Caribbean Times International

Canadian-Guyanese

in coalition to advance Guyana’s healthcare

Asilent auction hosted at the residence of Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana in Bel Air, Georgetown, Guyana, last Wednesday raised some Gy$3 million for the Guyana Help The Kids (GHTK) foundation.

The fundraiser formed part of the agenda of the newly-formed Canada-Guyana Medical Partnerships Coalition (C-GMPC), an informal group of the numerous Canadian-Guyanese medical outreach groups working to identify and address healthcare needs in Guyana.

The Coalition was set up last December by the High Commission of Canada with the support of Guyana’s Health Ministry and is intended to encourage collaboration that will explore and benefit from synergies among the different medical programmes, to ensure coordination and force maximisation of resources.

One of the key features of the C-GMPC is an annual fundraiser to support the work of one of the partners in the Coalition. The silent auction last week was the first of its kind and aimed at raising funds for GHTK.

GHTK, spearheaded by Canadian-Guyanese Dr Narendra Singh, aims to decrease neonatal and infant mortality in Guyana. In its initial phase, the charity supported the opening of a new neonatal intensive care unit and the development of a paediatric residency and neonatal nursing programme at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in Guyana. Neonatal intensive care units have also been opened at the New Amsterdam and Linden regional hospitals.

Canadian-Guyanese charities in coalition to advance Guyana’s healthcare

- raises Gy$3 million for GHTK

Asilent auction

hosted at the residence of Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana in Bel Air, Georgetown, Guyana, last Wednesday raised some Gy$3 million for the Guyana Help The Kids (GHTK) foundation.

The fundraiser formed part of the agenda of the newly formed Canada-Guyana Medical Partnerships Coalition (C-GMPC), an informal group of the numerous Canadian-Guyanese medical outreach groups working to identify and address healthcare needs in Guyana.

The Coalition was set up last December by the High Commission of Canada with the support of Guyana’s Health Ministry and is intended to encourage collaboration that will explore and benefit from synergies among the different medical programmes, to ensure coordination and

Canada links TT to gems found in woman’s stomach

Canadian police are probing the possibility that a woman, who landed at Toronto’s Pearson airport on a flight from Trinidad and Tobago on February 3, may have swallowed some 10,000 rough diamonds in TT.

An article in the National Post said Helena Freida Bodner appeared in court last Friday and was expected to reappear later this month at the Brampton Provincial Courthouse. She was charged under the Customs Act with making false statements, unlawful possession of prohibited goods and smuggling. It quoted Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesman Antonella DiGirolamo who said Bodner carried the gems—about 1,500 carats worth—“internally”.

The gems are estimated at $398,000. Bodner was described as a “foreign national” and the agency said it was still investigating the diamonds’ place of origin.

A check at the

CBSA’s website Monday said an initial examination of Bodner resulted in officers suspecting she was involved in an illegal activity. The suspicions where later confirmed when further examination revealed that she was an internal carrier of rough diamonds, it added. The CBSA then contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to further assist in the investigation. The RCMP laid charges under sections 14(1) and 41(1) of the Export and Import of Rough Diamonds Act.

The Globe and Mail newspaper said an expert said the case suggested that the stones could have originated from Venezuela and probably were destined for another country to be cut and polished so that they would be less identifiable. It added: “Trinidad is not a diamond-mining country. The nearest sources of the precious stones would be Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana.” (TT Guardian)

force maximisation of resources.

One of the key features of the C-GMPC is an annual fundraiser to support the work of one of the partners in the Coalition. The silent auction last week was the first of its kind and aimed at raising funds for GHTK.

GHTK, spearheaded by Canadian-Guyanese Dr Narendra Singh, aims to decrease neonatal and infant mortality in Guyana. In its initial phase, the charity supported the opening of a new neonatal intensive care unit and the development of a paediatric residency and neonatal nursing programme at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in Guyana. Neonatal intensive care units have also been opened at the New Amsterdam and Linden regional hospitals.

Shared agenda

Monies raised through the fundraiser will support the shared agenda of establishing neonatal intensive care units at the Suddie and West Demerara regional hospitals and further expanding the Paediatric Residency and Nurse Neonatal Intensive Care Training Programmes.

Joining Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr Nicole Giles

and Dr Singh at the fundraiser were Guyana’s Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran, Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai, as well as other members of the diplomatic corps and the country’s private sector.

In brief remarks, Dr Giles noted that since coming to Guyana, she had developed an appreciation for the number of Canadian-Guyanese medical partnerships that are currently in place to develop the health sector in Guyana. She said doctors and nurses in both countries have been working diligently toward the common goal of improving the local health sector.

“The medical professionals in these partnerships selflessly and tirelessly work at these initiatives. They often travel to Guyana out of their own pockets, to support and provide training for Guyanese healthcare professionals,” she emphasised.

In an effort to recognise and maximise on these contributions of health professionals, who wanted to

give back, Dr Giles said the Canadian High Commission spearheaded the launch of the Coalition, in consultation with Guyana’s Health Ministry.

Child mortality

Dr Singh, in his remarks, stated that Guyana has made significant strides towards

programmes.

In view of those programmes, he pointed out that children over the age of five are surviving; however, the neonatal population now accounts for a large part of the under five mortality rate.

He said: “This necessitates the development of new strategies to combat neonatal deaths. The two major causes of death in newborn are infections and premature lung disease.”

He continued: “Of note, 85 percent of babies born in Guyana are born at the GPHC [Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation] and four at regional hospitals; therefore, strategies have to involve all these institutions.”

Dr Singh, in further explaining the work of the neonatal training programme, reported that it has seen the graduation of two consultant paediatricians and 11

reducing the under five mortality rate through the implementation of the comprehensive immunisation, nutrition, and management of common childhood illnesses

neonatal nurses and the training of many nurses in Linden and New Amsterdam. Dr Singh noted that much has been achieved in a very short time.

“At GPHC, as never before, we are now able to support and save the lives for babies… by CPAP machines and ventilator, all managed by our locally-trained physicians and nurses,” he said proudly. However, much more still needs to be done, he said. “Guyana will need to take full ownership of these programmes in time. This can be done successfully and sooner, if the partnership includes individuals, businesses and corporations that share the common value of social responsibility.”

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EDITORIAL

Internet plagiarism

“Not all thieves lurk in dark alleys and parks. Some sit with their faces, lit by the glow of their computer monitors, copying, pasting, and printing–even the news.”

Using modern technology and easy access through the cyber web, many are totally programmed to hit the web, google, and copy-paste to Microsoft Word. Copying and pasting other works, be it be professional or amateur, is really happening.

In higher learning–the true scale of cheating at university level was exposed when it was revealed that as many as nine in 10 students copy chunks of work from the Internet. This was authenticated by a new plagiarism detection device.

Scans of essays against billions of web pages have shown that the vast majority of students are submitting a lot of “non-original” work. Further, the breakdown in one study showed that more than 12 out of every 100 students are handing in assignments with more than 75 percent of the material found on the Internet.

In England, a significant number of students admit to cheating in their university essays. In one poll, by The Times Higher Education Supplement of 1022 undergraduates at 119 institutions, it was revealed that one in six had copied from friends, who in turn took materials from the Internet. One in 10 also said they had tried to find model essays on the Internet.

In another study of 650 first-year students at South Bank University, it was established that more than 90 percent registered on the “non-originality” scale, after essays were scanned against a checking system. Twenty percent had submitted work which was more than 50 percent the same as other material.

Meanwhile, 13 percent of 30,000 papers checked were found to be 75 percent the same as archive materials. Cheating is often done in a skilful manner, as students are seemingly always on a mission to outsmart lecturers and teachers. Wholesale copying of essays is rare, and in fact, only three percent of students admitted to copying verbatim.

The grey area of cheating is that slick students copy ideas (really steal them) rather than the exact words. They are also prone to rearrange the copied material and resort to synonym substitution. What is frightening is that a report by the higher education technology organisation, Jisc, warned that student plagiarism was likely to become more common.

Since the trend of plagiarism is so well entrenched, educators will soon have to revise their ways of testing. More and more students, at every level too, want to have take-home assignments and to have course work totalling more than the minimum pass percentage.

This allows them to take a free and unfair ride and then obtain accreditation, even though academic authenticity is lacking. We have a situation where, for many students, it is about getting the title and not acquiring the substance.

At a conference in Gateshead, where university heads met, the talk was about the latest techniques for cracking down on the growing problem of student plagiarism. The trend has prompted universities and colleges to introduce electronic sleuthing services in order to trap determined plagiarists and act as a deterrent.

Most use the “Turnitin” software, which checks work against more than 4.5 billion web pages before producing an “originality report”, revealing what percentage of a paper matches Internet material.

Part of the problem is that many students do not really know the exact definition of plagiarism, nor do they ever suffer the consequences, when caught. The other issue is that many educators who actually are in teaching do not mind plagiarism, since it makes life easy for them. It also makes them look good when their students pass, thus giving them a formidable reputation.

If bonafide scholars are going to be produced, it stands to reason that plagiarism must be controlled. Testing must be on the spot and on location. It may also mean that take-home assignments must be reduced and course work percentage alone must not allow for a passing grade.

The bottom line is that academia must be characterised by candour, integrity and originality.

Commonwealth seeks to establish trade facility to assist Caricom countries

The Commonwealth is seeking to establish a trade facility that would benefit Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries, Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma, has said.

Sharma, who held talks with Caricom chairman and Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves on Monday, said that the facility would provide to small states, a facility which larger economies enjoy.

Sharma said his talks with Gonsalves, focused on economic issues, trade, the environment and disaster response and had been planned to coincide with the Caricom inter-sessional summit that has been postponed to March 1012.

He said the discussions also included solvency, liquidity, and debt-sustainability.

“The entire money issue, if you like, because if that is not solved, it has a huge effect on the social agenda, the budgetary pressure on health and education and this has to be prevented,” he told a news conference.

Sharma said while the question of poverty is extremely important, sustainability resilience and vulnerability must also be emphasised.

“No country should be allowed to be in free fall, and we need supportive systems to arrest their fall,” he said, adding that the issue of trade has two components: market and productive capacity.

“We have to find a solution because the small states don't have those instruments and those agencies which are required to facilitate and enable their own traders to produce

these goods and services,” he further indicated.

Sharma pointed out that the Commonwealth wants the idea of capacity building to be expanded substantially as regards the environment.

“Capacity is what constrains small states and hits you everywhere. We are told there are 19 or 20 environment-related conventions and programme, but which is the first telephone number you dial to get at them, which is the form you fill? And when you have done it, because of your capacity constraints, who follows it up for you?” he said.

He noted that the Commonwealth was also examining the area of natural disaster management, adding “this is a full field; it may not be a crowded field, but there is the United Nations, there is the World Bank, there are other agencies working in it.

“What is it that the Commonwealth can do is very important for us to consider,” Sharma said, noting that the organisation of former British colonies recently created a high-level working group headed by former Guyana

president, Bharrat Jagdeo, to look into the advocacy needs of member states as they relate to the environment and the impact of climate change.

“We want to be practical in the sense of advocating greater support systems,” Sharma said, adding that the Commonwealth still doesn't have a global environmental agency.

“There is a lot of intellectual advocacy work to be done. But, at the same time, there is money in various environment-related conventions that can be accessed. But how? We want to be of assistance to be able to access the finances for adaptation programmes and environment programmes for small countries as well,” Sharma said.

The Indian national also announced that his country will donate US$500,000 each to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia, and US$300,000 to aid in the recover from the Christmas 2013 floods.

“And I want to thank India for this kind of assistance and the show of solidarity in the Commonwealth,” Sharma said. (CMC)

PM Kamla heads TT delegation on state visit to China

China has promised to de-

liver a Long Range Vessel (LRV) to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, in the shortest possible time, after Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar Tuesday held talks with that country’s Premier Li Keqiang.

“This is really good news,” Persad-Bissessar told TT media after she announced details of her discussion. The prime minister, who is on an official state visit to China—the first by a TT prime minister in the past 30 years—said she was able to convince Premier Li Keqiang, that the Coast Guard needs two vessels to lock down TT’s borders in light of the increase

in arms and narco trafficking.

Persad-Bissessar led a TT delegation to bilateral talks with the Chinese Premier and top officials of the Chinese government at the Great Hall of the People in China’s capital Beijing Tuesday.

Persad-Bissessar came to the table in Beijing with a list of proposals, hoping to convince her Chinese counterpart to assist.

“We are here today to further the partnership we started 40 years ago. I am hoping that you could use your good office to drive these projects,” the prime minister added.

The TT delegation also includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran, Minister of

Jamaican cuisine takes centre stage in Washington

Jamaica’s cuisine took the spotlight at the 'Taste of Travel Stage', held at the Walter E Washington Convention Centre, in the United States capital last weekend.

Chef at the Embassy of Jamaica Sherene James, who represented the island, displayed her creativity during a live demonstration of how to prepare an array of Jamaican dishes. Hundreds of patrons viewed the preparation of some of Jamaica's jerk dishes and also had the opportunity to sample the offerings.

Jerk salmon, tilapia salsa and jerk chicken were three of the dishes prepared by James who also gave the audience a lesson in making Jamaica's famous jerk sauce from scratch, with fresh herbs. Her demon-

Trade and Industry

Vasant Bharath and Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs Kevin Ramnarine.

Persad-Bissessar said she is aware that China is building two LRVs and pleaded with Li Keqiang to sell one, “in the shortest possible time.”

Financing

Both the governments of China and Trinidad and Tobago will sit down and deal with the financing aspect of the purchase.

Back in 2010, the People’s Partnership cancelled the then PNM-government’s deal with Scotland-based shipbuilding company British Aerospace Engineering (BAE), for acquisition of three offshore patrol vessels, at a cost of TT$1.5 billion.

At a news conference Tuesday at his Port-ofSpain office, National Security Minister Gary Griffith was hesitant to speak on the Chinese LRV. “We need to ensure this is the right

strations were well received, with many of the visitors requesting the recipes.

James is a graduate of the Runaway Bay HEART Hotel and Training Institute in St Ann.

Meanwhile, Sherrie Williams of the District of Columbia Tourism Department said they were more than happy to sponsor Jamaica at this year's Taste of Travel Stage and to showcase the country's cuisine. She pointed out that the island has a very rich history and is a popular destination which attracts many visitors from Washington, DC.

Just over 20,000 consumers attended the two-day travel show which had more than 200 exhibitors participating in the event. (JIS)

vessel and it would be difficult for me to make a statement until we get further information. I have no intention to buy a vehicle and then find out it is the wrong thing. The Coast Guard bought six vessels which were not the type for our water. We got 12 intercep-

tors which are now all down. This was actually imposed on the Coast Guard without their input,” Griffith said.

Griffith said TT had a Maritime Security Plan which was not about just plying sources with assets, which would be of no use to the relevant authorities. The minister said the principle behind a LRV was based on the concept of pieces of a puzzle locked in to secure TT’s borders, but could not work without the intelligence of local law enforcement.

(Excerpted from TT Newsday)

Barbadian leads inquiry commission probing Walter Rodney’s death

Athree-member Commission was on Tuesday sworn in at the Office of the President in Guyana to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the late cofounder of The Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr Walter Rodney, who was killed when a bomb exploded in the car in which he was sitting 33 years ago.

Barbadian Queen’s Counsel Richard Cheltenham has been appointed Chairman of the Commission by President Donald Ramotar. He will serve alongside Jamaican Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels- Brown, and Guyanese-Trinidadian Senior Counsel Seenauth Jairam. They took their oath before the Head of State and a few Cabinet members, including Attorney General Anil Nandlall.

President Ramotar said the decision to establish the commission was taken, after family members of the late politician and historian approached him. He hopes the findings will put all suspicions to rest.

Commission Chairman Cheltenham,

addressing reporters, explained that he was unable at the time to determine when the inquiry will begin; however, some 100 witnesses are expected to testify before the Commission.

Evidence gathering

“It is too early for me to indicate precisely when we will start, we have a long meeting with the secretariat tomorrow (Wednesday) which was established since July last year, and they will advise on how ready they are in the process of evidence gathering and how many witness statements they have already prepared and if not, how soon they are likely to have enough prepared that so we could start the inquiry,” he said.

Cheltenham said he was unaware of how long the inquiry will take, but he stressed that the sessions will be opened to the public.

Now that the Commission has been established, Cheltenham hopes that those witnesses who have awaited its establishment will now come forward so that the process could be completed in a timely manner.

There have been many calls by per-

sons, both in and out of Guyana for the speedy establishment of the Commission of Inquiry.

The announcement was first made last year by President Ramotar, while he addressed a Guyanese gathering in the United States.

Subsequent to the swearing in, the Commissioners met with Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell; Chiefof-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Mark Phillips; and members of the Private Sector Commission (PSC).

Dr Rodney was 39 years old when a bomb exploded in his lap on June 13, 1980. Reports are that an ex army sergeant, Gregory Smith, planted the bomb that killed the political leader. The then electronics expert, who was using the pseudonym Cyril Johnson, was accused of giving Rodney a walkie –talkie (in which the bomb was concealed) to test on Camp Street, Georgetown outside the metal fence of the Georgetown Prison. It exploded on his lap while he was seated in the car driven by his brother Donald.

Guyana, Malaysia to further collaborate on forestry sector

Guyana and Malaysia are to collaborate and share experiences on the development of their forestry sectors, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

A delegation from Guyana, led by Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Robert Persaud recently participated in a bilateral meeting in that country. Accompanying Persaud were the ministry’s forestry specialist Gavin Agard, and Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) Deputy Commissioner Tasreef Khan.

The forestry sectors in both countries’ economies play an important role in national development. To ensure that growth follows the correct trajectory, the Guyanese delegation participated in bilateral meetings with representatives from the government of Malaysia and senior executives from Samling Global Limited, which is the parent company of Barama Company Limited.

Bilateral discussions were centred on cooperation between the govern-

Jagdeo discharged from Florida hospital

Former President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo was discharged from hospital on Tuesday after receiving treatment in Miami, Florida for dengue fever and pneumonia.

The former president is expected back in the country later this week, Caribbean Times International was reliably informed. Jagdeo initially began receiving treatment in Guyana and was advised by his medical team to seek further treatment in a recommended hospital overseas.

