Guyana Times Daily

APNU not solely responsible for Guyana missing CFATF deadline — Granger

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is contending that the government is misleading the nation into believing that the coalition is holistically responsible for Guyana’s failure to meet the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) deadlines.

Speaking at his Hadfield Street, Georgetown office on Friday, Opposition Leader David Granger said in 2011, CFATF notified the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government of the country’s deficiencies in combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism acts.

CFATF had made a number of recommendations to strengthen the AMLCFT Act, the Bank of Guyana and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in a series of mutual evaluation reports (MERs). During the third round of MER, adopted by the CFATF Council of Ministers in May 2011 in Honduras, the November

2013 deadline was set.

“Guyana was placed on a list of jurisdictions with strategic anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism deficiencies that have not made sufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies,” Granger said as he quoted a CFATF report. Guyana was given up to November 2013 to fix these deficiencies; however, it was unable to do so due to the opposition’s non-support.

Blasklisting

According to the opposition leader, it was only in April 2013 when Guyana was threatened with being blacklisted that the PPP/C administration moved to present the AMLCFT (amendment) Bill in Parliament.

He said the opposition has always been concerned about good governance and the enforcement of legislations. “APNU is determined that the Bank of Guyana, the Financial Intelligence

Unit, the Special Organised Crime Unit and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions are functionally empowered with the needed autonomy and equipped with the technical and institutional capabilities and capacity to effectively discharge the functions assigned to them in the amended 2009 Act.”

Granger maintained that the coalition is committed to the passage of a strong AMLCFT (amendment) Bill.

Currently, the bill is at the level of a parliamentary special select committee.

While the APNU, PPP/C and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have incorporated the recommendations tabled by CFATF and made adjustments, the coalition in recent weeks have moved to amendment the principal act.

The proposed amendments if passed will remove the powers of the finance minister to appoint the director of the FIU and give it to a committee of the National Assembly. An antimoney laundering authority will comprise of 10 members appointed by the House. Additionally, APNU has also proposed the seizure of cash in excess of $2 million and jewellery worth above that amount by the police or customs officials once there are reasonable suspicions.

Criticism

Government and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) have criticised the opposition over the amendments, but APNU’s Basil Williams on Friday used the opportunity to clear the air on the seizure of cash.

He said Section 67 of the AMLCFT Act of 2009 has provision for a police officer, a customs officer or a person authorised by the FIU director to seize that money that is suspected to be linked to acts of terrorism or money laundering.

However, it was pointed out that under Section 37:1 of the act, there was an omission in which the authorised FIU personnel was not included while in subsection 3, it was specified that the individual, like the police or a custom official, can apply to a judging chamber for detention after seizing currency.

“So how is it you giving the director of the FIU authorised person power to apply for detention order when he didn’t seize anything?”

APNU’s Carl Greenidge said special attention will be given to the strengthening of the FIU. “When you consider the powers the FIU has to exercise, overseeing this system, it needs a lot more officers and a lot more skills and so that is one of the areas, we will hold the government’s feet close to the fire on.”

He said the coalition will ensure that the FIU is equipped with the requisite staff.

He also noted that in the existing law, there are no specifications with regard to the requirements the FIU director must have; only stating that the individual must have experience in finance.

Specialised agency needed to treat rape victims – Chandarpal

Woman and Gender Equality Commission

Chairperson Indranie Chandarpal on Thursday said there is a dire need for an all inclusive agency to treat victims of sexual assault so as to lessen the tedious process they have to endure.

In an interview with Guyana Times, Chandarpal said that when persons are raped, they have to go to the police station, hospital and also meet with a social worker. This, she noted is a lengthy process and takes a mental and emotional toll on the victim.

“When you are raped, it is such a horrific thing and you want to rid your body of any remnants of what happened so people are unable to deal with all the running about to different agencies and this takes hours, even days,” she stated.

The chairperson pointed out that there is a need for an all inclusive agency or agencies where specialised doctors, social workers and police officers are at one location to avoid victims going through undue hassle.

Best model

She noted that the commission was told that Jamaica has the best model of such service to treat sexually assaulted victims, and as such, two commissioners have been sent there to learn more about the programme.

Chandarpal added that she has met with President Donald Ramotar and related her ideas to him and he directed her to talk to the Human Services and Social Security Minister, which she did.

“We told her that we are willing to collaborate with the ministry to make sure that Guyana implements such an initiative so that we can have in the various regions, these facilities,” she added.

According to Chandarpal, through the Access to Justice Programme, the commission has been to several regions to talk to the people, and some of the issues raised by citizens are not only the tedious procedures, but the

lengthy time it takes for these matters to be completed in the courts.

“A lot of people felt that it is taking too long for their matters to be heard.”

Another issue that prolongs justice for these victims is the jury determining these matters, Chandarpal pointed out. She noted that this system needs to be abolished with regards to these matters.

Chandarpal stated that with the recent amendments made to the Sexual Offences Act, all law enforcement agencies should make themselves aware of these issues so that they can better equip themselves to serve victims.

She noted that members of the commission are often urged to ensure that their respective agencies are well abreast with current laws and legislations so they can be able to fairly represent the public.

High prevalence

On a different note, Chanderpal explained that there is a high prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace; however, persons more than often are too scared to file a report.

“All of us are aware that it is happening all the time, but it is so difficult to get people to come forward and say I am a victim,” she stated.

Chandarpal continued that the commission constantly tries to raise awareness and encourage victims of any form of sexual assault to come forward and report the perpetrators.

She acknowledge that while a lot of initiatives have been undertaken to improve the justice system in this area, there is still a lot more work to be done to get people to understand the laws and how it can protect them.

Chandarpal went on to say persons found guilty of rape should be severely punished.

“If we don’t punish them severely, then people will look on and say ‘well I can do this or that and get away with it’ because the whole sentencing policy of the magistrate sometimes leaves much to desire,” she said.

Weather:

Wind: North easterly between 3.33 and 3.88 metres per second.

High Tide: 09:25h and 22:07h reaching maximum heights of 2.41 metres and 2.27 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 02:54h and 15:32h reaching minimum heights of 0.87 metre and 0.82 metre respectively.

Meeting on anti-money laundering bill APNU amendments non-complaint with international standards – CFATF official

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) proposed amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act of 2009 can put Guyana in a danger zone, Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) Financial Advisor Roger Hernandez told journalists on Friday night.

Hernandez met with the members of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) parliamentary special select committee in the Parliament Buildings on Friday, to address concerns expressed by APNU and the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in the presence of the Speaker of the National Assembly on the contentious bill.

The PPP/C members had expressed concern about APNU’s proposed amendments. The amendments are seeking to remove the powers of the Finance Minister to appoint the director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and give it to a committee of the National Assembly; coupled with the establishment of an Anti-Money Laundering Authority.

Hernandez said while CFATF does not get directly involved in the legislative process, it has concerns about some of the amendments proposed by the main opposition party.

“The concern that we have is that the amendments that were put forward may make those that were formerly compliant, non-compliant. There is a risk with that.”

Hernandez further pointed out that some of the other amendments proposed are outside the remit of the recommendations tabled by CFATF.

“We have no opinion on those things, because we only

deal specifically with the recommendations, it is up to the legislatures to decide about those particular measures.”

However, he said the opposition was questioned about the effectiveness and ability to implement the amendments if passed into law. The pros and cons were outlined to members of the select committee and they must determine the best way forward.

However, it was indicated that the AMLCFT (amendment) Bill of 2013, which was drafted based on CFATF AMLCFT standards, are in compliance with international standards.

Whenever the AMLCFT (amendment) Bill is passed into law, official pronouncements will be made after being analysed. At this stage, he said: “We can comment on draft bills that are submitted to us with the understanding that is not the final word of the CFATF because draft bills are subject to change. So at this point in time, I can’t make a comment with regards to those amendments.”

Secondly, APNU had lashed out at the government, contending that it was in the game of fabricating deadlines such as the new February 28, 2014 deadline. But Hernandez confirmed that the deadline must be met, noting that Guyana must submit a report to CFATF on its follow up process.

It was explained that in order for the bill to be considered by CFATF plenary, it has to be passed and enforced by February 28 and submitted with a report to the regional institution. This is necessary, he said for CFATF to analyse the bill for compliance, paving the way for a report to be submitted to the plenary in May 2014.

Based on the report submitted to the plenary, CFATF will determine whether

Guyana should be subject to further countermeasures or the country should be recommended to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for an International Corporation Review Group (ICRG) review.

“Let it be known also that Guyana is not the only country required to submit information on their follow up process on February 28. This is a recommendation for all CFATF member countries that are within the follow up process.”

Hernandez said if Guyana fails to pass the AMLCFT (amendment) Bill, CFATF in May will decide to effectively nominate Guyana for the FATF ICRG review. FATF is due to meet in June. During that meeting, the international financial body will determine whether Guyana should be subjected to a prima facie review by the International Corporation Review Board.

This therefore means that Guyana could land itself on any of the three blacklisting tiers. The most severe level, which is found at the top of the chart, effectively requires countries to issue countermeasures against countries on that list. Presently, North Korea and Iran are the only two countries blacklisted at this extreme level

The lowest tier encompasses countries that have issued a political commitment to implement the reforms and formulated an action plan to be implemented by strategic deadlines.

“After a prima facie review, Guyana can find itself on any one of these levels. Mostly likely if it does not issue a political commitment and if it does not agree on an action plan, it will be listed on the second level,” the CFATF financial advisor pointed out.

However, if the country during the review period offers to commit to the AMLCFT standards and establishes an action plan in conjunction with FATF, it would be placed on the lowest level.

“Once you are listed, effectively what this means is that the FATF is telling the world that these countries have serious AML deficiencies and that countries should take appropriate measures to deal with the risk emanating from Guyana.”

It was further stated that individual countries would call on their financial institutions to implement stricter requirements for the opening of accounts and conducting transactions. Additionally, accessing international funds can become extremely challenging.

The second layer includes countries that have significant AML safety deficiencies but have not given a political commitment to deal with those issues, or have not formulated an action plan in collaboration with the FATF to have them addressed.

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

Venezuelan protests pattern

Our government has recently condemned the unfolding opposition-led violence against the government in Venezuela. The MERCOSUR governments (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela) stated that they too, “reject the criminal actions of violent groups that want to spread intolerance and hatred in... Venezuela as a political tool”. What is behind this violence?

The Centre for Economic and Policy Research is a credible Washington, DC-based Think Tank. In an article by Dan Beeton, it recently asserted that the “Violent Protests in Venezuela Fit a Pattern”. We offer excerpts from their report:

“Venezuela’s latest round of violent protests appears to fit a pattern, and represents the tug-and-pull nature of the country’s divided opposition. Several times over the past 15 years since the late, former President Hugo Chávez took office in 1999, the political opposition has launched violent protests aimed at forcing the current president out of office. Most notably, such protests were a part of the April 2002 coup that temporarily deposed Chávez, and then accompanied the 2002/2003 oil strike.

“Then – as now – the strategy is clear: a sector of the opposition seeks to overturn the results of democratic elections. A key part of the opposition’s strategy overall has been to depict Nicolás Maduro as a pale imitation of his predecessor and a president ill-equipped to deal with the country’s problems (many of which are exaggerated in the Venezuelan private media, which is still largely oppositionowned, as well as the international media).

“Following Maduro’s electoral victory in April last year (with much of the opposition crying ‘fraud’ despite there being no reasonable doubts about the validity of the results), the opposition looked to the December municipal elections as a referendum on Maduro’s government, vowing to defeat governing party PSUV and allied candidates. The outcome, which left the pro-Maduro parties with a 10-point margin of victory, was a stunning defeat for the opposition, and this time they did not even bother claiming the elections were rigged.

“Defeated at the polls, the anti-democratic faction of the opposition prepared for a new attempt at destabilising the elected government, and promoted relatively small, but often violent student protests in early February. They then called for a massive protest on February 12, Venezuela’s Youth Day in the centre of Caracas. The demonstrations have been accompanied by a social media campaign that has spread misinformation in an attempt to depict the Maduro administration as a violent dictatorship instead of a popular elected government.

“Images of police violence from other countries and past protests – some several years old – have been presented on social media as having occurred in recent days in Venezuela. Similar disinformation occurred in April 2002 and in other past incidents in Venezuela, most notably when manipulated video footage was used to provide political justification for the coup d’état.

“While some in Washington foreign policy circles may attempt to portray the leaders of this new wave of protests as persecuted pro-democracy heroes, they, in fact, have histories of supporting anti-democratic and unconstitutional efforts to oust the government. Both Leopoldo López and Maria Corina Machado supported the 2002 coup; in López’s case, he participated in it by supervising the arrest of then Minister of Justice and the Interior Ramón Rodríguez Chacín, when López was mayor of Chacao.

“Venezuela’s opposition receives funding from U.S. ‘democracy promotion’ groups, including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and core grantees such as the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). The NED, which the Washington Post noted was set up to conduct activities, ‘much of’ which ‘[t]he CIA used to fund covertly’, has made a number of grants directed at empowering youth and students in Venezuela in recent years, and USAID has also given money to IRI, NDI, and other groups for Venezuelan programmes.

“In Venezuela, (the IRI) funded groups involved in the 2002 coup, and (their) spokespersons infamously praised the coup after it happened.”

Countdown to Mash

The need to pass the AML/ CFT Amendment Bill

Dear Editor

The attitude of the opposition parties on the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Amendment Bill clearly reveals their intention to place the interests of Guyanese in jeopardy.

Not passing this bill, or passing it with amendments that do not coincide with the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) rules will lead to the blacklisting of Guyana, and many international institutions will not want to deal with our financial institutions.

After the attack by terrorists on several targets throughout the world, but particularly the attack on the U.S. in 2001, the international community decided to join efforts to fight illegal funds (anti-money laundering), and financing of terrorism (usually the proceeds of these funds go to gun running and eventually end up supporting terrorist organisations).

One of the measures that were decided on to combat those crimes was the standardising in the main the laws dealing with this issue. All the countries in the Caribbean

and most in the world have passed similar legislation.

The principal act was passed in the Parliament of Guyana in 2009. Then it got the full support of the then Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition then was Robert Corbin.

At FATF and CFATF meetings (which meet once or twice a year), the laws are examined and based on the international experience amendments are agreed on to tighten the laws in all the countries. That is what this amendment is all about.

It is, of course, intended to prevent the drug traffickers, the money launderers and terrorists from taking advantage of any “loop holes” in any country to conduct their “business”.

The opposition, instead of passing the bill when it was put in the National Assembly, insisted on sending the bill to a Special Select Committee (SSC) of the Parliament. They did so on the grounds that they had substantial amendments to make to it.

For some 10 months, the opposition offered no amendments to the bill. They filibustered and wasted time. The SSC held many meetings and

the record would show that the opposition parties only dragged their feet and did everything to waste the time and frustrate the passing of the bill. It was only at 21:00h on the evening of February 9, that the opposition made proposals.

It is apposite to note that the amendments proposed were not on the bill that is before the SSC but to the Act that was passed in 2009. This is a violation of the practices of Parliament and the Standing Orders. The SSC should only make changes to the bill before it. The Act is not before the SSC.

Once more displaying their dictatorial tendencies, the opposition again used their razor thin oneseat majority to subvert the parliamentary procedures and bulldoze amendments.

One of the amendments they are proposing is to give powers to the police and customs officers to seize any currency above $2 million from anyone in Guyana if they suspect them of being in position of such currency. It should be noted that currency does not mean only cash, but also jewelry and precious metals, etc.

This is a major change from what obtains today. At the moment money of that amount can be taken from a person at the airport or other ports of entry if the person is in possession of such funds do not declare it at entry or exit. This is enormous powers now being put in the hands of the police and customs officers. This can lead to serious abuse of power which will also lead to a lot of inconvenience of people. The opposition’s line is clear. They are really ready to sacrifice the welfare of the Guyanese people. For them it seems that they want and are working to damage the economy in the hope that people will blame the government.

