saturday, october 5, 2013 | guyanatimesgy.com
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER
MESSAGE FROM THE GUYANA TEACHERS’ UNION
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“We must not give up the struggle,” Jagdeo says ... as he renews calls for global resolve on climate change
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo returned to Guyana earlier this week after completing a series of meetings in the U.S., in connection with his global roles on climate change and economic development.
While in New York, the former president participated in the Clinton Global Initiative, joining heads of state and other world leaders, alongside major business and non-governmental executives and activists, in a series of events over several days led by former U.S.
President Bill Clinton. At the same event, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and current U.S. President Barack Obama spoke of the need to focus on major international issues, including healthcare, securing greater opportunities for women, climate change and global food and resource security.
Leaders
On Monday, the global High Level Advisory Committee to the Climate Justice Dialogue –which includes former President Jagdeo, other former presidents and leaders from the fields of politics, science, business, civil society and academia – issued a Declaration on Climate Justice.
The declaration calls on world leaders to take bold action on climate change and create a future that is fair for all. The declaration is an initiative of
the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice and the World Resources Institute (WRI).
“The time for radical leadership on climate change is now. With 2015 set as the deadline for both a new climate agreement and the post-2015 development agenda, we are at the point in human development where we need to act to protect,” said Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and the president of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice.
Task
Andrew Steer, president and CEO of the WRI said “The task is to ensure that the transition to a low-carbon climate resilient world looks out for the interests of all people.”
On Wednesday, former President Jagdeo chaired the Commonwealth Expert Group on Climate Finance – a group established by the Commonwealth secretary general to advise Commonwealth heads of government on ways to improve access to climate finance for some of the world’s most vulnerable countries, especially small island states and lesser developed countries in Africa.
On Friday, former President Jagdeo led a meeting of the Assembly of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), in his role as president of the assembly. Representatives from the 19 member states of GGGI
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo
elected new members to the GGGI Council, and discussed GGGI’s strategy.
The chair of the GGGI Council, former Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen, updated members on the work that GGGI is carrying out across the world to promote green growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America – where GGGI aims to support a transformative shift in economic development opportunities for the people of countries such as Ethiopia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Kiribati, all of whom are seeking to draw on global best practice for low carbon development and green growth.
Former President Jagdeo was a founding board member of GGGI, and became president of the assembly after it became the world’s newest
international organisation in October 2012. The former president also participated in a series of bilateral meetings to advance the global climate change and green growth agenda.
Stay strong
Speaking at the end of the week, the former president said: “We must not give up on the struggle to show the world that it is possible to create new models of development, where climate change can be confronted at the same time as generating prosperity and well-being for all the world’s people.
"And we must be resolute in making sure that everyone understands that the solutions will come from the peoples and countries of today’s developing world.
"Some people say that the problem is too hard to solve, and they retreat in the face of setbacks. But such defeatism is of no use to the hundreds of millions of poor people who are already suffering.
"This week, we heard with even more certainty than before that the scientific evidence on climate change is overwhelming.
"World leaders, businesspeople and all those with influence or power need to step up to the challenge, and accept that they have a responsibility to act.”
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
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The Home Affairs Ministry (MOHA) announced that Cabinet has approved the establishment and urgent deployment of a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit within the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Such a unit has been mooted since the beginning of the millennium when the crimes became qualitatively different from what had prevailed when the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would have been formulated.
Starting from the 1980s, guns were used in tandem with gratuitous violence by the bandits to commit what were dubbed “kick-down-the-door” crimes. At the time, it was suspected that the guns were sourced from rogue law enforcement officials and that the bandits were politically directed.
By the end of the decade, then President Desmond Hoyte introduced a new elite unit in the GPF, the Target Special Squad (TSS – “Black Clothes”) as a heavier-armed section of the Tactical Service Unit (TSU – “Brown Clothes”) to stamp out the banditry.
Ironically, when armed banditry rose to new and astounding heights a decade after the People’s National Congress (PNC) demoted office, Hoyte, now the opposition leader stridently denounced the TSS and demanded its disbandment. At that time, in addition to kidnapping, murder, robberies and holding practically the entire East Coast of Demerara under siege, the bandits had sequestered themselves in the village of Buxton.
They directly challenged the state by killing 12 policemen and one Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) officer in 2002. The TSS was eventually disbanded even though this was supposed to be subsequent to the “the urgent establishment of a fully trained, equipped and operational special Emergency Response Unit (ERU) led by professional officers with clear operational guidelines”. This was promised by then President Bharrat Jagdeo in the same year.
By August 2004, it was reported that over 100 individuals had been trained for the “crack unit” by experts from the London Metropolitan Police. At a public demonstration of the techniques imbibed by the squad, then Commissioner of Police Winston Felix revealed that he had recommended such a squad and training after he had himself returned from training in London 2001, when he was a deputy commissioner.
Felix noted the changing nature of crime in which high calibre weapons had become standard and posited that the GPF must be in a position to respond effectively. Felix said that it was his plan to establish such units throughout the country.
However the squad was never deployed and under Commissioner Felix, its members were reabsorbed into the regular force, even as the level of violent crimes intensified to include the massacres of Agricola, Lusignan and Bartica. Today, once again, the same Felix, now the opposition member of Parliament with responsibility for home affairs is questioning the need for a SWAT unit, even as armed crimes are rising ominously.
His boss, Opposition Leader David Granger, has also asserted that a SWAT unit is unnecessary and criticised the aborted initiative in 2004 without mentioning that it was his point man Felix who was responsible for the unit not to be deployed, much less replicated throughout the country as promised.
The present brass of the GPF, however, is all as one on the need for a SWAT unit, which is in consonance with modern policing practice. Today, about 90 per cent of all police forces in U.S. cities with a population of 50,000 or more have some kind of SWAT unit, while 70 per cent of smaller municipalities have them. That equates to roughly 1200 SWAT teams in the United States.
We believe that while the first unit might be formed in Georgetown, as was the case in 2004, we should move very swiftly to replicate them in every division.
Since the effectiveness of such squads necessitate continuous training, and the members should be drawn from the more proficient ranks of the GPF, the higher pay and status of these SWAT unit members should have a positive demonstrator effect on the rest of the force.
Dear Editor,
Hindus are currently observing one of our very, and perhaps most sacred and auspicious festival – Navaraatri. In its literal sense, it is nine nights of worship, prayer, introspection and scriptural recommitment.
Religious observances, traditional worship have, at times, more than one significance. Apart from them being the adoration of the divine, they are commemorative of thrilling bygone events, allegoric when interpreted from the occult standpoint, and are significant pointers guiding man on the path of God-realisation.
Nava-raatri is one such event. Outwardly, the nine days of worship are featured with wide performances of ritualistic worship. It is dedicated to worship of God as mother – the feminine aspect in three prominent names; namely Durgaa, Lakshmee and Saraswatee.
However, underlying all outward engagements during this occasion, there must be a more sublime and profound inward transformation of life, that every spiritual aspirant seeks to undergo. This deeper purpose of Nava-raatri is captured in its division of three sets of three nights each, to which the spiritual aspirant in his life of spiritual pursuits adore the different aspects of the supreme Goddess.
This has got a very sublime, yet thoroughly practical, truth to reveal. In its
cosmic aspect, it epitomises the stages of the evolution of man into God, from manhood to Godhood. In its individual import, it shows the course that his spiritual pursuits should take.
The central purpose of existence is to recognise your eternal identity with the supreme spirit. It is to grow into the image of the divine. The supreme one embodies the highest perfection. It is spotless purity, “Niranjana”. To recognise your identity with that, to attain union with that, is verily to grow into the very likeness of the divine.
The spiritual seeker has, therefore, as the initial step, to get rid of the countless impurities and the un-divine elements that have come to cling to him in his embodied state. This transformation is to be had during the first three nights (first segment of Nava-raatri), where the supreme is worshipped as Mother Durgaa.
