Guyana Times Daily

Alexei Ramotar charts future course of e-governance project

tuesday, January 21, 2014| guyanatimesgy.com

Trans Guyana accident

Bodies of pilot, cargo loader found –

tributes continue to pour in

BY BHISHAM MOHAMED

After trekking for over 12 hours on Sunday night, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Special Forces officers finally arrived at the site of the wreckage about 07:00h and discovered the bodies of the Canadian pilot and Guyanese cargo loader.

The body of the pilot, Blake Slater, 23, was found strapped to his seat while cargo loader, Dwayne Anthony Newton Jacobs, 28, was discovered outside of the aircraft. He was not far away from the wrecked aircraft.

The missing aircraft, a single engine, 13-seater Cessna Caravan with registration number 8R-GHS disappeared out of the sky about 10:56h on Saturday without a trace.

The last contact with the pilot of the aircraft was a “Mayday” (emergency call) which was transmitted to another aircraft within the

area at the time. The aircraft departed for Imbaimadai about 10:54h after overnighting at Olive Creek.

The craft was spotted on Sunday about 12:35h after an estimated 11 hours of searching by a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) he-

licopter. The area is said to be in the vicinity of the Marikina Mountain.

Guyana Times understands that a young miner was very instrumental in locating the aircraft, since he saw when it went down. The young man accompanied the Special Forces and other officials who were successful in their mission.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)

Director Zulficar Mohamed said the bodies are yet to be recovered from the crash site and will have to be fetched to a location which is accessible by helicopter.

He described the task as horrendous but noted that the bodies might be out before nightfall on Monday. That distance, he added is about one mile from the

crash site. He could not have confirmed the extent of injuries the two personnel received.

Trans Guyana Airways

Public Relations Consultant

Kit Nascimento also stated that aggressive efforts are

being made to get the bodies out from the crash site. He explained that another team went into the location on Monday morning and were up to late Monday afternoon clearing the area around the wreckage so that it can become accessible.

Nascimento also said it will take some time before the bodies meet the city, taking into consideration the distance that has to be covered. He said the bodies will be collected by helicopter and will be taken to Olive Creek from where it will be transported to Ogle International Airport.

Tribute

As word spread about the discovery of the two men, several organisations expressed their condolences to the airline and more so, to the relatives of the dead men.

Saddened friends and colleagues of the men at Trans Guyana Airways are still trying to come to grips with reality. They recalled the two men leaving on Thursday morning en route to Olive Creek on a contracted shuttle mission between Olive Creek and Imbaimadai.

The staff said after learning about the crash on Saturday morning, they had high hopes that the men were alive. Both of them were very jovial and did not have any enemies. “It is a loss to us, they were not only workers but our friends,” one staff added.

Gary (only name given), another friend of Slater, told Guyana Times that he was too distraught to speak, claiming that he was trying to come to grips with Slater’s death. They have known each other for three years, noting that he was always a quiet guy.

He was also described

as a very jovial person who loved his job. He reportedly migrated to Guyana and started to fly for Trans Guyana about two years ago.

Another friend stated that he had the opportunity to visit one of the interior locations with the now dead pilot. He recalled going among the hills while Slater briefed him on the dangers of flying in the interior. He last saw Slater a few weeks ago but they would normally be in contact via telephone.

He said upon hearing the news of the crash, he too prayed for the men’s safety.

“When I heard where the accident happened, I had some doubts but was still hoping that they made it out alive.” The friend noted that he will remember Slater for his wide smile, stating that “No matter what you tell him… he always smiling.”

Bravery

Captain Jerry Gouveia in a Facebook post stated that “As this Monday moves on and we are all coming to grips with this sad news, I am also moving on to the other duties in my own life, and even as I attend to those duties, I am reflecting on the pride I felt working alongside those brave young men of our armed forces over the past weekend.”

He referred to the Special Forces as courteous, respectful, and most off all, brave and skillful professionals.

“We worked together for hours, analysing the available info, collecting new info, talking to people, planning our action, designing our search strategy and preplanning the rescue/recovery segment.”

He continued that when it was time to execute the plan, they have worked as a tightly netted team and followed the plan to the letter. The helicopter pilots were

amazingly skillful; they were calm and approached the task at hand with steel determination, he added.

“I express today my deep admiration and profound gratitude to our own army Special Forces men, whose bravery, skill and determination deserves the thank you from a grateful nation.”

In addition, he added that while “we sleep, and while we sit in the comfort of our homes, these men were being inserted in the dense jungle of the Mazaruni region. They had to cut their way through that hostile jungle, crossing swamps, walking for hours, navigating as they go, all in haste as they operated with the belief that they were going to rescue injured men.”

He also noted that Slater was a young and extremely skilful pilot and based on his understanding, he was intelligent and meticulous at all times.

“Every six months pilots are required to do a complete medical examination and a flight check with an approved check airman. I am told this young pilot was very healthy and passed every flight check with textbook skills.”

He noted that his loss is tragic for the aviation industry as a whole and he cannot begin to comprehend the sorrow of his friend’s family.

“I also feel deeply sad for the load master and what this loss mean to his family. He was a proud member of the aviation fraternity and will be dearly missed by his colleagues.”

Slater’s relatives, who are all in Canada, are expected to arrive in the country shortly. Trans Guyana has not released an official statement on the crash, but the media is expected to be briefed today during a specially convened press conference.

Alexei Ramotar charts future course of e-governance project

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE

The $32 million e-government project which is being piloted and implemented by the government of Guyana is on track and is scheduled to be completed by April this year before officially being handed over in August, despite several challenges faced at various levels of the advance stages of its roll-out.

In fact, the minor setbacks have resulted in Guyanese being able to benefit from a highly technological and advanced e-governance project that will revolutionise the manner in which government offers critical services to the public, while reducing tremendously the time associated in accessing information and doing business with the government.

This is the position of the project manager Alexei Ramotar, who also fended off several attacks and misinformation being spread about the project and his competence to carry it to completion.

Personal attacks

Ramotar in an exclusive interview on Television Guyana’s (TVG 28) flagship Current Issues and Analysis show, explained that he had no problems with questions being asked about the project by any stakeholder in society, including parliamentarians.

He did, however, express disappointment at what appeared to be personal attacks being made on his credentials and a project which

would advance the information communication technology sector of Guyana.

“We have had a few delays in which we have changed technologies,” he explained, stating that other challenges to this component of the overall project ranged from adverse weather conditions and the “usual project issues”.

“We have pushed it back, the handing over to August 2014. However, we expect all the parts to be finished by April 2014, we are on track for that and the April to August period is where we will be doing a lot of testing, and optimisation of the network and so forth. These are very standard things that happen in telecoms,” he stated.

Asked whether that decision was expected to cost the taxpayers of Guyana any additional funds, he responded in the negative, stating that the project was well within

its budget. He opined that there appears to be a lack of understanding about the project, its design and the overall complexities that implementing such a diverse project would entail, on the part of some critics.

Ramotar said the type of technology being utilised should also be taken on board, arguing that back in 2009 when he started working on the design, they were looking at WIMAX abd EVIDEO, which are technical terms for access network.

“So we looked at those and we were gonna implement that, however, as technology grew and so forth, we came to a conclusion that WIMAX abd EVIDEO will become niche market technologies.... in that case what happen is operational costs in the future will go up to buy terminal equipment, to fix issues... it is behind because it is only in the niche market, so we decided to make the switch to long-term evolution which is 4G cellular technology, it’s the same thing that’s being implemented in many parts of the world,” he explained.

According to Ramotar, this allowed the project to save money because there would have been the need to have two core networks, but only one was in place. He said that initially the project would have only seen about 30 sites being constructed but now Guyanese will benefit from 54.

“...so I think it worked out. The delay in that case was only by a month because we had to renegotiate with

Norway on the technology and we had to go out and do new testing, new soil testing and so forth, the new sites, 24 additional sites we would have put in. So it’s not, that’s not, a major issue, as a matter of fact that delay was for the betterment, because, we have more, better technology, 4G is a better technology. And we also have, a larger part of the population can have access to it,” he said.

Minor challenges

Meanwhile, Ramotar has revealed that there is another component to the overall project which is the dense wavelength division multiplexing aspect that comes at a cost of US$5 million. Some setbacks were experienced with this part of the project, and the shortcomings are currently being addressed. This component of the initiative aims to provide Internet access. He said that there was no problem with the overall design of this aspect of the project but rather there were some challenges experienced in the roll out, mainly the laying of the fibre-optic cables in some communities. Ramotar explained that when those problems were noticed, swift action was taken to ensure that they were corrected and advice sought on possible remedies that would not impact the expected completion of the initiative significantly. A third-party consultant from Venezuela, who worked in DWDM fibre projects has also given expert advice on the design of the project.

Editor: Nigel Williams

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

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

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

Editorial

Lawlessness abounds

Squatting on government reserves and other lands belonging to the state has been, and continues to be, quite prevalent in Guyana. From the onset, we wish to state clearly that this sort of behaviour must not be condoned and the administration has a responsibility to take firm action against this practice.

What we see today is that persons continue to occupy government reserves and state lands, thereby preventing crucial maintenance and development works from taking place. For example, works such as clearing and cleaning of trenches and canals, expanding road networks/streets, building bridges or kokers for proper drainage, or building infrastructure for water, electricity or telephone services are being hampered or severely delayed due to persons ‘not obeying the boundary lines.’

If that is not enough, when persons are warned or given notices to cease their illegal activity, or remove from state lands, they quickly resort to the courts for redress, resulting in the government putting ‘on hold’ crucial development projects that are meant to benefit everyone.

Not only does this practice have a negative impact on development projects, it costs the state millions of dollars to dismantle and remove illegal structures or to ensure that persons comply with the regulations.

The Public Works Ministry has been forced to take legal action against many private companies over illegal structures on public land. Some have appealed court decisions in an effort to prevent the Public Works Ministry from demolishing structures on government’s reserve.

In addition to the legal battles resulting from the road expansion projects in many areas being delayed for many months, millions of dollars have to be spent to dismantle and remove structures. This is a cost that the state, more particularly taxpayers, would have to take up.

Another case in point involves the residents occupying lands near the Cheddi Jagan International Airport where the airport expansion project is scheduled to take place. Some residents who are occupying homes and stalls on the outside of the airport are reluctant to move even though the government had given a commitment to provide the necessary support for their relocation.

No one can offer any reasonable argument that this particular project is not good for the country. In fact, this is evidence of modernisation and transformation unfolding in Guyana, both at the social and infrastructural levels.

Once completed, it is expected that international airlines using all types of aircraft will be able to land here, which will expand transport linkages for the country. It will also generate job opportunities, not only by direct activities generated by the airport, but by increasing economic activities at the restaurant outlets and shops at the facility.

We should mention that Works Minister Robeson Benn had offered government’s support in helping squatters apply for house lots. It is not a case that the government had decided to just chase the squatters off the land without any reason; they were given alternatives, meaning transported lands to establish a permanent basis.

If the airport is not expanded and improved to meet the demands of the airlines, the business community and the travelling public, the entire country will suffer economically and more importantly, persons living in the Soesdyke/Timehri area will lose financially. Residents must therefore look at the broader picture and cooperate with the authorities so that the project could become a reality.

That said, we believe that in most cases involving squatters, especially the two referred to above, the authorities were too lenient in the first place. If they had enforced the necessary regulations with respect to squatting, then the problem would not have escalated and in fact, become uncontrollable.

The government cannot afford to take lightly the issue of squatting. In fact, the administration would be failing in its constitutional mandate to govern if a few individuals/ businesses bent on breaking the laws of the country are allowed to infringe on the rights of other citizens to enjoy and fully participate in the development of their communities.

We need to guarantee safety for each other

Dear Editor,

As a reader of the daily newspapers, I would like to join in communion with all those persons who do not condone police brutality. Police brutality is a wanton use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially in the form of attacks and psychological intimidation by a police officer.

This misconduct of false arrests without sufficient evidence, intimidation, racial profiling, political repression, surveillance abuse and sexual abuse all stem from capricious police officers. They are supposed to

make us feel secure and at home, but do the contrary and make me reminisce on the famous poem, “This is the dark time my love”, by Martin Carter. I ask myself the question, are we really moving forward as a nation?

Then as a government, migration is an alarming epidemic, without considering that we are not in a conciliatory environment. We all feel endangered. If citizens of this country do not feel safe, what guarantee do we have that prospective foreign investors will be safe? Then why expend in enhancing tourism? All of this in a

nutshell is that security is salutary.

When unarmed peaceful civilians are traumatised by the police, it is the failure of the government that has to be addressed. The necessary officials need to condescend and make a cessation to end this violent demeanour and not commiserate when the act has already been conspicuous.

There have been so many cases that can be referred to. Remonstrance is often condoned after a time and the vehemence would only increase police brutality. But only if the police could have

The Garden City

Dear Editor,

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon recently declared Cabinet’s approval of millions of dollars for the purpose of the restoration of Georgetown. In order to ensure the successful restoration of the city, we must first make sure that measures are put in place to ensure that the area will be properly maintained.

Moreover, maintenance needs to be consistent. Failure to be consistent will only contribute to the fail-

ure of the plan. Recently in Annandale, East Coast Demerara, commendable and hard work was done to clean the canal, east of the dam located at Annandale North.

Unfortunately, all of the debris that was removed from the canal is currently in the process of toppling right back in. The smart thing to do would have been to remove the debris and dispose of it in a proper manner.

Georgetown, commonly known as the Garden City,

has been for quite some time plagued with a vicious cycle of ongoing litter. The recent November and December rains managed to further bring to light the extent of our garbage problem and the effects that it has on the city.

Though quite a lot of effort was made to remove the garbage, it was quite evident one week later that the city was back to square one. The recently approved funds are expected to focus on a number of activities, including the enhancing of

channelled this same anger in a manner that matters, then I would conclude we are progressing. I am imploring to government officials and citizens of this country. Let us not be unscrupulous. Let us unite and make this innovation a success, resolving to record the police misconduct, engage in dialogue with the police and take legal action against the perpetrators. This is our home. We need to guarantee the safety of each other.

Yours truly,

Aryian Barran

the drainage systems, the weeding of several places, general garbage collection and disposal, and aspects of mobile mechanical drainage of flood-impacted areas. Though there will be several measures in place to curb the current garbage situation, we still all need to play a significant role in order to ensure maximum success of the restoration and maintenance of the Garden City.

Sincerely,

Candacy Sanders

The peddling of lies, half-truths and the refusal to embrace reality

Dear Editor, Regularly, the Guyanese public is bombarded with negativism and criticism by opposition politicians and commentators who are opposed to the government. Indeed, it is their right and freedom to do so.

However, at the same time, it is incumbent upon them to recognise achievements and progress when they take place and are visible to all. Unless this is done, no objective minded person will regard their criticisms with credibility.

Not once have I ever heard, or read an opposition politician publicly acknowledge the transformation which has taken place and is taking place in our country. Not once have I ever heard unequivocal plaudits being given publicly by an opposition politician to any policy or project of the government.

Not once have I ever heard or read an opposition politician extending their commendation to the government for the eight consecutive years of economic growth which Guyana recorded from 2005-2013. And the list goes on.

These politicians fail to recognise that these accomplishments are made, not

only because of good governance and prudent management of the economy, but are largely achieved by the hard work, entrepreneurial initiatives, commercial courage and remarkable industry of the Guyanese people, including, our farmers, our businessmen, our industrialists, our gold and diamond miners, our contractors, our public servants and our private sector operatives.

In short, in their obsession not to credit the government, they disregard the contributions and efforts of every single Guyanese.

In the same vein, whenever a report from some international organisation is published and it contains anything negative about Guyana it is automatically embraced as gospel. And it is used as a weapon against the government. No attempt is ever made to question the methodology used or the process employed by which the conclusions are derived. Once it provides ammunition against the government, it is loaded and fired through the barrel of the anti-PPP media, where the explosion is given the greatest prominence.

On the other hand, any report from these very in-

ternational organisations, which credit the government or publish anything positive about Guyana, are rejected by them. In their rejection, they subject these reports, their methodologies, procedures and conclusions to all manner of scrutiny, examination and analysis.

I will provide a case in point. In 2013 Guyana was one of the first countries accredited by the UN with achieving goal number one of the Millennium Development Goals – the Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger. From all accounts, this is a remarkable achievement.

However, an article published by the Stabroek News, January 19, 2014, says as follows “While Guyana may have reached that goal… economist Dr Clive Thomas says this is nothing for the country to pat itself on the back for”. This statement is followed by an extraordinarily long explanation by Dr Thomas for so concluding.

I have no doubt that had that very report deemed Guyana to be a country of extreme poverty, the very Mr Thomas would have embraced the same, unconditionally, as the truth.

In the very article, op-

Blood donation awareness

Dear Editor, It is important for the relevant authorities to properly advise and educate the general public as it relates to voluntarily blood donation. This act of kindness and generosity should never be seen as something to be self-important about.

Quite often, members of the public voluntarily donate blood to the public health sector. Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran himself recently addressed donors, further informing them that as of August 31, their charitable contribution to the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) managed to achieve a total of 10,014 units of blood.

When blood is donated, it is put into storage and held there until it is needed. It is not necessarily used at the time of donation, but instead at times of emergencies, particularly in cases where victims have met with an accident that has caused them to lose a significant amount

of blood.

Additionally, medical research has shown that donating blood is, in fact, good for the health. Donating blood helps to reduce the risk of heart attacks and cancer since it manages to reduce iron levels which are often responsible for the thickening of the blood. It is also benefits weight watchers, since for every pint of blood donated it manages to burn 650 calories. Moreover, researchers have found that individuals between the ages of 43 to 61 who donate blood every six months are likely to be at a lower risk of encountering heart attacks and strokes.

The other thing to note is that the donor’s body usually replaces the liquid part of blood, commonly known as plasma, within 72 hours after giving blood. It generally takes about four to eight weeks to regenerate the red blood cells lost during a blood donation.

It is important that cam-

paigns be held to promote and spread awareness of the overall benefits of becoming frequent blood donors.