It is the same opposition when they were in government destroyed our economy and established a dictatorship. Now in opposition they are showing the same tendency using the one-seat majority. On this matter they are not willing to consult with the people.

As they say the leopard cannot change its spots.

Sincerely, Name and address withheld by request

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

APNU is envious of government’s achievements

Dear Editor,

It is indeed sad when qualified, experienced and supposedly intelligent individuals choose to sacrifice professionalism in the name of narrow and selfish political gains.

I have noted, with great disappoint, statements in the media attributed to Professor Clive Thomas, a Doctor of Economics. In another section of the press, there was an article about severe poverty, in which Dr Thomas, David Granger of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Halima Khan of Red Thread were quoted, and to whom many statements were attributed.

I can forgive and or even ignore Granger’s and Khan’s statements, since none of them are economists or intellectuals of the calibre of Dr Thomas. But for Dr Thomas, a Professor and Doctor of Economics, one of Guyana’s bright minds, to be-

little Guyana’s achievements in eradicating extreme poverty, is mind-boggling. I am not disputing the fact, and I am sure no one will, that there is poverty in Guyana, but which country on this earth does not have people living in poverty? At which point in human history there was a country free of poverty?

The important question that Dr Thomas must ask is how many Guyanese fell into poverty during the 28 years of dictatorship and mismanagement of the People’s National Congress (PNC) as against how many of those very people were able to come out of poverty during the 20 years of People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration?

Is it not much easier to plunge a country into a hole than getting it out of it? The PNC had the easy task of throwing the majority of Guyanese into a hole of pov-

erty, while the PPP/C government on the other hand is faced with the un-envious task of rebuilding Guyana and getting those very Guyanese out of that hole they were thrown into by the PNC in the first place.

As an economist, Dr Thomas must know that the effects of the PNC’s 28-year reign of destruction will be with us for at least another generation, whether we want to accept it or not. And whether the good professor accepts it or not, the PPP/C has largely been successful in reducing poverty in Guyana. The United Nations (UN) was kind enough to recognise it.

The PNC in its new outfit, the APNU, is now very envious of the government’s achievements in reducing poverty and they know that as long as the trend continues, they (APNU) will eventually become obsolete as a political force.

It is for this very reason,

and no other, that they have been fighting the government tooth and nail to thwart progress and destroy Guyana. Cutting the national budget in their bid to prevent the government from providing essential goods and services, fermenting ethnic strife and creating a sense of insecurity are probably their only hopes of remaining relevant and staying alive. They understand that they are on the road to share the fate of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).

I am therefore appealing to the good Professor and Doctor of Economics to dispel my ignorance and explain to the nation in very clear and simple language the answers to these questions.

How does cutting the national budget and creating a politically unstable environment help in further reducing poverty in Guyana? How would capital flight

and scaring away of investors (both foreign and local) help in the further reduction of poverty in Guyana and by extension those very people Khan quoted?

How does killing of the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project, the availability of cheap and reliable energy, help reduce poverty in Guyana? How will a new and modern airport lead to more poverty in Guyana and not development?

How would the construction of a Marriott brand hotel in Guyana result in increased poverty among Guyanese? How would the non-passage of the antimoney laundering bill “not” result in the further impoverishment of the very people they are pretending to be concerned about?

How will poverty be reduced if those who have money to invest and want to invest are not encouraged and given the opportunity to

do so? How will this result in the creation of employment for the unemployed poor, whom Khan quoted? How does money lying idle in banks contribute to poverty reduction if conditions are not created for their investment in the economy?

Since the good Professor is so concerned about poverty reduction in Guyana, and we do recognise that there is such a thing as poverty in Guyana, could he please share with the Guyanese public what are his proposals to make Guyana the only country in history to eradicate poverty?

While he has the right to criticise the government’s record on poverty reduction, he is equally also obliged to propose viable solutions. I am eagerly awaiting his response.

Sincerely, Faruk Mohamed

Hughes continues to pretend he did nothing wrong

Dear Editor,

If any other person was accused of the things of which Nigel Hughes has been accused of, not even God would have been able to save him from the wrath of the likes of Freddie Kissoon. In any other society, he would have been subject to disciplinary proceedings and perhaps criminal charges would have been filed.

Over the past year, Hughes has been accused of committing a number of misconducts. Both he and his wife found themselves in a position of clear conflict of interest in the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project.

He was accused of jury tampering, which resulted in the freeing of persons accused of murdering at least 11 innocent Guyanese. He was

accused of evidence tampering when he removed a surveillance tape from the scene of a murder and robbery at Buxton Gas Station, East Coast Demerara.

Recently, he has been embroiled in another controversy. He sold a plot of land on which he had a mortgage, agreed to pay off the mortgage and pass transport to the purchaser within an agreed time frame.

Then, as a result of the non-payment of his loan, his bank foreclosed on the land. He reportedly did not even inform the purchaser of the foreclosure proceedings in court.

Now the land, upon which is located the secondary department of one of Guyana’s most popular private schools, was levied upon by marshals

of the Supreme Court.

Until the matter was settled recently, the future of over 300 young Guyanese preparing for their exams had been placed in jeopardy. Bear in mind, only Hughes has reported that the matter is settled. We have not heard from the other side.

Of all the wrongs of which Hughes has been accused, the one that resonated and caused shock waves throughout the nation was the jury tampering accusation. Many commentators, organisations, groups and individual citizens called on the Guyana Bar Association and individuals to make their positions on the issue known to the nation, but they were largely ignored.

The Guyana Bar Association, after a most un-

reasonable delay, was forced to make a statement. That statement was most disappointing. Instead of reprimanding Hughes, they sought to defend him.

As for Hughes, he remained silent and pretended that he did nothing wrong. It was only recently, he seems to have gotten the bright idea that he could defend himself from this serious allegation by blaming the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Suddenly, like the proverbial Rip van Winkle, Kissoon emerged from the wilderness,

defending Hughes and calling on the DPP to resign. By some miracle, he conveniently regained his voice to defend Hughes. Hasn’t this individual, who masquerades as Guyana’s number one moralist, finally lost whatever modicum of credibility he had? Notwithstanding the mountain of evidence about Hughes’s wrong doings, Kissoon chose to look the other way and defend him.

Hughes may be defending Kissoon free of cost in the Jagdeo versus Kissoon case. So his silence against the

wrongdoing of Hughes and his attack on the DPP is absolutely self-serving. At another time, when he was drinking soup at the table of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), he ripped apart Hughes in several articles, when Hughes removed the tape from the Buxton Gas Station. Now, he is drinking soup elsewhere and sings another tune. The people of Guyana must recognise and condemn such action.

Respectfully, Reeaz

Holladar

Page Foundation

Mash tips:

Tomorrow is our 44th Republic Day celebration, affectionately known as Mash, and thousands of Guyanese will be out in the hot sun, either ‘tripping down de road’ or viewing the parades. Follow the tips adapted from kidshealth.com below to make your Mash safer and more enjoyable.

Facing the sun

You don’t need to hide from the sun completely or wrap up like a mummy to protect yourself. But you should take these two steps:

Always wear sunscreen. Take frequent breaks from the sun by going indoors or moving into the shade.

These steps are especially important between 10:00h and 16:00h, when the sun’s rays are strongest.

Contrary to a popular misconception, dark skinned people do get sunburns, it just takes a bit longer. Use a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 30 or higher. Put on sunscreen 15 to 20 minutes before going out in the sun. The letters SPF stand for sun protection factor, and the number rating tells you how much longer you can stay in the sun without getting sunburned.

But this isn’t always true, so reapply sunscreen at least every two hours, just to be safe.

Be sure to put sunscreen all over your body

This includes some places you might not think of, like the tops of your ears, the back of your neck, the part in your hair, your face, and the tops of your feet. If you want to block the sun’s rays, wear clothing

Staying safe in the sun and crowds

Drink up!

Drinking water is an important part of staying healthy, especially when it’s hot outside. When you’re sweating, you lose water that your body needs to work prop-

exhaustion when their bodies can’t cool themselves fast enough. A person with heat exhaustion might feel overheated, tired, and weak.

Heat stroke is a more serious heat-related illness and

that you can’t see your hand through. You may still get burned through more sheer fabrics. Wear a cap or other fun hat to block your face from the sun.

Don’t forget that your eyes need protection from ultraviolet rays, too. Always wear sunglasses in the bright sun, and make sure they have a label saying that they block UV rays.

erly. So drink up and don’t wait until you’re thirsty — drinking before you feel thirsty helps keep the water level in your body from dropping too low (dehydration) when it’s hot. If you forget and suddenly feel thirsty, start drinking then.

Got that hot feeling?

When you’re out in the hot sun, it’s easy to get heat exhaustion. People get heat

can cause someone to stop sweating; to have red, hot skin; and to have a high temperature. The person might become uncoordinated, confused, or even lose consciousness. It requires emergency medical attention.

If you’re hot and you have a headache or feel dizzy or nauseated (like you’re going to throw up), get yourself out of the sun, drink liquids, and go to a doctor, if necessary.

The good news is that the

sun doesn’t have to be your enemy if you wear your sunscreen, drink your water, and take breaks when you start to feel too hot. And don’t forget your sunglasses. Not only do they protect your eyes from the sun, they make you look so cool!

Make your whereabouts known

Adults, you need to know where the children in your care are at all times. And if you are going to allow them to roam, ensure that they are paired up and responsible enough to be entrusted with their own safety. It’s more fun and safer to do things with friends. Travelling with a friend is a good idea, and travelling with a group of children is even better.

Pick out safe spots

What are safe spots? Safe spots are places where you can stop if you need help, like the houses of people you know, stores, restaurants, police stations, etc. While adults rarely need safe spots, it is essential that you let your children know in advance safe spots along the route you are going to take. If you yourself are unfamiliar with the area, when you’re walking/driving/ riding make a mental note of the safe spots along your route. That way, you and your children will know where they are in case, you ever need one. Further, arrange in advance

a place to meet your family or friends in case you get separated or lost.

Be sure to keep away from isolated areas. These are places where persons are not in the immediate vicinity; for example, some side streets along the parade route which are deserted. If your instinct is telling you something is dangerous or just not quite right, get out of the area. Do not allow your children to play near the canals and when setting up a picnic, be sure not to get too close to the edge of the trench.

Dealing with crowds Crowds are part and parcel of Mash Day, and some say half of the fun, but they can also make your day less enjoyable, so use these tips from Reader’s Digest to ensure your crowd experience is not a miserable one: Keep your hands in your pockets. Remember the golden equation for getting sick: Germ gets on hands, hands touch face, germ enters body, you get sick. Where there are crowds, there are germs — millions of them — on every surface. Don’t touch them and they won’t make you sick. Carry a bottle of hand sanitiser. Use it after portapotty visits, before eating, and anytime you feel contaminated by the microbes of the masses. Keep a set of earplugs handy. If the event gets too loud, or you get stuck standing next to the speakers, stick them in your ears.

Know how to get out of crowds. If caught in a crowd, move to the side and quickly work your way out. In some situations, going against the tide of the crowd is helpful.

Pack a lunch. Forestall your children’s pleas for junk food. If you can’t avoid buying from food carts, check out the vendor. Does the cart look clean? Does he handle money and then touch the food? It’s hard to tell just by looking at it if food will make you sick, but you should definitely avoid undercooked (pink) meats and meat that is not hot when served. Carry tissue. Remember to put a wad of tissues in your purse or pocket. Now you have emergency toilet paper if you have to hit those portapotties.

Freeze your water. Put water bottles in the freezer the night before the event. You’ll save money on overpriced bottled water at the event, and as the ice melts, you’ll have nice, cold water on hand to stay hydrated. Leave before the end of the event. You’ll beat the crowd, get out of the event area more quickly, and avoid ruining your lovely time out with an evening-ending bout of blood-pressure-raising stress.

Pirates strike again on Corentyne River

–

four arrested

Four men are currently in police custody assisting with investigations, while a fifth is on the run as pirates struck again on the Corentyne River.

The attack occurred on Monday, and the captain of the vessel was reportedly abducted by pirates, but was subsequently released.

Reports say a group of fishermen in a boat OMI 3 had earlier in the day in question approached the fishing vessel Sharmila and asked for cigarettes.

However, about 20:30h later on Monday night, the same boat returned with five men armed with cutlasses, and attacked Sharmila, which is owned by Sharmila Khelai of 12 Lancaster Village.

The pirates stole the entire catch, a quantity of glue, a 12 volt battery and the lead and cross bar of the vessel. And if that were not enough, they abducted the captain Suresh Persaud, 27, of lot 375 Number 77 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

According to reports reaching this publication, it is the second time Persaud was abducted by pirates.

The incident allegedly occurred in Suriname’s waters, and according to information, the boat, used by the armed hijackers reportedly belongs to Anilla Alfred also called “Dolly”, 48, of Number 67 Village.

It is believed that the pirates are local fishermen who are in the habit of robbing their fellow fisherfolk at sea.

The four men had since reportedly confessed to carry outing the attack. Guyana Times understands that the son-in-law of Alfred was a former chairman of the Number 66 Fishing Complex, who was allegedly implicated a few years ago in a piracy matter.

The men in custody are Ackeem

Raheem Rose, 21, of Number 67 Village; Wahim Husman, 23, of Number 65 Village; Mahadoo Singh, 23, of Number 67 Village; and Keshwar Sewdyal, 28, of Number 67 Village.

Police say they did their utmost to apprehend the pirates, but are disappointed with the position taken by the representatives of the pirates and the victims.

According to reports, the owner of OMI 3 offered Khelai, the owner of Sharmila $1 million to settle the matter.

Police say the deal is unhelpful in the crime fight, and would only allow pirates to believe that they can get off with their illicit activities.

Efforts to solicit a comment from Number 66 Fishing Complex Chairman Parvinchandra Deodat proved futile.

Meantime, a fisherman who requested anonymity described the settlement reached by the representatives of the pirates and the victims as a dangerous development.

“This ting ah happen steady and dem ah hide am out, every time dem ah say pirate ah attack dem and this time ah dem own people dem,” he said.

Shot Berbice teen in critical condition

A16-year-old is battling for his life at the Georgetown Public Hospital after he was shot by one of the bandits who invaded his home on Thursday evening. The incident occurred around 20:00h.

The injured teen has been identified as Omesh Ballram of Number 69 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. According to reports reaching Guyana Times, there was a power outage in the area at the time when one of three robbers barged into the house and shot the teen. He sustained a gunshot wound just an inch below the heart. The injury also caused damage to his spine.

Speaking to Guyana Times, Omesh’s sister Lisa Ballram, 18, said her family used an in-

over, the entire house was thrown into complete darkness.

The University Of Guyana student revealed that her younger sibling, Nicolas, 12, was at the time of the incident reading on the verandah. She related that the robber threatened to shoot him if he raised an alarm.

verter during the power outage and when power returned, her father went downstairs to switch over to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) company. At the time, she was in her room, her smaller brother was on the veranda and Omesh was on the computer. She explained that Omesh went inside to put on the main switch, when a man jumped into their veranda and held him at gunpoint.

“I was in my room studying and I heard a loud noise, like a gunshot, I then ran out of my room to see what happened, I heard someone running in the house and the person went through the verandah door and jump over,” she recalled, pointing out that during the process of switching

“My (small) brother said the man had on all black and he came over the verandah rail, he used one of our chairs that we have downstairs and his accomplice assisted in pushing him up because he could not manage to do that alone,” she posited.

She noted that the bandit was also heard telling someone to “push all yo body”, and according to her little brother, he had “bare gold teeth”.

Fled

Lisa disclosed that her father Gurdial Ballram, 44, is a currency changer at the Skeldon Market who also uses his minibus for airport hire. The UG student said her two brothers and their father are the lone occupants of the two-storey house. She noted that while her father is also a licensed firearm holder, he was in the yard at the time but fled when he heard a gunshot.

