronto on May 17 for a concert at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts with her Bread and Butter Band and her father-in-law Michael Anthony Cuffe Sr as emcee for the night.

Chin, born September 23, 1985, in Kingston, Jamaica, is a Reggae fusion recording artist, also well known for her hit singles ‘Hideaway’ and ‘Messenger’. (Jamaica Observer)

party as steelbands such as Caribbean Airlines Invaders and Starlift made their way through the fray, beating sweet musical notes out of steel.

As rapso group ‘3Canal’ passed with their band, black paint was pasted onto waiting faces.

Near the stadium on Wrightson Road, big trucks, blasted soca mu-

sic from speakers as people in matching outfits squirted pink, yellow, green, blue and red paint onto each other’s bodies.

One woman, in J’Ouvert band ‘iJouvert’, stood on a truck spraying pink paint onto a jumping, waving, wining crowd from the tray of a pickup truck.

Drivers of the many vehicles on the road

seemed impatient with revellers as they recklessly moved through the streets.

This did nothing to dampen the fun or activities as a man lifted a plastic cup to his lips as Ravi B’s voice called for a bottle of rum per day.

By 5 am, J’Ouvert bands were squeezing past each other in St Clair as masqueraders from separate bands mixed and mingled, enjoying each other for a few moments before moving apart with their own trucks.

At 6 am, J’Ouvert band ‘Dirty Dozen’, along with what appeared to be a few hundred revellers, danced past Kapok Hotel in Maraval, pausing to allow an ambulance to pass them on the road when requested by their DJ.

On St Clair Avenue, a big truck played the song 'Rolly Polly' as soca icon Austin ‘Super Blue’ Lyons was jammed from a heavy-set woman on a truck carrying drinks. (Excerpted from TT Guardian)

A slice of cheesecake

By Anu Dev

I’m a big fan of cheesecake–whether it’s my Mom’s homemade cheesecake (well via Junior’s of Brooklyn recipe) or the slices I regularly buy for myself. I’m not that particular–graham cracker crust, sponge cake crust, whipped cream topping, cherry topping–I don’t mind whichever. Throw a slice my way and I’ll work my way through it. Luckily, the Rituals at Mount Hope is always well stocked with the requisite slices and a variety of toppings to meet my needs.

I usually pick up a slice to reward myself, or as a little pick-me-up when I’m not feeling that upbeat. Usually it’s to reward myself for surviving yet another long day and it actually manages to cheer me up quite a bit. In all honesty, I’m never out of what I think are very solid reasons for eating cheesecake.

I think it’s important to reward ourselves every now and again even if it’s just with little things. I mean, it’s not that we should be constantly patting ourselves on the back for every single thing we do. But sometimes it’s nice to give ourselves a little treat for achieving our goals. How’d that sound? Told you I’m good at this!

But seriously, setting goals and specific deadlines for achieving those goals are important towards being efficient and organised so that the goals are realised. Especially for students, nearing the end of the semester when the teachers start to pile on those assignments. It gets really easy to lose track of what needs to be done. Taking the time to plan ahead for what needs to be done really saves time in the long run–especially if you’re a serial procrastinator like I am.

I think the worst thing about procrastinating is the regret that comes after you hand in the assignment or write the exam, when you realise that you could have done so much better had you started earlier. It’s a feeling most people are familiar with, since unfortunately, most people are guilty of procrastination.

But by managing your time better and setting goals and deadlines, you can avoid those last minute frantic all-nighters that are most times rather counterproductive.

Rewarding yourself for meeting your deadlines just might make you more amenable to trying harder to meet your goals every time.

Those days where nothing seems to go your way and even the skies seem gloomy are the days when you should take some time to listen to a favourite song, look at a funny video, or eat your favourite food. It’s amazing the effect those little things can have in changing your mood. The last are called ‘comfort food’ for a very good reason!

So what’s your slice of cheesecake? What’s your little thing that can brighten your day? Take some time out of your day or your week to reward yourself or to spoil yourself a little bit–sometimes you really deserve it!

I was back in Guyana over the long weekend to participate in our annual family Puja.

I discovered that even though it’s not public holidays, everything shuts down in Trinidad for their Carnival bacchanalian revelries. Even medical school. Have an enjoyable week, and I hope all of you achieve whatever goals you’ve set yourselves this week! I’ll be scrounging around for some cheesecake.

Actress Juhi Chawla says she turned down a lot of big film offers at the peak of her career as she thought the industry would shut down without her.

"When you were at your peak, you stop taking chances, you become indispensable and think that without you the industry will shut down as you are young and successful. You make foolish decisions. I did not do couple of films which then became blockbusters," Juhi said.

The actress revealed that she had refused films like ‘Raja Hindustani’, ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’, ‘Judaai’ among others.

"It is all in the past, so it is ok to talk about it and you learnt from it. I think most of them were two heroine projects, so I did not do it. I am responsible for Karisma Kapoor's stardom and she

doesn't know about it," she said.

When asked if she regrets not doing those films, Juhi says, "At that time I was still working and I had project after project. Now when I look back, I can see that I was doing silly thing, but that was the phase I was in and you end up doing all these things (rejecting films)."

The vivacious actress seems to be experimenting with roles now, but at the same time she plays it safe. (TOI)

From being a model to turning a cerebral producer, John Abraham has come a long way in his life and career. On his recent trip to Ranchi, the actor talked about his passion for sports, his association with the Hockey India League, filmmaking and of course, his upcoming flicks. The fol-

Actress Preity Zinta is happy to be in U.S. and will be attending the Spring Charity Ball.

