Guyana Times Daily

wednesday, may 14, 2014|

Car slams into Linden house

...displaces family of three

By UtamU Belle

ALinden family is now contemplating their next move after a speeding car crashed into their home on Tuesday morning, causing severe damage to the flat, wooden structure.

Steve Hollingsworth, also known as “Fish Man”, 53; his reputed wife, Michelle Phillips, 20; and their 15-month-old son Ezekiel Hollingsworth narrowly escaped with minor injuries after Fielder Wagon PPP 9432, driven by 24-yearold Tage Giles of Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden slammed into their home at Lot 404 One Mile, Wismar.

The accident occurred at approximately 05:35h. Giles, who was the only person in the car at the time, was admitted to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) since he reportedly suffered head injuries, while the affected family were treated for minor injuries and sent away. Persons who gathered at the scene expressed shock at the extent of the damage to the house and the vehicle, while many were surprised that there were survivors. Persons in the vicinity recalled hearing the car making a screeching sound shortly before it careened off the One Mile Public Road, slammed into a lantern post, and crashed into the front of the house before turning turtle a few yards away.

“Just before 6 O’clock this morning, I hear screech,

blam! When I come out, I see he (driver) knock out the concrete block, hit the gate, and move the lantern post. He like he was speeding through,” a neighbour of the family related.

Baby on bed

The family related that they were awake and in a bedroom at the time. Hollingsworth said he heard the sound of the vehicle and felt the impact, but everything happened within a matter of seconds. He said he barely managed to grab the baby from the bed and ran outside to safety. The man said, based on the impact of the vehicle, he is convinced the driver was speeding.

“I had just finished bathing like around 05:30h, because I normally come out earlier to go to work. I bring

my son and put he on the bed, because he like to watch trucks when they passing on the road. I moved the blind and said ‘look out the window...’Then I hear the noise like a brake screeching, but it sounded like a truck. My son was sitting on the bed, by the time I left to go back to the window, the house came down on me,” he recalled.

The gate leading to the family's home was also damaged, in addition to a 42inch flat-screen television, a DVD player and two beds. Hollingsworth said about two-thirds of the home was damaged.

“I thought was a truck until, something lash me in me head. All I know I get knock in me head, I fall down, but I get up back, grab me son off the bed and ran through the back door. I

was just thinking how to get my son out of harm’s way,” he added.

Phillips related that she was also hit by the falling house and ran out, to the front of the house to see what had transpired. By then, she noted, Giles was already outside the car and standing on the roadway.

“A man was telling he ‘cover your face, cover your face,’ but when we reach the hospital, they said he was unconscious.

“I was on the bed too and I heard the sound coming nearer to us, but, by the time I catch myself, the house was already on we. We just rush outside,” she noted. The child had visible scrapes on his body, including his back, his stomach and head. Phillips also suffered injuries to her knee. Hollingsworth’s mother who lives a street away from his home also related hearing the impact of the crash.

Scene

“I hear like a truck coming down the road so I thought it was a truck going at a speed. Then I heard a screeching sound, then I heard like if something got hit. Shortly after my phone ring and my son said ‘Mommy, a truck just ran into my house’. When I look out, I see a set of people running,” she said.

Giles, who was conscious at the time, was reportedly crying out for pain and was transported to the hospital by a passerby

shortly after the incident.

Hollingsworth said after leaving the LHC, he reported the incident to the Police.

He related that he had wanted to speak with Giles at the LHC; however, he said the man created quite a scene inside the medical institution. He said Giles started to act delirious and even threatened to kill his (Giles) wife when she arrived at the hospital to check on his condition.

He further stated that the man had to be calmed down by relatives after he refused to let the medical staff look after his injuries.

The incident caused a power outage in the One Mile area. A short while after, personnel of the Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Limited (LUSCSL) commenced replacing the post. At the scene the front bumper of the car was seen lying in front of the home, along with one of the wheels.

Hollingsworth said while he is thankful for his life and those of his family, he is now wondering who would stand the expense of repairing his home and replacing the damaged items.

“That is something I been turning over in my head, in my mind, because I need my house to live in. We can’t live in there. I am trying to figure out the next step, who I have to go to, because I need my house rebuilt, “he said.

Guyana to tighten surveillance at ports for Chikungunya cases

Guyana plans to tighten up surveillance at its ports of entry for vector-borne diseases, primarily Chikungunya, to prevent outbreaks here, Director of Vector Control Services (VCS), Dr Reyaud Rahman, said during a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA).

He said VCS desks will be stationed at the Ogle Airport and later at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). This initiative will see tests being conducted on persons entering Guyana who may be experiencing fever, headaches, joint and eye pain, and vomiting –symptoms of Chikungunya. Chikungunya is an arthropod-borne virus that is transmitted to humans by viruscarrying Aedes mosquitoes. It is transmitted similarly to dengue fever and causes an illness with an acute febrile phase lasting two to five days, followed by a longer period of joint pains in the extremities. This pain may persist for years in some cases.

The best means of prevention is overall mosquito control, hence the fogging and smearing exercises being carried out by VCS.

turn to page 7

Travel monies “authorised” by Constitution – President ... details Thursday in Parliament

APartnership For National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament, Desmond Trotman has asked a series of questions regarding President Donald Ramotar’s overseas assignments, querying the costs of the trips and also what benefits Guyana derived from them.

But the Head of State said he has to use whatever is necessary to carry out his duties. He said too that all monies used for his overseas trips are constitutionally allotted to him. The President said he would offer no other comment on the matter except to say that a response would be furnished in accordance with the laws.

The questions were posed to Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds who is also Leader of the House and are down on the order paper for answers on Thursday when Parliament convenes.

“Would the Prime Minister and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs tell this House: the number of official overseas trips made by the President and delegations since taking office in 2011; the total dollar cost of each trip made by the President and delegations individually (destination, accommodation, transportation) since taking office in 2011,” Trotman asked in the first set of questions.

He further asked the Prime Minister to tell the House: “the immediate and medium term bene-

fits to Guyana associated with each of the trips undertaken by the President and delegations since taking office in 2011 to February, 2014; what benefits Guyana stands to gain in 2014 from each of the overseas trips undertaken by the President and his delegations in 2012 and what benefits Guyana stands to gain in 2016 from each of the overseas visits made by the President and his delegations in 2012 and 2013.”

The queries being made by the APNU MP are nothing new to the political arena. Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller was similarly tasked with providing information on her expenses to Parliament.

Tax payers had however stated that although the J$50 million figure spent by the Head of State in 2013 appeared to be abnormally high in some quarters, in the context

of the stubborn financial crunch bedevilling the Government, they were of the view that there was nothing spectacular about Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller’s overseas travel costs. In Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Persaud-Bissessar was also forced to defend her spending of public funds to facilitate travels out of the country. Persaud had at the time, back in 2012, accommodated her sister, a nonpublic officer, on the official trip.

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

Spreading anarchy

The anarchy that is playing out in City Hall is maybe a harbinger of what we are to expect in the nearby public buildings, where the legislators of this country meet. The fundamental disagreement between the players in both buildings has to do with the issue of legitimacy.

In City Hall, the Mayor does not recognise the authority of the Local Government Ministry over the Town Clerk, and in Parliament, the Opposition does not concede the authority of the Executive, period.

While the party system has been touted as a facilitator of democracy, in our country there is a danger that the opposite conclusion might be justified, if the present impasse continues much longer.

In one of the earliest expositions of the dangers of the party system to democratic governance, one of the founding fathers of the US constitutional order, James Madison, wrote about the dangers of “factions”. The latter were groups of citizens “actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community”.

The problem, we have in Guyana today, stems from the inherent assumption by the organisations that have come to represent “factions” in the present age – political parties –that their constituency’s rights are inherently “adversed” by those of other parties.

In the workings of the party system to form a Government that would steer the ship of State, the party that wins control of the Executive via the polls according to rules established by the Constitution would be allowed to present their programme as the programme of the entire polity. Generally, such a party would have secured the majority of the votes in the general elections and in addition to securing the Executive would have controlled the Legislature.

Our Constitution, however, permits the single party with the greatest percentage of votes at the elections to form the Executive and does not permit the other parties that collectively have more seats to form a coalition and collectively become the Executive. In Guyana, therefore, the Opposition parties which collectively control the Legislature have raised the question of the “legitimacy”. They argue that their greater numbers confer greater legitimacy to them.

However, what they are doing is to demonstrate the dangers of extreme partisanship or “factions” in not recognising the Constitution which was crafted by all the political parties to confer legitimacy by its specified rules. The Opposition ignores that legitimacy is pursuant to the strictures of the Constitution. If for instance, the Opposition believes those rules are not best for the country, then the Constitution itself outlines the procedure through which it can be altered.

As late as 2000, there were extensive changes unanimously made to the Constitution by all political parties then, which made it for all intent and purposes, a new Constitution compared to its predecessor. These changes, however, left the clause for the party securing the plurality of the votes to assume the Executive. What has occurred in the present, however, is that the Opposition parties are arguing for a change in the status quo without calling for a change in the Constitutional rules.

We therefore have a situation where extreme partisanship has reared its ugly head in the refusal by the Opposition political parties to accept the national consensus represented in the Constitutional Articles that are supposed to govern our State. This will not do. We have, according to our Constitution, a very clear demarcation of powers allocated to the three arms of the state – the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

The present impasse has arisen, and will arise once again, if the Opposition that controls the Legislature refuses again to concede the right of the Executive to exercise its constitutionally defined duties. This situation becomes even more untenable when the Opposition and the Mayor flout the rulings of the Judiciary, the arbiter of the Constitution.

This spreading anarchy must be stopped.

The failure to indict the Police cadet officer who shot Alex Griffith

Dear Editor,

The abject failure to lay charges both criminal and departmental against all of the officers involved in the illegal detention, torture and shooting in the mouth of 15-year-old Alex Griffith, 12 days ago, is a major setback for those hoping that the new leadership of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) intends to pursue more robust action against errant Police officers than their predecessors. The message this failure sends to the public is that protecting the criminals in their midst is a higher priority than protecting the public.

The circumstances of the

case as reported in the media have not been challenged by the GPF. The GHRA believes the delay in pressing charges is not rooted in complex investigation, but rather driven purely by an unwillingness to face up to the presence of rogue elements among its cadet and other officers.

Had charges been laid promptly against all involved, the new leadership of the GPF would have emerged with considerable credibility. What they have in fact achieved is to undermine, at a stroke, their own efforts to create good will in communities, exposing, for example, the initial campaign in Albouystown to be

little more than a public relations job.

It would appear that the Police do not intend to pursue this matter criminally. All the signs are evident that a cover-up has been set in train: the main culprit has been released from close arrest on the excuse that the Police know where to find him.

The failure of the new Force leadership to recognise the consequences for recruitment of protecting officers with psychopathic tendencies is astonishing, to say nothing of the decent ones who must now be re-assessing their future in the Force.

Moving from this polit-

ically-riddled, incompetent and corrupt approach to policing to an efficient, community-responsive form of democratic policing will take sustained commitment. Unfortunately, it would appear from the handling of the Alex Griffith matter that the new leadership of the GPF is not yet ready to make that commitment. The GHRA is therefore calling on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to exercise her authority to ensure that appropriate criminal charges are promptly laid.

Executive Committee, Guyana Human Rights Association

Poor building construction can be hazardous

Dear Editor,

I must say how impressed I am to see grand structures being built all around Georgetown. However, it is extremely important that these buildings are being built in accordance to the relevant safety codes and regulations.

It was brought to my attention that the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown (M&CC) is expressing grave concern as it relates to the

growing number of high-rise buildings in Georgetown that appear defective. Hopefully, this discovery will lead to further investigation of those buildings.

Poor construction of any building can lead to extremely hazardous situations. When constructing a building, we must remember that these buildings must be designed in such a way that they offer support to several factors inclusive of people,

objects, rain and wind pressure.

Ideally, when buildings are being constructed, it is important that they are inspected and scrutinised during their time of construction. This preventative approach will surely help to ensure that quality work is being done and will further allow for any faults to be identified and corrected at once.

Additionally, aside from the proper construction of

Our Police officers need support

Dear Editor, The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has indicated that though they continue to solve a large percentage of reported murders in Guyana, there are still a few obstacles that are hindering their ability to be more efficient.

One of the major hurdles currently being faced by GPF includes the lack of a true forensic capability, coupled with an acute shortage of qualified personnel.

It is with great anticipation that Guyanese look forward to the launching of our very own forensic laborato-

ry here in Guyana. In the interim, gathered evidence, including DNA can be sent to other countries for testing. All it calls for is some patience.

Additionally, the community needs to play an active role in curbing crime. Community Policing Groups

buildings, we also need to address the matter of unoccupied and dilapidated buildings. Many of these structures encourage the dwelling of vagrants and are considered as potential fire hazards. Moreover, dilapidated buildings should be addressed before they cause serious harm to people and other nearby buildings.

Sincerely, Bhimsain Rai

(CPGs) are a great approach to monitoring and controlling movements and activities in a particular neighbourhood. At the end of it all, our aim is to minimise crime in Guyana.

Sincerely, Rajcoomar Persaud

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

GEA employees on the breadline

Dear Editor,

On Tuesday, April 15, the combined parliamentary Opposition did not approve the budget allocations for the Office of the President administrative services line item. The said line includes the budget allocation for the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and other subvention agencies.

The non-approved allocation for GEA was for G$73.5 million as subsidies/contribution from central government. An additional G$10 million which was requested for capital expenditure towards the cost of extending the building to create additional office space for GEA’s employees, was included in the Office of the President’s capital allocation which was also not approved.

GEA’s recurrent budgeted expenditure for 2014 is 119.101 million dollars (excluding the $10 million capital expenditure for the extension of the current office space). Of the aforementioned amount, the agency only needed G$73.5 million as the remaining G$44.546 million will be generated from revenue received for agency and licensing fees. Of the G$119.101 million budgeted, expenditure of the agency G$76.264 million is allocated to employment cost. Hence, the G$73.5 mil-

lion dollars subvention that was requested was towards employment cost for 33 employees.

This non-approval by the Opposition has tremendous ramifications. With no finances to pay salaries, the future of the staff is bleak and uncertain; many have children, and other dependents that rely on them for financial support. Additionally, they have mortgage, rent, water and electricity bills, loan repayment and financial obligations to the Housing Ministry and other banking institutions. All of this pales in comparison to the reality that without their salaries, individuals will not be able to provide food which is needed for basic survival.

Upon hearing of this unfortunate turn of events, the atmosphere of the agency became a solemn one. Reactions varied from outright disbelief to tears of frustration and uncertainty...“I am a single parent with three children, I recently acquired a piece of land from the Ministry of Housing…and I have the other half left to pay them, how am I going to provide for them and pay Housing?” said one employee.

While yet another dismally proclaimed that “I am the sole breadwinner of my

Terrorising Berbicians

Dear Editor,

On May 10, I was utterly dumbfounded and felt extremely insulted by the tactics unleashed on Berbicians by Khemraj Ramjattan. Over the weekend, I had to console many Berbicians who sought clarification on the statements made by the AFC leader.

Many persons were morbidly fearful and apprehensive that the US will revoke their visitor’s visas or that the US Embassy will stop issuing visas to Guyanese.

I have read about APNU’s leader bragging about ‘juk-fu-juk’ but when you read the following statements, you will be convinced that this ‘jukking’ by Ramjattan is explicitly graphic and aimed at terrorising Berbicians to support the AFC.

After making some erroneous remarks about the LEAD Project on which both the Guyana Government and the US are now engaged in consultation, Ramjattan in his usual angry outburst told Berbicians that “when you get the Americans vex, all the East Indians in Berbice who want visas to go to America, if those people retaliate, who you think will

be affected? You will be affected by this communist Government. They don’t like Americans.”