Sincerely,

Waheeda Nazim

position leader, Mr David Granger, is quoted as querying the basis upon which Guyana was accredited by the UN. He cites a World Bank Report listing Guyana as the second poorest country in the Caribbean.

He clearly accepts the accuracy of this World Bank report. Why? Because it is politically convenient for him to do so. But he doubts the UN conclusion, again, because it is conveniently expedient for him to do so. He omits to mention that IMF Report, December 2013, congratulates Guyana for recording the highest economic growth in the Caricom region for the year 2013. Why? Obviously, because it does not suit his political agenda.

These are the very persons who are calling for a social contract with the government. To the ordinary Guyanese, I ask “Would you enter into any type of contract with a person who peddles lies and half-truths but refuse to embrace reality?”

I am sure that your answer is no. I cannot see how the response of the government would be any different.

Yours faithfully, Sundar Nauth

LEAD project a blatant violation of Guyana’s sovereignty

Dear Editor, I wish to briefly refer to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)funded Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project. What is all the hullabaloo about over this project which the parliamentary opposition is seeking to capitalise on? I think they are just making a mountain out of a mole hill to show their supporters that they are still relevant in our Guyanese society.

In other words, they are simply engaged in senseless political posturing, as Dr Henry Jeffery had pointed out in his column a few weeks ago.

But if the government of Guyana says that it was not consulted, hence the rejection of the project, then the government is totally in order. However, the project is still being implemented, which is certainly a blatant violation of Guyana’s sovereignty. And the government is also correct to say that it will not engage in talks on this project under duress, while the project is being implemented.

My impression of the USAID project is that it is a top-down approach, where the government did not have any input into its design as being the major stakeholder at the governmental level. This is why any project will fail because of the lack of stakeholder analysis.

By the way, who recommended this project and what is the problem the project will effectively address? What research was done and who were consulted? It is apparent that there were “consultations”, since the project was already developed in the form of a project document, which was then submitted to the government for its approval by the U.S. ambassador, which is totally wrong where project development is concerned. The government was therefore correct to reject the USAID project. Can the U.S. ambassador send me a copy of the Logical Framework Analysis (LFA) of the proposed project?

Yours sincerely, Peter Persaud

Page Foundation

How to make maths fun

Making children love maths is a challenge to most parents. Maths is a skill that takes a lot of brain power to master, and this can be experienced by children as hard work. A University of Chicago and Western University 2012 study even shows that for some people, doing maths is similar to experiencing physical pain. Also, parents tend to tell their children that “maths is hard”, as they relive their own experience as children struggling with formulas, exponents and equations. Consequently, children pick up this attitude and live their lives believing that maths is a horrible monster that they have to face in their academic lives.

Yet being skilful, or at least, competent in maths is necessary to survive in modern life. We use maths to figure out personal finances, construction projects, as well as doing everyday chores such as cooking and shopping. Engineering, high technology, finance and other in-demand careers require above average maths skills. Even non-maths careers require that employees have sharp analytic and reasoning skills – skills that are acquired when brains are trained in maths.

Many studies suggest that early maths training in

children give big benefits. It creates changes to the children’ brains so that the children become adept at problem solving. The children’s brains are primed for learning advanced maths concepts. Also, a 2007 study published in the journal Developmental Psychology reveals that maths skill at kindergarten is a stronger predictor of later school achievement than reading skills or the ability to pay attention.

The children’s first teachers, the parents, play an important role in chil dren’s atti tude to maths.

According to Susan C Levine, a professor of psy chology and com parative human development at the University of Chicago, parents who engage in “maths talk” provide their child with a solid maths foundation for later maths achievement. Those who explain to their children about numbers and spatial relationships by way of gestures and words tend to instil better maths skills at age four.

receptive to learning when it is associated more with play than with work, it is a good idea for parents to expose children to maths in fun ways. The challenge to parents is to figure out ways on how to create simple interactions and early learning activities to serve as foundation for their children to enjoy maths.

Making maths enjoyable help children grow to associate maths with fun, pleasure and parental love and attention. Instead of being afraid, the children will be excited about the subject throughout their school years. The secret to successful maths education is to make it so much fun that children don’t even realise they are learning something that will help them later in life.

games. Use digital games, apps and numerous websites as resources for making maths a game. There are numerous activity books that make maths fun, as well as websites where you can download fun. Non-digital games are also fun. Encourage your child to play card and board games that involve calculations (For example, Chutes and Ladders and Monopoly).

A 2009 study conducted by Carnegie Mellon and the University of Maryland found that preschoolers who played Chutes and Ladders improve maths skills significantly compared to those in the study who played a different board game or did non-maths tasks.

Tips for teaching 3D shapes

BY LYNN-NORE CHITTOM

Teachers often face challenges when it comes to how to teach children about three dimensional shapes. This article provides tips and suggestions for fun and creative ways to help students differentiate between flat and three-dimensional objects.

Flat versus 3D

teachers should find examples of different three dimensional shapes and place them inside paper bags. Ideally, one bag per student helps to reinforce this lesson with the entire class, but a sample selection can work well, too. Here are some ordinary household items that can be used to demonstrate three dimensional shapes.

Since children are more

Here are some tips for you, the parent, to make maths fun for your child: Make maths a game – Make your child consider maths not as work but as a game that can be played like computer games, sports or

Integrate maths into fun activities – Find out what games or activities your child enjoy, and integrate maths into it. If your child loves to bake or cook with you, for example, you can have your child measure ingredients in wholes or in parts, or count and estimate objects such as number of chocolate chips. One way to integrate subtraction problems, for example, is to ask your child, “We need to put five eggs, we already placed two eggs, how many more eggs do we need?”

(Raise Smart Kid)

The biggest hurdle in figuring out how to teach children about three dimensional shapes is getting them to think beyond the flat surface of a two-dimensional figure. From before children are even in school they are taught the shapes of circles, squares, triangles and rectangles, but much less time is spent on spheres, cones, pyramids and cubes. In fact, some of the tools used to teach the basic 2D shapes are in fact three dimensional objects. Toddler toy shape sorters, for instance, use three dimensional shapes such as cylinders in an effort to teach basic two dimensional shapes like circles. This confusion continues through early elementary education for many students as the terms and definitions of 3D shapes are nearly foreign to them.

3D shape grab bag

A fun way to introduce the various three dimensional shapes to a class is through the use of mystery bags. In preparation for this lesson,

* a wooden letter block for a cube

* an individual box of macaroni for a rectangle

* a beach ball for a sphere

* a canned foods can for a cylinder

As each child opens their bag they should identify the item by its three dimensional shape, that is, a can of corn would be identified as a cylinder.

3D food

Most children love activities which include food, especially if they get to eat it. For this activity, teachers will need to be very open-minded and creative in how to teach children about three dimensional shapes as they will need to shop for foods that match this lesson. Here are some possible suggestions for 3D food:

* Pretzel Combos, marshmallows and cheese sticks for cylinders

* Donut holes or ballshaped yogurt snacks for spheres

* Cheese cubes for cubes

* Toblerone candy bars as a possible three dimensional triangular shape

Getting active with 3D dhapes

Another approach to teaching students three-dimensional shapes is to use large items that demonstrate shapes such as spheres and cubes. Students can stack and build these to construct various spaces throughout the classroom. Giving students time to work with the bricks will allow them to feel and consider the nature of three dimensional shapes. Requiring that they call the bricks “cubes” rather than bricks will help reinforce the new terminology of the three dimensional lesson. As for spheres, balls of different sizes can be used in a variety of outdoor games. Students can be given time to play with a large beach ball or small bouncy balls, while requiring that they call the balls “spheres” to help reinforce the idea that these familiar objects are also three-dimensional shapes.

The common point to these tips

The one common theme among these different suggestions is object lessons. Students should be given an opportunity to literally get their hands around familiar three dimensional forms to best see and understand the difference between 2D and 3D shapes. (Bright Hub Education) TO BE CONTINUED

ChildLinK gets $54M to empower children in difficult circumstances

EU Ambassador to Guyana, Robert Kopecký and ChildLink Programme Director Omattie Madray on Monday signed a grant contract to implement a project titled “Empowering Children in Difficult Circumstances”.

The grant involves the support of a maximum of €200,000 and will be funded from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) 2012-2013 country allocation for Guyana.

The overall objective of the actions by ChildLinK is to strengthen policies, practices and approaches to ensure social welfare services to prevent and protect 12,650 children from sexual violence by December 2015.

Further, the activities foreseen under the grant supplement work done already by ChildLinK under two previous grants totalling €180,000, were funded from previous EIDHR call for proposals put out by the EU Delegation in Guyana.

Human rights Ambassador Kopecký highlighted that, “Human rights are one of the core values of the European Union and its member states going like a silver thread through its many, if not all, activities.

The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights provides the possibility to support civil society projects in this area also in Guyana. The rights of vulnerable groups, especially children, are particularly important in this regard and the ChildLinK proposal convinced us. We look forward to a successful implementation that we perceived to be fully complementing the government of Guyana’s priorities, activities and intervention in

this area.”

Madray explained that, “the project seeks to protect children, specifically children who are at risk of sexual violence through the Tell Campaign and children who have been sexually violated, through comprehensive services in three child advocacy centres.

This initiative has been developed in partnership with the Human Services Ministry – Childcare and Protection Agency, Forward

Guyana and ChildLinK Inc, and funded by the European Union, UNICEF and other local donors. The European Union grant will over the next two years staff and equip the centres, build the capacity of the staff and increase advocacy to stop the abuse of children.”

ChildLinK Inc, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), was established in 2009 and its mandate is to work with its partners towards a Guyanese society

where every child has the right to grow up in a safe and secure family and community.

The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) is a self-standing financing instrument that provides assistance for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide and specifically aims at assisting civil society to become an effective force for political reform and defence of human rights.

The European Union launches regular calls for proposals under this initiative.

Grants

ChildLinK Inc has previously received two grants totalling €180,000, both funded from the EIDHR initiative and recently completed activities under one of them, that ie, the HUG project which was implemented over 30 months.

The HUG initiative was envisioned with the principal objective of improving the lives of Guyanese children experiencing violence and domestic abuse.

The project exceeded its stated objectives in sensitising almost 2000 children from the Agricola and Ruimveldt communities who were able to access services and information to enable

them to realise their rights to protection from abuse.

Additionally, ChildLinK has already completed 10 months of implementation out of a two-year project for the Alternative Family Based Care (AFBC) initiative funded by the EU. This intervention aims to provide children an opportunity to grow up in environments that are safe, secure and conducive for their all-round development.

Support

Its focus is to ensure that children receive direct psychosocial support in the form of counselling and family support to help them develop resilience in their varying situations and where possible, to accommodate changes.

This initiative will lead to ChildLinK working directly with 500 children; 300 in alternative family-based care comprising of foster care and kinship care and 200 children who are at risk of losing parental care.

It is envisaged that this latest EU grant will complement the work already undertaken and ChildLinK will be working along closely with its partners over the next two years towards the effective roll out of the activities foreseen under the intervention.

Bodies of pilot, cargo loader still to be retrieved

– loader was not scheduled to work

Up to late Monday evening, Special Forces of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were making every effort to retrieve the bodies of pilot Blake Slater and cargo loader Dwayne Jacobs from the wreckage at Marikina Mountain.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in a release said the process is a meticulous one as the state of the wreckage is at risk of fire.

As such, those involved in the process are taking all the necessary precautions. Once the bodies are fully retrieved, they will be flown to the city at sunrise.

When Guyana Times visited the home of the dead cargo loader on Monday, his mother said her son was not supposed to be on the trip and was filling in for someone.

Roslyn Jacobs in an interview told this newspaper that her son woke her up on Thursday morning asking her to search for a cap and upon inquiring; he told her that he was called to work and was heading into the interior.

“He was not supposed to work that morning… when he is schedule to work, the work bus would normally collect him at 04:00h from home, but he keeps saying that they called me out and he had to go because it is his job.”

She recalled him hurrying out the house when she stopped him, asking if he wanted her to keep his jewellery to which he responded in the negative. She said that as she looked into the sky, she realised that the weather was bad; thus, she prayed for her son’s safety on his journey.

Tearful

The tearful woman stated that she did not hear from her son but was cognisant that he would not get reception in the area. She went on to say that on Saturday morning, she was babysitting her grandchild when she received a call from a friend inquiring about her sons’ correct names.

“I said one name Shawn and the other name Dwayne, then she asked for their title and I told her Jacobs... put down the phone and says ‘thanks’ I will call you back.”

Not long after, her other son telephoned her and inquired about her whereabouts and told her that he was coming to collect his baby.

This, she said was strange, but soon after she saw her daughter-in-law walking towards the house and as she looked beyond, she recognised her son and a staff of Trans Guyana Airways.

“With the expression on their faces, I knew something was wrong… he tell me mommy, Dwayne fell out a helicopter and they were trying their best to find him… that was the last thing I remembered…. I fainted.”

The aggrieved mother recalled overhearing a conversation between him and a female and thought he was acting in an abnormal manner.

“He was lying on the sofa taking to a friend, telling her that he did not see her for the holiday but apologise and told her that they will go out some time and take a few drinks….

"He told her that he spent some time in church and he talk to God and was shown a beautiful place and when he dies he knows where he is going.”

Moving moment

In addition, she noted that her daughter, who resides in The Bahamas, visited for the holidays with her child and one morning, Dwayne got up early and stood next to her and watched her sleep.

She said he stood there for a while and finally told her “take care of my sister”. As he told her that, she recognised that tears were trickling down his cheeks.

Jacobs said that her son was very quiet and hardly finds the time to socialise

with friends.

Meanwhile, Monique Jacobs, a sister of the now dead man, said she was aware that her brother and the pilot were missing but they were hopeful of them surviving the crash.

She said her faith was shattered after she received a telephone call from Transport and Harbour Minister Robeson Benn, who informed her that the Special Forces found the bodies of the two men.

She attempted to hide it from her mother, but eventually broke down. The woman noted that a friend afterwards told her that her brother was found outside of the aircraft, but did not say the extent of his injures.

Jacobs along with Slater went missing after a single engine, 13-seater Cessna Caravan with registration number 8R-GHS disappeared out of the sky about 10:56h on Saturday.

At the time of the crash, the aircraft was involved in a shuttle mission from Olive Creek to Imbaimadai. The aircraft departed for Imbaimadai about 10:54h after overnighting at Olive Creek.

The last contact with the pilot of the aircraft was a “Mayday” (emergency call) which was transmitted to another aircraft within the area at the time. The bodies were discovered on Monday morning about 07:00h.

Work on Moruca Bridge poorly executed – Persaud acknowledges

Local Government and Regional Development Minister Ganga Persaud on Monday acknowledged that work on the San Jose Bridge in Moruca, Region One, has been poorly executed.

He was at the time speaking at a press conference held at the ministry’s office in Fort Street, Kingston, Georgetown. According to Persaud, the contractor was initially hired to execute works on the bridge; however, after that was complete, there was a request for the approach to the bridge to also be upgraded since it usually floods.

This proposal was taken to Cabinet and was approved. The works included replacing the revetments and landfalling. The minister explained that the tender board subsequently agreed to award this contract to the same contractor since he was already on site. Here is where the problem started.

“We went, we checked… the contractor was not keeping within the specifications and so he had to do remedial work. Having done that

remedial work, heavy rains came,” he stated.

Persaud went on to explain that a sub-contract was awarded to another person for the sand filling of the approach to the bridge. He noted that this was the last part of the capping process and then it was time for the contractor to demobilised by removing his equipment.

This, the minister pointed out, has sparked the controversy surround the works on the bridge and politicians' remarks about the substandard process.

“So as rumours and politics will play it, it was stated that the man was abandoning the project and moving away… obviously, once you have a political interest, you would move in very quickly because it is the right opportunity,” Persaud noted.

Work will continue

The minister pointed out that the matter has not been resolved as yet, however, as soon as the weather improves, work will continue on the bridge.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) in a statement last

Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud

week called the $43 million project a catastrophe and lashed out at the contractor for the substandard works.

The party’s comments came after a visit was made to the area by its Member of Parliament Valerie GaridoLowe and others, who observed the poor state of the bridge. She accused the contractor of doing substandard work and leaving it incomplete.

Garido-Lowe had met with Minister Persaud

at the January 16 sitting of Parliament where she voiced her concerns about the bridge and the minister agreed with her. In the statement, Garido-Lowe also called for the bridge to be made in concrete since the columns supporting it was sinking and the boards of the revetment were too short.

In response, the minister said this was not included in the contract. He urged the residents of the area to understand the procurement process, stating that a contractor cannot do something he is not contracted to do.

Asked whether the calls of the AFC member will be heeded, with monies from the Neighbourhood Democratic Council’s subvention, the minister explained that “San Jose does not have a NDC (neighbourhood democratic council) and the RDC (regional democratic council) budget is casted and gone through already so nothing can’t be done in 2014 by way of budget unless you want to after the budget to file for a supplementary”.

Eyew tness

Who’s the man?

...in APNU?

There is the old Caribbean folk adage that “two man crab cyaan live in one hole”. But anyhow, looks like Granger still hasn’t convinced Greenidge that he, Granger, is the main man in the PNC. Yes...PNC, not APNU. It’s getting real tedious to go through that PNCAPNU rigmarole over and over again. Quick now...apart from the four fellas that make up the WPA, can you tell me who’re the other eight leaders of APNU? If you want to use a fig-leaf at least, get a leaf.

But back to the point. Granger ended up with egg all over his face after he whined that the finance minister hadn’t consulted his party on the crafting of the upcoming budget. But up comes the finance minister producing evidence, that not only was PNC’s shadow finance minister Greenidge invited (he’s a shadow of a minister, in more ways than one) but Granger also was copied on the email! Looks like its déjà vu all over again. Wasn’t it just last year that Greenidge pulled the same stunt around budget time? He’d waltzed off to Brussels (the joys of an ex-bureaucrat!) and “forgot” to tell Granger? And that was the first time we’d reminded Granger about the need for masculine singularity in the hole. Greenidge obviously doesn’t think much of Granger as leader. We know that Granger pipped him barely by a whisker at the PNC leader’s beauty pageant. But the winner’s the winner, no? Well, this is why smart fly Granger is caught in the cow’s behind.