Then he has to acquire lofty virtues and auspicious divine qualities. This happens in the second three nights of the season, wherein the Goddess as Lakshmee is adored. Thus purified and rendered full of purity and goodness, Knowledge flashes upon him like the brilliant rays of the sun upon the crystal waters of a perfectly calm lake. This is to be had in the final section of Nava-raatri in which Saraswatee is worshipped.
This arrangement has also a special significance in
the aspirant’s spiritual evolution. It marks the stages of evolution which are indispensable for every seeker of spirituality, through which everyone should pass. One naturally leads to the other, and to short-circuit this would inevitably result in a miserable failure.
Nowadays, many ignorant spiritual seekers aim straight at the appropriation of knowledge without the preliminaries of purification and acquisition of divine qualities, and complain that they are not progressing in the path. How can they? Knowledge will not descend till the impurities are washed out and purity is developed. The pure and good plant can grow on no impure soil.
Therefore, Nava-raatri, if observed as pointed out above, brings man to realise his higher self and to feel the supreme spirit within – all of which helps in the journey of realising the ultimate goal – to merge with the supreme.
There are two birds on the same tree. One is perched at the top and the other below. The bird which is sitting on the top is perfectly serene, silent and majestic at all times. It is ever blissful. The other bird, which is perching on the lower branches, eats the sweet and bitter fruits by turns. It dances in joy sometimes. It is miserable at other times. It rejoices now and weeps after some time. Sometimes it tastes an ex-
tremely bitter fruit and gets disgusted. It looks up and beholds the other wonderful bird with golden plumage which is ever blissful. It also wishes to become like the bird with golden plumage, but soon forgets everything. Again it begins to eat the sweet and bitter fruits. It eats another fruit that is exceedingly bitter and feels very miserable. It again tries to become like the upper bird. Gradually, it abandons eating the fruits, and becomes serene and blissful like the upper bird. The upper bird is God – the supreme spirit within. The lower bird is the individual who reaps the fruits of his deeds, namely, pleasure and pain.
He gets knocks and blows in the battle of life. He rises up and again falls down as the senses drag him down. Gradually he develops dispassion and discrimination, turns his mind towards God, practises meditation, attains self-realisation and enjoys the eternal bliss of God, which is the end goal of life.
Nava-raatri must foster and help in meeting this end. In essence, Nava-raatri is a call for spiritual awakening.
Yours sincerely, Pandit Charranlall Nandalall, Secretary, Sanatan Vedic Dharma Pandits’ Sabha, Region Three
You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com
Dear Editor,
On September 17 last, I was booked on a Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) flight bound for North America, when a most disturbing, at the same time revealing, incident took place at the Piarco International Airport, Trinidad. I believe readers will find it both instructive and informative.
It seems to be the policy that all passengers from Guyana with connecting flights, in my case to North America, have to pass through the local security again. As a matter of fact, this much was actually said when some passengers asked why another security check was necessary.
In these days of heightened airport security and the claims of drug infiltration from Guyana, this seemed a reasonable, though an inconvenient exercise, yet one was happy to comply. Of course, you have no choice.
The problem I encountered was with the security personnel at the CAL boarding gate. I was subjected to a second security examination, an unusually intense and meticulous one. The only thing that was left to be done it seemed to me at that time was to have my carry-on case torn apart.
All my books, including my copy of the Bhagavad Gita, were leafed through with the most detailed scrutiny. I was ordered to switch on my laptop computer. My cellphone was removed from the carry-on and details on it including my list of contacts checked.
Never have I been subjected to such an intense security search, not even in North America or Europe. But I realised that all this
was necessary and felt that my selection for scrutiny was quite random.
Though it did bother me after all my personal belongings were unceremoniously dumped in the carry-on by an uncouth and ill-trained security person, I took it all in stride and began making my way into the aircraft when the same staffer asked me a question that led to a confrontation and threatened to have me not being able to travel.
Imagine my utter consternation and shock when at the end of this unbelievably intense and meticulous security check, the staff member asked me if I was a Muslim. I was for a moment utterly speechless and humiliated. In an instant I had a first-hand insight into what profiling is. Of course, I not only refused to answer the question but asked the individual instead what the security check had to do with whether I was believed to be a Muslim or not. I was asked the question again and again refused, adding that I was quite prepared to be taken off the flight if it came to that but I was not going to answer that question, even if it meant simply saying yes or no, as was demanded.
When it became evident that I was not going to cooperate, the same security person called out another traveller from the line of passengers who were in the meantime boarding the plane leaving me standing nearby rather sheepishly without telling me whether or not I was free to go.
On my own, I decided to board the plane, half expecting to hear alarms go-
ing off. Nothing happened.
Upon entering the aircraft, I promptly reported the matter to the first attendant I met. She could not understand why I was asked whether I was a Muslim, but promised to have a supervisor come on board and speak with me on the matter. It goes without saying that the flight departed with no supervisor in sight. To her credit, the attendant did advise me, in her words, to “put pen on paper”, though I doubt whether she meant a letter to the editor of a newspaper.
It is known that Muslims on the whole are subjected to profiling at airports in many parts of the world. Given the times in which we live, this too does not seem surprising.
What did take my breath away was the awareness that the profiling seemed to be happening right here at home, in our own region. I am confident that I was subjected to that overzealous interrogation and scrutiny because of the mode of my dress and because I was believed to be a Muslim.
The cultural ignorance and illiteracy of the security personnel, a problem in and of itself, is not the issue here. The issue is whether or not CAL does have a policy of profiling Muslims and whether it too believes that every Muslim is assumed to be a terrorist unless proven otherwise, as the passenger next to me said with absolute omniscience when I related the incident after he enquired of me as to the reason for the hold up.
Yours faithfully, Swami
Aksharananda
What a tangled web we weave
Dear Editor, I have noted with disbelief, the recent public statements of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) and the Guyana Association of Women’s Lawyers (GAWL). Instead of offering a critical comment on the atrocities allegedly committed by Nigel Hughes in the Lusignan massacre murder trial, they both sought not only to defend him by their refusal to merely issue a critical statement, but they proceeded to attack Attorney General Anil Nandlall for requesting a comment from their associations.
Well, the GBA and GAWL have spoken and for that I am grateful. Their now public position has finally removed their masks and all doubts. The Guyanese public can now see their true faces. The attorney-general framed it nicely that “in the war against crime, there are but only two sides. You either stand on the side of the law and the law abiding, or you stand on the side of crime and the criminals”. Now that the GBA and GAWL have officially spoken, the nation is now aware on which side of the divide they stand. This has not only cleared the doubts in the minds of many, but has confirmed the suspicions of many.
The GBA claims that the allegations of professional misconduct against
Hughes committed in a court of law is not within their remit even to comment on. I am appalled. The GAWL was even more outrageous. They argue that it is not within their mandate to comment publicly on issues which are “not perceived to concern them”. What a bizarre statement!
The record will show, however, that over the years, both of these organisations have issued a plethora of statements about matters which are “outside their remit” and “which do not concern them”.
Some of these statements were issued while Hughes was president of the GBA. I recall statements issued criticising the government on innumerable occasions.
They issued statements condemnatory of the police for alleging throwing methylated spirits on the genitals of a teenager.
They issued statements condemnatory of Henry Greene, former commissioner of police and a lawyer when the director of public prosecutions advised that he should be charged with rape.
They issued a statement quite recently calling for local government elections. I can list another hundred of these statements.
None of these statements concern matters
which are in the “remit” or the GBA or “perceived to concern” the GAWL.
On what basis, did they issue these statements? Are these organisations contaminated by politics and therefore, are only activated to be critical of the government or some person connected to the government.
The truth is that the executives of these two learned organisations have embarrassed themselves and their honourable profession. One now wonders how they will ever be able to issue another statement again, on matters which organisations like theirs should really make statements. Oh what a tangled web we weave!