This is the statement of a man who once aspired to hold the highest office of this land but yet is stooping so low that in order to gain political mileage, he is willing to do and say anything! The Cold War is finished Ramjattan, the politics of the 1960s are gone forever!

He went further to state that “if the US retaliates against them, then all hell will break loose because you will not get your visa and so many other things.” For a moment, I thought that Berbice was somewhere in Afghanistan or Iraq!

This is a direct insult to the US Government, since in essence, Ramjattan is saying that it is the US policy to penalise and punish the people of a country for acts committed by the Government. There are certain criteria for persons desirous of acquiring a US visa and if those requirements are satisfied, then visas are issued. These are posted on the US Embassy’s website, but it seems that Ramjattan knows a lot more about the operation of the US Embassy in Guyana!

home, plus I recently took a loan to further my studies…. how am I going to survive without a salary? Jobs are hard to get… I really think that the Opposition should rethink their decision… this has put people’s lives in severe jeopardy.”

The preceding were the sentiments echoed, in varying forms, among staff throughout the organisation. Though expressed in different ways, the core theme expressed by the staff was “How am I going to survive and meet my different financial obligations?”

Mandated under the provisions of the Guyana Energy Agency Act 1997, with subsequent amendments in 2004 and 2005, and the Petroleum and Petroleum Products Regulations 2004; the agency carries out many core functions that lend significantly to the country’s development.

The non-approval of the agency’s subvention request has therefore lent a tremendous blow not only to the staff of GEA but also to Guyana and Guyanese as a whole.

Respectfully,

Taiwo Williams Public Communications Officer Guyana Energy Agency

Moreover, the AFC leader unwittingly admitted that the combined Opposition, APNU and AFC, are making a lot of trouble in Guyana when he concluded that “they (the Government) put our country in more trouble than what the Opposition is doing, and what they are saying about the Anti-Money Laundering Bill”.

Do you not feel that Guyanese have suffered enough? Your prognostication of doom will not give you the presidency!

The AFC leader realises that the AFC’s support in Berbice is dwindling and it is falling apart, so it is now resorting to terrorist tactics. There is a cliché which says that, “A drowning man may clutch at a straw”, but only in this case the “straw” is more akin to terrorism armaments. No wonder Ramjattan is averse to supporting the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill!

The AFC is getting desperate. Berbicians beware!

Yours sincerely,

Haseef Yusuf AFC Councillor, Region Six

The Police have no right to arrest, far less detain a criminal...really?

Dear Editor,

The Police have no right to arrest, far less detain a criminal – that is the message coming from the criminal fraternity of Georgetown. This is the “vibes” or this is the communication that is coming across loud and clear from the criminal wards of our beloved city.

Or may I further add, if the Police are contemplating the arrest of a suspect, he should first consult Granger, Benschop, Winston Felix – or any such person before he proceeds to do his work.

This is the actual, I dare not say the word here, nonsensical argument the crime association would want to have instituted in Guyana today. I would not dwell any longer on this hogwash, but suffice to say if law enforcement does carry out its mandate.

Yes, this is the new phase of foolishness sweeping over the land when it comes to what the Police should and should

not do.

So, when that youthful felon in East La Penitence was arrested for theft, his mother’s next logical criminal defence was to blame the Police, and she is doing it with much enthusiasm because she fully well knows the climate she is operating in. Hence, the new Police brutality story dominating the headlines.

This one is very graphic, in that the Police are guilty of brutalising her teen, which subsequently resulted in him being shot in the mouth. This is of course her version of the event. Not wanting the Police Complaints Authority to carry out an investigation, she is adamant that the officer in question be charged and put in jail.

Well, come to think of it, no one in that criminal world wants an investigation because in the first place, they do not want the other side to tell their story or any contrasting comments to come to light.

Comments or reports like the medical report which might tell a very different story.

Let us save our questions, criticisms, comments, additions or subtractions to this story until we get the Police’s version of what took place, as well as the all too important medical report. I rest my case. This brings me to the Harding case. His lawyer came forward with a claim of the Police sodomising his client with a baton. Not content with the medical diagnosis of the local doctors, Nigel Hughes sought help from Jamaican doctors.

Ms Shalimar Ali-Hack who is a very smart lady should not entertain this nonsense; our courts were set up to deal with serious matters. This one is sure to be a waste of public funds and is destined to make a mockery of the justice system.

Sincerely, Neil Adams

Lessons for success in the rice industry

Dear Editor, I have noticed that the Agriculture Minister has announced that the first rice crop surpassed 300,000 metric tonnes, and 600,000 metric tonnes is forecast for this year’s production, which is a good indication for the rice industry.

However, the Minister should give us a breakdown of the target in each rice growing region, land prepared, sown, harvested, bags, metric tonnes, rice equivalent to metric tonnes, yield per acre and the per cent harvested for each crop out of the 192,500 acres. Declaring production of paddy and rice are often an underlying issue; they are too complex and politically sensitive where Government has sought to engage their efforts.

In Guyana, lack of appropriate local information about the rice industry hinders development planning and programmes and hampers farmers’ efforts to monitor change.

Each rice entity should have an accompanying website and CD to present CommunityBased Monitoring System (CBMS), which brings together rice farmers in their respective communities and regions, and local authorities to gather and monitor locally obtained verifiable information about actual costs of production.

Good public policy choices for uplifting the farmers are best made when local farming communities work together, guided by sound data and evidence-based analysis.

And while the Agriculture Minister boasts of production, the farmers and the industry are often seriously under-financed, and farmers have to wait years for their payment. He has never analysed their strength and weakness.

The field of information and communication has become central to much development thinking in recent years, a trend which can boost the

massive growth in the industry.

But there is a noticeable gap in the Minister’s statement on region/zone, target, projected yield per acre, projected harvested, prepared, per cent prepared, percentage sown and the total acreage in each rice growing region.

Such information is vital and will be a powerful tool for future planning and key decision-making for the rice industry of Guyana and will help farmers to execute their task in a more effective and efficient manner.

Kudos must be given to the rice farmers who are toiling under harsh and back-breaking methods of production without subsidies. In closing, I would like to remind the Agriculture Minister that “if the rice industry is wrecked; the entire economy will virtually collapse”.

Yours faithfully, Mohamed Khan

Page Foundation

Simple things to make you

By Jackie ashton

Our homes are an extension of who we are: what we do within the walls of our abodes shapes our mood, affects our productivity, and influences our outlook on life. Scientific studies have shown that we can have an impact on our happiness by adjusting the tiny little habits and routines that constitute our daily lives – we are, in fact, in control of our outlook on life.

It’s amazing how a few tweaks to our daily habits can become a catalyst for meaningful, positive change. Here are a few simple things you can do every day to feel happier at home.

Make your bed. Gretchen Rubin, New York Times best-selling author of The Happiness Project, explains that this three minute task is one of the simplest habits you can adopt to positively impact your happiness.

Bring every room back to “ready.” I learned this trick from Marilyn Paul’s clever book, It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys. It’s a known fact: Clutter causes stress; order creates a haven from it. This mood-boosting routine is simple: Take about three minutes to bring each room back to “ready” before you depart it. (Unless you have a toddler, or a partner who likes to simulate earthquakes, three minutes should be sufficient.)

Display sentimental items around your home. One reason that experiences (and memories of those experiences) make us happier than material things is due to the entire cycle of enjoyment that experiences provide: planning the experience, looking forward to the experience, enjoying the experience, and

then remembering the experience. Make your home a gallery of positive memories.

Start a one-line-a-day gratitude journal. Before bed, simply jot down one happy memory from that day. (If you have children, you can ask them, “What was the best part of today?”) Reflection is an important part of happiness, and pausing to reflect on a positive event from each day cultivates gratitude.

Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is a great one. If you can’t get out of it, get into it. This tip comes from The Happiness Project. I love the message: The dishes are not going to clean themselves, so you will do it, and you will like it! (Unless, of course, you can outsource this job, in which case I say: Nice work!) Otherwise, get into doing the dishes. Feel the soothing warm water on

you love it. Before you get up each morning, set an intent for the day In The Art of Happiness, the Dali Lama says “”Every day, think as you wake up: today I am fortunate to be alive,

(An added bonus: Later, when your memory is defunct, you will already have all of your meaningful adventures recorded!) If you have trouble getting started with journalling, consider buying a book to guide you.

makes a huge difference. Your daily intent could be something like “be productive” or “enjoy today’s delicious moments” or it could be something more specific like “say thank you to my loved ones today.” But it should not be another “to do” item on your list. Do small favours for your housemates, expecting nothing in return (not even a thank you!). (That’s right, I said it: nothing!) Mow the lawn for your husband, but don’t expect him to pat you on the back. Make the bed for your wife, but don’t try to get bonus points for it. Take the trash out for your roommate, just because. The ability to cultivate strong, healthy relationships is one of the biggest contributors to health and happiness, but when you start to keep score, the benefit is lost. (No! It’s your turn to clean up the dog poop!) It’s a well-known fact: When you do good, you feel good.

your hands. Enjoy the tickle of the tiny bubbles. Crank your favourite album at an unusually loud volume, do a couple fist-pumps while shouting “Can I get a heck yeah for the dishes? Heck! Yeah!” and pretend

I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.” Wow. What a wise man. I tend to wake up with a strong visceral reaction that says, “Attention human beings: Be afraid of me before coffee. Be very afraid!”

Call at least one friend or family member a day. You can do this while you clean, while you make the bed, or while you walk the dog. Texts and emails do not count! Make an actual phone call to a loved one, just to chat and catch up. We humans are social beings and studies show that even when we don’t feel like it, even if we are naturally introverted, socialising with our loved ones makes us feel better.

Spend money on things that cultivate experiences at home

Save money for a new grill for parties or a new DVD for family movie night – something that will encourage you to have people over and entertain. Plan a summer barbeque, invite your closest friends, kick back and relax. (And don’t forget to print out the pictures to remember the good times.)

Spend a few minutes each day connecting with something greater than yourself

Whatever your spiritual beliefs – or non-beliefs – may be, studies show that connecting to a high power is correlated with happiness. Just stepping back to realise that we are part of an enormous universe can put some perspective on your annoyance with the thoseare-definitely-not-mine-and-theyare-abso-fricking-lutely-repulsive socks under the coffee table. Before bed, spend just a few minutes contemplating something larger than yourself. Take a walk in nature. Write in a journal. Create a sacred space in your home. (Or if spirituality is really not your thing, create a home spa: light some candles, soak in a hot bath, delve into a good book…are you feeling better yet?) (apartmenttherapy.com)

Guyana Stores running at a loss

– Tony Yassin tells

By Vahnu Manikchand

As the lawsuit continues between the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and Royal Investments Inc (RII), the court was told that Guyana Stores Limited (GSL) is running at a loss and this began prior to its privatisation over a decade ago.

Government, through NICIL, had initiated proceedings against RII Inc some eight years ago to recoup US$2 million and interest owed after the privatisation of the company (for US$6 million), which RII had failed to pay.

GSL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Yassin continued his testimony in chief telling the court that when he took possession of the company in 2000, it was suffering financially and its goodwill was diminishing. According to the CEO, when he took over operations in 2000, he had assessed that the company was not in a good financial state as a result of the business practices it had adopted. He noted that there was no cash to buy inventory for both hire purchase and local sales.

Yassin disclosed that the inventory saw a decline from $500 million in 1997 to $150 million in 2000. This, he noted, meant that hardly any inventory was left. He added

court hearing

that the inventory was “old, obsolete, slow moving and hardly selling to customers”. Stock from the Hardware, Children’s, Men’s, Ladies’, Household Appliances’ and Home Furnishing and other departments were depleted, and there were no replenishments to keep the business going.

“… there was no morale among the employees and customers, and the goodwill of the company was continuously depleted over the years from 1997 to 2000,” he stated, adding that this was having a devastating effect on the company’s cost of sales and profitability.

According to the GSL boss, when customers would go to make purchases, there was nothing there for them to buy and so they left and most of them did not return, despite him investing some US$1 million to resuscitate the business when he took

over. “It seemed that it left an indelible effect even to this day, the people are still not coming as they used to before,” he stated, adding that this is reflected in the sales for the period 2000 to 2014, which shows that there was a 50 per cent decline in sales when compared to the figures recorded in the period 1997 to 2000.

In addition, the CEO noted that there was a decline in receivables and Hire Purchase between 1997 and 2000. Yassin explained that after he took over the company he prepared a graph depicting the declines using figures from the audited accounts from 1997 to 2000. These documents were tendered and marked into evidence.

Records to read

Yassin was given the records to read during which he pointed out that the receivables for 1997 was $336.9 million and after one year, there was $24.7 million in further receivables bringing the total to $361.7 million. In 1998, receivables were recorded at $308.6 million and further receivables at $31.4 million, a total of $340 million.

Receivables for the year 1999 were $228.8 million and further receivables were $14.2 million, totalling $243.1 million. Then in 2000, the year RII took over, receivables were set at $96.8 mil-

lion and further receivables at $18 million, taking the total to $114.8 million. All of these figures, Yassin noted, shows a consistent decline during the period.

The GSL CEO added that prior to him taking over the company, a loan was taken out in 1997 to pay dividends; however, the loan had attracted interest of $48 million which had to be paid by him, and this had an even further devastating effect on the company. Yassin noted that the money he used to pay the interest was supposed to be refunded to him by the Privatisation Unit but this was not done.

Credit restrictions

Yassin’s evidence was led by Senior Counsel Edward Luckhoo who went on to question him about documents he got hold of that made him realise the company was running at a loss. The CEO recalled that there was correspondence in which GSl’s then Chairman, CEO and various Board Directors were discussing the issue of inadequate capital to keep the business going.

He also said that there was a letter from the CEO to the Chairman regarding the credit restrictions imposed on the company. Yassin explained that the letter stated that Head of the Privatisation Unit and NICIL’s CEO, Winston Brassington, had

instructed that the credit restriction be lifted, providing that a $250 million grant being sought by the company from the bank was approved.

The businessman told the court that during the discussions he had with Brassington, leading to him taking over the company, he was not informed about the credit restrictions.

Luckhoo further questioned the CEO about a property, referred to as the Agency Building located on Access Road, Stabroek. Yassin explained that when he took possession of the company, the Agency Building, which housed all the agencies of GSL, was among the assets and so he occupied it, but has not received the transport to this day. He noted that he had occupied the building from the time of his acquisition of the company until 2008/2009.

During the course of questioning on the building, Attorney for NICIL, Rafiq Turhan Khan, raised objections, stating that it was never established that the Agency Building was the property located on Access Road; however presiding Judge Roxanne George-Wiltshire pointed out that the nexus could have been drawn that the building is located on Access Road.

Nevertheless, a document was shown to the witness and he confirmed that the Agency Building is located at Access Road.

Guyana to tighten...

There is no specific treatment currently available for this disease, but medication can be used to reduce symptoms.

He said the VCS is working closely with port health authorities to have these desks established within a matter of weeks at the Ogle Airport. Dr Rahman added that while the intention is not to cause any inconvenience to passengers, the goal is to identify any case of Chikungunya and contain it. The team of medical workers will also be looking at persons who may have visited an island or area that is already affected by the disease. Since its discovery in Africa, in 1952, outbreaks of Chikungunya have occurred occasionally, but recent outbreaks have spread the disease to other parts of the world. Numerous Chikungunya re-emergences have been documented in Africa, Asia (India), and Europe, with irregular intervals of two to 20 years between outbreaks. Currently, Chikungunya fever has been identified in nearly 40 countries. In 2008, Chikungunya was listed as a US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) category C priority pathogen. No case of this disease has been found in Guyana thus far, but several Caribbean states have seen cases such as: Anguilla, Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Haiti, St Kitts, and St Vincent and the Grenadines

“Rambo” jailed for four years for armed robbery

The notorious Tameshwar Khemraj, called “Rambo”, was on Tuesday sentenced to four years in prison by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrate’s Court for robbery under arms.

