Guyana Times Daily

wednesday, october 2, 2013

NCN among several broadcasters to face sanction

– if necessary documents not submitted to broadcasting authority

Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Chairman Bibi Shaddick said there are currently only three broadcasting entities in the country that are licensed to operate from a list of nine broadcasters.

The delinquent six, she said have outstanding application documents to submit before they can be considered in compliance with the Broadcasting Act, which governs the sector.

As such, broadcasting corporations that are yet to submit their documents to the GNBA in order to be licensed, have up until October 31 to do so.

“Under the law, when people are broadcasting without a licence, there are certain penalties and certain things that have to be done… and this is referred to people so that they understand that this would be put into place,” she stated.

Thus far, television entities that are in full compliance with the law and are licensed, include Television Guyana Inc, GWTV and Pinnacle Communications, and MTV, while licensed radio entities include Telcor

and Cultural Broadcasting Inc and Radio Guyana Inc.

“The law says that the percentage for the broadcast fee is suppose to be a percentage set by the minister and a percentage of the gross revenue for the previous year, but we recognise that there is no way that any company could submit to us before September of a year, gross revenues for 2012, so what we used was 2011 instead of 2012,” she said.

Shaddick added that two of Guyana’s longest serving

stations – WRHM and the National Communications Network (NCN) Inc, are among those with outstanding documents, and therefore non-compliant with the law.

Among the other noncompliant broadcasters are STVS, The Learning Channel, NTN, Rambarran Broadcasting Systems, Tarzie Transmission Service and New Guyana Company Limited.

According to Shaddick, both NCN radio and television are non-compliant.

She noted that the entity submitted everything except a notice of its board of directors.

Shaddick reiterated that non-submission of all documents would mean entities are not operating in accordance with the Broadcasting Act.

When the authority began operations in September 2012, letters were sent to approved broadcasters, giving them permission to continue broadcasting until all its arrangements and systems were in place. It then invited broadcasters to apply for new licences.

Shaddick pointed out that the authority has not received any applications from Region 10, but pointed out that there are currently 29 applications for new services.

Among the applications, seven are for television licence, 17 for radio, three for cable and two for Internet Protocol television (IPTV).

GNBA is tasked statutorily with licensing in the broadcast sector and ensuring compliance of broadcasters with the provisions of the Broadcast Act which was passed in 2011.

West Dem man accused of killing wife to know fate today

AWest Demerara man accused of killing his wife is expected to know his fate today as the jury will be sent to deliberate on a verdict.

Ganesh Singh, 50, of Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, is indicted with the murder of his wife, Krishndai Narine, on June 12, 2009. He had pleaded not guilty to the indictment when it was read to him before Justice James Bovell-Drakes.

Attorney Latchmie Rahamat is representing the accused.

Main witness

The trial began last August and the prosecution led by state counsels Natasha Backer and Dhanika Singh, have called several witnesses; however, they could not have located their main witness, the couple’s daughter, Amanda Singh, who had reportedly witnessed the gruesome incident.

Nevertheless, the prosecution made an application under Section 95 of the Evidence Act, to have the daughter’s deposition (evidence taken at the magistrate's courts) evidence read in court.

The trial judge granted the application and the evidence was read twice, once by a police officer and the oth-

er by a court clerk. In her deposition evidence, Singh said that on the day in question, her father came home intoxicated and began cooking.

She noted that as he was preparing the ingredients, he began “cussing” her mother. She said that her father had told her mother that he will kill her and then burn the house down.

The daughter said the accused then attacked her mother with a knife and stabbed her just under her breast. She went onto say that her mother was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Closing addresses

The prosecution subsequently closed its case and on September 23, both the prosecution and defence attorney made their closing addresses to the jury.

On today’s date, Justice Drakes will sum up all the evidence presented during the trial after which the panel will retire to the jury room to deliberate on a verdict.

The jury can either find the man guilty of murder or not guilty of same. He can also be found guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter.

WEATHER TODAY

ASL now receiving fuel, resumes operations

By Whitney Persaud

Air Services Limited (ASL) has now fully resumed operations at the Ogle International Airport (OIA) after its supply of fuel was restored on Tuesday.

High Tide: 02:32h and 14:53h reaching maximum heights of 2.43 metres and 2.53 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:27h and 20:47h reaching minimum heights of 0.75 metre and 0.68 metre respectively.

The company on Monday had announced at a press conference that it was facing an emergency, after its fuel supply had been suspended, causing it to temporarily cease operations.

OIA Communications Consultant Kit Nascimento hosted a press conference on Tuesday to explain the circumstances surrounding the supply of fuel at the airport in relation to the various air services which operate there.

Nascimento was accompanied at the press briefing by Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services (CAMS) Maintenance Director John Isaacs and OIA Chief Executive Officer Tony Mekdeci.

Normal process According to Nascimento, fuel was supplied to ASL as per usual on Tuesday, noting that there was no case of emergency, but rather a normal process of blending fuel.

“CAMS, which is in the business of marketing fuel, has explored a number of suppliers, Rubis is one supplier, and in this case, Rubis wanted to ensure that CAMS when accepting fuel from another supplier and when comingled with its fuel was safe and complied with the JIG and IATA standards,” he added.

The disruption, he said, was because Rubis wanted to ensure that the process being carried out was done under the guidelines needed to be followed by the Joint Inspection Group (JIG) and the International

Air Transport Association (IATA).

“Once Rubis met with CAMS, it was satisfied with the new supplier, which confirmed with the international requirements and there was no problem. ASL is being supplied,” Nascimento assured.

The CAMS maintenance director interjected at this point, stating that the company previously collected fuel from other suppliers, and this time around, it again followed the same procedures during the verification of integrity process.

He informed that earlier on Tuesday, Rubis met with CAMS and was satisfied with

the mixed fuel.

Nascimento added that Rubis was aware of the comingling process, but admitted that the communication between CAMS and Rubis could have been more effective.

“Rubis knew that fuel was being supplied by a new supplier for some time… the communication could have been more effective,” Nascimento said.

Market share

Mekdeci contended that Rubis is more concerned about its market share and the fact that there is competition locally, thus their immediate reaction to cease fuel supply to its direct consumers, ASL and LIAT.

To facilitate this security check and inspection process, Rubis, through CAMS, informed ASL that it would not be supplying fuel for a time.

On Monday, ASL Director Annette Arjoon-Martins called at short notice a press conference to announce that the company was faced with a national emergency, as its fuel supply had been cut off. ASL had said that it was only left with fuel to work for 36 hours, and as such, made a decision to suspend operations.

According to reports, Arjoon-Martins confirmed that ASL has received word on regular fuel supply, a short while after the CAMS and OIA press briefing.

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

Renewable energy

Solar and wind power are extremely scalable, as there are systems available from less than one watt to several megawatts. This makes it possible to initialse the electrification of a home or village with minimal initial capital. It also allows for dynamic and incremental scaling as load demands increases.

The component configuration of a wind or solar installation also provides a level of functional redundancy, improving the reliability of the system. If a single panel in a multi-panel solar array is damaged, the rest of the system continues functioning unimpeded. In a similar way, the failure of a single wind tower in a multi-tower configuration does not cause a system level failure. Another parameter often provided by inverter manufacturers to aid the selection of efficient power solutions is the weighted efficiency of the inverter.

Inverters are a critical component to maximise the power from a solar photovoltaic (PV) system or a wind power system. Inherent to solar panel and wind turbine technology, the power and voltage vary with the intensity of the sun or the velocity of the wind. The inverter plays a key role in converting the power from these renewable sources to alternating current (AC) to be compatible with the voltage and frequency required to power buildings or to feed in power to the utility power grid.

Some manufacturers design innovative circuits to operate at ever increasing efficiency and to have high efficiency over a wide range of output power. To select an inverter for a highly efficient power solution, care should be taken to examine the published efficiency curves over a range of output power and not only a published efficiency figure.

Another aspect in designing a highly efficient power solution is to consider overall architecture of the solar installation. For an architecture with one inverter per solar panel, the inverter, known as a micro-inverter will be a lower efficiency due to the economies of scale for the power conversion.

This one to one relationship of solar panel to inverter does allow the inverter to select the optimum power level for that solar panel and not for the average of multiple solar panels connected in parallel. Some systems offer 95.5 per cent maximum efficiency and are installed on each solar panel in an installation.

In addition to inverter performance parameters, care must be taken in the maintenance of the entire power installation to ensure that it is operating as an efficient power solution. It is important for meteorological conditions to be evaluated alongside the inverter’s power output. The accessibility of data from an alert system enable the user to recognise underperformance of the system, and maintenance or repairs needed to maintain the high efficiency of the system.

Photo-voltaic panels, wind turbines deep cycle batteries, meters, sockets cables and connectors are all expensive. Even when the relative difference in buying power, materials cost, opportunity cost, labour cost and overhead are factored in, renewable energy will remain expensive for people who are living on less than US$1 per day.

Many renewable energy electrification projects use government subsidies to finance their implementation???. It is difficult sometimes for such projects to be accomplished by forprofit companies – in economically impoverished areas, these programmes must be run at a loss for reasons of practicality.

The funding of renewable energy projects is dependent on the credibility of the institutions developing and implementing the policy. This places a particular burden on the energy regulators in various developing countries – whose professional staff may be few in number and who have track records of only a decade or so.

Rules made by regulators are subsidiary to overall government renewable energy policy and depend on some delegation of authority from the state. Nevertheless, there are instances when the sector regulator can pro-actively on behalf of customer and utility concerns – provide facts, reports, and public statements that build a case for care in the design of public policy towards renewable energy.

Maximisation of the efforts towards renewable energy projects is leveraged as a dependent link on the country’s strategic direction towards energy efficiency through prudent policies, and here is where the public-private partnership (PPP) model will create the roadmap for success.

Celebrating 50 years

The president’s power of withholding assent (part three)

Dear Editor, Judiciary’s role remains intact

The argument advanced, therefore, that the president or the attorney general has no power and authority to opine that a bill is unconstitutional, is awfully infantile. Every day, lawyers interpret the law and the Constitution and advise their clients. Indeed, every legal system will break down and civilisation will come to a halt if every time someone needs legal advice, they are required to approach a court for its interpretation and advice. The arguments advanced are predicated upon the misconception that the president by expressing his opinion that the bills are unconstitutional, he has somehow displaced the functions of the court as being the sole arbiter of unconstitutionality. This is a patently irrational assumption. Its irrationality can be vividly illustrated by examining the converse situation, which is, the president assenting to the bill. Can it then in that circumstance, be intelligently argued that the president has determined the constitutionality of the bill and, therefore, has effectively ousted the court’s jurisdiction from ever entertaining a challenge to its constitu-

tionality? Certainly not! The legal truth is that the court’s jurisdiction to question the constitutionality of bills and actions by the state and its various organs can never be dismantled by the president or any other agency.

Role of attorney general

The other issue which has excited public commentary is the role of the attorney general chambers in respect of bills passed. After a bill is passed by the National Assembly, the clerk sends an authenticated copy of the same to the chief parliamentary counsel, who is historically and coincidentally, housed in the Chambers of the Attorney General, for it to be examined as a true and correct copy of the bill drafted or amended as the case may be. After all, invariably, it is the chief parliamentary counsel who would have drafted the bill or any amendments thereto in the first place. In this exercise, printing errors are regularly detected and corrected. When this exercise is completed, the bill is then transmitted to the attorney general, who issues an opinion to the president, advising whether the bill satisfies the legal and constitutional requirements in order for him to assent or withhold his assent, as the case may be. Then the bill is

transmitted to the president along with those documents.

As I have stated previously, this practice has been extant since colonial times. This fact has been confirmed by Mr Frank Narain, former clerk of the National Assembly, who has been attached to the Parliament office since the 60s.

I have observed Mr Bryn Pollard, SC, a former chief parliamentary counsel, criticising this practice and asserting that it should have ceased since 1966.

Unfortunately, the learned senior counsel functioned as chief parliamentary counsel long after 1966 and one must wonder why he never advocated a change of the practice during his tenure. Indeed, by virtue of his office, he actively participated in the practice. I unearthed documents at the AG’s chambers which show that the very Mr Pollard, as chief parliamentary counsel issued an Assent Certificate himself, obviously in the absence of the sitting attorney general. But then again, the senior counsel may be suffering from a lapsus memoriae.