Significantly, I have looked at the aims and objectives which are contained in the mission statement of the GBA. It includes “to lay down rules regarding the etiquette and practice of the legal profession and to uphold the rule of law”.
The GBA’s position therefore, that it is beyond their remit to even comment on Hughes’ conduct is more than mindboggling. Sadly, as a result of this saga, the GBA and GAWL are two organisations whose credibility is now severely damaged, perhaps beyond repair.
Yours sincerely, Faruk Mohamed
BY SHARON M TISZA
Developmentally, it is expected that young children will have a difficult time controlling their emotions, particularly if tired, hungry or stressed. Toddlers and preschoolers often lack the selfcontrol necessary to express anger and other unpleasant emotions peacefully. When this happens it is important for the child’s caregiver to be able to provide him or her with the support to deal with these difficult and uncomfortable feelings. Children learn a lot through their parents’ modelling of behaviours and this is the main reason for par ents needing to be most in control when their children are feeling out of control. If a father or mother joins the child in an uncontrollable emo tional state, the situation will like ly worsen because the child will feel less safe and more out of control.
Luckily for their parents, most children want to please their par ents. Parents can therefore use this to their advantage when deciding how to discipline children. When a parent shows joy for a behaviour that is good, the child will be pos itively reinforced for doing this be haviour. On the other hand if a parent shows disapproval for a be haviour, the child is less likely to re peat this behaviour given the ba sic principle that children want to please their parents.
Discipline is the system in which parents guide and teach their children. This word is of ten confused with the term pun ishment. The purpose of discipline is to teach children the difference
between right and wrong, to tolerate delayed gratification and to incorporate a sense of limits and appropriate behaviour. Teaching discipline is a challenging task for parents and caregivers and not one that is taught overnight. It takes many years for most children to be able to achieve self-control. Also, as children grow and develop, so do the types of things that they must be taught. The method of discipline must grow and change with the child. Caregivers need to be flexible because of changes in children and their environment as children ma-
rewards and include smiles, hugs, kisses, words or praise, eye contact and attention. Other rewards include activity rewards such as going to the park or helping to bake cookies and material rewards like ice cream, money or a compact disc. Social rewards are the most powerful, easiest to give and least expensive. The other types of rewards should be used less often. It is important for parents to remember that they are the most important reward for their children. It is very important to keep in mind that especially in younger children rewards need to immediately follow the be-
* Avoid accidentally rewarding bad behaviour. This will strengthen the bad behaviour and is a very easy trap for parents to fall into. One example is when a child whines to get their parents attention. If a parent gives the child attention while they are whining, even if this attention is to yell at their child, it will act to reward the bad behaviour of whining. Parents are very prone to making this mistake, especially if preoccupied with another activity like making dinner, talking on the phone or having a
* Punish some bad behaviour by using mild punishment. Examples of mild punishment include time-
out, scolding, natural consequences and logical consequences.
Time-out is a very effective form of mild punishment. Timeout literally means time-out from all the things the child enjoys, for example – rewards, parent’s attention, reinforcement, toys, music and all other interesting activities. Timeout has two major goals. The immediate goal is the stop the problem behaviour as quickly as possible and the long-term goal is to help the child learn self-discipline. The good thing about time-out is that it does not emotionally harm the child and it models calm and good behaviour on the parent’s part. Time-out works best with children age two to 12. This method should be considered with certain types of behaviours including impulsive, aggressive, hostile and emotional behaviours. Time-out does not work to get a child to begin doing a behaviour, but it is very effective in stopping bad behaviours.
Time-out can be used initially with one or two target behaviours and once the parent and child get used to the technique it can be expanded to more problem behaviours. Getting started with time-out should occur after caregivers agree on this as a form of mild punishment. It should then be explained to the child before it is initially used so the child can understand what to expect the first time it is used. The child should immediately be placed in a very boring and safe predetermined location using up to 10 words in less than 10 seconds from the time the target behaviour occurred. (Hawaii.edu)
Positive reinforcement is a technique used by parents and caregivers to modify their children’s behaviour by reinforcing desired behaviours. This technique has proven effective for parents, teachers, coaches, leaders, and anyone responsible for a child or group of children.
The fact that it does not use pain, punishment, intimidation, yelling, degradation, humiliation, shame, guilt or other things that can hurt the child, their selfesteem, emotional growth, wellbeing or their relationship with parent or caregiver has made positive reinforcement popular around the world and used in many classrooms.
Positive reinforcement is a familiar enough term in modern society. It is a method of behaviour modification and a component of operant conditioning, which is one theory of Behaviourism, which itself is one of several paradigms within the theme of learning theory, which again is one of many themes within the subject of psychology. It is also used for animal training but this article is focused on positive reinforcement for children.
Positive reinforcement for children: The adding of a result or consequence that the child finds pleasant, dependent on the occurrence of a certain behaviour or response by the child, which results in an increase in the likelihood of that behaviour or response in the child, because of the added result or consequence.
History
Positive reinforcement was pioneered by such giants in the field of psychology as Ivan Pavlov, Edward L Thorndike, John B Watson and BF Skinner. Pavlov is familiar for his experiments with dogs salivating when hearing a bell which they had been conditioned to associate with food. His work uncovered what came to be known as classical conditioning.
Although many other people before and since have contributed to our understanding of positive reeinforcement, no one has done more to bring it to the forefront of the modern consciousness than BF Skinner. Skinner coined the term operant conditioning and did extensive work on its components including and especially positive reinforcement.
Operant conditioning
The umbrella term used to describe the behaviour modification techniques known as reinforcement and punishment as well as the concept of extinction. Reinforcement breaks down further into positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement while punishment breaks down into positive punishment and negative punishment.
Reinforcers
When the desired behaviour is done by the child, a reward known as a reinforcer is presented to the child. Reinforcers are anything that motivate the child in question and can range from tangible items to pleasurable activities or social recognition.
(Positive Reinforcement For Kids)
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has expressed dissatisfaction with the pace at which the establishment of the tripartite budget committee has been proceeding.
Speaking at the coalition’s press conference, opposition and APNU leader David Granger stated that his grouping has been demanding that a tripartite budget committee be set up since 2011; however, none has been established.
The opposition leader pointed out the importance of such a committee for the smooth flow of parliamentary discussions surrounding the national budget.
“Because the budget is such an important instru-
ment, what we hope to do is to arrive at consensual outcomes, so both sides would be aware of the concerns of each other and they will work within the committee to have those concerns addressed rather than going to Parliament and hearing about measures for the first time and then trying to make adjustments on the floor,” Granger explained. He noted that those adjustments can be made within eight to nine months outside the National Assembly.
The opposition leader highlighted that President Donald Ramotar had indicated that consultations for the committee would begin in July and while there were some communications be-
APartnership for National Unity (APNU) Chairman and Opposition Leader David Granger is calling on the government to divert funds, which are being allocated to state-owned media houses, to fundamental regulatory agencies to enhance their operations.
At the coalition’s weekly press conference on Friday, the opposition leader said regulatory and law enforcement agencies with troubled images such as the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) are being deprived of adequate resources and finances, hence their capability to effectively function is being stifled.
Granger stated that the ruling party, which is celebrating its 21st year in office today, has strengthened state authoritarianism by weakening the stature of these and regulatory institutions.
“It tried to subordinate the National Assembly to the executive branch of government. It undermined the independence of the public service. It obstructed the installation of important constitutional organs, such as the ombudsman and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, which were created to provide protection for the public from executive lawlessness,” Granger said.
The opposition leader noted that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has failed to address some of the most pressing problems Guyana is facing such as the public security crisis. He added that the state still has not accepted any responsibilities for the high rate of armed robberies, murderous maritime piracy, rampant gun-running, trafficking in persons, contraband smuggling, and other violent crimes.