Khemraj, 27, of Lot 171 Nigg Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice, was wanted for a number of offences.

The accused was convicted of robbing Tangamanie Madramotoo, 57, of 238 Nigg Squatting Area, on October 6, 2013 about 23:00h, of a quantity of cash and jewellery valued $640,000, while being in possession of a gun.

Khemraj was nabbed on April 29, 2014, as he turned up at the Albion Magistrate’s Court in disguise to observe a matter and was subsequent-

ly charged on the said day.

Among the host of offences “Rambo” was wanted in connection with was the robbery/rape committed at Lot 21 Maida Farm, Corentyne, Berbice on April 12, 2014. During that incident which occurred around 20:00h, three masked bandits armed with a shotgun, a cutlass and a knife respectively entered the home of hire car driver Rasheed Mohamed, 33, and robbed him of cash, a cellphone and jewellery.

The men also robbed the man’s wife and two other persons who were in the home at the time of a substantial sum of cash, a large quantity of gold jewellery, and a cellphone. The identity of the rape victim was not disclosed.

Tameshwar “Rambo” Khemraj

Khemraj was also allegedly among four bandits who, on June 2, 2011 at Cumberland, East Canje, while armed with an AK -47, cutlasses and knives, robbed a couple of over $1 million in cash and jewellery, and four cellphones. They were sub-

sequently tracked down by Police and charged. Khemraj was released on station bail for that charge, according to reports.

It was further alleged that on Saturday, April 19, 2014, at Nigg Settlement, Khemraj threatened Odessa Narine.

The woman was at her home washing her motor car when the accused allegedly repeatedly threatened her, telling her she can’t live there and promising to burn down her house. He allegedly boasted of taking away $10 million and also pulled a black object from his waist. The woman became afraid for her life and reported the matter to the Police, who were on the hunt for the fugitive.

Retrial ordered for accused duo

Over the past three weeks, the trial into the death of nineyear-old Sade Stoby has captured the attention of many, as they listened and read the details of the case while waiting anxiously for the verdict.

Those present at the High Court for the verdict were startled when the 12-member mixed jury panel could not arrive at a verdict hence there was a hung jury and a retrial will have to be done.

Twenty-three-year-old Jevon Wharton and 21-yearold Colwyn Charles Cush were indicted with the mur-

der of Stoby. The State had claimed that the two accused raped Stoby before killing her on November 2, 2007, at Barnwell North, Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara. Wharton and Cush were 16 and 14 years old respectively at the time of the incident.

The trial, which began on April 22, was a vigorous fight between Senior State Counsel Judith GildharieMursalin and defence attorneys Raymond Ali and George Thomas.

The State had called 12 witnesses while Wharton’s attorney, Raymond Ali, called two. The State’s case

relied on statements obtained from the accused in which both of them admitted to the horrendous crime. Wharton reportedly said that he and Stoby went into the bush, where the young girl took off her clothes and they had sex, while Cush said he, his co-accused and another young man took the girl into bushes where the other two had sex with her. He said that he “tried” but did not succeed. Cush stated that the three of them left after bracing the girl to a tree, but the third person, Carlos Hubbard, had turned back.

The court was told that

Hubbard was never charged, since the Police had no evidence against him and his alibi checked out. During cross-examination by Cush’s attorney, George Thomas, it was revealed that the officer, who investigated the alibi, only did so after Hubbard was released.

Accused plead “innocence” Wharton and Cush were charged after they were examined by Dr Mohan Persaud who found marks on their genitals that suggested they had engaged in sexual activities, but the doctor noted that the marks could have been caused by several other factors. There were no marks found on Hubbard. However, Attorney Thomas told the court that his client was beaten by the deceased’s relatives; as such, he sustained injuries on his penis.

When called upon to lead their defence, both accused denied that they raped or killed Stoby.

On Tuesday’s date, Justice Navindra Singh took just over one hour summing up the evidence to the jury and directed them on the law. The jury went into deliberation at 11:45h and the panel returned almost four hours later without a verdict for both accused. This revelation shocked the packed courtroom.

Justice Singh subsequently informed both accused that “quite amazingly” the jury could not arrive at a verdict; hence, their retrial will be done at the next practical sitting of the criminal session.

Outside the courtroom, everyone was talking about the outcome of the case, unable to believe it. Some had even bashed the jury system, saying that it should be abolished. An emotional Sharon Berry, the mother of the nine-year-old girl, broke down in tears outside as she was unable to get justice for her young daughter’s murder.

Eyew tness

Science...

...in la la land

Will Alfred Bhulai please pick up the white courtesy phone? Reality’s calling. This fella Bhulai is a real piece of work. He throws out a few terms gleaned from some half-digested basic science courses and...voila!!...He’s “scientific”. And of course, therefore possessed of the TRUTH. In capitals. Yesterday, he weighed in on the Rodney CoI. Claims he KNOWS the PNC rigged elections...but he doesn’t KNOW whether they killed Rodney.

And how does he KNOW the former, even though the PNC’s denied it?? Well some persons ADMITTED the act to him and he CAUGHT others in the act of rigging. En flagrante delicto, so to speak. Fair enough. The man’s an empiricist: he believes only what he sees with his own two eyes. Now, with Rodney’s killing, no one’s fessed up to the dastardly deed.

But based on PNC’s lying through its teeth about what Bhulai KNOWS, Bhulai INDUCES that the PNC were involved – even though they’ve denied it. In for a penny, in for a pound, we guess. Again we have no problem with this. Hey! If your eggs are sucked dry, you go after the dog you know who’s an egg-sucker, don’t you?

But this “empiricist” abandons all reference to the evidence when it comes to the PPP/C. Imagine a fella who remembers how he stumbled over the PNC riggers – probably at Sophia in ‘85 where all the fake ballots were written up – but utters this piece of nonsense:

“As I see it, the reason the PPP/C did not have inquiries shortly after 1992 into Rodney’s killing and into election rigging was that it feared the still fairly young and strong thugs in the PNC would exert undue influence over witnesses.”

Well we know that the PNC still had most of its thugs – “young and strong” as well as old and vicious – because Green didn’t carry many of them with him when Hoyte kicked him out of the PNC. But surely the empiricist Bhulai hasn’t forgotten that in 1996, Doodnauth Singh was appointed as Special Prosecutor to go after Gregory Smith. The PPP/C wasn’t intimidated not to seek the truth.

Bhulai is just playing the fool and taking advantage of the freedoms under the PPP/C. Even though he SAW PNC rigging, did he say anything, much less publish it in the papers? But here it is, he buries the truth of the PPP/C’s early action on the Rodney matter and questions the party’s motives in launching the present CoI.

He should ask Patricia Rodney why there was no CoI in 2005.

...in Agri

Every year, around this time, thousands of students in Guyana and across the Caribbean write Agriculture Science as a subject at CSEC. In fact, most of them write the subject as a “double award” –meaning that the volume of work actually qualifies it as two subjects but for purposes of matriculation, it’s counted as one. Now it’s just been announced that CXC will now offer the subject at CAPE.

On the face of things, no one can argue with the focus of CXC on Agriculture. Founded on this human endeavour, it was a no-brainer that WI peoples should be trained in a scientific manner to take advantage of our comparative advantage. But sadly, all the training hasn’t really produced farmers as in, say, the USA and EU, when it comes to scientific agricultural practices.

We believe our policymakers should take a close, hard look as to why so few individuals with CSEC Agri Science ended up in Agriculture. And why CAPE might not necessarily change anything.

...and the looney bin

There are good reasons why it was said during the heyday of the Empire only “mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun”. You could get a heatstroke! So if the Mayor and his minions aren’t Englishmen, what are they?

GLU calls for Georgetown IMC

...says Sooba is the Acting Town Clerk

By Jomo Paul

Guyana Labour Union

President Carvil Duncan said that until such time that local government elections are held, an Interim Management Committee seems to be the only solution to the problems at the scandal-tarred Georgetown Mayor and City Council.

Duncan said too that he has taken steps to inform members of his Union that Carol Sooba is the acting Town Clerk and they should, therefore, take instructions from her and not Royston King who is the Councilinstalled acting Town Clerk.

Duncan said that after reviewing the ruling made by acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, he is satisfied that Sooba is the acting Town Clerk.

While noting that he is concerned about the well-being of the workers at the Council, since they are being used as “political pawns”, Duncan opined that “the City Council saga is purely political… is being pushed by the ego of a person who has outlived his political usefulness”.

Duncan pointed out that as of right now, the Union was very concerned about the effects of the political crossfire between the two sides at the Council, since workers may face penalties imposed upon them by superiors.

“I will not allow my workers to be used as political pawns in order to satisfy someone’s ego,” said the Union Leader, who is also the President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG).

Duncan’s comments come following a memorandum issued to workers notifying them of a meeting with “Town Clerk” Royston King.

Duncan posited that the Personnel Officer of the Council was out of order when he issued the memo to the workers knowing full well that King

was not the Town Clerk. “Royston King is not the Town Clerk acting. There can’t be two Town Clerks in one Town... the Chief Justice is right, the Town Clerk is Ms Sooba until such time the local government commission is established,” said Duncan.

IMC

Duncan said contrary to what the Mayor Hamilton Green has said about Interim Management Committees, they were not a failure in the past.

“Green is a failure, he is in his last straw... the reality is that an IMC is the only answer to the City Council’s problems at this time,” said Duncan, while contending that the city “cannot afford to have this saga continue”.

Duncan opined that the Mayor is a political dinosaur and should remove himself from the mayoral position at the council. “He used to refer to me as Hitler, he is worse than Hitler...”said Duncan as he pointed out that the “1930” political tactics being employed by the Mayor are substandard.

DPP advises closure of Dr Singh's Mash Day accident file

More than two months after the Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh was involved in an accident at the junction of Delph Avenue and Garnett Street in Campbellville, the Guyana Police Force said no charge will be laid against the Minister.

The Force, in a release, said that “legal advice has been obtained from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack who said that no charge should be institut-

ed, since the affected parties, Jaggernauth Hira and Parbattie Shivcharran, have stated that they no longer wish to pursue the matter.

Guyana Times was unable to contact the Minister for a comment on the developments regarding the incident. When previously questioned by reporters about Dr Singh allegedly leaving the scene of the accident without rendering assistance to the taxi driver and his passenger, General Secretary of the

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Home Minister Clement Rohee had said the matter was in the hands of investigators. “That’s a police matter. That’s not a political matter,” he said back then. He had expressed scepticism about whether media reports of the incident were factual. Reports were that Hira was headed west on Garnett Street, Campbellville when the collision occurred with the vehicle driven by Dr Singh, which was heading out of Delph Avenue.

Govt legitimises fuel trade at borders ...says materials must be used within boundaries

The Government of Guyana, through the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), is now giving permission for the trading of fuel across the Venezuela/Guyana border which was once deemed ‘illegal’, to continue on the condition that the materials are only used within the boundaries of the border.

In a press release, the Agency noted that under its mandate from the Government, it has recognised that there are challenges in supplying fuel at border areas and this has resulted in persons buying fuel from neighbouring countries, more specifically in the North West District.

The statement was made in response to questions being raised concerning the use of fuel sourced “unofficially” or ‘illegally’ by persons in border locations. The GEA specifically outlined areas which will now be benefiting from the leeway which has been given by the Government.

“As for fuel, this applies to all of Region One; down the Cuyuni to below Aranka in Region Seven, and sub-region one of Region Eight. At this time, fuel supplied from our coast to Region Nine is generally

less costly from fuel coming across the Brazilian border. Government does not consider fuel traded across the border as illegal in the areas mentioned,” the statement said.

The decision comes weeks after a massive fire destroyed the stelling, several boats and other surrounding buildings at Port Kaituma after a boat exploded that was reportedly transporting illegal fuel from the border.

However, the GEA has since explained that fires and explosions fall under the responsibility of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and they are in the process of preparing a report which will then become the basis on which discussions will be held among the relevant Government agencies and stakeholders.

The Agency has disclosed, however, that while this decision has been made, officers of the GEA have and will continue to routinely visit the area at least twice per year in an effort to garner details of the happenings in the locations.

The monitoring agency has since warned, however, that while persons

are now aware that the border trade will no longer be deemed illegal, special note should be taken of the condition which has been attached to it. “Persons found transporting or selling illegal fuel will be prosecuted according to the GEA, particularly as it results in loss of revenue from related tax losses and negatively affects legitimate businesses. The Agency reiterated that illegal fuel can also affect consumers owing to the fact that usually, the smuggled fuel is often of a lower quality than the legally imported product. Anyone wishing to import an aggregate quantity of 2000 litres of petroleum and petroleum products in a vehicle, vessel or boat from across the border legally requires a Bulk Transportation Licence from the GEA. If a person is transporting bulk fuel in boats/vessels, the GEA’s officers are required to conduct inspections of the facilities, and all operators are required to submit the Petroleum Licence from the GFS, a Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) Inspection Certificate, Captain’s Licence, and a Vessel Licence.

Region 10 blocks Bai Shan Lin’s proposal for wood processing plant

The Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has put on hold a proposal by Chinese logging company Bai Shan Lin Forestry Development Inc, for the development of a wood processing plant in the region, citing non-compliance of environmental health and safety guidelines as the main reason for the action.

The company is seeking permission from the RDC for the establishment of two plants in Soesdyke-Linden and at Lower Kumacka, Demerara River, Region 10. Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon said that the proposals are not new, adding that the RDC has now mounted pressure on the company which has been involved in activities in the community for some time, to step up in putting certain necessary environmental systems in place.

In a letter addressed to Solomon, the company noted that the submission of an application for an environmental authorisation and an environmental permit was requested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the social and environmental impact of the plants on the community. However, it further indicated that the application cannot proceed if the company does not submit all required documentation, which includes: a ‘no objection letter’ and an approved time plan from the RDC. "We are not giving them anything... the region is saying that they are not operating in

compliance,” Solomon stated.

He added that the company has not been adhering to calls made by the regional legislative arm for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on a laterite pit at Moblissa in which almost 47,000 tonnes of material was removed. Additionally, the Regional Chairman said that the company must comply with all necessary environmental considerations and permits from statutory agencies such as the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), Guyana Lands and Survey, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the EPA, before moving on with its operations. He said the decision is guided based on advice given by the RDC's environmental consultants and the company has been informed of the necessary submissions to be made before permission is granted.

Solomon said since there

is now increased operation and movement of trucks by the company in the Linden community, it is now time for consultations to be held with residents. He further related that previously, some trucks belonging to the company had operated in the community without first being licensed to do so.

“That is the social impact that we must give consideration to. How does that affect the community... transport services on our roads? So before they [Bai Shan Lin] move to the next stage, which will be engaging the four communities of Kumacka, Moblissa, Bamia and Linden, they must provide the necessary information, we’re asking that they make it available to us so that we can give a proper account to people in regards to any concerns they may have,” he related.

Bai Shan Lin Forestry Development Inc, in a recent letter addressed to the Regional Chairman, made a promise to the RDC to adhere to EPA safety guidelines, while noting that the projects will create jobs in Region 10. It added that the company will take all reasonable and practicable measures in conducting its operations so that there will be minimum impact on public health and the environment. The company also stated its intentions to establish a Public Relations Committee, comprising its representatives and stakeholders.

In response, Solomon said Bai Shan Lin has moved clos-

er to the riverine area of one of its operations at Conception, Linden/Soesdyke Highway, and as a result farmers at Dalawala, Demerara River in Region 10 have complained about being affected by pollutants entering their farming area. He added that farmers in other communities in the region such as Bamia, Lower Kara Kara and Speightland stand to be seriously affected if immediate action is not taken.