This practice appeared to have worked well over the years. None of my distinguished predecessors faulted it. I see no reason to do so now. Indeed, it would be improvident for any president,

who has the power to withhold his assent to bills, to exercise such power without legal or political advice, as the case may be. I am aware that constitutions specifically provide for the bills to be transmitted directly from the legislature to the president. Unfortunately, our Constitution does not so provide. Hence, that practice developed. Speaking on the position in India, the learned authors of **Basu** at page 5291, opine “The President instead of sending back the Bills to Parliament, may send the Bill to the Law Ministry seeking clarification. Such an action by the President does not amount to withholding of assent as envisaged in Article 111. While sending the Bill to the Law Ministry, ie government, the government might reconsider the matter and move suitably to amend the Bill.”

Apart from the fact that the government cannot effect amendments to the bill at this stage, the only discernible difference, in Guyana’s case, is that the bill comes to the Legal Ministry before it goes to the president. I am moved to ask “What is so wrong with that?”

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Mohabir Anil Nandlall

Confident parents raise confident children

BY BARBARA L MINTON

Over-parenting is seen when the parent solves the child’s problems rather than giving him a chance to overcome the problem himself. It occurs when parents allow their child to avoid legitimately challenging situations so that they are not inconvenienced and so they do not experience discomfort. It can also occur when too much control or too much order is imposed on the child by the parent.

Over-parenting is seen increasingly in affluent families, but it can occur in any socio-economic group. It may be found in large or small families. And it is frequently seen in families that have undergone death or tragedy.

The over-parented child is a protected and spoiled child. He lacks real confidence and is unable to take risks or make decisions. He avoids new situations. He hides behind his parents when a difficult challenge arises, because he has been taught by his parents that they are the only ones who can make decisions. Over-parented children may be any age, but this over-parenting often becomes apparent in the middle grades of primary school when challenges start to increase. Such things as divorce or

change of circumstances can lead to over-parenting or overprotection as a form of compensation for the inconvenience or unhappiness that has occurred. Over-parenting may allow a parent to escape feelings of guilt, but in the long run, it undermines the confidence of the child.

Kicking the over-parenting habit

Your ability to break the habit of over-parenting is directly linked to your level of self-confidence. Parents who are able to allow their children to make decisions for themselves, to use their free time in unstructured play or daydreaming, or to go about in the world without them, are really expressing a level of trust and confidence in the world and a belief that things will turn out all right. When a parent exhibits this level of confidence, the child will learn to be confident too.

Breaking from a pattern of over-parenting may be difficult, especially if your social network and your child’s school staff endorse over-parenting. You may find yourself standing alone, or trying to fend off that peer pressure. However, if your child is to the point where he relies on you to think, plan, and do for him, it is time for you to take action. You can start by acknowl-

Once you are actively aware of the forces working on you, you will be better equipped to deal with them. Then little by little you can pull back on the over-assistance, decision making, and monitoring. You might start by allowing your child to walk to school, even on days when it is cold or rainy, or get himself up in the morning without your assistance. When a new behaviour becomes normalised, go on to another area to withdraw your assistance.

Give him ideas

When your child is faced with a challenge, give him ideas, tips or techniques to cope rather than allowing him to escape from the challenge. Help him develop a ‘hang tough’ attitude.

Cut back on the lavishing of material possessions. Spend your money on yourself for a change. Let your child know that the money you earn belongs to you and that you will be the decision maker for how it is spent. Explain that your goal for him is to finish school and become fi-

dent, so that he then has the freedom with his money that you now have with yours.

Instead of freely handing out money, give your child jobs to do. No matter how much he complains, doing chores gives your child a sense of empowerment and completion. Chores build confidence.

Children who do best at school and beyond are those who have parents who respond by teaching and supporting rather than protecting or compensating when social, physical or intellectual challengers occur. The greater the level of confidence you can show in your child’s ability to cope and deal with the world himself, the more confidence he will gain. Develop the wisdom to see when your child needs your help rather than jumping in to give it from the start.

Remember that modelling is a great teacher. When you act in a positive, decisive and confident manner in your own affairs, your behaviour will be modelled by your child.(Natural News)

Why girls and women should participate in sports

Founded in the U.S. in 1974 by

Jean King, the Women’s Sports Foundation works to increase the participation of girls and women in sports and fitness through education, grant-giving, recognition and advocacy programmes. That’s what the foundation does, but the “why” is most important. Although there is a federal law that mandates equal participation opportunities for male and female students in secondary and post secondary institutions of higher education, the real reason we want equal opportunity for our daughters to play sports is so they too can derive the psychological, physiological and sociological benefits of sports participation. Sport has been one of the most important socio-cultural learning experiences for boys and men for many years. Those same benefits should be afforded our daughters. It is important for all of us to know that:

* High school girls who play sports are less likely to be involved in an unwanted pregnancy; more likely to get better grades in school and more likely to graduate than girls who do not play sports.

* As little as four hours of exercise a week may reduce a teenage girl’s risk of breast cancer by up to 60 per cent; breast cancer is a disease that afflicts one out of every eight American women.

* 40 per cent of women over the age of 50 suffer from osteoporosis (brittle bones). None of us should want our daughters to repeat the experiences of generations of women – our mothers and grandmothers – who were not permitted to play sports or encouraged to participate in weight-bearing exercises that are necessary to establishing bone mass.

* Girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self esteem and lower levels of depression.

* Girls and women who play sports have a more positive body image and experience higher states of psychological well-being than girls and women who do not play sports.

* Sport is where boys have traditionally learned about teamwork, goal-setting, the pursuit of excellence in performance and other achievement-oriented behaviours –critical skills necessary for success in the workplace. In an economic environment where the quality of our children’s lives will be dependent on two-income families, our daughters cannot be less prepared for the highly competitive workplace than our sons. It is no accident that 80 per cent of the female executives at Fortune 500 companies identified themselves as former “tomboys” – having played sports. (Education.com)

228 cases listed for October Assizes as session opens

he October Criminal

TAssizes in Demerara opened on Tuesday morning, with some 228 cases on the docket.

The session began with the traditional march past ceremony in the morning outside the High Court on South Road, Georgetown. Ranks from the Tactical Services Unit and the Guyana Police Force’s band braved the rain as they marched from the Brickdam Police Station, arriving at the High Court soaked.

Justice Navindra Singh was saluted during the march and inspected the guard of honour. He, along with Justice Diana Insanally and Justice James BovellDrakes, will be presiding over this criminal session.

After the march was over Tuesday morning, the judges retired to their respective courtrooms where they each empanelled a 12-member jury panel for murder trials.

Included in the list of cases to be heard during this session are 56 murders and 27 manslaughters cases. There are also some 58 cases of carnal knowledge to be heard, while other charges include rape, robbery under arms, possession of firearm and ammunitions without licence, wounding with intent.

High-profile cases

Several high-profile cases are included in this list. The trial of the accused in the murder of former Queen’s College student Neesa Gopaul is included on the list. The teenager’s mother, Bibi Shareema Gopaul, and her lover, Jarvis “Barry” Small are jointly accused of the murder of the 16-yearold, whose body was found at Madewini, Soesdyke/Linden Highway on October 2, 2010.

Cyon “Picture Boy” Collier’s matters are expected to be called also. Collier is being re-tried for two counts of murder. He is accused of the double murder of two brothers, Ray Walcott and Carl Andrews, on September 23, 2006, at Victoria and of Chandrapaul “Kero Man” Persaud, a Non Pareil busi-

nessman, on September 30, 2006.

The June Criminal Assizes ended on Monday, with the gaol delivery done before Justice Singh at the High Court. During this session, a total of 21 of 217 cases were disposed of. Justice Singh and Justice BovellDrakes sat during most of that session, since the other judges who were listed to preside were on annual leave.

During this period, Justice Singh disposed of 11 murder cases, while Justice Brassington Reynolds disposed of two murder cases when he presided in June. Justice Bovell-Drakes presided over six cases; four of which were completed and two are still ongoing. Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes also completed two murder cases before proceeding on leave.

Verdicts

Included among those cases that were disposed of during this session was the 2008 Lusignan Massacre trial, which resulted in the jury returning not guilty verdicts for both accused, Mark Royden Williams, called “Smallie”, and James Anthony Hyles, called “Sally”, after spending seven hours in deliberation.

The two men were indicted with the murders of 11 persons, including five children, who were brutally killed in the wee hours of January 26, 2008, when gunmen invaded Track A Lusignan, East

Coast Demerara and carried out a 20-minute rampage. While both men were acquitted of the offence, Williams had to remain in custody for other pending matters. The director of public prosecutions (DPP) has since filed an appeal against the verdict.

Notorious criminal Tyrone “Cobra” Rowe also

faced trial for murder during that session. The 21-year-old man was found guilty for the murder of Troy Collymore, called “Collie” and “Nelly” on August 7, 2010 during a robbery at Plaisance Railway and Embankment, East Coast Demerara. He was subsequently sentenced to 78 years in prison.

400 marijuana plants destroyed at Onderneeming

As the Police Narcotics Branch continues to conduct their eradication exercise destroying thousands of marijuana plants throughout the country; it has destroyed another 400 plants during an eradication operation at Onderneeming Backlands, Essequibo Coast on Monday.

On the day in question, police raided a farm and found the 400 cannabis sativa (marijuana) plants, about three quarter of an acre in size. The plants ranged in height between six to eight inches tall. They were reported pulled out and burnt. No one was arrested.

Recently, the police destroyed 10 acres of mar-

ijuana at Yarrowkabra, Linden-Soesdyke Highway during a similar exercise. Some 85,000 plants were destroyed which were found in nine fields.

The nine fields of cannabis sativa (marijuana) plants ranged in height between three feet to 10 feet. The police also destroyed seven nurseries with seedlings and three camps. In another raid, 100,000 cannabis sativa plants, ranging from three feet to 10 feet in height were also destroyed on the SoesdykeLinden Highway. Apart from the illegal plants, several nurseries, a large quantity of seedlings, and three camps were also burnt.

wednesday, october 2, 2013| guyanatimesgy.com

“I Believe Campaign” for GuyExpo 2013 launching

As GuyExpo 2013 nears, the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry is launching an “I Believe Campaign”, aimed at energising the population to believe in the potential of Guyana and to build a nationalistic and patriotic environment.

According to acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali, the “I Believe Campaign” is geared towards promoting and advancing the successes of Guyana’s economy while encouraging all facets of society to believe in the potential that lies ahead.

“The “I Believe Campaign” seeks to reach out to every Guyanese beyond political, ethnic and religious barriers, to come on board through educating ourselves, informing ourselves and communicating with each other, the priorities of Guyana, thus , creating an environment of national ownership in the transformation of our country,” Minister Ali stated.

The campaign aims to

create an environment in which all of our people can embrace the future, the developmental agenda of Guyana and the aspirations of all Guyanese. The concept stresses the establishment of a positive environment through the enforcement of positive lifestyles, innovative thinking and patriotic positioning of our views.

Developmental ideals

Further , the “I Believe Campaign” will embrace the new developmental ideals in the Amaila Falls hydro project; the state-ofthe-art Specialty Hospital; the new Marriott Hotel, bringing world-class services to Guyana; and the CJIA expansion project, and the potential that lies in the accomplishment of these projects.

It takes a deeper look into the future – in building bridges with Guyana’s neighbours and benefiting from the potential that exists in their markets, the deepwater harbour, enhanced Demerara

port, and expansion of our physical infrastructure to meet the requirements of our economic and social projections.

The campaign will seek to work with the Small Business Bureau in developing new entrepreneurs, empowering families and integrating itself within communities.

The “I Believe Campaign” will build trust, consolidate, and work with other nationalistic campaigns, including the “Pick It Up” campaign and the national housing drive; and the University of Guyana and other agencies that seek to promote positive lifestyles and ideals, addressing social ills such as addiction and domestic violence.

“This is a campaign to start believing in ourselves, believing in our country, to encourage us to set aside partisan political views, to separate propaganda and mischief from facts and reality, and to work together as we all believe in the grand future and success of our country,” Ali explained.

The Tourism Industry and Commerce Ministry will also be hosting an “I Believe Concert” to launch the campaign, bringing together local artistes and performers at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, on Friday evening.

This massive event will begin at 21:00h during the second night of GuyExpo 2013, and promises to be filled with vibrant energy and positive messages.

Eyew tness

Speak of the devil...