The former president immediately agreed to go on the advice of his doctor. Jagdeo expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to the many persons who conveyed best wishes for his speedy recovery.

The former president, however, said he has been taken by total surprise by what he termed “malicious and deliberate” disinformation about his illness, as well as about other personal matters, as reported in the Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, and some online media entities in Guyana.

Jagdeo further described these reports as “insensitive, and irresponsible”, stating that they were clearly aimed as "personal attacks" on him by Kaieteur News and Stabroek News.

Specifically, the Stabroek News reported that Jagdeo was staying at “his home” in Florida, while the Kaieteur News speculated wildly about

the costs for air travel.

Speaking after being discharged, Jagdeo said the assertion of property ownership is not only false, but also a “total fabrication” and “blatant lie”.

He asserted that at no time was he, nor is he currently, the owner of any property in Florida. This, he described, as yet another glaring personal attack aimed at damaging his credibility.

Jagdeo said he intends to pursue this matter further on his return to Guyana.

“What is even more shocking is that this attack was being orchestrated and carried out on the former president even while he was undergoing treatment and recuperating in hospital,” one member of the medical team said.

Jagdeo departed Guyana last Friday night and arrived in Miami, Florida early Saturday morning. Medical personnel informed this publication that Jagdeo responded well to treatment while he was in hospital.

Jagdeo last month celebrated his 50th birthday. He recently returned from India where he represented Guyana and joined several high-level officials, including former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, at the opening of the 14th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) in the Indian capital, New Delhi, under the theme, “Attaining Energy, Water and Food Security for All”.

ments of Malaysia and Guyana on several broad thematic areas related to sustainable forest management, and avenues for collaboration and capacity building such as monitoring deforestation particularly, within the mining sector.

Extensive discussions with the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) and the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) related to the implementation of the European Union Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (EUFLEGT) have proven fruitful since Malaysian counterparts have gained extensive experience over the past decade since commencing formal negotiation.

The Guyana delegation also witnessed several commercial forest activities such as a large-scale oil palm plantation and a state-of-the-art plywood factory, which will be further examined for technology and knowledge transfer for improved value-added processing within Guyana’s forestry sector.

Guyanese-born activist receives Canada’s national 'Caring Award'

Narine Dat Sookram, Founder of ACTIVE VISION Charity Association and host of the award-winning weekly community radio show, Caribbean Spice, has received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award.

The award recognises outstanding individuals who have volunteered their time to help others in creating a more intelligent and caring nation.

The Lieutenant Governor, The Honourble David C. Onley, O Ont., presented the honour to Sookram and 21 other recipients at Queens Park, Toronto, Ontario last Wednesday February 19, 2014.

“I am always honoured to be recognised, especially when it is from the mainstream,” Sookram said after receiving the award.

“I never thought a small boy who grew up in one of the smallest villages in Berbice, Guyana, (would have made such) an impact. For me it was more prestigious to be

amongst other heroic recipients who have one thing in common, and that is to maximise their potential to make Canada a better place,” he added.

“This award is important to me because this tells me that the hard work that I have been doing for over two decades now is making an impact not only locally, but nationally. The good thing

Jamaica to license sawmills, power saw operators

The Jamaican government, in a move to provide greater protection for the country’s forests, will be licensing sawmills and operators of power saws.

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Robert Pickersgill, made the announcement last Friday as he addressed the launch of the Spring Dunrobin and Hillside Local Forest Management Committees, at the White Hall Baptist Church in St Thomas.

“The Forestry Department…will be starting the licensing and registration of sawmills, and persons who operate power saws, in a bid to regulate the lumber and furniture industries. We cannot have persons cutting down trees willy-nilly,” he stated.

“We have to ensure that our trees are not cut down and utilised in an unsustainable, haphazard manner, just so someone can line his

pocket. This initiative, it is believed, will ultimately result in the better conservation and preservation of our forested areas. In the end, how we manage our forest reserves could affect the quality of life for all our citizens now, and in the future,” the minister added.

He told the gathering that a new forestry policy will be submitted to Cabinet soon, followed by a series of public consultations across the island. The new policy looks at the national priorities for forests, including efforts at conservation, protection and reforestation. It also addresses support for rural livelihoods, as well as climate change mitigation.

Minister Pickersgill also informed that the Forestry Department is moving to have close to 3,700 hectares of crown land declared as forest reserves and forest management areas, with at least two of the areas to be declared in St Thomas. (JIS)

lier years, the GuyaneseCanadian said: “I have learned from a very educated priest, Pt. Dave Deonarine Chetram, who now resides in the USA. Another thing I could remember is that I used to give water to the school children, because we used to run a “cake shop” in Guyana which is popularly known as a “corner store” here in Canada. And these are all good values I try to carry up to this day, because I find it very fulfilling to give back”.

The award

about this award is that it's mainstream and I am glad that I can be a role model for other West Indies,” Sookram further stated.

Sookram recalled that his passion for volunteerism dates back to his days in Guyana at primary school, where he initiated a youth group in his community of Number 64 Village, Berbice, Corentyne.

Reflecting on those ear-

The Caring Canadian Award encompasses traits such as compassion and engagement, qualities that are synonymous with Canadian character. It also aims to recognise and thank recipients for the contributions and positive impact they have had on the lives of others.

The award was created in 1995, when the Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc came to be Governor General and was determined to recognise selected individuals who generously volunteer their

time and effort to their fellow man while asking nothing in return. The award also aims to recognise individuals who have made unpaid, substantial and continued contributions to their community. The Caring Canadian Award itself is made up of a certificate and lapel pin that is appointed to recipients by the governor general or by lieutenant-governors, territorial commissioners, mayors or partner organisations.

The award’s emblem is indicative of Canadians who unselfishly dedicate their time and energy to their fellow citizen. The maple leaf symbolises the spirit of Canadians; the heart depicts the open-heatedness of volunteers; and the outstretched hand symbolises limitless generosity.

Sookram has always been engaged in his community, both in the Region of Waterloo and his homeland, Guyana. He has received over 100 awards/recognitions, including the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award in 2013.

Guyana’s road safety stakeholders meeting to craft national strategy

The Home Affairs Ministry, in collaboration with the Guyana National Road Safety Council, will on Friday host a national conference on road safety under the theme “Road Safety with Your Life on the Line”.

The conference, according to the Home Affairs Ministry, is scheduled to take place at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

The conference aims to examine and adopt road safety methodologies, create public awareness, and develop a plan of action resulting from the National Strategy on Road Safety. The conference hopes to achieve these objectives by creating a platform for dialogue among national stakeholders.

The one-day conference will consist of four workshop sessions, which will address such issues as the National Road Safety Strategy, public awareness, engineering and education. These workshops will provide stakeholders with the opportunity to offer solutions aimed at making Guyana’s roadways safer.

Earlier this year, road safety stakeholders had agreed to implement an aggressive campaign to curtail the alarming rise in road accidents, with special emphasis on monitoring nightclubs and making bet-

ter use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage. According to a Home Affairs Ministry release, in response to public outcry against road accidents, fatalities and traffic congestion, as well as its own concerns, a meeting was convened involving the Guyana National Road Safety Council, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Minibus Association, and the ministry to discuss these matters and to come up with recommendations on the way forward.

Road accidents

The meeting was informed that the main causes for fatal accidents for 2013 was speeding, inattentiveness, and driving under the influence of alcohol. The main victims were pedestrians hit by pri-

vate vehicles, driven by young people aged 16 to 24 and 25 to 33, between midday and evening hours and between evening hours and midnight on Sundays and Fridays.

In this connection, the ministry said it was agreed that with this information in hand, there should be more targeted enforcement by the police force and education programmes by the Guyana National Road Safety Council.

Special programmes are to be organised for young drivers in particular. The police force is to set realistic targets with a view to bringing down fatal accidents and road accidents in general.

The meeting was informed that between 2010 and 2013, the Home Affairs Ministry procured and delivered to

the force 18 breathalyser machines with printers and 400 mouthpieces, as well as 29 radar guns. Additionally, the meeting analysed several recommendations recently advanced by A Partnership for National Unity and found them agreeable and implementable in principle.

“These recommendations were assigned to various stakeholders for further consideration as regard implementation, having regard to their respective capacities and competencies to do so,” the ministry said. It was further agreed that a National Conference on Road Safety will be convened early in the year bringing together all stakeholders in the campaign to uphold road safety throughout Guyana.

Jamaican gov’t, Chinese close in on Goat Islands deal

The Port Authority of Jamaica and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) have arrived at an initial framework agreement setting out the terms and conditions under which discussions on the development of a logistics hub and major industrial park will proceed.

The Port Authority has been charged with responsibility for the development and implementation of this project.

Transport, Works and Housing Minister Dr Omar Davies outlined some critical steps that will ultimately lead to the signing of a binding agreement with the Chinese company.

In a statement Tuesday to the House of Representatives, Davies

provided details on the elements of the multimillion U.S.-dollar investment, which is expected to create 2,000 jobs during its construction phase and 10,000 jobs at the end of the project.

Davies made it clear that CHEC was not begging Jamaica to develop its facility, but noted that other countries in the region were knocking at the door of the Chinese company seeking to woo them to invest there.

Large project

The transport minister told his parliamentary colleagues that the development was a large greenfield project, which would be implemented in phases.

It will begin with the development of an industrial park, which will fa-

cilitate the storage, assembling and packaging of goods in light industries, heavy industry manufacturing, information technology, and skills training. Work will also get underway to develop infrastructure such as bridges, roads, pipelines and water storage facilities, among others.

The construction and development of the portside logistics zone close to the port to include warehouses will also be done.

The Urban Development Corporation and Agro Investments Corporation, the owners of the properties under consideration, have given CHEC the green light to enter the area to conduct geotechnical inves-

tigations and engineering surveys in order to determine the feasibility of the project.

The technical feasibility study is set for completion by April 2014. Following this,

the preliminary designs for the first phase of the project will begin and are expected to be completed by the end of June, 2014. At the end of this exercise, CHEC will make a presentation to the

National Environment and Planning Agency to seek the terms of reference for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the project.

"I must emphasise that it is only after the completion of the EIA that the project will be ready to be submitted to Cabinet for a decision," Davies assured lawmakers.

In the first phase, CHEC will carry out dredging and land-reclamation activities to create the port on Goat Islands and suitable access channels to get there.

There will be construction and development of a container terminal with modern technology, fittings and services.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

TT to access US$750 million for La Brea port

Trinidad and Tobago’s Trade Minister Vasant Bharath on Tuesday signed two agreements that will lead to two Chinese construction companies developing and building a port in La Brea and seven industrial parks throughout Trinidad. The operationalisation of the agreements, which are subject to the approval of concessional funding by the Chinese Ex-Im Bank, envisage total investment of about US$750 million.

Bharath was speaking to TT media at the Grand Hyatt hotel in downtown Beijing following the signing, which took place at the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade building in Beijing. The agreements were signed through two of

the Ministry of Trade’s executing agencies, InvesTT and eTecK. InvesTT’s focus is on bringing new non-energy investment to TT, while eTecK’s renewed mandate is to manage the country’s industrial parks.

Bharath said the first phase of the La Brea port was expected to cost about US$500 million, while the seven industrial parks—which the minister described as economic zones— were expected to cost a total of US$250 million.

Bharath said the government was looking for Chinese companies to take equity positions in the La Brea port “as well as possibly operate the port once it is functional”.

Speaking about the agreements, Bharath said: “The agreements were applications for

loans to China’s ExIm Bank essentially, through the companies and acknowledging that we have signed contractual arrangements with these organisations.”

The funding from China’s Ex-Im Bank for the port and the industrial parks is part of US$3 billion in loans for projects in the region that resident Chinese President Xi Jinping promised during a meeting in Port-of-Spain last May when he met with ten Caribbean leaders.

TT has already accessed US$250 million through the government-to-government arrangement with China to build a children’s hospital in Couva. Bharath said while the terms of the loan arrangements with China’s ExIm Bank were yet to be worked out, the government had been told

the interest rate on the loans would be in the region of two percent over a period of 20 years.

Speaking of the loans, the minister said: “Part of it would be 100 percent loan financing, while the other part would be 85 percent loan financing with the gov-

ernment of TT having to advance 15 percent.”

Speaking earlier, eTecK president Kelvin Mahabir said six of the industrial parks would be constructed by China Construction, with China Harbour building one.

The parks, which will provide space for both manufacturing and services, will be located in Reform, Preysal, Dow Village, Connector Road in Chaguanas, Endeavour, Factory Road in Chaguanas and in Frederick Settlement Extension. (TT Guardian)

Low education, self-esteem, frustration causing suicide on Essequibo Coast

- study by American University of Research

Low level of education, low self-esteem and frustration were identified as some of the major factors contributing to the high incidence of suicide in Region Two in Guyana, an American university-sponsored study has found.

The university recently announced its findings in Guyana. The research was part of the institution’s initiative to address mental health issues in the country. Focusing on the root causes of the issue, 11 psychology diploma students from the university and two professors departed on February 17 to conduct the survey in Region Two.

The programme was initiated by American University of Research President, Dr Eton Simon, along with prominent psychologist and counsellor, Dr Yaswantie Beekhoo.

The initiative was supported by Teaching Services Commission Chairman Leila Ramson, American University of Research Project Officer Jennel Williams and Guyana Professional Counselling Association Coordinator Zairol Neisha.

The survey was done to collect information on some of the contributing factors to suicide, its effects and possible solutions to reduce this phenomenon.

Dr Simon stated: “We

low education, self-esteem and frustration causing suicide on essequibo coast, a recent study conducted by american university of Research finds

believe that the first step in getting to the root cause of any situation is to first examine the contributing factors before determining a solution.”

External circumstances

Based on the survey done, it was found, according to Dr Yaswantie Beekhoo, that the risk for suicide frequently occurs in combination with external circumstances.

These included teens who are unable to cope with the challenges of adolescence, interpersonal losses, family violence, sexual orientation confusion, physical, sexual and emotional abuse and bullying.

It was also found that predisposing vulnerabilities such as mental disorders causes persons to commit and attempt suicide since they are not able to cope well with stress.

She noted too that while there were 113 re-

ported attempted suicides in the region, only 17 deaths were recorded. It was revealed that in 2013, 113 cases of attempted suicide were reported, 97 were treated, six died by hanging and 11 died by consumption of poisonous substances.

Over the period 2009 to 2013, 498 cases of attempted suicides were reported, 406 were treated, 25 died from hanging and 67 died from consumption of poisonous substances.

Lack of rational thinking

The researchers added that the main cause of these increases of suicide comes from lack of thinking on a rational level and overreaction to emotionally-tensed situations in the lives of the individuals, which relatives are often not privy to.

In this scenario, there is no one to confide in, to seek advice, and as such, the individuals become overwhelmed and con-

fused and unable to make a rational decision or choice except to follow the now common trend of taking one’s life.

The team stated that based on the research carried out, the major contributing factors of the high suicide rate were found to be the level of education of the individuals, low self-esteem, frustration, poverty and a technological imbalance.

This was seen in the case of a 16-year-old girl, who had attempted suicide after her cellphone was taken away by her mother. The level of education plays an integral role, as persons are not equipped with knowledge to deal with certain situations, and as such, act in the manner of the norm he or she sees taking place around them, the study found.

The findings indicate that suicidal thoughts and behaviours are commonly found at an increased rate among individuals with major depressive disorders.

The university will soon launch their solution initiatives to combat the suicide scourge on the Essequibo Coast, which would include self-development courses in life skills psychology for parents, students and teachers.

The initiative is expected to be launch in Berbice as well. (Excerpted from Guyana Times)

TT’s Central Bank takes step to address foreign exchange woes

Central Bank’s input of US$140 million in foreign exchange to commercial banks in Trinidad and Tobago during February should ease the current shortage of foreign currency in the local market, according to President of the Bankers Association of TT, Larry Nath.

“We don’t expect it to be as acute with the Central Bank’s intervention,” Nath said adding, “We can see the shortage easing and improving next week until March when there is another intervention.”

The Central Bank sold US$140 million to commercial banks for February and according to Nath, the month has not yet ended.

“We have one more week to go, so there is the possibility that fur-

ther injections could be made,” he said.

Central Bank, he said, was not the only supplier of foreign currency on the local market. He said with the arrival of visitors for Carnival, the local market should obtain some much needed foreign currency.

The Central Bank supplies 25 percent of the total foreign exchange needs of the market, with 75 percent supplied by the banking system which obtains it from among other businesses, oil and gas companies converting U.S. dollars to pay their tax bills every quarter.

Oil and gas companies do their conversion in March, June, September, and December.

It is always sea-

sonal in January and February for the system to become a bit tight, Nath said “because people who imported goods for Christmas on credit terms are required to make payments in January and February.”

Between November last year and February this year, the Central Bank sold US$500 million to commercial banks to ease foreign exchange shortages.

Nath said the shortages were due to an improving economy and the demand by businesses to pay off debts they would have incurred during the Christmas season.

President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) Gary Aboud said the association has been receiving numerous complaints about the

Surinamese national is Caricom’s new deputy secretary-general

Manorma Soeknandan is the new deputy secretary-general of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat.

Soeknandan, a national of Suriname, assumed duties at the Caricom Secretariat on February 1, 2014. She succeeds Lolita Applewhaite.

A familiar figure in the Community, Soeknandan served as Suriname’s resident ambassador to Guyana from 2001 to January 2013. She was accredited as ambassador to Caricom and to Jamaica in January 2002.

During her tenure as resident ambassador in Guyana, she became the dean of the diplomatic corps. She has represented her country, including as head of delegation, in several meetings of Caricom’s organs and bodies.

Soeknandan has extensive diplomatic experience in the international/regional arena, with competencies in managing inter-state relations through diplomatic channels; negotiating cooperation arrangements between states and institutions and negotiating with international development partners.

The new deputy sec-

retary-general also has experience in a wide range of areas, such as managing human and financial resources; strategic leadership and operational management; negotiating treaties, agreements, protocols, and in the area of public awareness and public education.

Soeknandan holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) from Anton de Kom University and worked for 27 years as a lawyer with the government of Suriname. She also served as head and manager of several departments with the ministry of justice and police, including manager of computerisation projects.