Granger’s been insisting that even though the PPP won the presidency fair and square – according to the rules of the Constitution, he and not Ramotar’s really the head honcho in Guyana. Having a majority in Parliament (he can count on the support of his handmaiden Ramjattan!) and controlling all the committees there, doesn’t satisfy his ego or ambition. He wants to run the Executive.

Well, what’s sauce for the goose, is sauce for the ganger. So Greenidge is “goosing” Granger since he (Greenidge) believes he shouldn’t only be “shadow finance minister” but also “leader of the PNC” – and not so incidentally, leader of the opposition.

Looks like until Granger accepts his place in Parliament...Greenidge’s gonna be biting and scratching in the hole.

...in policing?

No one’s surprised that Granger’s taken the opportunity of the allegations of the latest police excess to go after Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee. Never mind that he (Granger) speaks from both sides of his mouth. From one side he slurs that there should be an inquiry into the allegations and from the other, he screams about the “outrage” against Harding. Granger, like Hughes before him, has already become judge, jury and executioner.

Now Granger’s contortion constitutes quite an extraordinary oral feat..but it just shows the opposition’s unwillingness for real reform in the police force. Why is it they haven’t even agreed to change even the name “Guyana Police Force” to “Guyana Police Service”? There was a whole plan to make the change real. More than anyone else, your Eyewitness wants the police to be reformed. But it mustn’t be cosmetic.

From the plans he’s unveiled, the minister’s also serious about reform. Why doesn’t the opposition allow him to at least implement the new strategic plan?

But in the meantime, they’ll have to accept that if they won’t allow the minister to formulate new policies...and we know he can’t interfere into operational matters.... then let’s put some fire under the feet of the police force. Bet you won’t hear about that!

Hurry up with that inquiry!

...diplomacy?

Now that the U.S. ambassador’s back in town, we’re hoping some light will be shed as to how much “consultations” they had on LEAD. With the Guyana government...not the opposition.

NICIL audit reports free of discrepancies – Brassington

All of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) finances remain up to date, since the entity merged with the Privatisation Unity in 2002, head of the entity Winston Brassington said.

Brassington in a recent interview told Guyana Times that he is pleased that the public is now able to have the audited financial statements for NICIL, as a company up to date in Parliament.

NICIL, he said too has published all of its financial statements on its website, with 2013 being an exceptional year as it included revenue from the sale of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T).

He said the entity en-

tered into a contract in 2012 for the sale of GT&T with 20 per cent interest for US$30 million and US$25 million being paid up front, which will be reflected in its financial statements.

However, that money is

held in a deposit account but the issue regarding the money is before the court. NICIL cannot touch it and do anything with it pending the court matter.

Having never collected any dividends from the

Berbice Bridge Company Inc, the annual report states that in 2012, NICIL sold all of its shares to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) for $950 million. By the end of 2012, the company had also invested almost $3 billion in the Atlantic Hotel Inc, which is building the Marriott Hotel.

As at the end of 2012, NICIL received US$25 million for the sale with the remaining US$5 million payable in two years. The directors for NICIL, at the end of 2012 were Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh; head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon; Finance Ministry Budget Office Director Sonya Roopnauth; Amerindian Affairs Ministry Permanent Secretary Nigel Dharamlall; and Brassington.

Rohee says Colwyn Harding saga complicated

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said while the Colwyn Harding saga is still being investigated, the lack of supervision of police ranks could be one of the reasons that led to circumstances which now prevail.

Rohee said he is cognisant that this is one of the weakest areas of the Guyana Police Force. The minister had addressed this issue time and again at various conferences and was hoping that such an issue never occurs. “There is a saying those who can’t hear will have to feel…”

He added that the issue arose from a combination of factors, pointing out that the ministry has not been lacking in making known and giving full warning to the hierarchy of the force and other ranks to look out for these situations.

The minister added that there are cases where ranks of the police force would often face charges for misconduct and the notion of officers being transferred and not sanctioned is untrue.

Rohee said that the incident involving Harding is a complicated one and he believes that no one should pronounce on the matter until a

full report of the investigation is completed.

“Let the investigations be concluded, medical reports be submitted and let us wait on all the facts at our disposal so that a dispassionate analysis can be made,” he urged.

Challengeable

The minister said based on preliminary reports from various agencies, he is of the belief that the case is very complicated as the allegations made are challengeable.

Meanwhile, the Justice Institute of Guyana said it unreservedly condemns the alleged brutal attack on Harding, which has resulted in him needing surgical operations to deal with his injuries.

The institute in a release said too that it is concerned about the failure of the state to show adequate interest to Harding’s well-being.

“We deplore the fact that Mr Harding was shackled to his hospital bed and had to suffer the indignity of waiting for colostomy bags rather than having the bags immediately to hand,” the Justice Institute of Guyana said, calling for an immediate and independent inves-

tigation into the treatment received by Harding at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

With respect to the health minister's position on the issue, the organisation said that the minister has attempted to attribute Harding’s injuries to hernia.

Improper

“The minister’s interference is improper, has undermined public confidence in the statements subsequently made by the doctors of the Georgetown Public Hospital and has regrettably provided a basis for public suspicion of a cover up.”

City Hall must invest more in services to residents

The Local Government and Regional Development Ministry is calling on the Georgetown City Council to plug more monies into improving the standard of services being provided to Georgetown citizens.

The group also called on Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell to make an immediate public statement condemning violence by the Guyana Police Force, committing the force to respect the rule of law and undertaking personally and professionally to do everything to get to the truth out of the matter.

Harding alleged that he was raped by a police rank attached to the Timehri Police Station. He accused the police rank of shoving a baton with a condom into his rear while he was in police custody for a theft allegation.

Since the incident, the young man has been hospitalised. The matter was first brought to the forefront after the mother of the young man decided to approach the media.

The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) has since launched an investigation into the allegation, but thus far, all the ranks at the Timehri Police Station have denied involvement.

The corporal in question was placed under close arrest while the others were transferred to other locations closer to Georgetown. A report of the OPR findings is expected to be known today.

Woman remanded for perjury

im Roach of 164

KRoxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown, was on Monday remanded to prison after she appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Judy Latchman charged with perjury. The woman pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on June 11, 2013, being the defendant in an affidavit of defence in the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature, she perjured her-

self.

It was in that court that she presented the affidavit in which Kim Roach and Samantha Roach were the defendants. She had sworn that at no time were her grandparents or herself tenants of the land in dispute and at all times were in adverse possession of the land in question. She had indicated that she never paid rent to the plaintiff or any one duly entitled to the land. She swore this information in a court of law knowing

the said information on the affidavit to be false, hence perjuring herself.

Police Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt objected to bail citing that the defendant is the holder of a valid U.S. visa and that she had provided the court with two addresses; one being in Roxanne Burnham Gardens and the other in Pouderoyen, on the West Coast of Demerara. The prosecutor added that the woman has several aliases which would prove to be a hindrance

in the police’s quest to find her, should she be granted bail.

The woman’s defence attorney had told the court that the defendant resides at 164 Roxanne Burnham Gardens and it was her daughter who resided in Pouderoyen. She mentioned that there was some miscommunication of information along the way that led to the belief that her client had two addresses. Roach was remanded and is to return to court on February 27.

This call was made by subject minister Ganga Persaud on Monday during a press conference at his Fort Street, Kingston office. The minister said every citizen has the right to expect quality services as they have been paying for it.

He was at the time discussing the exuberant spending of the Georgetown City Council on services other than those which will benefit residents. The minister pointed out that the council collected some $1.4 billion in rates and taxes last year; however, only a mere $429 million was plugged into upgrading its services.

This, he noted is a result of the huge employment bill from paying the 700 plus employees of the council, yet some basic services, including proper drainage, are not provided.

No big demand

“The council seems to have this tendency of collecting the taxpayers’ money and delegating the task of doing the job to the central government… so you have central government now seems to be responsible for all the outfalls around the city,” the minister stated.

“So unfortunate that the taxpayers are paying their money to the city and the government is expected to use revenue coming from the entire country to perform the task that should have been done by the receiver of the people’s taxes,” Persaud said.

Meanwhile, Junior Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker explained that he has engaged the council on several occasions to ensure that critical services are provided, especially as it relates to flooding.

“Is this asking too much? Are the taxpayers of Georgetown, the rates payers, asking too much if they

requested that a significant amount of the rates they pay, as distinct from paying people for the work they don’t do anyhow, be used to ensure that sluices and pumps are in a state of readiness 365 days a year?” he asked. The minister said the recent rainfall and floods drew attention to the services provided by the Georgetown municipality and the ministry has consulted the council on measures taken to reduce the impact of flooding when there is heavy rainfall.

Whittaker highlighted that from the $1.4 billion that was collected in 2013, in excess of $900 million was used to pay employees. He noted that this is not an issue affecting only the Georgetown City Council, but municipalities across the country.

Employment costs

The minster disclosed that even the New Amsterdam municipality collected some $86 million, of which $51 million was used to meet employment costs. This, he stated, was also the case of the Rose Hall and Corriverton municipalities.

According to Whittaker, suggestions to reduce the number of employees within the municipalities were not received with open arms by the councils, especially the Georgetown City Council. He noted that politics is absorbing the affairs of the council so instead of focusing on the plight of the residents, they focus on the government and the town clerk. “They set out to fail the town clerk,” he contended.

Whittaker further pointed out that the town clerk has made several noticeable positive improvements which have seen the constant inflow of revenues and significant increases of inflow of arrears.

In addition, this extra revenue has also contributed to the reduction of the bank draft and elimination of National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) backlogs. These financial improvements, he noted, has also allowed for the timely payment of employees’ salaries.

GCCI calls for probe into non-functional Linden agreement committees

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is calling on the government to launch an investigation into the allegations made by Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon on the committees established following the 2012 protest.

The chamber in a release said it is necessary to ascertain whether there is any truth to the accusations and if so, necessary measures need to be taken so as to ensure that the agreement made is imple-

mented according to the agreed terms and avoid a recurrence of what took place in 2012. Solomon had been reported as saying that the committees established to look at issues affecting Lindeners following the protest have been nonfunctional.

The Linden protest was one of the most significant national crises recorded in the recent history of the country. There were damages to infrastructure and the blockage of the bridge which serves as a main artery and passage to other

regions of the country.

According to the release, during that period, the GCCI and other private sector organisations received numerous complaints from business persons, stating that they cannot operate as unusual. The Private Sector Commission had stepped in and took immediate action to bring an end to the crisis.

The PSC had organised a slew of meetings with the majority of the political stakeholders in the country including President Donald Ramotar and his Cabinet

members, along with the leaders of the major opposition parties, security forces and leaders of the protests in Linden, including Solomon.

It was then, with a breath of relief, an agreement was met in August in 2012 and the crisis was brought to an end.

In the release, the chamber stated that it will continue to monitor the developments and occurrences in the region and will sustain their role “as an impartial broker in a potentially volatile process”.

Licence of driver in East Bank accident suspended

The driver’s licence of 41-year-old Suerajh Ram of Lot 478 Golden Grove, East Bank

Demerara, who was charged with the offence of causing death by dangerous driving, has been suspended pending

the outcome of the matter. Ram, a truck driver has been charged for causing the death of Frank Wilson, 63,

of Lot 4, Grove Public Road, EBD on August 12, 2013, on the Grove Public Road.

It was reported that Ram was driving his motor car PHH 397 in a manner dangerous to the public and hit down Wilson in the process.

The road at the time was wet, and as such, Ram lost control of his car which ended up in the path of the pedestrian who was walking at the corner of the road. Wilson was rushed to the Diamond Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Nuff people does live in the dark

Once upon a time, mankind used to live in de Dark Ages. Every ting was dark in dem days. De economy was dark and de people used to live in de dark. People had want to see de light, but dem couldn’t. Life was too dark.

Nuff people does live in the dark in this land of many waters. Some of dem like darkness more than light. And de same same dark tings whah dem guilty of is de same dark tings whah dem does accuse people of.

Green Bridge is a man like that too. He does behave as though every ting bout de economy of this country deh in de dark. But when he was de minister, de country was in de dark. De G-E-SEE people had people in de dark. Dem school people had to study in de dark. Plus Burnt Ham, de Heights Man and de headitor had every body in de dark.

Some of dem like Mook Lall does plant pumpkins in de dark and only move in de dark. He does even follow people in de dark and pay dem motor cyclists to follow people in de dark. Next day he eyes does look dark from dem dark deeds. De Mook even coverin up fuh he friends who love de dark. And this is de same Mook who seh he does expose every ting whah deh in de dark. But one of de Mook pardna in crime thief $80 million chicken feed in bright daylight and de Mook ain’t seh nutten. It mus be that de Mook get a cut. And de Mook cut does never be chicken feed.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! After all, de Mook is a cut man. He cut out from payin he taxes to de s*ity council and he cut off a man from he own paper and chase de man to Canada. Then when de U.S. embassy cut out he visa from he passport he turn round and cut he friends throat and then cut a deal wid de same embassy.

Alexei Ramotar charts...

“The installation of the cable was the major issue,” he remarked, noting that the two local firms, Dax and Dynamic engineering nonetheless did “satisfactory” work. He reported that a supervisor who was hired for the project was fired after it was found out that he was not properly supervising the work. Much of the problems encountered had to do with the type of equipment that was being utilised, Ramotar also admitted.

“I think the case was the capacity of the contractors to the do the actual installation, the DWDM equipment has been installed and we didn’t have a problem with that,” he stated.

The Venezuelan consultant, he disclosed, is expected to come up with recommendations on solutions that after working through the November to December period on the project.

Experience, qualification Ramotar, who appeared fully knowledgeable of all aspects of the project he is managing, said he was competent to complete the job. He is the holder of master’s degree in computer science from the University of Waterloo and also has a first degree from the University of Guyana.

Additionally, he has extensive experience in the field, having worked at the Guyana Sugar Corporation and Digicel Guyana.

He has since denied being the recipient of a $3 million salary per month and re-

From page 3

vealed that while that type of salary is offered to man similar projects in the developed world, he gets $650,000. There are no additional benefits and entitlements that come with the job.

“It’s a lie being peddled for the same reason as attacking me personally through what they call delays, and so forth. It’s obviously to make people believe that’s there so much amount of money involved, the salary is so big and so forth and its nepotism and all this nonsense. But, no that’s not true, I don’t make no $3 million a month.”

Ramotar has not objected to any of the questions asked by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) in Parliament, but offered that the project is fully transparent and open for all to see.

“I believe it’s pretty obvious that it’s because I am the son of the president, they see it as an easy target to attack the president through me... and so they picked the project that is delayed due to reasons that are new reasons sort of, but they don’t look at the fact that one of the projects, the much bigger project is actually on schedule, and will be completed and that project is actually much more important to Guyana’s development than the other one. It’s pretty much expected, I guess, considering that I am the son of the president. I think that’s their reason why they’re going after it,” he asserted.

year

Guyana, Haiti to lead economic growth in Latin America, Caribbean

Like last year, the United Nations’ annual World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report 2014 projects that Guyana and Haiti will take the lead in economic growth for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Both countries are projected to grow by 4.5 per cent this year. The report said that Guyana grew by 4.6 per cent in 2013 while Haiti was pegged at 3.5 per cent. Guyana has experienced seven years of consecutive economic growth.

Overall in the Caribbean region, growth is projected at 3.3 per cent for this year. Last year, growth for the Caribbean region was estimated at 2.4 per cent in 2013, slightly slower than in the last two years.

Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to hasten their growth to 3.6 per cent and 4.1 per cent in the next couple of years, up from 2.6 per cent in 2013, according to WESP.

The report attributes the positive growth in 2014-2015 to sound macroeconomic policies, resilient domestic demand and the gradual recovery in developed economies. However, it warns that economic growth remains subject to growth in other economies, mainly the euro area, the United States and China, which is now growing at a slower pace than in previous years.

In 2013, although the re-

Country

Guyana 4.5 per cent

Haiti                                                    4.5 per cent

Cuba 3.9 per cent

Dominican Republic 3.5 per cent

Trinidad and Tobago 2.5 per cent

Jamaica 1.2 per cent

Barbados 1 per cent

Source: UN

gion experienced growth, economic expansion was uneven. South America led with 3.2 per cent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013, up from 2.5 per cent in 2012, due to a rebound in Argentina and Brazil.

Slow down

By contrast, in Mexico and Central America, economic activity is estimated to have slowed down to 1.5 per cent in 2013 from four per cent in 2012, in part because the Mexican economy has faced structural constraints and GDP growth decelerated significantly to only 1.2 per cent.

WESP is produced at the beginning of each year by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/ DESA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the five United Nations regional commissions.

A report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in December last puts Guyana’s economic growth close to WESP’s projections, that is 4.6 per cent in 2014.

With regards to the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC said they are projected to expand by 3.2 per cent in 2014, which is higher than the 2.6 per cent from the end of 2013, a Government Information Agency (GINA) release said.

ECLAC stated in its annual preliminary overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean for 2013 that less buoyant external demand, greater international financial volatility and falling consumption were the factors determining the more modest economic performance of countries in 2013, which brought down the three per cent estimate put forward by the commission in July.

Short drops in Zone 32 now $80

The Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry and the United Minibus Union (UMU) have agreed that all short drops in Zone 32 will be reduced to $80 from $100; and Georgetown to Parika to $400, from the current $500 currently demanded from passengers.

The decision was reached following a meeting between the two parties in the ministry’s boardroom on Saturday.

During the meeting, discussions were ventilated extensively using the Zone 32 (Georgetown to Parika) and the Zone 31 (Georgetown to Patentia) as pilot focus areas.

An interim fare structure proposed by the union was initially tabled, and will be represented in greater detail within the next two weeks. Specific note has been made of the exorbitant fares now being demanded by drivers and conductors of route 31 and 32 operators.

The parties agreed that minibus transport is essentially a small man’s mode of transportation and every effort must be explored to avoid an imposition of hardship on the commuting public; all short drops in Zone 32 are to be immediately reduced to $80 from $100; and Georgetown to Parika to $400, from the current $500 currently demanded

The Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry and the United Minibus Union (UMU) have agreed to reduce the fare for all short drops in Zone 32

from passengers; fares must be displayed in all minibuses, and passengers will pay only what is posted and signed by the union, in conjunction with the ministry.