“That is why we are not giving them anything else, in terms of them moving forward, until they can satisfy us with how they intend to ensure that these concerns are addressed... We are taking this matter internationally because a company such as this one gets international funding based on compliance with certain regulations.”

He added “if we take it internationally they will not get their loans, certain wood processing products will not be internationally recognised.”

The letter addressed to Solomon indicated that the company is currently preparing an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for both construction and operational phases of the project, however, company consultants are requesting that a meeting be held with community leaders to address any concerns. It added that the concerns, opinions and advice, once properly screened will be taken into consideration and addressed in the EMP.

“So now they are complying and we have to ensure that we hold them accountable at every level,” Solomon said in response. RDC Councillor Douglas Gittens noted that it is important to continue to monitor the activities of the company even after it would have met the necessary safety guidelines to ensure that there is not a relapse.

Visa questions

Satiricus was all confused. He was filling out the online form to apply for a visa to visit the US. The daughter of his third cousin on his wife’s side in NY was getting married. He didn’t know the child, but he did know he would have a whale of a time with the friends, family and relatives he would “butt” up with. And then his brothers were paying for the ticket!

He now wished he’d plodded ahead and visited the Visa Fair the Embassy people had arranged a while back. At the time, he was just disappointed to discover there would be no Ferris wheels and other fancy rides and had turned back. He now cursed the hour and damned the minute he turned around. How the heck was he going to answer these questions to get the visa?

One wrong answer and he’d be refused. “Are you coming to the US to engage in prostitution?” Now this had to be a trick question, Satiricus figured. He knew his old flame Betty was going to give him a “small piece” when they reached up at the wedding. She always did so when she visited Guyana – and then nature always took its course. Like water, nature always took the lowest path when it came to such things. And Satiricus was “high natured”.

Now if this happened in the US, was Satiricus committing prostitution? The act would be done; money would’ve changed hands. Satiricus was confused.

Then there was the one, “Do you belong to a clan or tribe?” “How the heck the Americans defined “clan” wondered Satiricus. The Satiricus family was extraordinarily large – his father and mother each had 10 brothers and sisters and they felt it was their duty to follow suit. While Satiricus’ generations couldn’t keep up with their pace (they had TV to distract them at nights) they weren’t any slouches either.

Everybody talked about the “Satiricus Clan”. While Satiricus agonised over the question, he wondered why belonging to a clan was against the beliefs of the US. He guessed they wanted to promote the nuclear family.

Another quandary was posed by the question as to whether “as a Government official, he’d be responsible for “particularly severe violations of religious freedom”. There was that time when he’d been on the local NDC as dog catcher and he’d turned away those folks who banged on his gate at six in the morning to give him some religious tracts.

Satiricus had been out with the boys and was still groggy. The milk of human kindness wasn’t exactly oozing from him. Was chasing them away with a stick a “particularly severe violation?”

Satiricus didn’t even want to think about the questions as to whether he had committed “acts of moral turpitude”. He had to admit, he’d been quite a wanker as a boy.

US Embassy on needs assessment mission in Region Nine

United States

Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission

(DCM) Bryan Hunt and Economic Officer Jeff Barrus spent the week of April 7-12 visiting several communities in Region Nine and Region 10.

The Embassy officers sought to gain insight into development successes and challenges facing communities in these regions and assess how the US Government might be able to assist them in the future, a release stated. Hunt and Barrus travelled more than 1500 kilometres on dirt roads to visit Amerindian communities from Fairview in the Iwokrama forest to Katunarib in the south Rupununi.

ment, climate change, land titling, social issues, and wildlife protection.

According to the embassy release, one key area of common interest was the burgeoning eco-tourism industry and how best to develop the potential for both areas to attract visitors in accord with community values.

The hinterland trip also assessed the impact of previous US Government assistance to communities in these regions. The Embassy team was able to

In speaking with Amerindian leaders, DCM Hunt reinforced the United States’ commitment to the development of indigenous people and listened to Amerindian concerns about natural resources manage-

see the benefits of such assistance in various ways, from a Bedford truck transporting guests to Surama to a rooftop solar system providing electricity to the Karanambu Trust

and Lodge. “USAID did some wonderful work in this part of Guyana several years ago and the opportunities they created for these Amerindian communities can still be seen to -

day,” DCM Hunt observed. To promote sound environmental practices, the DCM passed out wildlife protection calendars created by the US Embassy to several villages and urged communities to work to reduce deforestation. He also reiterated the US Government’s support for Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy.

FFTP presents nine GPHC nurses with gifts

Nine nurses from the Chest Clinic of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) were recipients of an assortment of personal care items from Food for the Poor (Guyana) Incorporated in recognition of Nurses Day on Monday.

Nurse in charge of the Chest Clinic, Sursattie Rajcumar, said that the organisation has been donating

items to the clinic for over five years now and the products are usually very useful, not only for the nurses, but also to patients of various wards at the institution. According to the GPHC, Rajcumar commended Food for the Poor for its support to the health sector while expressing the hope that the relationship between the two organisations can be further strengthened in the days to come.

In his brief remarks, Wayne Hamilton, Public Relations Manager of Food For the Poor, stated that the non-profit entity was not only aware of the needs of the health sector but also understands the extremely difficult conditions that nurses endure daily. It was on this note he pledged the organisation’s support and promised to assist the hospital whenever it is possible.

GHRA roasts Police for delay in charging ranks in shot-in-mouth teen case

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has called out the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for its failure to institute charges against the officer who shot 15-year-old Alex Griffith in his mouth over a week ago.

The organisation in a statement said that the “abject failure” to charge all of the officers involved in the illegal detention, torture and shooting of the teenager both criminally and departmentally is a major setback in light of hopes nurtured that under new leadership, the Force will vigorously tackle errant officers. “The message this failure sends to the public is that protecting the criminals in their midst is a higher priority than protection of the public,” the GHRA stated.

The Association is of the view that given the fact that the circumstances of the incident have not been challenged by the Force, it shows that the delay in instituting the charges stems not from difficulties in the investigations but reluctance to tackle the rogue elements among its cadet and other officers.

“Had charges been laid promptly against all involved, the new leadership of the GPF would have emerged with considerable credibility. What they have in fact achieved is to undermine, at a stroke, their own efforts to create good will in communities, exposing, for example, the initial campaign in Albouystown to be little more than a PR job,” the organisation pointed out.

GHRA stressed that from all indications, the Police do not intend to pursue the matter criminally as it is evident a cover-up is in the making. It noted that another factor to support this claim is the fact that the main perpetrator was released from close arrest under the justification that “the Police know where to find him.”

The association went on to high-

light that the failure of the Force’s new leadership to recognise the consequences of recruiting officers with psychopathic tendencies to protect citizens is astonishing, while pointing out the impact this may have on the decent officer, who should now re-assess their future in the Force. GHRA further stated that going forward from this “politically-riddled, incompetent and corrupt approach to policing” towards a more efficient and communityresponsive form of policing will require sustainable commitment. However, with the response to the Alex Griffith's case, it does not appear as though the new leadership of the GPF is ready to make that commitment, the Association said as it calls on the on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to exercise her authority and ensure that appropriate criminal charges are laid against the culprits.

Only Monday A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) called on the Guyana Police Force to speed up their investigation into the shooting of Griffith of East La Penitence as it strongly condemned the act. APNU

Member of Parliament (MP) and Former Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix during a press briefing at his party's headquarters stated that the matter should have been wrapped up and some form of penalty meted out to whomever is found culpable. He said that it has been close to two weeks now and he does not understand why the delay in making a decision.

“The incident is a clear-cut case,” he argued, claiming that it happened in Guyana and the persons to be interviewed have not left the jurisdiction. The doctor, the teen’s mother and the teen in this case have to be given priority in such an investigation.

Regarding the case, Felix said the Police had breached several operational procedures, citing the major one being attempting to question a minor without the presence of a relative or guardian of the child. Another, he added, is the manner in which it was done. “No trained Police officer has the right to play with a human life,” Felix said, making reference to the allegations that the policeman who shot the teen had played Russian Roulette with him. “… what is more surprising is that the hierarchy of the Guyana Police Force remains mum on the matter,” Felix said. Another issue, he commented on was the fact that the Police had no reason to arrest the teenager. He said in a situation such as this, the defaulting officers should be both criminally charged and disciplined by the Force.

Griffith, a resident of East La Penitence Squatting Area, was allegedly shot to the mouth by a Police rank, who had accused him of being a witness to a robbery in the area. The incident occurred during a response to a report of robbery with aggravation committed on a relative of the rank.

Berbice centenarian passes away on Mother’s Day

One of Berbice’s centenarians, Martha Bunwarie of Number 64 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, who turned 103, passed away on Mother’s Day. She was born in 1911.

“Mother Martha” as she is popularly called throughout the Upper Corentyne, celebrated her 103rd birthday on April 3.

Born at Number 64 Village, Martha was an avid rice farmer. She attended the New Market Primary School at Number 63 Village, after which she went into the rice farming trade.

At age 34, she moved to Skeldon in 1941 where she married Henriques Bunwarie but returned to Number 64 Village in 1966.

Bunwarie bore one child, a son, who died by drowning in 1972. Her husband fathered seven children before his demise.

Her husband, Henricus died in 1988.

Bunwarie at one time was involved in helping mothers deliver their children and cared for them up to nine days after the deliveries, and also did the washing.

She was also known for creating concoctions for young women, who had difficulty becoming preg-

nant.

Her granddaughter Corina Penuex told Guyana Times that up until her demise, her grandmother had excellent mobility.

“My grandmother was a very quiet person, hard working, love reading and doing crosswords… she was very active, making fruits, making bush medicine to assist the women that had difficulty conceiving,” she boasted.

According to the granddaughter, the potions were always 100 per cent successful, since everyone who utilised her late grandmother’s service was satisfied with the result.

He said her late grandmother was very active and one of her favourite pass times was baking “black cake”.

Tributes to Mother Martha poured in as she was not only a prominent individual, but a person with a willingness to assist those in need.

According to several prominent persons in the area, the late Martha will be deeply missed.

The late centenarian leaves to mourn her seven grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

Guyana set to spend US$250M on food importation – Dr Ramsammy

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy has deemed it “totally unacceptable” that the Caribbean region is spending billions of dollars on the importation of food, way more than the value of its exports. He said also that Guyana is set to spend around US$250 million this year on food imports

Dr Ramsammy estimates that for the year 2014, over $5.5 billion will be spent on the importation of food into the region, compared to the US$1.5 billion that will be exported in food products out of the region. “I find it totally unacceptable that a region like this could not meet its own food demands,” Ramsammy told a gathering of students and educators recently.

He said it is even more distressing that efforts are being made to export what the region can barely produce for itself. “This year, at least three countries will import more than US$1 billion in food: Jamaica, The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago,” Dr Ramsammy announced. Coming home to Guyana, the Agriculture Minister stressed that this country, considered the giant of agriculture in the

region, will spend close to US$250 million on the importation of food. Dr Ramsammy maintained that there is absolutely no reason why countries within the Caribbean should be importing food, when they have the potential to provide for themselves.

Imports of a simple fruit as tomato, the Minister reported, cost Guyana more than US$3 million yearly. “Do you find that, at all, kind of an absurd thing? Because you should… because if there is one thing that we could do, we can plant tomato, for God’s sake,” Dr Ramsammy commented. He said there was no need to go buying that fruit from other countries.

Reform is a must

The Bahamas, the Minister noted, will this year have to find a lot of money to feed its more than half a million citizens and the six million that are poised to visit the country this year, with rice which comes from “some other country other than the Caribbean”. “I say to all of you, Guyana rice is as good as any rice that comes from America.” He said the rules of the game, including the marketing strategy and the

trade rules, must be taught to every Caribbean national.

Last year, the region spent over US$300 million purchasing milk from New Zealand, America, and Argentina, Dr Ramsammy recounted. According to the Minister, that is too much for a region that constantly complains about its poverty level.

He stressed that the education system has failed the people to some extent. According to him, this must be reformed before change takes place. He said it is possible with hard work and dedication, noting “three years ago Jamaica imported 90 per cent of the potato its people and visitors ate. Last year, Jamaica produced 90 per cent of the potato it ate”.

Reengineer thinking

The Agriculture Minister demonstrated his sincerity when he presented to the gathering carrots and beets that were harvested from a farm. “These hands did this,” he shouted over the microphone. He said he was so passionate, because the region was told at one time that it could not produce those kinds of vegetables. “And these of beta carotene and iron, we were told at one time that we couldn’t grow it in the region.” He said the Caribbean region last year imported millions of US dollars in carrot and in beet. The Minister reiterated that these vegetables could have all been grown right here in the Caribbean. He announced too that the country was able to harvest for the first time, Irish potatoes. Ramsammy added that persons within the Caribbean are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of agriculture, and the region’s economic and social prosperity means that they have to reengineer the way

Wages, hours of work survey gets underway

The Labour, Human Services and Social Security Ministry has launched its Occupational Wages and Hours of Work Survey to gather relevant data from various industries and occupations.

The survey will be conducted until August 15, in all the administrative regions. It is expected to provide the Ministry with information essential to evaluating conditions of work and employment costs, a release stated. Wages of employees vary according to the level of education, skill, occupation, type of industry, size of establishment, and geographical location among other variables. Hence, data collection and analysis of wages and hours of work will enable effective career planning and counselling; facilitate efficient allocation of educational resources and overall educational planning; and provide data to potential in-

vestors, employers, workers and trade unions.

April 2014 is reference month April 2014 will be used as the reference month hence, information would be secured from businesses’ wages and salary sheets for the reference period.

The survey will be conducted in compliance with Chapter 98:01 of the Laws of Guyana, this law requires businesses to submit information on labour statistics to the Labour Ministry, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 160 and Recommendation 170, which deal with labour statistics and the importance of countries ensuring that these types of statistics are regularly compiled. (Guyana is a member of the ILO and has strongly supported the progressive policies of the Organisation).

The Labour Ministry wishes to assure employ-

they think of their development. According to him, the shackles of colonialism continue to persist. “We gave up on agriculture and still agriculture is our ticket to a prosperous future,” he declared.

Guyana’s Former Head of State, Bharrat Jagdeo

recently made a similar call, urging leaders of the Caribbean territories to address the region’s declining agriculture sector. He was at the time addressing the launch of the Faculties of Food and Agriculture and Science and Technology at the University of the West Indies. The former President said there was a decline in the budgetary allocation for agriculture in regional countries. There has also been a decline in employment opportunities within the sector.

ers and employees that confidentiality stipulations will be strictly adhered to protect businesses participating in the survey. The final report will highlight trends in industries without identifying specific businesses. The Ministry is also urging businesses to participate to ensure a high response rate, which will allow for greater accuracy in the statistics reported.

To date, the Labour, Human Services and Social Security Ministry has completed eight surveys of this nature, the first of which was conducted in 2003. For information on these, please see our website or contact the Statistical Unit on telephone number: 592-2237408. The Ministry wishes to express its appreciation to all public and private establishments that have supported the survey in the past and looks forward to their continued cooperation in the 2014 survey.

Regional

Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria wreck ‘found’

AUS underwater investigator has said he believes he has found the wreck of the Santa Maria, the flagship of Christopher Columbus’s famed expedition.

Barry Clifford said evidence “strongly suggests” a ruin off Haiti’s north coast is the Santa Maria. Clifford’s team has measured and taken photos of the wreck.

He says he is working with the Haitian government to protect the site for a more detailed investigation. The Santa Maria, along with the La Nina and La Pinta, were part of Columbus’s expedition in 1492, which explored islands in the Caribbean in an attempt to find a westward passage to Asia.