...and he doth appear

We’ll, whad’ya know! Just the other day we were wondering (idly) what happened to Sase “Thunderbolt” Singh after Dr Asquith Rose conceded he was never really Alliance For Change (AFC) and put on the green shirt of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). Not so incidentally, Dr Rose immediately found a new companion in the form of one Chandra Deolall Esq, and Thunderbolt was gone. Well...evidently not permanently: he’s back in the letters pages –but he’s gone solo. And maybe that’s why he feels the need to double his level of vitriol. The wanker was literally foaming at the mouth as he ripped into the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in general, and Clement Rohee in particular, for crimes in Guyana. “How dare Rohee,” Thunderbolt thundered in righteous indignation, “say the opposition is responsible for crimes in Guyana?” Thunderbolt just knows it’s all the PPP/C’s fault!

And it all began, according to the accused flour thief, with the cold case of the Monica Reese murder from 1994. Now no one would deny that too many cold cases are piling up in the filing cabinets of the police force. We’re not going to go down the road that all jurisdictions have cold cases – the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) still doesn’t know what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, do they? And he was head honcho of the most powerful trade union in the U.S.!! We expect all our cases ought to be cracked.

But isn’t one reason for our less than stellar performance is because we’re just not training enough “crack crime sleuths”? Yet (breaking news!!) haven’t the PPP/C and Rohee tripled the number of police schools and increased the budget for training by thousands of percentages? Have they not sent more officers for foreign training than at any time in our history?

Well, so what if they did, it wouldn’t matter to Thunderbolt and his ilk, would it? The zombie-like chant of “get Rohee” has to fill the air. So what if it was the opposition, then in government, that let loose the kick-down-the-door bandits as a tactic

to intimidate the opposition? So what if it’s those same bandits, epitomised by men like Linden “Blackie” London, who used officially-sourced weapons to widen the killing fields into which Guyana now stands blood-drenched?

Or that it’s Blackie’s lieutenant Andrew Douglas who kept up the killings after Blackie fell – and was draped with Guyana’s flag by Desmond Hoyte? And it was Douglas’ lieutenant Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins who maintained the tradition? And so on and so forth.

Nah...doesn’t matter. It’s all PPP/C and Rohee’s fault, right Thunderbolt?

...in legislative deadlock

The U.S. Ambassador D Brent Hardt has certainly been interested in the workings of our governmental system. He’s been so ready with advice on a whole array of arcane and not so esoteric matters. He’s just weighed in with another long interview in the StabberNews. Local government legislation seems to be a favourite of his. And why not? Devolution of power has been the U.S. gift to mankind, no? Federalism and town hall meetings and all that stuff.

And the “export of democracy” is a centre piece of U.S. policy since George Bush’s regime, no? But we do wish he’d take some time to shed some light on what’s going on (or down) in his own legislature – Congress. As far as we can figure out, the U.S. opposition in Congress has linked passage on the U.S. budget with their objections to President Barack Obama’s health care bill. And refusing to budge, have shut down their government. Seems to me that the ambassador might want to tell his president of our democratic system in which the courts have ruled that the opposition can’t cut the budget. The U.S. can also import democracy, no?

...in Parliament

Was it a coincidence that just as the U.S. ambassador spoke, the Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman also chimed in on the same subject? It sounded eerily like an echo.

Police still to establish firm leads, motives in Kitty bar shooting

As investigations continue into the Mambo Bar shooting on Saturday night which left one dead and several injured, the police are still to establish any firm leads or motives for the muder.

During the attack, Shelliza Basir-Lall, 33, of Lot 2 Charity, Essequibo Coast, was shot and killed before receiving medical attention, while her husband, Raymond, 36, received injuries, but took self-discharge from the Balwant Singh Hospital on Monday.

Also injured in the attack was Parmanand Persaud, 32, of Lot 27 Block B Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, who sustained one gunshot wound in foot.

The Lalls’ chauffeur Badatunde Nedd, also called “Reggae” of Parika, East Bank Essequibo was shot and admitted in the

Intensive Care Unit at Woodlands Hospital.

One day after the shooting, an eyewitness told Guyana Times that there were other persons in the company of Lall and his friends on the night. They were on the dance floor and hanging with Lall

and the others when the men carried out the attack, the eyewitness said.

Meanwhile, from his home on Monday, Lall recalled that about 23:00h on the fateful night, he was at the Mambo’s Bar with three friends.

As midnight approached,

a white Toyota Carina AT 212 motor car pulled up and two masked men exited and started to shoot.

He added that his wife got up and was running for safety when she was shot.

After a while, police arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area. This publication understands that at least 19 9mm spent shells were recovered.

Two persons were detained and questioned for the attack, but were reportedly released.

A 19-year-old man was arrested with a 9mm Lugar Pistol during a road block at Mandela Avenue, but a police source confirmed that he was not linked to the crime.

Nevertheless, he will be charged since the gun and 10 matching ammunition discovered in his possession are believed to be illegal.

Man found with gun says he was instructed to commit murder

Minutes after being arrested with a .38 revolver and matching ammunition, a man reportedly told investigations that he had strict instruction to commit a murder.

Michael Ben, 30, of Charity, Essequibo Coast, was arrested on Monday evening in the vicinity of

the Xenon Disco, Charity Road, with one Taurus .38 revolver, three live rounds and one spent shell. At the time of his arrest, Benn was discharging rounds in the air.

Upon investigations, he reportedly told the police that he was a contract killer. A source told this newspaper that the man is a

“junkie”, but the police are trying to ascertain where he would have gotten the firearm.

This, he did not revealed to the police, but rather claimed that he picked it up at the roadside. Benn is likely to make a court appearance today at the Charity Magistrate’s Court.

On Sunday last, a man was arrested after a 9mm Luger Pistol was found in his possession during a police operation at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

It was reported that on Sunday, police ranks stopped and searched a motor car on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, during which 10 matching rounds were discovered in the man’s haversack. He was taken into police custody and charges are expected to be laid shortly.

The Exodus

Satiricus was confused. Once again. Satiricus was a man who believed things ought to go the way it was foretold. There was an order to the universe, was his firm conviction. Now while Satiricus might not be the most pious fella out there, he’d attended his fair share of Sunday school classes and if the truth be told, he’d rather enjoyed the stories.

He especially liked the battle scenes – of which there were more than enough to satisfy his rather gory youthful imagination. Satiricus had particularly enjoyed the story of Moses. Poor boy discovers his roots and stands up for justice. He leads his people into the Promised Land, full of milk and honey and all that.

Young Satiricus’ mind had run a bit wild at this point, imagining all the goodies that could’ve been found there. He didn’t care too much for milk and honey, but imagined that there would be a lot of “sweeties”.

Now Satiricus wasn’t so simple to believe that thing would happen exactly the same way as before. But Jeez! He felt the main storyline ought to be followed! Here it was Moses had actually left the PPCEE land of milk and honey and departed to KFC – the land of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. This was backwards! And he hadn’t taken anyone with him. He’d gone alone. Satiricus had felt Moses must’ve been bribed by Pharaoh Rum Jhaat. And he was sorely disappointed.

But sooner or later, Moses would realise what Rum Jhaat was doing to all his people who’d come into the land of KFC before him. Satiricus had faith in Moses. Hadn’t Moses heard Comrade Cheddi speak from a burning blacksage bush in Rupununi when no one else heard? So when Satiricus finally heard the news of the Exodus from the KFC – starting from far-off New York, he felt happy.

Surely Moses would be there somewhere with his people – starting the trek back to the Promised Land of milk and honey. But with every passing day, Satiricus’ hopes grew dimmer – even as the Exodus grew. And because Moses wasn’t there, the people were heading for the land of GrainJa, thinking it was the land with grains.

Little did they know that land was ruled by a worse Pharaoh. Why, even over in the land of the sugar cane, the ambitious Charan Rass had joined the Exodus! And he had announced he was going to “wild up”!!

This was just as bad as creating a golden calf! Satiricus wondered when the bolt of lightning would hit Moses? Maybe at the next elections?

IAPA protests detention of Brazilian journalist at Yale University

The detention of a Brazilian journalist at Yale University was protested on Tuesday by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), which called the action disproportionate.

On September 26, Claudia Trevisan, a correspondent of the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S Paulo (www. estadao.com.br) in the U.S., was on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, awaiting an interview with the chief justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court, Joaquim Barbosa, who had been invited to a closed-door seminar at the university.

She asked university staff and police where the judge was making his presentation. A police officer asked fo

r her documentation and she handed over her passport. Shortly afterwards she was handcuffed and held for five hours at a police station on the university campus for alleged “trespassing”.

Yale University reported that it did not plan to bring charges.

IAPA Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information Chairman Claudio Paolillo expressed concerns with what he called “a disproportionate attitude of vigilance and security at the university, which in the end limits a journalist's task”.

Paolillo, editor of the Montevideo, Uruguay, weekly Búsqueda, added that imposition of obstacles to the free flow of information and to the movement of journalists are serious restrictions of

freedom of the press, according to the Declaration of Chapultepec.

Trevisan was released after legal assistance from the Brazilian embassy and the consulate in Hartford. She had worked for five years as a correspondent in Beijing, China, where she was also director of the Foreign Correspondents Association. She said this was the first time she had faced a situation like this one.

The IAPA is a not-forprofit organisation dedicated to the defence and promotion of freedom of the press and of expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1300 print publications from throughout the Western Hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida. (www.sipiapa.org)

Global hunger down, but millions still chronically hungry

Some 842 million people, or roughly one in eight, suffered from chronic hunger from 201113, not getting enough food to lead active and healthy lives. So says a report released by the United Nations (UN) food agencies.

The number is down from 868 million reported for the 2010-12 period, according to the State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI 2013), published every year by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The vast majority of hungry people live in developing regions, while 15.7 million live in developed countries.

Differences

Continued economic growth in developing countries has improved incomes and access to food. Recent pick up in agricultural productivity growth, supported by increased public investment and renewed interest of private investors in agriculture, has improved food availability.

In addition, in some countries, remittances from migrants are playing a role

in reducing poverty, leading to better diets and progress in food security. They can also contribute to boosting productive investments by smallholder farmers

Despite the progress made worldwide, marked differences in hunger reduction persist. Sub-Saharan Africa has made only modest progress in recent years and remains the region

with the highest prevalence of undernourishment, with one in four people (24.8 per cent) estimated to be hungry.

No recent progress is observed in Western Asia, while Southern Asia and Northern Africa witnessed slow progress. More substantial reductions in both the number of hungry and prevalence of undernour-

made significant progress towards reaching the target of halving the proportion of hungry people by 2015. This target was agreed internationally as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). If the average annual decline since 1990 continues to 2015, the prevalence of undernourishment will reach a level close to the MDG hunger target.

A more ambitious target set at the 1996 World Food Summit (WFS), to halve the number of hungry people by 2015, remains out of reach at global level, even though 22 countries had already met it by the end of 2012. FAO, IFAD and WFP urged countries “to make considerable and immediate additional efforts” to meet the MDG and WFS targets.

Final push

ishment have occurred in most countries of East Asia, Southeastern Asia, and in Latin America.

Since 1990-92, the total number of undernourished in developing countries has fallen by 17 percent from 995.5 million to 826.6 million.

While uneven, the report stresses that developing regions as a whole have

“With a final push in the next couple of years, we can still reach the MDG target,” wrote the heads of FAO, IFAD and WFP, José Graziano da Silva, Kanayo F. Nwanze and Ertharin Cousin, respectively, in their foreword to the report. They called for nutrition-sensitive interventions in agriculture and food systems as a whole, as well as in public health and educa-

tion, especially for women. The report underlines that economic growth is key for progress in hunger reduction. But growth may not lead to more and better jobs and incomes for all, unless policies specifically target the poor, especially those in rural areas. “In poor countries, hunger and poverty reduction will only be achieved with growth that is not only sustained, but also broadly shared,” the report noted.

The UN hunger report not only measures chronic hunger but presents a new suite of indicators for every country to capture the multiple dimensions of food insecurity. These indicators give a more nuanced picture of food insecurity in a country.

In some countries, for example, the prevalence of hunger can be low, while at the same time undernutrition rates can be quite high, as exemplified by the proportion of children who are stunted (low height for age) or underweight, whose future health and development are put at risk.

Such distinctions are important to improve the effectiveness of measures to reduce hunger and food insecurity in all its dimension.

Driver to be charged for Cotton Tree accident

Tazim Gafoor, 40, of West Bank Demerara, who is allegedly responsible for the death of four-year-old Varshanie Seelall of Cotton Village, West Coast Berbice following an accident two Sundays ago, is expected to be charged before the end of the week.