The Spring Charity Ball 2014 began in California, U.S., March 1 and will conclude Sunday.

"Always excited to be in the U.S. even though the flight feels longer everytime. Hope I make it to the Spring Charity Ball without passing out," Preity posted on Twitter.

The 39-year-old had earlier said that she feels "totally zonked" because of the jet lag and wished she was attending a Sleeping Beauty Ball.

"Landed in California and it's pouring down rain. Now in SFO and (I) am totally zonked with the jet lag. Wish was attending a Sleeping Beauty Ball," she posted. (TOI)

Aamir Khan has rubbished reports of threat to his life in the wake of sensitive issues taken up by him during the first season of his television show 'Satyamev Jayate'.

After Aamir

lowing is an excerpt:

How did you get associated with Hockey India League? I believe India doesn't really have a national sport as such. Hence, we must give our support to revive hockey. I'm very appreciative of the International Hockey Federation and its Indian counterpart for all their initiatives to attract talent. This time around I noticed that the crowd has surged as compared to last year. Another thing is that everyone is ready to hop on to the cricket bandwagon. But I feel hockey is a far more athletic and fast game, just like football. So, it becomes easier for me to support a game I can connect with. My team members are my friends and they consider me as one of them.

Football, motorcycle racing and now hockey—what else do you like? I am a sports addict—be it football, hockey or motorcycle racing, I love them all. (TOI)

touched upon sensitive topics like female foeticide, medical malpractices and honour killing in 'Satyamev Jayate', he had apparently received several threats to stop highlighting such cases.

There were reports

‘I

that Aamir had ordered a bullet proof car as some of the episodes of 'Satyamev Jayate 2' may throw light on governance and issues related to Lok Sabha elections 2014.

"I have not got any

Filmmaker Karan Johar said that he likes onscreen kissing scenes as they ensure great box office openings.

"I like watching kissing scenes on screen. I enjoy it. The new generation of actors don't shy away from it. Kissing brings good openings (at the box office) and it is a wonderful thing," Karan said at the trailer launch of movie ‘2 States’ earlier in the week.

Alia Bhatt had her first on screen kiss with co-star Sidharth Malhotra in her debut film ‘Student Of The Year’ in 2012 and she has also locked lips with Arjun Kapoor for her forthcoming film ‘2 States’ which features three kissing scenes. (TOI)

miss Denver’ - Madhuri

When Madhuri Dixit-Nene shifted to India after spending almost a decade in the U.S., her husband and children were oblivious to her stardom in India. But, even though she came back to the world of greasepaint she grew up in and where she spent most of her years before tying the knot, Madhuri recently told Indian media that she misses the space and time she enjoyed in Denver.

Speaking during the promotions of ‘Gulaab Gang’, she said, "It is a little chaotic in Mumbai, but I won't say that I don't enjoy it. I enjoy my work, I enjoy what I do and I enjoy being in the space where I can do all these wonderful things. Yes, I do miss the space in Denver, where I could take them to the park and play and all of that, but with all our limitations, we have our clubs in Mumbai or we put them into sports to make up for that. But I wish Mumbai had a little more open space."

Dixit-Nene

Asked if Hollywood ever crossed her mind while she was in Denver, she said, "I went away from films because I wanted to have kids. So, it didn't matter if it was Bollywood or Hollywood. I just wanted to devote my time to my kids and enjoy that part of life because that was the big dream I had for myself.” (TOI)

Anil Kapoor signs daughter Sonam for new film

Actor-producer Anil Kapoor, who has bought the movie rights of author Anuja Chauhan's novel ‘Battle For Bittora’, is very excited about the project and says it will make for a fantastic film.

"The way I got excited for my ‘24’ project (Indian adaptation of American TV series of like name), the same way I am very passionate and very excited about this film also," the 57-year-old told reporters.

"I feel the content of the book will make a fantastic film," he added.

‘Battle For Bittora’ is a love story between two politicians who, despite being in love, are contesting against each other in the elections.

The actor-producer has roped in his daughter Sonam Kapoor for the film, however, he didn't reveal anything about her role, saying “It is too early to talk about it".

Anil has earlier produced ‘Badhaai

threats. I don't fear... threats. Do not go with the rumours. There is no threat to me," the actor said.

The show anchored by Aamir, 48, started airing on television earlier this week.

(TOI)

Gosling feels Hollywood dreams don't come true easily

Actor Ryan Gosling says those who harbour a dream to become big in Hollywood don't know whether it's a premonition or a delusion.

The 33-year-old, who was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, left everything familiar behind to pursue his Hollywood dreams.

"Everyone's left their family, their homes, their friends (and) their jobs, to pursue a dream, where they know that the percentage of them achieving that dream is never and they do it anyway," contactmusic.com quoted Gosling as saying.

"Everyone has shared the same dream and no one knows whether it's a premonition or a

delusion," he added.

‘The Notebook’ star admitted that luck plays a part in securing an audition and insisted nerves and fear of the competition can often get in the way.

"You're lucky to get an audition. Then you get it, you get there (at the audition), you walk into a room full of guys that look just like you. You realise that you're not the only one that wore a cowboy hat. Then you can hear the other guy in the other room auditioning. Now you're thinking about not doing it like him as oppose to doing it the way you wanted to do it," Gosling said. (TOI)

Lea Michele walks around garden naked

Lea Michele likes to walk around her garden naked.