Law enforcement agencies will be asked to assist; and the ministry will continue engaging the UMU with the hope of developing a cordial and mutually beneficial relationship, thereby creating a platform for positive and objective interaction. The union will also intensify their high level engagement with the home affairs and works and transport ministries.

Both parties are working to evaluate the case advanced by UMU for reviewing and es-

$50M Ptolemy Reid rehabilitation school commissioned

President Donald Ramotar on Monday commissioned a new school building, described as a world-class facility within the complex of the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC) on Carmichael Street, Georgetown. The building was constructed by the government of Guyana at the cost of over $50 million.

Ministers, Dr Ashni Singh and Priya Manickchand were also present at the commissioning of the building which was named the Harold B Davis Special School in honour of Harold Davis, one of the longest serving chairmen of the PRRC’s board who passed away last year at the age of 88.

Delivering the feature address, President Ramotar said that as deliberate policy, one of the main objectives of his political party and government is to lift the quality of life of all Guyanese. This is demonstrated by the fact that Guyana is one of the few, if not the only, Caribbean country, that dedicates approximately 30 per cent of its national budget to the social sector.

“The most important factor for our development is not only the natural resources that we have… the most important factor for development is our people, that is why we are constantly striving to improve the human capital of our country,” the head of state said.

He explained that resources in Guyana are not unlimited and there is always a struggle to meet competing demands and making tough decisions on what should be considered priorities.

Nevertheless, a lot of em-

The newly-commissioned $50 million school at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC)

phasis has been placed on education over the years, because it has been proven that some of the most developed countries are not necessarily those with the most natural resources, but the most educated population.

In terms of training, the president informed that through the Labour Ministry’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT), opportunities are created for young people who for various reasons, were not able to complete their secondary education.

Through this programme, life skills and vocational training are provided free of cost, and many of the beneficiaries of this programme have gone on to acquire higher education while others ventured out into small businesses.

President Ramotar said that the PRRC facility is ex-

tremely important because it will be addressing the needs of a category of people who are sometimes seen as disadvantaged; however, he noted that this should by no means hinder them from reaching their full potential.

He encouraged the use of technology to make more effective, the delivery of education to children with special needs, and assured of his government’s full and continued support towards the PRRC.

“Science and technology has moved tremendously over a fairly short period of time and it is continuing to develop and change people’s lives in maybe fundamental ways, the most important thing is to make it accessible to the ordinary man; it should not remain only for the benefit of those who can afford it,” the president said.

UNLIREC completes report on Guyana

Leader of the mission team from the United Nations (UN) Office for Disarmament’s Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), Juliet Solomon on Monday presented the report on a legal study conducted to Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall.

tablishing acceptable structured fares, applicable to all minibus zones in Guyana; as well as a plan to improve the service to the consumers.

This includes: a dress code; eliminating touting, hot plating and overcrowding; respect for the elderly and minimising other uncaring practices.

The meeting noted with grave concern, a report which suggests that many minibuses are engaged in rogue behaviour, to which traffic policemen seem reluctant and incapable of moving against, are owned by law enforcement officials, and also persons attached to other stateowned agencies.

The document contains a comprehensive assessment of Guyana’s obligations, internationally under treaties and agreement, in respect of firearms, ammunition and explosives.

In June 2013, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee had reported that Guyana was working in the context of international cooperation with the UN body to address the question of stockpiling firearms and ammunition, and how to deal with over accumulation of those which are obsolete. UNLIREC will guide Guyana on how to dispense with firearms, as well as securing stock piles in ways that are in keeping with certain international standards.

“We have received a copy of that report which would have chronicled all of Guyana’s ob-

ligations under various treaties in relation to this. In addition to that, a training session is being held for members of the army and police force, who are being trained to operate a machine which was donated, the purpose of which is to destroy arms and ammunition no longer in use. That training session is to commence this week and once our officers are equipped to operate the equipment, the destruction will commence,” Minister Nandlall stated

The UN mission has donated a hydraulic shears and a small arms ammunition burning tank to be used for the destruction of obsolete and surplus weapons, ammunition and explosives in Guyana.

Vital training

The legal affairs minister also explained that the training sessions would assist with regards to the implementation of the recently approved Firearms (Amendment) Bill, as well as the Evidence (Amendment) Bill.

The main purpose of the Firearms (Amendment) Bill is to create new offences in relation to possession and trafficking of components of a firearm. The prosecution of those types of offences would require expert evidence to be given, identifying alleged components of a firearm or ammunition as being exactly that. This testimony must come from a person who is duly qualified and who would be deemed an expert by the court. Additionally, the amendment to the Evidence Act increases the category of experts whose certificates or analysis can now be admissible in the court of law. Among the authorities listed in the bill are ballistic and fingerprint experts, and the analysis or certificate of scientific officers who are attached to the Guyana Forensic Laboratory.

“So far as these certificates touch and concern firearms, ammunition and explosives, we have requested from this very organisation, UNLIREC, assistance to train our personnel in the field of ballistics, fingerprints and any other area of activity which may be relevant in helping the state to establish a case of possession of firearms and ammunition and or explosives or any criminal offence which involves the use of firearms and ammunition and or explosives,” Minister Nandlall said.

tuesday, january 21, 2014

Region 10 budgets $197M for public works

The Region 10

Democratic Council (RDC) will be embarking on a move to have its objectives for 2014 implemented shortly, according to Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon.

He said the region’s public works budget of $197 million will focus mainly on areas such as roads, bridges and drainage and irrigation. Other areas budgeted for include health and education.

As opposed to the 2012 and 2013 programmes, which, he noted, focused on empowering and educating communities, Solomon said this will be the year for implementation. He noted that the council remains concerned over the poor quality of work carried out by contractors in riverine areas of the region such as Kwakwani, Ituni, and Aroaima.

Poor infrastructural works executed at Phase Three Amelia’s Ward is also a particular area of concern that will be given much attention, the regional chairman related. He added that the RDC is prepared to ensure that Amerindian communities within its jurisdiction are given the necessary attention.

He said the shaping of

this year’s budget was based on consultations held with various communities. It will include more infrastructural works and will also focus more on agriculture and welfare, according to Solomon.

“The mandate outlined for 2014 is implementation, that is the objective of the Region 10 Democratic Council... it is expected that all the policies and initiatives that were approached in 2012 and 2013 are implemented. Those approaches will include the August 21 agreement – the council remains firm and committed on that, the aspects of the agreement, to ensure that

the people of Region 10 receive a television station, as well as the advancement of an economic programme that will ensure that people are given a chance at development which will improve their lives,” he noted.

Acknowledging that more works could have been executed last year, if more attention was given to delinquent contractors, he noted that this year the RDC will be paying more attention. It will also be looking into areas of concern for some, who complained that they are not being paid fairly. Solomon emphasised that the regional administration intends to impose penalties on contractors who do not measure up to quality standards.

“The four areas that were recognised as reasons for work not being executed are... late releases by central government, delinquent contractors, the rate of payment by the administration to contractors and... central government not releasing the contracts directly under the administration,” he said.

An economic drive for local businesses within the region is also on the RDC’s agenda for 2014. The drive, Solomon stated, is expected to create employment for approximately 300 persons.

Global unemployment reached 202 million in 2013

The weak global economic recovery has failed to lead to an improvement in global labour markets, with global unemployment in 2013 reaching almost 202 million, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said in a new report.

The Global Employment Trends 2014 report said employment growth remains weak, unemployment continues to rise, especially among young people, and large numbers of discouraged potential workers are still outside the labour market.

Profits are being made in many sectors, but those are mainly going into as set markets and not the real economy, dam aging long-term employment prospects.

On current trends, an additional 200 million jobs will be created by 2018. This is less than what is required to absorb the growing number of new en trants in to the labour market.

“What is urgently needed is a policy re-think. Stronger efforts are needed to accelerate employment creation and to support enterprises that create jobs,” said ILO Director General Guy Ryder.

In developing countries, informal employment remains widespread, and the pace of improvements in job quality is slowing down. That means fewer people are moving out of working poverty. In 2013, the number of workers in extreme poverty – living on less than US$1.25 a day – declined by only 2.7 per cent globally, one of the lowest rates over the past decade, with the exception of the immediate crisis years.

The report stressed the pressing need to integrate young people into the labour force. At present, some 74.5 million men and women under the age of 25 are unemployed, a global youth unemployment rate of over 13 per cent – over two times more than the overall global unemployment rate.

LIAT sends condolences to Trans Guyana Airways

LIAT has conveyed condolences and support to a Guyanese carrier which suffered a fatal crash of one of its planes over the weekend.

In a message on behalf of the board of directors, management and staff of LIAT, acting Chief Executive Officer Julie Reifer-Jones said she “receives with deep regret the news of the death of two people following the crash of a Trans Guyana plane on Saturday, January 18, 2014.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the captain and his lone passenger who both perished in the crash,” Reifer-Jones said.

Calls made for nomination for 2014 Red

UNAIDS and civil society partners, in collaboration with the organisers of the XX International AIDS Conference have jointly announce a global call for nominations for the 2014 Red Ribbon Award.

According to a release, the award, which will be presented at the XX International AIDS Conference in July 2014 in Melbourne, Australia, honours community-based organisations for their contributions to the response to the AIDS epidemic.

Winning a Red Ribbon Award is highly coveted by community organisations around the world. In 2012, more than 1400 nominations were received. The award not only brings a deserved spotlight on the

Ribbon Award

most inspiring and innovative community responses, it also highlights the crucial importance of the community response to HIV and helps communities advocate for their involvement in the response to HIV with local, national and global leaders and decision-makers.

The biennial award will be given to 10 organisations that have shown outstanding community leadership and action on HIV. The five award categories are: Prevention of sexual transmission; prevention among and by people who use drugs; treatment, care and support; advocacy and human rights; and stopping new HIV infections among children and keeping mothers alive.

Each recipient of the award will receive

US$10,000. Representatives of each winning body will present the work of their organisation, their priorities, the challenges they face and their approaches to community engagement at the XX International AIDS Conference from July 2025 in Melbourne, Australia, where the Red Ribbon Awards will be presented. Nominations will be accepted from December 1, 2013 through January 31. Submit nominations on-line at www.redribbonaward. org, where further information can be found.

Community-based organisations (CBOs) working to halt and reverse the spread of HIV are encouraged to apply. The Red Ribbon Award 2014 is funded by The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and Irish AID.

Tax revenues continue to rise in Latin America

Global recovery in labour markets is being held back by a deficit of aggregate demand.

In many developed economies, harsh reductions in public spending and hikes in income and consumption taxes weigh heavily on private businesses and households.

In addition, a lack of policy coordination between monetary and fiscal policies has substantially increased labour market uncertainty, with employers often reluctant to hire or make long-term investments.

Unemployment has lengthened considerably, in some countries such as Spain and Greece, jobseekers need twice as much time before landing a new job than before the crisis. And, more and more of those potential workers are discouraged and remain outside the labour force, leading to skills degradation and obsolescence, and rising long-term unemployment, said Ekkehard Ernst, the main author of the report.

Tax revenues in Latin American countries continue to rise but are lower as a proportion of their national incomes than in most OECD countries.

The publication Revenue Statistics in Latin America 1990-2012 (third edition) shows that the average tax revenue to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio in the 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries covered by the report increased steadily from 18.9 per cent in 2009 to 20.7 per cent in 2012, after falling from a high point of 19.5 per cent in 2008.

The report, produced jointly by the InterAmerican Centre of Tax Administrations (CIAT), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the OECD, and launched on Monday during the XXVI Regional Seminar on Fiscal Policy which is being held at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile, shows that the tax to GDP ratio rose

significantly across Latin American and the Caribbean over the past two decades –from 13.9 per cent of GDP in 1990 to 20.7 per cent of GDP in 2012. But the tax to GDP ratio is still 14 percentage points below the OECD average of 34.6 per cent.

Wide national variations exist across Latin American countries. At the upper end are Argentina (37.3 per cent) and Brazil (36.3 per cent), which are both above the OECD average, while at the lower end are Guatemala (12.3 per cent) and The Dominican Republic (13.4 per cent). The corresponding range in OECD countries was from 48 per cent in Denmark to 19.6 per cent in Mexico.

The share of tax revenues collected by local governments in Latin America is small in most countries and has not increased, reflecting the relatively narrow range of taxes under their jurisdictions compared with OECD countries.

A special chapter in the re-

port describes the trends driving revenues from non-renewable natural resources across Latin America. Increased global demand for commodities, especially in large emerging markets, has led to sharp price increases and greater fiscal revenues associated with non-renewable natural resources. While these revenues increased at a faster rate than other government revenues before the crisis, their performance has been roughly three times more volatile than overall tax-to-GDP growth since 2000.

In many Latin American countries, fiscal revenues from non-renewable natural resources continue to be very important as a percentage of total revenues, accounting for more than 30 per cent of the total in Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela.

This implies both a greater benefit from the revenues they generate as well as a higher level of risk due to the dynamics of the global market.

Clinton Williams appointed GGMC chairman

– Vieira confirmed as commissioner

Veteran private sector executive Clinton Williams has been appointed chairman of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) as the commission ramps up its management structure to improve organisational efficiency.

According to a release from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Rickford Vieira has also been confirmed commissioner of the commission.

Challenges

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud said the new appointments will address the challenges facing the mining sector in enhancing its operation.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry also pointed out that there will be a continuous review of the operation of the organisation and other critical appointments will be made shortly.

Clinton Williams, a seasoned private sector executive, is chief executive officer/ director of Guyana National Industrial Company Incorporated, having been with the company since the time of privatisation in 1995.

Prior to that, he served the previous company Guyana National Engineering Corporation in various senior executive roles, ie, executive director, planning and marketing, divisional manager, planning and development and industrial engineer.

Williams is an industrial engineer and holds both first and second degrees in mechanical/industrial engineering. He is a member of a number of international professional associations in the shipping and engineering fraternity and has completed a number of publications, research projects and

Toddler

Atwo-year-old toddler from Moruca, North West District lost his life Sunday evening after he fell into a pond in his parent’s yard and could not come out. Dead is Janai Jawan Lindore.

reports in this capacity, inclusive of a strategic plan for the Shipping Association of Guyana in response to the Caribbean International Development Agency (CIDA) Caribbean Regional HRD Programme for Economic Competitiveness.

He has also completed a number of consultancy assignments for a wide range of industries in Guyana and the wider Caribbean, including the shipping, engineering and manufacturing sectors.

Vast experience

He has a post-graduate certification in project management and vast experience in comparative management systems, energy conservation, project evaluation and preparation, strategic port pricing and private sector partnerships for small and medium size enterprises.

Williams previously served as president and now the trustee of the Shipping Association of Guyana, chairman of the Guyana/ China Business Council, president of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association Limited, senior private sector commission representative and chairman of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, the Board of Industrial Training and the board of the Guyana Forestry Commission.

A professional engineer, Clinton Williams was a member of the team of experts which formulated the National Development Strategy for Guyana, particularly in relation to the strategies for the transportation and manufacturing and engineering sectors.

Vieira holds a master’s of engineering, (mining engineering) 1997 from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and a bachelor of engineering (mining en-

gineering), 1994 from the University of Guyana.

He is also an engineer with extensive experience in project management, production management, field exploration, site rehabilitation, environmental impact assessment, environmental management planning, environmental monitoring, closure and decommissioning plans, feasibility studies, mineral inventory estimation, mineral processing plant design, rehabilitation and re-vegetation of mined out lands, mine plans and a training instructor for mining and environmental studies.

Seasoned hand

He worked at the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) Guianas from 2004-2011 as the regional coordinator, gold mining pollution abatement coordinator with responsibilities for conservation activities for the small scale gold mining sector in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

In addition, he functioned in various capacities at GGMC from 1984 to 2002 then resigned as senior mineral processing engineer 11 after which he worked with environmental management consultants from 2005-2011 as a mining environmental specialist.

Vieira was also an independent environmental consultant for several mining projects in Guyana and Suriname and lectured parttime at the University of Guyana in the Department of Mining.

He has several publications in scientific journals including the Journal of Cleaner Production, the International Journal of Environmental Health Research, and the Health, Safety and Environmental Quarterly.

Prior to Vieira’s confirmation as commissioner, he was deputy commissioner for the period January 2012 to October 2012 and was later appointed commissioner acting in November 2012 until his confirmation to the post of commissioner.

Meanwhile, Minister Persaud remains optimistic that these appointments will continue to build on the record breaking declaration of 481,102 ounces for 2013, surpassing the previous highest level of 455, 918 ounces in 2001; which included the declarations of both Omai and small scale operators.

drowns at Moruca

According to reports reaching Guyana Times, the toddler left his parents house without his mother’s knowledge for the pool and when he reached there, he toppled into it. The body of the toddler was discovered around 16:30h by his parents Mona and Ivor Lindore.

The discovery was made while they were bathing in the said pond.

The child was the smallest of six children. The police visited the scene and have launched an investigation into the matter.

Caricom SG to host social media interaction with youth today

Caricom Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque will host a social media interaction with youth across the regional bloc today between 18:00h and 20:00h. The main topic for discussion will be the Caricom Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP), which was developed to guide national policy, integrated planning and action regarding youth.

The action plan gives effect to the recommendation of the Declaration of Paramaribo on the Future of Youth in the Caribbean Community, complements the implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy, and supports mainstreamed adolescent and youth development for the age group 10-29 years.

The main objective for the social media interaction

is to give the average young person a chance to “interact” with the Caricom secretary general and share their opinions and views, while allowing the secretary general to re-affirm his commitment to the region’s youth. It will also expose young people

across the region to the work of the Caricom secretariat and its organs. The interaction will serve to highlight the progress made by the Caricom secretariat in the area of youth engagement and development and provide updates on the Caricom reform process. The Caricom Secretariat is currently hosting a twoday youth forum on the Caricom Youth Development Action Plan, which ends today. The objectives of the regional youth forum are to develop youth and environment friendly educational materials and a tool kit to support stakeholders in the development and implementation of CYDAP and develop youth-friendly and gender responsive marketing strategies and communication materials to promote the CYDAP.