NCB sues PNP over outstanding debt

in Jamaica

scarcity of U.S. dollars within the banking sector.

He questioned whether the spread that exists between the buying and selling rate has caused some sellers of U.S. dollars and persons who earn U.S. dollars to not deposit their money in the banking system and instead sell it outside the system for a fairer price.

He also questioned whether government or state projects and other types of demands being made by the private sector with big purchases were drying up the existing foreign exchange.

In the past, the business community has experienced shortage at this time of the year, he said, “but it has never been as difficult like now.” (Excerpted from TT Newsday)

Jamaica’s national commercial bank has brought a lawsuit against the People's national Party campaign 2006, Paul robertson, and roy stanley mcgarth over an outstanding debt totalling Ja$17 million.

Jamaica’s National Commercial Bank has brought a lawsuit against the People's National Party Campaign 2006, Paul Robertson, and Roy Stanley McGarth over an outstanding debt totalling Ja$17 million.

The bank claims that, in September 2006, Robertson and McGarth opened a current account for the purposes of raising funds for the party's 2007 election campaign.

The claim states that an agreement was made between the parties that if the account became

overdrawn compound interest at monthly rates set by the bank would be accrued.

The claim also stated that, as at January 23 this year, the bank was owed the sum of Ja$17,897,806.10 in addition to court fees of Ja$2,000 and Ja$10,000 for legal fees.

The bank claims that the defendants have failed or refused to make payments since a sum of Ja$500,000 was paid in January 2008, despite several correspondence being sent to them. (Jamaica Observer)

Caricom lauds Canada as exemplary global development leader

Caricom Secretary

General Irwin LaRocque last Wednesday commended Canada for its role as an exemplary global leader in development assistance.

Ambassador LaRocque was speaking during an accreditation ceremony where the newly-appointed Canadian Ambassador to Caricom, Dr Nicole Giles presented her credentials to him at the Caricom Secretariat, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

Ambassador LaRocque said Canada’s excellent example was evidenced in its ranking of eighth out of 67 donor countries and donor organisations on the 2013 Aid Transparency Index.

“This is an indication of the support provided not only bilaterally but also through multilateral organisations that offer development assistance to developing countries such as Caricom member states,” LaRocque said.

The secretary gen -

eral further iterated that it was important for Caricom to continue to foster and maintain meaningful relationships with like-minded states such as Canada, and every opportunity should be taken to nurture those relationships.

He said one important aspect of that re -

lationship was the negotiations of the Caricom/Canada Trade and Development Agreement.

“We seek a mutually-beneficial arrangement, which takes full account of the differences in size and development between Caricom and Canada and which would sup -

port Caricom’s efforts to adjust to further liberalisation,” Secretary General LaRocque said.

He also used the opportunity to highlight Canada’s involvement in providing support to the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) through the Canadian International

Development Agency (CIDA).

CIDA-funded activities

He said Caricom was also appreciative of other CIDA-funded activities which support the community through private sector development, strengthening regional economic infrastructure as well as reinforcing good governance, security, and justice sector reform.

In her remarks, the Canadian ambassador said it was her wish to further solidify the Caricom/Canada relationship by building upon the strength of mutually-shared traditions and values, multilateral cooperation, robust trade and investment links, development cooperation, and close people-topeople ties.

She said Canada’s economic partnerships with Caricom member states were robust and led by significant Canadian investment in the extractive, financial and energy sectors.

“I look forward to augmenting the investment climate by facili -

tating increased flows of Canadian investment into the region, and similarly, from the Caribbean to Canada,” she said.

Regarding the Canada-Caricom Trade Agreement negotiations, Ambassador Giles said Canada was pursuing a high quality, ambitious free-trade model. She said it was essential for Canada that, as part of the agreement, labour and environment provisions would be negotiated.

Speaking to a number of the challenges being faced by Caricom countries such as organised crime, drug trafficking, and the proliferation of arms, the ambassador said Canada remained committed to assisting and cooperating with the Caribbean on addressing these problems. She said this would be done by providing support on capacity building in the areas of countering illicit trafficking, crime prevention, and security and justice sector reforms.

(Guyana Times)

Caribbean countries prepare to strengthen HIV programmes

Last week, government and civil society representatives from eight Caribbean countries finalised country-specific strategies to strengthen their HIV programmes by making them more responsive to human rights.

During a three-day workshop hosted by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS) and supported by the Ford Foundation, country representatives discussed cultural, social and political barriers to eliminating stigma and discrimination and increasing access to social justice.

In the Caribbean, the HIV response has experienced remarkable progress. However, inequality and exclusion are hampering efforts to reduce new HIV in-

‘CCJ

Cfections and to increase the number of people on treatment. Stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV and key populations such as sexually active young people, men who have sex with men, transgendered people, sex workers, people

who use drugs, homeless people and prisoners, remain a major obstacle to expanding access to HIV services. It also hinders people’s ability to live full and productive lives of dignity.

UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team Director, Dr Ernest

Massiah, said that the investments made in securing social justice in the context of HIV would positively impact other areas of Caribbean life.

“The fundamental challenge we are faced with is recognising the equality and humanity of all. The lack of at-

has proven its worth'

aribbean Community (Caricom)

Secretary General Irwin La Rocque says he is looking forward to the day when all 15 members of the regional grouping will join the Trinidadbased Caribbean Court of Appeal (CCJ).

LaRocque, addressing a special sitting of the CCJ in Guyana last Wednesday to honour retiring Madam Justice Desiree Bernard, said the court--which replaces the London-based Privy Council as the region's highest court--"in both its jurisdictions represents the essence of our independence and sovereignty and is es-

sential to the progress of the integration movement.

"It is an institution that has proven its worth and I look forward to the day when all our member states accede to both its jurisdictions," he said.

The CCJ, established in 2001, has both an original and appellate jurisdiction. But while most regional countries are signatories to the original jurisdiction, only Guyana, Barbados and Belize are members of the appellate jurisdiction of the court that also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas

tention in Caribbean societies to ensuring the rights of all citizens is the reason we have problems with under-development. Investment in human rights will give returns beyond the HIV response by helping societies to develop,” Massiah said.

Participants from Barbados, The Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago explored practical ways to integrate human rights into their HIV responses. They developed detailed plans to address a range of country-specific issues, including workplace discrimination, gender-based violence, discriminatory laws and prejudice in the healthcare, social security, law enforcement and judicial systems.

UNAIDS Human Rights and Law Division Chief Susan Timberlake, explained that UNAIDS, other United Nations agencies and some global partners will support the countries to implement their national human rights and gender equality action plans.

Caricom SG wants all member states to join court

that governs the regional grouping.

LaRocque said the appointment of Justice Bernard, one of the inaugural judges, and the first female CCJ judge "was a proud moment for us in the Community, given that Justice Bernard was the recipient of the Eighth

Caricom Triennial Award for Women in 2005, evidence that she has distinguished herself in numerous areas, two of which are of particular significance to the Caribbean Community".

Awe-inspiring example He told the special sitting that Justice

Bernard has shown what women can achieve "in a not-so-level playing field" and has also set "an awe-inspiring example "for women to follow.

LaRocque said that Justice Bernard's contribution to the development of jurisprudence in Guyana and the Caribbean was by no means limited by her contributions in the social arena.

"Her contribution to the development of Caribbean jurisprudence has continued in the realm of Community Law as she has sat on the panel for pioneering cases in the Original Jurisdiction of the CCJ," he said, noting that she was also on the panel in the recent seminal case of the Jamaican Shanique Myrie and Barbados.

LaRocque said that the Court's ruling "has

been studied most assiduously since its delivery in October 2013, by governments, officials, academics, the international community and, most importantly, Community nationals.

"It confirms the legal status of decisions of the Conference and other Organs of the Community, as being "secondary legislation", part of "Community law".

"This judgment has far-reaching implications for the decision-making process in Caricom, where it is now clearly recognised that the Organs of the Community can take decisions pursuant to the authority and procedure set out in the Revised Treaty, and such decisions can be binding and enforceable at the Community level," LaRocque added.

OAS consultant researching genderbased violence in OECS states

Apolicy is in the making for Antigua and Barbuda and other member states of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to assist in the fight against gender-based violence.

Consultant Dr Elsie Le Franc, who is contracted by the Organisation of American States (OAS), is on island conducting research that would inform said policy. She told Antiguan me-

dia that she is undertaking a situation analysis to identify the problems and issues as it relates to gender-based violence.

She is also measuring the main achievements, challenges and the gaps within each member state.

“We are trying to determine what now needs to be done to address the issue because, from all accounts, the issue is quite serious in all the countries,” Dr Le Franc said.

She also noted the increase of reports of violence against men perpetrated by women in the sub-region.

“It’s a problem that needs to be addressed, and the real challenge is to find the best way of solving it– how to balance between judicial measures as well as non-judicial measures, because a lot of the problem lies in cultural values that each society shares,” Le Franc said.

She has already com-

pleted the exercise in Grenada and St Lucia. From Antigua and Barbuda, she heads to St Kitts and Nevis. Individual country reports and a comprehensive sub-regional document will be compiled at the end of the exercise for submission to the OAS. A regional workshop will then be convened to discuss the findings. The Directorate of Gender Affairs is hosting Le Franc. (Antigua Observer)

Jamaica to decriminalise ganja by year-end

Jamaica will this year join a virtual tidal wave of countries across the globe in decriminalising ganja, forerunner to the establishment of a medicinal marijuana industry estimated to be worth billions of dollars.

The undertaking was given to the Cannabis Commercial and Medicinal Research Taskforce (CCMRT) by Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives Phillip Paulwell, according to one of the main taskforce leaders, Delano Seiveright.

In a press statement Sunday, Seiveright said Paulwell, who is also the minister of science, technology, energy and mining, told members of the taskforce at a meeting last Thursday that “ganja will be decrimi-

nalised in Jamaica this year and emphasised that Jamaica cannot be allowed to be left behind on the issue”.

“He also reiterated the multiple economic, social and cultural benefits that Jamaica stands to gain if the laws are adjusted sooner rather than later,” Seiveright said.

He said the meeting held at the PCJ Auditorium in Kingston had agreed to the formal launch of the Future Ganja Growers Association next month to spearhead the establishment of a local ganja industry, which advocates swear will pump billions of dollars into the Jamaican economy.

If Paulwell’s promise becomes reality—a strong possibility because of bipartisan support in the

TT mulls border lockdown

- amidst Venezuela’s unrest

Trinidad and Tobago’s National Security Minister Gary Griffith has held talks with defence heads about TT’s borders as a result of the current unrest in Venezuela, which might cause people there to flee their homeland. Protests have been occurring in Venezuela since February 12. About ten people have been killed to date. Protests have continued into this week.

Government and opposition supporters blame each other for the situation. Opposition groups have accused the state of media manipulation and the government has accused international media of fuelling tensions and Venezuelan private media of manipulating the news.

On TT border security, Griffith noted that several years ago similar unrest in Haiti caused hundreds of people to flee to nearby Jamaica, illegally entering that country and causing tensions within the region. Griffith said: “We are looking at all matters where security for TT is concerned. I have met the Chief of Defence Staff and other agencies on such matters that may arise out of the current situation.” He added so far there had not been any reports of people trying to flee to TT which is seven miles across the Gulf of Paria.

Parliament—Jamaica could be the first English speaking Caribbean country to decriminalise ganja and usher in a new era allowing Jamaicans to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes under State regulation.

Legalisation or decriminalisation of the weed has been sweeping the globe, led by the United States where Colorado, followed by Washington, has demonstrated the earning power of marijuana.

America’s tax take has already been put at an estimated US$100 million a year.

Jamaica’s Cannabis Commercial and Medicinal Research Taskforce comprises the Ganja Law Reform Coalition, the National Alliance for the Legalisation of Ganja and several members of civil society. The group is chaired by University of the West Indies, Mona Principal Professor Archibald McDonald.

Other leading Ganja Law Reform advocates sitting on the taskforce include Paul Chang and Paul Burke.

The taskforce also reiterated that a compulsory condition of involvement in the growers association was agreement by members not to

take any part, directly or indirectly, in the growing/cultivation of ganja until there is a legal and regulated framework in place.

The association, according to the press statement, would “represent the best interests of the various stakeholders, giving primacy of place to the traditional ganja cultivator for a specified period”.

It would lobby the Jamaican government for the establishment of “a properly-regulated cannabis industry in all aspects, cultivation, agro-processing, medicinal and its many and varied by-products”; and promote control, education and taxation “as important planks of a regulated cannabis industry”.

(Jamaica Observer)

Airlift plan still on table

Monday, acting Foreign Affairs Minister Roodal Moonilal said his daily update from TT’s Caracas embassy confirmed things were calm in Venezuela. “We were informed there are two groups of TT workers in Venezuela’s oil and gas industry, totalling 30 people, and the companies they work for have contingency plans in case evacuation is necessary,” he added.

Moonilal said government’s own contingency plan to airlift embassy and other TT nationals was still on the table at ministerial level.

Caribbean Airlines communications manager Clint Williams noted that governmental authorities said on Sunday that in the event of the evacuation of TT staff at the Caracas embassy and other TT nationals is necessary, CAL would be involved.

“If it becomes necessary, we will support any initiative to assist the Caribbean people,” he said.

Monday, Venezuelan national Ida Hernandez, who has lived in TT for over 20 years and has three children born in TT, said the last estimate of Venezuelans in TT was approximately 10,000, two years ago. She added: “But clearly by now it will be more.” (TT Guardian)

Guyanese art and craft producers benefit from Canadian training

Prime Minister

Samuel Hinds has commended the Guyana Arts and Craft Producers Association for the growth they have achieved, but challenged greater movement towards contributing to Guyana’s economy.

Prime Minister Hinds was addressing the association’s members last Friday at the Umana Yana at the closing ceremony and exhibition of a one-month training programme, whereby 12 members of the association benefited from the knowledge of two Canadian experts in leather craft production, Paul and Beverley Williams. The programme was facilitated through a very effective and mutually rewarding relationship with the Canadian Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) and the Canadian Executive Services Organisation (CESO.)

The relationship is among many that the association has been fostering over the years towards carrying out its mandate of supporting

the craft and art producers throughout the 10 administrative regions in terms of marketing, training and networking. The agreement with TFO dates back to 2011. The association itself was incorporated in 2008.

Tourism

Prime Minister Hinds noted that Guyana looks to tourism to be an important growth sector in the economy, and that the production of art and craft would be an im-

portant part in a growing tourism industry. He challenged the association to recognise that they have to reach a point where they become a net provider of cash to Guyana’s economy.

Meanwhile, president of the association Denzil Hollingsworth said: “TFO has changed the lives of the Guyana Arts and Craft Producers Association, the one thing with GACPA is that we need some hands-on skills and

that is what they did, they prepared us for the Caribbean market.”

“The techniques that Beverley and Paul brought to Guyana have changed the entire outlook of leather, that is making us ready to go into any market that we want to go into,” she said.

She explained too that the Williams have encouraged and fostered a relationship with Harris Paints for the association. She said that

the artists in the association were making use of acrylic paint that was very expensive, and through discussion with the company, it was found that the company could produce a much cheaper paint that works on leather, wood and all the other materials utilised by the association.

Accessible

She said that Harris Paints is now producing these paints in smaller tins, and it is accessible to all of Guyana, and available now all over the country. The Williams also crucially imparted to the association, several safety measures, especially as it relates to the dangerous use of lac-

quer and contact cement, Hollingsworth said.

CESO Programme Manager Beatriz Munarriz said that the organisation’s support in the venture would not have been possible without the Canadian government’s assistance through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. She said that CESO believes strongly in the concept of partnership and expressed hope that the venture with the Guyana Arts and Craft Producers Association, in association with the Canadian Trade Facilitation Office, will be a successful one. (Excerpted from Guyana Times)

Jamaican police to step up fight against extortion

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says it will be initiating increased investigative, operational and community-based strategies in areas affected by extortion.

Chief among these strategies is the launch of an islandwide anti-extortion campaign aimed at public education and awareness, the JCF said in a release Saturday. The campaign, which will be officially launched on Monday March 3, 2014, also aims to encourage victims of extortion to come forward and report it to the police.

In the meantime, the Police urged cit izens to follow the guidelines provided to reduce the risks of extortion: before making a donation to what you believe is a worthy cause, ask your local police to as sist you to verify if the cause is genuine. Do not encourage verbal requests from individuals and organisations seeking assistance; ask that the request be put in writing, with authorised signature of the person or representative of the entity making the request. Report to the Police

the Jamaica constabulary Force says it will be embarking on an islandwide anti-extortion campaign aimed at public education and awareness

immediately or as early as possible, any threat against one’s life or property by people demanding money or any other benefit.

Enhance your security by installing security camera(s) and/or recording devices that are capable of recording evidence.

Upon receiving an

extortion letter or any demand by way of the Internet, email or text messaging or voice note, contact the Police immediately. Do not make an alarm. Maintain your composure and take steps to preserve evidence. Note the date, time, number from which the call originates and number to which the call terminates. Record all subsequent conversations with suspects if possible.

Do not make announcements about any contact with the police.

Do not withhold any relevant information from the police.

Do not rule out conspiracy between extortionist(s) and staff members or members of the household. When engaged in discussion with extortionists, make every attempt to record in detail the particulars of the individual(s) such as: name, address, telephone number, mode of travel, description of the individual(s), method of payment requested, time and frequency of payment requested, purpose for which money is requested and any demands or threat issued by the suspect(s). (Jamaica Observer)

JetBlue flies into TT

JetBlue tokens

Apromise of increased travel between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago was made Monday by officials of the New York-based low-cost carrier JetBlue, following the carrier’s inaugural flight from JFK Airport to Piarco International Airport.

The flight, which was co-piloted by Triniborn Ronald Woodruffe arrived at about 1:15 pm carrying 150 passengers.

At a press conference, held shortly after the flight’s arrival, at the VIP lounge, Jeffrey Goodell, vice-president of Government Affairs for JetBlue Airways Corporation, said Trinidad and Tobago has always been on the airline’s list.

“This is a market that we knew that JetBlue will do well in and it was a matter of finding the right time, a time when there was an eagerness for addi -

U.S.

tional airlift and the value that JetBlue can bring to Trinidad and Tobago and a time when our expansion reached the right point,” he said.