Granger claimed that the PPP/C has also determinedly failed to address the basic needs of the masses and
tween Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and APNU’s shadow finance minister, Carl Greenidge, his party cannot make any meaningful contributions to the preparation of the budget if the required data is not provided to them.
He said: “APNU feels that the National Budget is so important that the three parties – APNU, the PPP/C [People’s Progressive Party/ Civic] and AFC [Alliance For Change] – must sit down and actually design the budget. Now, the budget requires a lot of information so mere consultations could not provide APNU with the
volume of information that it needs.”
Non-binding recommendations
The opposition leader pointed out that while there are no bills, ordinance or convention which can force an executive government to be bound by the deliberations of a tripartite budget committee, the establishment of such a committee will enable all the parties to better deal with the issues affecting them.
He stated that APNU did not expect the committee’s recommendations to be binding, noting that there will always be differences; how-
ever, it was only concerned with the important elements of the budget, such as poverty alleviation, job creation, taxation, and social protection.
“We feel because of the proportionality of the votes, government will be obliged to consider some of those measures apply to the floor and we could be more understanding of government priorities,” he said.
Granger disclosed that the APNU is looking to propose to the National Assembly that a parliamentary office for budget be established, which will deal with issues of the National
advance local democracy.
Through his party, he called on the PPP/C to embrace the common good and to forsake authoritarianism, which has debilitated national institutions.
National unity
Meanwhile, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the largest coalition partner, which is also headed by Granger, celebrated its 56th anniversary on Friday and restated its commitment towards working to achieve national unity in Guyana. The party was founded on October 5.
A statement issued by the party quoted PNCR’s founding leader Forbes Burnham who was at the time speaking at the party’s second Biennial Congress in August 1977: “The need for national unity is axiomatic and cannot be questioned. Where differences of opinion arise, they do so in respect of the means of achieving such unity on a class basis.”
The party stated that the PNCR recognises that the economic, political and social situation has changed over the years, but need for national unity still persists. Granger said the PNCR has taken the opportunity to become part of a partnership, which seeks to adopt the best “means of achieving” national unity by combining its efforts with others.
Budget so as to iron out all the uneasiness and prevent some of the “car crashes”, which happen every year in the National Assembly.
The 2013 budget consultations between the three parties ended on a bad note, since they could not reach consensus. As a result, the opposition parties gutted the budget by $31.4 billion from $208.8 billion to $177.4 billion. Two of the major cuts were monies allocated for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project and the specialty hospital project. At present, the government is seeking to have the funds restored.
saturday, october 5, 2013| guyanatimesgy.com
Aclothes vendor was on Friday remanded to prison after she appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry to answer to the charge of possession of narcotics.
Michelle Fernandes of Lot 14 West La Penitence Housing Scheme, Georgetown pleaded not guilty to the charge which
stated that on October 3 at West La Penitence Housing Scheme, she had in her possession 78.4 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
According to the facts, on the day in question, police ranks acting on information went to the defendant’s home where a search was conducted. Fernandes was observed throwing a bulky black plastic bag over the fence then ran
into the house where she changed her clothes.
The ranks drew their attention to the bag which contained 86 ziplock bags filled with leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis. Fernandes was told of the offence and denied having any knowledge of the drug. She was subsequently arrested and charged.
Prosecutor Mangru objected to bail stating that
On Friday, an interior worker was remanded to prison after he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry to answer to the charge against him.
there were no special reasons given for it to be granted. Chief Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry refused bail and transferred the matter to Court Three for a trial date.
In Court Three, Attorney George Thomas told Magistrate Judy Latchman that he will be representing the defendant. The matter is set to return to Court Three on October 9 at 13:30h.
...of Guyanese politics
Ok...Ok...we didn’t make a mistake. We know that it’s usually “Alpha and Omega” to signify “the beginning and the end”. But what if you want to talk about “the end and the beginning”?? Ahhh...you see where we’re heading? We knew today is the anniversary of the “rebirth of democracy” – but we didn’t know it was also the day the People’s National Congress (PNC) was founded. Now do you see the irony and the connection? Point is, for those who are still groggy (no morning coffee yet?), the PNC, which killed democracy in our fair land...was born on the same day that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) brought it back to life in 1992! Omega and Alpha!! And what a birth. Forbes Burnham tried every which way to seize the leadership of the PPP from Dr Cheddi Jagan...and failed.
Travis Porter of Lot 504 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on September 23 at West Ruimveldt, he attempted to murder Shamar Porter. According to the facts, the complainant and accused are cousins. On the day in question, Sharmar borrowed a cellphone from Travis after which an argument ensued. The accused then dealt his cousin several chops which left him hospitalised for a few days. Travis later admitted to hitting the victim with a wood and was subsequently arrested and charged.
court that he has one prior run-in with the law for simple larceny.
Prosecutor Bharat Mangru objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness and penalty attached to such an offence and stated that the two are known to each and there is a likelihood the accused will tamper with the defendant.
TThe accused told the
Chief Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry refused bail and the matter stands adjourned to October 18.
he man accused of murdering 33-yearold Jules Walker of Lot 7 Ogle Front, East Coast Demerara, made his first court appearance on Friday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Delon Glasglow was not required to plead to the indictable charge which read that between August 1011, at Georgetown, he murdered Walker.
According to Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, on the night in question, the two men were seen in the company of each other and on the following day, Walker’s body was discovered in a trench on Princes Street. An investigation was carried out where the accused was pointed out in an identification (ID) parade. The prosecutor also stated that there are 11 witnesses for the matter.
Chief Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry refused bail and Glasglow was remanded to prison. The matter is set to return to court on November 4 where preliminary inquires will commence.
Egged on by the British, the ambitious Burnham had challenged Dr Jagan with his faction of the PPP (PPP-B) at the elections of 1957. But he was defeated so badly that even he conceded he had no claim on the PPP’s name. And so on October 5, 1957, the PNC was spawned. And setting the stage for the divisions that still plague us.
Burnham unleashed the genie of race from its bottle when he launched the PNC...and we’ve never been able to get it back in since. Once he imbued the PNC with the race card, the death of democracy at his hands was inevitable. In a democracy, how the heck was he ever going to win free and fair elections when the group he mobilised was a minority?
Rigging was only one option for him. He also spoke candidly of buying out pliable members of the PPP – as he also did with his erstwhile coalition partner, the United Force (UF). If all of that didn’t work, he would’ve just as easily stirred up a coup as so many other banana republics’ leaders did.
Anyhow, we did eventually get rid of his regime. “Time”, they assure us, “is longer than twine”. But the disciple he sent off to Mons and placed in the army as a backup (for the coup, if needed) is now leader of the PNC – and the opposition. And he’s chomping at the bit to get into the saddle his founder leader rode so long – 28 years!!!
Well, all we can assure him as our democracy becomes 21 today is this: he has a long wait coming! It’s all grown up and won’t be subverted so easily.
...of killing development
With the change of government in 1992, we also know that it was the end – the Omega – of the destructive policies inflicted by the PNC on the economy. This had made us the second poorest country in the hemisphere – just above Haiti. No matter how some may want to cut it, slice it or dice it – none can deny the fact there has been a complete turnaround in the economy. We may all wish that we’d have caught up with the U.S. by now...but then there’s the “Alphas” of the opposition to deal with, no?
What have been some of these opposition’s “new beginnings” to stymie development? As the government worked to remove the killing debt burdens, there were the direct attacks on the state launched by the opposition, for one. The government overcame that challenge using “any means necessary”.
Now they’ve taken a different tact. With us having the highest growth rate in the region, the opposition’s now declared they won’t recognise any contract for the mega projects that can take us into “developed country” status. Politics, we are reminded, is war by other means.
...of blackouts
That distinguishing feature of the PNC regime – day-long blackouts, also reached its Omega after 1992. But if the new beginning of the opposition in vetoing hydro-electricity is allowed to continue – that’s right where they’ll return us.