Attempted murder accused granted bail

Hermon Williams from Kabakaburi was granted bail for attempt to commit murder when he appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Charity Magistrate’s Court.

Bail was granted in the sum of $200,000. The charge stated that on December 23, 2013 while

at Kabakaburi Village, Upper Pomeroon, he inflicted grievous bodily harm to Fazil Light with the intent to commit murder.

On December 27, 2013 Williams appeared before Magistrate Scarce and was remanded to prison on the grounds that the virtual complainant was still hospitalised in a critical state.

The matter was transferred to the Charity Magistrate’s Court. On Monday, Williams was granted bail as the virtual complainant’s condition has improved significantly.

The matter will be called on January 27 for the commencement of the preliminary inquiry.

MARAD distributes hampers to relatives of boat accidents’ victims

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) recently remembered the families of the persons who perished on Guyana’s waterways in 2013, providing them with hampers.

Nine hampers were distributed on January 10 at a special ceremony at the maritime body’s head office at Fort Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

Receiving hampers were June Moses, the widow of Deon Moses, 33, formerly of Norton Street, Wortmanville who died in a boat collision on the Mazaruni River in January 2013; Dawn Glasgow, mother of Adrian Glasgow, 24, of Industry, East Coast Demerara, who

died in September 2013 on the Essequibo River; Shawn Seeram, son of Jewan Seeram, 52, of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, who perished on the Mazaruni River in January 2013; and Joan Yearwood, mother of Kevon Ambrose, 25, of Vergenoegen East Bank Essequibo who also died on the Mazaruni River in January 2013.

In addition, relatives of Captain Dale Duggin, 28, of Paripi, Upper Demerara River, who died in November 2013 in a boat collision, received a hamper on behalf of their family.

Four other persons were also beneficiaries of hampers from MARAD. They are: Swarswati Charran, widow of Zahir Baksh, 34;

Carlton Amsterdam, father of Keanu Amsterdam, 17; Penelope Grimes, widow of Ulric Grimes, 39, all of whom died in January 2013 on the Mazaruni River in a boat collision. Peggy Williams also received a hamper on behalf of the family of Donna Rampersaud, who perished in a boat accident in November 2013 on the Essequibo River. Seventeen persons died in 2013 as a result of boat accidents. MARAD, in its continued effort to curb accidents on the waterways, has embarked on a countrywide safety campaign involving life jackets distribution and a safety awareness programme in all regions of Guyana.

Trinidad beverage company denies involvement in multi-million dollar cocaine bust

The beverage manufacturer, SM Jaleel and Company Limited, Monday sought to distance itself from a multi-million drug bust in the United States insisting that it has had an “unblemished reputation around the world for over 30 years”.

The company has launched a series of media advertisements to clear its name as newspaper reports indicate that investigators from the United States have arrived there to investigate the US$100 million cocaine bust.

“SM Jaleel and Company Limited is Trinidad and Tobago’s number one exporter of non-petro chemical products, employing over 2000 people in Trinidad and the Caribbean.

"Given that SM Jaleel ships over 6000 containers per year, along with the unblemished reputation around the world for over 30 years, SM Jaleel is a natural target,” the advertisements read, insisting that the com-

Investigators estimate the cocaine had a wholesale

of up to US$100 million

pany “did not export the container of juices with cocaine to the USA”.

Last Thursday, Federal officials announced that they had found 732 pounds of cocaine last December 20

concealed in cans of fruit juice at the Port of Norfolk in Virginia.

Investigators estimate the cocaine had a wholesale value of about US$12 million and a street value of up

to US$100 million. Customs and Border Protection Area Port Director Mark J Laria called the seizure a record for a single interdiction in the port of Hampton Roads. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Relations with Trinidad a work in progress – Jamaica's foreign minister

Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister A J Nicholson says relations with Caricom partner Trinidad and Tobago “is a work in progress” following bitter controversy late last year over the deportation of Jamaicans from that country.

Nicholson and his Trinidadian counterpart Winston Dookeran had a hastily arranged high profile meeting in Kingston late November to avert what was being described in some circles as a “trade war”.

Jamaicans had responded angrily – threatening to boycott Trinidadian goods – after 13 Jamaicans were turned back at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad in what was said to be a breach of Caricom rules relating to free movement.

A J Nicholson... “I intend to keep on with my Trinidad counterpart and other foreign ministers within Caricom to make sure that what is to be given at the airports is respect”

Though the meeting between Nicholson and Dookeran reportedly went well, with the two men arriving at a mutually acceptable understanding on the movement of nationals, Dookeran was publicly criticised by a Cabinet colleague on his return home leading to more disquiet.

However, in a question and answer session following a presentation to lay magistrates in Mandeville late Thursday, Nicholson played down the problems.

“In every integration movement, whether it is in Europe and South America or anywhere, you are going to have challenges,” he said. “We could never expect that after that dialogue (with Dookeran) everything was going to be honky dory, but it is a work in progress,” Nicholson said.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Bahamas PM to be inducted onto MLK

International Civil Rights Walk of Fame

Prime Minister Perry

Christie will be the fourth person from The Bahamas to be inducted on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame on Friday, January 24 at the Martin Luther King, Jr National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia. He will also attend the Trumpet Awards the following night.

Bahamians already honoured at the centre include the ‘Father of the Nation’ and first prime minister, the late Sir Lyden Pindling,

clergyman Neil Ellis and pioneering actor Sir Sidney Poitier, who also serves as ambassador to Japan for The Bahamas. Confirmed to attend the ceremony will be Bahamian tourism minister, Obie Wilchcombe, and investments minister, Khaalis Rolle.

Christie will be one of 10 new inductees to have their footprints immortalised at the site, which was created in 2004 by Xernona Clayton, founder and executive producer of the legendary

Trumpet Awards. The walk recognises “the foot soldiers of justice who sacrificed and struggled to make equality a reality for all”.

Clayton stated: “This walk of fame tells a phenomenal story about the legacy of this nation. It is a permanent testimony to those who have dedicated themselves to progress of our people and to this nation. Many of the shoes we use in the display remain on exhibition within the Visitors Centre for those who visit the King Complex.”

More Jamaicans need to get into volunteerism – PM

rime Minister Portia

PSimpson Miller has urged more Jamaicans to get into the habit of volunteerism, arguing that each citizen has a social responsibility to contribute to the country’s development and prosperity.

The prime minister said that while it is the government’s responsibility to address the needs and problems of the nation, the citizens, too, have a major role to play.

“It is not just the responsibility of a government; it is also the responsibility of all the people to get it right in this country,” Simpson Miller declared at the 10th anniversary launch of Digicel Foundation at Stella Maris Foundation in Grants Pen, St Andrew.

“I call on all Jamaicans

to give something back and to reach out to someone,” she said. “Let us all unite –government, corporate entities, and as a people – in one giant campaign to bring out the extraordinary in all of us as a people.”

“It is also critical, at this stage of our nation’s development, to encourage a renewed national initiative that promotes volunteerism, even as we thank thousands of volunteers who give of themselves selflessly daily across Jamaica,” Simpson Miller added.

She also used the occasion to call on all Jamaicans to unite in the fight against crime. The government, she said, has a duty to assist and to push programmes that deal with crime, but there is a need for all Jamaicans to come together. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Mexico: Knights Templar "leader" captured in Michoacan

Mexican security forces have arrested three members of the Knights Templar drug cartel in the violencehit state of Michoacan, officials say. Jesus Vasquez Macias, 37, whom officials described as a leading figure in the gang, was captured on Sunday.

Hundreds of troops have recently been deployed to restore order after groups of vigilantes clashed with the gang. The vigilantes accuse the government of not doing enough to protect locals from extortion and violence.

Many members of the socalled self-defence groups are refusing to heed the government’s call to disarm. Vasquez Macias, also known as “El Toro”, was arrested along with two other men and charged with offences

related to organised crime, a National Public Security System spokesman said. The three were detained in the port city of Lazaro Cardenas, Monte Rubido said. However, vigilante groups say Vazquez Macias is a top hit-man not a cartel leader.

The self-defence groups will applaud the federal government’s work in Michoacan only after the cartel’s top leaders are arrested, spokesman Estanislao Beltran told the Associated Press news agency.

Large areas of the western state have been under the control of the Knights Templar cartel. However, earlier this month, vigilante groups began occupying much of the gang’s key footholds. (Excerpt from BBC News)

High crime rate hampering Caribbean economic development – UN

AUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report on the region has found that high levels of violent crime are hindering development in the Caribbean.

The report notes that 8.5 per cent of the global population resides in Latin America and the Caribbean and yet 27 per cent of the world murders take place in the region.

The report is critical of what it termed the hardline “Iron Fist” policies of

Caribbean countries to deal with crime, describing them as “short-sighted... policies, which have proven ineffective and, at times, detrimental to the rule of law”.

The report released last week, notes that cracking down hard on criminals is not enough if corruption within the police is seen to be an issue and they are not seen as a “legitimate” force.

Challenges facing the justice system include improving police performance and effectiveness; eradicating corruption and promot-

ing legitimacy; and stamping out abuses of power in order to build legitimacy and protect human rights.

The Caribbean Human Development Report (HDR) 2012: Human Development and the Shift to Better Citizen Security, commissioned by the UNDP as the first HDR on the Caribbean, analyses the impact of insecurity and violence on human development, within the development context of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Syrian opposition issues ultimatum over talks

Syrian peace talks could collapse before they even start, with the main opposition coalition bloc issuing a deadline for the withdrawal of Iran’s invitation to the talks.

The Syrian National Coalition, a key player in the so-called Geneva II meeting, set to start on Wednesday, had given a deadline of Monday night for Tehran’s invitation to be rescinded. It is furious about the United Nations’ overtures to Iran, which is an ally of President Bashar al-Assad.

Anas Abdah, a member of the coalition’s political committee, told Reuters: “We are giving a deadline of 19:00 GMT for the invitation to be withdrawn.”

/withdraw its invitation to Iran. Otherwise, the Syrian Coalition will not be able to attend the Geneva II conference,” said the statement.

Earlier on Monday, Abdah told Al Jazeera by phone that the bloc was “surprised” by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s invitation, saying: “It is illogical and we cannot in any way accept it.”

Ban said Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had promised his country would play a “positive and constructive role” if it were asked to participate.

Around the world

CAR elects mayor as new

Bangui mayor Catherine SambaPanza, 59, has been elected interim president of the Central African Republic, making her the first woman to hold the post.

She beat her rival Desire Kolingba in the second round of voting by the interim parliament.

Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers agreed at a meeting on Monday to send troops to CAR, diplomatic sources said.

Violence has continued, with two Muslim men killed and burnt in the capital Bangui on Sunday.

leader

Seleka – they should not have fear. I don’t want to hear any more talk of murders and killings,’’ she said, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Cheers broke out in the National Transitional Council, which serves as an interim parliament, when Samba-Panza’s victory was announced.

“Starting today, I am the president of all Central Africans, without exclusion,” she is quoted by AFP news agency as saying.

“In case of failure to obtain the pledge, we ask the SG Ban Ki-Moon to rescind

A statement issued by the coalition demanded a “clear public commitment” from Iran to pledge a withdrawal of all its troops and militias from Syria, explicit support for all the terms in the Geneva I communiqué and a positive commitment to Geneva II.

“He has assured me that, like all the other countries invited to the opening-day discussions in Montreux, Iran understands that the basis of the talks is the full implementation of the June 30, 2012, Geneva communiqué,” he said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Nearly a million people have been forced from their homes – 20 per cent of the population – by the conflict between Muslims and Christians.

In her victory speech, Samba-Panza urged Christian militias, known as anti-balaka, and Muslim fighters in the exSeleka rebel movement to end the bloodshed.

Credit card details on 20 million South Koreans stolen

Credit card details from almost half of all South Koreans have been stolen and sold to marketing firms.

The data was stolen by a

Ukraine

computer contractor working for a company called the Korea Credit Bureau that produces credit scores.

The names, social security numbers and credit card

details of 20 million South Koreans were copied by the IT worker.

The scale of the theft became apparent after the contractor at the centre of the breach was arrested. Managers at the marketing firms which allegedly bought the data were also arrested.

Early reports suggest that the contractor got hold of the giant trove of data thanks to the access Korea Credit Bureau enjoys to databases run by three big South Korean credit card firms. The contractor stole the data by copying it to a USB stick.

Regulators are now looking into security measures at the three firms – KB Kookmin Card, Lotte Card,

and NH Nonghyup Card – to ensure data stays safe. A task force has been set up to investigate the impact of the theft.

The three bosses of the credit card firms involved made a public apology for the breach.

In a statement the Financial Services Commission, Korea’s national financial regulator, said: “The credit card firms will cover any financial losses caused to their customers due to the latest accident.”

Another official at the FSC said the data was easy to steal because it was unencrypted and the credit card firms did not know it had been copied until investigators told them about the theft. (Excerpt from BBC News)

opposition calls for talks, bruised Kiev picks up

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich named a top aide to organise peace talks with the opposition after violent clashes between police and protesters in Kiev, but the opposition warned him on Monday not to play for time.

Yanukovich, facing unrest which seriously threatens his re-election chances in 2015, agreed to open a di-

pieces

alogue with the opposition after scores were injured in Sunday’s clashes, the worst in two months of protests over his policy U-turn away from Europe towards Russia.

With tension still high, about 1000 protesters confronted police on Monday near Kiev’s main government headquarters and hurled projectiles. Ukraine’s general prosecutor called on opposi-

tion leaders to order them to desist.

Streets nearby were littered with bricks and debris, including burned-out buses and trucks from Sunday’s mayhem in which protesters bombarded police with fireworks, flares and later petrol bombs. Police replied with rubber bullets, stun grenades and water cannon.

Yanukovich’s apparent

concession came after the violence and a rally attended by more than 100,000 people in Kiev.

The rally – held in defiance of a court ban – was called to denounce his rejection of a European future for Ukraine and the introduction of sweeping new laws which the opposition says will usher in a police state. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Iran curbs uranium enrichment

Iran has begun curbing uranium enrichment under a deal which will also see international sanctions eased, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

Earlier, centrifuges used for enrichment were disconnected at the Natanz plant, Iranian TV reported.

The move is part of a sixmonth nuclear deal reached with the U.S., Russia, China

and European powers last November.

The U.S. and the EU have now responded by lifting some of their sanctions against Iran. The suspension of sanctions for six months clears the way for Iran to resume petrochemical and other exports, worth billions to its economy.

U.S. estimates suggest the relief could be worth some US$7 billion to Iran. The eas-

ing of EU sanctions is expected to come into effect by the end of Monday.

“This is an important day in our pursuit of ensuring that Iran has an exclusively peaceful nuclear programme,” EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters in Brussels ahead of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting.

“The sanctions iceberg against Iran is melting,” the

head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said earlier as he announced a halt to uranium enrichment at the Natanz plant.

The IAEA confirmed that, as of Monday, Iran had ceased enriching uranium above five per cent purity at the Nantaz and Fordo facilities, according to a confidential report by its inspectors obtained by the BBC. (Excerpt from BBC News)

“I call on my children, especially the anti-balaka, to put down their arms and stop all the fighting. The same goes for the ex-

Samba-Panza succeeds CAR’s first Muslim leader Michel Djotodia, who resigned on January 10 under pressure from regional leaders and the former colonial power, France, over his failure to curb the conflict. She is a Christian but the successful businesswoman is seen as politically neutral. (Excerpt from BBC News)

UK mother charged with son’s murder

The mother of murdered three-year-old Mikaeel Kular has appeared in court charged with his murder.

Rosdeep Kular, 33, appeared in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, charged under her married name of Adekoya.

She is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. She made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody. Mikaeel was reported missing from his home in Edinburgh last Thursday, prompting a major search.

His body was found 20 miles away in Kirkcaldy, Fife, late on Friday. The case was continued for further examination, with another court appearance expected on January 28. (BBC News)

Cosmic “web” seen for first time

The hidden tendrils of dark matter that underlie the visible universe may have been traced out for the first time.

Cosmology theory predicts that galaxies are embedded in a cosmic web of “stuff”, most of which is dark matter.

Astronomers obtained the first direct images of a part of this network, by exploiting the fact that a luminous object called a quasar can act as a natural “cosmic flashlight”.

Details of the work appear in the journal Nature. And the glowing gas appears to trace out filaments of underlying dark matter.

The quasar, which lies 10 billion light-years away, shines light in just the right direction to reveal the cold gas cloud.

For some years, cosmologists have been running computer simulations of the

structure of the universe to build the “standard model of cosmology”.

They use the cosmic microwave background, corresponding to observations of the very earliest Universe that can be seen, and recorded by instruments such as the Planck space observatory, as a starting point. Their calculations suggest that as the universe grows and forms, matter becomes clustered in filaments and nodes under the force of gravity, like a giant cosmic web. The new results from the 10-metre Keck telescope in Hawaii, are reported by scientists from the University of California, Santa Cruz and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg.

They are the first direct observations of cold gas decorating such cosmic web filaments. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Jamaican consumers handed more than J$2 billion over to banks by swiping their debit cards last year, according to Sunday Finance calculations.

What’s more, while the average number of transactions at automated banking machines (ABMs) and point of sale each month have grown by 29 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively, since 2010, e-banking fees have climbed considerably in many instances.

Richard Powell, Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) president and CEO, said that “some debit card users may be paying upwards of J$2000 of their hard earned money in ATM and point of sale fees each month”.

“This is money that could be going towards their children’s education or saving for the deposit on a house,” he said in a press release last week.

An interim report on fees

and charges of deposit-taking institutions (DTIs) submitted to parliament by the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) last week confirmed public suspicion that bank fees were rising and becoming more important to financial institutions.

The central bank estimated that commercial banks made 23.5 per cent of their revenue, or J$18.6 billion from fees in 2013, compared to J$13.5 billion, or 18.3 per cent of revenue in 2010. (Jamaica Observer)

Asia

Caribbean Middle East

China economic growth rate stabilises at 7.7 per cent

China’s economy, the world’s second-largest, has shown signs of stabilising, as 2013’s growth rate matched that for 2012, official data suggests. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 7.7 per cent in the October-to-December period, down from 7.8 per cent in the previous quarter.