The airline will have daily flights to and from New York and on May 1, it will add flights to and from Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, Florida which will offer 600 seats every day to and from Trinidad. TT is the airline’s 84th destination. Goodell said there was also potential for the airline to serve Tobago.

He said they were not an airline that goes into destinations with a plan of ever leaving.

“We have every confidence that this will be a very successful route,” he said.

He said when JetBlue enters a market they do not need to steal market share as they are able to “expand the pie”.

“We are able...to cre -

ate demand, to stimulate demand and we do that by low fares and great service,” he said.

He added that the airline’s model when fares are getting too high, was to add seats because they want to create the opportunity for more people to travel.

When asked how the airline felt about having to compete with State-owned airline Caribbean Airlines, he said they loved competition.

“We compete with airlines from all over the western hemisphere...we think competition is not only in our interest, it keeps us on our toes and it ensures that we are offering our customers the best experience,” he said.

Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz assured those at JetBlue that the decision to come to Trinidad was by far an excellent one. (TT Newsday)

GRA probes remigrant vehicle scam in Guyana

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has launched an investigation into suspected irregular and illegal transactions concerning vehicle concessions to remigrants.

The GRA said the probe was prompted by intelligence it received. GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur said, “recently, it was reported to management that persons allegedly posing as remigrants are benefiting others who are supposedly financing highly illegal schemes to grant themselves with the concessions for various classes of luxury vehicles”.

He said that it would appear from recent revelations that attempts are being made by disgraced elements, officers who would have been disciplined and taxpayers who would have been placed before the courts, to resort to undermining the efforts made by management to address various areas of weakness in administrative controls and to exploit such weaknesses.

Sattaur said that even though the agency may have appropriately dealt with the officers, who in some cases because of the severity of the offence, the agency would have had to part ways with; or in the case of taxpayers, prosecuted them for committing breaches in the law, they seem bent on criminal practises.

Prosecution

Over the past three years, GRA said it has prosecuted many remigrants for not honouring their obligations under the scheme and have detained their vehicles while awaiting the out-

come of the court matters. The revenue body said it is now considering prosecuting such offences under 218 of the Customs Act, which provides for both the offender and those found in collusion to face a penalty of three times the value of the item and years imprisonment if found guilty.

“The GRA will spare no efforts to address such alleged wrongdoing and recently launched an independent investigation involving the Guyana Police Force and the Auditor General to determine whether the information received from conscientious and good-intentioned informants have merits, in order to address this issue and will be requesting the DPP to file criminal charges against persons found to be criminally involved.”

Guidelines

The remigrant scheme of the government of Guyana is administered by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in conjunction with the GRA. The ministry is responsible for determining and granting remigration status while the GRA administers the tax exemptions.

Under the remigrant scheme, a Guyanese who is 18 years and above,

who has been residing legally overseas for a minimum of five consecutive years and is now returning to Guyana, can benefit. Also, a Guyanese student/graduate who has attended or is attending a training institution and residing overseas for a minimum of four years and is now returning to Guyana, can also benefit. Applications must be submitted in person to the remigration officer, Foreign Affairs Ministry, South Road, Georgetown, within the first three months of resettlement in order to establish remigrant status. Regarding documentation, the applicant is required to submit his/ her current passport which must be at least five years old. If the passport is less than five years old, then the previous passport must be submitted. In the case of students, evidence from the university, college or educational institution confirming the duration of the course of study or time spent at the institution must be submitted. Besides, documentary evidence of how the potential remigrant intends to earn a livelihood in Guyana to re-establish permanent stay, must also be submitted (Excerpted from Guyana Times)

Barbados wants speedy conclusion of air services agreement with China

The Barbados government says it wants a speedy conclusion for an air service agreement with China as it hopes to lure visitors and investors from that Asian country.

A government statement providing details of a meeting between the island’s AmbassadorDesignate to the People’s Republic of China, Dr. Chelston Brathwaite, quoted Prime Minister Stuart as saying that Barbados was in the development phase of its relationship with China and it was now necessary to familiarise the Chinese with this country in an effort to attract Chinese tourists and business people to these shores.

Stuart acknowledged that the local economy

had become structurally integrated into the economies of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, insisted that there was a need to look in new directions and identified China and Latin America as two of the new paths to be followed.

For his part, Brathwaite, who left Barbados on Sunday to take up his appointment in Beijing, noted that tourism, trade and business were key areas of interest, noting that 83 million Chinese tourists travelled annually, spending an estimated US$102 billion.

The statement gave no indication when or if negotiations for an air service agreement between the two countries had started. (BGIS)

Twenty Puisne Judges to be appointed in Guyana

Guyana’s Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has announced that President Donald Ramotar has issued the Puisne Judges (maximum number) Order 2014, increasing the number of Puisne Judges to 20.

The attorney general, in a release, said the order was issued on February 3 and was made pursuant to Section Three of the High Court Act, Chapter 3:02. It was duly published on February 8, in the Official Gazette.

According to Nandlall, the decision to increase the complement of Puisne Judges was made after due consultation with the Judiciary. It is yet another demonstration of the Executive’s commitment to adequately resourcing the Judiciary and supporting its institutional strengthening in order to ensure that in the end, justice is delivered to our people efficiently, competently and with dispatch.

He said it is the administra-

MSJ internal elections in Trinidad set for March 23

Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) leader David Abdulah Sunday declined to say whether he will be seeking re-election in the party’s internal elections on March 23.

Abdulah, who announced the date for the elections at a media conference at MSJ headquarters in San Fernando, said the party will hold another media conference after Carnival to share details for the congress at which the internal elections will be held.

tion’s hope that this new measure will assist in bringing much needed alacrity to the rate at which cases are heard and determined in the judicial system. From all in-

dications, it appears that the current complement of Puisne Judges is wholly inadequate to meet the volume of litigation engaging the justice system. At a special sitting of the Caribbean Court of Justice in Guyana on February 19, in her farewell presentation, Justice Desiree Bernard echoed a call for an increase complement of Puisne Judges.

“We are pleased to note that the administration had already acted on the matter. We trust that those who are endowed with the high constitutional responsibility of recruiting candidates to fill the new vacancies, will discharge this responsibility with due care and circumspection in order to ensure that the new appointees are imbued with the requisite competence and integrity befitting the office to which they seek appointment. In this regard, we hope that quality will never be sacrificed for quantity,” the attorney general concluded. (Guyana Times)

New fertiliser company takes root in Jamaica

Anew fertiliser company, Sapphire Agriculture Jamaica Limited, has been established in Jamaica and says it will introduce new products to the market in the coming weeks.

The company has also announced the appointment of local agronomist John Allen as general manager, pointing to his "extensive knowledge of the agricultural sector" as an apparent plus for its intention to grab market share.

Abdulah said at the congress a “very extensive” policy document detailing the MSJ’s position on youth, education, crime and other national issues will be delivered.

Sunday, the MSJ leader rejected the recommendations of the Constitutional Reform Commission released two and a half weeks ago, saying the document was “wishy washy” and did not contain any significant recommendations.

“The issue of the composition of Parliament and the Cabinet to be constituted is the major focus of this report and we want to state our complete and total rejection of this Commission’s

He said the party will be conducting a “one member, one vote” election where all executive posts will be up for grabs, including political leader. “We do not have an arrangement like some parties, where the political leader is elected separate from the executive. All positions are up for election,” he said. Asked if he will be seeking re-election, Abdulah laughed and said: “We will announce all of those who will be (contesting).”

recommendation for the composition of the Parliament and the executive,” he said. One of the recommendations is that MPs will not be made ministers and senators will be elected to the executive by the proportional representation system. Abdulah said there will be two houses of government.

“In effect, we would further be entrenching party control and government control of both houses and therefore will not have any proper checks and balance of the power of the executive,” he said. Abdulah also commented on the sale of First Citizens Bank shares. He expressed concern at reports that Phillip Rahaman, a senior executive at the bank, was able to buy TT$14 million in shares through the initial public offering (IPO). (TT Guardian)

"After a few consultations we realised that John understands our products very well, and that is important to us. John's experience is a great asset to Sapphire Agriculture," said Alex Kaminsky, managing director, in a news release.

Kaminsky is the former agent for Diamond R fertiliser which, a few years ago, was being imported to Jamaica.

According to Kaminsky, a mediumsized fertiliser company in the U.S. or Europe carries, on average, 50 different fertiliser types to offer to farmers. "Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean have regularly seen much less than that, so the farmers have less tools to work with," Kaminsky said.

Sapphire Agriculture, he said, "is committed to offering some of those key fertilisers, like the ones enjoyed by farmers in the U.S. and Europe, many

of which will be based on soil and plant tissue analysis".

"We are going to increase awareness about various qualities of fertilisers currently in the market so the farmers can make informed decisions about fertilisers they use on their lands," Kaminsky added.

Allen said the company has clear cut goals and its entry into the market will diversify the availability of farming inputs. "That is what is needed in agriculture," he said.

"The company will introduce into the market, new fertiliser products of high quality. One of which will be organic NPK fertiliser," Allen said, adding that among the others being offered are NPK's 15:30:15, 12:24:24 and 16:10:18.

"These fertiliser types are new but should be well received as they carry more nutritional value than what is currently available in Jamaica," Allen said. (Jamaica Observer)

Sapphire said it carries a full line of granular and liquid fertiliser for irrigation systems and greenhouse production, as well as a full line of certified organic products.

UWI researchers start probe into prostate cancer in Jamaica

With studies revealing that Jamaican men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the world, researchers at the University of the West Indies Mona are far advanced in work to establish the reason the disease is the leading form of cancer and the leading form of cancerrelated deaths in men in Jamaica.

The research team of Dr Richard Mayhew, Dr Belinda Morrison, Dr William Aiken and Professor Kathleen Coard from the University, in a study “The Incidences and Nature of Prostate Cancer in AfricanAmerican, Afro-

The Belize-based Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) has broadened its “1.5oC to Stay Alive” campaign that was launched ahead of COP15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

The two-tiered campaign sought to sensitise citizens across Caricom about the impact of climate change on livelihoods in the region, and make a convincing case at the global level for the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions to a level not exceeding 350 parts per million (ppm) as an effective means of stabilising global warming.

The Copenhagen Accord contained several key elements on which there was strong convergence of the views of governments. This included the long-term goal of limiting the maximum global average temperature increase to no more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, subject to a review in 2015.

There was, however, no agreement on how to do this in practical terms. It also included a reference to consider limiting the temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees–a key demand made by vulnerable developing countries.

Targeting children

The CCCCC said it has since broadened its effort through the crafting of curricular resources designed for Caribbean children ages 12 to 16. It said that these resources, crafted by educators in collaboration with the centre’s technical team, forms part of the thrust to embed climate change in the region’s educa-

Caribbean (Jamaican) and CaucasianAmerican Men”, said the research represents the first report to compare the outcomes of surgical treatment of prostate cancer on AfroCaribbean (Jamaican), African-American and Caucasian men.

The international comparison revealed that African-American and Jamaican men presented with more aggressive features of prostate cancer. In addition, survival was poorer in African-American and Jamaican men.

“So they are looking mainly at etiological factors, things which cause prostate cancer and to see if there are any things which we can identify in Jamaica, whether nutritional factors, dietary factors or environmental factors which is producing this high incidence of prostate cancer,” he said.

He said that there was particular focus on areas where there has been significant mining activities.

doing is to see whether there are heavy metals that they are exposed to that is causing this high incidence in that part of Jamaica,” he told the news team.

“It has been said we have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the world, so they are looking at various things to identify the etiological factors which might attribute to this high incidence; at one time, for example, persons said it’s because we eat too much ackee. Studies have shown that it is not so,” Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies Mona Campus

tion sector, beginning in Belize.

“The Caribbean is among the most vulnerable group of countries to the effects of climate change and climate variability. Given its particularly youthful population, the Region must engage this significant demographic to shape a robust and appropriate range of responses to ensure climate resilience and safeguard livelihoods,” said CCCCC communication specialist Tyrone Hall.

“The centre has been long interested in developing a comprehensive programme that can build awareness and move the Region’s youth towards meaningful action. We ran a youth forum on climate change in Belize about four years ago, and one of the outcomes from that initiative was the need for climate change education to be mainstreamed into the education sector. So the “1.5 oC to Stay Alive” Initiative is a response to that particular finding,” he added. Hall said the CCCCC will be piloting the resource in Belize, “while simultaneously working with our partners throughout the region to have it utilised.

“Earth Hour Caribbean is just around the corner and we’ll be using that as an opportunity to really publicising the resource.” The fourunit curriculum–“The Warming Climate, Sea Level Rise, Pine Forest and Social Impacts of Global Warming”–includes classroom faceto-face interaction, field trips, workbooks and varied assessments, and has a total of 46 wide-ranging lessons with supporting resources and several videos.

Professor Archibald McDonald told journalists during last week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange. Mining impact

“I have been told that in communities such as Manchester, in relation to bauxite mines, there is a particularly higher incidence (of prostate cancer) than even the rest of Jamaica. I think a part of what they are

In the meantime, Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa, deputy principal of the University of the West Indies Mona Campus, said that the research team is also working with the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS), which has mapped the occurrence of heavy metals, particularly cadmium, which is known to have such effects on the renal system. (Excerpted from Jamaica Observer)

Prime Minister

Kamla PersadBissessar and her People’s Partnership have taken a significant hit in the latest opinion poll conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers’ Association (NACTA).

The poll found significant disillusionment with the PP’s governance was hurting Persad-Bissessar’s approval rating.

Although PersadBissessar’s approval rating as PM was higher than that of the government, it declined significantly from what it was three years ago.

In contrast, People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley’s approval rating as Opposition Leader has been steadily increasing over the last three years, making him a serious challenger to replace

Persad-Bissessar as PM whenever the next general election is held, the poll said.

Asked if they approved of the performance of the prime minister, 44 percent said yes, 37 percent said no and 19 percent offered a neutral rating or no opinion.

Rowley’s approval rating for his performance as opposition leader is almost at par (a statistical dead heat) with Persad-Bissessar’s as PM–43 percent approved, 39 percent disapproved and 18 percent gave him a neutral rating or did not offer an opinion.

Rowley is currently involved in a battle for the leadership of the PNM with Pennelope Beckles-Robinson.

Two thirds of those polled said the work of the government was not

being properly communicated to the nation, impacting on the ratings of both the government and the prime minister.

Asked if the work of the government was being properly communicated to the nation, 68 percent said no, 17 percent said yes and 15 percent offered no opinion. Many felt the government needs to do a better job at packaging and promoting its achievements, especially in the areas of education, works and infrastructure, farming, and people and housing grants.

Kudos for ministers

Several ministers received kudos for their performances and or achievements, including Vasanth Bharath, Dr Tim Gopeesingh, Winston Dookeran, Marlene Coudray, Dr Roodal Moonilal, Fazal Karim, Prakash

Ramadhar, Dr Bhoe Tewarie, Dr Lincoln Douglas, Dr Suruj Rambachan, Winston Gypsy Peters, Dr Glen Ramadharsingh, Devant Maharaj, Jairam Seemungal, and Ganga Singh.

Crime was also the leading concern among the population.

Asked what was the most important problem confronting the nation, 83 percent said crime. People also pointed to poor governance, corruption, high cost of living, housing shortage, health and unemployment as issues the government needs to address.

Asked if they were satisfied with the government’s performance, 48 percent said no, 31 percent said yes and 21 percent offered a “neutral rating” or no opinion. (Excerpted from TT Guardian)

PM Portia breaks ground for Chinese garden

Prime Minister

Portia Simpson

Miller and Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Dong Xiaojun broke ground for a Chinese garden at the Hope Botanical Gardens in Kingston, last Thursday.

The garden, which will be sited on 11 acres at the Lilly Pond, is the first of its kind in the Caribbean, and is being developed at a cost of Ja$240 million, the major portion of which is being provided by the Chinese government.

The project marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and China.

The prime minister welcomed the project, stating that construction of the facility underscores the government's commitment to sustainable development, and an appreciation for the value of green spaces in

cities and urban areas.

“This Chinese garden also fits into the larger context and plan of restoring Hope Gardens to its former glory. History tells us that by their very nature, Chinese gardens are designed to express the harmony that should exist between man and nature.

As a government, we remain committed to achieving that harmonious balance between the demands and impact of human development, and the care and preservation of our environment,” Simpson Miller said.

She pointed out that there is a growing interest by Jamaicans in Chinese culture, art and training, adding that in building the garden, the government is investing in the environment and the future and quality of life for all Jamaicans.

Meanwhile, the ambassador said that the garden represents anoth-

er milestone and “sweet fruit” in friendly relations between Jamaica and his country.

He noted that over the years, the Chinese government has supported and assisted Jamaica in achieving its social and economic development, by undertaking a

Guyana working to adopt regional nursing standard

There are serious considerations being given to have Guyana adapt its nurse training facilities and examinations to meet a standard regional requirement, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud said. He made the disclosure at the conclusion of a three-day meeting recently held by the Regional Nursing Body (RNB).

Last Thursday, the RNB members paid a courtesy call on President Donald Ramotar at the Office of the President, in the company of Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran and the CMO.

The Caricom-based group, comprised of chief

medical nurses, who are executives of the RNB, from regional territories, recently met at the Caricom headquarters to discuss the measures needed for the proposed move to have locallytrained nurses, trained and prepared to a regional standard. According to the CMO, these measures include “the building of capacity in terms of trainers, accreditation for training schools, facilities, and teaching curriculum. Once these measures are implemented, the Guyana Nursing Examination will be adapted to suit the requirements of the regional standards.

The Regional Examination for Nurse Registration common-

ly known as the RENR, will see the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) joining with the RNB, to not only assess the grades of potential nurses when they sit their final exams, but also to build local capacity within the ranks of local trainers and medical professionals who will be called upon to help with the assessments. These moves are part of effort by the Health Ministry to boost the standard of nurses trained locally and will assist regional efforts at ensuring that all Caricom-based nurses attain one internationally accepted standard before practising their profession, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Ambassador Xiaojun highlighted that bilateral trade between Jamaica and China continues to increase, with Jamaica now China's fourth top trading partner in the Caribbean.