The ‘Glee’ star admits she feels confident in her own skin and doesn't mind looking at herself without any clothes on, but insisted she only strips in her own home.

She said: ''I'm very comfortable with my own body. I come from Broadway--everybody's naked on Broadway. I like to think of myself as more granola. I'm not going to run around naked or anything like that unless I'm at my own home. Today, I walked into my

backyard and was standing out there naked for a while. Don't tell, my neighbours will freak out!''

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old singer is set to release her debut album, ‘Louder’, on March 17, and she admitted she originally wanted it to be ''pop-heavy,'' but after the death of her boyfriend Cory Monteith-who died from an accidental alcohol and drug overdose last year--she changed the genre and went for a more ''dramatic'' approach.

(TOI)

Dalai Lama calls Hollywood a waste of time

The Dalai Lama isn't a fan of Hollywood. He made this amply clear in an interview to a website recently. When asked by the interviewer if he knew about the Academy Awards, he said he hasn't watched Hollywood movies in over 20 years, preferring instead to listen to radio.

"It's very bad for my eyes," said His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, adding, "And also, it's a waste of time!"

"I think technology has really increased human ability," said the Buddhist teacher, who has 8.5 million followers online. "But technology cannot produce compassion," he added. (TOI)

Michael Douglas 'back together' with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones

Michael Douglas' mother has revealed that the actor is back together with his estranged wife Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Diana Douglas told the Sun that the couple is together as they are both gentle people and not hysterical, and she knew they would work it out.

The 91-year-old added that Douglas and the ‘Side Effects’ star have always been very affectionate and easy with each other.

The ‘Basic Instinct’ star and Jones, who announced their split in August 2013, were recently spotted holidaying together in Quebec and the Bahamas with their children. (TOI)

Matthew McConaughey dedicates Oscar to God

Matthew McConaughey dedicated his Best Actor Oscar to God.

The overjoyed star was delighted to accept the trophy for his role in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’---which saw him lose 50lbs to play A.I.D.S. patient Ron Woodroof---and kissed his wife and hugged fellow nominee Leonardo DiCaprio as he went to accept the award. He said: ''First off I want to

‘I never thought I'd win an Oscar’ – Brad Pitt

Actor Brad Pitt says he never thought he would win an Oscar.

The 50-year-old picked up the award as a producer for ‘12 Years a Slave’.

"I don't know where I'm going to put it. I never thought I'd take one home, so I haven't thought that far in advance," Pitt told eonline. com.

‘12 Years a Slave’, a real life story of a man's fight for survival and freedom, won the best film honour at the 86th Academy Awards. (TOI)

Uma Thurman says having a baby in forties is a 'stunning' experience

Uma Thurman feels that having a baby in her forties is a "stunning" experience because one feels more mature and volatile.

The Golden Globe award winner's pregnancy in forties left her astonished as many things seemed new to her again, Contactmusic reported.

The 43-year-old actress said that one becomes a different person when you have a child in the early side of your child-bearing years.

The ‘Nymphomaniac’ star further added that

thank God, because he's the one I look up to, he's graced my life with opportunities which I know are not of my hand or any other human hand. He has shown me that it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of the late [British actor] Charlie Laughton, who said, 'When you got God, you got a friend and that friend is you.'” (TOI)

having a child is like having one's heart get out of your ribcage and walking around the room. (TOI)

John Travolta tones down footwork in public

Actor John Travolta, popular for his footwork, says he "economises" his dancing on public platform.

The 60-year-old has acted in dance-centric films like ‘Staying Alive’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and admitted he tones down his moves in public, reported contactmusic.com.

"I economise with my (dance) moves so, I don't have too much pressure on me," he said. (TOI)

Halle Berry doesn't want more children

Halle Berry has revealed that she is not planning on having more kids now or ever.

The 47-year-old actress, who added a son in October 2013 to her brood of two, said at an Oscar after-party that she is surprised she had the one she just had, and doubted that God will bless her again with another one, the Mirror reported.

The former Bond girl added that she thinks she is done with kids. Berry, who had her

ueen of Bakanal Trinidadian Destra Garcia has been nominated for a Black Canadian Award.

QDestra has been nominated in the awards shows International category along with South African songstress Lira, Ghana’s Samini, South African rapper Khuli Chana, Nigerian pop star Waje and Barbadian soca queen Alison Hinds.

The awards ceremony is part of Canada’s Black History Month and will be held at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto on June 7, 2014.

“Being nominated for an award like this outside of the Caribbean circuit by the black community of Canada is humbling. It came as a surprise and is a step forward for soca music. I feel proud and I hope I win,” Destra said of the nomination last Wednesday.

Last year Destra was named monarch of Canada’s Caribana. She was chosen as the face of the festival and was featured prominently across the Canadian media.

The “Race to the Altar” in Guyana concluded last Friday evening with mixed emotions at the Roraima Duke Lodge, Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

Amid the tears and excitement, the journey ended with future couple Mr and Mrs Ryan and Maria Fletcher as the winners of an all inclusive wedding scheduled for later this month.

The other participants of the competition walked away with several prizes, including discounts on items they would need for their wedding.

At the finale last Friday evening, the couples were made to recite a poem or perform a skit that would be dedicated to their partner.

The first couple to take to the podium was Denzil and Felicity. They explained that before they applied to be a part of the “Race to the Altar”, they were on the brink of going to the Guyana Post Office Corporation to make their union legal.