The flagship was lost during the expedition, shortly before Columbus returned to Spain. “All the geograph-

ical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that this wreck is Columbus’s famous flagship, the Santa Maria,” said Clifford.

“I am confident that a full excavation of the wreck will yield the first-ever detailed marine archaeological evidence of Columbus’ discovery of America,” he added.

Paraguay president’s palace being eroded by termites

Architects say a termite infestation is threatening Paraguay’s presidential palace.

“They’re damaging the wood structure, the floors and the wooden covers, which support some parts of the palace,” architect Gustavo Glavinich said.

He said much of the iconic building’s west wing had been damaged. Glavinich also warned that other parts of the 19th-Century building had not only been invaded by termites but also by bats.

“In 2012, we invested US$5 million (£3 million) to save those parts of the palace which house the presidential office, the military cabinet, and the ceremonial room,” Glavinich of the Public Works Ministry said.

But he warned that a lack of follow-up investment meant that other parts of the Palacio de Lopez been left to deteriorate. The architect suggested taking immediate measure to tackle the termite infestation and to temporarily move the offices from the west wing to an annex.

Four First Citizens Bank board members gone over IPO furore

In a stunning and possibly historic corporate development, the representative of TT’s Corporation Sole on Monday voted against the re-election of two First Citizens Directors and indicated that it did not support the re-election of two more, including Nyree Alfonso, the controversial chair of the majority stateowned bank. The developments came at the end of the first annual meeting of First Citizens as a public company, when Vishnu Dhanpaul, the Permanent Secretary in the Finance Ministry, was identified as the representative of the Corporation Sole, the entity that holds all property on behalf of the State. The Corporation Sole

remains the largest shareholder of First Citizens, with 193,982,660 or 77.2 per cent of the bank’s issued share capital.

After his presence was disclosed, Dhanpaul, who was seated in the front row of seats at the National Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain, first indicated that he was voting in favour of a resolution aimed at increasing the number of directors on the bank’s board to between three and 15. Then came the resolution for the re-election of four directors – Nyree Alfonso, Rishi Baddaloo, Shobee Jacelon and Marlene Juman. The other seven directors did not offer themselves for re-appointment.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Clifford said he identified the potential location of the Santa Maria through earlier archaeological findings that pinpointed a likely location for Columbus’s fort – a building that experts always thought was erected near to where the ship ran aground.

He also used information from the explorer’s diary, and a recent diving mission near the site further burnished Clifford’s belief the wreck was the Santa Maria.

Clifford told US broadcaster CNN the “smoking gun” was a cannon of 15th Century design found at the site.

A marine archaeologist who accompanied Mr Clifford on that mission told the newspaper there was “very compelling evidence” but an excavation of the site would be necessary to confirm the wreck’s identity.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

The palace in the capital, Asuncion, is the seat of the Paraguayan government and home to the office of President Horacio Cartes. Building work began in the 1850s under the direction of English architect Alonso Taylor, but the palace was not finished until 1892. (BBC News)

Trinidad Muslims travel to Venezuela for jihadist training

Cellphone images seized by SEBIN, Venezuela’s intelligence service, allegedly show Trinidadian Muslims arrested in Venezuela engaging in what SEBIN described as “pre-jihad training” on a firing range using high-powered weapons, the Trinidad Express reported.

The images were reportedly extracted from the cellphones seized from some of the Muslims in a group that travelled to Venezuela from Trinidad and were later arrested in a raid at the Plaza Hotel in Caracas on March 19, together with women and children, who were later released.

The training resembled what takes place in the Middle East as Muslims prepare for what they term jihad, or holy war, an important religious duty for Muslims that includes armed

struggle against persecution and oppression.

Intense military, arms and ammunition training is part and parcel of their routine and some of this kind of training, SEBIN alleged, was taking place in Venezuela by some of the Trinidadian Muslims.

In a top secret document prepared by SEBIN and sent to the Trinidad and Tobago Government, the pictures in question were taken by three Venezuelan Police officers who were later arrested. There are at least six photographs showing the men.

Eight Trinidadian Muslims are currently detained by Venezuelan authorities on suspicion of terrorist activities. The 14 women and children who were held with them at the Plaza Hotel in Caracas on March 19 were released some 10 days later and sent back to Trinidad. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Caribbean countries condemn kidnapping of Nigerian children

Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries have condemned the kidnapping of hundreds of school children in Nigeria by members of the militant Islamic group, Boko Haram last month.

They have joined the international community in demanding the return of the children. The St Kitts-Nevis Government in a statement described the abduction as “morally reprehensible and has left a gaping vacuum in the entire community of Chibok and has had ripple effects across the nation of Nigeria and indeed the world.

“It has forced people everywhere to grapple with an issue that has been ignored for much too long – the plight of the over 65 million girls world-wide who are prevented from receiving an educa-

Colombia’s Santos says opposition poisoning peace talks

olombia’s President

CJuan Manuel Santos, in an interview accused his opponents of waging a “dirty” campaign to poison peace talks with leftist guerrillas.

Facing the first round of voting in a re-election battle in less than two weeks, the 62-year-old holds a slight lead in the polls but the contest has been muddied by scandal.

Santos, who is running for a second four year term, has found his bid to end a 50-year-old Leftist insurgency through peace talks under attack from the right.

Behind conservative challenger Oscar Ivan Zuluaga is former Santos mentor Alvaro Uribe, who fought the FARC,

Colombia’s largest rebel group, during his own 20022010 presidency.

Uribe tried, and failed, to defeat FARC militarily. In November 2012 his former protege Santos began peace talks in Havana to end the insurgency.

In an interview over the weekend during a campaign stop in Cucuta, a cauldron of drug trafficking and illegal armed groups on the border with Venezuela, Santos hit out at opponents of the talks.

“They are desperate because the see that peace takes away their reason for being,” he said. “There are people here who have become accustomed to living in war, to living from the war.” (Excerpt from Yahoo!

tion.

“The Government and people of St Kitts and Nevis stand in solidarity with the people of Nigeria, particularly the families affected by this tragic event, and add our voices to the call for the immediate release of the girls and their return to the their homes and school.

“We also wish to join the

mass campaign on behalf of girls all over the globe who share their daily battle to secure their right to receive an education. We welcome the global conversation that has intensified as a result of this act and hope that it will precipitate a global pact to defend and champion the rights of all girls to attend school. “ (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Mottley condemns decision by Barbados Central Bank Governor to ban journalists

Opposition Leader

Mia Mottley has condemned as dictatorial, the decision by the Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Dr DeLisle Worrell to ban journalists from the Nation newspaper from attending any activity of the bank.

“… a Governor of the Central Bank performs a public role and has neither the right nor power to ban any journalist or news house.

“Mr Worrell is clearly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the assignment at hand and is not displaying either the cool head or the steady hand that his job now requires,” Mottley said in a statement, adding “elsewhere he would either have

stepped aside or been set aside”.

The Nation newspaper reported that Worrell communicated his intention last Friday in a letter to publisher and Chief Executive Officer Vivian-Anne Gittens, following a story which appeared the previous day about falling revenues and persistent losses. It said that the Governor took umbrage to the fact that even though he did not state how many people were to be laid off, the front page headline read “60 TO GO”. But the paper said the “error” was brought to the attention of the Editor-inChief and a clarification was carried in its weekend publication. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Around the world

Deadly Turkey blast “traps hundreds”

Several miners are reported to have been killed after an explosion and a fire at a coal mine in western Turkey. Up to 300 other workers are believed to be trapped underground at the mine in Soma, Manisa province.

Those trapped are about 2km (1.2 miles) below the surface and 4km from the mine’s exit.

Search and rescue operations are taking place. It is estimated that 580 workers were underground at the time of the blast, but

that many escaped. Turkish President Abdullah Gul has ordered the Regional Governor to deploy all resources to rescue the miners.

Quoting health officials, local MP Muzaffer Yurttas earlier told broad-

caster NTV that 20 bodies had been retrieved and that at least another 20 workers had been taken to hospital. But he said later that four people had been killed.

“They died of choking and burns,” he said. A senior local official, Mehmet Bahattin Atci, said thick smoke at the privately owned mine was hampering rescue efforts.

Energy Ministry Taner Yildiz is going to Soma to oversee the rescue operation, NTV said. He told reporters that the fire at the mine was triggered by an electrical fault.

Although Yildiz mentioned “casualties” in his first statement after the accident, he warned that the death tolls reported in the press could be “misleading”, Hurriyet newspaper reported. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Soldiers killed in east Ukraine “ambush”

Swhich described the attack as “cynical and insidious”, he said the incident occurred at 13:00h local time when a convoy of military units from the Ukrainian army was ambushed by a group of about 30 people the Ministry called “terrorists”.

The attackers had taken cover among bushes along a river and used automatic weapons and grenade launchers.

According to the Ministry, the first shot was fired from a grenade launcher at the convoy and hit an engine of one of the vehicles. The initial attack killed two and injured three, the Ministry said.

Japan, China to square off at regional security forum

Amajor regional security conference is shaping up as a face-off between Asia’s two biggest powers, as Japan sends its hawkish Prime Minister and China dispatches a feisty diplomat instead of the usual brass to counter Tokyo’s more assertive message.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who took office in 2012 promising to bolster the role of the nation’s military, will deliver the keynote address at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore at the end of the month.

Beijing is sending Fu Ying, a tough and articulate former deputy Foreign Minister now serving as Chairwoman of the Chinese Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, who is expected to make the case that it is Japan, not an increasingly powerful China, which

threatens regional security.

Sino-Japanese tensions over a string of Japanesecontrolled islands in the East China Sea that are also claimed by Beijing spiked two years ago, shortly before Abe took office.

Relations were further strained when Abe last December visited Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine, where Japanese World War Two leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals are honoured along with millions of war dead.

“We understand that the Chinese are keen to continue participating and will be sending a strong delegation, and Fu Ying’s appearance reflects that,” said Tim Huxley, Singaporebased executive director of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (Asia), which organises the event. (Excerpt from Yahoo! News)

Nigeria’s President seeks to extend emergency laws in three states

Nigeria’s President asked Parliament on Tuesday for a six-month extension of a state of emergency in three northeastern states due to persistent attacks by Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group that kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls last month.

The initial death toll stood at six, but one of the wounded has since died, Interfax

even soldiers have been killed and seven more wounded in Ukraine’s restive eastern region, the country’s Defence Ministry has said. The Ministry said separatists “ambushed” the soldiers on the outskirts of Oktyabrske village, near the city of Krematorsk on Tuesday.

news agency reported. Al Jazeera’s Paul Brennan, reporting from Donetsk, said the only information immediately available came from the Ministry’s website.

Reading the statement,

Former top Hungarian Communist, 92, convicted of war crimes

A92-year-old former senior Hungarian Communist Party official was convicted on Tuesday of war crimes over shootings of civilian protesters after the November 1956 uprising that was crushed by Soviet tanks.

It was the first trial of an ex-top communist in Hungary since the Government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch anti-communist, enacted a law in 2011 to enable prosecution of crimes committed after the anti-Communist revolt.

More than two decades after the fall of Communism, Bela Biszku was charged over his role on a party committee prosecutors said was involved in ordering the shootings of several civilians during protests in Budapest and in the town of Salgotarjan in December 1956 in which dozens of people died. A Budapest court sentenced Biszku to five-anda-half years’ imprisonment. The prosecution, which had sought a life sentence, said it would lodge an appeal.

“Bela Biszku is guilty of war crimes committed

as an abettor (of) homicide against more than one person,” Judge Szabolcs Toth told the packed courtroom. For his part, Biszku denied all charges and his lawyer said the verdict would be appealed.

The 1956 uprising against Hungary’s Soviet-backed Government represented the first major threat to Moscow’s grip on Eastern Europe since the end of World War Two.

Hundreds of people were executed and tens of thousands imprisoned after the revolt was put down. (Excerpt from Yahoo! News)

All the dead and injured have since been evacuated. Our correspondent said a pro-Russian website had made the claim that 30 soldiers had died in the attack, but this information could not be independently verified. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

A state of emergency was declared in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in May last year and extended in November. “The security situation in the three states remains daunting albeit to varying degrees, in the face of persistent attacks by members of the Boko Haram sects on civilian and military targets with alarming casualty

rates,” President Goodluck Jonathan said in a letter to Parliament seen by Reuters. (Reuters)

France says examining 14 cases of chemical weapons use in Syria

France said on Tuesday it was examining evidence that Syria’s Government had used chemical weapons in 14 incidents in recent months and expressed concern that President Bashar Al-Assad still has the ability to produce toxic weapons despite international efforts to dismantle Syria’s chemical arsenal.

“We have at least 14 indications that show us that in the past recent weeks again chemical weapons in a smaller scale have been used, in particular

chlorine,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told a news conference speaking through an interpreter. “Right now we are examining the samples that were taken,” he added.

Fabius said the Assad Government had handed over 92 per cent of its chemical weapons stockpile under an international agreement being overseen by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

But he said the recent chemical weapons reports involving chlorine showed

the Assad Government still had the ability to produce chemical weapons.

“What it shows is that (the) Bashar al-Assad regime in spite of its commitment continues to be able to produce chemical weapons and to use them,” he said.

The watchdog Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is currently considering launching a fact-finding mission on its own to investigate the reports of chlorine gas attacks, sources told Reuters last month.

wednesday, may 14, 2014 | guyanatimesgy.com

Police send Alex Griffith’s file for PCA review

The Guyana Police Force on Tuesday afternoon stated that the Police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) has completed their investigations into the matter involving 15-year-old Alex Griffith who was shot in his mouth by a policeman.

According to the Police release, the file was sent to the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, former Chief Justice Cecil Kennard on Tuesday for perusal and advice on the matter.

When contacted by

Guyana Times for a comment, Kennard related that he is yet to receive the file.

“I left my office at five minutes to five this afternoon (Tuesday) and up until that time I had not received any file from the Police. I don’t know where they have sent the file, but I have not received any on my desk,” Kennard said.

The statement comes on the heels of several calls made by various individuals and organisations in Guyana for a speedy investigation into the matter and for justice to be served.

Good Success river defence works completed

The Public Works Ministry has recently wrapped up the third phase of river defence works at Good Success, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

According to Chief Sea and River Defence Officer Kevin Samad in a release issued by the Ministry, the project comprised driving steel sheet piles with an anchorage system and placing boulders as scour protection on the river side.

“A total length of 250 metres was completed at a cost of $338 million. It is the third project of similar nature to be completed along the East Bank Demerara corridor – between Good Success/Craig/ New Hope area,” he stated.

During 2012, two projects that entail works of a similar nature were completed at New Hope and Craig, EBD with lengths of 250 metres and 100 metres respectively. The Ministry has also programmed an additional 500 metres of work to be executed during 2014-2016 along New Hope/Good Success, EBD. This project will be funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Third Sea Defence Project Meanwhile, a contract was recently awarded to M&B Construction for reconstruction works of approximately 500 metres at Mosquito Hall, Mahaica. The work entails construction of a rip rap structure at a cost of $275 million.

Only two days go, Red Thread representative Wintress White said domestic violence, radical violence and/or state violence must not be condoned as she bashed the Guyana Police Force over increasing reports of Police brutality.

In an interview with Guyana Times on Thursday, White said Griffith should not have been shot in the first place; pointing out that there was no need for the use of excessive force.

“Some of the Police are really, really gunhappy and trigger-happy, they are not investi -

gating.

They are just acting on the spur of the moment and this madness got to stop,” she lamented while speaking at the Red Thread Office, Queenstown, Georgetown.

Griffith, a resident of East La Penitence Squatting Area, was shot to the mouth by a Police rank, who had accused him of being a witness to a robbery in the area. The incident occurred during a response to a report of robbery with aggravation committed on a relative of the rank.