Two men are now missing after they were thrown into the Corentyne River in the vicinity of Coopernaam, Suriname, during a piracy attack on two fishing vessels on Tuesday.
The two men were identified as Rakesh Persaud called “Pork Soup”, 42, and Rajin Ramsammy, 22, also called “Keshan”, both from John Settlement, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice. Their hand and legs were reportedly bound with a bed sheet by their attackers who throw them overboard.
One man identified as Derek of Number 68 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, who was reportedly held hostage by the pirates, was allegedly rescued at Red Light, in Suriname.
Those who were rescued were Adolphus Holder, 30, of Number 65 Village, Corentyne; Karran Singh, 22, of John Settlement; Ravin and Ravi, both of Number 65 Village, Corentyne; “Smack” of Tain Village, Corentyne; and Avanda Rampersaud, 46, of Number 79 Village, Corentyne.
According to information, the pirates also relieved Holder of a quantity of fish valued $122,900. They also took away a quantity of fish valued $22,000, one 48- horsepower Yamaha outboard engine valued $800,000 and one fishing boat value $700,000 from Derek.
Additional information stated that the boat and engine belonged to Keishna Ramnarine, a businessman of Line Path Skeldon, Corentyne, Berbice.
Guyana Times understands that on September 25, about 07:00h, Holder and his crew members Ravin, Ravi and “Smack” departed the Number 66 Fisheries Coop onboard the Oly 5 to go fishing in Suriname waters.
On September 28, Derek and his crew members Rampersaud, Karan Singh, Rakesh Persaud, Keshan departed on the “Tara No1 However, on October 1, about 13:00h, Derek and his crew were fishing at Coopernaam when the suspected bandits pulled up alongside their boat and started to physically assault them with cutlasses.
The pirates then proceeded to tie the men and throw them into the river, but held Derek hostage.
After a while, the bandits left with Derek in his boat, but not before retrieving Rampersaud and Singh from the water, leaving the others behind.
On the same day, about 19:00h, the pirates then attacked the Oly 5, ordering the captain and the crew to remain calm as they remove their catch and placed it in the Tara 1
During the ordeal, the bandits demanded Derek hand over his boat and engine but he refused, and they held him hostage and drove off. The other men were reportedly left in Holder’s vessel.
Meanwhile, on October 3, the owner of Oly 5,
Ramnarine learnt of the robbery and sent out a boat and workers who rescued the men and brought them to shore. Searches were carried out for Persaud and Ramsammy, but they were not located.
Commander of B Division, Brain Joseph confirmed the attack which occurred on the Surinamese border and the Guyana Police is working with its neighbouring counterparts to address the issue. Joseph explained there is not much that local police can do since there are protocol laws that have to be followed.
While the attack seems a little doubtful due to the evidence provided, Joseph stated that the police are looking at the reports from all angles.
ASL General Manager
Annette Arjoon-Martins
Air Services Limited (ASL) General Manager
Annette ArjoonMartins has announced that the approval for commercial operation of the company’s fuel farm appears imminent following a meeting with Transport Minister Robeson Benn.
Arjoon-Martins in a release said, “Air Services Limited is deeply appreciative of the recent intervention of Minister Robeson Benn under whose portfolio the aviation industry falls. An emergency meeting had been convened at the minister’s instruction involving the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA), Ogle Airport Inc, Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services (CAMS) and ASL. The GCCA came to the meeting tasked with a mandate from the minister to address and resolve the aviation fuel supply irregularity at Ogle Airport, and I am happy to say that the road map to achieve this was clearly identified.”
The recent fuel controversy at the Ogle International Airport (OAI) resulted in a temporary disruption of aviation fuel to ASL.
However, Arjoon-Martins said with those efforts being made to clarify and resolve the issues at Ogle airport for the public in the meeting, she is concerned that OAI Public Relations Consultant Kit Nascimento chose to misinform the media immediately following the meeting.
“It is beyond unfortunate to see Mr Nascimento’s flippant remark to the media that ASL was making a mountain out
of molehill on the fuel supply interruption. Mr Nascimento, who neither owns or operates a single aircraft, cannot possibly understand the distress felt by ASL when faced with the possible grounding of our fleet of 21 aircraft and two helicopters.”
More misinformation
Citing further examples of misinformation by Nascimento, Arjoon-Martins said “Mr Nascimento says the commingling of aviation fuel is nothing new, but yet, in 2011, when ASL, with government approval, imported its own aviation fuel in ISO-approved containers from Chevron, Miami, CAMS cut off ASL’s fuel supply because of their serious commingling concerns.”
She referred to Nascimento’s comment that “ASL had attempted to bring fuel onto the Ogle Airport that did not conform to international standards”, to which she said, “This is false. The fuel had been brought in directly from Chevron U.S.A. in ISO-approved containers conforming to international standards. What he omitted to say was that a few months later, CAMS followed ASL example and commenced importing aviation fuel in the same ISO containers as the savings were substantial.”
She quoted Nascimento as saying that ASL had decided to build its own fuel farm because “government had intervened and told ASL to comply with the international standards”.
She said, “This is also false. When ASL first imported its fuel, OAI went to court to prevent ASL from bringing any further fuel onto the airfield, on the contention that ASL did not have permanent storage facilities. ASL, therefore, immediately applied to OAI for land to build its own permanent storage facilities, but received no acknowledgement of its application by OAI. It was only when government intervened, months later; following a request from ASL, that approval for land was granted.” Arjoon-Martins also disputed Nascimento’s comment that “OAI had assisted ASL in the fuel farm process by bring-
ing in international consultants”. She said, “The consultant had in fact been brought in by OAI and was conduct-
In less than 48 hours, a new Miss Guyana Universe will be crowned at the Pegasus poolside, and one of the favourites to cop the coveted title is Miss Limacol, Katherina Roshana.
This young lady is the reigning Miss Guyana India Worldwide and represented Guyana in Malaysia as she attempted to capture the Miss India Worldwide Title.
After her bid, Roshana was recently appointed an international ambassador for peace by The Universal Peace Federation. She was previously appointed as national ambassador of peace; her grace and excellent fulfilment of her mandate caused the federation to promote her to the international post.
She has given peace talks in Korea, Europe, and the Caribbean.
A graduate of a New York university, Roshana hopes to become a doctor in oriental medicine. As she works towards that goal, she has been devoting time to less fortunate and physically challenged children.
With a black belt in karate, it’s no wonder the multi-talented beauty is a fierce competitor. She has been hard at work preparing to captivate the hearts of the judges and more so the
Guyanese nation, after the recentlyconcluded intelligence segment aired on the National Communications Network (NCN).
The young woman will bring her “A Game” at the pageant on Sunday evening.
Multi-talented
During the preparations for the pageant, Roshana has continued her philanthropic activities. She recent-
ly gave a motivational talk to the delegates of the Miss and Mr Talented Teen pageants, noting that it takes physical and inner strength to participate in a pageant.
She then showed the excited teens certain techniques of modelling and handling the catwalk that she learned as a student of the world-famous Barbizon School of Acting and Modelling in New York City, and as a result of her experience in several pageants locally and internationally. She also gave them pointers on poise, charm and public communications.
Roshana is constantly exploring new possibilities. She was recently cast as the lead in a local movie titled “The Convert”. She will play a philosopher/ teacher and self-defence expert, who will come to the aid of a mentally and physically abused woman, who is accustomed to constant torture from her husband.
She accepted the role because the movie has a positive message and highlights the serious social malaise of woman and child abuse by men to whom they have given their love and service. The movie is produced by SSignal Productions owned by Bonny Alves and Charmaine Blackman.
De guvament only just announce that de SWAT team gon come on board soon and nuff a de wicked people start to run and hide. And who not runnin and hidin done start bad talkin de SWAT team, even though de team ain’t start to do any wuk yet. In fact, de team ain’t get no body appointed to it and certain kinda people done put dem tail between dem leg like when dog puppy friken and dem growlin. Some a dem even start to pee dem skin and dem hands start tremblin.