“When my father heard the gun shot, he ran out on the road and screamed for help, the

man then fire a shot at him but he miss… daddy still screaming for help because he know something happen,” she said.

She stated the since the area they live in is practically isolated due to persons migrating, it took some time for help to arrive. However, she said a minibus was passing by and the driver stopped and upon hearing what occurred, he began honking his horn furiously, attracting the attention of persons in proximity. The robbery attempt was foiled due to the resumption of electricity.

Omesh, a Fifth Form student of Tagore Memorial Secondary School, has been described by teachers as quiet, well behaved and polite.

According to reports, his father might have been the target. Police are investigating the incident.

Suspected duck thief granted bail

Arice farmer from Reliance Village on the Essequibo Coast was granted $100,000 bail after being arraigned on a charge of simple larceny.

Nayeem Mohamed, who is accused of stealing

28 ducks, appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

After the Administration of Justice Act (AJA) was applied, Mohamed pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Prosecutor Krishna Datt Ramana had no objection to bail. Mohamed had a previous matter in court; however, it was dismissed.

According to a police report, on February 18, at Bush Lot Village on the Essequibo Coast, Mohamed stole 28 ducks valued $100,000, property of Nandalall Changhor. The ducks were recovered.

The defendant is expected to return to court on March 24 for trial.

Anna Regina businesswoman charged with cocaine trafficking

Businesswoman Judy Massiah, of Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, was remanded to prison on a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose for trafficking.

The 40-year-old woman pleaded not guilty to the charge when she appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court.

According to a police report, on Friday, at Anna Regina, Massiah was found with seven grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The businesswoman, who was not represented by an attorney, said she operates a liquor restaurant in Anna Regina.

When asked why she should be granted bail, she said she has her business

and a five-year-old son to take care of.

Magistrate Scarce found that there was no special reason why bail should be granted, and as such, the defendant was remanded to prison until March 19.

Co-workers further charged for embezzlement

Three women accused of embezzling monies from Muneshwers Limited appeared again before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday.

Bibi Shymoon Ali pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was alleged that during the period July 11,

2013 to October 3, 2013 at Muneshwers Limited in Georgetown, she embezzled the sum of $470,685 for the purpose of fraudulent activity.

Subrina Rahaman pleaded not guilty too to the charge that during the period January 5, 2011 to February 9, 2013, she also embezzled the sum of

$52,014,249 for the purpose of fraudulent activity. Yogita Ally also pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that during the period August 18, 2012 to April 13, 2013, she embezzled the sum of $6,466,869 in cash for the purpose of fraudulent activity.

Attorney Nigel Hughes appeared on behalf of the

defendants and requested reasonable bail for his clients.

Prosecutor Michael Grant had no objections to bail. Statements were ordered to be filed and bail was granted in the sum of $100,000 for each defendant. The three accused will make another court appearance on March 14.

Bagotville businessman remanded for possession of narcotics

Forty-two-year-old Shedon Smith from Bagotville, West Bank Demerara on Friday was remanded to prison on a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Smith pleaded not guilty to the charge when he appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court.

Smith, who was not represented by an attorney-at-law, told the court he is a businessman and operates a liquor shop in Arakaka, Region One.

According to police, on Thursday, February 20, on the Devonshire Castle Public Road, Essequibo, Smith was found with 2308 grams of cannabis sativa for the purpose of trafficking in his possession. He was told of the offence, but said the drug was not his. The defendant was subsequently arrested and charged.

Bail was objected to by Prosecutor Krishna Datt Ramana, and Magistrate Scarce did not find any special reasons why Smith should be granted bail. He was, therefore, remanded to prison until March 18.

Eyew tness

Wassup?

...with economics?

Back in the 1960s, U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen commented on the increased spending by his Federal Government. He remarked snarkily: “A billion here and a billion there and pretty soon you’re talking about real money!” The comment, whether apocryphal or not, got a lot of traction because back then, a billion dollars was a heck of a lot of money –including to Americans.

But imagine what US$1,000,000,000 (yep...that’s how many zeroes a billion has!!) was like to Guyanese, when the salary of, say, a teacher was around US$50 monthly. Well, here we are, 50 years later and a private company – Facebook – just shelled out US$19,000,000,000 for a company that has a mere 55 workers! The company that’s worth a million times its worth in gold is WhatsApp. Now even with all those zeroes we’ve been throwing out, we can assure you – you still don’t have an idea what 19 billion greenbacks are. Let’s take what every man, woman and child in Guyana produce in a year – rice, sugar, gold, plantain, bauxite, pepper... whatever and even throw in the US$400 million in remittances from our near and dear in New York and Toronto – and you’re still only talking about less than US$3 billion! So WhatsApp is worth – in the eyes of corporate America – more than six times our Gross National Product.

And 55 persons produced that value! And here we have 18,000 persons literally slaving away in the sugar industry in the hot sun – and can’t even deliver US$100 million of sugar. Something’s really wrong, no? So how do we get a shot at producing the kind of value WhatsApp delivered? The first thing to note is that they’re not even producing “goods” – much less “primary goods” – like ours that’re at the bottom of the price chain!

They’re delivering connectivity, facilitated by Information Communication Technology (ICT). We’ve talked about ICT4D – ICT for development for a decade now. The government gave out 90,000 Internet-ready computers to kick-start the learning curve in this area. So why haven’t we moved up further on that curve to bring in the big bucks? Well, for one – there’s still a monopoly on communications – held by GT&T. The one the Opposition’s fighting tooth and nail for them to retain.

Reading the signals, the government arranged to have alternative connectivity via a fibre-optic cable from Brazil. But even this has been criticised.

We guess we should continue producing primary goods – for peanuts.

....for Republic Day?

All right, affecting how the youngsters greet each other, we mean, “Wassup, for Republic Day?” Incidentally, it’s the same youthful demographics WhatsApp was reaching out to and received such a strong following. We’re hoping that our youths have realised that while a “sport” and “jump-up/wine down” might be fun – in the long run, it doesn’t get a country – much less themselves – anywhere.

Coming back to the story and denouement of WhatsApp, we’d like to challenge some “youth men/ women” to place our country on the map with some big techno-communication innovation. Back in the day, Guyana could produce top-rank individuals in the then valued fields of human endeavour – medicine, law, science, etc. Why can’t we do the same today in ICT?

There’s a lot of talk about our infrastructure being “backward” – but hey!! – we do have computers and mobile devices and connectivity (in certain locations) that’s on par with the rest of the world. So what’s stopping us, excepting our own diffidence? Skype is another company that transformed the world of communications (not to mention individual lives) and which was sold for US$8.5 billion. And it was Swedish – with four persons.

C’mon young Guyana: It’s Republic Day!!!

...with the crime?

The Commissioner of Police promised us a decline in crime rate. So wassup, Top Cop? Seems like Guyana’s sinking back into the bad old days of the “killing fields”.

Children’s Mash Parade sets Anna Regina alight with colour

By IndrawattIe

Mashramani was undoubtedly in the air, as the Region Two Children’s Mash Parade took to the roads of Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast. The colourful parade, which commenced at 10:00h at the Three Friends Bridge, set the entire town alight as revellers made their way to the Anna Regina Community Centre ground. The activity was organised by the Department of Education, along with the Region Two Mashramani Committee.

Participating in the road parade were the Sparta, Hampton Court, Riverstown, Lima Sands,

Capoey, Fisher and CV Nunes primary schools; as well as the Abram Zuil, Cotton Field, Aurora, Anna Regina Multilateral, 8th May and Charity secondary schools. The schools displayed costumes depicting the theme for this year’s Mash, “Cultural Folklore, Celebrating 44”.

Joining the parade was Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud, who

cheered the students on. Persaud mingled with the children and had a jolly time, setting the pace for the celebration on Mash Day, February 23. Mashramani fever consumed the hearts of the revellers as they embodied the spirit of celebration after hard work. Scores of Essequibians lined the streets to behold the spectacular scene, as children of

all ages, covered in glitter and decked out in colourful costumes, danced through the town.

Chairman Persaud said he was very pleased with the preparations for Mash celebrations in the region, which are expected to be bigger and better than previous celebrations. The regional administration will continue its celebrations on Saturday night, with a colourful cul-

FAO rules out human-to-animal transmission of poultry virus

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said there is no evidence that human patients infected with influenza A(H7N9), a low pathogenic virus in poultry, can transmit the virus to animals, including birds.

The FAO referred to the first human case of A(H7N9) outside China, which was recently detected in Malaysia.

The patient, originally from Guangdong Province in China, where she is thought to have contracted the infection, was visiting Malaysia as a tourist and has now been hospitalised there. Guangdong is one of the Chinese provinces most affected by the A(H7N9) virus in 2014.

“This case does not come as a surprise and should not be a cause for increased concern, but should remind the world to remain vigilant,” said FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth.

“Humans that become ill with influenza A(H7N9) con-

stitute no threat to poultry populations,” Lubroth underlined.

“In fact, we have no evidence that affected people could transmit the virus to other species, including birds. The highest risk of virus introduction is uncontrolled live poultry trade between affected and unaffected areas.”

People, on the other hand, become infected following close contact with infected live poultry, mostly in live bird markets or when slaughtering birds at home.

The WHO risk assessments show that should infected people from affected areas travel internationally, community level spread is unlikely since the virus does not have the ability to transmit easily among humans.

Lubroth observed that “Such ‘imported’ human cases, like the one reported in Malaysia last week, have been found in the past in previously unaffected areas of China, like Guizhou, Taiwan

Province of China and Hong Kong SAR, and we will likely continue to see this in the not too distant future again. To date, the virus has not been found in poultry populations outside affected areas in China.”

Birds that have contracted A (H7N9) do not show clinical signs, which renders early detection of the virus in poultry populations more difficult. The FAO therefore urges countries to adapt their

surveillance programmes to include this recently emerged virus.

One of the main recommendations is to target surveillance at critical points of entry, where direct or indirect live poultry trade with infected areas might occur.

In order to reduce human exposure to zoonotic pathogens in general, biosecurity measures should be introduced or reinforced at live bird markets, including frequent cleaning and disinfection, establishing market rest days with no poultry present and applying good hygiene standards.

With the strong support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the FAO is assisting a number of member countries to prepare for a potential introduction of A(H7N9) into their poultry populations.

The FAO is focusing in particular on high risk countries, facilitating: risk, assessment, contingency planning, expansion of diagnostic capabilities, and risk-based surveillance.

tural presentation on the Anna Regina Community Centre ground before the Golden Arrowhead is hoisted at midnight. A large crowd is expected to attend the flag-raising ceremony.

On Mash Day, the celebration will begin at 10:30h with a colourful float parade from Three Friends Bridge. According to reports, the float parade will proceed along the public

road to the Anna Regina Community Centre ground where a grand Mash jumpup carnival-type party will be held. The Essequibo revellers join thousands of persons from across the country and overseas visitors who will gather in Georgetown and the regions on February 23 to have a grand time, celebrating unity and the birth of the republic.

Anna Regina residents to experience load-shedding

The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) said Anna Regina residents will experience loadshedding during February 27 to March 9, as it continues planned maintenance of its generating equipment at Anna Regina, Region Two.

A major overhaul is scheduled from February 27 to March 9. The overhaul, which will be done in keeping with manufacturers’ recommendations, is part of GPL’s rigid maintenance programme, aimed at ensuring efficient and reliable power generation.

During this overhaul, there will be insufficient capacity to satisfy demand during peak hours and residents on the Essequibo Coast will be subject to scheduled loadshedding.

GPL in a release said the areas that would be affected are Onderneeming –Supenaam, February 27; Devonshire Castle – Charity, February 28; Onderneeming – Supenaam, March 1; Devonshire Castle – Charity,

March 2; Onderneeming – Supenaam, March 3; Devonshire Castle – Charity, March 4; Onderneeming – Supenaam, March 5; Devonshire Castle – Charity, March 6; Onderneeming –Supenaam, March 7; Devonshire Castle – Charity, March 8; and Onderneeming – Supenaam, March 9.

Police ordered to further investigate Harding baton-rape saga

After reviewing evidence in the Colwyn Harding saga, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Bibi Shalimar-Ali-Hack on Friday returned the file to the police and ordered that further investigations be conducted into the matter.

The DPP in a release revealed that the file was sent to her chambers on February 6, 2014.

Guyana Times understands that the DPP had to peruse at least 40 statements from witnesses and police ranks, which took some time.

The file also comprised the recommendations of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) Chairman, retired Justice Cecil Kennard, but Crime Chief Seelall Persaud has said that the DPP has the final say in the matter.

It is not clear whether the medical certificate, purportedly from Jamaica, which confirmed that Harding was baton-raped, was sent to the DPP for review.

Harding, 23, of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, is alleging that a police constable, in the presence of two other senior officers, forced a baton into his behind, while he was in custody between November 15 to 18, 2013.

It is also alleged that during his detention, Harding

assaulted a peace officer and behaved disorderly and was charged for the offences. He appeared in court on November 18, 2013, and was placed on bail in the sum of $50,000, but was unable to raise this sum and was remanded to prison. The matters are still pending.

Based upon his careful analysis of the report of the investigation conducted by the police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), Justice Kennard said there was no conclusive evidence that Harding was baton-raped, but Timehri Police Station ranks had used excessive force.

He thus recommended that at least two ranks be

charged with assault and the others face disciplinary action. The former chancellor of the judiciary was, however, not privy to the medical certificates.

Medical examinations

About a week ago, Harding’s attorney, Nigel Hughes had disclosed that his client had been examined by a medical expert, Dr Dalgleish Joseph at St Joseph Mercy Hospital in Guyana and doctors in Jamaica.

He noted that the Guyanese doctor pointed to “active rectal mucosal bleeding on Mr Harding in the up-

per rectum”.

The Jamaican doctors, who subsequently examined Harding, noted that his injuries were consistent with the findings of the local Guyanese expert.

Harding spent 33 days at the Georgetown Public Hospital where doctors said he suffered a strangulated hernia and was discharged on January 20 after undergoing several surgeries.

The administration of the police force was first informed of the alleged assault by the ranks attached to Timehri Police Station by way of a text message from Harding’s mother, Susan Harding, to the police commissioner in December 2013.

Consequently, an investigation was launched by the A Division commander under which the Timehri Police Station falls.

After the story broke in the media, the police were roundly condemned for the alleged abuse.

The matter was subsequently investigated by the OPR and the file was sent to the Police Complaints Authority for review.

The policeman accused of the alleged assault has been placed under close arrest and a number of other ranks implicated have been transferred to other locations.

No Gel, Rum Jhaat got dem own plan

Most people does have a plan most of de time. Some people does plan to do good and some people does plan to do evil. From de time lil pickney get big, dem does plan. Dem does plan whah dem gon become, whah dem gon do in life, wheh dem gon live, and even who dem gon marry.

Plus, it got some mummah and daady who does plan fuh dem pickney. Dem does plan from de day dem pickney born to de day dem gon dead, as if dem done know who gon dead first. And pickney better not fuhget that plan, otherwise is big rigmarole bout de plan.

Even de guvament gotta plan. Right now dem plannin de budget. But de bigger plan whah dem wukkin on is how dem gon pass de budget. That is because de opposition got a plan too. Green Jah, Green Bridge, Will Yams, and Rum Jhaat done plan to cut de budget. Even de Speaker does speak like he got de same plan.

And talkin bout Rum Jhaat, wid that plan in mind, Rum Jhaat had done plan to buy a scissors to cut de budget. But de See-J end up cuttin down Rum Jhaat plan to size. After that, Rum Jhaat end up wid another plan.

Rum Jhaat like de new plan more because it done wukkin out better. De plan is to go to 7-Owe-4 seven days a week from seven o’ clock in de afternoon to four o’ clock in de mornin. That was why Rum Jhaat plan was not to go to any anti-money launderin meetin, much less budget meetin.