He is expected to make a court appearance at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court and will be charged with at least three offences, including causing death by dangerous driving, failing to render assistance and driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to information received, police ranks revisited the scene and took measurements on Monday after learning that the injured child had passed on. The driver of the vehicle was also summoned and informed of the development in the case.

The file is expected to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions Bibi Shalimar Ali-Hack, who is likely to make her recommendation by Thursday. A source close to the investigation revealed that from the measurements taken, Gafoor reportedly erred, and such, will be prosecuted.

These charges stemmed after Seelall succumbed to

her injuries on Monday while a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The child was in a coma following the accident involving a car and a 4runner on the Cotton Tree Public Road.

Seelall was a back seat passenger of motorcar PMM 8599, along with her mother Shamwattie Singh when the accident occurred. She received severe head injuries and was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital, but due to her condition, she was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for further treatment.

Apart from Seelall, the driver of the car, Hardat Singh, 45, of Lot 82 B Rosignol Village, West Coast

Berbice and Shemwattie Singh, 55, also underwent surgery for injuries incurred to their eyes.

Gafoor was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and was taken into police custody, but was released on bail. He also received injuries and was seen and examined by a doctor at the Fort Wellington Hospital.

According to reports, motor pick up GKK 8838 was travelling at a fast rate while motor car PMM 8599 was travelling in the opposite direction, and in the process of passing each other, it was alleged the driver of the pick up swayed on the roadway and ended up in the path of the motor car, resulting in a collision.

The driver of the pick up reportedly lost control and spun several times before coming to a halt. The child reportedly received the brunt of the impact. While at the Georgetown Public Hospital, she never regained consciousness.

Meanwhile, two persons who were taken into police custody after they were accused of stealing a bag containing $8 million from Gafoor were released after the businessman told investigators that he does not wish to pursue the matter.

GuyExpo a unique opportunity for businesses to expand

ANSA McAL Public Relations

Officer Darshanie Yusuf said GuyExpo presents businesses an opportunity to enjoy greater recognition, to grow and expand.

Speaking at a recent visit at the Sophia Exhibition Complex, Yusuf stated that GuyExpo is a platform which businesses should not miss.

“If you want to get your products known and you wish to get it out there, this is the exact place to come. GuyExpo being the biggest trade show in Guyana is a platform the company will not miss, which is why the company is committed to GuyExpo every year,” Yusuf said,

She said a number of products will be displayed in the ANSA McAL House. The company will also be having a Carib village.

ANSA McAL’s entertainment night is set for Sunday and will feature a top soca artiste. “It will be filled with fun and lots of energy and will be in partnership with Stag Beer. I hope to see all of you here, hope to see you acting responsible, and let’s celebrate GuyExpo,” Yusuf said Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) Marketing Manager Nicola Duggan said, “Like always, persons can look forward to excellent deals,” she said She noted that the company sees GuyExpo as an opportunity to give back to persons, noting that handsets will be available from as low as $5000, along with

other excellent deals.

Top Brandz Managing Director

Wayne James made mention of his company being a distributor for over 40 major Jamaica brands, including a grocery and an automotive division, to name a few. The company also recently started to import Corona Beer.

This year’s GuyExpo will see delegates from international companies and countries participating in the trade show and exhibition. These include Argentina, Brazil, China, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, the U.S., United Kingdom, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and India.

Demerara Distillers Limited, Banks DIH, ANSA McAL, GT&T,

Digicel, E-Networks, Top Brandz, Buddy's, Impressions, Caribbean Export Development Agency and Stars Party Rental are a few of the sponsors onboard the event.

This year's theme is, “Advancing Productivity through Innovation, Modernisation and Expansion”.

The event is hosted by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the Guyana’s Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA).

The GMSA will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, focusing on the manufacturing industry.

The association will utilise GuyExpo to serve as a platform to celebrate their accomplishments and achievements over the past 50 years.

Man killed for $500 in gambling fracas shot twice – autopsy

An autopsy performed on the body of Matherson Masfield Lewis, 32, of Lot 275 C Field, Sophia, who was shot during a row on Mandela Avenue on Friday last proved that he was shot twice.

He was reportedly shot once to his chest causing injuries to his lungs and heart while the other bullet struck the forehead, close to the left eye.

The post-mortem examination was performed by Dr Nehaul Singh on Monday at the Georgetown Public Hospital. He gave the cause of death as perforation to the heart due to gunshot injuries.

In addition, investigators confirmed that the murder suspect, “Blackie”, has not been arrested but the police are on the lookout for him. He might have fled the area, a rank stated.

The dead man’s mother, Myrna Thomas, when contacted on Tuesday, explained that her son’s murderer is still on the run and was not seen in the area since the shooting incident.

Initially, the victim’s brother told media operatives that the murder accused was planning to surrender in the company of his lawyer.

Days after, she noted, this was not done, but the police are continuing their investigations and is hoping that her son’s killer is prosecuted.

Thomas, who is also a senior police rank at the Kitty Police Station, disclosed that the family is in the process of making funeral arrangements but could not confirm when her son’s last rites will be read.

Lewis, a grasscutter was shot and killed just after midnight on

Thursday last after an argument erupted over a $500 bet during an illegal game of cards at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

He was shot by his assailant, who was later identified as “Kevin” also called “Blackie”. Lewis succumbed to his injuries while on his way to the Georgetown Public Hospital the same night.

Based on reports, about 00:30h on Mandela Avenue, Greater Georgetown, in the vicinity of London Base Taxi Service, the now dead man and others were gambling when a fight started over monies owed to one of the men.

As a result, one of them reportedly left and returned with a gun that was collected from a lavatory and discharged a round at Lewis who fell and was later rushed to a medical institution.

There was a gaping wound to his forehead. The man is survived by his mother, a child, reputed wife and siblings.

Geographic information policy consultation on today

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will host a public consultation on Guyana’s National Policy on Geographic Information. This consultation will provide a forum to obtain feedback from the general public and organisations regarding the policy.

The National Policy on Geographic Information provides the necessary framework for identifying key datasets needed for socioeconomic development, and specifies the mechanism for data collection, storage and dissemination.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud

The urgent need to create Geographic Information Systems (GIS) ready datasets and use geographic information applications for nation building is becoming more evident by government officials and other stakeholders.

At the consultation, University of Guyana ViceChancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi will give the feature address. Since GIS are computer-based tools for mapping and analysing features and events on earth and for this reason, computers and GIS applications are inseparable.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud will deliver remarks and also present computers to the University of Guyana.

The consultation will be held today at 09:30h at the Guyana Forestry Commission multi-complex building, Kingston.

Miner sentenced to 18 months for larceny

Aminer was on Tuesday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on a charge of larceny from the person when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Twenty-year-old Jerome Smart pleaded guilty with explanation to the charge which stated that on September 29 at Georgetown, he stole one gold chain valued $150,000 from the person of Orlando Chan.

Smart was unrepresented when he admitted to the court he did steal the

gold chain. He said he had just come out of the interior when his mother put him out, and was desperate for money since he had nowhere to stay. He added that after the incident occurred, the police came and arrested him.

According to Prosecutor Vishnu Hunte, on the day in question around 10:45h, the virtual complainant was on Cornhill Street when Smart went up behind him and snatched the chain which he was wearing around his neck at the time. An alarm was raised and the defend-

ant was apprehended. A search was conducted and the article was found on his person. The matter was reported and Smart was subsequently charged with the offence. Prosecutor Hunte also made an application for the article to be returned to the virtual complainant.

Magistrate Judy Latchman considered the defendant’s age and the fact that he did not waste the court’s time along with the seriousness and prevalence of the offence in society before she sentenced him.

Haitian national fined for overstaying welcome

AHaitian national was fined $60,000 on Tuesday after she appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with overstaying her welcome.

It was alleged that between May 24, 2008 and September 29, 2013, Magdalene Millry, 60, of Kiskadee Drive, Meadow Brook Gardens, Georgetown, failed to comply with the permit granting her stay in Guyana from March 4, 2008 to July 4, 2008 and

overstayed the period. She pleaded guilty to the charge as it was read to her.

According to the facts, on March 4, Millry entered Guyana at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport using her Republic of Haiti passport and was granted a stay of two months. Upon expiration of her permit, she continued to work and live in the country illegally and never applied for an extension.

After receiving a tip, police went to Lot 1002 Kiskadee Drive and contacted the defendant. A check was made of her passport, and it was found that she had overstayed her permit. She was subsequently charged with the offence. An unrepresented Millry told the court that she is a housekeeper and alleged that if she returns to Haiti, her life will be in danger. She added that since her arrival in Guyana, she met her fiancé whom she has been living with.

Magistrate Latchman fined Millry, with an alternative sentence of 12 months imprisonment.

Trinidad and Tobago, EU hold high-level talks on climate change

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of State in the Environment and Water Resources Ministry, Ramona Ramdial has held discussions on climate change with European Union (EU) Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard.

The bilateral meeting took place last Wednesday on the margins of the General Debate of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which was held New York. Ramdial was a member of the high-level delegation from Trinidad and Tobago in attendance at

the United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting was convened by the EU to allow progressive states, both developed and developing, to discuss their expectations for the next round of climate talks to be held in Warsaw, Poland, in November at the 19th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 9th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

During the meeting, Ramdial said there is an urgent need to identify sources of climate finance. The

minister expressed her hope that the Warsaw Conference ought to be a confidence building meeting for Parties, which should set important milestones for meetings in Peru in 2014 and Paris in 2015:

“For Trinidad and Tobago, the upcoming Warsaw Conference must result in a legally binding agreement applicable to all; one which accords with the principles of environmental integrity and ensures that there are no free riders in concerted global action on climate change,” she said.

Brazil: Gang in huge tablet robbery at Sao Paulo airport

An armed gang in Brazil has stolen tablets and notebook computers worth an estimated US$800,000 (£500,000) from the cargo terminal at Sao Paulo airport.

Police say the robbery was carried out by a group of 10 men, who stormed the building after overpowering security guards and taking two of them hostage.

The whole operation took just over half an hour. No arrests have been made.

Security is a major concern for next year’s World Cup. The opening match will be played in Sao Paulo.

Brazilian police said the gang arrived at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport on Sunday night in a lorry. Some of the gunmen had fake security guards uni-

form. Two of the guards were kept hostage in a security booth while the other six were made to load the cargo onto the truck.

A preliminary assessment has found out that 59 boxes with imported items – most of them loaded with tablets – have been taken by the gang. A number of computer notebooks and electronic cameras were also

stolen. The cargo belonged to various individuals and companies, who were waiting for clearance from the authorities to have the goods imported. The airport, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, is the busiest in Brazil. It is currently undergoing major renovation work ahead of next year’s World Cup. (BBC News)

Two million U.S. federal workers in jeopardy after govt shutdown

The U.S. government has begun a partial shutdown after the two houses of Congress failed to agree on a new budget.

The Republican-led House of Representatives insisted on delaying President Barack Obama’s health-care reform – dubbed Obamacare – as a condition for passing a bill.

More than 700,000 federal employees face unpaid leave with no guarantee of back pay once the deadlock is over. It is the first shutdown in 17 years and the dollar fell early on Tuesday.

Goldman Sachs estimates a three-week shutdown could shave as much as 0.9 per cent from U.S.

GDP this quarter. On Tuesday, Obama blamed the House of Representatives for the stalemate and said

he would “keep working to get Congress to reopen the government [and] restart vital services”.

“This shutdown was completely preventable. It should not have happened,” he wrote in a letter to federal government employees.

“And the House of Representatives can end it as soon as it follows the Senate’s lead, and funds your work in the United States Government without trying to attach highly controversial and partisan measures in the process.”

Iraq's violence kills nearly 900 in September, gunmen storm police station

Nearly 900 civilians were killed across Iraq in September as sectarian violence worsened, raising the death toll for 2013 to more than last year’s total, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Most of the bloodshed was instigated by Sunni Islamist militants. In addition to 887 civilians, 92 members of the security

forces were killed.

September’s toll brought the number of people killed so far this year to 5740, exceeding the toll for all of 2012, when the first yearly increase in civilian deaths was recorded since 2009 following the withdrawal of U.S. troops in December 2011.