Nuff guvaments all over de world got SWAT team and de SWAT team does be wukkin to help stop de wicked people. But certain wicked people hey don’t want a team like that in Guyana. Windstone Feelicks was suppose to set up de Guyana SWAT team a long time now, but he was spendin too much talkin pun de phone wid Wild Yams plannin to rob and kill good people.
And Feelicks nevah wanted de team in de fuss place. That is why he was dilly dallyin all de time. Now that de guvament gone ahead, he start to tremble and pee he skin. He is one a de fuss man to start frettin. Is a regular problem wid people who like to live in de darkness. Dem don’t like de light. Dem prefer to move in de night time and stay home in de day time.
If de SWAT team was around before, No Gel Hughly woulda nevah get to tek away evidence from a crime scene, and Feelicks woulda nevah be on he cell phone so much wid Wild Yams schemin to rob and kill people. But old people seh every dog does get he own day.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Feelicks, Wild Yams and No Gel had dem days. Soon it gon be SWAT team days. De SWAT team gon swat all a dem in jail!
ACrabwood Creek labourer who used a derogatory remark against his friend’s wife was on Wednesday evening admitted a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital after he was chopped to his neck and shoulder.
The injured man was identified as Vijendra Jhagroo called “Janga”, 36, of Lot 128, Grant 1780 Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice while his attacker, Mohamed Razack, 36, of Lot 19, 1780 Crabwood Creek was arrested and is assisting with investigations.
Based on reports reaching Guyana Times , Jhagroo and the suspect are friends and on the day of the chopping incident, they were reportedly at Razack’s residence consuming alcohol.
The suspect’s wife, Seema Persaud, 26, reportedly fried eggs and served
them to be used as cutters. Upon serving the eggs, the now injured man reportedly told Razack that his wife is not a good cook while at the same time using a derogatory remark to describe her.
The suspect became annoyed and went into the house, picked up a cutlass and dealt Jhagroo a chop to the left side of his neck and right shoulder as he shouted, “u too f…… disrespectful”.
The injured man managed to run to his sister’s home and complained that Razack has chopped him. He was taken to Skeldon Public Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor who treated and referred him to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. His condition is listed as serious. Razack is currently in custody and is expected to be charged shortly.
Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI) said a great deal of deliberately misleading information and ill-informed opinions have been published in the media, including in columns such as “Peeping Tom”, with regard to the financial investment in the Marriott Hotel project.
Specifically, a deliberate and irresponsible attempt has been made to give the public the impression that the hotel investment and its control are being given away to the private investor. Nothing could be further from the truth. The facts tell an entirely different story.
According to a release, the investor will pay US$8 million for 67 per cent equity in the company, AHI. The total value of the equity is US$12 million. Equity is the value of the shares of the company or the net value of the assets available to the shareholders.
Put differently, the private investor is only entitled to 67 per cent of the net assets of AHI. The formula to arrive at this is net assets, equal total assets, minus total liabilities. That is, total assets, US$58.5 million minus total liabilities US$46.5 million. This consists of loan financing arranged by Republic Bank (US$27 million), outfitting loan for the Entertainment
Complex (US$4 million) and NICIL’s loan, US$15.5 million. Therefore, net assets US$58.5 million minus US$46.5 million, to arrive at the $12 million.
“The investor will own 67 per cent of US$12 million in net assets or equity, or in fact US$8 million, the same amount being invested. The investment in the project by the private investor is a longterm investment. So, for the investor to recover their original investment in dividends, it will take over nine years.”
Clarification
On NICIL’s investment, the release said some persons have compared the private investor to NICIL.
“NICIL wishes to clarify its investment and its returns and rationale. NICIL is investing US$4 million in shares in the company (AHI) for a one-third shareholding, as against the investor’s US$8 million, and NICIL is lending the company, AHI, US$15.5 million in debt, which will be repaid in full.
“NICIL will, therefore, be repaid its debt in full and, in addition, will receive dividends on its US$4 million invested in shares plus the market value of those shares whenever they are sold.”
The feasibility study,
The Caribbean Court of Justice on Friday ruled in favour of Jamaican Shanique Myrie and awarded her Bdn$77,240 (US$38,620) in pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages.
The court ruled that evidence Myrie presented about an illegal cavity search and detention in an unsanitary cell at the Grantley Adams International Airport and subsequent deportation was powerful enough for them to award her BD$2240 in pecuniary damages and BD$75,000 in non-pecuniary damages.
However, the court dismissed claims that Myrie was discriminated against solely because of her nationality and made no judgement
on behalf of the intervener, which is the Jamaican state. It also ordered that Barbados alter its laws to be in harmony with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which speaks to the free movement of Caribbean nationals throughout Caricom. (Jamaica Oberver)
the release said shows that the combined value of what NICIL will receive is therefore its original investment of US$19.5 million (US$ 4 million in equity plus US$15.5 million in debt) plus, an average return of 6.2 per cent per annum on that blended
investment, projected to be in excess of US$34 million over the project life.
These details are set out in the feasibility study (page 17) which has been made public. NICIL’s projected rate of return of 6.2 per cent (average annual return) on its combined investment (shares and loan) is much superior to the one to two per cent obtained on its bank deposits.
“NICIL’s investment is also intended to be the catalyst to attract US$40 million of private investment and a first class brand name. The
offer was public and made available for all to consider. It should not be lost that exactly this offer was publicly advertised on 12 separate occasions with sufficient details for any potential investor to know what was being offered. This offer was open to any investor in and out of Guyana. Additionally, this information was made available to the National Assembly in a detailed question and answer submitted in March 2012 by the minister of finance in response to opposition questions on the project. Nothing has changed since the publication of those advertisements and parliamentary response of 2012,” the release concluded.
saturday, october 5, 2013
Local Government and Regional Development Minister Ganga Persaud has urged women groups in Region Two to gear their skills towards entrepreneurial activities.
Persaud made the call as the government handed over seven sewing machines to several women’s group on the Essequibo Coast. The handing over was done at the Anna Regina regional office on Wednesday.
The minister said the dual purpose sewing machines will help to improve the lives of women within the various communities. The machines were purchased by the Local Government Ministry and were gifted to the women groups.
The manual and electronic Singer brand machines together cost some $483,000.
Minister Persaud said the donation aims to empower rural women and establish a stronger link with the region and the community.
He said the Local Government Ministry is committed to working with the Region Two Administration in supporting women, and urged the women to put their skills into productive use.
“It will help generate economic activities within the communities, make women more empowered and employable,” Persaud said.
Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud thanked the ministry for the sewing machines, noting that several Amerindian communities will benefit from the initiative.
According to Persaud, the women groups are very active in the region and he
is happy that their request has been met, as they seek to boost their economic and training activities.
Meanwhile, women's activist Juilet Coonjah also thanked the ministry for the kind gesture, noting that the groups from Aurora, Pomona, Capoey, Sparta, Better Success, Karawab and St Densy will benefit from the donation.
The groups were selected based on their activeness in Region Two.
Karawab group member Melrose Henry was grateful for the donation and assured Minister Persaud that the next time he visits the region he will see the results of the machine.
She said Amerindian women from Karawab love sewing and craft; thus the machine is the best gift for them.
Two members from the Slovenian Forest Service to Guyana
Jurij Beguš and Dr Aleš Poljanec have concluded there visit here which sought to foster partnerships and seek out areas of collaboration with Guyana.
Beguš and Dr Poljanec arrived in Guyana on September 22 and will conclude their visit today.
The objective of the visit to Guyana was to foster a partnership between the
two countries and seek out areas of collaboration with a focus on capacity building in the areas of extension/ community forestry, forest biomass management and participatory approaches in forestry.