According to Rum Jhaat, he done budget enough fuh 7-Owe-4 and that is de only budget meetin whah he like. And Rum Jhaat ain’t plan to cut that 7-Owe-4 budget any time soon. If any ting, that budget gon increase wid every bottle.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! No Gel had a plan too. But he plan was to thief footage from de police, bribe a juror, tek Site Global money, and tek way a school buildin!

Dharmic Sabha’s Phagwah Mela set for March 8

The Guyana International Conference Centre, Lilendaal, Greater Georgetown, is the place to be on Saturday, March 8, when the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha hosts its spectacular annual Phagwah Mela, Bazaar and Folk Dance Festival.

The Sabha is very happy with the great interest expressed by dance groups

from across Guyana, and looks forward to some electrifying performances from groups in Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara.

All of the dancers have been working hard on their performances and are excited to be part of the folk dance festival. Keen competition is expected for the top spots.

In the past two years, since the festival’s inaugu-

ration, the top spots were won by the Saraswati Dance Group of Essequibo and the Jewanka Nritya Group of West Coast Demerara.

The first prize is $50,000 and a trophy; the second prize $40,000 and a trophy; while the third prize is $30,000 and a trophy. Other participating groups will receive cash awards and trophies. The Sabha has expressed thanks to

the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) and Digicel for their generous contributions toward the hosting of the event.

In addition to the Folk Dance Festival, more than 30 dancers from the Sabha’s own Dharmic Nritya Sangh will be presenting several new and exciting choreographies. Music for the event will be provided by the E-Networks Orchestra.

Singers Rekha Singh, Sookrane Bookdhoo, Mona Gowkarran, Aarti Sookhai, Govinash, Arisha Pooran and others will add to what promises to be a truly entertaining evening for the entire family.

Bazaar The grounds of the conference centre will be transformed and patrons will be able to move freely

from the beautifully decorated stage area to the bazaar, which will be featuring numerous food stalls, offering a variety of sumptuous dishes and sweets. There will also be mehndi booths, games for all as well as great shopping deals from Indian clothes and jewellery to Phagwah supplies to phones from Digicel.

Tickets cost $800, and children under five will be given free admission. Paid parking will be available within the compound of the conference centre. Patrons can also choose to park outside for free. GBTI, the National Television Network, Rent-a-Tent, Shaline’s Flower Shop and E-Networks have also contributed generously towards the event.

Tickets are available at Red Mango, Robb Street; Bhagwan’s on Water Street; E-Networks on Camp Street and the Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra at Prashad Nagar. Persons can request their tickets by calling telephone numbers 227-6181 or 219-1900. No alcohol will be allowed and the gates will open at 16:00h.

One arrested for cambio dealer’s execution

Aman is in police custody in connection with the gunning down of Eccles, East Bank Demerara money changer, Bridgelall Persaud, who was killed during a robbery on Lombard Street, Georgetown on Thursday.

According to Crime Chief Seelall Persaud, several other suspects are on the police radar as they continue their investigations. He also confirmed that the post-mortem examination, which was scheduled to be performed on the body of the businessman on Friday, has been rescheduled to another date.

However, Guyana Times understands that three occupants of a car were intercepted in Kaneville, East Bank Demerera on Thursday afternoon with guns and ammunition, but Persaud noted that there is no link to the money changer’s death and the men in that incident.

A Division Commander George Vyphius, when contacted, said from reports received, the three men were intercepted as they were about to carry out a robbery. He said the men were taken into police custody and they are expected to be charged shortly.

He too said that the police have no information that can link the men to the horrendous crime in Lombard Street.

Darren Persaud, a son of the dead man, said that his family is still shaken by the incident, but have high hopes that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

The young man stated that he went to the Brickdam Police Station to inquire about investigations and was told that the police are working on several clues that can possibly

crack the case. Nevertheless, he said the police have not released any of his father’s personal belongings, and have informed him that the articles will be given to relatives, once investigations are completed.

He said that the postmortem examination was not done on his father’s body on Friday due to the unavailability of a pathologist. It has now been rescheduled for Tuesday in the new week. He further stated that his mother is still in a state of shock while his brothers, ages four, seven and 13 are still inquiring about their father.

Speculation

Guyana Times understands that the act was committed by persons that may be closely associated with the businessman and those who knew that he was carrying a large sum of money on the morning of the shooting.

While speculation filled the air about the motive for the shooting; some thought that it might have been bad business, but the family is

holding out that it was a robbery.

About 08:10h on Thursday, Persaud also called “B Boy” was gunned down in the vicinity of Builder’s Lumber Yard, Lombard Street, Georgetown after he was attacked by two gunmen. The robbers then made good their escape with a bag containing at least $1 million.

According to information received, the man was in his blue Toyota Raum, and as he approached the truck park at Lombard Street, two men armed with handguns exited a white car that was parked some distance away, walked up to Persaud’s vehicle and opened fire.

One bullet reportedly stuck the man in the head while the others caught him in his legs and abdomen.

After shooting the businessman, one of the men reportedly reached into the man’s car and removed the bag containing the money. They then made good their escape in a waiting car, which went into Princes Street. The businessman was rushed to the Georgetown Pubic Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police are working on the theory that the man might have been trailed from the time he left home and would have been under surveillance by the gunmen for some time.

Guyana Times was told that Persaud would use the route to get to work on a daily basis.

Persaud has been involved in the buying and selling of money for the past 20 years and would normally conduct his business in the vicinity of America and Water streets.

China Harbour supports children’s Mashramani competitions

China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) on Thursday handed over a cheque for $220,000 to the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry to support this year’s Mash Children’s Art and Essay Competitions.

CHEC’s CJIA Project Manager Kevin Liu, in making the presentation to Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, said “… while CHEC is here to develop physical infrastructure, the company recognises that the development of people is the most enduring investment”.

The support provided by CHEC will be used for cash prizes for the winner of one category of the National Essay Writing Competition and for the first, second and third place winners of the 16-17 age group category of the child art competition.

Dr Frank Anthony, after receiving the cheque, thanked CHEC for coming on board and encouraged the company to play an even

CHEC’s CJIA Project Manager Kevin Liu presents the cheque to Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

bigger role in Mash 2015.

Dr Anthony said “… we are working hard to preserve our culture and to ensure that our children understand their cultural heritage so that they too can pass it on, and CHEC support certainly helps with this.”

Also present at the sim-

ple handing over ceremony were Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry Permanent Secretary Alfred King and CHEC Public Relations Consultant Alex Graham.

All prizes for the Mashramani competitions will be awarded at a prize giving ceremony to be held in March.

Mashramani traffic advisory

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is informing the general public that the undermentioned streets will be closed to vehicular traffic between 06:00h and 18:00h on Sunday, February 23, 2014, in order to facilitate the smooth movement of the Mashramani Float Parade.

In addition, Thomas Road from JB Singh Road to Camp Road; and Albert Street, from Woolford Avenue to Thomas Road, will be closed for the duration of the Float Parade. Persons desirous of entering the National Park in motor vehicles are required to do so from the Carifesta Avenue Entrance.

Community policing body

celebrating 38th anniversary

The Community Policing Organisation of Guyana (CPOG) will be celebrating 38 years of voluntary service to the people of Guyana.

The celebrations will commence with a press conference on Wednesday, February 26, and will conclude with a youth conference in Bartica on March 15.

Activities are planned in every community policing division, with the main activities being celebrated in F Division (Bartica).

The theme for the 38th anniversary is: “Safeguarding communities through strengthened community policing leadership”.

Community policing in Guyana commenced in the year 1976, with the objective to harness the energies of willing members of communities across Guyana in support of the work of the police; to achieve a crimefree society; and to be re-

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee

sponsive, together with the police to the needs of the communities in respect of maintenance of law and order.

Later the objectives were expanded to embrace development of youth clubs, health consciousness, road safety, environmental enhancement and any other activities of benefit to the community.

The membership of CPOG currently consists of

268 groups with 4244 members.

Over the years, members were exposed to training in policing, administration, domestic violence, trafficking in persons, interpersonal violence, firefighting, road safety and First Aid

Last year, the GPOC split the police division into smaller community policing divisions, revised the electoral processes for the election of divisional and national community policing executives, provided uniforms and vehicles to all community policing groups as well as safer vessels for river patrols.

“The Home Affairs Ministry and the Community Policing Organisation of Guyana wish to thank the government of Guyana for all the support rendered throughout the years as we look forward to their continued support in years to come,” the release concluded.

Councillor calls for triple decker market at Charity

– wants roadside vending, encroaching eliminated

By IndrawattIe natram

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Region Two Councillor Vilma Da Silva is calling for a triple decker market at Charity, in an effort to beautify the area to attract more tourists.

According to the councillor, Charity is the gateway to the Pomeroon, Venezuela and the Caribbean, and as such, should be kept clean and tidy at all times.

Da Silva said too that Charity is moving to become a town, and as such, the standard must be improved.

Speaking to councillors at a recent Regional Democratic Council (RDC) meeting, Da Silva said she is very much embarrassed to introduce foreigners to the community.

Da Silva, who is the head of the Pomeroon Women’s Cottage Industry, said she is often tasked with the responsibility of taking foreigners

around to view products and tour the community.

She explained that Pomeroon produces quality products, but the sight at Charity is an embarrassment to the region.

Da Silva noted that Puran’s Brothers, which is responsible for removing solid waste from the coast, has put three garbage containers at the end of the road at Charity to collect solid waste.

She pointed out that while the move is good, overspilling of the garbage container is un-

pleasant.

The councillor noted that the containers are not emptied daily and the high build up of garbage and the scent is a repellant to villagers.

Da Silva said too that the dilapidated stalls around Charity need to be demolished or rectified.

On that point, she noted that if a triple deck market is constructed, it will automatically remove the shabby looking stalls at Charity from en-

croaching the road shoulders.

Presently, many vendors are encroaching on the roadway at Charity, obstructing traffic.

Despite several letters issued to the Charity Usara Neighbourhood Democratic Council, vendors at still reluctant to move.

The roadside vending is creating an unpleasant view at Charity. Charity residents have supported Da Silva’s call for roadside vending to stop.

“CCJ has proven its worth” − Caricom SG wants all member states to join court

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque says he is looking forward to the day when all 15 members of the regional grouping will join the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

LaRocque, addressing a special sitting of the CCJ on Wednesday to honour retiring Madam Justice Desiree Bernard, said the court –which replaces the Londonbased Privy Council as the region’s highest court – “in both its jurisdictions represents the essence of our independence and sovereignty and is essential to the progress of the integration movement”.

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

The CCJ, established in 2001, has both an original and appellate jurisdiction. But while most regional countries are signatories to the original jurisdiction, only Guyana, Barbados and Belize are mem-

bers of the appellate jurisdiction of the court that also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the regional grouping.

The court recently decided the seminal case of the Jamaican Shanique Myrie versus Barbados. LaRocque said the court’s ruling “has been studied most assiduously since its delivery in October 2013, by governments, offi-

cials, academics, the international community and, most importantly, Community nationals.

“It confirms the legal status of decisions of the conference and other organs of the Community, as being “secondary legislation”, part of “Community law”.

“This judgment has farreaching implications for the decision-making process in Caricom, where it is now clearly recognised that the organs of the community can take decisions pursuant to the authority and procedure set out in the revised treaty, and such decisions can be binding and enforceable at the Community level,” he added.

Stalwart LaRocque pointed that the appointment of Justice Bernard, one of the inaugural judges, and the first female CCJ judge “was a proud moment for us in the Community, given that Justice Bernard was the recipient of the Eighth Caricom Triennial Award for

Security personnel to undergo overseas training

Several security personnel will soon undergo training, both locally and internationally, as efforts continue to be made to build capacity of senior security officials.

Guyana will be represented by Assistant Police Superintendent Ewart Whittaker at a hemispheric workshop on best practices in travel document in Miami, Florida. He will be accompanied by an immigration staff from the Home Affairs Ministry.

The workshop will pro-

mote the exchange of information and experiences on the issuance and control of travel documents and identity management in the member states of the Organisation of American States, to identify the key challenges, gaps in knowledge training and support needs for the future.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Maxine Graham will be attending a regional workshop to enhance the capacity of women involved in major events, in Ottawa, Canada. This forum is aimed at focusing on

capacity strengthening for female security practitioners with the potential to advance to management level in the fields of crime prevention and security governance, including managing elements of major security events.

Major General (retired) Michael Atherly will be attending the continuation of the first plenary of the Governmental Expert Group (GEG) of the multilateral evaluation mechanism in Washington, DC. He will also attend a workshop on security in Canada.

GPL meter readers to visit homes

The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) said authorised meter readers will be visiting the homes of consumers to avoid estimation of bills.

According to the company in a release, in its monthly operational report, some 11.5 per cent of its total postpaid customers’ bills were estimated.

This resulted from the company’s meter readers being unable to gain access to the meters for the purpose of obtaining readings, primarily as a result of locked gates and incorrectly positioned meters.

The report said the highest incidence of locked gates occurs in Regions Three and Four, while villages on the West Bank Demerara get the most estimated bills.

Women in 2005, evidence that she has distinguished herself in numerous areas, two of which are of particular significance to the Caribbean Community”.

Secretary General LaRocque spoke glowingly of Justice Bernard. He told the special sitting that Justice Bernard has shown what women can achieve “in a notso-level playing field” and has also set “an awe-inspiring example for women to follow.

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

“Her contribution to the development of Caribbean jurisprudence has continued in the realm of community law as she has sat on the panel for pioneering cases in the original jurisdiction of the CCJ,” he said. (Excerpted from CMC)

GPL is reminding customers that the contract for provision of service requires the company to have unimpeded access to the meters.

Further, the right to access to have GPL’s meter read is provided for by law under the Electricity Sector Reform Act 1999, which was amended in 2010. The law also empowers GPL to dis-

connect the service if it is unable to read the meter.

“GPL therefore wishes to inform customers that, failure to have your meters read for two consecutive months would result in the disconnection of service,” the release said. GPL’s meter readers operate from Sunday to Sunday, between 06:00h and 17:00h.

In cases where the consumer is not at home or the meter is not visible to the meter reader, customers should make special provisions to have their meters read.

“Customers are urged to ensure a valid GPL’s Employee Identification Card (ID) is presented at all times by GPL meter readers. The front side of GPL’s employee’s ID should bear a visible photograph of the person, the name and designation and on the reverse side should indicate the company’s deputy human resources manager’s signature and date of employment.

“GPL encourages customers to visit its website www. gplinc.com for information on the positioning/relocating of meters to facilitate readings,” the release concluded.

Regional

Venezuela sends troops to violence-hit state

The Venezuelan government has ordered paratroopers to the state of Tachira, where student-led demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro have been marred by violence.

“Violence in Tachira is related to mobsters, and bootleggers who are taking advantage of the situation and portraying it as political,” Jesus Salazar, a progovernment sociologist told Al Jazeera. “Kids wearing hoods are smashing property: Is that a peaceful demonstration?”

Vice Mayor Sergio Vergara of San Cristobal city in Tachira state, who hails from the opposition, disputed those claims. The government caused the troubles by cracking down on what had been peaceful protests, he said, adding that vital services had been cut off in much of the city.

Clashes between armed pro-government collectives on motorbikes and opposition supporters have been reported in the city, which is near the Colombian border.

Henrique Capriles, a leading opposition politician, said the government was engaged in “brutal repression” and questioned

Vybz

whether Maduro wanted a “civil war”.

The current unrest, spurned in part by the arrest of opposition politician Leonardo Lopez, represents the biggest challenge to face Maduro since his election 11-months ago.

Protest

At least five people, including government and opposition supporters, have died with dozens more injured in protests which began earlier this month and show no signs of relenting.

The conflict between Venezuela’s socialist govern-

ment and market-driven opposition has spilled into the world of media, with Maduro threatening to ban CNN after accusing the broadcaster of waging a “propaganda war”. The Colombian TV station NTN24 was taken off the air last week after it broadcast video of a student killed by a gunshot to the head in Caracas.