But it was still higher than the government’s target rate of 7.5 per cent. China is trying to maintain strong

North America

Ford’s "quality"

push comes at busy time for automaker

Ford Motor Co is betting that the tight bond between two of its senior executives can help the automaker prevent quality missteps from derailing its busiest-ever year for launching new vehicles.

Joe Hinrichs, head of North and South American operations, and Raj Nair, Ford’s global product development chief, are two of the key players in what has been an all-out push to stamp out

problems that have dogged the automaker in the last few years. At stake are Ford’s credibility and profitability as it embarks on an ambitious plan to introduce 23 new vehicles – the most in one year in company history – around the world this year.

These include a radical revamp of its most profitable vehicle, the top-selling F-150 pickup truck, which was unveiled at the Detroit auto show last week. The new ver-

sion uses less steel and more aluminium.

“We have a lot more new products and a lot more new launches than we used to have,” Hinrichs said in interview on the sidelines of the auto show. “We know how important these launches are.”

In the last few years, Ford has tumbled in key reliability surveys due to problems with its touch-screen dashboard system and some of its transmissions. (Reuters)

growth while rebalancing its economy.

China has said it wants to move away from an investment-led growth model to one driven by domestic consumption. “It’s very much within the range of what the government was aiming for,” David Wilder, head of the Beijing bureau of Market News International, a financial information provider, told the BBC.

“The fact is that the Chinese economy mustn’t and

can’t grow at the double digit rates we’re used to seeing. And in some regards slower growth is actually encouraging because it suggests that it’s moving to a more sustainable pace.”

Li Huiyong, an economist with Shenyin & Wanguo Securities in Shanghai, said:

“We maintain our 2014 GDP growth forecast of 7.5 per cent as we still need to be on guard for the risks from debt problems in the economy.” (BBC News)

Dubai starts work on huge resort on the world islands

Aproperty developer has started building a huge resort complex on a man-made archipelago off Dubai’s coast as the emirate revives tourism and real estate projects suspended after its property market crash in 2008.

The “Heart of Europe” project, a complex of luxury hotels and villas stretching across six small islands, is expected to be completed at the end of 2016, the Kleindienst

South America Europe

German car industry rocked by vote-rigging in auto prize

Germany’s ADAC car club, Europe’s largest and most influential, said on Monday revelations it had falsified results of its annual car award struck at the core of its credibility and critics raised questions about its car safety tests. Volkswagen said it was considering giving back the award. ADAC communications director Michael Ramstetter resigned in disgrace after conceding he manipulated the results of the car club’s coveted “Yellow Angel”

award for Germany’s favourite car, which was won last week by the Volkswagen Golf model.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us to repair the tarnished reputation,” said ADAC managing director Karl Obermair, who called Ramstetter’s actions “an inexcusable mistake”.

“We’re very sorry,” added Obermair, personally humiliated himself after he initially scolded the media for reporting doubts about ADAC’s votecounting. “This strikes at the very core of our existence. Our

goal is to restore our credibility.”

ADAC has over 18 million members. Its Yellow Angel award can give a fillip to sales in a competitive domestic market. ADAC conceded that Ramstetter, the editor of ADAC’s popular “ADAC Motorwelt” magazine that calls itself Europe’s biggest monthly with 18 million readers, massively inflated the results of votes, saying 34,299 motorists had voted for the Golf as Germany’s favourite car when it had only been 3409 votes. (Reuters)

Group said on Monday.

Lying about five kilometres (3.1 miles) off mainland Dubai in the Gulf, it will feature classic Italian, Spanish and German architecture as well as landscaped gardens and streets that in some cases will be lined with artificial snow, the company said.

Kleindienst, an international developer based in Dubai, declined to reveal how much the project would cost or how it would be funded, say-

ing an announcement on this would be made next month. Local press reports have put the cost at over US$800 million.

The 60-square-km archipelago, comprising over 200 islands laid out in the shape of a world map, was created from millions of tonnes of sand and rock. It was completed in 2008 as a way to expand Dubai’s supply of beachfront property. Gulf Business)

Argentina to make debt offer to Paris Club

Argentina will make an offer to members of the Paris Club on Monday to renegotiate the terms of some US$9.5 billion of debt it still owes to the group of creditor nations, an Argentine source said.

Talks on the debt, which Argentina stopped servicing as part of its massive default in 2002, have been stalled for years. Paris Club members Germany and Japan between them hold about 60 per cent of the outstanding amount.

With Buenos Aires signaling it wants to settle disputes with its creditors, Paris Club members have been eager to get a concrete proposal for the debt to be repaid over a period of time to be determined in negotiations.

“We will make an offer,” the Argentine source told Reuters before a meeting between the delegation led by Economy Minister Axel Kicillof with Paris Club officials in the French capital.

Speaking in Buenos Ares,

Cabinet chief Jore Capitanich told reporters that the negotiation would have to respect Argentina’s national interests and ability to pay.

“This is the basic condition for negotiation the country has, and that is the position the minister Axel Kicillof will establish,” he said. Capitanich added that Argentina’s debt payments would reach US$5.5 billion this fiscal year and slightly more next year before the burden eases in the years from 2016 to 2019. (Reuters)

Every small business needs to account by law for the profit or loss that it makes over time. Not only is this valuable information for the business owner, but such accounting is required in order for the business to be able to report that information to the appropriate tax authority in its locale. Furthermore, many small business owners prefer to keep their attention on running and building their business, rather than on accounting practices. Nevertheless, the importance of establishing and maintaining sound basic accounting practices cannot be overemphasised to make sure that the business is performing in a fi-

nancially desirable way.

Basic accounting record keeping

One of the most important accounting practices needed when starting a business consists of keeping accurate records about how the business is doing financially over time. The three primary types of record keeping that are typically used in small businesses consist of:

Journals

These are the original books of entry that can be updated by just about anyone with basic record keeping skills. Journals can be used to keep track of such things as payroll payments to employ-

ees, sales receipts generated when products are sold, bank deposits and withdrawals, and purchases made by the business. Journal totals are posted to the General Ledger, while each entry will be posted to the relevant Subsidiary Ledger.

Subsidiary Ledgers

These are books kept for analysis purposes that usually contain account records in greater detail. Subsidiary ledgers might include such information as: accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll data, and financial information about jobs that are currently in progress or are in the process of being billed for.

(Business Dictionary)

Martin Luther King

Jr Remembered

The world, particularly the United States, on Monday remembered and honoured civil rights icon Reverend Martin Luther King Jr for the change he precipitated in America in destroying legalised racism, inspiring countless others to fight oppression in their corner of the globe,

On the national holiday in the U.S. in his honour, many remembered his sacrifices for the civil rights movement, and served others in his memory.

His life’s work has also been honoured with as a memorial on Independence Mall in Washington – the site of his famed “I Have A Dream” speech, and schools and public buildings have been named after him.

Charismatic leader

Because of the accolades he received after his martyrdom, King is often viewed as a charismatic leader who was responsible for the success of the campaign for civil rights reform.

But many forget his international outlook, including protest of the war in Vietnam. And history reveals that before he was a civil rights leader he was, first, a preacher, committed to social and economic

justice.

In Nevada, in what many would consider a fitting tribute, an interfaith community memorial service was held, which began with Sanskrit mantras.

Distinguished Hindu leader Rajan Zed delivered the invocation from ancient Hindu scriptures – Rig-Veda, Brahadaranyakopanishad, Bhagavad-Gita, Taittiriya Upanishad – reading in Sanskrit and then translating into English.

In his address on the occasion, Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, Dr King paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as one of the important sources of his own values and adapted Gandhi’s idea of civil disobedience to the civil rights movement.

Benjamin Holden, director of the Reynolds National Centre for Courts and Media, was the keynote speaker. Other speakers included International Community of Christ Bishop Gene Savoy Junior, Second Baptist Church Pastor Michael L Randle, Verita Black Prothro, Mary Cooper, Spanish Springs Presbyterian Church Pastor Howard Dotson, and Trinity Episcopal Church Deacon Patsy Pumphrey. The event was perme-

ated by music: from the congregational hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to the musical selection “Medley” performed by Power of Love and directed by Leon W Smith.The Second Baptist Church choir, directed by Jesse Hall, was in full flow, while Jim Eaglesmith delivered the African chant “My Whole Self is Well” and the Spirit Singers performed “MLK” and “Join Together”.

Reverend Onie Cooper Humanitarian Awards were presented on the occasion to Evelyn Mount and Nevada for the Common Good.

“I have a dream”

Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to Martin and Alberta Williams King. His father was a Baptist and his mother, a schoolteacher. He entered Morehouse College in 1944, and was ordained in his last semester in 1948.

He then undertook postgraduate study first at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and then, in 1951, at Boston University’s School of Theology, winning his doctorate in 1955. It was in Boston that he met Coretta Scott, whom he married in 1953.

In 1954, he became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where Rosa Parks was famously arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus.

After Parks’ arrest, King came to national prominence in the U.S in the civil rights movement.

“It was thrust upon him in many respects,” says John A Kirk, Chair of History at the University of Arkansas. “In 1955-56 he came to prominence. He didn’t seek out leadership. They needed a leader... King was a neutral choice. He was young and new to town and wasn’t a threat.”

In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. That same year, a significant step forward was made with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act followed in 1965, removing many of the barriers which had ensured African Americans could be disenfranchised in some states.

King continued to fight for civil rights movement, shifting his attention to the North. But on April 3, 1968, he was shot dead on his hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, preparing for a march in support of striking sanitation workers.

“Fit It” winners awarded

The “Fit It” weight loss and healthy living television reality show had its finale Monday evening at the Duke Lodge, Kingston.

More than a total of 200 pounds were lost by participants in show over the three months of shooting.

This is according to the show’s host, Jasmin Harris. She added that in excess of 400 persons had initially signed up for the competition, but only half of them completed the programme.

The reality show, which was developed by the Health Ministry, under its “Weight No More” campaign, was launched last September. Several gyms

and fitness advocates were pivotal in the success of the project.

Addressing the gathering at the ceremony, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud said he was elated at what the project has achieved. He added that he looks forward to the show becoming an even bigger venture this year, as provisions were made in the ministry’s budget to facilitate such.

He revealed that at first, he was hesitant about the project, but its stellar success has eradicated his doubts. Persaud also encouraged persons to get fit and live a healthy lifestyle, adding that several non-

communicable diseases are developed as a result of unhealthy lifestyles.

Fashion designer Sonia Noel, who helped sponsor the TV show, said she was happy with what the team managed to accomplish in such a short period of time, disclosing that she herself felt like she was a part of the regimen.

The top losers of the show were:

Shawn Davis – 22.66

pounds

Kevin Reddy – 20.4

pounds

Cindy Bullen – 18.92

pounds

Merlyn Pereira – 15 pounds

The winners were pre-

ANorth Ruimveldt resident was on Monday remanded to court after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Thirty-seven-year-old Trevor Packs pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on January 17 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, he had in his possession 4.090 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Police Prosecutor

Michael Grant told the court that on the day in question, the defendant was seen at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport acting in a suspicious manner. He was approached by CANU ranks and searched. They found the illegal substance

sented with prizes ranging from an oral scaling and polishing, compliments of Jagan Dental Centre, custom-made outfits from the Guyana Fashion Weekend, compliments of Sonia Noel, to a LIAT Caribbean Destination trip and trips to Baganara Island Resort. Meanwhile, reigning Road March Queen Vanilla, who is also a fitness instructor, took to the floor advocating for fit, healthy lifestyles, as she premiered her new single “Yadda Yadda”, her entry for this year’s Carib Soca Monarch Competition. The catchy hook of the bassfilled track did not fail to entertain those gathered.

in his suitcase. He was told of the offence and was arrested. He added that the defendant confessed to being the owner of the substance after he was interrogated.

Attorney James Bond who represented the accused told the court that when he went to police headquarters, Eve Leary, he was denied the fundamental right of seeing his client. Instead, he had to wait until his client was interrogated by a sergeant (who he named) before he was allowed to see his client. He added that his client is a vendor and has a wife and three children who depend solely on him for financial support.

After having his application for bail denied, Bond asked for an early date for statements. Packs is to return to the Providence Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Vendor remanded for possession of cocaine Independence Boulevard man on

bail for armed robbery

Christopher Gonsalves, 22, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry charged with armed robbery.

Gonsalves of 291 Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on January 15 at Robb Street, Lacytown, Georgetown, he robbed Shawn Persaud of one gold chain valued $100,000.

Police Prosecutor Michael Grant told the court that on the day of the robbery, Persaud was walking along Robb Street with his wife when a CG motorcycle rode up alongside them with Gonsalves being the pillion rider of the said motorcycle. Gonsalves took out an ice pick and stabbed Persaud, they then proceeded to relieve him of his gold chain. A report was made at the police station and

subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Gonsalves.

Attorney James Bond who appeared on behalf of the defendant, told the court that his client was involved in a gun assault last year which resulted in him being incapable of bending his leg; hence he would not have been able to sit on a motorcycle or run as the police indicated in their facts.

In his objection to bail, the prosecutor told the court that Gonsalves is a known criminal element. He added that the defendant was previously charged on several occasions.

This claim was vehemently denied by the accused. He was adamant that he was never involved in any criminal activities nor charged and brought before the courts.

Magistrate SewnarineBeharry placed the man on $150,000 bail and ordered him to return to court on February 7.

SUDOKU

Focus on what you wish to accomplish, and get things moving promptly. Disputes will escalate later in the day, so start moving forward with your agenda.

By Bernice Bede Osol

(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

If you stay informed and talk your way through complications, you’ll be able to find solutions to whatever you face. Changes to your home will be beneficial.

Heed the advice of others and you will discover all sorts of salient details. Catch up on your emails. A relationship can thrive if you put in the hours.

Learn from experience, especially when there is money involved. You can improve your financial future if you take a direction that you’ve wanted to pursue for some time.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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

If you are feeling rundown, allow yourself some time to rejuvenate. You can start a business partnership with a person who will add value to a project. Take care of yourself.

(March 21-April 19)

Don’t be overcome by fits of anger. Focus on accomplishing reasonable things that will lead to personal satisfaction. It’s a good day to check things off your list.

(April 20-May 20)

You’ll have momentum and should be able to complete your agenda. Creativity will lead to all sorts of interesting new projects. Love is on the rise.

(May 21June 20)

You may need to walk on eggshells, or you could end up in an argument with someone at home. Hold off on talks until late in the day to increase the likelihood of a more favourable outcome.

If you refuse to compromise, you will jeopardise a partnership. You may want to take on fewer projects. It’s preferable to do one thing well than it is to do many things poorly.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

If you act fast and avoid procrastinating, you’ll find success. Investments could shape the year ahead for you. Indecision will be your worst enemy.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Someone is likely to enchant you today. Relationships can become magical, intense and exciting. Open communication is what will seal a deal.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Embellishing the truth will get you into trouble, so be honest. Lies will come back to haunt you. Do what you can to dispel any clouds hanging over your head.

YELLOW PAGES

tuesday, January 21, 2014

Dentures provided in 72 hours from as low as $4500. Contact Dr B Stuart, 209B Charlotte St, Lacytown. Tel:

Two storey wooden building. Bayroot. Phone: 687-5653

Driving School

EDUCATION

Music is fun! Register now and learn to play the Keyboard, Guitar, Drums and do Voice Training. Call Foundation 7 on 225-1151/617-4200.

Are you suffering from abnormal behaviors, addictions, stresses, or psychosomatic sickness? Feeling suicidal, low self-esteem, loneliness, unloved, anger, conflicts and relationship problems? For appointments call 592-621-0552 from12:00-18:00h Email: healthworldhc@gmail.com

immigration forms, embassy enquiries, appeals for refused cases, US green card lottery, business class waivers, pardons, etc. Get your visa approved. High success rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates. Certified Immigration Consultants, 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts) Tel: 225-1540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca

Land for sale ½ Acre residential at Yarrowkabra EBD Call 611-1018.

Muhammad was sent by Allah to the entire creation – Maulana Dr Waffie

Mohammed

EXECUTIVE 2 STOREY BUILDING; 3 BEDROOMS WITH ALL MODERN CONVENIENCES. MEADOW BROOK GARDENS. CONTACT MR. NARINE ON 696-8230

Versailles, WBD: almost brand new five-bedroom house for sale, master room & all rooms self-contained with A/Cs & fans, open concept kitchen/dining/living room, large pantry, office/library room and powder room. Beautiful landscape and wrap around patio. Priced to sell - $75M. Phone: 592-624-8704, 592-684-9203, 592-220-7809.

Get your home or business spiritually clean to enhance good luck and prosperity. Telephone: 687-5653

Suriname Astrology Palmist and Djuka Healing, the most powerful spiritualist in the world, are you suffering from the following problems (any religion) love, marriage, family, health business, husband and wife relationship, property, court, children, promotion, visa, pregnancy, education, depression, job, sexual, jealousy, enemy, money, drinking ? Also you can have all evil forces destroyed such as black magic, witchcraft, voodoo, obeyah etc and give powerful protection. We also do upliftment for clearing of land, dredging operations strictly in the interior. For private and confidential service call 674-2112.