The second couple, Pride and Kamini, approached the podium to much cheer, with Pride performing a rather sincere and heart rendering poem entitled “Race to the Altar” and Kamini responding with a song, confessing her love and pride in Pride.

Subsequent to the winners being announced, the couple explained that if they did not win, it will not in any way diminish their love for each other.

Kamini explained that as a couple, they like to keep certain things a mystery between them, but noted that as a result of the competition, she learned several things about Pride that she did not know, although they have been together for some 21 years.

In love

With their exit, entered couple

“I was on mainstream media both visual and audio and made a lot of print

number three, Nigel and Fareeda, who took to the stage belting out Whitney Houston’s “Judgment Day” and although they spoiled the song, their message was clear; they were in love and wanted to get married.

When the winning couple of the competition was announced, Fareeda broke down in tears as she expressed her disappointment of not winning. However, Nigel contended that he has Fareeda, and no victory can match that.

The fourth couple Ryan and Maria, who subsequently emerged as the winners of the coveted prize, took centre stage, thanking the management and staff of Roraima for affording them the opportunity of a lifetime.

Maria performed a song that she dedicated to Ryan, and although her vocal abilities left much to be desired, the message and emotion from the lyrics did not fail to relay her message.

“I just want to say thank you for the many things you’ve done,” sang Maria as she explained her singing the song has been something she wanted to do for Ryan a long time ago. From the onset of the ceremony, they were promoting themselves. The couple had paraded the floors approaching those gathered,

newspaper and magazine appearances as well. So while I am surprised (at the nomination) I guess I knew something like this could be possible.

“I hope it can give the younger artistes something to aspire to. Hopefully if they see that I can do it they will realise so can they,” she said.

The BCA celebrates and showcases the achievements of Black Canadian artists, trail-blazers and leaders within the community. Past notable winners of the award include Canadian pop star Drake, rapper Kardinal Offishal and Olympic 100m gold medal sprint champion Donovan Bailey.

The ceremony will crown, through a nomination and voting process, various artists and genres of Black Canadian music and art such as Best R&B Artist, Best Jazz Artist and Best Actor/Actress among others.

It will also feature a talent scholarship based competition to crown the Black Canadian Queen for the year 2014.

Jamaican contest finalist to release debut album

urging their support. Unbroken promise

The last couple to perform was Romel and Nazeema. They reenacted the day that they heard about the competition, and made it clear from the onset, that regardless of the outcome of the competition, they will still marry.

The competition, which started just over a few weeks ago, followed the five couples into their homes as the cameras took a peek into their lives.

The couples were also taken on several trips, including one to Arrow Point Nature Resort and an overhead tour of the city. They were judged every step of the competition through several mediums, including Facebook and text messaging.

Roraima Group of Companies Inc Chairman, Captain Gerald Gouveia explained that all of the votes would have been tabulated and the persons with the most votes would have been named the winners of the competition.

Gouveia also noted that Wedding Expo and the “Race to the Altar” competition are being used as a catalyst to promote wedding tourism in Guyana.

“We want to make Guyana … a wedding destination … come to Guyana and get married!” the captain urged.

Gouveia noted that all those who participated in the competition were winners, and disclosed that his team will be fine-tuning the competition next year.

The winning couple will tie the knot on March 29 during the annual Wedding Expo. (Guyana Times)

Former Digicel Rising Stars finalist Angele Smith, is set to release his debut album later this year. The yet-to-be titled project comes on the heels of the success of his recent single ‘Mek Mi Love Yuh’.

‘Mek Mi Love Yuh’ is produced by GI Production/Siennash Entertainment.

"Basically I am picking up where I left off by stepping up promotions behind brand Angele Smith. I am going harder with the street team and also producing more videos leading up to my debut album and performances. 2013 was good, a lot of work and it paid off," Smith said.

The 30-year-old singer, who began his musical trod as a member of the vocal group A20, is originally from Westmoreland. He finished in sixth place in the Rising Stars competition in 2009.

He said this year looks great.

"I won the Jollywood Jamaica Movie Soundtrack award for the song 'Bounce Back' which was featured in the film 'Butterfly'. I also performed at the Young and In Charge concert which was headlined by American group Mindless Behaviour," Smith shared.

"Right now, friends, fans, and well wishers are waiting with great patience to see and hear what my first album will be like, and I'm very excited about it, can't wait for it to be finished," Smith said. (Jamaica Observer)

Berbicians came out in their thousands on Sunday as they took to the streets to celebrate Mashramani Berbice style in Guyana.

Revellers of all ages lined Main Street, New Amsterdam to get a glimpse of the eight spectacular bands that took part in this year’s parade. The bands assembled at Marks Bridge and then made their way along Main Street, accompanied by loud soca and dancehall music, as revellers and spectators alike gyrated to the booming sounds from the massive sound systems that accompanied each float.

There was something for everyone as the bands showcased various aspects of Guyana’s rich folklore while sending positive messages as in the case of the Health Ministry float. Five floats participated in the event namely those of the Regional Democratic

Council Region six, Education Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Health Ministry and a local contingent from New Amsterdam. By the time the bands finally made their way to Stelling Road, the sun had set but that did not stop patrons from continuing the party as there were several after-

fetes in New Amsterdam and its environs planned.