Their agenda covered a wide cross section of activities where they met with members of the public and private sectors.
“With both Guyana and Slovenia having rich and diverse forests, the mission
is focused on sharing of experiences, and supporting this through a number of field visits to several community forestry areas and Iwokrama. The objective is to better understand the mechanisms that Guyana has instituted for sustainable forest management, supported through social development, extension and community forestry programmes. On this mission, the team met with communities in Annai where they toured the Bina Hill institute,” a release from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said.
On October 3, the team met with Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud, who received an update from them on their mission and expressed Guyana’s interest in furthering cooperation with the Slovenia Forest Service in areas of forestry and REDD+.
He said Guyana has been extensively involved in continuously strengthening its programmes on sustainable forest management, REDD+ and forest sector trade and knowledge sharing on approach and lessons learned through those programmes.
FMinister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett on Monday met with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York to discuss the Good Offices process.
During the meeting, it was agreed to reappoint Professor Norman Girvan as the secretary general’s personal representative in the process, at the joint request of the governments of Guyana and Venezuela.
Professor Girvan was
first appointed to the position in 2010, but his tenure came to an end in September.
According to a release, the Good Offices process is charged with finding a solution to the GuyanaVenezuela controversy that arose from the Venezuelan contention that the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899, that definitively established the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela, is null and void.
The process com -
menced in 1989 and was established pursuant to Article IV of the Geneva Agreement of February 17, 1966. The United Nations secretary general is the good officer.
The minister thanked the secretary general for the continued support of the United Nations and also took the opportunity to update the secretary general on the very good relations that exist between Guyana and Venezuela.
Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud has called on roadside vendors operating over the main drainage trench parallel to the Charity Public Road to remove.
The chairman said officers from the Urasara Neighbourhood Democratic Council want to begin excavation work on the drainage trench; however, the vendors are a hindrance to their work.
The chairman said action will be taken to address the issue and for work to commence on the trench. The drainage works, he said, are long overdue and it must be done.
He explained that measures will be taken for the demolition of the illegal stalls
Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud
that have been erected over the drainage trench.
Charity NDC Councillor Samuel Sooklall said notices were issued to the illegal vendors, noting that the matter is a “sore” one, and needs the
attention of all.
The vendors, he said, are not complying and are making it difficult for residents in the area.
The overseer also noted that roadside vending is still prevalent at Charity and vendors are encroaching the roadways, affecting the smooth flow of traffic.
He said on a busy day, pedestrian and bus drivers are faced with congestion due to encroaching vendors. The overseers noted that the NDC over the years has managed to control roadside vending, but the situation is getting out of control again.
The roadside vendors have claimed that they attract less sales when they vend on the tarmac.
Charity man found with unlicensed gun, ammunition remanded
Micheal Benn, 30, of Charity on the Essequibo Coast was on Wednesday remanded to prison after he was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and several matching ammunition. He appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court where he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He was charged for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, assault of a peace officer and for resisting arrest.
On September 30, at Charity on the Essequibo Coast, Benn had in his pos-
session a firearm that is to said to be .3 revolver number 1326122. Benn is not the owner of a firearm licence.
Another charge read to him by Scarce said on September 30, Benn also had in his possession several matching ammunition and was not a licence holder.
Another charge stated that on September 30, Benn resisted arrest by peace officer Roger Pilgrim and assaulted him.
Benn pleaded not guilty to the latter charges and was granted bail in the sum of $10,000 for each charge.
However, for the possession of unlicensed firearm
and ammunition, he pleaded guilty with an explanation, but his explanation matched that of a not guilty plea.
Prosecutor Krishnadatt Ramana presenting the facts of the case, stated that around 17:50h on September 30, police, during a routine patrol, observed Benn standing in front of the Xenon Hotel with the firearm in his right hand. The police stopped and went to him and asked him whose gun it was and he said someone gave it to him. He was subsequently arrested and brought before the court. Benn was remanded to prison until November 4.
The Office of the President (OP) has rejected suggestions in the media that the president’s nominee for the post of police commissioner was Deputy Commissioner of Law Enforcement Seelall Persaud.
In a release, OP said on September 2, President Donald Ramotar wrote to Opposition Leader David Granger, inviting him to a constitutionally mandated consultation of the appointment on a police commissioner.
In the letter, Ramotar had intimated an intention to confirm acting
Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell.
“In pursuance thereof, on the 3rd day of October, 2013, his excellency met with the leader of the opposition and the constitutionally required consultations were held. The president at that engagement reiterated his intention to appoint Mr Brumell to the position of commissioner of police.
“Office of the President has since observed... many distortions of this engagement being published in the press suggesting that the president’s ‘nominee’ was Mr Seelall Persaud, deputy com-
missioner law enforcement and that ‘an agreement’ was reached in respect of Mr Brummell.
“Office of the President hopes that the inaccuracies being peddled in the press would forthwith cease and be replaced with the facts,” the release said.
After months of deliberation between government and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to confirm acting police commissioner Leroy Brumell, a consensus was finally reached on Thursday afternoon when the two parties met at the Office of the President.
Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said national growth and development was inextricably linked to regional growth and development.
LaRocque expressed the sentiment during a distinguished lecture at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.
According to him, regional and national policies must be so intertwined as to be almost indiscernible. He said it was when that happened that Caricom citizens would feel a sense of being part of a community.
The secretary general addressed the status of regional integration as well as his vision for the future of Caricom in his presentation. He expressed that a major realisation going forward was that the current situation demanded a change in operation, particularly in the way the people thought of integration.
He stated that a change facilitation team had been recruited to assist with this transformation and was currently undertaking consultations in member states for the first ever strategic plan of the community.
He said with eight consultations completed so far, it was clear that the people of Caricom remained committed to realising the potential of an integration movement.
He said the reform process was central to the future of the integration
movement and provided an opportunity to chart a new paradigm for growth.
He noted that conversations have begun in that regard and in these discussions; voices from civil society must be heard as the call for participatory governance during the consultations was a clear sign that the top down form of integration would not be accepted by the Caricom people.
In promulgating his long term vision for the community, Ambassador LaRocque said he saw the community as one in which all were involved.
“There would be a system of meaningful consultations from which a free flow of ideas emanate, allowing for the distillation of the best and most practical,” he said.
Ambassador LaRocque stressed that Caricom in his vision would be a community in which regional plans and policies were harmonised with national plans and policies and issues important to the community also be resolved.
The Education Ministry in collaboration with the Lions Clubs of Demerara and West Demerara on Friday hosted their annual Secondary Schools Impromptu Speech Competition, under the theme “Developing confidence through communication”.
“I speak here of hasslefree travel, free movement, currency convertibility, and contingent rights,” he stated
He said to achieve these goals, frank discussions must be had to resolve all the concerns of member states.
“I intend to deliver a secretariat that is strategic in outlook and efficient, effective and responsive in serving the needs of its member states and providing leadership to the integration arrangements,” the secretary general said.
The lecture formed part of a new series at the UWI St Augustine Campus, focusing on Caricom: exploring its usefulness to the region and its future on its 40th anniversary celebrations.
This event was held at the West Demerara Secondary School, Vreeden-Hoop, where 10 schools participated in this competition. The schools were West Demerara Secondary, L’Aventure Secondary, Patentia Secondary, Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary, Vergenoegen Secondary, Stewartville Secondary, Uitvlugt Secondary, Zeeburg Secondary, Leonora Secondary and Parika Salem Secondary, a Government Information Agency (GINA) release said.
Giving the feature address was First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar, who expressed satisfaction for being given the opportunity by the clubs to declare the event open. She highlighted that with Education Month recently celebrated during September, a great deal of attention was placed on literacy and there were many activities held to emphasise the importance of reading.
“I believe that attention should be given to communication which is concerned in the manner in which all information can be transmitted. One way in which it is done is through public speaking and more so, impromptu public speaking is an important skill that allows us to communicate better with others,” added the first lady.