Master plan

Providing an overview of the project, Chairman of the Nature Preservation Foundation

Leslie Chang informed that the addition of the garden complements future development of the property, in keeping with a master plan to expand exhibits and improve infrastructure.

number of projects, such as the Majesty Gardens Basic School, Sligoville Sports Complex, and the Sligoville Water Supply and road renovation projects.

“Our assistance to Jamaica may be not so big, but it's very genuine,” he said.

He explained that the garden will be a combination of an inner royal garden, and an outer private garden. The inner garden will feature stones, moving water, pavilions, terraces, and a low surrounding wall. In this area, concerts, plays, weddings and festivals, and other appropriate events will be staged. The outer garden

will feature nature and open spaces.

Preliminary work has already been done for the garden, which will be constructed over 14 months, under the management of experts from China, along with input from a team of local artisans.

The architectural designs were prepared by China Architectural Group, in collaboration with the management of Hope Gardens, and the construction contract awarded to China Zhenjiang International Economic-Technical Cooperation Corporation (CZICC), which is carrying out the construction of Chinese gardens and other major civil works across Europe.

The project is being implemented by the Nature Preservation Foundation, which has a 49-year lease to manage the Hope Botanical Gardens. (Jamaica Observer)

Burger King opens 15th restaurant in TT

As Burger King officially opened the doors to its 15th branch in Trinidad and Tobago last Thursday, general manager Ryan Lewis revealed ambitious plans for expansion locally, with five more outlets, including one in Tobago, by year’s end.

Lewis spoke with

The new branch opening coincides with Burger King’s tenth anniversary in TT.

Lewis admitted that crime is a problem in Trinidad, but said the company has put measures in place to ensure staff and customer security. Lewis said Marabella was select-

indicated. He said in response to demand from Burger King lovers in Tobago, the company has decided to construct a branch there also. The site, he added, had been earmarked and construction would be completed at the end of 2014.

Marabella West coun-

TT media at the formal opening of Burger King’s newest branch at Southern Main Road, Marabella. He said the plan is to “open 20 branches by 2015,” especially in east Trinidad. “We are not in Arima as yet. We are looking at spots in Arima. We are looking at spots in Trincity, mainly in the east right now— Arima, Trincity, Sangre Grande—and we want to expand some more down south,” he stated.

ed because of the success the franchise has been having in south Trinidad.

“The southland is very big for us as all of our stores have done well in the south. We have done well with our new crispy chicken and Marabella will be the best one (branch.) It is close to our Gasparillo store which is doing so well. We also saw the opportunity here to do a drive thru, it is the only one in Marabella,” Lewis

cillor Laverne Allison Smith, who delivered remarks on behalf of San Fernando Mayor Kazim Hosein, welcomed the new branch. Smith said she was pleased that Burger King provided healthy options, such as salads.

Marlon Newallo, senior manager, marketing, Coca-Cola (Caribbean Bottlers Limited) extended greetings and pledged continued support to the chain. (TT Guardian)

The Caribana™

Arts Group will be hosting its second annual ‘Caribana on Ice’ ice-skating party/lime on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square skating rink from 2pm–6pm.

According to a release from the organisers, admission to the event is free and all are welcome to attend.

“‘Caribana on Ice’ offers many different facets that Caribana™ Arts

Group knows will be appreciated by Toronto’s general public,” the release added.

“First off, this will essentially be an ice skating opportunity to skate to Caribbean Calypso/ Soca music,” the organisers highlighted, adding that “what Caribana™ Arts Group intends to do is to bring a focus solely on the vibrant songs originating from Caribbean carnival(s) artists.”

The event will com-

prise a four-hour party/lime of vintage and new music from various Toronto-based Calypsonians and Soca artists, prominent musicians from various Caribbean islands, and the latest songs coming out of the 2014 Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.

“Let’s face it; if these artists didn’t write and produce their catchy songs, we would have nothing to dance to on parade day. As such,

Caribana Arts Group wants to acknowledge their efforts,” the release indicated.

The upcoming event in Toronto will coincide with TT’s Carnival, the largest of such in the Caribbean and which culminates on March 3 and 4th. The unofficial launch of Caribana 2014 traditionally starts on the Easter weekend.

“Finally, Caribana will be celebrating its 47th year in 2014 of con-

of Caribana who grew up here, and know how to ice skate. Therefore, for its 2nd annual Calypso/Soca party/lime, Caribana™ Arts Group encourages them to come out and ice skate,” the organisers urged.

tinuous, cultural presentations in Toronto since its establishment by its founders in 1967.

As such, there is a generation of children from the original participants

Caribana™ was asked to and participated at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics; an initiative of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, the Ontario Pavilion that featured the best that Ontario had to offer from a tourism perspective featuring nightly concerts, culinary experiences, films, technology, the arts, and performances by a representative troupe from Caribana.

Hundreds of Guyanese turn out for first ever Mashramani parade in Nevis

It was the colours and traditional attire that illuminated the Streets of Charlestown, Nevis, on Saturday, as dozens of Guyanese participated in the first Mashramani parade on that island.

Mashramani, often abbreviated to "Mash", is an annual festival that celebrates Guyana becoming a Republic in 1970. The festival, usually held on February 23–Guyanese Republic Day–includes a parade, music, games and cooking and is intended to commemorate the "Birth of the Republic".

The word "Mashramani" is derived from an Amerindian language and in translation means "the celebration of a job well done". This year Guyana celebrated its 44th Republic Anniversary.

This carnival-like event is considered the most colourful of all the country's festivals. There are spectacular costume competitions, float parades, masquerade bands, and dancing in the streets to the accompaniment of steel pan music and calypsos.

Speaking at Saturday’s event, Deputy Premier of Nevis and Minister of Culture Mark Brantley told the Guyanese in attendance that they should feel comfortable and were welcome to stay at the same time helping in the development of Nevis.

“You are a part of us and we want you to be comfortable in Nevis. So, so long as you are here, so long as you are helping us build this island, we want you to be comfortable and so I am very happy to be associ-

ated with this celebration today…I am hopeful that this continues and will be a regular fixture where we can enjoy Guyanese music, we can enjoy Guyanese food and we can celebrate with you the same way you celebrate with us. So welcome, enjoy yourselves… have a good time. Thank you very much for making Nevis your home and please be comfortable because we welcome you,” the minister said.

Deputy Premier Brantley also said that he was pleased to witness the Guyanese celebration first-hand and invited Guyanese living on Nevis to take part in the upcoming 'Culturama 40' celebrations slated for later in the year.

“I hope that the Guyanese population understands that now that you have put on such a great show we expect you to do it next year and the year after that and the year after that and I also hope you understand that for Culturama 40, I am expecting to see at least one massive Guyanese troupe,” he said.

The event, which was hosted by the Guyanese Association of Nevis at the Elquemedo T Willett Park, saw hundreds of children and adults parading in the streets.

At the end of the parade, a cultural programme went into full swing which displayed Guyanese cultural dance, poetry and song chaired by Kenrick Liverpool. As the event flowed into the night, Black Stone Sounds entertained the many in attendance with a number of Guyanese and local music. (SKNVibes)

Scenes from Mashramani 2014 in Guyana

Bajans to get global honours Guyana-based company launches new line of beverage

Superstar Rihanna is among five Barbadians down to receive global honours for their outstanding contributions to human rights.

Multiple calypso monarch the Mighty Gabby, church administrator Reverend Jerry Seale, slave hero Bussa, as well as an unnamed veteran trade unionist, will be recognised by the International Gathering For Peace And Human Rights during a preconference event at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on March 29.

The show, entitled A Jazz For Peace Prelude, will serve as a sensitisation campaign to the International Gathering

For Peace And Human Rights in Africa. That global conference runs from April 11 to 13 in Nigeria.

“Another thing we will be doing at that concert in Barbados is to highlight some of the young talent that we have in Barbados. So we have persons like Mylon Clarke and his band, Betty Payne, among many who would be part of it,” said media coordinator for the Caribbean and Latin America for the International Gathering, Rev. Dr Carol Phillips. Phillips said the musical event would also feature world-renown trombonist and chair-

man of the International Gathering, Bishop Dr Alvin McKinny.

“Now Alvin McKinny recently played for the Obamas at the White House, and he is coming into Barbados to be part of the event on the 29th. Also on the 30th at [King] George Vl[Memorial] Park, we are having a family day, where Rev McKinny will be playing along with others; and we are inviting the Barbadian community at large,” she added.

She also revealed that McKinny had a foundation, which provided musical instruments to children and he would be working with schools in Barbados to introduce his programme. “We have children here, who probably could be fabulous musicians, who probably could never afford a trumpet or a trombone. So the relationship with Dr McKinny and the schools, will open that door for a lot of our children to get the equipment that they normally would never be able to afford,” asserted Phillips.

(Barbados Today)

Digicel wins top prizes at Caribbean advertising awards

Digicel was the big winner at this year's Caribbean Advertising Federation American Advertising Awards, taking home the top prizes of the Best of Show Overall Award and Best of TV Award for its 'Be Extraordinary' television ad.

According to the elite judging panel, "the spot was exceptionally wellexecuted, told a great story, and had a good combination of sound, copy, and cinematography that engages the viewer".

Last Friday, Digicel said that its 'Be Extraordinary' brand idea and its "stunning TV commercial" is based on the premise of 'everyday people doing extraordinary things', and that the extraordinary can be found all around if we just take the time to have a second look.

The telecoms giant said the brand idea is being rolled out across Digicel's 31 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and AsiaPacific.

"Importantly, the ad broke new ground in that it was shot in a single take with the playback then slowed down to allow the viewer to see and relish all that is going on before them," the company said in a news

release.

"As such, the ad features a lady boarding a bus and then gazing out of the window as the bus speeds along an activityfilled street. The activity on the street is shown in slow motion as the lady passenger takes the time to look more closely at, and delight in, what is happening in front of her; a group of kids showing off their nifty footballing skills, a boy doing stunts on his bike, a vendor juggling tropical fruits, a lively game of dominoes, kids having a water fight, a couple sharing a passionate kiss, a girl revelling in her carnival outfit," Digicel indicated, adding in the ad "the street is packed with extraordinary everyday events".

The company also pointed out that in order to bring its 'Be Extraordinary' promise to life, it created extraor-

After more than one year in the making, the West Indies Vodka Cooler, which comes in six different flavours, was launched last Friday evening in grand style at the Gravity Lounge, Camp and Regent streets, Georgetown in Guyana.

The beverage, produced by Caricom Bottle Company, is the product of a Gy$1 billion investment which will no doubt hit the export market.

Caricom Bottle Company Chairman, Dr Joshua Safeek said the company shared a very close relationship with Go-Invest and they have come together to put Guyana first in an effort to strengthen its economy.

Addressing his guests and the media last Friday, Dr Safeek said he was pleased to announce that this is the first time in the history of Guyana that a company has launched six beverages on one night; this he said is no ordinary accomplishment.

He said Caricom Bottling Company Inc is a Gy$1 billion invest-

dinary moments for its customers, like surprise wedding proposals and wedding receptions, free travel on public transport, buying new tyres for a taxi driver, and paying for utility and grocery bills.

"Our 'Be Extraordinary' brand idea forms the basis of all our aspirations, communications and deliverables," the release quoted Digicel Jamaica's Marketing Director Peter Lloyd.

"It is empowering, positive, upbeat, celebratory and yet humble...because it's not about us, but all about our customers. This is all about highlighting the extraordinary that is all around us and in celebrating that with our customers," Lloyd said, adding that the advertisement can be viewed at http://youtu.be/t_K6VdFWDYI. (Jamaica Observer)

ment, comprising of an alcoholic facility, brewery and a beverage bottle line. The West Indies Vodka Cooler is the first in a series of beverages to be launched by the company.

In the next 30 to 60 days, it will launch its beer line.

In addition, the West Indies Lemon Lime and Bitters (LLB) beverage will be ready for the market as well as the Cran Water (Cranberry flavoured water). The businessman is optimistic that the products are “priced right” to compete with any vodka product on the market.

Tourism, Industry and Trade Ministry representative Tameca Sookdeo welcomed the initiative by the Caricom Bottling Company Inc, reiterating that Guyana’s stable, social and political environment, coupled with the government’s pro-business policies, have created the right environment for foreign and domestic investments.

She added that between 2006 and 2012, Guyana recorded US$1.3

TT actor PaulRobert Pryce has appeared in a Brooklyn staging of the play ‘She Talks to Beethoven’ in a double role.

The play, written by Adrienne Kennedy and directed by Charlotte Braithwaite, closed Saturday night at JACK, an arts space in

Brooklyn, New York.

billion investment in foreign direct investment and during the same period, foreign investment in the private sector grew from Gy$30.6 billion in 2006 to Gy$82.6 billion in 2012, an increase of 300 percent.

Sookdeo said the government has developed a comprehensive action plan to improve Guyana’s business environment. This plan comprises of more than 60 competitiveness and efficiencies enhancement reforms and will be implemented in 10 targeted policy areas, including paying taxes, starting of businesses, getting electricity, registering businesses and more importantly, protecting investors.

She noted that the new investment will create jobs and wished Caricom Bottle Company all the best in its future endeavours.

The six flavours of the West Indies Vodka Cooler are orange, yellow, clear, blue, mild red and green. They are made from local ingredients including fruits and others products. (Guyana Times)

A press release from Daniela Fifi, Pryce’s wife, said the actor, who was in last year’s Yale Rep production of ‘Hamlet’ with Hollywood actor Paul Giamatti, played the composer Beethoven and a “disappeared” man from 1961 Ghana, David Alexander. Natalie Paul played the other role in the play.

“She Talks to Beethoven’ is a non-seated installation/performance that integrates found objects, drawing, silhouette and projection to tell the story of Suzanne Alexander, an African-American woman living in 1961 post-independence Ghana. After the sudden and mysterious disappearance of her husband, she seeks solace in the spirit of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, whose letters she has been studying,” the release noted.

The 1989 script “offers a layered discourse on politics, revolution and loss,” the release said.

Braithwaite, the director, helmed Pryce’s production of ‘Smile Orange’ at the Little Carib in 2001. She is Barbadian by descent. (Excerpted from TT Guardian)

Guyanese women who made history

Throughout history, there are numerous Guyanese women who have received many accolades for outstanding achievements and have shown that greatness can come from a small country.

One such notable individual is Dame Sybil Theodora Phoenix. She was born in British Guiana and grew up in Georgetown. She and her fiancé, Joe Phoenix, moved to England in 1956 and married in June of that year. In 1972, she became the first black woman to receive an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II. Phoenix initially refused to accept the honour unless the council gave her a property where she could house, feed and educate homeless young girls from the Borough of Lewisham.

Phoenix is a legendary figure in her adopted home of Lewishan in South East London. In the early 1960s, she began providing foster care for unwanted children and, in 1977, founded a youth centre for teenagers. However, the centre was burned down by members of the right-wing extremist group, National Front. Phoenix vowed to rebuild. Four years later, in 1981, the Prince of Wales was present

for the grand opening of the new centre.

Personally experiencing the harsh effects of racism, Phoenix was motivated to actively work against every kind of discrimination people suffered solely because of their skin colour. She co-founded the Methodist and Ecumenical Leadership Racism Awareness Workshops, an organisation which offers racism awareness training programmes. She was also a leader in the New Cross Fire campaign, the post Brixton negotiations, and the famous Black Peoples Day of Action.

In 1979, Phoenix and her husband founded the Marsha Phoenix Memorial Trust, a

supported housing project for single homeless young women. The trust was named in honour of her daughter who died in a car accident in 1974.

The royal family continued to recognise Phoenix’s outstanding work. In 1987, Princess Margaret asked her to be Minister without Portfolio for Guyana. She received the Medal of Service Award for her dedication to Guyanese people in and out of the country. In 1996, she was made an Honorary Freeman (mayor) of the Borough of Lewisham, and in 1998 was awarded the Freedom of the City of London. In 2008, Phoenix became an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Tributes for Sparrow from UTT

After being in a coma at a New York hospital several months ago, Slinger Francisco, 78, known popularly as the Mighty Sparrow, Calypso King of the World, last Friday displayed snippets of the feistiness which characterised his persona as a calypsonian during a special tribute to him in Port-of-Spain.

At an event titled: “The Anthropology of Sparrow: In the Age of Independence,” hosted by the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s (UTT’s) Academy of Arts, Letters, Culture and Public Affairs, at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), a gutsy Sparrow, without the aid of his cane, walked from his seat among patrons to the stage, a short distance away, to perform one of his clas-

sics, “Jean and Dinah”, accompanied by members of the Errol Ince Orchestra.

The audience, which included Chief Justice Ivor Archie, sitarist Mungal Patasar and Chairman of the National Carnival Commission Alison Demas, erupted into applause whilst singing along to the popular tune. Many patrons also gave the “Birdie” a standing ovation for his efforts.

Sparrow’s appearance on the stage, though, proved to be a blessing for his son, Sergio who, performing “Jean and Dinah” in tribute to his father, apparently forgot verses of the song and was forced to hum along to the music before returning to its catchy chorus.

The audience, witnessing Sergio’s dilemma, cheered him on, but Sparrow extempored a verse, poking fun at his son’s failure to remember some of the song’s lyrics.

“Jean and Dinah”, was among 13 of Sparrow’s hits performed by a range of artistes during the anthropology, which focused on Trinidad and Tobago’s preIndependence era (1956-1962). Other songs included “Education”, “Pay As You Earn”, “Mr Benwood Dick” and “Rose.”

Dr Hollis Liverpool (Chalkdust), Programme Professor at the Academy, who delivered an introduction to the anthology, said Sparrow’s songs were largely informed by events which occurred during an era “when we sought to forge an identity of our own as a nation.”

The show, which coincides with the UTT’s tenth anniversary celebrations, was the first in a seven-part series of events chronicling Sparrow’s life and work as a calypsonian.

Sparrow, an 11-time monarch and eight-time Road March champion, is to be bestowed with the Order of TT, the country’s highest honour at this year’s Independence Awards ceremony. (TT Newsday)

Today, the 87-year-old is still going strong.

Then there is Claudette Izel Humprey (nee Masdammer) - the first female to represent British Guiana at the Olympic Games.