There were several overseas-based Guyanese who came back home just to be part of the Berbice Mash. “I am having the time of my life, this is what I needed to get me back to normal from that cold of North America”, said Natasha Singh, who was gyrat-

ing to soca. There were also several members of the Peace Corps and persons from Essequibo and Georgetown. The children were also treated as they enjoyed photo shoots with cartoon characters, face painting, bouncy castle and much more. Despite the limited number of floats, Berbicians expressed satisfaction with

this year’s event as they look forward to a bigger and better Mash in 2015. Mashramani 2014

was celebrated under the theme “Cultural folkore, celebrating 44”. (Guyana Times)

Star of the Week

Jonathan ‘Lil Red’ King burst onto the music scene in 2002 with the finesse and energy more associated with celebrated entertainers. Immediately he was a ‘hot number’ and blazed a scorching trail which saw him entering the Junior Calypso Contest in that same year while he was still a student at the Redeemer Primary School. Born on 20 June, 1993, to talented soca temptress, Michelle ‘Big Red’ King, he had certainly possessed the fire of music in his veins from the very beginning. Quite naturally he followed in his mother’s footsteps and has been chalking up notable points on the musical charts since. King started singing at the tender age of ten. Since then, his vocal and performing talents have been known to leave his fans spellbound. While pursuing his secondary education at the Apex Academy, he joined hands with some of his colleagues and formed the hit song group, Real Hard Crew. While the group performed remarkably at several school concerts and other entertainment events, King’s mom paved the way for them to entertain at the 2009 Kross Kolor Records Annual School Show. They were well-received by the large audience. Unfortunately, the members of the music group decided to part ways. Consequently, King entered the ‘world of work’, specifically at Qualfon Inc. Three months into his stint there, he rocked the stage when he performed at the annual Qualfon Star Talent Competition. Before a panel of esteemed judges, the artiste wooed the hearts of those in attendance, eventually leaving the judges with no choice but to hand him the top spot in the competition. This accomplishment, of course, fuelled his musical fire and in 2012 he entered the Carib Soca Monarch with the riveting single, ‘Hold me Tight’. Later, King released a music video for the single. He made it to the final segment ahead of many seasoned campaigners, becoming a crowd favourite, although he did not place in the top three finalists. Working feverishly, he soon completed and produced his first mixtape, which was also a major success. It was titled ‘Just Buss’. In 2013, he again entered the Carib Soca Monarch with another pulsating song titled, ‘Neva Stop’. Again he made it to the finals of the event, but did not win. The very talented artiste has also released, earlier this year, his debut album, ‘Just Buss’, consisting of hit singles ‘Who We Are’, ‘Hold Me Tight’, ‘Sugar Stick Wine’. He is currently signed with Vizion Sound Studios. Recently, King competed in the Carib Soca Monarch with ‘Who We Are’, but was unable to cop the winning title. However, the singer is not deterred. With raw, unbridled talent and powerful vocals, King is determined to follow his passion for music without letup.

Albert Ramcharran re-elected OSCL president

Albert Ramcharran was once again re-elected president of the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) on Sunday when the Annual General Meeting took place in the Community Room of the 23 Division Police Station.

Ramcharran was unopposed, but few changes were made to the other executive positions. Before the actual election, which was attended by representatives from participating teams, Ramcharran reported on a successful 2013.

Terry Mathura retained his vice-president position while Sheri Mohammed was elected as secretary replacing Avi Singh, who resigned during his term last year. Mohammed previously held the assistant statistician/registrar seat. Bobby Ramlagan was re-elected as assistant secretary/treasurer.

Statistician/registrar position is retained by Patrick Shivrattan while Kim Sue was also re-elected as the treasurer. Ravendra Madholall was elected as public relations officer/webmaster replacing Shiv Persaud, who was let go by the league during his stint last year.

Mathura is the chairman for the Discipline Committee while Ramlagan is the secretary. Vish Jadunauth is still the East End coordinator while West End coordinator Ryan Bhup did not seek reelection.

The three new disciplinary Committee members are: Krisho Singh, Pooran Roopchand and Sheryl Patram.

Pleased with the performance of the league last year, the Canada-based Guyanese Ramcharran said he is confident that the association would continue with the same level of co-operation and willingness to keep softball alive.

“I must thank you the members and the executives for your support in running the league in a professional manner, also not to forget the members of the disciplin-

ary committee; we had over 12 complaints, players suspended, put on probation and fine collecting over one thousand dollars and we never had this before so we have to take a stronger stance about it this season,” Ramcharran told the meeting.

He also noted the use of alcohol at match venues just after the completion of games, an issue which the league would seek to address for the betterment of the sport.

“I received a call from the park’s foreman about the damage at some of the grounds… drinking is becoming a ‘bigger’ problem at the park and once

you are caught, the park’s personnel can take away our permit, and that will be monitored by the relevant authorities in 2014,” Ramcharran cautioned.

With an OSCL team featured in last year’s Guyana Cup III, the league is now starting preparations for the next tournament to be held in Guyana from late October. The whiteball was used and Ramcharran was planning to introduce it this season, but after a brief discussion, it will not be in effect so therefore the supreme balls will continue for all versions of the game, 20, 15 and 10-overs.

Meanwhile, Jadunauth,

Sue and Mathura stated that they were happy with the continued progress made with softball cricket over the years, and have both promised to continue the hard work and same degree of confidence and optimism.

Jadunauth has been one of the founding members since the inauguration of the league in 1996. Ramcharran is also a founding member and is now in his second term as president.

The first statutory meeting is slated for later this month while captains’ meeting should be held soon at a venue to be named.

sport

First CPL boosted regional GDP

The inaugu-

ral Caribbean Premier league (CPL) has generated a combine figure of US$105.6 million dollars across the region, a study by the University of the West Indies has found.