Zello, a “walkie-talkie” style smart-phone app often used by activists to organise protests, has been blocked, a spokesperson for the United States-based firm told Associated Press. Fake photos of alleged bru-

tality have been spreading on digital platforms such as Twitter.

“Our authorities are taking things too seriously in order to legitimise online controls and restrictions,” Luis Carlos Diaz, a social media expert, told Al Jazeera.

The Internet has been running more slowly than usual in much of the country in recent days.

U.S. President Barack Obama has urged the government to address the “legitimate grievances” of protesters; remarks which Maduro said were interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs.

Electricity has been cut in parts of Valencia, Venezuela’s third largest city, blamed on damage caused by protesters.

The capital, Caracas, was relatively quiet on Thursday. Tense protests were expected in Valencia on Friday at the funeral scheduled for a local beauty queen who was shot dead this week while participating in a protest.

Rival demonstrations by the government and the opposition are planned today in the capital. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Kartel trial: Prosecution, defence score on closing arguments

ead Prosecutor

LJeremy Taylor and Defence Attorney Miguel Lorne both scored crucial points during their closing arguments in the Vybz Kartel murder trial in the High Court in downtown Kingston Thursday.

Continuing his marathon presentation, which began on Tuesday, Taylor launched into convincing arguments as to why Vybz Kartel (real name Adidja Palmer) and the other four

accused — Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones, André St John, and Shane Williams — should be convicted of the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.

He painted Kartel as an arrogant, conceited person who thought he was above the law when he plotted to murder Williams over two missing guns.

He said Kartel seemed to be expressing glee when he referred to Williams as ‘mince meat’ in a BlackBerry

message.

“He thinks ‘I am untouchable, I am the Worl’ Boss, nothing can happen to me’,” Taylor told the jurors.

Referring to text and BlackBerry messages extracted from a phone ascribed to Kartel, Taylor pointed out that when Kartel discovered that he was a murder suspect, he tried everything to flee the island fast.

“Police were looking at the house so he wanted to

be outside of Jamaica,” he said.

He also looked back at the evidence of the prosecution’s star witness who testified under oath that he was inside the Swallowfield, Havendale house when Williams was attacked and had to flee for his life.

Taylor poured cold water on arguments by the defence that the prosecution’s star witness was lying. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

British visitor jailed in Barbados for making false report

Tweek along with her boyfriend after falsely reporting a Bds$34 million armed robbery, may not have been seeking to claim an insurance payout.

Rather, police theorise, she wanted to get money from the agency which rented her the Sandy Lane property where she was staying by claiming it was not a safe environment.

The British media reported that the 27-yearold, who did not tell officers why she invented the scheme, was the daughter of a wealthy British social-

ite, who passed away 15 years ago leaving Tullula a large inheritance which she has reportedly blown.

That may be the reason why, according to police sources, she masterminded the scheme to falsely report that she and boyfriend Edward Denney were robbed by two armed masked men of jewellery and cash valued at Bds$34 million.

Salvatore and her lover later recanted their stories and were jailed last week, she for 18 months and he for nine, after pleading

guilty to making a false report to the police.

Sources reported that the palatial Sandy Lane mansion she rented was “in a mess” and she also left a hired car company in the red after issuing a bounced cheque for Bds$5000.

The owner of the hired car business explained that Salvatore had hired vehicles from him before and there was never a problem with payment until the week when he learned that she had come up with the false robbery story. (Excerpt from Barbados Nation)

Brazil puts the arts in the poor’s pockets

Like millions of other São Paulo residents, Telma Rodrigues spends a large part of her day going to and from work. She hates the commute, and not just because public transport is packed, slow and inefficient. She finds it boring.

Now there’s light at the end of the tunnel. As of last month, the Brazilian government is giving people such as Rodrigues a “cultural coupon” worth US$20 a month – enough, the 26-year-old said, to buy a book to enliven her daily ride.

The money, loaded on a magnetic card, is designated for purposes broadly termed cultural – though that could include dance lessons and visits to the circus in addition to books and movie tickets. In a country still battling high levels of poverty, the initiative has won wide-

spread praise as a worthy and yet relatively cheap project. But it has still provoked questions. Is it the state’s job to fund culture? How will poor Brazilians use the money? How do you, or even should you, convince people their money will be better spent on Jules Verne rather than Justin Bieber?

“What we’d really like is that they try new things,” Culture Minister Marta Suplicy said in a telephone interview. “We want people to go to the theatre they wanted to go to, to the museum they wanted to go to, to buy the book they wanted to read.”

Although it has made significant advances in recent years, the South American nation is still relatively isolated and many of the poorest Brazilians pick an average of just four books a year. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

After registration chaos, UWI deadline extended

The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine, has extended Friday’s deadline for students to register for the new Gate e-Service to March 14. In addition, the registration centre on campus, Daaga Hall, will now be opened from 08:00h to 18:00h, Monday to Friday.

In a media release on behalf of the Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim, UWI also advised students that other registration centres were available, including the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), Mt Hope, TTConnect, the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC) and Metal Industries Company (MIC) locations throughout the country.

Frustration by UWI students attempting to register for the new system was reported in a TT Guardian article Thursday when students complained of a slow system and misinformation. Specifically, students were

having trouble meeting the requirements of the new Gate e-Service, which included providing documents like their acceptance letter, recent transcripts, national identification card and original birth certificates. Also, students were facing difficulties with accessing a scanner to upload their documents.

The new system is intended to create online profiles for each Gate (Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses) recipient and to eliminate the need for students to fill out and submit hard-copy forms each semester.

Student Affairs Vice President, Dr Camille Samuel, at the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of TT (Costaatt), another tertiary-level institution required to adopt the new system, said it had several benefits. Samuel explained the government would be in a better position to track students’ GPAs (Grade Point Average). (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Ukraine peace deal signed, opens way for early election

Ukraine’s opposition leaders signed a European Unionmediated peace deal with President Viktor Yanukovich on Friday, aiming to resolve a political crisis in which dozens have been killed and opening the way for an early presidential election this year.

Under pressure to quit from mass demonstrations in Kiev, Russian-backed Yanukovich made a series of concessions to his pro-Euro-

pean opponents, including a national unity government and constitutional change to reduce his powers, as well as bringing forward the poll.

“There are no steps that we should not take to restore peace in Ukraine,” Yanukovich said in announcing his concessions before the deal was signed. “I announce that I am initiating early elections.”

He said Ukraine would revert to a previous constitution under which the par-

liament had greater control over the make-up of the government, including the prime minister.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, one of the EU mediators, said the deal provided for a presidential election this year, although no date had been set. The vote had been due in March 2015.

A Reuters correspondent at the signing in the presidential headquarters said Yanukovich, 63, did not smile during a ceremony lasting several minutes.

Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko, a retired world boxing champion, switched his nameplate to avoid sitting next to the president. The European mediators signed as witnesses but a Russian envoy present did not sign the document.

Within an hour of the signing, the Ukrainian parliament voted to revert to a 2004 constitution that strips the head of state of some of his prerogatives. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Libyan military aircraft goes down in Tunisia

ALibyan military plane carrying medical patients has crashed near Tunisia’s capital, killing all 11 crew and passengers on board after an engine failure, Tunisian authorities said.

The aircraft crashed in a field early on Friday, on the edge of the village of Nianou, around 40 kilometres from the capital.

The Libyan flag was still visible on the plane’s tail amid the charred wreckage of the aircraft.

According to the air traffic controller who spoke to him last, the pilot’s final message was “Engine on fire”.

The aircraft went down after the pilot tried to land in farmland near Grombalia town south of Tunis, the TAP state news agency reported.

“The plane crashed at 1:30 am (00:30 GMT)... with 11 people on board –three doctors, two patients and six crew members,” emergency services spokesman Mongi El Kadhi said.

“The whole plane was completely burnt out. The emergency services went to the crash site and recovered the charred bodies.”

There was no immediate word on the identities of the two patients on board or why they were

being flown to TunisCarthage international airport from a military airfield near Tripoli, though Libyans often travel to Tunisia for medical treatment.

Tunis air traffic control official Sofiene Bejaoui said the aircraft was a Soviet-designed twin-propeller Antonov-26.

It was the second crash involving a military plane in North Africa in two weeks. An Algerian military transport plane crashed into a mountain in bad weather on February 11, killing 77 people, in the country’s worst air disaster in a decade. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

China denounces Barack Obama’s meeting with Dalai Lama

nited States

UPresident Barack Obama was scheduled to meet the Dalai Lama at the White House on Friday, despite objections from China, which has warned that the meeting would inflict grave damage on Sino-American relations.

The Tibetan spiritual leader is in the U.S. on a speaking tour. The White House did not announce the meeting until late Thursday, prompting a gruff complaint from Beijing, in what has

become something of a diplomatic ritual whenever Obama meets the exiled Buddhist monk.

The two Nobel laureates will spend an hour in the White House’s Map Room, a step down in prestige from the Oval Office, where the American leader traditionally meets foreign heads of state. The meeting will be closed to reporters.

China accused Obama of letting the Dalai Lama use the White House as a podium to promote anti-Chinese activities.

“The U.S. leader’s planned meeting with Dalai is a gross interference in China’s domestic politics,” said Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry. “It is a severe violation of the principles of international relations. It will inflict grave damages upon the ChinaU.S. relationship.”

Chinese officials denounce the Dalai Lama as a separatist responsible for instigating self-immolations by Tibetans inside China. But he is widely respected around the world for his advocacy of peace and tolerance.

China routinely responds to foreign leaders’ meetings with the Dalai Lama with diplomatic snubs and sanctions. It responded with equal vitriol to Obama’s past meetings with him, in 2010 and 2011, though it did not follow up with concrete measures that would damage ties. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Unpaid Thai farmers call off airport tractor protest

Thai farmers, angry at not being paid under a rice subsidy scheme, called off a protest tractor drive to Bangkok’s main airport on Friday after an assurance they would get their money, some welcome news for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The subsidy programme was among the populist policies pioneered by Yingluck’s billionaire brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is central to a conflict that has divided Thais for years and triggered protests, violent

at times, that have paralysed parts of the capital for weeks.

The farmers had said they wanted to make a symbolic protest, with no plans to block air traffic as in 2008, when protesters forced Bangkok’s two main airports to close.

Former Member of Parliament Chada Thaiseth, speaking for the farmers gathered in Ayutthaya province, said they had been assured of payment.

“The government will make payment next week.

The farmers will head back now and will see whether the government will pay as

promised,” he told Reuters. “If it isn’t delivered, we will return.”

He said payments would be made via the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives from next week.

The government said it would sell bonds to pay for the rice, but that it would take seven or eight weeks for the sale to start, a move likely to prompt criticism that it was acting beyond its remit.

Yingluck has headed a caretaker government with limited spending powers since calling a snap election in December. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Somali presidential headquarters attacked by al-Shabab

Al Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab attacked the heavily-fortified Somali presidential palace compound, blasting through a gate with a car bomb and engaging in a fierce gun battle with palace guards, police said.

Shabab said it carried out the Friday attack on the heavily fortified compound in Mogadishu, known as Villa Somalia.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was unharmed.

“President just called me to say he’s unharmed. Attack on Villa Somalia had failed. Sadly, some

lives lost,” the UN Special Representative Nick Kay wrote on his Twitter feed.

The AFP news agency quoted police as saying that at least 14 people died in the attack: five Somali officials and nine attackers.

Mogadishu has been hit by a series of suicide bombers in the past few weeks, attacks claimed by Shabab, which was pushed out of the city in mid-2011 but has continued to wage a sustained armed campaign.

Friday’s battle took place at the house of Somalia’s top military commander, General Dahir

Aden Indha Qarshe, located in the same compound and near the presidential palace building, Abdikadir Ahmed, a senior police officer, told the Reuters news agency.

“The Shabab fighters who attacked the palace were about 10 men in military uniform and the red hats [worn by the palace guards],” Hussein Farah, a senior police officer at the scene, told Reuters.

“All the Shabab fighters died; some blew themselves up while others were shot dead. Several government guards also died. Now the fighting is over.”

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Burger King opens 15th TT restaurant

As Burger King officially opened the doors to its 15th branch in TT on Thursday, general manager Ryan Lewis revealed ambitious plans for expansion locally, with five more outlets, including one in Tobago, by year’s end. Lewis spoke with the TT Guardian at the formal opening of Burger King’s newest branch at Southern Main Road, Marabella. He

North America

said the plan is to “open 20 branches by 2015,” especially in east Trinidad. “We are not in Arima as yet. We are looking at spots in Arima. We are looking at spots in Trincity, mainly in the east right now – Arima, Trincity, Sangre Grande – and we want to expand some more down south, he said.

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

and Kiss Baking Company

Limited donated a special burger shaped cake to mark the occasion. Lewis admitted that crime is a problem in Trinidad but said the company has put measures in place to ensure staff and customer security. Lewis said Marabella was selected because of the success the franchise has been having in south Trinidad. (Trinidad Guardian)

Coca-Cola moves toward bottling deals in Chicago, Central Florida

Caribbean Asia

Coca-Cola Co on Friday announced deals to sell bottling operations in Greater Chicago and Central Florida, as it slowly undoes its 2010 purchase of its North American bottler.

The world’s biggest soda maker said it had signed two letters of intent with independent bottlers but did not disclose the financial terms. For the deals to take effect, the parties must reach de-

Europe

finitive agreements this year.

Coke was expected to announce refranchising news ahead of Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent’s presentation on Friday at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Boca Raton, Florida. Several years ago, Coke and arch rival PepsiCo bought their North American bottlers to streamline deci-

sion-making and cut costs.

While the two companies have traditionally moved together on major changes, they are currently out of step. Coke has been open about its plan to ultimately franchise its North American bottler, while PepsiCo has not.

In April, Coca-Cola said it had signed letters of intent with five other U.S. bottlers. (Reuters)

UK productivity gap with developed nations now widest for 20 years

Britain’s productivity gap with its main developed country rivals is at its widest in 20 years, following the flat-lining of the economy after the deep recession of 2008-09.

International comparisons released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that output per hour worked in the UK is 21 per cent lower than the average for the other six members of the G7 – the U.S., Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada.

The ONS said this was the biggest productivity shortfall since 1992, and that on an alternative measure – output per worker – the gap was 25 per cent.

Poor productivity has been blamed for the lack of earnings growth and the squeeze on real incomes in Britain over the past five years, though the Bank of England is expecting output per worker to pick up during 2014. John Philpott, director of the consultancy the Jobs Economist, said: “We

know UK labour productivity has been dire since the start of the recession. We now know our relative performance is even direr than first thought.”

During the 1990s and 2000s, Britain closed the gap with the other G7 nations to less than 10 per cent, but in the years since the 2007 financial crisis weak output and a smaller loss of jobs than in previous recessions has led to a marked worsening in Britain’s productivity record. (The Guardian)

Africa

Nigeria: More reactions trail Sanusi’s removal

Eminent Nigerians have continued to express divergent views over the removal of the Central Bank Governor,CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from office.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Lagos lawyer, Bamidele Aturu condemned the removal of the CBN Governor, saying it was a distraction which can only contribute to shifting the focus of the government from finding the missing US$20 billion oil money.

However, Lagos-based

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to sell its Australian downstream business to oil trading firm Vitol for US$2.6 billion (£1.6 billion). The sale includes Shell’s refinery in Geelong, 870 service stations, its bulk fuels and chemicals unit and part of its lubricants business.

Senior Advocate, Chief Ladi Rotimi-Williams said the removal of Sanusi is “long overdue.”

SERAP in a statement, by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni said:

“The government should not politicise the fight against corruption. Our concern remains the urgent, thorough, transparent and effective investigation into allegations that US$20 billion oil money is missing from the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“If it is true that the sus-

pension is linked with Sanusi’s public disclosure of the missing funds, SERAP believes that this will be clearly wrong and contrary to the government’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption to target a whistleblower simply for public information in the public domain.