Dutch Spiritual work. Unite lovers, get rid of evil, enhance prosperity, good luck baths and charm bowu guards, etc. Phone: 220-0708, 6126417, 687-5653

Cleansing of spiritual problems of all kinds. Powerful Ifá protection against evil. Get help to overcome problems with love, relationships, legal, sexual, pregnancy, business, sickness, jobs, enemies, work, money. Call 592-690-1824 from 10:0016:00h Email:anew-life@live.com

JUST ARRIVED: TOP QUALITY RECONDITIONED VEHICLES; TOYOTA PREMIO; TOYOTA ALLION ; TOYOTA COROLLA AXIO; TOYOTA NOAH; SUZUKI SWIFT; MERCEDES BENZ C200 COMPRESSOR; BMW 318I; COROLLA AE100 WAGON; HONDA CRV; LAND CRUISER( FULLY LOADED); MAZDA PROCEED; TOYOTA HILUX AWD EXTRA CAB PICKUPS- 3 RZ, 5L, SOLID DIFFERNTIAL; MITSUBISHI CANTER TRUCKS 3,3.5 TONS OPEN TRAY; 2 TONS 4WD; 3 TON DUMP TRUCK; NISSAN ATLAS 2 TON TRUCK. PREORDER YOUR UNIT S EARLY AND GET THE BEST PRRICES. FULL AFTER SALES SERVICES AND FINANCING AVAILABLE. DEO MARAJ AUTO SALES, 2 CHIMNEY ROAD, CHATEAU MARGOT, ECD. PHONE : 624-0762, 220-5177. A NAME AND SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST.

“Themost beloved of God’s entire creation is the Prophet Muhammad (SAS) and he was sent by Allah to the entire creation, to all human beings, not only Muslims and he was sent only as a Mercy,” so said Trinidad and Tobago-born Caribbean Muslim scholar, Maulana Dr Waffie Mohammed, one of the most respected Muslim scholars in his feature presentation at the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex on Saturday evening.

His presentation, which mesmerised the audience, was part of the programme organised by the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman and the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex in observance of Eid Miladun-Nabi 2014 (Youman Nabi) in honour of the birth anniversary of the Beloved

Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (SAS).

Dr Mohammed obtained his bachelor’s degree and his masters in Islamic studies at the University of Karachi. He then went on to obtain his doctorate in comparative religion. He boasts an enviable record of achievement.

On his return to the twin-island republic, he became the Muslim missionary of that country for the reputable Muslim World League (MWL), based in Saudi Arabia. From 1990 until he retired in 2002, he served as the regional director (Caribbean and South America) of the MWL, and served in several capacities within ASJA, the nation’s largest Islamic organisation. He was also the principal of the famed Hajji Ruknudeen School of Higher Islamic education and founder /princi-

pal of Markaz Al Ihsan (the Centre of Refinement) based in Trinidad. He served in numerous local and international organising and advisory positions over the years. On the political scene, he served as Senator of the Upper House of Trinidad’s Parliament from 1981-86.

He was the editor of several publications, including “The Minaret” in Karachi, Pakistan; “Al Ilm”; and “The Muslim World”. He has written more than 30 Islamic books, a feat no other Caribbean Muslim scholar can boast of. Maulana Waffie has travelled extensively to deliver his unique presentations.

Maulana Waffie, accompanied by Imam Mohamed Shuffy of Trinidad and Tobago and resident Pakistani scholar resident at ACIC, Maulana Muhammad Mujahid Raza, also participated at programmes at the Kingston Masjid, Berbice and Mon Repos Masjid, East Coast Demerara. The programme was chaired by veteran radio broadcaster, Brother Fazil Azeeze. Children of the Shaheed Orphanages also were part of the programmes.

Hindu leader in dialogue with Greek Orthodox metropolitan

In a remarkable interfaith gesture, His Eminence, Metropolitan Gerasimos of the Greek Orthodox Church of San Francisco and distinguished Hindu leader Rajan Zed met in Nevada in the United States.

Gerasimos and Zed, president of the global organisation Universal Society of Hinduism, discussed various issues concerning religion, interfaith dialogue, the environment, spirituality, freedom of religion, poverty, youth participation in religion, and world conflicts, among other topics. Gerasimos invited Zed to visit the San Francisco Greek Orthodox Metropolis (church).

The metropolitan (a bishop ranking above

archbishop and below patriarch) oversees more than 150,000 Greek Orthodox faithful in the states of Alaska, Arizona,

Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington through 67 parishes and missions and three monastic communi-

Pomeroon farmer charged for abusive

Fifty-two-year-old

Syril Stoll, a farmer and vendor of Grant, Pomeroon in Region Two was charged for abusive language. He appeared

language

on Monday at the Charity Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Sunil Scarce.

Stoll pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that on January 6, he

used abusive language to his nephew Collen Stoll at Charity waterfront.

The father of five was represented by Attorney Hemraj Rajkumar. He was

granted bail in the sum of $10,000. The matter was adjourned for January 27, 2014 when the trial will commence.

Riverstown man accused of raping minor for High Court trial

Kishore Narine, aka “Black Boy”, who was charged with the offence of rape of a child under 16 was committed to stand trial at the Suddie High Court. The decision was handed down by Magistrate Sunil Scarce on Monday at the Charity Magistrate’s Court. It is alleged that be-

tween January 26, 2012 and February 6, 2012 at Riverstown Backdam on the Essequibo Coast, Narine engaged in the sexual penetration of a child under the age of 13 years old.

On June 6 last year, he first appeared before Magistrate Scarce at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court

where he was granted $300,000 in bail and the matter was transferred to the Charity Magistrate’s Court.

On January 20, 2014, the paper committal of the matter commenced at the Charity Magistrate’s Court. The prosecution tendered all available evidence, and at the closure,

defence counsel Bernard De Santos filed a no-case submission. However, the magistrate committed the accused to stand trial. The accused, who sat in the dock as the matter was decided, appeared very confused and worried. His bail was transferred, pending trial at the High Court.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Sharjah, 5th day…

Pakistan pull off astonishing chase

Pakistan turned a Test that had been an abysmal advertisement for cricket for four days and one session on its head, with an incredible batting performance after lunch on the final day, when they scored 302 runs in 57.3 overs to sucker-punch Sri Lanka and level the series. Their runrate of 5.25 was the second highest in a successful chase of a 200-plus target, and the protagonists of this heistAzhar Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed and Misbah-ul-Haq - proved that the soporific pace of the previous days was entirely by design, largely Sri Lanka’s to protect their 1-0 lead.

For the fifth day to have ended in a result, both teams needed to play extraordinary cricket. Pakistan were extraordinarily purposeful; Sri Lanka were extraordinarily negligent. The visitors began the day with a lead of 220 and five second-innings wickets in hand but batted so slowly, adding 19 runs in the last 16.4 overs. With a minimum of 59 overs left in two sessions Sri Lanka were still favourites, if not to win then certainly to draw, but they were ultra-defensive from the outset against a desperate Pakistan unit.

Unfamiliar efficiency

As Misbah-ul-Haq’s side motored towards the target with an unfamiliar efficiency, it became too late for Angelo Mathews to snap himself and his side out of stupor. Sri Lanka sank in the Sharjah twilight, with their captain and fielders feebly complaining about not being able to see the ball.

Pakistan needed 195 in 35 overs at the start of the final session, and they had made a tactical decision to send Sarfraz Ahmed in at No.5, shortly before the tea break. He proved to be the

Azhar

catalyst, and the method he used to attack Rangana Herath’s defensive line oozed with resourcefulness.

Herath operated from over the wicket and pitched wide outside leg stump for most of his 19 overs, which cost 100 and yielded no wickets, but when he did so after tea Sarfraz took guard near the wide-ball indicators outside leg stump and lofted inside-out through covers to beat a packed on-side field. After several such shots, Mathews moved a fielder from the leg to the off, and Sarfraz promptly slogged Herath over the midwicket boundary to take 15 runs off the 29th over, the most ex-

pensive of the match.

While Sarfraz made use of his license to run riot, Azhar accumulated briskly in a more organised manner, driving the seamers and sweeping Herath off his negative line. With the field spread deep, Azhar picked off the gaps to get to his half-century off 79 balls, and his 89-run stand with Sarfraz came at a run-a-ball. Pakistan needed 116 off 22.2 overs when Misbah walked in, after Sarfraz had been caught gloving a Shaminda Eranga short ball down the leg side.

Mathews remained defensive despite having a new batsman at the crease and

the 40th over of the chase, from Suranga Lakmal, was a defining one. Azhar jumped outside leg and drove, forcing a full-length dive from the deep-cover fielder, the next three balls went to deep point and deep midwicket, before Misbah pulled to the fine-leg boundary. The over cost 12 runs, and Pakistan’s momentum was unaffected by Sarfraz’s departure.

Despite Azhar and Misbah sweeping and reverse-sweeping Herath at will, irrespective of whether he bowled over or round the wicket, and the left-arm spinner proving utterly ineffective at controlling the run-rate, Mathews did not use his offspinner Dilruwan Perera at all.

Sri Lanka tried to stall the game in the last hour, with Eranga needing prolonged attention from the physio after his arm came into contact with Misbah’s helmet, which prompted umpire Richard Kettleborough to ask the physio to stay off the ground when Lakmal fell while collecting a ball. The equation boiled down to 30 off 30 balls, and after three runs off the first two deliveries of the Lakmal over, Azhar cleared his front foot and swung to the midwicket boundary. A ball later, he celebrated a century off 133 balls. The century stand with Misbah had taken only 111.

Even when Pakistan needed 17 off four overs, the field stayed spread. Sri Lanka had actually lost the Test long before the winning runs were hit.

Aggressive start

The base for Pakistan’s final-session heroics had been laid after the lunch break, when Ahmed Shehzad and Khurram Manzoor came out swinging. As soon as

Shehzad flicked Eranga for two fours in the second over and Manzoor charged and slapped Lakmal to the cover boundary in the third, Mathews dispersed his fielders. The approach was helter-skelter and fraught with risk, though. Shehzad eventually mis-hit a slower ball and was caught at deep midwicket, while Manzoor was caught nimbly down the leg side by the wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene. Pakistan had got to 48 at more than five an over.

Azhar began his innings by cutting his second ball fiercely through point, but his partnership with Younis Khan was more measured. With plenty of gaps to exploit, they picked up singles and twos comfortably. They added 49 in 12.4 overs when Younis pulled Mathews straight to midwicket to leave Pakistan on 97 for 3.

Pakistan did not go on the defensive despite los-

ing Younis. Instead, they promoted Sarfraz, and he charged and slogged Mathews to the midwicket boundary in the last over before tea, small indication of the damage he would inflict on Sri Lanka after the break. Sri Lanka would not have suffered such an embarrassing defeat had they played more periods of this Test with a semblance of the urgency Prasanna showed for an hour this morning. After they scored at 1.87 for 71 overs on the fourth day, Prasanna led the gathering of 62 runs in 14 overs on the last morning. A few wickets, however, forced a dramatic slowdown and Sri Lanka went at a little more than a run an over for the rest of their innings. At the end of the Test, Sri Lanka had batted 273.4 overs; Pakistan needed only 166.4 overs to score a run more. There lay the difference. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka 1st innings 428-9 declared Pakistan 1st innings 341

Sri Lanka 2nd Innings

Karunaratne b Talha 8

Silva b Rehman 36

Sangakkara c Manzoor b Rehman 8

M Jayawardene c Azhar Ali

b Ajmal 46

Chandimal b Talha 13

Mathews c Manzoor b Talha 31

P Jayawardene c Azhar Ali

b Ajmal 49

Perera c Azhar Ali b Rehman 8

Herath c Y Khan b Rehman 0

Eranga c Rehman b Ajmal 3

Lakmal not out 2

Extras (2-nb, 2-w, 2-b, 4-lb) 10

Total (all out; 101.4 overs) 214

Bowling: Junaid Khan 20-6-340, Talha 23-2-65-3, Rehman 3310-56-4, Ajmal 25.4-7-53-3

Fall of wickets: 13 (Karunaratne), 37 (Sangakkara), 66 (Silva),

89 (Chandimal), 127 (M Jayawardene), 189 (Mathews), 203 (Perera), 203 (Herath), 209 (P Jayawardene), 214 (Eranga)

Pakistan 2nd Innings

Manzoor c P Jayawardene b Lakmal 21

Shehzad c Karunaratne b Lakmal 21 Azhar Ali c P Jayawardene b Lakmal 103 Y Khan c Sangakkara b Mathews 29 Sarfraz Ahmed c P Jayawardene b Eranga 48

Misbah-ul-Haq not out 68 Shafiq not out 1

Extras (1-nb, 3-w, 6-b, 1-lb) 11

Total (for five wickets; 57.3 overs) 302

Bowling: Lakmal 12-0-79-3, Eranga 15.3-0-68-1, Herath 190-100-0, Mathews 11-0-48-1 Fall of wickets: 35 (Shehzad), 48 (Manzoor), 97 (Y Khan), 186 (Sarfraz Ahmed), 295 (Azhar Ali)

Sharapova out of Australian Open

Maria Sharapova followed top seed Serena Williams out of the Australian Open with a shock defeat by Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova in the fourth round.

The Russian, who won the title in 2008, lost 3-6 6-4 6-1 in an erratic display on Rod Laver Arena.

Five-time champion Williams was beaten by Ana Ivanovic 24 hours earlier, leaving two-time winner Victoria Azarenka - the second seed - as the player with the most major titles in the draw.

Third seed Sharapova left the court for a medical timeout before the final set, and finished with a total of 45 unforced errors as Cibulkova closed it out in two hours and 12 minutes.

“I have a bit of a strain, the trainer told me, in the hip area,” said Sharapova, who was playing only her second tournament since missing the second half of 2013 with hip and shoulder injuries.

“Those aches and pains are ex-

pected when you spend a long time on the court. You just have to play through it.”

Cibulkova, 24, moves on to face Simona Halep in her first Australian Open quarter-final, the third time she has reached the last eight of a Grand Slam. “It feels great, especially because I played well and it was a tough match,” said Cibulkova, the 20th seed.

“I went on the court and I was more than 100 per cent sure that I really could beat her, and beat her on the big court, in an important match in a Grand Slam.

“I did it before. She knows me and I knew she knew it was going to be a tough match. I was prepared for it.”

Angry

Cibulkova added she had been “a little bit angry” as she felt the Russian’s struggles with her ball toss in the closing stages were “on purpose.”

Sharapova had played an epic

second-round match on Thursday against Karin Knapp that lasted three-and-a-half hours in temperatures of around 40C.

The 26-year-old’s serve had been wildly unreliable in that match but was functioning well enough in the early stages against Cibulkova as she edged the first set.

It did not last, however, as the first-serve percentage dipped in the second and the 5ft 3in Cibulkova leapt gleefully on every opportunity. The Slovakian’s nerve faltered from 5-0 up but she served it out at the third attempt and, after

Sharapova returned from getting treatment off-court, dominated the final set.

Seven Sharapova double faults contributed to her demise in the decider and Cibulkova showed no nerves as she matched her French Open victory over the Russian of five years ago.

“It’s tough,” added Sharapova. “I will be genuine about it. It’s never easy. We are very big competitors. I think that’s why I have been so successful, because of my competitiveness in the past.

“It’s moments like this that ultimately shape you and make you who you are. That’s how you bounce back.

“It’s easy just to be successful, but it’s how many times you’re able to come back from the tough moments and losses and injuries that really define who you are as an athlete. “That’s why I’m here, because I believe I still can be up there and certainly can play better, that’s for sure.” (BBC Sport)

Orange cards proposed by FIFA candidate Champagne

FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne has suggested introducing orange cards that would allow referees to send players to a sin-bin.

The Frenchman, 55, launched his bid to succeed Sepp Blatter as the world governing body’s president on Monday.

He also wants to punish teams when players question officials and hopes football will consider using more technology for key decisions.

FIFA’s presidential election will be held in Zurich in June 2015.

His other proposals include: (1) Quotas for foreign players; (2) Implementing rugby’s rule where only the captain can talk to the referee with a free-kick advanced 10 yards for any dissent; (3) Abolishing the ‘triple punishment’ rule where a player who prevents a goalscoring opportunity in the penalty areas concedes a spot-kick, is sent off and also suspended; (4) All FIFA presidential candidates taking part in live debates on television and in front of the six continental confederations and; (5) Making public the salary of the FIFA president and leading officials.

Mixed reaction

Former referees have mixed views on the proposals with George Courtney saying the introduction of sin-bins would work but Roger Milford insisting it would make football “too dictatorial.”

Champagne, who has been backed by Pele, announced his intentions to become football’s most powerful man at a news conference in London.

“We need a different FIFA,” he said. “More democratic, more respected, which behaves better and which does more.”

However, he admits he will struggle to win the election if Blatter, who will be 78 in March, decides to stand for a fifth term in office.

Asked if he could beat Blatter, Champagne, a former diplomat, said: “I don’t think so, he’s someone of relevance.”

He added: “I don’t know whether Mr Blatter will run or not. Of course, as a matter of politeness I informed him what I was planning to do.

“I don’t know what he will do. Some people say I

am manipulated by him but I tell you ‘no’. I stand because I believe in what I am saying.”

Blatter has been re-elected three times since becoming president in 1998 but has not yet said whether he will stand again.

A former FIFA deputy general secretary, Champagne worked closely with Blatter between 2002 and 2005 before leaving the organisation in 2010.

Since then, he has been working as an international football consultant in troubled regions including Kosovo, Palestine and Israel and Cyprus.

Champagne suggests players could be sin-binned for two or three minutes for “in-between fouls committed in the heat of the moment”.

He cited the example of a player who had already been booked then receiving a second yellow card for taking off his shirt to celebrate a goal.

Captains only

Champagne also suggests allowing only team captains to approach a referee to question a decision and wants referees to be able to move the ball 10 yards further forward if a player is guilty of dissent.

“More often than ever, matches are being marred by unacceptable scenes of players surrounding and haranguing the referee,” he wrote in a document first published in March 2013.

Brazil legend Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, said he supports Champagne’s campaign.

“I cannot stay away from a debate which is so impor-

Australia in South Africa 2013-14…

Bailey axed, Marsh back in Test squad

is

Gtant for the future of football,” he said in a recorded message shown at Monday’s news conference. “Thus, I support Jerome Champagne and his vision.”

UEFA president Michel Platini is also a possible candidate, although the former France midfielder has not yet declared his intentions.

Courtney, who officiated in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups in Mexico and Italy respectively, believes sin-bins could work in football.

“It would have to be under the right criteria but I think the time has come to seriously consider sin-bins,” said the former referee assessor. “I expect the international board would be considering them.

“Red-card offences should still be punished with a red card but maybe for some other offences it would work. I’m not sure I see the need for the 10-yard rule as I don’t think that is a problem.”