The study by the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM), UWI, says the competition boosted Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in some countries by as much as 0.7 percent.

The CPL was launched last year to huge crowds, with over 250,000 spectators attending matches across Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and St Lucia.

“With the region still feeling the effects of the global financial crisis, CPL has been a real shot in the arm for the Caribbean,” said Professor Densil Williams, UWI.

“The tournament could trigger an even bigger revival, because as it grows and the brand becomes more recognised, we anticipate that the impact on the economies will be much greater.”

A release from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) said the report established that last year’s tournament had wide-reaching benefits in the six host countries across several different sectors ranging from transport and communication, to government services, hotels and

restaurants including health care and financial service sector.

The estimated total economic impact of CPL 2013 for each host country is -Antigua, US$7.35 million; Barbados, US $9.1 million; Guyana, US$4 million [3]; Jamaica, US$10.65 million; Trinidad, US$12.85 million, St Lucia US$7.3 million.

“These findings back up what people have been telling us for months, that the CPL has been brilliant for the region,” said Damien O’Donohoe,

CEO of the League.

“This year we’re committed to building on our initial success, with more sold-out crowds, fantastic entertainment and a high standard of cricket.”

This year, the Limacol CPL returns in July and August where Jamaica Tallawahs will defend their title against the St. Lucia Zouks, Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, Antigua Hawksbills, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Barbados Tridents. (TT Newsday)

Queen’s Baton creates a stir in Guyana

The Queen’s Baton with a message from the queen encased inside was taken on a trip around the city of Georgetown on Monday in the form of a relay in order to spread the spirit of the 20th Commonwealth Games which is set for July 23.

The event started with President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) KA Juman Yassin taking the baton from the GOA headquarters in Kingston to State House, where President of Guyana Donald Ramotar took over.

Ramotar then took the Baton to the Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony, who then released the baton on a tour that passed through Parliament and then to the British High Commission, where British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre took it some distance before the relay ended at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Ramotar, after his light jog that delighted the following, expressed his hope for the Commonwealth Games. “I hope that the athletes would be encouraged to get some

medals,” Ramotar stated.

Dr Anthony expressed his views, noting that he is “proud” to be a part of the event for the second time since his tenure as Sport Minister.

Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman, Mayor Hamilton Greene and Guyana’s lone Olympic medalist Michael Paris were also able to carry the baton for short distances.

In addition, to passing sig-

nificant sites in Guyana, such as the St Georges Cathedral, the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), the Magistrate’s Court that displayed a statue of the Queen, athletes from various sporting disciplines carried the baton along with students from various schools who were given the opportunity to be part of the event.

The Queens Baton was in Guyana for two days.

Hemraj, T. Chanderpaul replace injured Sarwan, S. Chanderpaul

West Indies middle order batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan will not be available for Guyana’s second game in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four-day tournament from March 7-10 because of an injured finger and back respectively.

Guyana will take on Barbados at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara under lights from 15:00h daily.

Both Chanderpaul and Sarwan missed Guyana’s opening round against Jamaica. The Guyanese were beaten by seven wickets in that game. The in-form Tagnarine Chanderpaul and the talented Chanderpaul Hemraj have been chosen as their replacement.

Young Chanderpaul, who recently returned from theInternational Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Cricket World Cup, held in United Arab Emirates finished the tournament, scoring 293 runs at an average of 58.60 runs, inclusive of two half-centuries and a century.

Chanderpaul also ended the tournament as the fifth highest run scorer, behind fellow teammate Nicolas Pooran, who scored 303 runs at an average of 60.6 runs, South Africa Aiden Markram (370), Pakistan Imam-ulHaq (382) and Bangladesh (406).

The left-handed opener made his first-class debut at the age of 16, for Guyana against Leeward Islands

last year and has so far played four games.

On the other hand, Hemraj, who is regarded as one of the best young batsman in the region, recently completed the first phase at the Sagicor High Performance Centre (HPC) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus.

Hemraj and national First-Class fast bowler Ronsford Beaton of Essequibo are the Guyanese on the 20132014 batch of young players at the Centre.

Veersammy Permaul, Brandon Bess, who was called up by the West Indies selectors to play a Test match against South Africa while being part of the programme in 2010, and openers Rajendra Chandrika and Trevon Griffith, are the Guyanese who have previously passed through the HPC programme.

The 20-year-old, Hemraj has three FirstClass matches under his belt after making his debut in the 2012 season against Trinidad and Tobago.

The Guyana squad reads: Christopher Barnwell (Captain), Sewnarine Chattergoon, Assad Fudadin, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Narsingh Deonarine, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Anthony Bramble, Amir Khan, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Ronsford Beaton, Keon Joseph and Vishaul Singh. The Manager is Alvin Johnson and the Coach is Esuan Crandon. Julian Moore will join the team as the assistant Coach. (Guyana Times)

Former Jamaican PM for Caribbean professional league task force

Former prime minister of Jamaica and chairman of Jamaica's Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) has been appointed to a CONCACAF task force, charged with examining the feasibility of a potential Caribbean professional football league.

Seaga, who is also president of the Tivoli Gardens Football Club and chairman of the Professional Football Association of Jamaica (PFAJ), was appointed to the CONCACAF committee which is set to have its first meeting in Miami on March 24.

Other members of the 10-

Expected to contribute to the process in an advisory capacity are the English Premier League's Jefferson Slack (senior vice-president, Global Business Development, IMG) and Kieran Foley (group head marketing, Digicel).