“No one should be victimised for contributing to the fight against corruption, which is the moral and legal responsibility of any serious, open and people’s oriented government. (AllAfrica)

Middle East

Last month, Shell posted ‘clean’ profits – which strip out the impact of oil price movements – of US$2.9 billion for the October-to-December quarter, down from US$5.6 billion during the same period a year ago.

“Australia remains important to Shell, but we are making tough portfolio choices to improve the company’s overall competitiveness,” Ben van

However, Shell’s aviation business is excluded from the deal. Shell is looking to dispose off assets as part of a strategy that will see the company “changing emphasis” in 2014. The asset sales also come at a time when its profits have been declining.

Beurden, chief executive of Shell said in a statement. Recent disinvestments by Shell include the sale of refineries in the UK, Germany, France, Norway and the Czech Republic. The firm has also offloaded its downstream businesses in Egypt, Spain, Greece, Finland and Sweden. Shell said that majority of its downstream staff in Australia will continue to work under its new owner. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close within this year. (BBC News)

Moody’s upgrades Emaar after strong 2013 results

Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Emaar’s ratings by two notches, one level short of investment grade, on the back of impressive fourth-quarter results announced earlier this week.

Moody’s upgraded the corporate family rating of Emaar to Ba1 from Ba3 and the company’s probability of default rating to Ba1-PD from Ba3-PD. The outlook on all ratings is stable.

Although the ratings agency said it remained cautious about

“the sustainability of current market trends”, it added that the company had “significantly strengthened” its credit profile.

Emaar regained its investment grade credit rating from S&P earlier this month.

Moody’s said in a statement: “We have upgraded Emaar’s ratings as a result of the strong financial performance the company has recently displayed as well as a result of the conversion into equity of almost US$500 million worth of capital market debt.”

Analyst Rehan Akbar added: “Emaar has been a clear beneficiary of the recovery in Dubai’s real estate market, and although we remain cautious in terms of the sustainability of current market trends, the company’s resilient recurring cash flows from its investment properties coupled with the success of its new project launches and reduced gross debt levels has significantly strengthened the credit profile of the company.”

(Arabianbusiness)

(CONTINUED FROM THURSDAY)

You need to come up with an engaging message that sits at the centre of your activity and produce and use creative assets intelligently. You need to drive people to relevant environments with the right message. The tool you have to tell this story and weave all these parts together is paid media.

The plan

The plan should be precise and detailed. Relevance and efficiency are key and you should have rationale for what types of digital media

you are using and how that brings your strategy to life.

A full 360-degree approach to a digital plan could include display ads to drive awareness, social media and content marketing to drive engagement and the use of biddable media like PPC to drive conversion. The perfect blend of digital activation should be created to achieve your goals. Remember, for every brand or product there is a specific mix of digital channels and flighting of spend that works best.

Measurement and optimisation

Once your campaign goes live your work isn’t done. The beautiful part of digital is that you can really look under the bonnet of your performance. Use analytics tools to see how you are performing against your benchmarks. You should shift your budgets around if certain channels aren’t efficient and amend your messaging if it isn’t resonating as you want. This stage is critical and is the difference between a good campaign and a great one.

(Business Dictionary)

the right of a contracting-party to take possession of a specific asset of the other contracting party, in case the contract is not performed according to its terms.

Literacy Street Fair a success

Digicel wins top Caribbean advertising award

In celebration of Guyana’s 44th republic anniversary, the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry in collaboration with several libraries and book agencies on Friday held its annual Literacy Street and Book Fair on Main Street, downtown Georgetown from 10:00h to 18:00h.

In a short address to par-

ticipants and visitors, Dr Frank Anthony said while it is Mash, literacy promotion should not at any time be limited or put on hold. He noted that literacy does not need a time or place to be encouraged.

Minister Anthony, however, noted that while promoting literacy is important, children should also play

a part in the country’s culture and national celebrations and should never be deterred from doing so.

He mentioned that he had seen a picture on the social media site Facebook of schoolchildren taking part in the Mashramani festivities and one viewer had reportedly commented that such a thing was disgraceful.

He questioned the audience as to what is so wrong in partaking in the country’s republic anniversary celebrations and celebrating our culture.

In closing, he extended Mashramani greetings to those present, while inviting them to witness the flagraising ceremony on Sunday at the Parliament Building and to come out in large numbers to support the unforgettable street parade.

Participating in the fair were the National Archives of Guyana; the National Library; the Guyana Institute of Historical Research; National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD); Guyana Classics Library; University of Guyana’s Library; the Georgetown Reading and Research Centre; The Guyana Book Foundation; the National Trust of Guyana; among many others. They expressed satisfaction at the public’s response to the venture.

Georgetown Reading and Research Centre Director Rupert Hopkinson, in an invited comment, stated that his organisation has been participating in the fair each year to achieve its goal of getting books into every household.

He too noted that the support has been overwhelming and come next year, his organisation will definitely be on board for the venture once more.

City Council to commission crematorium

The City Council’s Market and Public Health Committee

Chairman Randall Jordan on Friday announced that a crematorium is set to be commissioned as early as March 1, to benefit the residents of Georgetown.

This announcement was made at City Hall during a press conference. Jordan explained that the crematorium will be one-of-a-kind and quite modern.

It is expected that the facility will boast state-of-theart amenities, with separate sections for males and females, a chapel, a mosque and temple for funeral services among other features.

The Former Mayor of Georgetown noted that it is a well-known fact that the council has a problem in burying the dead and with

the commissioning of the crematorium, this issue can be solved to a large extent.

“Time after time we are forced to find additional space to bury our dead; the Le Repentir cemetery is filled and with this crematorium, this issue will be solved with ease,” Jordan noted.

Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Greene, in an attempt to clear up misconceptions concerning the crematorium, stated that many are upset with the plans, saying that the smoke will affect them, causing health issues and discomfort.

She, however, pointed out that it was important to differentiate between a cremation site and a crematorium.

She stated that this project is a crematorium with

advanced technology to facilitate cremation and no smoke pollution or any other issue should and would arise. The facility is said to be healthier and cleaner.

While the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is set to commission the crematorium, Jordan noted that the initiative was undertaken by Dr Carl Naimatally, a Guyanese doctor and his team. He is said to be the developer and main contributor of the crematorium.

He stated that the doctor and his team will also take up the task of clearing and maintaining some sections of the Le Repentir Cemetery.

While the crematorium is expected to be commissioned on March 1, the date of public utilisation has not yet been finalised.

Digicel was the big winner at this year’s Caribbean Advertising Federation American Advertising Awards, taking home the top prize of the Best of Show Overall Award for its “Be Extraordinary” television ad and the Best of TV Award for the same piece of work.

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

Digicel’s “Be Extraordinary” brand idea and its stunning TV commercial is based on the premise of “everyday people doing extraordinary things” – and that the extraordinary can be found all around if we just take the time to have a second look.

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

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

As such, the ad features a lady boarding a bus and then gazing out of the window as the bus speeds along an activity-filled street.

The activity on the street is shown in slow motion as the lady passenger takes the time to look more closely at – and delight in – what is happening in front of her: a group of children showing off their nifty footballing skills, a boy doing stunts on his bike, a vendor juggling tropical fruits, a lively game of dominoes, children having a water fight, a couple sharing a passionate kiss, a girl revelling in her carnival outfit – the street is packed with extraordinary everyday events.

To bring its “Be Extraordinary” promise to life, Digicel has created extraordinary moments for

its customers – like organising surprise wedding proposals and wedding receptions, providing free travel on public transport, buying new tyres for a taxi driver, paying for utility and grocery bills – and has encouraged customers to share the extraordinary in their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Commenting on the win, Digicel Group Commercial Director Brian Finn said; “Our Be Extraordinary brand idea forms the basis of all our aspirations, communications and deliverables.

It is empowering, positive, upbeat, celebratory and yet humble… because it’s not about us – but all about our customers. This is all about highlighting the extraordinary that is all around us and in celebrating that with our customers.”

The winning “Be Extraordinary” TV ad can be viewed at this link http:// youtu.be/t_K6VdFWDYI.

The American Advertising Awards (ADDY) is the world’s largest advertising competition with over 50,000 entries annually.

Founded in Florida in 1960 it was adopted by the American Advertising Federation, a not-for-profit industry association, as a national competition in 1968.

Basketball player succumbs to injuries in Homestretch Avenue accident

Abasketball player succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital after a car slammed into him while he was riding along Homestretch Avenue on Tuesday evening.

Quinn Quacy Leigh, 21, of Lot 234 East La Penitence, Georgetown, who was employed at Caricom Cement, was struck down in the vicinity of Help and Shelter about 20:00h. He took his last breath on Wednesday morning about 05:30h.

According to information, the father of two had gone to practise at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and was heading home on a bicycle, along with a friend who was riding ahead of him. The friend, whose name was given as Carlos, said as they rode down the road, they were chatting, but suddenly Leigh stopped responding. When the friend looked around, he saw Leigh lying on the roadway some distance back. Carlos then turned his bicycle around and went to the aid of Leigh who was severely hurt.

It was a white Carina

212 motorcar that reportedly struck Leigh down. Carlos could not say what occurred since he was riding in front of Leigh. The driver of the motor car, who was seemingly under the influence of alcohol, was taken into custody. He is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday.

One of Leigh’s sisters, Tasha, told Guyana Times that they were informed about the accident around 21:30h when another of her brother’s friends came to their home and told them. She said by the time they rushed to the scene, her only brother had already been taken to the hospital

where he had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. About 05:30h the following morning, they received the news of his demise. She said they did not get much information out of the friend whom her brother was with at the time of the accident. The sister added that the post-mortem on her brother’s body, which was scheduled for Friday, was pushed back to the new week, because a pathologist was unavailable. She also revealed that the driver was placed on station bail. Leigh leaves to mourn his mother, two sisters, and two children.

SUDOKU

By Bernice Bede Osol

Consider and reflect upon a personal situation. Someone with whom you have dealings may feel you have been too demanding. You need to decide whether to back away or repair the damage. You will be given extra assignments. Rather than get upset, make the commitment to do the best job possible, and keep your complaints to yourself. Your professionalism will pay off.

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

Your intuitive and thoughtful nature will result in an interesting and rewarding friendship. While this is a positive development, don’t divulge too much private information too quickly.

Your generous nature is upsetting your budget. You cannot buy love, so stop paying for everything and everyone. Chances are someone has ulterior motives and is taking advantage of you.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

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

Consider your current position. Keep up to date with job opportunities through social media or newspapers. Carefully review your qualifications and update your resume to suit the job market.

(March 21-April 19)

Fix things you’ve been putting off. By freeing your time, you’ll be able to take on a project that interests you and could increase your earning potential.

(April 20-May 20)

Don’t get involved in any new ventures. Stay close to home and nurture personal relationships. Elderly relatives would enjoy hearing from you. Your concern will be appreciated and could bring rewards.

(May 21June 20)

You need a change of scenery. Don’t feel that it’s necessary to embark on a major excursion. Instead, make positive changes to your surroundings to add to your entertainment or sense of security.

Someone you deal with is not living up to a promise. An angry confrontation will only make matters worse. Do your best to find a diplomatic way of resolving the situation.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Your mind is brimming with innovative ideas. Share your plans with close friends. You will accomplish a lot if everyone directs his or her energies to the same goal.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Keep your cash in your pocket. Don’t let others involve you in unfamiliar causes. There are lots of unscrupulous people trying to convince you to part with your money.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

You will meet with people who have different beliefs and values. Respect their opinions, and don’t try to change their views. An open mind will also help you gain freedom.

YELLOW PAGES

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Mother pleas for missing daughter to return home

Myria Alana Ashby, 13, has been missing since Monday evening according to her mother Colleen Johnson and aunt Rochelle Johnson.

The distressed mother told Guyana Times that her daughter, who resides with her aunt at 42 Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, left home on Monday night, saying that she was going to an Internet café.

The teen has not returned home since then.

The mother said that her sister called her late Monday evening and related to her what had happened and she tried immediately to get trans-

Myria Alana Ashby

portation out of Camuni Creek Santa Mission to come to Georgetown to find her daughter.

Her mother went on

to say that on Wednesday morning, she received a call from her daughter from a private number, who reportedly told her that she was okay.

During the conversation, she urged her mother not to worry about her and file a missing person’s report. The teen also promised to call her mother every day.

However, Myria has not called for two days. The 13-year-old attends South Ruimveldt Secondary School.

When asked if there were any problems at home or at school, the mother replied and stated that “just like any family would have problems, we would have

problems.

The mother said that she and her sister have reported the matter at the Brickdam Police Station, but the police have them on a back and forth.

Johnson is calling on her daughter to return home, and is appealing to anyone influencing her to getaway to stop the mischievousness.

The mother said she loves her daughter very much and sent her to town so that she can have a good education and more opportunities in life.

Anyone with information on the young lady can contact Johnson on telephone number 618-0600, or the nearest police station.

Man who beat wife with hammer succumbs

The New Amsterdam Hospital pharmacist who ingested a poisonous substance on Wednesday passed away on Thursday evening.

Victor Yearwood, 36, was discovered by police on Wednesday afternoon in the backlands at Lansdale Village, East Bank Berbice.

According to sources close to the police, Yearwood claimed that he was having problems and consumed gramoxone out of frustration.

His sister Nicola Luther told this publication that on Wednesday morning, she learnt that her brother was involved in an incident with his wife and was at the hospital, but when she visited,

he was not there. According to the grieving sister, on Thursday, while speaking with her brother on his hospital bed, he revealed what transpired.

On Wednesday morning after breakfast, he said that he was feeling unwell and his tummy was stiff. After inquiring from his wife, he was told that he was given

to poison

monocrotophos on his coffee. It is then that he stared to beat his wife, Dr Iliana Urutia Pairol-Yearwood, a Cuban doctor, with a hammer. “He said that he was trying to get her to drink some too.”

Neighbours were forced to intervene on Wednesday when the man started to beat his wife with a hammer at their Savannah Park Housing Scheme home. Meanwhile, after being admitted in an unconsciousness state on Wednesday morning, Dr Pairol-Yearwood was on Friday afternoon resting comfortably in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the New Amsterdam Hospital. Her condition is said to be stable.

Mosquito infestation forces closure of Wisburg Secondary School

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n infestation of mosquitoes has caused the Wisburg Secondary School in Linden to be closed for a few days.

Region 10 District Education Officer (Secondary) Carol Benjamin said the education department is working to have the situation under control so that students can return to school in a timely manner.

“We observed that late last year there was this influx of mosquito infestation at Wisburg Secondary. We moved to that state where we did relocate the school, we fogged, cleaned and we did all we could have done.

"Here again, within a matter of four months, the mosquitoes have taken over again. We know that schools are affected, students have to write exams, and so we are going to look into this matter in a speedy way, try to eradicate the mosquitoes,” she noted.

Benjamin also indicated that the Region 10 Education Department will look into other issues at the school which were brought to its attention. One such is-

sue, she noted, is the stagnant water lodged on the school’s premises.

A general cleanup campaign will be conducted at the school, according to Benjamin. She related that the department will take steps, along with the Region 10 Democratic Council (RDC), to ensure that some form of fogging or spraying is done to eradicate the influx of mosquitoes.

Benjamin disclosed that the Linden Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) and RDC are working on the cleaning up of the school’s immediate environs since these entities are in possession of the relevant equipment to do so.

She is also urging parents to be patient and ensure that students are involved in meaningful activities during the downtime.

“We need parents to understand that this step that is being taken, they have a responsibility to support us. Thanks to parents for understanding the whole situation,” she said.