Claudette attended the St. Georges Anglican School and subsequently entered the Tutorial High School on an athletic scholarship. Her athletic ability was recognised by the Castello brothers, founders of Tutorial High school, during the annual public schools’ sports meeting.

On account of her sprinting prowess, Claudette represented British Guiana at the 1956 Olympic Summer Games held in Melbourne, Australia, while still a student at Tutorial High School. The students were promised a day off based on Claudette’s performance.

Unfortunately, Claudette failed to qualify for the finals.

Nevertheless, the Tutorial student population, though disappointed that they did not receive a day off, was proud of their fellow student.

She competed in the 100 metres heats and finished in fifth place. At the ‘56 Olympic Games, no other female West Indian athlete attended/qualified for the premium sprinting events.

At the British West Indian Championship held in Guyana in 1959, Claudette was awarded a bronze medal for competing in the 100 metres and silver in the long jump.

In 1960, Claudette became a student nurse at the Georgetown Hospital. She spent approximately one year nursing before emigrating to England in 1961 to further her studies in nursing at Central Middlesex Hospital in London. There, Claudette met and married Winston Humphrey, a fellow Guyanese and Naval soldier in the British Navy in Southampton England. From that union they bore three children.

Wanting to become a midwife, she joined the St Mary’s clinic in Portsmouth, England. Her training, before she could take her finals in midwifery, required the delivery of 50 babies. Claudette fulfilled her requirements and passed her finals in 1979 as a midwife at Hyde General Hospital. Claudette became the Sister in Charge of the Maternity Unit at Hyde General Hospital and delivered hundreds of babies up until her retirement in 2002.

Sadly, she died on Nov. 13, 2013, at the age of 74, after bravely fighting an illness.

Over 20 Caribbean professionals benefit from regional leadership workshop

Four Jamaicans were among 22 Caribbean professionals who benefited from a regional workshop hosted in Trinidad and Tobago by the Australian High Commission in an effort to prepare them for future leadership in their areas of expertise.

The group comprised Jamaicans Tanesha Lewis, Kimberlyn Campbell, Dadria Smith and Randall Bailey who were beneficiaries of scholarships granted by the high commission to pursue postgraduate studies at Australian

universities. Recipients of these scholarships represented eight Caricom countries and they are all expected to now help advance the development agenda of the region.

The other countries that benefited from this programme were Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis.

The scholarship recipients represent a wide cross-section of professional areas including environmental management, disability education, renewable and

sustainable energy management, public health, agriculture, fisheries and social development.

In the case of Jamaica, Lewis received a master of arts in elearning; Campbell pursued a master's in forensic science; Smith, master's in international revenue administration and Bailey, a master's in public policy.

The Australian High Commission has awarded more than 120 scholarships to Caricom countries and the Dominican Republic. (Jamaica Observer)

Port-of-Spain celebrates 100 years

In the midst of the Carnival euphoria and the all-consuming seasonal bacchanal, there is a plan afoot for the centennial celebrations of the City of Port-of-Spain, beyond this pre-Lenten festivity. Back in 1914, the Capital restored its municipal rights and joined the ranks of global city status, moving from A Town Board to a City Corporation.

Today, 100 years later, the landscape has changed considerably and its raison d’etre has assumed new and dynamic proportions. As one acknowledges these evolving dimensions, one rises to the occasion and one goes beyond expectations in the observance of this monumental milestone.

During the month of June, in commemoration of that historic transition, the Port-of-Spain Corporation has scheduled a month of innovative and interactive activities that would augur well for a way forward in the new thrust of the city’s life. The celebrations lead off with a truly engaging and invigorating pageant experience like no other, with a whole rethinking of the outcome for the delegates and a richly incen-

tive programme of participation.

Potential delegates are being called out nationwide to seek out this life-changing experience. There is a huge casting call set for March 15 at the City Hall from 10am. It’s a committed pledge of the organising committee to take the pageant experience to new heights and to really transform the lives of the participating delegates. Not simply through enhanced winnings but through a more comprehensive

programme of engagement would the delegate be rewarded and elevated.

Under the powerful “Stronger than Pride” brand, the celebrations would honour the watchwords of dedication, integrity and sustainability. The pageant would represent these ideals of the overarching centennial theme, as the event seeks to go beyond expectations to establish our producer agenda, beyond reproach; to excite participant interest, beyond expression; to entertain

patron sensibility, beyond measure; to enrich the partners’ brand, beyond compare. All in all, the process would offer an alternative, yet cumulative experiential journey that is empowering, life-altering, engaging, validating, affirming, transforming and enterprising.

Beyond Carnival, the Port-of-Spain City Corporation would be going beyond its reach to make a difference through the anniversary celebrations of our capital city. (TT Newsday)

University of Guyana lecturer launches first book

Released in North America, Europe and Australia in January 2014, ‘Backslider’ written by University of Guyana lecturer Julia Kanhai was officially launched on Saturday with a book signing ceremony at EMTEC headquarters in Guyana.

The publication, which promises to be

Kanhai’s first of many, explores several themes including sexual abuse.

‘Backslider’, written under the pen name “Terry K”, traces the journey of a pastor’s daughter who tries to assert independence in her personal life.

While on her first date, Rachael (the protagonist) is drugged by someone who turns

out to be a serial rapist. In her quest for revenge, she commits a few crimes but she eventually decides between drowning in her pain and resurfacing to face her God. The book is a vivid description of the trauma, denial, depression and doubts a victim experiences as well as the small steps that can be taken to regain trust

Be a leader!

By Anu Dev

Sunday was Republic Day in Guyana–the day we recognised that we govern ourselves, we’re not under the rule of a monarch and I’ve been thinking about leaders and leadership.

What Shakespeare said about “greatness”, can be paraphrased for leaders: “Some are born leaders, some achieve leadership and some have leadership thrust upon them.” I’ve encountered a fair number of leaders from all three backgrounds, over the years and this year at Med School I’ve met even more. We have weekly PBL (Problem-Based Learning) sessions where we’re broken into small groups and everyone has to take a turn at leading the group discussions. So after a while, everyone gets a chance to be group leader and I found that most of them exemplified quite distinct leadership styles, approaches and qualities.

A good leader is assertive, yet approachable. During my early years at Queen’s College, I was always impressed with the prefects chosen. I was awed by these students who were all-rounded and carried themselves with decorum. These prefects welcomed us to speak to them freely, but by mutual understanding, there was a boundary we never crossed. These were the type of prefects I tried to emulate when I became Head Prefect in Upper Six.

in others and, more importantly, themselves. While the book is fictional, Kanhai explained that a lot of the material came from stories she had heard from different sources.

Among those in attendance at the launch was the Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, who congratulated Kanhai for her work and willingness to address a topic which some still consider to be taboo.

He said he hoped the book would spark a movement locally where others are motivated to write. Also making brief remarks was the Dean of the Faculty of Education and Humanities, Alim Hosein, who provided a brief background about the author and her journey in the literary arts.

For more information about Julia Kanhai or her book ‘Backslider’, kindly visit the author’s official website, terryk. ws. Copies of the book cost Gy$5000 and are available at EMTEC headquarters located at 80 Duncan Street, Newtown, Kitty in Guyana.

Another fundamental trait of leaders is that a true leader inspires others to achieve. And the best leaders do this not by telling–but by doing. The line from Portia in the 'Merchant of Venice' has stuck with me: “I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching.” It can be hard, but to be a good leader, that’s absolutely necessary. A good leader can inspire dedication and great feats from followers, through leadership by example.

Good leaders must show integrity since a leader can’t lead if he doesn’t have the trust of followers. Leaders must show honesty, well-controlled emotions (that’s right, no screaming your head off at your charges!). In our Professionalism Course, we’re constantly reminded about the importance of integrity– as doctors we’ll have to work along with other doctors, we’ll need the trust and support of the nurses and other members of our medical team to ensure that we care for our patients successfully.

Leaders must also have high self-respect and selfesteem. After all, if a leader doesn’t respect himself/ herself, how could they earn the respect of others? Yes, respect is earned, not demanded. Good leaders should have the respect of their subordinates and also give due respect to their subordinates.

My tradition emphasises the need to delegate tasks and to groom new leaders for the future. In my estimation, this is a defining quality that all leaders should possess. That leader who tries to singlehandedly tackle all of the objectives and challenges of the group usually risks biting off more than they can chew and simultaneously demotivates the rest of the members.

Leaders should also always be conscious that they can’t be the leader forever–there comes a time to step down and pass on the torch. New times demand new skills and new visions.

One of the more over-looked qualities a leader should possess is a sense of humour! Humour can be an effective tool to energise persons and ease tension. More often than not, leaders choose the too-serious approach–a balance should be struck.

In conclusion, don’t believe that I’m only talking about leaders of countries and corporations. In every endeavour that we embark on in groups, there is the need for leaders. We never know when leadership may be thrust upon us: be prepared.

‘My daughters weren't impressed by my six-pack abs’- Farhan

Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who worked out hard to get a perfect six-pack abs for his 2013 entertainer ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, says his two daughters were not so impressed with his beefed up physique.

"Honestly, I don't think they (my

children) were so impressed by my sixpack abs. I think what they found very entertaining was the running," Farhan told IANS.

Recently, Farhan took part in racing events at his daughters' school, and he took the lead in all. His daughters Shakya and Akira were proud.

"They really saw the effects of it when I ran in the apparent race. That was truly an exciting moment for them. Unfortunately, all the others were left far behind. So for them it was a nice moment of victory," said Farhan, who is married to celebrity hairstylist Adhuna Akhtar. (TOI)

Ranbir-Katrina to take a vacation in Sri Lanka

While the media is abuzz about a split between Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, there are also reports that say that lovebirds are heading to Sri Lanka for a holiday. The couple was spotted holidaying in Spain last year.

A Hindustan Times report has quoted a source close to the actress and said that Katrina and Ranbir have been trying to keep their shooting schedule in sync with each other. They have apparently planned their schedule in such a way that it makes it easy for both of them to drop in and meet each other on the sets.

Though Katrina is shooting for ‘Bang Bang’ in Manali and Ranbir is shooting for ‘Bombay Velvet’ in Sri

Lanka, both have decided to take a break in Sri Lanka.

Further to reports, the actress is reportedly getting a three-day break from her shooting and she will head to Sri Lanka to join Ranbir. Both of them will take a much-deserved break. This is not the first time that Katrina is visiting Ranbir on the sets of ‘Bombay Velvet’. The actress had allegedly visited him earlier too where news of her bonding with Anushka Sharma had also surfaced. (TOI)

Hrithik Roshan continues to stay married to his in-laws

It is often jested and suggested that in India, people do not marry the man or the woman alone. They end up marrying his/her family as well. That is precisely how it works in Bollywood too.

And, of course, we must start with the latest example. Hrithik Roshan

separated from wife Sussanne last December, but he spent his birthday on January 10 in the company of his sister-in-law Farah Ali, her kids, and his own sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan. Over the Valentine's Day weekend, the lighteyed superstar, who flew to Mumbai to spend time

Sunny Leone shoots in a snake-filled lake

‘Ragini MMS-2’, the forthcoming horror-erotica film, contains a horrorpacked scene shot inside a lake. In fact, there is even a fleeting shot of the said scene in the film’s trailer.

It appears at the point when Sunny's costar follows her to a lake hoping to make love to her.

The lake was in Vasai on the outskirts of Mumbai, in a scary and quiet location. The said scene had to be shot at midnight when the water was cold, so as to get the desired effect. Sunny had to dip into the water to give her best shot,

but was petrified because the lake was quite a walk from her vanity van. There was also talk of water snakes.

The scene took an entire night to shoot and

with his sons, apparently also spent quality time bonding with Sussanne's parents. Sussanne's mother, Zarine Khan and sister, Farah are both extremely hopeful of a reunion between "Duggu and Suzy".

It is strange, that while Hrithik was spending time with Sussanne's parents on Valentine's, she was in New Delhi for a furniture show. Later, over the same weekend, she was reportedly spotted at a nightclub in the capital with some friends. The couple shows no signs of reconciliation; however, Hrithik continues to stay married to his in-laws. (TOI)

Sunny fell ill the following day and developed a minor skin allergy.

"I saw dead fish. The water was dirty," said Sunny. "I was scared as hell," she added. (TOI)

Sanjay Dutt does business while out on parole

Actor Sanjay Dutt, who is out on a parole, is making good use of his time out. He is thinking business and has apparently signed some of the best directors of the film industry to direct films helmed by his production house.

A Mid-Day report stated that Prabhu Dheva has agreed to direct a film of Sanjay's production house. Even Rohit Shetty and Rajkumar Hirani too will be directing films helmed by actor's production house. All these projects

will commence from next year. Rohit Shetty's film for Sanjay Dutt's production house, as per the report, will go on the floors in 2016.

It should also be pointed out that the actor ensured his business does not suffer in his absence. Hence, he had asked his wife Maanayata to meet Prabhu Dheva and sign a deal with him. He has also finished work on ‘Hasmukh Pighal Gaya’, a film by debutante director, Sejal Shah. (TOI)

Sharmila Tagore, Soha Ali Khan champion women’s health and rights in India

In an effort to challenge deep-rooted social issues like child marriage, early pregnancies and sex selection in Indian society, mother-daughter duo Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan have come together to support a transmedia drama series.

Titled ‘Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon’ (MKBKSH), it seeks to promote strong women characters and has the support of the Population Foundation of India (PFI). Marking the spirit of

Veena Malik is now Mrs Asad Khan Khattak

Veena Malik finally married Asad Bashir Khan Khattak in a closely guarded western ceremony with a few family friends. After the wedding ceremony was over, the bride and the groom came out for a photo op and posed for the photographers. The wedding took place on one of

the world's most luxurious cruises of USA- 'Spirit of Washington'. Both of them exchanged vows. Asad's elder brother Arshad Khattak was the best man and the host for the wedding.

The Malik-Khan wedding festivities started a few weeks before the marriage. It took place away from the

media glare and without any of the couple's friends from the film industry. After their quiet wedding, the couple intends to send sweets to people from the industry. They have remained tight lipped about their post marriage plans, though Veena will take a sabbatical it seems. (TOI)

International Women's Day, the series will premiere on March 8, 2014 on Doordarshan and will run every Saturday and Sunday at 7 pm.

Speaking about this initiative, Soha said, "MKBKSH has the potential of being a catalyst for change---the amount of research that has gone in the preparation of this initiative is extraordinary! Real life stories have informed and guided Feroz and PFI in developing the scripts---they are the testimony that change is happening, it just needs to be amplified."

At the launch in Mumbai, Sharmila Tagore said, "There is a silent revolution taking place in India---a revolution led by young girls and women who are beginning to realise their potential. MKBKSH captures this silent revolution. It portrays working women---health workers, school teachers, and others as confident fully capable of managing home and work, of serving society." (TOI)

Alec Baldwin feels sorry for Shia LaBeouf

Actor Alec Baldwin "felt sorry" for his former Broadway co-star Shia LaBeouf when he heard that the troubled actor walked a red carpet with a paper bag over his head.

LaBeouf, 27, wore a paper bag, which read "I am not famous anymore", at the premier of his film ‘Nymphomaniac’ during the Berlin International Film Festival.

Baldwin fell out with LaBeouf while they were working on Broadway play ‘Orphans’ in 2013 and the latter was subsequently fired from the

show.

The 55-year-old still admits that he feels bad about his current troubles, reports contactmusic.com.

In an article published in New York Magazine, Baldwin writes: "Shia LaBeouf went to a film screening recently and he wore a bag over his head and the bag says 'I Am Not Famous Anymore'. And there was truly a part of me that felt sorry for him, oddly enough." (TOI)

Reese Witherspoon embarrassed by her mother

Reese Witherspoon is embarrassed by her mother's Twitter account.

The 37-year-old actress joined the social networking site last year and has admitted that her mother's presence on social media and her strange questions embarrass her.

She said: “My mum texts me bizarre questions like, ‘What should I tweet? Should I get new head shots? Should I take acting classes?’”

The ‘Mud’ star---who has children Ava, 14, and Deacon, 11, with her exhusband Ryan Phillippe and 17-monthold son Tennessee with her current spouse Jim Toth---claims she finds her mum's questions so bizarre because she's a medical professional and not an

actress. Speaking to ‘Tonight’ host Jimmy Fallon about her mother Betty Reese, she added: “…..And I'm like, 'Mom you're a pediatric nurse.' It's weird.”

(TOI)

Nicolas Cage set to become granddad for first time

Nicolas Cage is set to become a grandfather for the first time, as his son Weston's wife is pregnant.

Danielle Cage told Closer Weekly magazine that she was expecting a child during the Kasem Cares Foundation's First Annual Fundraiser in Beverly Hills on Saturday night. She revealed that it is a boy, and that she is very excited. Weston Cage told the publication that his father is thrilled about the news. (TOI)

‘I am scared of getting older’ - Jane Fonda

Actress Jane Fonda has revealed that she is afraid of getting older and dying.

The 76-year-old actress wrote in her blog that in the last few weeks and months she cannot help from bursting into tears at both happy and sad occasions, reported Daily Express.

"How come pretty things, kind deeds, sad stories, acts of courage, good news, someone's flax of insight, all get me crying or, at least, tearing up? I find my emotions are way more accessible than they were when I was younger and I've come to feel it has to do with age.

"I have become so wonderfully, terribly aware of time, of how little of it I have left; how much of it is behind me, and everything becomes so precious. With age, I am able to appreciate the beauty in small things more than when I was younger perhaps because I pay

attention more. Maybe, without my being conscious of it, there’s the reality that in a few decades (if I'm lucky) I will be in the earth, fertilising some of the very things I look at now and tear up over," she wrote on her blog. (TOI)

Liam Neeson opens up about late wife Natasha Richardson's tragic death

The ‘Taken’ actor has opened up about the tragic death of the ‘Wild Child’ star following a freak skiing accident five years ago which left her brain dead, and has confessed that he still expects his wife to come walking in through the door in their New York house, the Mirror reported. During an interview with CBS's Anderson Cooper, the 61-year-old Irish actor said that even when he

arrived at a Canadian hospital to meet his deceased wife after her accident, who was on life support, he professed his love for her before taking the decision. He added that they had a pact to "pull the plug" in case either one of them fell into a vegetative state, but he allowed her to be on life support for a short period so that her family and friends could say a proper goodbye. (TOI)

Porn star reference to future wife irks Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen is annoyed that everyone keeps referring to his future wife Brett Rossi as a porn star.