Overall, Baghdad was the worst-affected governo-

rate. “As terrorists continue to target Iraqis indiscriminately, I call upon all political leaders to strengthen their efforts to promote national dialogue and reconciliation,” the UN envoy to Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov.

After reaching a climax in 2006-07, violence in Iraq eased when Sunni tribesmen banded together and found common cause with

U.S. defends diplomats expelled from Venezuela

The U.S. embassy in Venezuela on Tuesday defended three diplomats expelled by President Nicolas Maduro, rejecting charges they were involved in espionage and accusations Washington is trying to destabilise the OPEC nation.

In the latest spat between the ideological foes, Maduro on Monday ordered out three U.S. diplomats including Kelly Keiderling, temporarily in charge of the mission.

He alleged they had been meeting with “right wing” opposition leaders and encouraging acts of sabotage against the South American nation’s electricity grid and economy.

“We completely reject the Venezuelan government’s allegations of U.S. government involvement in any type of conspiracy to destabilise the Venezuelan government,” the embassy said in a statement. “We likewise reject the specific claims against the three members of our embassy.”

The U.S. government is still evaluating how it will respond and may take reciprocal action in accordance with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, the statement said.

Venezuelan state TV, to a backdrop of dramatic music, showed images of diplomatic vehicles and a flight manifest with the names of the U.S. officials that commentators said was proof they met with the opposition in the south-east of the nation. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Israel ready to “stand alone” on

Iran, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that his country would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons even if it must “stand alone”, as a nucleararmed Iran would continue to seek the destruction of Israel.

“Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said. “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.” He went on to warn

that recent conciliatory remarks on the nuclear issue made by Iran’s new president, Hassan Rohani, were merely a ploy to get the international community to ease its tough sanctions regime while Tehran continues to develop a nuclear weapon.

“Rohani is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” the Israeli premier told the delegates. “A wolf who thinks he can pull the wool over the eyes of the international community.”

The Israeli leader said all Iranian presidents serve the same “unforgiving regime” –for which the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dictates policy – and urged the international community not to back down.

“Don’t let up the pressure [on Iran],” Netanyahu told the General Assembly, adding that the only deal that could be made with Rohani was one that “fully dismantles Iran’s nuclear weapons programme”. (Excerpt from France24)

Campaigners want 10 gaps in breast cancer research to be tackled

Ten critical gaps in breast cancer research must be tackled if the current death toll is to be checked, according to the Breast Cancer Campaign.

It says that if action is not taken to tackle these gaps by 2030, 185,000 more people will die of the disease. About 50,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed each year and about 12,000 lives are lost.

U.S. troops to rout Al Qaeda, forcing it underground.

But the group has been reinvigorated this year by growing resentment of Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government, which minority Sunnis accuse of marginalising them since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. (Excerpt from Reuters)

The gaps range from identifying lifestyle changes which could enable women to protect themselves from the disease to a better understanding of how tumours grow and spread to other parts of the body.

The campaign has involved more than 100 scientists, doctors and other health-care professionals in compiling its list. The research behind it is published

in the international journal Breast Cancer Research. Some of the gaps concern the need for new treatments – particularly for secondary or metastatic cancer, where the tumour spreads to other parts of the body. There is a real need for biopsies, or tissue samples, to be taken from these secondary cancers, because they are often not the same as the primary cancer, say scientists.

Clinicians, said Professor Alastair Thompson from the University of Dundee, who is a cancer surgeon and one of the authors of the report, may be reluctant to put patients through a biopsy when they have metastatic disease but he believed patients would agree to it once they understood the amount of valuable information this could yield. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

LIME expects to launch the new iPhone 5S and 5C in November, but do not expect a US$99 (J$10,000) starting price tag.

The company, however, indicated that it will ameliorate the cost over specified periods.

“The Caribbean and Latin America release is set for November. You can use that indicative date for release in Jamaica,” said Elon

U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck has announced it will cut 8500 further jobs in an attempt to cut US$2.5 billion (£1.5 billion) from its costs by 2015.

The company’s shares rose 2.35 per cent to US$48.73 in New York trading after it announced the cuts. The new losses, combined with 7500 job cuts announced in 2011 and 2012, amount in total to 20 per cent of its workforce.

Parkinson, head of corporate communications manager at LIME, following discussions with LIME’s marketing department.

The exact pricing is yet to be determined. Apple earlier this month launched two new phones: its flagship 5S and a more affordable 5C. In the U.S. market the iPhone 5C will cost US$99 for a 16 gigabyte (GB) model or US$199 for a 32GB model, with contracts. Meanwhile, the iP-

hone 5S will sell for US$199 for 16GB, US$299 for 32GB and US$399 for 64GB, with a contract.

“The US$99 iPhone is the contract price with AT&T (a U.S. telecom). But that iPhone 5S is US$549 without,” indicated Dwight Williams, head of product performance at LIME, at the annual general meeting held earlier this month at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.

(Jamaica Observer)

Oil protected for next generation – President Robert Sirleaf

When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed her son Robert Sirleaf to chair the board of the National Oil Company of Liberia (Nocal), there were cries of nepotism and corruption.

Last week in New York, where several events around the United Nations General Assembly involved Liberia, AllAfrica had an opportunity to interview Robert Sirleaf about his work at Nocal. He

pointed out that as chair, he did not run the regulatory body. That’s the job of the president and CEO, currently Randolph AKW McClain, a chemical engineer with a PhD and 30 years of business experience, mostly outside Liberia.

Sirleaf said he welcomed an independent audit of Nocal’s finances – including funds provided for health facilities and other social purposes by oil companies, as provided in negotiated contracts.

Sirleaf, who was also ‘special adviser’ to the president, said his mandate was to seek out the best international expertise to help Liberia negotiate with exploration companies and to craft legislation to regulate the oil and gas sector. The stated aim was to ensure that Liberia’s oil – should commercial reserves be found – would be used to benefit the country’s people, now and in the future. (allAfrica)

Merck said it will be shifting its focus to areas it sees as high growth, such as cancer treatment. It is also pulling products in late-stage trials it estimates will not be so successful, and licensing other products to alternative companies.

The New Jersey-based company anticipates its costs will be reduced by US$1 billion at the end of 2014, from cutting marketing, administrative, research and development operations.

Kenneth Frazier, chief executive at Merck, said: “While these actions are essential to ensure that Merck can continue to fulfil its mission into the future, they are nevertheless difficult decisions because they affect our dedicated and talented colleagues.

“We appreciate the contributions of all our employees, and we will support them during this time of transformation.” Merck will also be selling property in New Jersey to help save costs. (BBC News)

The first phase of the UAE’s move towards direct debit banking is set to begin on Saturday, October 5 after the Central Bank confirmed it had completed the registration process for banks and finance companies.

The system, which was first flagged in April, will also soon be mandated for all loans and finances and will be available for services such as electricity, water, telecom, credit card dues and insurance

The Vatican’s bank has published its first annual report in its 125year history as part of an attempt to become more financially transparent. The Institute for Religious Works (IOR) has been dogged by accusations of corruption.

The report shows 2012 was a successful year for the bank, with net profits more than quadrupling to 86.6

million euros. The bank said this jump was mainly due to favourable trading results and an increase in the value of bonds it held.

A majority of this profit – 54.7 million euros – was given to the Pope to carry out the Church’s mission around the world. Its balance sheet shows a total of 4.98 billion euros in assets and 769 million euros in eq -

uity funds.

The assets were primarily held in bonds and money market accounts. But the report also reveals the IOR had 41.3 million euros in gold, coins and other precious metals, a stake in an Italian real estate company, and received two inheritance properties worth around two million euros in 2012. (BBC News)

ABrazilian federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against number two U.S. oil company Chevron Corp after approving a negotiated settlement, a decision that closes a nearly two-year legal battle over a November 2011 oil spill.

Brazilian prosecutors had sought 40 billion reais (US$18 billion) in damages from Chevron and offshore drilling contractor Transocean Ltd for a 3600-barrel leak in the

premiums, the UAE Central Bank said.

Direct debit banking allows customers to set up regular, automatic payments from their bank accounts towards mortgage loans and personal loan instalments.

At present, the absence of such a system means postdated cheques are frequently used in the UAE as guarantees by businesses and individuals.

For foreign nationals,

bouncing the cheques is a criminal offence rather than a merely civil one, causing some foreigners to be jailed. The UAE’s tough penalties for defaulting on cheques were relaxed for local citizens last October after a royal decree was issued. In a statement issued on Tuesday, a senior official at the UAE Central Bank said the direct debit system would save time and effort for both clients and banks. (Arabianbusiness)

Frade offshore oil field, which Chevron operates, north-east of Rio de Janeiro.

Prosecutors also filed criminal charges against the companies and 17 of their employees. A judge rejected those charges, but prosecutors are appealing.

The dismissal came after Judge Raffaele Felice Pirro of the federal court in Rio de Janeiro accepted an “adjustment of conduct” deal with Chevron that commits the

company to spending about 300 million reais in compensatory activities. Chevron and the government agencies that signed the accord said Transocean had no responsibility for the spill.

The case, the largest-ever environmental lawsuit in Brazilian history, raised questions about the cost of doing business in the nation’s high-risk oil business and the ability of prosecutors to assess proper penalties. (Reuters)

Impact of globalisation on small businesses

Exchange rates and outsourcing

There was a time, decades ago, that “Made in the U.S.A” meant well-made products that you could be patriotically proud of. Today, “Made in the U.S.A” usually means paying high labour costs, dealing with labour unions and earning hopelessly tiny profits on slim product margins. It was due to this that outsourcing – or shifting your production base to another country – became attractive. Lower material and labour costs in a country with a weaker currency boosts profits considerably.

Small businesses usually don’t have the advantage of forging outsourcing partner-

ships with overseas factories, and are at a severe disadvantage in pricing. Multinational corporations, such as WalMart, tend to exploit this business model to the fullest, creating extremely cheap goods in China, marking them up only slightly and only earning only a slim margin on each product. The goal of this business model is to use high sales volume to offset its low profit per product. A more immediate goal is to undercut any local competitors, who are physically unable to match those low prices due to the lack of an outsourcing infrastructure, and wipe them out with a pricing war. After all these local competitors have been eliminated,

Wal-Mart is free to raise prices again, since it has established itself as a local monopoly. As a small business, it’s nearly impossible to protect yourself from this kind of assault. If you want to stand your ground and fight, then the best strategy is to ally yourself with other local businesses and pool your resources. Offer free cross-advertising campaigns and attack the large multinational threat together. While you can’t offer discounts on all your products to fight back, offering rotating sales on select products can attract customers. In an allout war against the big guys, the enemy of your enemy is your best friend. (Business Dictionary)

Internal politics affecting UG’s development – president

Man gets 12 years after admitting to father’s murder

BY SABATINI DANIELS

President Donald Ramotar said the country’s internal politics is affecting the University of Guyana (UG) from making progress, contending that this has caused the university to be in its current state.

Speaking at UG’s George Walcott Education Lecture Theatre at a special programme in observance of the university’s 50th anniversary on Tuesday, the president noted that it is unfortunate that national politics continues to reflect on UG, adding that this is unavoidable.

The president said while the institution has come a far way, “we have not achieved all that was envisioned at the beginning of the University of Guyana, but we are going in that direction.”

For UG to progress, Ramotar said lecturers and students must build better relationships, grades must be released sooner and there

needs to be more discipline at UG. He said too that more emphasis needs to be placed on developing academic work.

The president stressed that stakeholders must not allow differences in ideas to stymie the university or Guyana from moving forward.

Address local needs

“Let’s try them! One at a time, life will tell us who is right and who is wrong and we must be bold enough to make changes when we have made mistakes.” The president pointed out that a lot more work needs to be done to develop UG, adding that some of the work his government is currently doing is directed at the development of UG and the country.

The head of state said close attention must be placed on the needs of the country and UG should be tuned in this direction.

Making reference to the 1963 speech of late President Dr Cheddi Jagan at UG’s inau-

guration, which was read by Education Minister Priya Manickchand, quoting Dr Jagan as desiring equal opportunity for all Guyanese, Ramotar said the government is laying the basis for this since universal primary education has already been achieved and universal secondary education is close to be being accomplished.

Build institutions

The president said the late Dr Jagan wanted to “build institutions that would not only produce narrow specialists… but he wanted to create professional and technical personnel with a wider appreciation for society, with a social conscience.”

In the thrust to provide equal opportunity to all, he highlighted that technology must also be used to reach persons in the hinterland areas to educate them since it is a technologically advanced world.