There has been a previous attempt to institute a Caribbean league. From 1992-1994, clubs, including some from Jamaica, competed in the Caribbean Professional Football League. After changing competitive formats and league name over its three seasons of play, the circuit ceased operations before

man committee are chairman Kenneth Howard, Randolph 'Randy' Horton (Speaker of the House of Assembly of Bermuda and a former New York Cosmos forward), Dr Keith Mitchell (Prime Minister of Grenada), Damien Hughes (general secretary, Caribbean Football Union), Simon Firth (partner, Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands), Don Garber (Commissioner, Major League Soccer), David John Williams (owner/president, WConnection Football Club, Trinidad and Tobago), Decio de Maria (president, Liga MX), Yves Jean-Bart (president, Haitian Football Federation), and Randy Harris (president, Barbados Football Federation).

the 1995 season.

"I am certain that there are immense untapped opportunities for football in the Caribbean," said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. "We need to evaluate thoroughly how best to convert potential into a viable structure that could create new futures for clubs, players, fans and the game as a whole."

Garber, Commissioner of Major League Soccer, said the focus of the task force is to "analyse the feasibility of a sustainable business model".

De Maria, head of Mexico's top-tier league, noted that looking back at past attempts to

develop such a league in the Caribbean will be crucial moving forward.

"That will provide important information as we seek to create an entity that serves the good of the game. Any new plans must respect existing structures in each country and successfully fit into an already crowded international soccer calendar," he said.

As some nations in the Caribbean possess established domestic leagues, the group will review current infrastructures and assess what competitive format would achieve the best outcomes for long-term success. (Jamaica Observer)

Surinamese striker joins Slingerz FC for Vizion Sounds Goodwill tournament in Guyana

He didn’t win the Gergetown Football Association (GFA) Banks Beer Cup playing for Santos given the fact that Slingerz defeated them 3-2 in the final on January 1, however, he certainly made a name for himself in Guyana and now, has returned to further stamp his authority.

Surinamese striker Wensley “Dutch Boy” Christoph is currently playing for Slingerz FC against Jamaica’s Boys Town Football Club, Buxton United and the lone team that handed them their only two loses–Alpha Unitedin the Vizion Sounds Entertainment Goodwill football tournament,

which started in Guyana Wednesday night at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground.

The game of itself is historic since the last time a Jamaican club team visited Guyana was 21 years ago. The clash between Slingerz and Boys’ Town will be the first game of its kind since the disbanded Caribbean Professional Football League.

With the organisers allowing each team to use three guess players, drawn from anywhere in the world, Slingerz FC sought the goal scoring expertise of the Surinamese international from SV Excelsior football club.

Christoph joined national goalkeep-

er Richard Reynolds, who also plays his club football in the Dutchspeaking country and defender Solomon Austin from Pele football club as the guest players for Slingerz FC.

The club seeking the help of the Surinamese came as no surprise after he made light work of their defence on New Year’s Day, scoring both goals for Santos, but now with him teaming up with the likes of Anthony Abrams and Devon Millington could be trouble for Alpha United, Boys Town and Buxton United.

Abrams signed to the Vergenoegen-based club last month and has so far scored seven goals in two matches, leading the team to the final of Saturday’s Stag Beer West Side Mashramani Championship against Den Amstel.

Prior to Abrams joining the team, Millington was the side’s leading goal scorer and has now transformed into the facilitator of Abrams goals.

Slingerz FC coach Charles “Lily” Pollard said “we have a busy schedule ahead and we welcome the additional players to the squad. These games are important to us and we welcome the challenge.”

(Guyana Times)

Barbados gov’t seeks major funding for stadium upgrade

The government of Barbados is looking to raise substantial funding to complete the upgrade of the National Stadium.

Minister of Sport Stephen Lashley told the House of Assembly Tuesday that even after government had spent Bds$3.5 million last year fixing the track, it found that a “significant allocation of resources” was still required to finish the transformation.

“We are committed…to developing a brand new ultra-modern stadium at the National Stadium at Waterford,” he said.

“We have started the work in terms of putting together a detailed proposal, which I expect to take to the Cabinet so that that proposal can be made available to potential financiers and funding agencies, so that we can have the kind of facility that ought to have been in place for the 14 long years of growth that the Barbados Labour Party always boasts of.”

According to Lashley, the former Barbados Labour Party (BLP) government had contributed to the problems at the Stadium because it had “totally neglected” the facility.

“We have stands that have not been maintained,” he charged. “We have outfields that were left to rot and not cared for and, in fact, hardly any money of any major significance was put to the disposal of the National Sports

barbados’ Minister of sport stephen lashley

Council in relation to upgrading and maintaining the National Stadium. We have now had to deal with that situation.”

He added: “Only last year we spent about Bds$3.5 million in developing a brand new international track at the National Stadium after we found a track laid by the Barbados Labour Party where the angles were wrong.”

According to Lashley, the substructure on which the track was placed “had to be totally dug up” and a new foundation put down.

Lashley made the comments when the House of Assembly debated two tourism-related bills. (Excerpted from Nation News)

FIRED!

Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission sacks Dr Paul Wright

Dr Paul Wright has been dismissed from his post as a Jamaica AntiDoping Commission (JADCO) doping control officer.

Dr Wright, who has been in the post since its inception in 2005, confirmed to Jamaican media that he no longer works for the agency.