A source was quoted as saying to a U.S. news website: "It's absolutely making Charlie crazy that the media keeps referring to Brett as a porn star, because she no longer is doing that. She recently graduated from nursing school. Furthermore, her stage name is Brett Rossi and her legal name is Scottine Ross. He wants people to refer to her as Scotti, which is the name she goes by in her personal life. Charlie has told his publicist to tell media outlets to stop calling her a porn star.

It should be recalled that Sheen proposed to Rossi on Valentine's Day, but she is yet to officially separate from her husband Jonathan Ross. (TOI)

Carrie Underwood is 'ready' to start a family

Carrie Underwood has revealed that she thinks she is ready to start a family with husband Mike Fisher.

The ‘Blown Away’ hitmaker said that she would love to spend the next decade raising kids, the Mirror reported.

The country singer said that she neither wants a big family nor a small one and that she wants her 30s to be all about her family.

Underwood added that when they have kids, it is going to be wonderful and Fisher is going to be the best dad ever, which will make the whole parent situation much better. (TOI)

‘Titanic's a huge part of my life’- Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio has revealed that ‘Titanic’ is a huge part of his life.

In an interview with CBS, the 39-year-old actor stated that people might think that he has a reaction to that film but the reality is, he is extremely proud of it and the movie really made him in control of his career, Us Magazine reported.

DiCaprio starred alongside Kate Winslet in the James Cameron directed film.

He also said that, back then, he had not wanted to win an Oscar for his role of Jack Dawson, as he was paralysed with fear that he'd have to go up on the stage to actually get up on the stage be-

Call for submissions for TT’s film festival

The call for submissions for the 2014 edition of the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff), which takes place from September 16 to 30, is now open.

The ttff seeks to highlight excellence in filmmaking through the exhibition of dramatic and documentary feature and short films made in TT, the Caribbean and its diaspora. The Festival, therefore, accepts submissions from Caribbean filmmakers, Caribbean filmmakers in the diaspora, and international filmmakers with films from or about the Caribbean or its diaspora. Submissions must have been produced after January 1, 2012. The Festival screens films of different lengths in various digital formats.

The Festival also accepts submissions of video art and experimental films. Artistes working in this field who are from the Caribbean and its diaspora, or who address these spaces in their work, are eligible to apply.

Films screened in competition are eligible

for one or more jury prizes. There are also several people’s choice awards. All awards come with a cash prize.

All submissions must be made online, via www.withoutabox.com, trinidad+tobago film festival.

There is no submission fee. Submissions will not be returned. The deadline for all submissions is May 15, 2014. In addition to screening Caribbean and diaspora films in competition, the ttff also has a (noncompetitive) panorama section featuring films from around the world. However, the Festival only accepts submissions from Caribbean filmmakers, Caribbean filmmakers in the diaspora, and international filmmakers with films from or about the Caribbean or its diaspora.

The Festival, which is in its ninth year, is presented by Flow and receives leading sponsorship from bpTT and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company Limited. For more information visit ttfilmfestival.com. (TT Newsday)

Guyanese women’s activist cops Anthony Sabga award

Head of the Red Thread organisation, Karen De Souza has copped the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Award for Excellence for Public and Civic Contribution, the Trinidad Guardian has reported.

De Souza, a women’s and children’s rights activist in Guyana is the co-founder of 'Red Thread', an advocacy organisation which provides support, education, and advocacy for victims of rape and domestic and other forms of violence and for the lowest-waged sectors of women.

De Souza and Red Thread also do research and have contributed to the drafting of laws and training for judicial officers to support protection of women and children and victims of human trafficking. They also participate in national, international and regional agency programmes on areas of interest, as well as take education directly to the people.

In addition to De Souza, the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence (ANSCAFE) has announced in the category of Arts and Letters, Professor Liam Teague is the winner and for Science and Technology, Dr Richard Robertson of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Chairman of the Eminent Person’s Panel Michael Mansoor announced the names of the winners during a cer-

'Soca Plane' flies away with TT’s Junior Monarch title

Stefan Camejo, nine, sprinted across the Queen’s Park Savannah stage last Friday, hands thrown back, as he imitated a plane, before running to the side and jumping into the arms of his older sister, who pulled him to her tightly. This was the youngster’s reaction as his name was announced as the winner of the Flavorite Supreme Ice Cream Primary Schools Junior Soca Monarch competition.

Camejo, a pupil of Sacred Heart Boys’ RC, Port-of-Spain, whose brother, Sergio Camejo, was also a Junior Soca Monarch winner and whose father Enrico Camejo plays bass for soca artiste Bunji Garlin, grinned as he walked to the stage to the sound of cheers and applause from his peers. Earlier, the youngster came on stage in a replica of Caribbean Airlines plane, dressed in blue as a pilot and invited the audience to ride on the 'Soca Plane' which was the title of his song.

The competitions for both primary and secondary schools took place at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. The young performers sang and danced along as the high-pitched screams from classmates cheered them on. Some breakdanced on stage, others performed acrobatics and soared through the sky on planes, delivering presentations which could present competition for their older counterparts.

D’Janela Duncan Regis, a pupil of Eshe’s Learning Centre, placed second with her song Real Unity, while San Fernando Girls’ Government pupil Aallyah Webb placed third. In the secondary schools category, judges gave a tie for first place between former Secondary School Monarch Jeromy Rodriguez from Cowen Hamilton Secondary, Moruga, with Soca Soldier

emony at ANSA McAL’s head office, Tatil Building, Maraval Road, Port-of-Spain.

ANSCAFE is the Englishspeaking Caribbean’s leading recognition programme in arts, sciences, and public and civic work. The ANSA McAL Foundation launched this programme in October 2005. Up to 2010, the awards were made biennially but in 2011, ANSCAFE became an annual event. Since 2006, when the first laureates were named, several sets of laureates have been presented with prizes: in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011 and annually thereafter in ceremonies in the Trinidadian capital. Its goal is to recognise signifi-

cant Caribbean achievement, and to encourage and support the pursuit of excellence by Caribbean people, for the benefit of the region.

The ANSA McAL Foundation is convinced that talent needs to be sought out, brought to light, and encouraged. It is in this context that these awards were conceived. This is the first such recognition programme of its kind. It is privately funded, free of political and other influence, and offers tangible, significant benefit to the laureates. It is the most noteworthy philanthropic initiative by a Caribbean organisation in recent times. (Excerpted from TT Guardian)

Four Jamaicans cop spots in top 25 chefs of the Caribbean

Four Jamaicans copped spots in the Caribbean Journal’s top 25 chefs of the region in 2014.

Brian Lumley, who landed at number eight, has experienced great success at just 27-yearsold. He took home the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s Caribbean Chef-of-theYear honour in 2013. And now he is doing “extremely well in his latest venture”, a restaurant called '689 by Brian Lumley' in New Kingston.

Collin Brown, a native of Trelawny, was number 14. "Chef

and Europe. Now, he’s quickly building a budding culinary empire," Caribbean Journal said.

At number 23 is Nigel

and Sasha Ann Moses, of UWI’s Sixth Form School, who sang Red, White and Black.

Timel Rivas from Hillview College, Tunapuna placed third. The Junior Soca Monarch competitions, which are hosted by Caribbean Prestige Foundation, has been the launching pad for the careers of some leading soca artistes, such as Erphaan Alves and Patrice Roberts. Both artistes were guest entertainers at last Friday’s event.

Roberts thrilled the audience as she ignored the stage to perform amidst the schoolchildren, who hugged her and sang along to the lyrics of her songs.

(TT Guardian)

lebrity chef Bobby Flay in a jerk rib-eye grill off and won.

"The Kingston native continues to impress at his widely-praised Ripe Kitchen & Bar outside of New York City. Spence, who is also a CJ contributor, is working to take Jamaican cuisine to the next level," said the Journal.

And Sarah Mair, at number 20, is a former Executive Chef at Ortanique Camana Bay in Grand Cayman. Mair has now set out on her own path with her new venture, ‘Cookin n Tings’.

Caribbean Journal, based in Florida, reports on travel, lifestyle and the politics of over 21 territories in the region. (Jamaica Observer)

Jamaicans flock Blue Mountain Music Festival

While many of the top acts at the recently concluded Blue Mountain Music Festival provided pleasing performances on a chilly Saturday night, the likes of Chronixx, Kabaka Pyramid, Raging Fyah, Third World and Tanya Stephens were a cut above the rest.

Chronixx was the penultimate act to perform at the event which started shortly after 8 p.m., entering the stage to roars of approval some time after 2 a.m.

Dressed in one of his usual Adidas-branded jackets, he immediately went into chanting down ‘Babylon’.

He all but had the crowd eating from his hands as the excitement became palpable, with songs like ‘Grow Your Natty’, ‘Rain Music’, ‘Odd Ras’, ‘Here Comes Trouble’ and ‘They Don't Know’.

In tune with nature

In fact, even nature

appeared to be enjoying his set as the trees above the stage, assisted by the wind, waved almost in unison with the dancing bodies of the patrons and the soothing bass lines of reggae music and the thumping drums of dancehall.

Chronixx also paid homage to Professor Nuts by performing his song ‘Tan So Back’, which put surprised patrons in a frenzy.

The Raging Fyah reggae band also gave a good account of themselves. So authentic was their sound, that they held the

attention of the audience even when they stopped singing to extract melodious sounds from their instruments.

The young lead singer, holding his guitar and jumping in Marley-like fashion, gave clear signals that reggae music is on its way to recovery in Jamaica.

That sentiment was shared by Chronixx, who, during his set, expressed how proud he was to see Jamaicans climb a mountain to hear reggae.

"A few years ago, reggae music couldn't do this in Jamaica. We are the

true representations of reggae music," Chronixx said.

'Raging Fyah' received strong responses for ‘Judgement Day’ and ‘Nah Look Back’, and there were others to which the crowd took a liking.

Kabaka Pyramid seemed determined to prove his worth on this night, and based on the strong performance and the response he received from the audience, it appeared that his mission was accomplished.

In a 30-minute set,

iniscent of the actual recording.

Iconic reggae band 'Third World' brought the curtains down on the festival with a strong set crammed with classic hits.

Kabaka Pyramid took patrons on a lyrical journey, showing his ability to use witty word play and hip hop rhyming schemes to get positive messages across.

Songs such as ‘Choppinz’, ‘Warrior’ and ‘Never Gonna Be A Slave’ received deserving encores.

Feminist teacher

Tanya Stephens was like a feminist teacher during her set, though the men in the audience enjoyed her preachings just as much.

Songs like ‘Handle Di Ride’, ‘Boom Wuk’ and ‘It's A Pity’ received strong responses and were delivered to perfection, rem-

Now led by veteran reggae singer A.J. Brown, the band stamped its authority at the festival and rightfully erased doubt from the minds of patrons who initially stared with uncertainty since the band had lost its lead vocalist, reggae icon Bunny Rugs.

A.J. Brown proved a worthy addition, reeling out some of the band's timeless material, ‘Forbidden Love’, ‘Ride On Jah Children’, and ‘Fret Not Thyself’ among the bunch.

Among the other acts were Kenny Smith, Jah9, poet Abbebe Payne and Machu Ezra.

There was food on sale at reasonable prices, the only thing missing was a big enough parking space for the hundreds of patrons who decided to drive their personal vehicles to the festival, despite being offered a shuttle service.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

Star of the Week

Lisa Punch is a talented singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. By age 11, she was performing across the country and appearing on local TV shows. She joined her high school’s choir, where she was placed as the lead singer at just 12 years old. The songstress also joined the school’s dance group, representing her school in dramatic poetry and copping first place trophies at children’s Mashramani competitions. At the age of 14, Lisa entered the first ever reality show in Guyana called “Star Guyana”. The competition required contestants to display three talents- acting, singing and dancing. Lisa was the youngest contestant and won after performing a mesmerising rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I will always love you”. Consequently, she was dubbed a “national song bird” and the “local Whitney”. In 2008, Lisa went on a hiatus from music to prepare for CSEC examinations. She gained 12 passes and was awarded the Student of Excellence Award at her high school. Subsequently, she decided it was time to get back to her music career and produced her hit singles, “Secret Admirer” and “My Inspiration”. “Secret Admirer” was a crossover track mixed with reggae and pop and “My Inspiration” landed on “Cellink Top 40 Countdown” and is an upbeat R&B love song. During her acting stint, Lisa won Best Actress for the play “The Concert” in 2008. She later won Best Supporting Actress for the play “Shadows”. Last year, she released her debut album, “The Evolution of Lisa Punch”. Lisa continues to feverishly pursue her music and acting careers and, one day, hopes to see her name on the international Billboard charts. Her advice for youths, who want to pursue a career in music, is to be focused and humble.

Foska Oats

recommits to Jamaica Tallawahs

Foska Oats has returned as sponsor of the Jamaica Tallawahs, champions of the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2013.

Chairman of Caribbean Foods, the company that manufactures Foska Oats in Jamaica, John Ramson, said his company is "honoured" to be back on board.

"The Caribbean Premier League was a resounding success. In usual fashion, Jamaicans supported their team wholeheartedly (and) Foska Oats was honoured to play such an integral role in the process," he said.

Foska Oats has a rich heritage of supporting the development of sport in Jamaica. The involvement ranges from grassroots sponsorship of community football events to local boxing bouts.

The synergy between Foska Oats and sport is natural due to its health benefits. The carbohydrate content available in Foska Oats fuels athletes' high energy needs.

Foska Oats is also a great source of essential vitamins and minerals and helps lower cholesterol.

Senior brand manager, Tamii Brown said: "We anticipate a second victory for Jamaica. The Foska Oats team is gearing up for another eventful season of fuelling our Jamaica Tallawahs," said Brown.

In this regard, Foska

Oats formalised their sponsorship agreement as principal sponsor with a brunch that was attended by CPL executive

James Wynne, captain Chris Gayle and Foska Oats Brand Ambassador Andre Russell. The brunch was hosted at Chris Gayle's Triple Century Sports Bar in New Kingston on Monday. (Jamaica Observer)

Team Coco sweeps Burnham Memorial cycling in Guyana

By avenash RaMzan

Raynauth Jeffrey, Michael Anthony and Junior Niles combined to give Team Coco (Guyana) a clean sweep of the three categories of the fifth annual Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham Memorial cycling race on Sunday in Guyana.

Competing in the two-stage race, Jeffrey copped top honours in the Senior category, Anthony carted off the Junior spoils, and Niles took care of the Veteran division.

The first stage took place from Linden to Homestretch Avenue, while stage two started in front of the Ocean View International Hotel, proceeded to Belfield, East Coast Demerara, and re-

turned to the start point for the finish.

Jeffrey, who ended third on both stages, clocked an overall time of three hours, 52 minutes, 47 seconds (03h: 52m: 47s), leaving Anthony to settle for second, followed by Hamzah Eastman, Shaquille Agard, Niles and Godfrey Pollydore in that order.

In the Junior division, Anthony led Agard and Alonzo Ambrose, who had to settle for second and third respectively, while Niles won ahead of Raymond Newton and Talim Shaw in the Veteran showdown.

The opening stage was won by Geron Williams in a time of two hours, 52 minutes, 08 seconds (02h: 52m: 08s). He was followed by Alanzo Greaves, Jeffrey,

Vincentian Rodrigo Thomas wants to play for Canada

By RavendRa Madholall

Opener Rodrigo Thomas strongly believes in the fundamentals of batting and he has applied it at every appearance at the crease, having scored a double-century already in Canada while playing for Classic Cricket Club (CCC).

Last year, the dashing left-hander fashioned an unbeaten 210 in the Etobicoke and District League 50-over tournament, and now he is anxious to play internationally for his adopted country.

Since playing at the domestic level for Victors Cricket Club in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Thomas developed a great work ethic to train very hard because he is still philosophical that hard work and commitment will eventually pay off.

He has done exceptionally well since moving permanently to North America in 2011 with two impressive centuries and five 50s added to his name. Now, he is hoping to play for Canada soon.

“I want to play for Canada on the international scene; I love playing in Canada because the cricket here is of high standard and that is something that gives me the confidence of playing at the highest level; I scored lots of runs in the Etobicoke League and that also is a huge part for me,” Thomas said. He was chosen as the

rodrigo thomas

Most Valuable Player last year after he had accumulated over 800 runs with a healthy average of 67.88. He also picked up 21 wickets from 16 games with his gentle medium pace. He attributed his success to full concentration and continuous exercise.

“I think once you want to perform you have to train hard and dedicate yourself to the game; I want to play for Canada and only consistent performances can take you up there; as I mentioned that the standard of cricket is excellent here having seen players coming from different parts of world to ply their trade, so I am indeed anxious to be in the national team soon,” the 23-year-old batsman indicated.

Reflecting on his under-19 days when he represented his native country, Thomas recalled some magnificent innings with the bat in the Windward Islands domestic season. He also played in Dominica and Grenada and was described as one of the most outstanding batsmen.

He is very thankful

to his mother Rosemary Thomas, who was also an active member of a cricket team in the women’s local competition. Rodrigo highlighted that his mom spotted his talent and without hesitation encouraged him to take up the game seriously. He immediately responded by joining a club, owned by former West Indies cricketer Michael Findlay.

“My mom was very instrumental in the early part of my career especially in St. Vincent and the Grenadines; she was the one who told me to play the game hard and always take me to the grounds when she was playing, and I started to love the game more…so I am definitely thankful to her,” the right-arm bowler Thomas related.

Thomas encouraged that other youths take inspiration and learn the game by watching international cricket. Some of the famous batsmen he admires are Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara, Indian Gautam Gambhir, Englishman Kevin Pietersen and West Indian Chris Gayle.

TT edge Barbados to claim tri-nation netball series

Anthony, Eastman, Agard, Paul Choo Wee Nam and Christopher Holder in that order.

Niles won stage two in exactly one hour. Pollydore, Jeffrey, Eastman, Ambrose, Agard and Newton followed Niles, gaining the “bunch” time.