Mosquito infestation causes closure of Wisroc Nursery

The Wisroc Nursery School at Wismar, Linden was on Monday closed and students sent home until further notice as a result of a mosquito infestation. Officials at the school had been complaining about the prevalence of mosquitoes inside the school for some time now which was causing the students and teachers to be uneasy inside the school’s environs.

The Wisroc Nursery Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) had highlighted the situation and informed the Region 10 Department of Education. Shortly after, officials at the school revealed that based on tests which were conducted following the reports, it was discovered that there were two species of mosquitoes in the compound.

The Region 10 Democratic Council (RDC) is calling for the Health Ministry and the regional authorities in Linden to conduct a fogging exercise to address the mosquito infestation in the town. He recently related that the RDC is seeking to identify areas across the region in urgent need of fogging.

Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon has confirmed there have been countless complaints from residents about the disease-carrying pest, and said there is the

Charlestown man found dead with bullet wound

The body of a man that was found on Sunday in the city bore several gunshot wounds to the head, Police confirmed on Tuesday.

According to the Police, about 04:30h on Sunday, the body of Trevor Bunbury, 48, of Broad Street, Charlestown, was found at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown. A post-mortem examination was done on Monday by State Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh who gave Bunbury’s cause of death as due to gunshot injuries to the head. Investigations are in progress.

Crime Chief Leslie James told Guyana Times that Police have since launched an investigation into the matter, but no sus-

to head

pect has yet been arrested. According to reports reaching this publication, the man was last seen sitting on a bridge at Lot 34 Norton Street, Wortmanville. However, several other witnesses were reported to have said that the man was last seen traversing Norton Street, highly intoxicated and unable to walk. They related that he stumbled and toppled head first into a nearby drain. He never got up. They noted that upon realising the man was not moving or making an attempt to move, they ventured onto the scene where it was later discovered that the man was dead. The Police were subsequently called in and informed of the matter after which the body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour.

Digicel-sponsored works on Ptolemy Reid Centre nears completion

need for adequate systems to be put in place to return the situation to normalcy.

Solomon called for the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to get involved by ensuring that the drains and canals in various communities are cleared and cleaned.

Region 10 Health Officer, Dr Pansy Armstrong said three persons are currently in training to conduct the vector control and fogging exercise so as to bring the situation under control.

She confirmed that a region-wide fogging exercise was conducted several months ago and the same will be done again. Only a few months ago, the Wisburg Secondary School located a short distance from the Wisroc Nursery was forced to remain closed for weeks, and students relocated due to mosquito infestation.

Stagnant water lodged on the school’s premises was cited as the main cause of the increase. Subsequently, the Region 10 Department of Education and the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) conducted fogging and cleanup exercises in the proximity of the Wisburg Secondary School and students were able to return to the school’s building shortly after.

Rehabilitation work on the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC) – sponsored by telecommunications giant Digicel – is moving apace.

A recent visit to the Centre by Digicel Events and Sponsorship Manager Gavin Hope revealed that more than 80 per cent of the works is completed. In December 2013, Digicel and the Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for major rehabilitation works to be undertaken at the facility. This collaboration came about as a result of a request made by the PRRC, which provides rehabilitative and other services for children with disabilities.

“Assisting children is always an investment in the future, this will also not only benefit the children of the Centre, but also the lives of persons assisting our children of the PRRC,” the company said at the time. The works include repainting of the building, and refurbishing of the access ramps, physiotherapy flooring area, roof and other areas.

To date, the PRRC has received more than 90 per

cent of the funds allotted to the project. “It is indeed a pleasure to see that the PRRC has honoured its commitment, staying true to the deadlines. With works being almost completed, we are elated at the fact that the students of the PRRC will be benefiting from this collaboration soon rather than later,” Hope stated.

This is the second collaboration of its kind between Digicel and the PRRC; recently, the company sponsored the refurbishment of the dining area and washroom facilities.

The PRRC has 64 children in its nursery, primary and vocational education department as well as 30 others in day care. Another 20 are seen by experts on days when rehabilitation services are provided. A total of 80 children have been seen by the rehabilitation unit for the year.

The Centre also has a policy of whenever possible employing and training persons with disabilities, according to its website, and at present in the areas of nursing, security, special education, clerical section, persons with disabilities are represented.

ECLAC urges greater coordination in integration push

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) presented a proposal today to move toward regional integration through more coordinated production between countries. Such integration should enable them to respond to the accelerated technological innovation that characterizes this moment in history, the changing positions of different actors in the global economy and the formation of broader regional markets.

In its document Regional Integration: Towards an Inclusive Value Chain Strategy, ECLAC stresses the validity of the integration concept in the current international context as a basic component of productive transformation and strategies for growth with equality.

Manufacturing exchange

Specifically, the organisation proposes policies for creating regional and subregional value chains which could boost manufacturing exchange, intra-industrial trade and the internationalization of small and medium size entreprises (SME) and increase the number of exporting companies and exported goods. The proposal was presented during the seminar Challenges to Regional Integration, in the framework of the Thirtyfifth session currently being held by the institution through Friday, May 9, in Lima.

In this report, ECLAC calls on countries to carry out joint actions in matters of financial, infrastructure, digital, social and environmental integration to foster

broader regional productive integration. It also promotes collective action in matters of innovation and science and technology in order to boost the presence of companies and technological centers of the region in global knowledge networks.

These actions aim to build advantages to allow the region to position itself in a restructuring global context, where emerging and developing economies gain ground in the international scenario and where South-South relations, particularly between the region and Asia-Pacific will critically determine development options.

Over the last decade, Latin America and Caribbean regional integration dynamics have experienced important transformations, according to the report. For example, some countries have criticized the emphasis placed on the trade dimension that characterized some of the main integration initiatives in the nineties. These nations have sought to focus efforts on broadening the integration agenda to other areas, highlighting political and social aspects.

Another factor that has influenced these transformations is the global financial crisis that began in September 2008, whose impacts are still being felt particularly in industrialized economies.

The scale of the crisis cast doubt on some conceptions regarding the globalization process and gave validity to more heterodox viewpoints that assign a greater role to the State, not only as a regulator but also as a facilitator of active industrial policies.

In its report, ECLAC says the economy of Latin America and the Caribbean continues to be highly dependent on external cycles.

Considering that the global economic context looks less favorable to the region than during the period 2003-2013, it is imperative to think about the key role that regional integration can play in improving the region’s inclusion internationally.

Diversify

The document underlines that in order for the region to achieve sustainable growth, reduce poverty and inequality and progress in matters of innovation, it must diversify its production and export structure. It thus outlines the need to advance towards common regulatory frameworks, which stimulate each country’s businesses to coordinate their operations with others beyond their borders.

The emergence of value chains in the global economy has turned attention towards the importance of regional space as a pillar of the principal production networks, characterized by complex goods, services, information and people flows, says the publication. The challenge for the countries of the region lies not only in being part of value chains but also in building distinguishing elements that enable them to ascend in the valuechain hierarchy, beyond the provision of natural resources or low labour costs.

For this purpose, ECLAC proposes the gradual creation of shared industrial-policy spaces in productive sectors with potential to produce competitive value chains. The advances the re-

gion has experienced in different areas work in favour of this argument, says the organization.

Latin America and the Caribbean currently have better macroeconomic management, have developed technological capacities in several activities and sectors, and some of the region’s countries have taken meaningful steps in natural resources governance. In ad dition, its economies are more open in general and many of them are inter connected by trade agree ments.

In the last decade, the region has devel oped a rich and com plex integration architec ture, with the creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) and The Pacific Alliance.

World Turtle Day 2014

These initiatives add to existing sub-regional integration mechanisms, highlighting the importance and challenges faced by convergence between different integration processes and initiatives. ECLAC’s report argues that this convergence will necessarily be a gradual, non-linear process.

Finally, the institution calls for considering integration a State policy - one that seeks convergence and, rather than eliminate differences, aims to make them manageable. In a diverse region like Latin America and the Caribbean, this is the main challenge for achieving integration to boost the structural change it requires.

Taymouth Manor Primary wins Lions poster competition

In the year 2000, World Turtle Day was first observed by the American Tortoise Rescue Corporation, a turtle and tortoise rescue organisation founded in 1990 in Malibu, California.

World Turtle Day is celebrated every year on the 23rd May and brings into focus the numerous challenges faced by turtles and tortoises around the world that influence their survival.

Founders Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson are the force behind World Turtle Day which was started to increase respect, knowledge, conservation practices and to promote the protection of the world’s oldest creatures which have been around for about 200 million years.

Status of turtles

Turtles don’t only live in the sea but also in freshwater. There are only seven existing saltwater species, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), of which three are classified as Critically Endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and three as Endangered. Of the 263 species of freshwater and terrestrial turtles, 117 species are considered Threatened, 73 are either Endangered or Critically Endangered and one is Extinct.

Why are turtles rapidly disappearing? What are the concerns?

* Habitat loss and degradation

* Wildlife trade

* Collection of eggs and meat for consumption

* Incidental capture

* Climate change

* Pollution

How can we protect the remaining turtles?

* Don’t purchase a turtle or tortoise from a pet shop as it increases demand from the wild.

* Don’t remove turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.

* Do not purchase turtle meat or eggs this will discourage illegal hunters.

* Do not remove turtle eggs or consume their meat.

* Learn more about the importance of turtles and what you can do to help.

* Report cruelty, entanglement or illegal sales of turtles or tortoises to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Sources: http://www.nccbarbados.gov.bb/event/world-turtleday http://www.ecology.com/2012/05/23/world-turtleday/

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com

SUDOKU

A needy family member will be very demanding. Don’t give too much of your time, energy or budget. You shouldn’t feel the need to finance someone else’s mistakes.

By Bernice Bede Osol

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

Scrutinise your own behaviour before lashing out at someone else. Don’t start something you can’t finish or that could lead to conflict and regret. Look for positive options.

Your charm and poise will make you stand out in a crowd. Social events or ceremonies will expose you to potential companions if you are looking for love. Enjoy the attention.

Family problems are imminent. Keep your cool. Follow through on promises you’ve made in order to make a good impression and be kept in the loop. Actions will speak louder than words.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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

Fight off fatigue and lethargy. Don’t let depression or disinterest stand between you and an exciting event that could jump-start your vitality. The first step is the hardest.

(March 21-April 19)

You are spreading yourself too thin. Be more selective in your choices. If you want to stay healthy, you need to learn to say no once in a while.

(April 20-May 20)

You have a reputation as being steadfast and dependable, but you should let your hair down more often and show your fun side. Romance and intimacy are in the stars. Take a chance on love.

(May 21June 20)

Make a contribution to a cause you believe in or a job that interests you. Your colleagues will be grateful, and favours will come your way when you need help in turn.

Don’t confine your activities to a set routine. Sign up for an unconventional experience. Consider trying an exotic cooking or dance class, or learning a new language.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Liven up your surroundings. You will feel proud and fulfilled if you do the work yourself. To avoid pitfalls or opposition, you should be secretive about workplace events.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Don’t put your social life on the back burner. Get out and laugh a little. Join a group that will let you show the lighter side of your personality.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

You’re missing an important piece of the puzzle. Someone has misled you. You may have to take a roundabout route to get the answers you need. Proceed with caution.

GCB Inter-County

Berbice snatch four-run win in low scoring thriller

By Rajiv Bisnauth

Pulling off a sensational last-gasp win from the clutches of defeat, a spirited Berbice snatched a four-run win over Demerara in the opening round in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Intercounty one-day tournament on Tuesday.

After a forgettable batting display by their batsmen, the Berbicians pulled off a coup as they successfully defended a small target of 143.

Arif Chan was the hero for Berbice as the off-spinner struck four crucial blows in the hosts’ chase.

Chan, who later earned the man of the match award had Daniel Basdeo bowled off an inside edge as the last man dismissed to secure an incredible come-from-behind win for the visitors.

The mainstays of Demerara’s innings were Ramnarine Chatura, who made 42 from 88 balls and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 40 from 118 balls.

The pair showed resolute spirit and added 62 runs for the fifth wicket to ensure the impact of the early loss was minimized before being separated. Demerara were just

The 2014 Hand in Hand Insurance second- division 40-over cricket competition, organised by the Berbice Cricket Board for clubs in West Berbice, has progressed with D’Edward, Hopetown United, Acheivers, Blairmont Community Centre, Golden Elperbell and Rainbow Generation all advancing to the second round. The round was dominated by the bowlers with no batsman being able to get past 33.

Off-spinner Vishal Bejai did very well for Bath, when he took 6-30 from seven overs to help restrict D’Edward to 123 in 25 overs. His effort however, ended up being in vain as his team fell for 95 in reply.

Off-spinner Joel Dilchand of Bush Lot Challengers took 4-30 to help his team bowl

17 runs away from the win when both were removed.

The right-hander, Chatura, struck four fours and a six, while Chanderpaul, who was dropped on 28 hit four boundaries.

However, that proved to be the only partnership of note in Demerara’s innings, as the other batsmen paid the price for being impatient.

The hard-hitting Brian Sattuar made a 23-ball 24 with four sixes before he was dismissed. After that Ronaldo Renee (0), Rudolph Singh (4) and Sherfane Rutherford (5) were removed in the space of 20

balls.

From a position of 1215, Demerara were eventually bowled out for 138 in 46 overs, losing Chatura, Malcolm Hubbard (0), Kemol Savory (9), Steven Sankar (0) and Baldeo in the process.

Sharaz Ramcharran (222), Balchand Baldeo (2-24) David Latchaya (1-9) and Parmanand Ramdhan (122) were the other successful bowlers for Berbice.

While the Demerara batsmen couldn’t get the measure of the Wales wicket, which offered some assistance for both the pacers and spinners throughout the match, the Berbicians

suffered the same faith during their turn at the wicket.

The Demerara bowlers bowled a disciplined line and length and choked the Berbice batsmen with left-arm seamer Daniel Basdeo finishing with 3-34, while fellow pacer Sherfane Rutherford 2-22, spinners Steven Sankar 2-19 and Malcolm Hubbard 2-32 to rock the Berbice batting lineup. Kevin Paul also chipped in with a wicket,while conceding 29 runs.

Berbice lost the toss and were put in to bat, but had lost wickets regularly during their innings, which never really gathered much momentum.

Berbice suffered an early setback as Martin Singh went for six in the first over, caught at the wicket off Kevin Paul.

They recovered somewhat from the early loss and fellow opener Balchan Baldeo joined hands with Shimron Hetmyer to put on a solid 45-run partnership for the second wicket, the only meaningful partnership in the innings.

Having taken a couple of overs to settle down, the duo played with a lot of responsibility for 52 balls before Daniel Basdeo produced the desired breakthrough when he had Hetmyer caught at the wicket for 19.

Soon after Sherfane Rutherford accounted for Baldeo (26) and Sharaz Ramcharran (9).

Spinners Malcolm Hubbard and Steven Sankar then tightened the noose by removing Hakeem Hinds (4), Ashkay Homraj (0) and Arif Chan (1), to leave the Berbicians reeling at 87-7.

Parmanand Ramdhan, who top scored with 33 (3x4s, 2x6s), showed some resistance at the bottom, sharing 27 runs with David Latchaya (20) before adding 10 and 20 runs respectively with Niall Smith (3) and

out Blairmont Community Centre for 103. However, Blairmont off-spinner Karandat Bissoondial with 5-21 from 6.1 overs and Shabbir Baksh with 4-11 from seven overs were outstanding as Bush Lot Challengers were dismissed for just 55.

After Hopetown United made 166 in 23 overs against

Ithaca Rovers, their legspinner Akeem Mc Pherson took 5-12 from seven overs and medium-pacer Emerson Benjamin 3-5 from seven overs to skittle out Ithaca for a paltry 35 in response.