“So, the people at the most remote parts of the country can have access to education online, this is the aim we must have, we must dream big.”

Currently, UG is battling a number of issues ranging from a lack of resources and overdue salaries for staff members. UG was founded in 1963, three years before Guyana gained independence from the British.

Navin Chandrapal, Phillip Allsopp, Joseph Holder, Professor Noel Menezes, and Yvonne Stephenson engaged in a panel discussion which centered on the first decade of UG. (sabatinid@guyanatimesgy.com)

EZjet boss pleads guilty to fraud

One week after giving notice to the West Palm Beach Court, Florida, through his attorney about his intention to change his “not guilty” plea to “guilty”, founder of EZjet, Sonny Ramdeo, on Tuesday admitted to wire fraud to the tune in excess of US$20million. The matter is being heard by Judge Kenneth Marra.

The former Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara resident is expected to be sentenced on January 13, 2014 and will face several charges of wire fraud and money laundering. He can face a maximum of 90 years imprisonment.

Ramdeo introduced EZjet, a low-cost charter company he reportedly founded and operated between New York and Guyana, but was arrested by U.S. federal agents in 2012 after being on the run following his interdiction.

The low-cost charter started in December 2011 amid much pomp and ceremony in Guyana. Upon the introduction of the aircraft, there were questions by key players in the industry about the airline’s sustainability.

Ramdeo told media operatives that monies to sustain the flights were from his savings and mortgage taken on his Florida home. The airline operated the Georgetown/New York route and later introduced flights to Canada and Trinidad.

However, this new investment might have given the U.S. authorities an edge in locating him. He was under the microscope of the U.S. authorities for a

period of time and was reportedly hiding, but FBI agents monitored his phone calls, and tracked him to a Brooklyn basement where he was staying.

After his arrest earlier in the year, the embattled businessman made an application for bail, but it was denied on the basis that he might flee the jurisdiction.

He was accused of embezzling more than US$20 million from a hospital chain and using some of the proceeds to fund the airline over a period of time.

Court documents claimed Ramdeo created a payroll company and made it appear, using fake emails, as if it was a legitimate one with links to another similar establishment, that had been doing business with the hospital chain.

It was reported that Ramdeo instructed staffers to make payments and deposits in a manner and amounts that would not have raised the curiosity of the U.S. authorities. They are still investigating where the monies that the accountant allegedly stole is hidden.

A29-year-old man was sentenced to 12 years in prison after he admitted to hacking his father to death.

Andrew Gomes was indicted with the murder of his 57-year-old father, Stanislaus Gomes, on November 27, 2008, at their Waikabra, Soesdyke Linden/Highway home. On Tuesday, a 12-mixed jury panel was selected before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court.

The prosecution was led by Senior State Counsel Judith Mursalin and the accused was represented by Attorney Hukumchand Parag. The prosecutor had some four witnesses lined up to testify against the accused.

State’s case

The state’s case is that Gomes hacked his father to death after the man refused to give him $200 to buy drugs. The man was chopped five times about his body and the top of his head was reportedly split in two. After killing his father, Gomes went to neighbours some distance away and told them of his actions.

The first witness, a police officer, testified that when he arrested the accused, he admitted to killing his father, saying his father had attacked him and even took the officer to where the cutlass was.

The officer said he had also taken a written statement from the accused; however, before the statement could be admitted, Attorney Hukumchand informed the court that his client wished to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

As such, a charge of manslaughter was read to

the accused and he pleaded guilty. After the facts of the case were read out upon his request, Attorney Hukumchand made a mitigation plea, asking the court to be merciful. He noted that his client had a rough childhood, since his mother died when he was very young.

Before sentencing, Gomes was asked whether he had anything to say and told the court, “Ah really sorry for what happen with me and me father. He was really harassing me and it was really an accident.”

Mitigating factors

Justice Singh then proceeded with sentencing; starting with a base of 30 years, he deducted 18 years for mitigating factors – three years were taken off for the guilty plea, five for the time he served while awaiting trial, five for immediately confessing to his crime when he was arrested, and another five years were taken off for the fact that the deceased had initiated the confrontation by attacking his son.

After receiving his sentence, Gomes was escorted out of the courtroom, he waved to everyone, thanking them.

Gomes was on trial in the June session; however, the matter had to be aborted by the presiding judge after a newspaper had reported details of a voir dire (a trial within a trial held in the absence of the jury) and untrue statements allegedly made by the state counsel. That reporter and the newspaper’s editor were both fined for contempt of court.

Meanwhile, Khemraj Boodhoo, called “Sham” and “Shaw” will be facing trial before Justice BovellDrakes. He pleaded not

guilty to the indictment which states that on July 5, 2005, he reportedly murdered Lilendra Roopnarine, “Boyo”. The accused is being represented by Attorney Keavon Bess, while the case is being prosecuted by State Counsel Natasha Backer. Boodhoo’s matter was called up for trial in 2010; however, it was also aborted and the indictment was quashed after the presiding judge found that the magistrate’s committal was bad in law as it did not touch on all aspects of the law.

However, the charge was still valid, so the judge ordered the preliminary inquiry to be redone within 120 days. Justice Insanally also empanelled a matter in her court. She is currently hearing a case in which the accused is a juvenile.

State Counsel Dhanika Singh is prosecuting this matter.

Vagrant killed in East Bank Essequibo accident

Ahomeless man met his demise after he allegedly ran in front of a moving car on the Parika Public Road, East Bank Essequibo on Tuesday morning.

The accident reportedly occurred about 06:15h.

The dead man was identified as 69-year-old Omar Hussain, who according to reports, does not have a fixed place of abode.

Police investigations revealed that the driver of motor car HC 664 was proceeding along the road way, when it is alleged that Hussain ran in front of the car and was struck down.

The man was picked up by the driver of the car and rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police custody

The driver of the car was subsequently taken into police custody, assisting with investigations.

Guyana Times understands that he is expected to be charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

However, information reaching this publication stated that the man was a known character in the

Parika area, and would normally perform odd jobs for people. Other reports stated that man was walking along the roadway when the driver of the car allegedly overtook another vehicle, hitting Hussain in the process. According to reports, Hussain might have died on the spot, but was rushed to the WDRH where his death was certified by a doctor. His body is at the Ezekiel’s Funeral Home and is awaiting a post-mortem examination. Attempts to contact his relatives proved futile.

SUDOKU

Keep life simple and get what needs to be done out of the way. Avoid dealing with unpredictable people. Team up with those willing and able to contribute consistently.

By Bernice Bede Osol

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

Use your energy wisely and protect yourself against injury. Think matters through before you make a decision. Poor money management will require an unusual solution. Add to your skills and knowledge.

Avoid melodrama. You don’t want to miss an opportunity due to a lastminute change. Don’t feel inconvenienced by what others do – embrace life and enjoy the ride.

Appease whoever is standing between you and your goal. Making an effort to keep the peace will buy you the freedom to indulge in activities that interest you.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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

Take note of what everyone around you is doing, and use what you learn to reduce your overhead and home in on exactly what’s required to achieve success.

(March 21-April 19)

Share your thoughts and ideas and indulge in activities that allow you to show off your skills. Although you will attract attention, a humble and gracious attitude must prevail.

(April 20-May 20)

Consider innovative ways to make your work more efficient. Forming an alliance with someone who has discipline and a work ethic similar to yours will lead to greater freedom.

(May 21June 20)

Collect your thoughts and find a way to deal with a challenge before matters become costly. More effort toward improving your home or family life will be required.

Jump on the bandwagon and enjoy whatever is being offered up by friends, relatives or neighbors. Active participation will lead to all sorts of interesting people and destinations.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Past lessons will be a guide to a difficult situation that you’re now facing. You’ll need to act judiciously to keep the peace, and wisely to see through rampant misinformation.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Don’t complain if someone asks you to do something. The fuss it will cause won’t be worth the aggravation. Get the job done and move on to the things you’d prefer to do.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Fix up your space and find a way to budget for something you’d like to purchase. An emotional matter will escalate if you haven’t been completely honest about the way you feel.

& short term, and car rental service. Phone: 227-2199, 227-2186

Dentures provided in 72 hours from as low as $4500. Contact Dr B Stuart, 209B Charlotte St, Lacytown. Tel: 225-5034

Electronics course - hands-on training, starting October 2, Abdul Electronics. Phone: 226-6551, 225-0391.

Learn to play the guitar, keyboard, drums, and train your voice at Foundation 7. Phone: 225-1151 or 617-4200.

Available: Fresh long-stemmed roses, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315

3114, 692-0126

One 320CL Excavator located at Mahdia; excellent working condition. Owner migrating, call 6820365 or 614-1669

Gold Land, excellent investment. Priced to sell, call 682-0365, 6141669

Wine vessel (jue) Shang dynasty, old Chinese painting, old Ming prints, Ming dynasty Chinese painting on bamboo, Qi Baishi orginal painting, rare bowls and pots, all Chinese antiques. Phone: 592-623-7029

Pure bred American Akita puppies for sale $200,000. Phone: 639-8924, 227-4674

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Clean garden earth & builders waste. Also bobcat rental, excavating, clearing & leveling done. Phone: 6160617, 663-3285.

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Cellphone accessories and spares for all smart phones: Blackberry, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, HTC, iPhone, Sony Ericsson, LG at Halema’s Fashion 104 Regent Street, next door to the Multiplex Mall. Call 622-7740/696-4008

One music set with three power amps with a total of 5,500 watts, etc. for more information please call, 682-3481. Price negotiable.

Healthworld Holistic Centre: Psychotherapy available for all types of abnormal behaviors – addictions, emotional, suicidal, anger, relationships and sexual problems. Treatment of stress disorders, depression, fear, low self-esteem, insomnia, trauma, psychosomatic sicknesses and children's disorders. We also conduct IQ evaluations and behavioral assessments. By appointment only. Clinic hours: 11:00 - 17:00h. Tel: 592-621-0552. Email:healthworldhc@gmail.com

Ayurvedic herbal treatment for all chronic genetic/none genetic diseases, including HIV, Cancer, diabetic, pregnancy, sexual (weakness), etc. Phone: 685- 3220.

Are you pouring on pounds? Then call Raul /Carol Wilson: 660-6818, 641-5923, 216-3016, 216-3601 for your healthy eating package. Stay healthy and flexible with yoga. Phone: 693-2233

YELLOW PAGES

wednesday, october 2, 2013

Immigration & Visa Services

We handle all Canadian, USA and UK immigration and visa matters. Self sponsorships, holiday/visitor’s visas, work permits, students visas, family, class, 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: 2251540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca

U.S. Green Card Lottery 2013. We are now accepting entries for the Annual Green Card Lottery sponsored by the U.S. Government. Enter now for a chance to become a permanent resident of the USA. Closing date November 2, 2013. Contact Balwant Persaud Immigration and Visa Services 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings and Light Sts.) Tel: 225-1540, 6553105, 622-8308

Professional Key Shop, 125 Carmichael Street, Georgetown. Phone: 225-3923, mobile: 6213249. We cut any type of key, service and repair all types of locks. Get your extra key today.

L AND FOR SALE

Parfaite Harmonie $1M and $1.2M phone: 675-7292

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Gas station land. Size: over one acre Phone Ms Liverpool on 625-7582, 681-9293.

Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 339-3536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 275-0322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 943-1515 for the perfect trendy touch.

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1 Bedford truck. Phone: 616:0617, 663-3285.

Teacher dies after collapsing in race

It was almost a stand still on Tuesday at the Tutorial Academy Secondary School (TASS) as teachers and students tried to come to grips with the news of the death of their teacher and colleague. The last memories some have of Shabiki Joseph is seeing her in the teachers’ 100-metre race on Friday, at their school sports.

Joseph died at the New Amsterdam Hospital Monday evening after being admitted there earlier that day.

On Friday, Joseph was part of the 100-metre female teachers’ race at the Edinburg Ground where the TASS held its annual track and field events.

Joseph was advised not to take part in the race as she gave birth 14 weeks ago.

“I told her that we will just go to the starting line and we will not run,” her colleague Simone Bowlers told Guyana Times

According to the school’s headteacher Fenlon Fraser, he was at the gate when students told him that the teachers’ race was about to start.

“I saw the teachers running and then one fell and another one jumped over her and fell and only the first one to fall got up,” the headteacher said.

Burglary

AHe noted that soon after, a crowd gathered around Joseph as she was being helped to get up.