The race was sponsored by the Burnham Foundation and organised by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF). Approximately Gy$200,000 in cash was presented to the outstanding riders.

The race was held to coincide with Burnham's 91st birth anniversary, and was witnessed by members of the foundation, led by Vincent Alexander. (Guyana Times)

Trinidad and Tobago edged Barbados 35-33 on Saturday in the final game of the tri-nation netball series at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Tacarigua.

Last Thursday, the home team began the competition with a 5139 win over Northern Ireland. But they had a tougher time dealing with their regional neighbours.

Barbados led 9-8 at the end of the first quarter but Trinidad and Tobago rallied to take a 19-17 lead at the halftime break, and then a 28-25 lead entering the final quarter.

Goal-shoot Afeisha Noel was Trinidad and Tobago’s top-scorer with 15 goals from 18 attempts, while goal-attack Joelisa Cooper

scored nine from 13.

Also getting their names on the scoresheet were goal-attack Kalifa McCollin (eight from 11) and the evergreen goalshoot Janelle Barker (three from four).

Barbados had a game-high 25 goals from 34 attempts by Shonica Wharton, who played the entire game in the goal-shoot position.

The Barbadians also used three goal-attacks—Nikita Piggott (six from nine), Sheniqua Thomas (two from eight) and Laurel Brown (nought from three).

Last Friday, Northern Ireland earned their lone win in the series by virtue of a 44-35 result over Barbados.

The game was a seesaw affair, with the Europeans leading 10-8 at the end of the first stanza but Barbados

held the advantage 2016 at the half. Northern Ireland led 34-28 after the third quarter and they maintained their lead until the final whistle.

Noleen Lennon, in the goal-shoot position, had a game-high 28 from 38 attempts while goal-attack Oonagh McCullough made 13 from 19. Another goalshoot, Lisa Summerville, netted three from 10.

Barbados’ scoring revolved around goalshoots Browne (a perfect 13 from 13) and Wharton (12 from 20) while goalattack Piggott chipped in with 10 from 20. All three teams— Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Northern Ireland—are preparing for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland later this year. (TT Newsday)

Former West Indies stars to be knighted

Three West Indies cricket legends are to be knighted during the first One Day International (ODI) between England and the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds on Friday, according to media reports from St John’s.

Former fast bowlers Andy Roberts and Curtly Ambrose, and former Windies captain and batsman Richie Richardson will be knighted, the Antigua Observer reported Monday.

Organisers planning the event have been tight-lipped, but the Observer quoted sources as saying that the Antigua and Barbuda cricket greats will be knighted during the lunch break by governor general Dame Louise Lake-Tack.

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and

Leader of the Opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Gaston Browne will also be in attendance.

Roberts, the first Antiguan and Barbudan to represent the West Indies, made his debut against England in March of 1974.

The bowler was part of the “quartet” of West Indian fast bowlers from the mid-seventies to the early eighties that had

a devastating effect on opposition batsmen at both Test and One Day International levels.

The other three bowlers are Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Colin Croft.

Former West Indies captain and middle order batsman, Sir Viv Richards, arguably the finest batsman of his generation was knighted by the Antiguan government in 1999. (CMC)

Kevin Bayley states case for selection in Guyana’s national team

By TreisTon Joseph

Guyana’s national athlete Kevin Bayley stated his case for selection to national teams by winning the 800 metres at the 2013 senior championships on Monday at the Eve Leary ground.

Bayley dominated the field by running away from the South American selectees

Wayne Harlequin and Cleveland Thomas to finish the 800 metres in a time of 1:56.80s. Thomas was second in 1:59.60s while Harlequin finished behind the pack.

Meanwhile Winston George dominated by winning the men’s 400 metres in 51.00s while winning the men’s 200 meres in 21.50s for a

sprint double.

Akeem Stewart won the men’s 100 metres in 10.90s while Alisha Fortune, who will be representing Guyana at the South American games, ran 12.40s to win the female 100 metres.

Junior athlete Jevina Sampson won the female 400 metres in 59.20s while falling second to

another junior athlete in the female 200 metres, Natrica Hopper, who won the event in 25.60s.

Cleveland Forde trampled his opponents in the men’s 5000, winning the event in 15:44.00s while Lelslain Barid threw away the Javelin with a throw of 52.22 metres. (Guyana Times)

Jamaica beat TT 3-0 in Junior Fed Cup

Jamaica defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 in their 2014 North, Central America and Caribbean (NCAC) pre qualifying tournaments, for the Junior Confederation (FED) Cup for girls in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Monday.

Over 27 teams to participate in OSCL 2014 tournament

Some 27 teams are slated to participate in the upcoming Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) 2014 competition, the association’s vice-president Terry Mathura has revealed.

During an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Mathura said the organisers are working hard to pull off another successful season that will place softball cricket on higher pillars of the game not only in North America, but further afield.

He indicated too that the association is looking to add more innovative features to make the tournament more exciting and attractive.

A Guyanese, Mathura has been an active member of the OSCL since its formation in 1996, but has just entered his second term as vice-president. Having concluded a successful year, the executive is now looking forward to doing more for the sport during this current term.

“I want to say that we will strive for excellence for the betterment of softball cricket in Canada; I think we [are] very much organised and prepared again to see the games play in a competitive manner… and (I am) confident my fellow executives will continue to work hard,” he said.

However, while he assured that the executives are better poised to guide the development of the league and sport, he noted some of the chal-

lenges still facing the association.

“We would have liked to see our team playing in the Florida Cup, New York tournament in July and of course the Guyana Cup, but sponsorship to offset the expense is challenging at the moment, but we have put things in place at least for the Guyana’s trip later this year,” Mathura said.

Despite such constraints, Mathura highlighted that he is satisfied with the progress the OSCL has made over the years with raising the level of competition.

The 25-over has now been cut to 15 overs while the regular season is the 20-over.

The introduction of the 10-over in 2013 brought added excitement to the league.

Meanwhile, Mathura supported OSCL’s President Albert Ramcharran on the ‘pelting’ issue, which the executives will be working to address during this year.

Berbice awards top cyclists

Neil Reece, for the fourth consecutive year, has been awarded at the most outstanding cyclist in Berbice, Guyana.

in 2013; Elijah Bijadder, the top junior wheeler; and Adrel Ross as his runner up.

Anthony’s Funeral Home, Feroz Grocery and Bounty Farm.

The Jamaican boys and girls will play their next game against Puerto Rico.

Jamaica's team consists of Daniel Hill, Cliff Dwyer and Kyle Martin for the Junior Davis Cup for boys ,with Peter Campbell as coach, while the girls Junior Confederation (FED)

Representing Jamaica girls in the singles of the Federation Cup, were Shaeda Nickle and Allana Blackwood. Blackwood, seeded at number two in the singles, brushed aside her opponent in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1, while Nickle had to work much harder before beating her opponent in two sets, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3 tie-breaker). Both teamed up in the doubles to beat the Trinidadian pair in straight sets 6-4, 7-5.

Cup is made up of Shaeda Nickle, Leah Smyle and Allana Blackwood.

The Jamaicans are expected to play each of the participating countries in a tournament scheduled to end on Sunday. The tournament is being played on a roundrobin format.

The other participating countries are Aruba, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Puerto Rico, Suriname, United States, (U.S.) Virgin Islands and host Dominican Republic. (Jamaica Observer)

The aware came as the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) held its annual prize-giving and awards ceremony for 2013 on Saturday.

Reece, who was not present at the ceremony, was awarded the Berbice River Bridge Trophy.

Syborne Fernandes was the runner-up athlete and the most outstanding veteran. The senior rider was the only club member to have finished in the top three in an event outside of Berbice last year.

The other riders awarded were Wazim Hassnu; for his outstanding performances

Coach of the club Randolph Roberts noted that, for the first time in years, the club is without female riders.

He also spoke of some of the challenges that were encountered during 2013, and took the opportunity to thank those who supported the club.

In 2013, the FACC organised ten events, which were the most cycling events organised by any club in the country.

Roberts expressed his gratitude to Banks DIH, the Guyana Beverage Company, Furniture World, Berbice River Bridge Company Inc, Benjamin Sports, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI),

Roberts said the club was extremely grateful that the management of Water Chris Hotel has allowed the club’s athletes to stay at no cost when preparing for and participating in cycling events in Georgetown.

Last year, the FCC was, crippled when some of it's better riders departed and joined the newly-formed Trojan Cycling Club.

However, Roberts said that the club is more united now and the riders who are with the club form a stronger unit.

The FACC was the first club in Guyana to hold an event for 2014.

To date the club has organized two races for the year. (Guyana Times)

Simpson to know fate April 8

Sherone Simpson will have to wait until April 8 to know her fate after final submissions were presented to the Jamaica Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel Tuesday at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

Lennox Gayle, chairman of the threemember tribunal, said based on the substantive documents put forward, they will need adequate time to peruse the submissions before making a verdict.

"We have heard earlier from Mr Gordon for the respondent Miss Simpson, and we heard at length from Mr Robinson. Now it is for the panel to consider this vast evidence and information that have been presented to us over the past two months and to make

our decision," said the chairman, who is also an attorney.

"Clearly, we are going to need some amount of time. We are still not in possession of all the transcripts, and so we will definitely need some time to peruse this information before us," he added.

Simpson, 29, who failed a drug test last May for Oxilofrine, was not present at the hearing, and her attorney Kwame Gordon pleaded for leniency of six months or less based on mitigating circumstances.

However, the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) attorney Lackston Robinson suggested the maximum two-year sanction based on gross negligence on her part.

Centre.

Gordon then fired the first salvo.

Gordon, with his assistant Danielle Chai at his side, noted that there was no dispute as his client had admitted to the doping violation, and accepted the provisional suspension from very early.

"So we are aware of the fact that the only issue that is before this tribunal is what sanctions [are] to be applied," said Gordon.

He made it clear that Simpson has been very transparent and cooperative, and hence they are asking for leniency.

eight months she has not been employed. So in a way she has already received her punishment, and I ask you, Mr Chairman, and your panel, take that in mind," pleaded Gordon.

"We are here to discipline an athlete, we are not here to end an athlete's career. This is a disciplinary hearing," said Gordon.

The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has named a strong 23-member team to compete at the March 7-9 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland.

Twelve women and 11 men were named on the team that will see Maurice Wilson as the technical leader, and Fitz-Albert Coleman and Paul Francis as the coaches.

The team that was named Tuesday after being ratified by the JAAA's executive a day earlier will include two-time women's 60m defending champion Veronica Campbell Brown, a day after she was cleared of doping charges by the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS); triple outdoors World Championships gold medallist ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce and Nesta Carter, a silver medallist in the men's 60m two years ago in Istanbul, Turkey.

Olympic and World Championships triple jump finalist Kimberly Williams, who was fifth in Istanbul, and World Championships long jump finalist Damar Forbes, were also named.

Maurice Wilson told Jamaican media Tuesday that he thought the team was well balanced and one of the better teams to have been named to rep-

The scheduled 10:00 am

ing

VCB, Shelly-Ann, Carter headline World Indoors 23-strong team

resent Jamaica at the indoors in a long time.

Wilson, who was head coach of the Jamaican teams to the Daegu, South Korea World Championships in 2011, and the London Olympics in 2012, and was the technical leader

Invitational held at the National Stadium on May 4 last year, had only indicated her availability 24 hours earlier after the Lausanne-based CAS handed down its decision after the expedited hearing in London last Friday.

of the team to the Moscow World Championships last year, said "even without a trials to select this team we have seen some very good performances, both locally and internationally".

He cautioned, however, by saying that a number of coaches would not have been preparing their athletes specifically for the World Indoors, but added they were still expecting "good results".

VCB cleared Campbell Brown, who was cleared of doping charges after she tested positive for the banned diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide at the Jamaica International

Fraser-Pryce will be contesting her first World Indoors and is currently ranked number four in the world over the 60m after running 7.10 seconds at the Birmingham Indoors two weekends ago.

Carter's 6.53 seconds, which he ran in Birmingham, has him ranked at number 12 in the world currently.

Triple jumper Kimberly Williams, who has consistently been among the best in the world over the past three years, and who was fifth in Turkey, has been named along with middle-distance runner Natoya Goule.

Damar Forbes,

who made the final of the men's long jump at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow last year, is on the men's team along with sprint hurdler Andrew Riley, shot putter O'Dayne Richards, as well as quarter-milers Akheem Gauntlett, Allodin Fothergill, Dane Hyatt and Errol Nolan. Gauntlett had withdrawn from the Jamaican team to Moscow last year, while injury had ruled out Nolan after he had made the team to the London Olympic Games to run the relays.

Team: Women— Shelly-Ann FraserPryce, Veronica Campbell Brown, Kaliese Spencer, Kimberly Williams, Stephenie Ann McPherson, Patricia Hall, Natoya Goule, Anneisha McLaughlin, Monique Morgan, Indira Spence, Sophie Smellie, Verone Chambers.

Men—Nesta Carter, Edino Steele, Kimmari Roach, Akheem Gauntlett, Andrew Riley, Damar Forbes, O'Dayne Richards, Jermaine Brown, Allodin Fothergill, Dane Hyatt, Errol Nolan.

Management team: Ludlow Watts, manager; Dena Davis, assistant manager; Maurice Wilson, technical leader; Fitz Coleman, coach; Paul Francis, coach; Michelle Depass, physiotherapist. (Jamaica Observer)

"We are submitting that the period of ineligibility, if any, should commence from when the athlete did the initial test. It's only fair, the athlete has not been performing. For

"There is a lesson I learn from my senior counsel. He showed me a pencil when I had made an error as a young attorney, and he said what you noticed about the pencil. I had no idea what he meant. He said there was a rubber on top. It was by design because humans are bound to make errors. Turn around the pencil, erase your error and move on,” he added. (Excerpted from Jamaica Observer)

WIPA-WICB awards to be staged in Jamaica

The joint West Indies Players Association (WIPA)-West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) awards will take place in Jamaica this June, according to WIPA president Wavell Hinds.

In a recent interview, Hinds, the former Jamaica and West Indies batsman, disclosed, “our annual awards will be in June this year. It will be (for) the First Test match against New Zealand in Jamaica.”

Hinds continued, “we look forward to that, to celebrate our players and show our appreciation for their efforts on the field. Of course we’re not the number one team in the world, but we can’t get there without the players. So we have to show respect and make them understand that when they make the sacrifices to go far and about to represent our region, that we really appreciate it.”

He added, “so we’re really looking forward to that awards ceremo-

ny and we look forward to celebrating our players. And it’s a joint venture between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players Association.”

Hinds also spoke about the recentlystaged NAGICO Super50 Cricket Tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.

“I think it’s quite refreshing that we have managed to secure sponsorship for one of our regional tournaments,” said the 37-year-old, who also serves as the chairman of the Jamaican selection panel. “I think this should continue throughout all versions of the game.

“Secondly, we want to welcome NAGICO and tell them thanks for this start. And most important is to make sure that the players understand their responsibilities and execute as they did in this tournament. There is always room for improvement,” he added. (Excerpted from TT Newsday)

CPL looks to Canada

The opening round of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament will be heading to Toronto, Canada, if the organisers have their way.

According to a report in the TT Guardian, the organisers of the tournament Verus International are keen on staging the opening ceremony, as well as the first round of matches in Toronto.

The newspaper reported that a source said the organisers are anxious to get cricket into the North American market so they are taking their product to that country in order to get the people excited.

“At the end of the day this is big business, and after the successful opening last year, the organisers want to tap into the North American market. If they can get the clubs and cricket officials in Canada, excited about their product, then we may see a franchise coming out of Canada and playing in this league,” the source was quoted as saying.

“This is a good move because it shows that the organisers are thinking about growing the league and not just sitting on their laurels after a successful first year.”

It is understood that they were initially looking at Miami, but switched to Canada because of the early interest they are getting from that country. If they go through with this, the opening ceremony and three matches will be played in Canada. All the six franchises, Red Steel, Amazon Warriors, Hawksbills, Zouks, Tallawahs and Tridents will make the trip across and will each play one game. They return to the Caribbean for the rest of the tournament.

This year’s tournament will be played from July 5 to August 8. The organisers are hoping the franchises will be able to attract top name cricketers.

Currently the franchises are meeting with commercial manager of the CPL, Jamie Stewart who is making the rounds of the Caribbean.

Last Friday, he was in TT meeting with the stakeholders and currently he is in Guyana, where he will meet with sponsors and officials of the Guyana Amazon Warriors—where he is expected to lay out Verus' plans for the new season.

VCB, ShellyAnn, Carter headline World Indoors

23-strong team

Young Windies reach fifth-place play-off final

Dubai, United Arab Emirate

- Two wickets in two balls by seamer Ray Jordan deprived Afghanistan as Young Windies clinched a nine-run victory in their fifth place play-off match in the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the ICC Academy Ground No 2 on Tuesday.

Afghanistan were inching towards a win at 204 for seven, but Jordan struck off successive deliveries in the 47th over to derail their chase after West Indies were bowled out for 215.

A responsible half-century from Fabian Allen laid the foundation for the West Indies total and rekindled a failing innings after they won the toss and elected

to bat.

Opener Shahidullah scored 51 to lift Afghanistan, but the loss of wickets at regular intervals saw them precariously placed at 97 for five.

Hashmatullah Shaidi topscored with an unbeaten 52 and the captain, Nasir Jamal, chipped in with 30. However, the team was eventually set back by Jordan who finished with three wickets for 44 runs.

Captain Ramaal Lewis picked up two wickets for 38 runs, while a wicket each went to Marquino Mindley, Bryan Charles, Jeremy Solozano and Gudakesh Motie who trapped Fareed Ahmad lbw for a duck with two overs remain-

ing to dismiss Afghanistan for 206.

Earlier, Allen’s 92 steered Young Windies back on course after they slumped to 42 for the loss of four wickets including three of their top five batsmen for ducks. Allen hit eight fours and four sixes, and combined with Tristan Coleman in a 68-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Coleman contributed 37.

Allen, who was named playerof-the match, also featured in a sixth-wicket stand that yielded 52 runs with Lewis who scored 27, as the West Indies got to 215.

Fareed Ahmad and Mohammad Mujtaba each grabbed three wickets for Afghanistan. (CMC)