Other bolwers with fourwicket hauls were Darius Nedd of Acheivers, Joshua Hamid of D’Edward Warriors and Kenroy Fraser of Golden

Elperbell. Below are the summarised scores from the games played.

At Bath, D’Edward beat Bath by 28 runs. D’Edward 123 all out in 25 overs (Eon Abel 30, Jaipaul Heeralall 20*, Vishal Bejai 6-30) versus Bath 95 all out in 23.4 overs (Kevin Jawahir 2-14, Houlsarran Lalsa 2-15, Eon Abel 2-27).

At Blairmont, Blairmont Community Centre beat Bush Lot Challengers by 48 runs. Blairmont Community Centre 103 all out in 30 overs (Mark Gowkarran 31, Joel Dilchand 4-30) versus Bush Lot Challengers 55 all out in 18.1 overs (Karamdat Bissoondial 5-21, Shabbir Baksh 4-11).

At Hopetown, Hopetown United beat Ithaca Rovers by 131 runs, Hopetwon United

166 all out in 23 overs (Claude Saul 33, Kwaise Mentore 26, Glen Melloo 3-19, Dwayne Chung 2-10, Philon Edwards 2-13, Akeem Miller 2-38) versus Ithaca Rovers 35 all out in 16 overs (Desmond Weekes 18, Akeem Mc Pherson 5-12, Emerson Benjamin 3-5).

At D’Edward, Achievers beat D’Edward Warriors by five wickets. D’Edward Warriors 42 all out in 13 overs (Darius Nedd 4-3, Brian Nurse 2-12) versus Achevers 43-5 in 5.3 overs (Joshua Hamid 4-18).

At Bush Lot, Golden Elperbell beat Bush Lot United by two wickets. Bush Lot United 75 in 22 overs (Kenroy Fraser 4-10, Glenroy Fraser 3-15, Delroy Wilson 3-18) versus Golden Elperbell 76-8 in 12 overs (W. Joseph 3-12, Dillon Joseph 2-12).

Grisean Grant (2 not out), when the visitors’ innings folded in 39.1 overs. Meanwhile, the President’s XI defeated Essequibo by 45 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method. Set a revised target of 224 to win after the President’s XI had made 214 all out off 38 overs, Essequibo were bowled out for 179 in 35.3 overs. Round two will be played today with Demerara facing the President’s XI at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground and Essequibo playing Berbice at the Enmore Community Centre ground.

28 players invited for ECCB practice game

The East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) has invited 28 players to participate in a practice game on Sunday at the Better Hope Community Centre ground. This game will be used as preparation for the Berbice Cricket Board/Berbice Chambers Independence T-20 Cup, to be held at the Albion Sports Complex on May 25.

Those players invited are: Zaheer Mohamed, Videsh Lall, Parmanand Dindyal (Enterprise Cricket Club), Brian Sattaur, Vishnu Ramjit, Sumnauth Bharrat, Kumar Bishundial, Rajendra Naikbaran (Lusignan Cricket Club), Suresh Budhu, Ravi Singh, Chris Deonarine, Azad Mohamed, Nazim Khan (Better Hope Cricket Club), Anthony Ifill, Carl Gilkes (Bravados Cricket Club), Cherwayne Mc Pherson, Dwayne Andrews (Plaisance Cricket Club), Kishan De Silva, Richard Woolford (Golden Grove Cricket Club), Chris Pattadin, Andra Gomes, Sewpaul Sanicharr, Shadeo Ramkellawan (Ogle Cricket Club), Rohit Dutchin, Randy Budhu (Helena 1-2 Cricket Club), Imran Khan (Unity Cricket Club), Royston Simon (Lion’s XI Cricket Club) and Ryan Chichester (Perseverance Cricket Club).

South African prosecutor asks for Pistorius mental evaluation

ASouth African prosecutor asked on Tuesday for Oscar Pistorius to be sent for a mental evaluation after a psychiatrist told the Olympic and Paralympic track star’s murder trial he had an anxiety disorder.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued he wanted to prevent the 27-year-old sprinter, who faces life in prison if convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, from later appealing on the basis of a disturbed mental condition.

Nel told the court there was a “reasonable possibility” that Pistorius suffers from a mental illness, adding that without a proper evaluation the case could later be appealed over Pistorius’ mental health.

If granted, the evaluation would likely further delay a trial now in its 31st day. Defense lawyer Barry Roux has argued against the motion, saying it was “premature” to have the evaluation done now, as he planned to call other witnesses.

Judge Thokozile Masipa adjourned the court early on Tuesday to consider the prosecutor’s request and is expected to rule on it on Wednesday.

Defense witness and forensic psychiatrist Dr Merryll Vorster testified that Pistorius, who was born without fibulas, suffers from Generalised

Anxiety Disorder after having his legs amputated at 11 months.

The anxiety disorder, a long-term condition that causes feelings of worry or fear in a wide range of situations, has worsened as Pistorius has got older, Vorster said.

She has said his parents’ divorce when he was a child would have added to his general feelings of anxiety and insecurity.

After the divorce, Pistorius was brought up by his mother, who died of cancer when he was aged 15. He has frequently spoken of the difficulty her death caused him.

The state has sought to portray the track star as a gun-obsessed hothead who killed model and law grad-

uate Steenkamp in a fit of rage.

The defense has argued that Pistorius had a heightened sense of fear and vulnerability because he was on his stumps when he thought he heard an intruder in his bathroom.

Pistorius has denied he killed Steenkamp in cold blood, saying he shot four times at the toilet door of his luxury Pretoria home to protect himself from what he though was an intruder.

Pistorius competed against able-bodied sprinters on carbon-fiber prosthetics, becoming one of the most recognized names in athletics. He won a clutch of Paralympic medals and reached the semi-finals of the 400m at the London 2012 Olympics. (Reuters)

Portland down San Antonio to avoid series sweep

The Portland Trail Blazers kept their season alive for at least one more game with a 103-92 home victory over San Antonio on Monday to prevent a Western Conference semi-final sweep at the hands of the top-seeded Spurs.

Having been outclassed in the first three games, Portland came alive to cut the best-of-seven series deficit to 3-1 but still face a mountainous task to avoid elimination.

Damian Lillard recorded 25 points and five assists for his best game of the second round, while Nicolas Batum put up 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.

Batum also played tough defense on fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, who led San Antonio with 14 points, his lowest scoring outing of the series.

“I thought Batum was big, he gave them a boost. He was everywhere,” Parker told reporters of his countryman turned opponent.

“We’ll have to regroup and play better. They’re not

Damian Lillard

going to give up.”

The Spurs were looking to breeze into the West finals after being pushed all the way in the first round against Dallas, but Portland had other ideas on Monday, and a 35-20 third-quarter advantage set them on the way to their first win of the series.

Batum sparked the Blazers after halftime by scoring seven straight points - a four-point play, then a three-point shot - to give them a 72-61 advan-

Chattergoon, Permaul spur Albion into final

Centuries from Guyana’s opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon and former Berbice Under-19 all-rounder Veerapen Permaul, spearheaded Albion Community Centre to a huge victory over Port Mourant in their semi-final of the 2013 Ramcharitar Construction Service first-division 50over knockout competition in Berbice.

In the match played at Port Mourant, Albion Community Centre won the toss, batted first and benefitted from a 79-run opening stand between Chattergoon and Guyana Under-15 batsman Adrian Sukhwa, who made 23. Permaul, the younger brother of Test spinner Veerasammy Permaul, came in and together he and Chattergoon put on another 137 for the second wicket before Chattergoon was dismissed for 103, which included 14 fours.

Permaul continued, losing Guyana’s wicketkeeper/ batsman Anthony Bramble for five at 245-3, but he found a good partner in legspinner Devendra Bishoo and together they featured in an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 71 to see Albion to 316-3 in their 50 overs. Permaul ended on 101 not out (10x4s) and Bishoo 38 not out.

When Port Mourant replied, they were faced with an all-spin attack and could manage only 204 in 43.5 overs, despite an enterprising 62 (3x4s, 3x6s) from Tony McKenzie and 42 from Nicholas Cameron.

Bowling for Albion, West Indies Under-19 left-arm

spinner Gudakesh Motie took 4-44 from 10 overs. Permaul, coming back with his off-spin, took 2-20 from five overs, and another offspinner, Asif Ali, 2-34 from 6.5 overs. Albion won by 112 runs.

Meanwhile, Police also advanced to the final after defeating Young Warriors at the latter’s home ground in Cumberland.

In the match, which was reduced to 35 overs a side because of a late start due to preparation moisture, Police asked to take first strike reached a more than healthy 241-9 in 35 overs.

The innings was built on a quickfire 56 from just 22 balls from all-rounder Michael Newland. Chipping in were Kwesi Mickle with 30, Phelbert Willburgh 26 and Rocky Hutson 20.

Bowling for Young Warriors, former Berbice Under-19 off-spinning allrounder Kevin Ramdeen took 3-50 from seven overs and former Berbice

Under-19 pacer Suresh Dhanai 2-48 from five overs. When Young Warriors replied, their openers Sasenarine Sukhdeo and Vishal Mohabir put on 88 for the first wicket in 16.2 overs, at which point Sukhdeo was bowled for 51 (6x4s). One run later, Mohabir was run out for 34 and Warriors were suddenly 89-2. They got no respite as medium-pacer Kurt Griffith ripped through the middleorder, picking up four consecutive wickets to see them fall to 119-6. Videsh Singh, who made a half-century in the previous round, and Rudolph Baker tried to repair the damage, but after they had put on 36 they both fell in quick succession- Singh for 56 (6x4s) and Baker for 10. Young Warriors eventually fell for 174 in 31.3 overs to lose by 69 runs. Bowling for Police, Griffith took 4-37 from seven overs and offspinner Albert Sinclair 3-25 from 6.3 overs.

James scores 49 to lead Heat over Nets

LeBron James poured in 49 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 102-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, putting the two-time defending champions one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference finals.

tage. The Blazers extended the margin to 85-68 entering the final period.

Portland’s bench was also critical, as reserve Will Barton chipped in 17 points.

Tim Duncan got 12 points and nine rebounds for San Antonio but the Spurs starters played limited minutes as the game got away from them.

San Antonio is still in ideal position since no NBA team has ever come back from 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series.(Reuters)

A three-point shot from the corner by Chris Bosh, set up by a pass from James to Mario Chalmers, snapped a 94-94 tie with 57 seconds to go in a seesaw struggle of a fourth quarter and Ray Allen made four critical free throws to ice the win.

The tense fourth quarter featured six lead changes and four ties before the visiting Heat pulled away in the final minute.

The victory gave Miami a 3-1 lead in the best-of-

LeBron James

seven series with a chance to clinch it at home in Game Five on Wednesday.

After losing Saturday’s Game Three to Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, James carried the Heat on his broad shoulders, tying his career playoff scoring high by hitting 16-of24 shots including a trio of three-pointers, and going 14-of-19 from the freethrow line in the bruising, physical contest. Team mate Dwyane Wade added 15 points. (Reuters)

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Super Kings v Royals, IPL 2014

21 SPORTS

Super Kings complete typical last-over win

In two of Chennai Super Kings’ last three games, they had been left with 11 to get from the last over with MS Dhoni at the crease. Today, against Rajasthan Royals, it came down to 12 from the last over. Dhoni was there, of course, batting on 15. In situations like that, all he needs is one ball in his slot. It came off the second ball of the over, the first time he was on strike, when James Faulkner angled one across him but pitched it a touch too full. Down came that big bat-swing, and up went the

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James Faulkner, who had turned certain defeat to exhilarating victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the space of four crazy overs, were waiting their turn in the dugout.

But Super Kings pulled things back, with Mohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja proving particularly hard to

hit on a slow, grippy surface, and Royals lost seven wickets and scored only 64 in their last 10 overs.

Super Kings looked to have made things more difficult for themselves when Dhoni sent in R Ashwin at No. 5 ahead of himself, but Dhoni always leaves it till the end. (ESPNcricinfo)

ball, soaring for a flat six over wide long-on. A wide fulltoss brought him two runs to deep cover the next ball, and with three needed off three, a push to the same fielder became the winning hit when Faulkner failed to collect Kevon Cooper’s throw and gave away an overthrow. It had all looked very different when Rajasthan Royals, having chosen to bat, had moved to 84 for 1 after 10 overs. Shane Watson was on the cusp of a half-century, and with him was Ajinkya Rahane. Steven Smith and

Royal Challengers v Daredevils

Fantastic Yuvraj keeps RCB in race

For the second time in three days, Yuvraj Singh announced his return to form, this time with a violent six-laden unbeaten 69 off 29 balls, but unlike the previous night, Royal Challengers managed to hold their composure, sneaking to a 16-run win against the bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils and keeping their chances alive in the tournament. The relief was writ all over their faces as Daredevils did make a good chase out of it and threatened the total, at least till the 18th over when JP Duminy was around. However, Yuvraj’s late assault this time did not go in vain.

Yuvraj was on 10 off 10 balls and Royal Challengers on 115 for 4 at the start of the 17th over. With their other big-hitters already back in the dug-out the onus of providing that final thrust lay squarely on Yuvraj, especially after his batting exploits in the last match. A score of 156 - the lowest successfully defended on this ground across IPL seasons - was still a fair distance away and reaching even that would have been a good result on a slowish pitch.

Imran Tahir, who had troubled Yuvraj in his earlier over, wasn’t going to have a happy ending to his spell though. Bowling the 17th over, he gave away 21 runs that in-

cluded three consecutive hits over the boundary by Yuvraj. The Royal Challengers gravy train was on the move. In the next over, Yuvraj targetted Mohammed Shami, picking up a six over fine leg with that trademark flick that oozed of 2007. Next over, another six over midwicket. Fourty four runs came off three overs but the best was yet to come.

The last over, bowled by Rahul Shukla, earned the distinction of being the most-expensive last over ever bowled in the IPL as Yuvraj smashed four sixes - the first of which brought him his second halfcentury in two games, off just 24 balls - to steal 27 runs.

Earlier, ending speculation over his injury, Chris Gayle had walked out to play a typically flickering 22 before being bowled by Shukla. Virat Kohli’s search for some runs ended in vain as he was run-out for just 10. With the run rate lingering below six after eigth overs, the first round of counter came through a busy 49-run thirdwicket stand between Parthiv Patel and AB de Villiers, but as the two batsmen left within two overs of each other, Royal Challengers’ innings appeared to be in danger of losing steam. However, from average beginnings, Royal Challengers were recharged to 186 by an electric Yuvraj.

Daredevils lost their openers early - M Vijay falling to Muralitharan in the first over and Quinton de Kock to Mitchell Starc in the second - but a 63-run stand between Mayank Agarwal and Kevin Pietersen kept the runs coming. The two didn’t let the required rate shoot up, collecting boundaries and sixes with relative ease in an association that

lasted 7.2 overs. With Duminy and Jadhav in the middle when 64 were needed off the last four, Royal Challengers knew it was still not the time to encash the dividends on the Yuvraj investment - they had given that many in three overs two nights ago. However, once Starc bowled Duminy towards the end, the win was finally within grasp. (ESPNcricinfo)

What the People

– Ramdin’s appointment as West Indies Test captain Denesh

Ramdin was appointed captain of the West Indies Test side in place of Darren Sammy and the wicketkeeper/batsman`s first assignment will be the home series against New Zealand beginning next month.

Ramdin has led the regional side in three T20s and an ODI. In addition,he has got the experience of captaining Trinidad & Tobago in 37 matches across all formats, taking T&T to the semi-final of the Regional Four Day Competition this season.