The teacher was eventually taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where she learnt that she had a fractured lag and was asked to return the following day to have it placed in cast.

On Saturday, Joseph’s leg was in cast but she went back to the hospital after experiencing bouts of fainting and abdominal pains.

She was admitted as a patient and remained at the hospital until her death.

“She called me yesterday (Monday) and said that she was going to the hospital because she was not feeling well,” Fraser said.

case

case of break and enter with larceny was dismissed on Tuesday, after it was brought before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It was alleged that during the night of September 29 at Georgetown, 21-yearold Anthony Franklin broke and entered the dwelling of Dexter Collins and stole one Samsung Galaxy smart-

dismissed

phone valued $80,000. He pleaded not guilty to the charge as it was read to him.

The virtual complainant told the court that he would not like to offer any evidence against the defendant, and he was asked to step into the witness box to give a sworn testimony.

The charge against Franklin was dropped, and he was free as no evidence was offered against him.

Clothing vendor remanded for larceny

Aclothing vendor was on Tuesday brought before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he was charged with larceny from the person.

It is alleged that on September 28 at Croal Street, Georgetown, Leroy Williams, 20, of Lot 51 Norton Street, Lodge stole from the person of Jaclyn Tony one gold band valued $90,000. Williams pleaded not guilty to the charge as it was read to him.

An unrepresented Williams told the court that he is cur-

rently in a common-law relationship and has no pending matters or prior convictions.

Prosecutor Vishnu Hunte objected to bail on the grounds of the nature and penalty attached to such an offence, along with the quantum of the charge. He also stated that if granted his pre-trial liberty, the defendant is not likely to return to court to face trial.

Magistrate Latchman refused bail, and Croal was remanded to prison. The matter was transferred to Court 10 for October 7.

Man on self-bail

A32-year-old man appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Judy Latchman on Tuesday, to answer to the charge of possession of an unlawful weapon.

It is alleged that on September 27 at High and Cowan streets, Quacey Andrews had in his possession an ice pick without any lawful reason or reasona-

ble explanation. He pleaded not guilty to the charge read against him, stating that he did not have a weapon in his possession.

He also told the court that he is employed and the father of one child.

There was no objection to bail raised by the prosecution and Magistrate Latchman placed him on self-bail. The matter was transferred to Court 10 for October 7.

Unbeaten Royals get home semi-final

Fancy beating Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur? Forget it. Royals extended their winning streak at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium to 12, beating the confident Otago by four wickets to keep the semi-final options open in Group A on Tuesday.

Royals progressed briskly initially in their chase of a middling 140, stuttered after their middle order fell to rash strokes, before Brad Hodge played the rescue act with an electric 52 to stall Otago’s spirited recovery.

Though Royals had already booked their place in the knockouts, there was still some context in this match, for this victory means they will stay back in Jaipur for their semi-final.

A further 15-20 runs could have made the difference for Otago. Having scored a mammoth 242 earlier in the tournament, their impressive top order was

blown away by the relatively unknown Rahul Shukla. The Jharkhand seamer came in as a replacement for Vikramjeet Malik and in the space of six balls, he proved it to be an inspired selection.

Bowling the fourth over, he struck with his first ball, removing Hamish Rutherford’s middle stump as the batsman looked to play across the line. Two balls later, he got rid of the captain

Brendon McCullum trapped in front with one that came in. There was room for one more wicket in the over and it came via a bizarre shot by Derek de Boorder. It got worse for Otago when the in-form Neil Broom perished to a top edge off Shane Watson, leaving them reeling at 21 for 4. Otago’s progress in the tournament was orchestrated by meaty contributions by the top order. Now they found themselves in a situation they weren’t accustomed to, and it was up to the lower order to cover the slack.

Impetus

James Neesham gave the innings some impetus with a quick 32, but he was lucky to have been let off on 0, when the umpire Paul Reiffel failed to notice a thick inside edge on the way to the keeper. Nathan McCullum and Ian Butler ensured Otago played out 20 overs, their

cameos pushing the score to 139. While it was below par, from 21 for 4, it was an improvement.

Ajinkya Rahane got Royals off to a rapid start with some exquisite shots through the off side off the seamers. Rahane got his timing and placement perfect, taking Royals to 43 at the end of the Powerplay. Nathan McCullum’s sharp reflexes at point, running backwards to pluck a catch to send back Rahul Dravid, was temporary relief, but Rahane’s was the wicket they needed.

The middle order needed to bat around Rahane but Royals put pressure on themselves with some questionable shots. Sanju Samson played on to his stumps and both Shane Watson and Stuart Binny departed quickly edging behind.

Rahane passed his fifty but fell chipping a full toss to mid-off. The boundaries dried up and the drought lasted five overs before Hodge released the pressure with a boundary over cover. Two balls later, he slogged a slower ball and got a lucky top edge that cleared the keeper.

Hodge ensured at least one boundary off every over. He made room to James McMillan and carved a six over third man and in the same over smashed one over extra cover, beating Neesham’s dive. With 24 needed off the last three overs, it was still even and Ian Butler did well conceding only four runs off the first four balls. Hodge changed the complexion of the over with a six and four off consecutive balls to bring the equation firmly back in Royals’ favour. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Otago innings

N Broom c †Samson b Watson 11

H Rutherford b Shukla 5

B McCullum* lbw b Shukla 0

D de Boorder† c & b Shukla 0

R ten Doeschate lbw b Tambe 26

J Neesham c Watson b Cooper 32 N McCullum not out 28 I Butler b Cooper 25

N Wagner not out 5

Extras: (lb 5, w 2) 7

Total: (7 wkts, 20 overs) 139

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-20, 3-20, 4-21, 5-74, 6-81, 7-120

Bowling: A Menaria 1-09-0, J Faulkner 4-0-28-0, S Watson 3-0-24-1, R Shukla

4-1-23-3, K Cooper 4-033-2, P Tambe 4-0-17-1

Rajasthan Royals innings R Dravid* c N McCullum b Beard 10 A Rahane c Broom b Neesham 52 S Samson† b Neesham 5 S Watson c †de Boorder b Neesham 2

S Binny c B McCullum b Wagner 1

B Hodge not out 52 J Faulkner b Wagner 2

K Cooper not out 8

Extras: (lb 1, w 9) 10

Total: (6 wkts, 19.1 overs) 142 Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-67, 3-71, 4-72, 5-116, 6-130 Bowling: I Butler 3.1-0-370, J McMillan 4-0-26-0, N Wagner 4-0-33-2, N Beard 4-023-1, J Neesham 4-0-22-3

Chelsea crush Steaua Bucharest

Ramires scored twice as Chelsea recorded their first points of this season’s Champions League group stage with victory over Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday.

The Brazil midfielder opened the scoring when he poked in after initial good wing-play from Andre Schurrle. Daniel Georgievski then found his own net after a Samuel Eto’o shot was parried into his path before Ramires fired in the third after the break.

Frank Lampard slotted in the fourth off the post in stoppage time. Chelsea lie third in the table, level on three points with Basel, who defeated the Blues in their opening Group E match.

Schalke beat the Swiss side and have now won two out of two - the Bundesliga side face the Blues next in what promises to be a mouthwatering double header

In Romania Chelsea produced an adequate performance against poor opposition, although the sprightly displays of both winger Schurrle and play-

Schurrle, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen this summer for £18m, had his best game so far in a Chelsea shirt although he was helped by the sub-standard defending of full-back Georgievski.

The 22-year-old German played a key role in the first goal, racing past the Macedonian right-back before playing a square pass to Eto’o. The Cameroon forward poked the ball through a couple of defenders before it was prodded in by Ramires, who had timed his run to perfection.

Eto’o had only been on the pitch for eight minutes after lone frontman Fernando Torres came off with what looked to be a knee injury.

The substitute was also involved in Chelsea’s second. Spaniard Mata broke free in midfield and found Eto’o, whose firm low shot was parried by goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu and inadvertently slammed in by Georgievski. (BBC Sport)

Ozil stars as Arsenal cruise past Napoli

Arsenal’s impressive start to their Champions League campaign continued as Mesut Ozil inspired them to victory over Rafael Benitez’s Napoli at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The £42m deadline day signing from Real Madrid scored his first goal for Arsenal with a brilliant finish, and then set up a second for Olivier Giroud as this Group F meeting was effectively decided within the first 15 minutes.

Arsenal’s domination ensured the rest of the game was little more than a formality as Napoli, riding high in Serie A, never threatened to upset the optimism that has swept around Arsenal and also taken them to the top of the Premier League.

At the heart of it all was Ozil, the German combining natural grace with deadly contributions that proved too much for Napoli, who had proved their own pedigree by beating last season’s Champions League runnersup Borussia Dortmund in their opening group game.

Arsenal produced the perfect follow-up performance to their win in Marseille and they now head a group that looked littered with hazards

when the draw was made.

In the night’s other game, Dortmund beat Marseille 3-0 to join Napoli on three points.

In Ozil, Arsenal have acquired a game-changing talent whose presence and quality has lifted the levels and confidence of his colleagues.

Aaron Ramsey also produced another highly-accomplished performance, setting up Ozil’s goal and continuing the outstanding form that has been a hallmark of Arsenal’s opening to the season.

As manager Arsene Wenger’s name rang around The Emirates in the closing moments, the acrimony that followed the opening day home defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League seemed an age away. This is now a buoyant club.

The midfield strength that is currently on offer to Wenger was illustrated by the fact that, even with Santi Cazorla injured, he had enough at his disposal to relegate Jack Wilshere to the bench.

It left Ozil and Ramsey to carry the weight of creative responsibility - and they did it brilliantly as Arsenal took a measure of control

from the first whistle that they never looked like relinquishing.

Ozil has swiftly become the darling of Arsenal’s support and it was easy to see why as he was the central figure in the opening phase that settled the game.

Arsenal’s opening goal after eight minutes was a thing of beauty, the sort of goal that adds an extra layer of pleasure for the purist Wenger.

Giroud released Ramsey with a subtle flick and when his cross picked out Ozil he completed a difficult finish with the deceptive ease of a world-class player, sidefooting superbly past Napoli keeper Pepe Reina with his left foot.

Ozil was the creator seven minutes later as he ran into the area before a deft flick of his left foot gave Giroud the opportunity for a simple finish.

Benitez has made his reputation with his expertise in the Champions League but Napoli, especially without the injured former Arsenal transfer target Gonzalo Higuain, were unable to make any impact in attack and found the Gunners’ pace and passing too much for their defence. (BBC Sport)

Narine to play for Cobras

The Cape Cobras have signed West Indian spinner Sunil Narine for the bulk of South Africa’s domestic Twenty20 competition in 2014.

Narine will join the Cape Town-based franchise after the Windies’ tour of New Zealand, which will end in mid-January.

The Cobras will be without Narine for opening fixtures against the Titans, Lions and Warrriors.

The 25-year-old, however, is expected to debut against the Knights in Bloemfontein on January 17 or the Dolphins in Durban two days later.

He will be the first West Indian to play for the Western Province outfit since batsman Desmond Haynes in 1994 through 1997.

“After reviewing the fixtures and seeing who might be available during the spe-

cific period, we decided Sunil would be a good fit. He was the first choice we tried for,” Cobras coach Paul Adams told Cricket365.

“We wanted his mystery, that X-factor. He is the best Twenty20 bowler in the world - and we are happy to have him join the Cobras. He can strike at pressure moments and keep the runrate down.”

Trinidad and Tobago recruit Narine is the joint leading wicket-taker in ongoing Champions League Twenty20 in India, having secured eight scalps in three matches, including an impressive haul of four for nine against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“Sunil will be with us for about five or six matches in the group stages, and hopefully in the semi-finals and final too. He will bring a good dynamic to the team, as one of the world’s best Twenty20 cricketers,” added Cobras CEO Andre Odendaal.

Narine, who has taken two dozen wickets in 18 T20Is at an average of 16.75 and economy rate of 5.94, is currently at the top of the International Cricket Council’s rankings for Twenty20 bowlers, with almost 100 points more than second-placed Saeed Ajmal. (Cricket 365.com)

Farah, Bolt in running for 2013 World Athlete-of-the-Year award

Britain’s Mo Farah has been shortlisted for the 2013 World Athlete of the Year award, the International Association of Athletics Federations has announced.

Farah, 30, became only the second man in history to complete an Olympic and world “double-double” in the distance events in August.