"Yes, from the middle of November last year," Dr Wright revealed on Sunday.

When asked the reason he was dismissed, he said: "No sir, they didn't say why. They just said they are restructuring."

However, he hinted that his dismissal could have been as a result of a statement he made to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in an interview published a few days earlier.

He was quoted then as saying that the country's recent rash of failed drug tests might be the "tip of the iceberg".

"There is no successful whistle-blower who is not a pariah," Dr Wright told local media.

Dr Wright's comments then were seen as a body blow to the already fragile JADCO operations after former Executive Director Renee Ann Shirley's stark criticism to U.S.

magazine ‘Sports Illustrated’ following a spate of adverse analytical findings involving Jamaican athletes last year.

Dr Wright, who has over 30 years' experience in drug testing, added at the time that a short visit to the island by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials would not lead to the sweeping changes required to give the world confidence in Jamaican sport.

Following Wright's and Shirley's comments, JADCO responded via a statement that it "viewed with deep concern the utterances by various persons in the public sphere in their attempt to discredit the

work of JADCO".

Since then, JADCO, a government agency headed by a board of directors appointed by the Ministry of Sports, has replaced the previous board with one led by successful and respected businessman Danny Williams.

But the agency has revealed that it will need a huge increase in its budgetary allocation if it is to meet its commitments for the rest of the year.

With a fiscal year budget of Ja$63 million in reality after deducting expenses, JADCO will be left with Ja$16.7 million to implement anti-doping programme. (Jamaica Observer)

Five wicket haul boosts Taylor’s confidence

Jerome Taylor, the Jamaican pacer who has returned to first class cricket after prolonged injury, says he is confident he can perform better than the effort that earned him a five wicket haul against Guyana.

The 29-year-old Taylor, absent from cricket for over two and a half years due to a back injury, ended with five for 44 against Guyana in Jamaica’s first round WICB Regional Four-Day game.

His impressive bowling helped Jamaica to a seven wicket win over the Guyanese at Sabina Park on the fi-

nal day of the match on Monday. “I am really happy at this present time, although I still think I can do better than whatever performance I come up with,” said Taylor, in an interview with local media.

“It is a work in progress and at the end of the day I ended with five wickets, so I will just keep doing what I have to do,” he added.

Set 88 for victory, the host easily reached their target with Nkrumah Bonner striking 38 and opener Horace Miller, 29.

Taylor has so far taken 218 firstclass wickets in 68 matches which includes 12 five-wicket hauls. “Being away from the game for such a long time and coming back with a performance such as this, I can’t complain,” said Taylor whose last appearance for the West Indies was in 2010.

“Hopefully, the performances here will take care of me getting back onto the regional team and if the selectors require my assistance in the West Indies set-up then I will grab it with both hands again”, he said.

The Jamaican pacer has also represented Kings Punjab XI and the Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League (IPL), as well as the Stanford Superstars. (TT Guardian)

TT’s Nicolas Pooran tops U-19 W Cup batting charts

Anumber of West Indies players performed creditably at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which concluded on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates, as Nicolas Pooran, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Ray Jordan all had memorable tournaments.

West Indies made it to the quarterfinal stage, but lost to Australia by five wickets.

Pooran, who announced himself to the world at the inaugural Caribbean Premier

League (CPL) last July, scored a blazing century (143) in that match. The knock by left-handed Pooran was the highest score in the tournament. Pooran also ended the tournament as the fourth highest run scorer, making 303 runs at an average of 60.6 runs, which included two half-centuries and a century. The achievements did not stop there for Pooran, finishing the competition with the most sixes (14), two more than India’s Sanju Samson. A lot was expected from left-hander Chanderpaul,

Young Chanderpaul finished right behind Pooran on the batting charts, scoring 293 runs at an average of 58.60 runs, which included two half-centuries and a century.

West Indian fast bowler Jordan did some damage with the ball, taking 12 wickets to finish seventh on the bowling charts. Jordan had an economy rate of 4.29 runs per over. His best bowling figures came against Zimbabwe, when he grabbed 3/32 in 8.1 overs. (TT Guardian)

Pitterson-Nattie part company with Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls

Oberon PittersonNattie is no longer head coach of Jamaica's Sunshine Girls as she and Netball Jamaica (NJ), the sport's governing body locally, failed to agree on a new contract.

The decision comes after NJ's emergency board meeting on Monday night.

PittersonNattie had rejected a new contract from the board, which would run until the 2015 World Netball Championships in Australia.

President of NJ Marva Bernard told local media Tuesday that she was saddened by PittersonNattie's departure.

"I was very happy when she joined us and I am somewhat distressed that she is gone from us. But life goes on, life is a continuum," said Bernard.

She added: "We have to think of the bigger picture, which is Netball

Jamaica, and I can't spend the rest of time belabouring over something that we can't come out of.”

She indicated that “it was a sticking point for both ourselves and Oberon and we were not able to agree to the terms that she put forward, and she could not agree to what our contract said, and we have to move

on. We have to think of the women on the team and the fact that they are preparing for the Commonwealth Games, where we finished fourth the last time, and they want to improve."

The 43-year-old Pitterson-Nattie was appointed head coach of the Sunshine Girls in May 2011 after replacing Connie Francis in

the lead-up to the World Netball Championships in Singapore. The Sunshine Girls finished fourth at the tournament. Pitterson-Nattie, once regarded as one of the top defenders in the world, had previously coached the Sunshine Girls at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia. (Jamaica Gleaner)