Region 10 Literacy Coordinator Ava Chapman said she is concerned about the situation and how it has been affecting students. The president of the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) also said that the issue of mosquito infestation became prevalent last

November. He noted that although the school was fogged, the problem soon reoccurred. He said that as a result, students could not attend school regularly over the past two weeks.

He also related that parents, teachers and the Education Ministry have since been working with the Linden M&TC and Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon to have the issue under control.

A parent, who indicated that she visited the school on Monday, related that there was a significant amount of stagnant water around its environs.

De Villiers, Duminy hit tons for dominant SA

Wayne Parnell took two wickets in his first three balls on his Test return as South Africa dominated Australia on day two of the second Test in Port Elizabeth.

The hosts, resuming on 214-5, made 423 thanks to centuries from AB de Villiers (116) and JP Duminy (123).

Parnell and Vernon Philander then took two wickets apiece to reduce Australia to 112-4 - trailing by 311.

Opener David Warner will resume on 65 not out.

He saw Australia, who lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test at Centurion by 281 runs, through to the close alongside nightwatchman Nathan Lyon.

After De Villiers had reached his 19th Test century and Duminy his third, South Africa’s seamers took charge.

Philander trapped Rogers

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has agreed a new five-and-a-halfyear contract worth up to £300,000 a week.

The 28-year-old England international will extend his current contract by four years, tying him to the club until June 2019.

His old deal, which would have expired next year, paid up to £250,000 a week.

Rooney joined United from Everton in August 2004 and is only 42 goals shy of passing Bobby Charlton’s record total of 249 for United.

The former Everton forward has taken 430 games in all competitions to score his 208 goals for the Red Devils. The club have yet to confirm the contract but BBC sports editor David Bond said the deal had been agreed.

Speaking at a United news conference on Friday, manager David Moyes said: “As soon as we have the information to give you, we will give you it.

“Everyone knows how

leg before and left-arm paceman Wayne Parnell - making his first Test appearance since January 2010 - had Alex Doolan and Shaun Marsh caught behind by De Villiers.

Skipper Michael Clarke was taken at short cover off Philander, and Australia’s position would have been worse had De Villiers not dropped opener Warner on 43.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa 1st Innings

c Haddin b

10 Steyn not out 4

M Morkel run out (Haddin) 1

Extras (1-w, 4-b, 4-lb) 9

Total (all out; 150.5 overs) 423

Bowling: Harris 27-6-63-1, Johnson 25-5-70-1, Siddle

34-9-96-0, Lyon 46-7-1305, Warner 3-0-10-0, Smith

8-0-30-1, Clarke 7.5-2-16-1

Fall of wickets: 10 (Smith),

11 (Amla), 123 (du Plessis), 181 (Elgar), 200 (de Kock), 349 (AB de Villiers), 378 (Philander), 413 (Parnell), 420 (Duminy), 423 (M Morkel)

Australia 1st Innings

Rogers lbw b Philander 5 Warner not out 65

Doolan c AB de Villiers b Parnell 8

S Marsh c AB de Villiers b Parnell 0

Clarke c Elgar b Philander 19

Lyon not out 12

Extras (3-lb) 3

Total (for 4 wickets; 25 overs) 112

Bowling: Steyn 6-1-33-0, Philander 6-0-26-2, M Morkel

7-0-31-0, Parnell 6-2-19-2

Fall of wickets: 7 (Rogers), 41 (Doolan), 41 (S Marsh), 81 (Clarke)

Wayne Rooney

important a player he is. He is a terrific football player and if we can get it done it will be great.”

Rooney had looked set to leave Old Trafford last summer after former United manager Alex Ferguson claimed he had asked for a transfer - something the player denied.

Chelsea had more than one bid for him rejected but new boss Moyes insisted he wanted to keep his former Everton player at Old Trafford.

It seems likely that next season will be Rooney’s

Sachenbacher-Stehle, Frullani fail drugs tests

Two-time Olympic champion Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle of Germany and Italian bobsleigh brakeman William Frullani have been sent home from Sochi 2014 after failing drugs tests.

Both tested positive for methylhexanamine with A and B samples.

Biathlete SachenbacherStehle, who won gold in 2002 and 2010, finished fourth in two events this year.

Police officer Frullani will be replaced in Saturday’s four-man event by Samuele Romanini.

The 34-year-old Frullani is a former international decathlete, who competed at the 2006 European Championships.

But it is SachenbacherStehle’s drugs test which is the bigger news, having won gold in the team sprint in the last Olympics in Vancouver and in the 4x5km in Salt

Lake City.

“This is the worst nightmare you could imagine. I can’t explain how the doping test could be positive,” the 33-year-old said.

German Olympic

Committee secretary general Michael Vesper said: “We stand for a doping-free sport and a zero tolerance.

“We only want clean performances. Every doping case is initially a disappointment but also proof that the system works.”

Before the Games, Russian biathlete Irina Starykh, who was a medal hope for the hosts, withdrew after failing a drugs test.

Germany have been the third most successful team in Russia, with eight gold medals, four silvers and four bronzes. Italy are 21st with two silvers and six bronze medals. (BBC Sport)

Shakib suspended for three ODIs

Bangladesh allround-

first out of the Champions League since his move from Goodison Park 10 years ago.

United are 11 points off the top four, although they could still qualify by winning this season’s tournament.

Rooney has won five Premier League titles and the Champions League in his time at Old Trafford.

The forward, who returned to first-team action at the end of January after nearly a month out with an injury, has made 28 club appearances this season and scored 11 goals. (BBC Sport)

er Shakib Al Hasan has been banned for three matches by the BCB for “making an inappropriate gesture on live television” during the second ODI against Sri Lanka in Mirpur. He has also been fined BDT 300,000 ($3800).

Shakib was summoned to appear before a disciplinary committee on the eve of the final ODI against Sri Lanka and will now miss that game as well as Bangladesh’s first two Asia Cup matches - against India and Afghanistan.

“Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has been penalised for breaching

the BCB Code of Conduct,” the board said. “Shakib appeared at a disciplinary hearing of the BCB today and admitted the offence and accepted responsibility for the act.”

BCB’s acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said: “Shakib was repentant for the incident and readily accepted that the behavior was unbecoming of a player of his experience and stature. We also reminded him that his action was unacceptable.”

The incident occurred when TV commentators began describing Shakib’s dismissal during the match and the camera panned to the viewing area of the Bangladesh team. After several seconds, while replays of his dismissal were broadcast, Shakib gestured towards his crotch and then towards the camera and the footage was shown on the giant screen at the ground. The broadcasters didn’t show the Bangladesh viewing area for the rest of the match. The hosts had already lost the ODI series against before the third ODI, but Shakib’s absence for the first two Asia Cup matches is a severe blow to Bangladesh’s campaign. (Cricinfo)

Sammy helps West Indies save face

Andre Fletcher top-scored with 19 in West Indies' innings but their bowlers did enough to secure victory

West Indies were far from unfortunate in defeat two days ago but for the first half of this match it looked as if they could be accused of carelessness. Ireland had squeezed West Indies until pips squeaked and seemingly done the hard work in attempting to secure a first bilateral series win against a Full Member. But the reigning World Twenty20 champions scrapped hard for their dignity and a narrow 11-run win.

Darren Sammy, so often the example for his team in effort and demeanor, claimed three wickets, as Ireland subsided meekly chasing less than 100 on a surface that again proved difficult for batting. Only Ed Joyce and Gary Wilson managed to get into double figures, as some variable bounce made the task increasingly tricky, meaning that the T20 series was shared 1-1. Ireland, however, will have one more chance to topple their hosts in the sole ODI on Sunday. Krishmar Santokie, the

T20 specialist making only his third international appearance, claimed a wicket in his second over on the way to figures of 1 for 12, while Sunil Narine was equally unhittable whilst picking up the key wicket of Joyce, in his 100th match for Ireland.

West Indies raised their intensity in the field after another insipid batting display and managed to claw the game back, as Ireland limped to 29 for 5 at just past halfway. When Wilson was caught on the edge of the square in the 18th over by Dwayne Bravo, off his own bowling, he celebrated with a modest jig, confident that some Caribbean credibility was about to be saved - if not totally restored.

West Indies had struggled against a parsimonious bowling attack in the first T20 but they had not learned from their mistakes, this time failing to reach three figures. They only managed six boundariesfour fours and two sixes - in the innings, and again no batsman reached 20. Their total of 96 for 9 was their

second lowest in completed innings, since making 79 for 7 against Zimbabwe in 2010.

It could have been worse, as at least two straightforward catches were put down, but Ireland were otherwise impressive in the field.

William Porterfield twice effected run-outs, firstly picking up at cover and swiveling to catch Dwayne Bravo out of his ground, then swooping to defeat his opposite number, Sammy, from point, the position where he also took an excellent low catch to remove Dwayne Smith.

The wicket of Andre Russell, who had been flailing at the crease like an airport runway marshal, highlighted Ireland's degree of savvy. Porterfield put a second man out on the leg side, setting the trap for another hook, before Tim Murtagh fired in a yorker that removed leg stump. It was a simple bluff but suggested West Indies were still off the pace.

They had begun their innings competently enough, despite the blow of Chris Gayle being ruled out with a minor niggle. His replace-

ment, Andre Fletcher, twice deposited the ball into the stands but he was the last batsmen to do so. Fletcher edged Alex Cusack's first ball behind, during a wicket maiden, and the sight of West Indies batsmen trudging off shaking their heads became a regular one.

Porterfield shuffled his attack well and his bowlers responded, with Cusack - particularly impressive in recording his best T20 figures - George Dockrell and Kevin O'Brien all conceding less than five an over. Eighteen months ago, West Indies stormed to victory at the World T20, with Marlon Samuels lashing 78 to set up victory in a low-scoring game. Here he could only follow up a princely cover drive for four with an ungainly swipe to be caught behind for 10 off 16 balls.

Unlike in Colombo, there was no "Gangnam Style" in victory, just relief at West Indies' first in six matches. Time is running out for them to re-learn the moves ahead of their World T20 defence.

SCOREBOARD

West Indies innings (20 overs maximum)

DR Smith c Porterfield b Cusack 11

ADS Fletcher c †Wilson b Cusack 19

MN Samuels c †Wilson b Thompson 10

LMP Simmons lbw b O'Brien 12

DJ Bravo run out (Porterfield/ Dockrell) 10

AD Russell b Murtagh 8

DJG Sammy* run out (Porterfield/ Dockrell) 2

D Ramdin† c Sorensen b Cusack 5

SP Narine not out 12

S Badree c & b Cusack 5

K Santokie not out 0

Extras: (w 2) 2

Total: (9 wickets; 20 overs) 96

Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Fletcher, 4.1 ov), 2-30 (Smith, 6.2 ov), 3-44 (Samuels, 8.6 ov), 4-58 (Bravo, 11.6 ov), 5-69 (Simmons, 14.3 ov), 6-73 (Russell, 15.5 ov), 7-74 (Sammy, 16.1 ov), 8-84 (Ramdin, 17.4 ov), 9-93 (Badree, 19.4 ov)

Bowling: MC Sorensen 3-020-0, TJ Murtagh 4-0-221, GH Dockrell 3-0-14-0, AR Cusack 4-1-11-4, SR Thompson

1-0-9-1, PR Stirling 1-0-40, KJ O'Brien 4-0-16-1

Ireland innings (target: 97 runs from 20 overs)

WTS Porterfield* b Badree 5

PR Stirling b Santokie 2

EC Joyce c †Ramdin b Narine 10

GC Wilson† c & b Bravo 35

AD Poynter c Samuels b Sammy 2

KJ O'Brien b Sammy 3

SR Thompson c Smith b Sammy 7

MC Sorensen not out 9

AR Cusack run out (Bravo) 8 TJ Murtagh not out 2

Extras: (lb 2) 2

Total: (8 wickets; 20 overs) 85 Did not bat: GH Dockrell Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Stirling, 2.2 ov), 2-15 (Porterfield, 5.1 ov), 3-22 (Joyce, 7.2 ov), 4-25 (Poynter, 8.6 ov), 5-29 (O'Brien, 10.2 ov), 6-49 (Thompson, 12.5 ov), 7-72 (Wilson, 17.4 ov), 8-82 (Cusack, 19.3 ov)

Bowling: K Santokie 4 -0 -12 -1, S Badree 4 -1 -13 -1, SP Narine 4 -0 -12 -1, DJ Bravo 4 -0 -24 -1, DJG Sammy 4 -0 -22 -3

Chanderpaul, Campbelle head...

Manager of the 2013 CARIFTA Games team

Amanda Hermonstine and Guyana GTTA President Godfrey Munroe won the Female and Male Sport Personality awards respectively, while the Guyana Senior Squash team was voted Team-of-the-Year.

Gibran Sarfaraz won the Special Award for Persons with Disability.

Guyana Times/TVG/ RGI’s reporter/news anchor Avenash Ramzan was the popular choice for Sports Journalist-ofthe-Year (Non-Print) for the third year in succession, copping nine of the 13 votes.

Chris Campbell of Stabroek News secured eight votes to Guyana

Chronicle’s Calvin Roberts four in a two-way race for the Sports Journalist-ofthe-Year (Print) after the first round did not produce a clear winner.

For the third year running, Stabroek News’ Orlando Charles was a favourite for the Sports Photographer-of-the-Year, securing 10 votes.

Albion and RHTF&M clash in Tenelec under-15 final

Albion Community Centre Cricket Club and Rose Hall Town Farfan & Mendes (RHTF&M) will clash in the Tenelec Inc under-15 2013 final over the next two days at the Albion Community Centre ground, Corentyne, Berbice.

Both teams won their respective semi-final games played last November. Albion Community Centre managed to defeat Police by four wickets, while in the other semi-final game at Rose Hall Town, RHTF&M defeated Edinburgh by 19 runs.

However, due to recent rainfall, the final was put on hold. Defending champions RHTF&M will be spearheaded by Guyana and Demerara Under-15 captain Baskhar Yadram. He is expected to receive support from Veramootoo Senwasie, Kellon Gobin and Junior Sinclair.

On the other hand,

Baskhar Yadram

Albion will depend heavily on Adrian Sukhwa, Matthew Hardyal, Joshua Harrichand, Vivekanand Gagjit and Asif Ali.

The umpires are Omedat Samaroo and Augustus Outar, with Moses Ramphal as the standby. The match starts at 10:00h each day.

Teams confirmed for Goodwill T20 tournament

Four top Twenty20 teams have confirmed their participation in the first-ever Goodwill Republic Twenty20 Cricket Festival, billed for Sunday at the Bath Settlement Community Centre ground, West Coast Berbice.

The four teams which confirmed their participation for the festival are West Berbice Cricket Association Superkings, D’Edwards Sports Club, Everest Cricket Club and Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO).

According to the coordinator Abel Seetaram, there will also be lots of side attractions, so fans can celebrate Mash in Berbice in grand style.

“There will be a one-man band, African and Indian drummers, dancers, steel pan music and much more,” Seetaram said

Admission into the venue is minimal and patrons will have a chance of winning gate prizes.

The event will see a plethora of national Twenty20 players in action while there will be a surprise appearance from a national cricket icon in Guyana.

Meanwhile, the West Berbice Cricket Association Superkings and D’Edwards Sports Club have released their respective squads.

The West Berbice Cricket Association Superkings squad reads: Sherwyn McPherson(captain), Raun Johnson, Keith Fraser, Brian Nurse, Rendell Bobb, Grisean Grant, Chirstopher Bissoon, Allan Johnson, Kwasie Mentor, Steffon Adams, Darious Nedd, Randy Wade and Mahesh Ramroop.

The D’Edwards Sports Club Squad reads: Jaipaul Heeralall, Devindra Lalsa, Lakeraj Sukra, Eon Abel, Romain Boodram, Christian France, Abdool Subhan, Nick Ramsaroop, Kevin Jawahir, Herrilall Bridgelall, Navin Rampersaud and Chunilall Senasai.