Fifa scrapped a rule which moved play 10 yards towards the offending team’s goal if players showed dissent in 2005 after four seasons in English football.

But former referee Milford believes it should be brought back.

“It worked well before,” he said. “You see it creeping into local football now with more players challenging decisions. Maybe this would make them think twice.

“I don’t think the sinbins would work though. They are going over the top.

“You already have yellow cards and red cards and any more cards would just create more room for confusion.” (BBC Sport)

eorge Bailey has been axed from Australia’s Test squad after playing in all five Ashes victories this summer, with Shaun Marsh and Alex Doolan included for the upcoming tour of South Africa. Australia’s selectors have named a 15-man squad for the three-Test tour, which begins in early February, with Marsh, Doolan, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird and James Faulkner included from outside the Ashes XI.

Bailey was the only incumbent to lose his place after his inability to make a big score in any of the five Tests against England; he finished the series with 183 runs at 26.14. A weakness outside off stump caused Bailey some problems during the Ashes and the national selector John Inverarity said that the South African conditions were unlikely to help him, where he would have had to face Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, the top two Test bowlers in the world on the ICC rankings.

“I think George’s contribution to the Ashes victory was very significant,” Inverarity said. “He played an integral role there. It was a wonderful Ashes series and the 11 players knitted together really well and they were a very convincing unit. But going to South Africa, we think George is less suited to there against their attack and

we’ve left him out and bolstered the batting with Alex Doolan and Shaun Marsh.

“[Doolan] has been on the radar for quite some time. We had him on standby in the fifth Test in Sydney and he’s now come into the squad of 15. Those of us who have seen us play … he looks a very good player - good technique, time, he plays pace bowling well - so we’re hoping that he’ll really flourish in this environment.”

Doolan, 28, is the only uncapped player in the squad and will be battling with Marsh for a place in the top six for the opening Test in Cenutrion. Doolan had a breakout Sheffield Shield season last summer but this year has managed 391 runs at 39.10. However, his Shield form has been superior to that of Marsh, who this season sits 34th on the Shield run tally with 248 runs at 31.00, including only one fifty-plus score - it was a century - from his nine innings.

Ten days ago, Marsh described his Shield form as “really inconsistent this year” and declared that there were “a lot of guys ahead of me” in the Test queue, but the selectors seem to have disagreed. Marsh has scored half-centuries in the first two ODIs against England, although Inverarity said the squad was picked before Sunday’s game, and he does have South African Test experience, having played there on the 2011-12 tour.

“He’s in a good space at the moment, Shaun,” Inverarity said. “He’s playing well. We all know that when Shaun plays at his best, he’s a very good player. It seems to us that he’s in that space at the moment ... That first Test match that he played in Cape Town, when Australia were eventually bowled out for a very small total. In the first innings, Michael Clarke made a century and Shaun made 44 and played exceptionally well against that attack.”

Inverarity said Marsh, Doolan, Bailey and Phillip Hughes were the four contenders for two batting spots. Hughes can count himself unlucky to have missed out given that in the current Shield summer he has scored three centuries, including one doublehundred, and in his five Test appearances in South Africa he has averaged 53.00, including a score of 88 in the last Test Australia played there on the 2011-12 trip.

Test squad Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin (vice-capt), Jackson Bird, Alex Doolan, James Faulkner, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson. (Cricinfo)

Federer, Nadal and Azarenka

advance in Melbourne

Roger Federer produced a magnificent display to beat JoWilfried Tsonga in straight sets at the Australian Open. The 17-time Grand Slam champion beat the Frenchman 6-3 7-5 6-4 to set up a quarter-final with Andy Murray.

Rafael Nadal overcame a nasty blister and being called for time violations to beat Japan’s 16th seed Kei Nishikori 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 7-6 (7-3).

Victoria Azarenka remains on course for a third straight Australian Open title after she beat Sloane Stephens 6-3 6-2.

The Belarusian’s title hopes were boosted by third seed Maria Sharapova’s sur-

Roger Federer

prise defeat by Dominika Cibulkova, 24 hours after Serena Williams was knocked out.

Grove Hi-Tech crowned MCYS/

EBFA KO champs

Led by tournament MVP, Domini Garnett, who netted a double, Grove Hi-Tech maintained their supremacy as the top club on the East Bank of Demerara when they defeated Kuru Kururu Warriors 3-1 to win the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport (MCY&S) sponsored knockout tournament.

Organised by the East Bank Football Association (EBFA), the tournament involved all the major clubs on the East Bank corridor and ended in grand style on Sunday last.

Guyana Football Federation’s president, Christopher Matthias, was on hand to witness the encounter on a sunny afternoon. Grove wasted little time in taking control of proceedings. Garnett, who controlled the strike line, created all sorts of problems for the Warriors’ defense.

It was no surprise when the home team assumed the lead six minutes on; midfielder Orson Francois scoring the easiest of goals following a one hand attempt

by the Warriors goalie, Nijaun Hooke, to clear a cross from the right side by Garnett.

Hooke only succeeded in parrying the ball into the path of Francois who gleefully accepted by patting the ball into the back of the nets.

Warriors did make a few enterprising raids of their own, but found the going tough in the attacking third.

Captain Garnett ensured the advantage was doubled in the 15th minute when he tucked in the first of his brace.

Colin Lewis narrowed the lead when he rose above the Grove defense to net the Warriors first and only goal, a well timed and executed header in the 35th minute.

The first half ended with Grove enjoying a 2-1 advantage. The Linden Soesdyke Highway based side, tried their best to get their second goal which would have brought them level with Grove, but that was not to be as Grove, urged on by the vociferous home fans kept them at bay.

The game was virtually

sealed in the 68th minute when Garnett converted his second goal, the game ending 3-1 in favour of Grove Hi-Tech. Michael Matthews of the winning side was voted the tournament’s best goalkeeper.

Sunday’s supporting game, an exhibition match, saw Diamond FC defeating Timehri Falcons by the lone goal of the match which was scored by Eric Williams. Matthias, in brief remarks before the presentation, congratulated the teams for their performance while noting that the federation forward thrust focuses on youths.

He also complimented the ministry and the EBFA for their combined efforts in bringing off the competition.

Teams on the East Bank will now turn their attention towards preparing for the upcoming EBFA division-one league which will officially kick off the association’s 2014 season. The league is being sponsored by Ansa McAl Trading and will be officially launched this month.

Registration for KMTF meet extended to Wednesday

– preparations in advanced stage, says Kennard

By Rajiv Bisnauth

The registration deadline for the rescheduled Boxing Day horse race meet of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) has been extended to Wednesday, January 22 and, according to president of the KMTC, retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard, horse owners have until 12:00hrs to have their animals properly registered.

Kennard said no late entries will be accepted.

“Based on the overwhelming response from horse owners, we have decided to extend the registration until Wednesday,” Kennard said.

The meet is scheduled for January 26 at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice. It was slated for January 19 after the original Boxing Day meet was postponed due to the inclement weather. The programme has been reduced to a seven-race meet, while the feature race

remains for A and Lower horses. However, the prize money for the winner has been reduced to $1 million. The co-feature race will now be for horses categorised F1 and Lower for $400,000 over six furlongs.

Other events billed for the day are the G3 and Lower for a $300,000 winner’s purse over six furlongs. The H and Lower and

Anamayah memorial basketball… Jammers edge Black Sharks in tournament opener

Rose Hall Jammers, backed by a small but vocal crowd, came from behind to win game one in the Anamayah memorial basketball tournament on Sunday against Fyrish Black Sharks, 49-45.

The opening game of the competition was played at the GuySuCo’s Port Mourant Training Center Court.

Emon Higgings (14 points) and Perry Cort (10 points) helped the Jammers out play the Black Sharks 17-8 in the final quarter to ensure that they snatched

victory from the jaws of the Black Sharks.

The Black Sharks lived up to their name from the first whistle and gained a lot of turnovers eventually winning that session 10-3.

The Sharks held on to a 21-19 half-time lead mainly through the accurate shooting of Juel Fraser, who scored a game high 20 points.

The third quarter saw the Jammers opening up their lead again to finish four points ahead.

For the winners, L. Scott contributed seven points,

while in a losing effort Desi Douglas poured in 13 and Andy McLean six. The tournament will continue on Sunday when Canje Knights take on Smithfield Rockers at the Smithfield Court in New Amsterdam.

The Anamayah memorial basketball tournament has been organised for teams in East Berbice. The final is billed for February 23 at Port Mourant.

At stake are trophies for the top two teams and a cash incentive for the two finalists. (Andrew Carmichael)

Hutson calls on AAG members to “innovate” in 2014 – as three new clubs added to the fray at AGM

By Treiston Joseph

The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Georgetown. Two motions were moved during the meeting.

The first motion provides the right for any citizen of Guyana who is elected to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to be a de jure member of the council or executive body of the AAG with full voting rights. The second motion moved was for the acceptance of three new clubs, namely, the West End Athletics Club, the Region Nine Athletics Club and the Christianburg Secondary School Athletics Club.

Meanwhile, President of the AAG Aubrey Hutson, who evaluated 2013 as “good but not great”, noted that the AAG council had to be restructured with the hope of establishing better communication.

the Three-year-old race for Guyana bred horses will run over seven and six furlongs respectively. Both races carry a winning tag of $250,000.

Rounding out the roster is the J3 and Lower and J1 and Lower over six furlongs. The winners will be collecting $150,000 and $200,000 respectively.

Meanwhile, Kennard told Guyana Times Sport on Monday evening that organisers have already put most systems in place for the race meet. “We have put most systems in place and, apart from that, the weather has been excellent for the past days, resulting, the track is in tip top shape,” he said.

The race is being conducted under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA) and, according to Kennard, the rules of the local governing body would be rigidly enforced. Those horses not properly registered will not be allowed to participate in the day’s proceedings. Race time is 12:30 hours.

“The council over the past year has been restructured. We have implemented new ways and methods of getting things done. The need to innovate in order to better adapt to the demands of the modern world led us to begin to implement a more interactive strategy.

“To my mind this will ensure that those who have elected us can contribute more and we will get a chance to establish genuine dialogue among members of the athletics family, with a view to generating new ideas for a more efficient management system for athletics,” Huston stated at the AGM.

Hutson also touched on doping, which has hit Guyana through the powerlifting sport, revealing that the AAG, alongside the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), will be tackling the issue head on in 2014.

“In our quest to do better in track and field, we must do it free of doping. I am thankful that thus far none of our athletes has tested positive for using banned substances. In order to keep our record clean, this council, in collaboration with the GOA, will strengthen its educational and testing plans in 2014,” Hutson explained.

Further, the AAG head revealed that a half marathon will be on in March. He noted that in 2013 athletes were sponsored fully, adding that he is looking forward to the same this year. In light of this, he commended Senior Vice-President of the

association Gavin Hope.

“Our senior vice president has hit the ground running this year. He has already secured sponsorship for the half marathon in March and other events in 2014.

“All of our teams attended meets around the world without anyone needing to go cap in hand begging for a donation, and I think we should commend him for his work in 2013,” Hutson stated.

Meanwhile General Secretary of the association Paul Arthur gave his report, noting Guyana’s success at the Carifta Games and stating that it was a challenging year.

“The year 2013 was a very challenging one for the AAG, but with hard work and determination, the association was able to come out with several successes.

“There is still a lot of work to bring Guyana’s athletics to a desired point. The association knows that it cannot go about this venture on its own. However, with the assistance of affiliated clubs, coaches and the public and private sector, this can be achieved,” Arthur said.

The AAG will start its competitive year on January 26 with a cross country event in Berbice.

Super50 squad to play day/night warm-up today

The national Super50 squad will continue its preparations this week with two day/ night games at the Guyana National Stadium. The cricketers are in training for the West Indies Cricket Board’s NAGICO Super50 competition starting next week.

The games are two of six the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has organised to give the national cricketers much needed match practice ahead of the January 30 to February 15 competition in Trinidad and Tobago.

The first day/night game will be played today from 13:30 hours, while the second such match will take place on Friday from the same time at the same venue. All of Guyana’s games in the competition are day/ night fixtures.

Led by West Indies T20 all-rounder Christopher Barnwell, the Guyana team is one of the tournament favourites, boasting a long list of players with international experience.

Barnwell apart, the likes of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Leon Johnson and Royston Crandon have all represented the West Indies at the senior level and are expected to play crucial roles should Guyana land a 10th regional 50-over title, the last of which was won in 2005.

Back then, Guyana defeated Barbados in near darkness in the KFC Cup final at the GCC ground, Bourda, on the strength of a Sewnarine Chattergoon’s career-best hundred.

The Guyanese have been in intense training over the last month and a half and given the fact that the GCB has employed the services of two Guyana Defence Force (GDF) fitness trainers, Patrick King and Carl Stephenson, it is expected that Guyana should be among the fittest teams in the competition.

The tournament will feature hosts Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, the Combined Campuses and Colleges and ICC affiliate side Ireland.

Guyana will open its quest for honours against Ireland in a Zone A match on January 31.

The other two teams in Zone A are Jamaica and defending champions the Windward Islands. The Guyanese will then play Jamaica on February 4, before taking on the defending champions on February 8.

Guyana’s 14-man squad reads: Robin Bacchus, Trevon Griffith, Leon Johnson, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (vice-captain), Narsingh Deonarine, Christopher Barnwell (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble (w/k), Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton and Paul Wintz. (Avenash Ramzan)

Bopara gives support for England captain

England all-round-

er Ravi Bopara has backed Alastair Cook to continue as the side’s captain in both the Test and one-day format of the game.

Following the 5-0 Ashes defeat and three successive ODI losses, Cook said he could resign as skipper of the limited-overs team.

But Bopara said: “I would love for him to carry on and do both formats.

“I do believe that your best player should be your captain and I still believe that he is our best player.”

Cook was left to consider his position after Australia took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match oneday series.

His own lack of form has compounded his misery as he scored just 246 runs in 10 innings during the Ashes, while he has been dismissed for four, 22 and 35 in the ODIs.

England have now lost nine successive matches in various formats against Australia, with two more one-dayers and three Twenty20 matches remain-

Bolt to race over 100m at Paris Diamond League meeting

World 100m and 200m record holder Usain Bolt will race at the Paris Diamond League on July 5, but remains undecided on competing at the Commonwealth Games. The Jamaican will line up in the 100m at the Stade de France, three weeks before the Commonwealth Games begin.

Bolt’s manager told BBC Sport the Olympic champion was still undecided about competing in Glasgow and would make a decision nearer the time. If he does compete, Bolt, 27, has said he is likely to focus on the 200m. The Commonwealth Games start on July 23 and end on August 3. Bolt, now a six-

time Olympic gold medallist, missed the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth events through injury.

“It’s on my to-do list,” he told BBC Radio 5 live in September. “I really want to do it, but I never go against my coach.

“I probably would run the 200m if I go because it’s my favourite event.” (BBC Sport)

Johnson surges to Border Medal

Ming before they return home.

“Although the captain always gets the blame, I don’t think that’s right,” said Bopara, who insisted Essex team-mate Cook had a very good record as captain prior to this Ashes tour.

“It is a team game. The team needs to perform for you to win. The other players see it the same way. He is one of our most experienced players.”

Bopara, who has scored just 62 from three one-day innings in Australia, added: “He is the sort of guy who will turn it around. I think that this is good for him and he will come out of it a much better person.” (BBC Sport)

itchell Johnson swooped on the Allan Border Medal almost as dramatically as he laid waste to England this summer, surging to win Australian cricket’s highest honour through a string of shattering performances during the home Ashes sweep that ended a previously traumatic 2013 on the most triumphant note possible.

Having sat out of Australia’s Test team for most of the year, even being suspended alongside Shane Watson, James Pattinson and Usman Khawaja during the hellish Test tour of India, Johnson’s upward trend of influence reached a crescendo in the home Tests. Those performances took Johnson past the captain Michael Clarke, who had been widely expected to claim his fifth Border Medal and third in a row.

Instead, Clarke had to be content with the Test Player of the Year award, won from the highly promising Steve Smith. But he did not seem to mind handing over the garlands to Johnson, the fast bowler who added rare venom to the bowling attack and gave Australia the kind of firepower that has characterised so many victorious teams in the past.

“It has been an amazing journey,” Johnson said. “Coming back from injury and having a lot of doubters out there, but I knew in my own heart if I got another chance I could make the most of it. It’s very emotional for me to be standing up here.”

The result rather summed up a year in which the team explored subter-

ranean depths in India and England before gathering themselves under the new coach Darren Lehmann and slowly establishing a way forward. Johnson showed himself to be ready for further Test combat with limited overs spells in England and ODI matches in India, before crashing through Alastair Cook’s tourists at the Gabba and beyond.

Johnson’s emergence in time for the Ashes in Australia, and the desperately poor displays by the Test team up to that point, can be highlighted by the fact that entering the five Tests against England at home, Clarke led the Border Medal standings from George Bailey, who at that point, for all his limited overs skill and poise, had not even made his five-day debut. Votes for the Medal are weighted heavily towards Test matches.

Bailey, who has had to deal with the loss of his Test spot for the forthcoming tour of South Africa, had the consolation of claiming the ODI player of the year award, a fitting recognition of his consistency across series against the West Indies, England and India before stumbling as a Test batsman in the Ashes.

“It’s been incredible,” Bailey said of his year. “It’s disappointing not to be going to South Africa and I think I have come to terms with that. If you are going to play five Tests over a summer you would pick the five we played, it’s been extraordinary.”

Aaron Finch was handed the award for Twenty20 player of the year, largely on the strength of his stunning 156 from 63 balls against England at Southampton. That world record innings not only made Finch a worldwide T20 name but also helped launch an increasingly successful limited overs career that has him in poll position to open the batting alongside David Warner at next year’s 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Meg Lanning, meanwhile, was handed the Belinda Clarke Medal, awarded to the pre-eminent women’s cricketer in the land. Lanning’s Clark Medal was a reward for consistency, her run of scores across three formats in an Ashes year sneaking her ahead of Erin Osborne in the voting of her peers and the media. Lanning was particularly effective in England, top scoring for the Southern Stars no fewer than three times. (Cricinfo)