Usain Bolt is also on a 10-strong list after three golds at the World Championships in Moscow.

Triple world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the favourite for the women’s award.

As well as completing a 5,000m and 10,000m double at the World Championships in Moscow, Farah also set a new British and European 1500m record in Monaco.

Bolt, 27, won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles to become the most successful athlete in World Championships history with a career total of eight gold medals.

Kenyan Wilson Kipsang,

who broke the marathon world record by 15 seconds as he claimed the Berlin title last Sunday, is also on the shortlist.

Jamaica’s Fraser-Pryce dominated in Moscow winning gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

The women’s list also includes Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar, who added world 5,000m gold to her Olympic title, and Valerie Adams of New Zealand, who claimed her fourth world title in the

women’s shot put. Three male and three female finalists will be announced by the IAAF following an email poll among members of the “World Athletics Family”, with the winners revealed at the 2013 World Athletics Gala on 16 November.

Men’s shortlist: Mohammed Aman (Ethiopa), Usain Bolt (Jamaica), Bohdan Bondarenko (Ukraine), Ashton Eaton (USA), Mo Farah (GB), Robert Harting (Germany), Wilson Kipsang (Kenya), Aleksandr Menkov (Russia), LaShawn Merritt (USA), Teddy Tamgho (France).

Women’s shortlist: Valerie Adams (New Zealand), Abeba Aregawi (Sweden), Meseret Defar (Ethiopa), Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopa), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica), Zuzana Hejnova (Czech Republic), Caterine Ibarguen (Colombia), Sandra Perkovic (Croatia), Brianna Rollins (USA), Svetlana Shkolina (Russia). (BBC Sport)

Garraway wants to play for Guyana again

By Ravendra Madholall in Toronto

Former national fast bowler Trevon Garraway is anxious to represent Guyana again at the highest level.

This disclosure was made on Sunday in Toronto after a superb bowling performance for Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club in the final of the limited overs Scarborough Cricket League. Garraway was outstanding, grabbing four wickets for six runs from 4.4 accurate overs that helped his team beat Bawan XI by a comprehensive tenwicket margin.

HACC humiliated them at Ashtonbee number pitch. Garraway was dominant as the oppositions were tumbled out for a meagre 25 off 20.4 overs.

Garraway in an exclusive interview, after the completion of the memorable game expressed great delight with his massive effort and was happy to see his team pull off the historical performance. He also used the opportunity to note that he wants to represent his country again at the highest level and hopefully West Indies.

“I [am] extremely delighted with my performance today (Sunday); we went out there and played to the best of our ability and I think we deserved the championship trophy again. Yes, I have the desire to represent West Indies but I have to first get into the national team and put in good performances so the selectors can see I am doing well,” Garraway, who featured in 12 West Indies Cricket Board regional fourday matches for Guyana, related.

The 29-year-old Garraway, who has been playing professionally in Canada for the past five years, also mentioned that he has enjoyed his stint so far; he also plays softball

cricket for GT Banas.

“I think as a cricketer you just want to play competitively as much as you can and playing among a number of former cricketers from Guyana and by extension the West Indies, gives me great pleasure and encouragement to play again for my country at the highest level, but I have got to take wickets consistently,” the former Essequibo senior Inter-County skipper reckoned.

Garraway cited that the competition is very challenging and had to work hard to churn out good performances. He feels playing with several Guyana teammates also motivated him to do well. Among those players featured in the final were former West Indies and Guyana player Royston Crandon and Canada and Guyana batsman Hemnarine Chattergoon.

“We have got a lot of players from back playing competitively over here on an annual basis and that really gives you the motivation to play seriously; the guys have been great both on and off the field and I think we can be more progressive and dominant next year; winning the championships for four successive years also pleasing,” Garraway revealed.

Ramdyhan upsets Gentle in Courts final

…Beaton and Lewis also capture titles

Guyana top 18’s female player Nicola Ramdyhan upset favorite and regional 14’s champion Afruica Gentle 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the inaugural Courts Junior tournament at the national Racquet Centre.

Ramdyhan showed more grit and determination to beat her young rival that has been creating a buzz on the local tennis scene. She served strategically and played the critical points well, which wore down the young Gentle.

After the win, Ramdyhan congratulated her opponent, saying “she is a tough contender who always brings out my A game. The tournament overall was good for me.”

Daniel Lopes secured a hard fought win over friend and doubles partner Gavin Lewis in three sets, ending the 4-6, 6-3, 10-4.

Earlier, one of Guyana’s bright young prospects 11-year-old Jordan Beaton pulled off the tournament’s greatest upset against the 14-year-old Keshon Reece 1-4, 4-2, 10-4. Reece has been the U-14 champion for the last two years.

Tournament coordinator and national coach Shelly Daly-Ramdyhan emphasised that fitness is key to playing in local conditions. She noted that fitness regimen will be revised as a matter of priority in the junior development programme.

“Some 61 participants played in the tournament with a total of 116 matches over the past three weekends in five categories and this spells well for junior tennis in Guyana. It is great to see that the parents of the little ones are taking the sport of lawn tennis seriously,” she said.

First vice president of the GTA, Grace McCalman reiterated that the sport in Guyana is not where it should be, but that sponsorship and parental support are key components for its growth.

“Courts has always been a partner in local tennis through support for coaches development and now we have two primary junior coaches Shelly DalyRamdyhan and Leyland Leacock. But now that Courts has become the second annual sponsor on the junior tournament calendar which is very significant for the GTA’s ambitions”

Courts Marketing Executive Molly Hassan expressed strong sentiments about her company’s support of tennis and was impressed with the way the tournament was organised efficiently. She praised the GTA for their professionalism and commitment to revive the dying sport and

pledged annual support for the tournament.

On the other hand, she charged the young ones to aim high and to make the company proud by aiming for recognition regionally and possibly internationally.

This tournament is one of two competitions that serve as qualifiers and warm-up

for the Inter-Guyana Games later this month in French Guiana. GTA has recently intensified its fitness sessions since several executives attended the last meet and concluded that the main downfall of the Guyanese players was the lack of stamina. The team will depart on October 22nd for French Guiana.

Robson suffers China Open defeat as Nadal wins

Laura Robson’s challenge at the China Open has ended with a second-round defeat against Angelique Kerber on Tuesday.

The British number one, ranked 38th in the world, was struggling from the start after losing her opening service game against her German opponent.

Robson, 19, made too many errors against the world number nine and lost 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour.

Elsewhere, women’s number one Serena Williams was given a tough match by Francesca Schiavone but won 6-4 7-5.

Schiavone had won just one game when the pair met at the US Open last month, but Williams had expected a tougher test in Beijing.

“It didn’t surprise me,” said the American. “I was definitely more surprised that I played so well in the Open, but it was a different circumstance.

“Even though the scoreline looked much easier at the Open, it wasn’t an easy match. But as for Francesca playing so well today (Tuesday), I wasn’t

Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, Roberta Vinci, Petra Kvitova, Carla Suarez Navarro and Sabine Lisicki, who thrashed Venus Williams 6-1 6-2, also made it through to the third round.

surprised about that.”

Meanwhile, in the men’s draw, Rafael Nadal eased to a 6-2 6-4 first-round victory over Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo as he bids

to regain his world number one spot. Nadal can rise to the top of the men’s rankings if he gets to the final in Beijing,

or if current number one Novak Djokovic fails to win the tournament.

“It’s true that the things went unbelievable so I had the motivation to finish the season well,” said Nadal.

“That’s what I am going to try. I have an opportunity to finish the season with good feelings. There are important tournaments left to play, and here is one of those tournaments.

“Today (Tuesday) is an important victory for me against an important opponent like Giraldo.

“If I’m able to keep playing well every day and at the same level I played the last couple of months, I will have the chance to be there,

to be number one in the future.”

Djokovic, however, appeared determined to hold on to his top billing as he brushed aside Lukas Rosol in 54 minutes with a 6-0 6-3 win.

“I needed to be very fresh from the start and try to bring that intensity, positive intensity to the court, and that’s what happened,” said the Serb. David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Stanislas Wawrinka, John Isner, Richard Gasquet, Nikolay Davydenko, Sam Querrey and Fernando Verdasco also earned victories to progress to the second round.

FIFA referees’ seminar underway

By Rajiv Bisnauth

World football governing body FIFA, on Tuesday began their five-day referees’ seminar, under the Referees Assistance Programme (RAP), at the Georgetown Club.

Thirty locally accredited FIFA referees and assistant referees, as well as prospective officials were chosen to attend the programme, which serves to develop the referees’ competence on the field of play and to effect greater uniformity and higher standards of performance at the regional and international levels.

The programme is being conducted by FIFA Referee Instructor Peter Prendergast of Jamaica and is a collaborative effort with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Guyana Football Referees Council (GFRC).

During the intense fiveday seminar, the participants will be covering the laws of the game with special emphasis placed on guidelines for referees and assistant referees. In addition, a special component dealing with match analysis, fitness, field and practice training will also be covered.

At the official opening ceremony, Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony, during the feature address, said that it was heartening to see officials of football being constantly updated and tested to ascertain their level of understanding of the game.

He said referees are very important because without them, the game would degenerate into chaos. Anthony urges the participants to make full use of the programme so that they can become better individuals.

“Take your training seriously and cultivate a mind that is very objective so you can make the right decisions. If you can use the lessons that will be learned not only in football but life in general, then you stand a good chance of being a model citizen”.

“We see this collaboration as a part of development. I like what I see so far but the GFF has a lot more to do. We are here to partner and facilitate with the GFF and GFRC for development. We want to professionalise people in sports but we first need to certify people” added Anthony.

He congratulates the GFF, the referee association and Caribbean Football Union (CFU) for organising the training session.

Amateur boxers did Guyana proud in Peru – Ninvalle

President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle, said he is heartened by the achievements of the four boxers who represented Guyana at the inaugural South American Youth Games in Lima, Peru.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Ninvalle disclosed that the boxers were excellent ambassadors, adding that amateur boxing is on good ground.

“We are elated with what our boxers did in Peru. They have been excellent ambassadors for Guyana,” Ninvalle said.

Junior flyweight Tefon Greene, flyweight Michael April, bantamweight Joel Williamson and welterweight Travis Fraser were the boxers.

Fraser, who lost to Ruis Sanche of Ecuador in the 69kg final, heads the list with a silver medal. Fraser’s teammates, Greene (49kg), April (52kg) and Williamson (56kg), copped bronze medals to ensure a 100% medal record for the four boxers.

Meanwhile, Ninvalle said with a collective effort by all, boxing can move to

Christopher Matthias in his remarks said the course is timely one, since the role of the referee is that of a judge.

He added, “They must exemplify professionalism as their conduct is always

under the spotlight in the field of play. May this experience be reflected in not only your professional and personal development but also in the development of the sport.”

Prendergast, during his

address, said that the RAP programme is geared to professionalise the environment where the referees operate.

“Referees have a responsibility for fitness and personal care because when you go offshore, you are not only representing yourself but an entire nation. They will be temptation and offers and you will have to know what to accept and what not too. It’s a very exciting program, new modules will be taught and you have to open your mind to be willing to learn new techniques” stated Prendergast.

GFRC president and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, Alfred King said that the course is a welcomed one and has created history.

“This is history in the making. I don’t know if any

other CFU nations have held five RAP programmes. The intention of the program is to develop elite referees as referees are always charged with being the enforcers of the game and must use every opportunity to develop”.

“We need to work along with the GFF to strengthen the structure for developing referees. Once we strengthen the structure, we can launch an initiative to expand. We also need to get more into the school system and offer being a referee as an opportunity for individuals to participate in football” added King.

Meanwhile, in recognition of their sterling support to the sport, GFF president Matthias presented three identification badges to former national captain Earl O’Neil, national coach Wayne Dover and head of referees, Roy McArthur.

the next level. He said there are many good boxers, but the government and the business community need to come forward and assist the sport more. Ninvalle noted that from the GBA’ standpoint, amateur boxers will be encamped every weekend, with the view to further develop their trade.

The experienced Wincel Thomas who headed the five-member contingent said in his opinion the team did exceedingly well, but could have done better. He singled out Green’s performance as outstanding while the others definitely gave a good account of themselves.

Guyana was represented by a multi-discipline sport team of 22 members that competed in athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, swimming, table-tennis and weightlifting. Guyana gained nine medals overall.

Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela and hosts, Peru, participated at the Games. (Rajiv Bisnauth)