More support for YWCC Mash Cup

Universal DVD/ Universal Solutions and Metro Office and Computer Supplies have added their support to the Young Warriors Cricket Club Mashramani Cup.

Both companies made substantial donations on Thursday to offset the costs for the competition, which is slated for Sunday at the Young Warriors Cricket Club ground.

The one-day event tar-

gets second division cricket teams in the East Canje/ East Coast Berbice area.

Ten teams have accepted the invitation to participate in the tournament.

These are Gangaram Strikers, Betsy Ground Triple Stars, Goed Banana Land, Young and the Restless, Rose Hall Community Centre, Canefield, Young Warriors, Bristol Warriors, Number Two Cricket Club and

Number 19 Combined.

Seawell Cricket Club will not be participating this year and their place has been taken by the Rose Hall Community Centre Club, which has been recently resuscitated.

The tournament will be played on a five-over-perside basis and teams will be allowed to field one first division player each.

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) rules, which

do not consider a player over the age of 40 as a first division player, will be used.

Ten teams will once again vie for the top price of $60,000, plus a trophy.

The second place team will collect $30,000 and a trophy, third place finisher will collect $15,000, while the fourth place team will be presented with a trophy.

There will also be incentives for the man-of-thematch in the final.

R&R 11-race cycling event on today

The cycling season is set to continue today with the 23rd annual R&R International sponsored 11-race programme at the inner circuit of the National Park.

The event is being held in observance of the country’s 44th Republic Anniversary, and will get underway at 09:00h.

The day’s activities, which are being organised by National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohamed, will see seasoned campaigner Alanzo Greaves looking to successfully defend the feature 35-lap School Boys and Invitational race.

Greaves won last year’s

feature event in a time of one hour, 15 minutes, 43 seconds (01h: 15m: 43s), but he is expected to face competition in defence of his title. Akeem Arthur won the Juniors/Juveniles 10-lap race last year in a time of 29 minutes, 39 seconds (29m: 39s), while Junior Niles and Ozai Mcually will be looking to keep a hold on the Veterans Under-50 and Upright titles respectively.

Former cyclist and current Managing Director of R&R International Jacob Rambarran will be on hand to assist in the presentation of prizes at the conclusion of both events.

Who will lead West Indies’ regeneration?

– after heavy losses in India and New Zealand there’s a need for some serious

introspection

By Tony Cozier

Beaten and battered in two bruising campaigns, those West Indies players still standing finally staggered home last week with a bag full of questions to be asked and answered over what really went on in India and, especially, New Zealand.

Reports from media conferences on tour were filled with comments that need expanding on by the new director of cricket, Richard Pybus, and the cricket and executive committees of the West Indies Cricket Board. The claim by ODI captain Dwayne Bravo on arrival in New Zealand that a lack of unity led to the poor performances will be a prominent item in the debriefing. So would the allusion to players’ indifference by the manager, Richie Richardson (“it bothers me when you see guys hang around the changing room at the ground, doing nothing, like they’re still back at the hotel room”) and the mysterious “personal reasons” given for the hasty exit from New Zealand of Darren, the younger Bravo, that set off widespread gossip.

His obvious commitment to the team and the way he has handled the position in difficult times have earned Sammy a justifiable reputation as leader; the snag is that, as his stats indicate, he is a Test all-rounder purely in name.

As always, it is who as captain if not Sammy?

Empty cupboard

While New Zealand present Corey Anderson, and England, Ben Stokes out of nowhere, there is no young all-rounder of even that level to be presently found in a region that produced the greatest of them all.

Nor are there obvious future captains such as Virat Kohli currently is for India and Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke were when Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting stepped down from their posts.

Made skipper of the A team in its most recent series against Sri Lanka and India, batsman Kirk Edwards appeared the likeliest contender. The Barbados selectors essentially torpedoed that plan

Captain Darren Sammy’s candid acceptance that he could be one of those on return home whose “careers are on the line”, as he put it, has poured more fuel on a fire that has flickered since his appointment three years ago.

last week, inexplicably replacing him for the coming first-class season with Kraigg Brathwaite; it is a formidable challenge for the 21-year-old opener, who approaches his batting with single-minded Chanderpaulian dedication and for whom captaincy would be an unnecessary distraction.

It leaves Dwayne Bravo as the only like-for-like choice, should Sammy go, as he seemingly expects to. Bravo is 30 and as gung-ho as ever, yet he hasn’t played a Test in three years, while prospering in T20 leagues. Nor is he nearly the super all-rounder he promised in his early years in the West Indies team.

His elevation to the ODI captaincy last year “to refresh the leadership”, according to the selectors, was a clue to their thinking. Sammy remained at the helm for Tests and T20s; it has understandably proved a divisive arrangement.

Other long-serving candidates have been suggested. Denesh Ramdin has intermittently been the West Indies vice-captain, as he was in India and New Zealand, and a successful skipper of Trinidad & Tobago.

To dovetail with Bravo’s

West Indies’ position, he has been shunted aside for the imminent regional Super50 tournament; Trinidad & Tobago would send an unequivocal message by retaining Bravo for the firstclass season as well. Those in the know regard that as unlikely.

Indeed, the former T&T captain, Daren Ganga, has gone for a long shot. Ramnaresh Sarwan was Brian Lara’s natural successor, taking over after the great left-hander’s retirement in 2007. Untimely injuries opened the way for Chris Gayle, and Sarwan was never called on again. Over the past few years, he fell out with the WICB’s former chief executive Ernest Hilaire and with Ottis Gibson, the coach. Sarwan claimed that episode affected his form; the last of his 87 Tests was in June 2011. He is 33, hardly old age for a batsman, and says he’s committed to forcing his way back in with performances in the coming regional tournaments. As captain? Improbable, but not entirely impossible.

Thrashing

In addition to the captaincy issues, the immediate on-field focus is on the regional tournaments over

the coming three monthsthe Super50 in late January and early February, and the first-class from late February. They assume added substance given Sammy’s blast after the New Zealand thrashing that “we cannot continue like this.”

His contention that some careers are on the line places pressure to perform on those who faltered in India and New Zealand, even those as established as Gayle and Marlon Samuels (average 21.6 in the five Tests).

At 23, the elegant lefthand opener Kieran Powell is still seen, along with Darren Bravo, as key to the long-term batting. He kept devising frustrating ways of getting out, didn’t pass 50 once in ten innings, and averaged 22.50. He needs a productive season.

At 30 and without a hundred after 18 Tests, Narsingh Deonarine, the middle-order left-hander and useful off-spinner, has surely come to the end of the line.

So too Tino Best. For all his 90mph pace, energy and enthusiasm, a return of 57 wickets in 25 Tests at 40 each is not a recommendation for continuation.

Shannon Gabriel, 25, and the left-armer Sheldon

Cottrell, 24, carried real hopes of two tall, strong bowlers capable of intimidating pace to partner the injured Kemar Roach when his shoulder surgery mends sufficiently for his return. On the tour technical flaws were revealed that now need attention from the coaches.

Jerome Taylor’s reappearance for Jamaica in the Super50 is encouraging news. His unforgettable 5 for 11 opening burst which blew England away for 51 in their second innings at Sabina Park in 2009 highlighted his quality as a pacy swing bowler. He had 82 wickets from 29 Tests, with a hundred and a 50 to boot, before, for several reasons, he disappeared off the radar in 2010. Now 29, there are hopeful expectations for his first season back.

There are a host of others who have already made their names with the A team - the left-hand batsmen Jonathan Carter and Leon Johnson, the quick bowlers Miguel Cummins and Delorn Johnson, for instance - who must realise that now is the time to seize the moment.

West Indies cricket is certainly crying out for a regeneration. (Cricinfo)

Planet Paintball Guyana engages Dr Anthony

– setting up of paintball association, security concerns discussed

In 2012, Planet Paintball

Guyana emerged to give some lovers of sport an opportunity to engage each other in friendly fire. Since then, the sport has grown in popularity and is forcing Planet Paintball Guyana to pioneer a structure for the sport.

It is on that note that the team recently met with Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony at his Main Street Georgetown office where setting up Guyana’s first Paintball Association was the most topical issue discussed.

“The best way to properly control the sport and at least make sure that it is played in a structured way is to set up an association and get affiliated with the National Sports Commission (NSC). So I would advise you to reach out to everyone who plays the game, those who frequent your facilities, and have them on board,” Dr. Anthony said.

DCB/Raj

The group’s concerns of the growing popularity of the sport in Guyana are always that of security since the markers or guns are evolving and are now being made to resemble some of the world’s most dangerous high powered rifle/weapons.

The minister heard of cases where persons were stopped and locked up by the police for carrying the guns openly because of its resemblance to real weapons.

“That’s something of great concern,” noted Dr. Anthony.

Singh Insurance Brokers/Trophy Stall over-40 20-over competition...

Mavericks, Tigers to battle in final today

West Bank Demerara Mavericks and Upper East Coast Tigers will battle in the final of the DCB/Raj Singh Insurance Brokers/Trophy Stall over-40, 20-over competition at Everest Cricket Club ground from 13:00 hours today.

Mavericks and Tigers recorded convincing victories in their semi-final matchups against Lower East Coast Bulls and West Coast Demerara Seals respectively on Friday at the Everest Cricket Club ground. In the first match, Mavericks thrashed Bulls by five wickets. Batting first, Bulls were bowled out for 96 in 18.2 overs. B Persaud top-scored with 26, while

V Gobin and C. Gangadin were the other batsmen who reached double-figures. The destroyer with the ball was Sham Persaud, who captured 2-1 from two overs, one of which was a maiden. In reply, Mavericks reached 97-5 in 15.2 overs. Deoram Persaud and Eon Williams were among the runs with 24 each. They got support from Imran Sullivan and Sham Persaud with 10 and 11 respectively. Persaud was adjudged manof-the-match for his good allround performance. Meanwhile, the second semi-final was a high scoring encounter. Tigers hammered Seals by nine wickets in 14.1 overs. Seals took to the crease first and

amassed 155-6 in their allotted 20 overs. Rabindranauth Seeram led the way with 76 and got good support from Asgar Nazarali, who made 27.

Anil Persaud was the pick of the bowlers with 2-14 from two overs, while Eon Abel took 1-6 from two overs.

Tigers chased down the runs brilliantly, reaching 156-1. After demolishing the Seals bowlers and taking the game away from then, Abel was run out three runs short of a century. Abel and Shiek Mohamed (27) shared an opening partnership of 148 runs. Abel took the man-of-the-match honours for his outstanding allround display.

"The thing is, you have to find a way to get the people together, I don’t think at this stage, nothing much can be done other than talking to them and warning them not carry the weapons in the open, because it would the instinct of the police to react

if they see something looking like a real gun. But you have to get a constitution, have them form little groups and have them affiliated,” he added.

Research shows several Paintball Associations/ Federations were formed

around the world as way of controlling the sport.

In some countries, like Cyrus and Australia, the police control the sport while some provinces of the island continent, the law states that only a license firearm holder is permitted to carry the weapon.

In some parts of Europe and USA, the laws that govern the sport are much stricter since the game is also used by the aforementioned countries’ military for training.

The group informed the minister that a draft constitution is already in place and as such, has decided to meet with the stakeholders of the game in Guyana by March 12, though a venue is yet to be named.

Minister Anthony encourage the body to keep him in the “know” during the process of being fully attached to the National Sports Commission (NSC).

Multi-million dollar resource centre commissioned

“we’re trying to bring some structure to what we’re doing,”

says Dr Anthony

Mavericks, Tigers to battle in final today

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

With the aim of providing a central location where athletes and administrators alike can be edified on the intricacies of their respective disciplines, the multi-million dollar National Sports Resource Centre was commissioned on Friday afternoon by Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony.

Located in the compound of the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue, opposite the Government Technical Institute (GTI), the two-storey building houses a library, a set of computers and a conference room that caters for 75 persons.

Educational component

Delivering feature remarks at the opening ceremony on Friday, Dr Anthony said that since there is an educational component to sport, “we have to provide training opportunities for persons who in turn can train others.”

It is against this background that courses will be offered at the centre, while lectures will be deliv-

ered and research can be conducted.

Dr Anthony related that the administration will be working to ensure that proper certification is done, as it is imperative that coaches and administrators are properly qualified.

He said the conference room will be made available to all the national associations at a “minimal cost”, as “we’re trying to bring some structure to what we’re doing.”

The issue of doping will also be addressed through several avenues, while the setting up of a sport medicine association to help athletes and officials through injuries would be established soon.

Dr Anthony further stated that the ultimate aim is to develop the centre into a sport institute, where full-time courses can be offered.

“This is a stepping stone in that direction,” he concluded.

New era

Sport Director Neil Kum-ar said the commissioning of the facility is the beginning of a “new era” for sports in Guyana. He said the construction of

such a facility was the vision of Dr Anthony that would help the country to advance to the highest level in sports.

Kumar said the sporting fraternity can look forward to quality training and meaningful engagements as the centre will serve a hub for the development of the various disciplines.

National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Conrad Plummer, said he is hopeful the centre would be utilised by all the associations, as that is the aim of having such a facility.

He urged the local governing bodies to grab at the opportunity.

The ceremony was attended by several distinguished Guyanese, including Professor Clem Seecharan, Dr Ian McDonald, Dr Rupert Roopnarine, Dr Tota Mangar, Alfred King and representatives of several associations/boards/federations.

Immediately after the commissioning ceremony, Professor Seecharan delivered the first lecture in the conference room titled, “The History and Development of Guyana and West Indies Cricket: 1890 to 1960.”

Chanderpaul, Campbelle head sports awards list

West Indies players, veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Shemaine Campbelle, won the senior Sportsman and Woman-ofthe-Year 2013 awards after a panel of judges assembled by the National Sports Commission (NSC) on Friday elected the top performers of the past year

The left-handed Chanderpaul was the Caribbean’s highest Test runscorer in the format last year, notching up 523 runs from seven games at an aver-

age of 58.1 with two centuries (108 vs Zimbabwe and 122 not out against New Zealand).

Chanderpaul gained seven votes from a panel of 14, while powerlifter Winston Frank Stoby copped five votes in the second round of voting to lift the runner-up Sportsman-ofthe-Year accolade.

During the period under review, Stoby defended his world title against a lifter four years his junior unsuccessfully, but after competing in the 74kg Masters 2 Category, he set a new Deadlift World Record (WR) with another im-

pressive performance at the 31st World Masters Men’s Powerlifting Championships in Orlando, Florida.

Stoby shattered his old Deadlift World Record of 260kg achieved in 2012 in Texas with a new record of 277.5kg to win the gold medal, but had to settle for second overall to the USA’s Gregory Page.

During last year, he also participated as a member of the Guyana team that defended their Open title successfully, capturing the gold medal in his weight class.

Campbelle, who was nominated prior to the voting process for that category, was again outstanding on the international circuit for the regional side.

After the first round of voting, Campbelle got four votes, while Guyana national women’s hockey goalkeeper Alysa Xavier captured fives votes.

Last year’s Sportswomanof-the-Year Nicolette Fernandes gained two votes and athletics queen Alika Morgan with three votes were the other nominees.

However, after none of the

candidates secured the stipulated 50 per cent of the votes, a second round of voting was required.

During this round, Campbelle got ten votes, while Xavier received four. Xavier was therefore named runner-up Sportswoman-ofthe-Year.

Table-tennis player Chelsea Edghill was voted junior Sportswoman-of-theYear, with CARIFTA 1500 metres gold medalist Cassie George getting 13 votes in the second round of voting for the runner-up Junior Sportswoman.

The exciting young athlete, Carifta 400 metres bronze medalists Jason Yaw, captured eight votes for junior Sportsman-of-the-Year, with table tennis player Sherman Britton the runner-up Junior Sportsman.

Boxing coach Terrence Pool, with seven votes, won Coach-of-the-Year.

The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) got the nod for Sports Associationof-the-Year, capturing seven votes, while the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) was voted Most Improved Association, gaining 12 votes.