Guyana Times Sports Journalist Rajiv Bisnauth spoke with the man/woman in the street,about what they thought of Ramdin’s appointment as West Indies Test captain.

Mannieram Doodnaught – Farmer

Ramdin is the most suitable person to lead the West Indies at this time. He is the best wicket keeper in the West Indies. He has a good cricket brain and is academically qualified to deal with the media. It is my opinion that if he is selected in the ODI and T20 squads, he should be captain of all three formats.

Richard Jardine – Student

I personally think [it] is a wise decision, since changes only come to those who make it. Sammy had captained the team fairly well, but there was not a great deal of success, hence Ramdin’s captaincy is worth the try.

Bibi Shamela Sookhu – Vendor Ramdin’s appointment is a step in the right direction. I feel he is the most capable person at the moment. He had led his native Trinidad and Tobago very well and has a sound knowledge of the game.

SportEditor Letter to the

Allan Donald way off mark with hasty pronouncement on

Pollard

Douglas Ambedkar – Foreigner

Sure I think Ramdin is the best choice of the players in rotation. Sammy was never Test material. The fact that the best choice for captain is someone who was immature enough for the “talk nah Viv” expression is a reflection of the state of cricket in the region. Meanwhile, exceptional talent like Sarwan is wasted due to a coach who holds grudges against the very players he is supposed to lead.”

BCB honours Maya Devi Singh as mother-of-the-year

The Special Events Committee of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) last weekend honoured Maya Devi Singh of Cumberland Village, East Canje, as the BCB 2014 mother-of-the-year.

Singh, a mother of three, is the proud parent of Gajanand and Ishwar Singh. Gajanand has represented Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies at the junior levels and also played for Berbice and Guyana at the senior levels. Ishwar, who currently plays for the Young Warriors Cricket Club, also represented Berbice at the Under-19 level.

Administrative Officer of the BCB, Alisa Moonsee, in handing over the award to Singh, hailed her as a model parent whose guidance of and love for her children have borne positive results. Moonsee, who also serves as the Secretary of the BCB’s 75th anniversary committee, stated that her board was proud of parents such as Singh, as it makes the BCB’s work a lot easier.

Moonsee issued an appeal to all parents to follow in the 2014 mother-of the-year footsteps and to dedicate all energies towards the development of their children, especially in the fields of discipline, education and serving the less fortunate.

Head of the Special Events Committee, Hilbert Foster, stated that the BCB was proud to honour Singh as she was a dedicated and disciplined parent, who taught by example.

He challenged her to share her vast experience as a parent to cricketers to other parents, especially how to assist their children when they experience failure on the cricket field.

Singh, in brief remarks, expressed gratitude to the BCB for making her feel special. She congratulated the board on its outstanding success over the years and for the major role it has played in her children’s development on and off the cricket field. She received a special gift from Moonsee on behalf of the BCB.

Dear Editor,

I was reading an article on Cricinfo titled, “Arrogant” Pollard got away lightly.

The article was focused on the altercation that occurred during an IPL matchup between RCB and Mumbai, whereby both players (Mitchell Starc and Kieron Pollard) admitted to a level two offence under the IPL’s code of conduct and they lost 50 percent 75 and percent respectively of their match fees.

Donald’s contention is that Pollard pulled out deliberately at the last moment and that’s not acceptable to him. He further went on to berate Pollard as a fairly arrogant individual and that he cannot stand a player who wants to throw his bat at the bowler (but he can stand the bowler pitching the ball dangerously to the defenceless batsman).

I really cannot believe that Donald was watching the same game as I was. Donald has been a great exponent of fast bowling and commands a fair amount of respect in the cricketing world for his extensive experience and ability, so much so he has now been appointed as the bowling coach for the RCB.

I am of the firm opinion that Allan Donald erred immensely in his judgment in this altercation and the same can be said about the match referee that imposed the penalties, as I see the situation quite differently. For those persons who did not witness this match, I invite them to review this match and make their own individual judgment on the matter.

This imbroglio started with Pollard facing up to Mitchell Starc, pulling out of his batting stance prior to Starc’s delivery and ending up close to the edge of the pitch. Quite obviously, Starc became furious with Pollard’s actions and continued to deliver the ball in a menacing manner, not towards the wicket or outside off stump, if he was already in his delivery stride as Donald would want us to believe, but towards Pollard with the clear intention of hitting or injuring Pollard.

The game of cricket has become full with mind games by players against each other, with the constant teasing of your opposition to unsettle them and gain the upper hand is now very commonplace.

Bowlers intimidate batsmen all day and batsmen use whatever little tricks they have up their sleeves and in this regard, Pollard used his trick of pulling out of his stance claiming he was not ready.

That was his prerogative and it was not as though he was constantly doing same. This was the first and only time in the game that he did so with Starc. The fact that Pollard pulled out at the very last moment, even if we are to believe Donald, does not justify Starc pitching the ball towards Pollard.

After Starc’s deliberate delivery of the ball towards Pollard, he justifiably reacted with anger at the thought that Starc was deliberately trying to injure or maim him and hurled his bat towards the bowler, but managed to control himself somewhat by holding back at the very last moment and the bat ended up close to his feet similar to just throwing his bat to the ground.

The thrown bat did not go anywhere near Starc, as how the ball had ended up near Pollard who had to run away to avoid being hit. The only dangerous action in this entire altercation was the menacing hurling of the ball towards the batsman by the bowler and not the other way around as Donald would want us to believe.

The game of cricket has no place for such distasteful behaviour and further it is worse when match referees cannot adjudicate properly, or senior match officials pass judgment against players displaying their jaundiced point of view.

Yours faithfully, Raj Singh

Registration for KMTC pre-Independence horse race meet closes today

– preparations in advanced stage, says Kennard

By Rajiv Bisnauth

The registration deadline for the pre-Independence horse race meet of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) closes today and, according to president of the KMTC, retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard, horse owners have until 16:00h to have their animals properly registered.

Kennard said no late entries will be accepted.

The meet is scheduled for May 18 at the club’s track at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne.

Six races are slated for the day’s event and as usual, there will be lots of excitement for turfites and lucrative prize packages for top horse owners.

Most of the country’s top horses are expected to be on show with the feature attraction being the D1 and Lower over a distance of one mile. The winner will cart off $500,000, while the runner-up will win half that amount. The third and fourth- place finishers will receive $125,000 and $63,000 respectively.

Several other events are slated for the day, starting with the G1 and Lower Class over a distance of six furlongs with the winning tag set at $300,000, while the second- place finisher will collect half that amount.

The third and fourth- place finishers will receive $75,000 and $38,000, respectively.

Then there is the J3 and Lower over a distance of five furlongs with the winner carting off $150,000, and the second- place finisher getting $75,000. The third and fourth- place finishers will receive $38,000 and $19, 000 respectively.

The Three and Fouryear-old West Indies Maiden and Guyana Open will see the animals running over a distance of six furlongs. The winner will receive $300,000 while the second, third and fourth- place finishers will collect $150,000, $75,000 and $38,000, respectively.

Other races include the J1 & Lower and the ‘I’ & Lower. The two races will be run over six and sev-

en furlongs with the winning tag set at $200,000 and $250,000 respectively.

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

Kennard further indicated that turfites could be assured of exciting action, especially since jockeys and their mounts will be competing under improved track conditions.

Further, the organisers wish to remind horse owners that the event is being conducted under the aegis of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA) and all the rules of the local governing body will be in effect.

Horse owners can conform to this requirement by contacting Justice Cecil Kennard on telephone numbers 226-1399, 225-4818, or 623-7609, Roopnarine Matadial (Shine) on telephone number 325-3192, Isabella Beaton 693-7812, Dennis Deroop 609-9143.

Horse owners are asked to have their animals examined by the vet by 11:00h on race day.

Sinclair outstanding with bat and ball

he 2014 Tenelec Inc.

TUnder-15 cricket competition, organised by the Berbice Cricket Board, continued recently with Berbice Under-15 allrounder Kevin Sinclair turning in a second consecutive outstanding all-round performance for Police in their match against Tucber Park.

Sinclair first batted through the Police first innings and remained unbeaten with 110 not out, which included seven fours, in a total of 148 with leg-spinner Brandon Stewart picking up 4-39 for Tucber Park.

When Tucber Park replied in their first innings, Sinclair came back with his off-spin and bowling right through to the close of play took 5-27, but with another Under-15 Inter-county batsman Steve Deonarine batting resolutely for 39 not out. Tucber Park ended the day on 98-6, holding out for a noresult.

Sinclair had scored 100 and taken 7-4 in Police’s previous match against Rose Hall Community Centre.

Meanwhile, Blairmont Community Centre mid-

dle-order batsman Adin Sheotayal scored 50 not out and bowling off-spin took 2-17 and 3-14 to help his team register an innings and 58-run victory over D’Edward.

Below are the summarised scores from the games.

At Vryman’s Erven in New Amsterdam, the match between Police and Tucber Park ended without a first innings decision. Police

Digicel Diaspora delivers world class soccer to customers

– customers living in the Diaspora and in the Caribbean will win dozens of prizes

Digicel is bringing world-class soccer action to its customers in the Diaspora and the Caribbean with “The Passion of Soccer” promotion that will see thousands living abroad and in market winning great prizes when they send and receive top up.

In anticipation of the exciting soccer fever grabbing the world, Digicel is giving its customers living in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States a chance to win great prizes when they send top up to loved ones living in Haiti, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago – meaning both the sender and receiver of top up can win.

The promotion will run for nine weeks and customers can win prizes including a 50- inch LED TV and surround sound system along with cash prizes of up to US$250.00. To enter the promotion, customers simply need to send and receive credit using the online top up portal or any one of the thousands of authorised retail locations and can enter as many times as they want.

Digicel Diaspora CEO, Stephen Bannon, said; “We know that soccer is the passion of our customers here in the United States and in the Caribbean. Through “The Passion of Soccer” promotion, we will be bringing our customers closer to the biggest sporting event of the summer by giving them

a chance to win fantastic prizes when they top up their loved ones back home. Digicel is committed to ensuring that our customers stay connected to their home country’s culture and their loved ones by making it fast and easy to send credit to friends and family living the Caribbean.”

Digicel is dedicated to keeping family and friends abroad connected to loved ones at home in the Caribbean. Customers can go to any of Digicel’s authorised retail locations across Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States and purchase Digicel minutes or send online top up on the web at www. digicelgroup.com. (Digicel

release)

Cult energy, EBFA partner for U-17 league

T148 all out (Kevin Sinclair 110*, Brandon Stewart 4-39, Naresh Chan 2-15, Dominique Durant 2-43) versus Tucber Park 98-6 (Steve Deonarine 39*, Kevin Sinclair 5-27).

At D’Edward, Blairmont Community Centre beat D’Edward by an innings and 58 runs. D’Edward 80 all out (Deninauth Persaud 45*, Azad Ishawk 2-10, Seon Glasgow Jnr 2-13, Adin Shoetayal 2-17) and 41 all out (Sachin Veerasammy 4-3, Javid Karem 3-11, Adin Shoetayal 3-14) versus Blairmont Community Centre 179-5 declared (Adin Shoetayal 50*, Seon Glasgow Jnr 49, Deshann Phillips 2-56).

At Bath, the match between D’Edward and Achiever ended in a draw with D’Edward taking first innings points. Achievers 72 all out (Divendra Sooklall 28, Deshwan Phillips 4-23, Hemraj Harrilall 2-10, Shamar Greenidge 2-16) versus D’Edward 83-3 (Deninauth Persaud 22*, Amit Budhu 20, Adrian Ramanian 2-27).

he Continental Group of Companies through its Cult energy drink has partnered with the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) to stage the inaugural Under-17 league for teams along the East Bank corridor.

The tournament was officially launched on Tuesday morning at the company’s headquarters at Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, where key stakeholders spoke of the importance of investing in this age group of footballers.

The launch was attended by president of the EBFA Wayne Francois; Secretary Franklin Wilson; Corporate Secretary of Continental Group of Companies Percival Boyce; and Office Manager of the company, Chaitnarine Brijnandan, among other officials of the association and the entity.

Boyce, speaking on behalf of the establishment, said supporting the efforts of the EBFA is another way of showing the company’s commitment towards the development of sport, in this case, football on the East Bank.

“The management and staff of Continental Group of Companies with its Cult brand of energy drinks take

this opportunity to congratulate the EBFA for their initiative with this tournament, aimed at preparing our youths for the challenges ahead, and as such, our best wishes are extended to all participating teams, coaches, referees and executives of the EBFA,” Boyce remarked.

Wilson, a former president of the Guyana Football Federation, said the tournament will kick off on Saturday with eight teams vying for supremacy.

He explained that the competition is a continuation of the EBFA’s development drive, as there is a concerted focus on nurturing talent at the youth level.

Wilson posited that the competition is not just about kicking a football for 90 minutes, but rather setting a solid foundation for the next generation of footballers on the East Bank. He made reference to the rise of young Golden Jaguars player Trayon Bobb, who is currently plying his trade in Lithuania.

Wilson noted that the aim is to produce more footballers of that calibre, whose talent can be spotted early and properly groomed.

A sport journalist by profession, Wilson also highlighted that the EBFA has been firm in its stance to have young footballers focus on their academics, noting that they must be prepared for “life after football.”

He expressed gratitude to Boyce, Brijnandan and Chief Executive Officer of the Continental Group of Companies, Rakesh K. Puri, for their involvement in the tournament, adding that corporate support is critical to the growth and development of football.

Set to do battle in the competition are Kuru Kururu Warriors, Soesdyke Falcons, Timehri Panthers, Grove Hi Tech, Diamond United, Herstelling United, Mocha Champs and Agricola Red Triangle. The teams will be battling for trophies and medals.

Apart from the team prizes, there will be individual awards for Most Valuable Player, Best Goalkeeper and Highest Goalscorer. Wilson informed the media that among the individual prizes will be a desktop computer, which will be donated by USA-based Guyanese rifle shooter, Sigmund Douglas.

Limacol CPL partners with WICB to fund

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced today that a critical funding component for the professionalisation of First Class cricket will be provided by the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which will contribute US$360,000 towards annual retainer contracts for First Class players. Following the last board

meeting in March, the WICB announced the approval of a 19-point plan for the complete professionalisation of First Class cricket in the Caribbean, starting with the next season of regional cricket.

As part of the plan, 15 players in each of the six territories will be contracted on a full-time, year-round basis. This will allow 90

First Class players to be annually contracted, joining those contracted under the WICB’s Annual Retainer Contracts.

“The professionalisation of First Class cricket in the Caribbean is long overdue and finally we have taken a firm decision to realise this. It will be a most costly venture but one which is absolutely necessary for West Indies cricket to move forward. We are exceedingly grateful to the Limacol CPL for this significant commitment towards the funding of these annual First Class contracts,” WICB CEO Michael Muirhead said.

Limacol CPL CEO, Damien O’Donohoe, praised

the development. “A fundamental part of Limacol CPL is securing the future of cricket in the Caribbean by creating a platform for the next generation of stars to showcase their talent to a global audience. Our partners at WICB are working towards getting West Indies cricket back to the top across all forms of the game and we at Limacol CPL will endeavour to play our part in that mission.

The WICB approached us with this new vision, and following discussions with President (Dave) Cameron and Director of Cricket, Richard Pybus, we didn’t hesitate to embrace it,” he said.

West Indies Players Association (WIPA) President and CEO Wavell Hinds, was also positive about the devel opment.

“WIPA welcomes the contribution of the Limacol CPL to this pro gramme, and we have also played a pivotal role in the process of bring ing the professionalization of the first class game in the region closer to reality. Our members voted unanimously at our last AGM to support the initiative, and agreed to take the steps asked of them to make it happen. We see it as a great opportunity for a broader base of our membership to earn a living from the