She said all students must have the ability to express thoughts and ideas clearly, concisely and in a
manner that is easily understood, and this must be cultivated at a young age. Ramotar also highlighted the importance of preparation when one is to give an impromptu speech.
“I feel that making a habit of reading and seeking more and more knowledge in a wider way of subjects, provide the foundation to enable one to speak at a moment’s notice. While reading is a form of enjoyment, it allows you to understand the better knowledge and deeper understanding on a wide variety of issues,” the first lady said.
She further pointed out that for students who participated in the competition, it will be a learning experience for them and even the audience will benefit from the competition.
L’Aventure Secondary was placed second in the competition and Zeeburg Secondary third.
By SaBatini DanielS
Barbados Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Maxine McClean has identified immigration and security as major areas of corporation with Guyana.
She made the disclosure at the second session of the Guyana–Barbados Joint Commission on Thursday.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering the various modalities which govern the relationship between the two countries as it relates to immigration will also be concluded soon.
In the past, Guyanese have constantly complained about the way they are treated when in-transit in Barbados and when they attempt to enter the country for vacation.
Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn RodriguesBirkett noted that Guyana has established a consulate in Barbados and appointed a consul general, adding that after the move, Guyana has seen a marked improvement in the handling of immigration matters.
“What this MoU will do is basically put in writing what we do right now with Barbadian authorities and I think can serve as an example for the region as well in how we can document the processes in dealing with some of these matters.”
She explained that the MoU is different from the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CMSE) which caters particularly for skilled nationals. The MoU will cover everyone.
The minister noted that in the last two years, the Foreign Ministry has not received any reports about persons feeling unjustified after being sent back to Guyana from Barbados.
“At this point in time, I am happy with the way immigration matters are handled and with technology; these things can be resolved pretty quickly,” Minister RodriguesBirkett said.
McClean highlighted that a number of per-
sons has been refused entry into Barbados, but for good reason. “Somebody might be refused because they were deported for criminal activities and they might turn up with a false passport… or you might have found someone who might have come in and overstayed on more than one occasion… so they are all justified.”
The two countries will also be collaborating in areas of tourism and hospitality and education. Students from Barbados will be awarded scholarships to study at the Guyana School of Agriculture and Barbados in turn will provide support in the areas of pork production and rearing of Black Belly sheep.
According to the Barbadian minister, there is significant potential between the two countries as Barbados has air transport, and this is also an area Guyana can tap into.
The Health Ministry is working with the International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) to train local medical professionals in paediatric cardiac surgery.
A team from the charitable organisation located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, arrived in Guyana several days ago and over the course of the week, they have been thoroughly examining the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to determine whether the facility has the capacity to provide paediatric cardiac surgery. The team is headed by founder and medical director of ICHF, Dr William Novick.
At a press briefing on Thursday, U.S.-based Guyanese Dr Kishan Narine, explained that the government has been trying to advance cardiac care at the GPHC for a number of years. Dr Narine, who is a cardiac intervention surgeon, was instrumental in organising the team’s visit to Guyana. He noted that with the help of the Health Ministry, he managed to get the team to Guyana and to establish a paediatric cardiac programme.
Dr Novick told members of the media that while the ICHF will be providing paediatric surgery training to cardiologists, this process will take several years before they can actually be qualified to operate.
As such, the ICHF has committed itself to providing cardiac surgeries for children in need. These surgeries will be done at one of the foundation’s medical facilities in Central America.
Plan
“Our plan would be to come at least twice a year and to operate on children and educate the local team… we would anticipate that the development of your local team would take some 10 to 12 years and we are willing to commit that time in order to help Guyana be able to care for its own children with heart disease,” Dr Novick said. He disclosed that when the programme starts, some 100 to 125 children will be receiving care from ICHF.
The ICHF founder also pointed out that the foundation would be providing training not only to surgeons, but to nurses working in the operating room, ICU and wards. Though the
ICHF will be shouldering most of the cost of the programme, the government and the Health Ministry will have to bear some of the costs for supplies needed to perform paediatric cardiac surgeries.
GPHC Chief Executive Officer Michael Khan said the services provided by ICHF are of minimal cost to Guyana. “Cost is a factor we cannot put into it because the services provided by the foundation is of no cost to Guyanese… it is voluntary and the only cost will be to put up the children and their parents where ever they are but that cost would be levied to the Ministry of Health,” Khan stated.
The CEO explained that the hospital is still in the initial stages of planning the programme, and as such, no one has been identified to undergo the trainings.
ICHF is an organisation which travels around the world to improve paediatric services of medical institutions and provide training. It has been in existence for 20 years. The foundation currently operates in 31 countries. The surgery and training will commence by July 2014 in Guyana.
Twenty-year-old Richard Rambarran of the Student Empowerment Alliance (SEA) party was officially sworn in as president of the University of Guyana Students Society on Friday during a simple ceremony in the George Walcott Education Lecture Theatre.
In the face of scepticism from many students, Rambarran has promised to make his term in office a memorable and historical one.
During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, Rambarran said the feeling of elation has been snuffed out by the reality of the amount of work that is to be done.
“ … but I just want to go ahead and work very hard
this term,” Rambarran emphasised. “We want to promote the students’ welfare on campus, we will be lending greater support for clubs and societies across at UG.”
Some of the issues that his party will address are accountability, the various electoral processes and reform of the constitution to facilitate greater student involvement.
Rambarran noted that another priority is a strong focus on advocacy and lobbying for more support, especially finances.
“ … we can’t go ahead and do major infrastructural works, but we will focus on achieving simpler goals that could be realised within a three-month period and such,” he explained.
Rambarran said his ob-
ject is prioritising and setting realistic goals to improve student welfare, including garnering support from the private sector.
He believes that this was something that past UGSS presidents did not do and such an approach would advance the university.
“I believe that we have set ourselves in a position to achieve realistic goals and targets, and we want to do this, so we can execute smaller plans faster…,” he added.
Rambarran replaces Ganesh Mahipaul who stepped down from the position after he was sent on leave for misuse of funds.
The young president is now faced with a challenging task of bringing the university students society back to its former glory.
The Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry Friday evening hosted the inaugural “I Believe Concert”, as part of the campaign launched to encourage all citizens, young and old, to work together and to believe in themselves, each other, and the grand future and of Guyana.
The concert kicked off at 21:00h on the second night of GuyExpo 2013, at the Sophia Exhibition Centre and, as promised the acts were filled with vibrant energy and positive messages. Local artistes, including Ryan Hoppie (Guyana Telephone and Telegraph jingle competition winner); Quacey Edmonson; Calvin Burnette; Kimberely Fernandes; Nelan Benjamin; Nikose Layne; Shawn Thompson; and Young Bill Rogers, came together to deliver performances that were 100 per cent authentic.
When local band “Collage” took to the stage,
voices rang out in harmony, as the younger section of the crowd sang along to the popular melodies and danced to the familiar beats. Voices were raised in laughter, as another group delivered a comedic piece.
From the crowd’s reaction, it was apparent that the intent of the event was met, as hundreds of youths and their peers gathered at the entertainment area to participate in the concert which sought to foster an environment in which all of our people could embrace the future and the developmental agenda of Guyana, together.
Alluding to the significance of the activity, acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali reiterated that the “I Believe” campaign is geared towards promoting and advancing the successes of Guyana’s economy, while encouraging all sections of
society to believe in the potential that lies ahead.
This new concept was launched on the opening night of GuyExpo 2013 and as part of the overall plan, it provided the platform for the promotion and appreciation of Guyanese talents. As part of the opening ceremony, dozens of young people took to the stage in their “I Believe” regalia, with the emotional words of the “I Believe” Poem echoing through the centre.
“I am Guyanese, I believe in Guyana, I believe we are blessed with the richness of natural resources, I believe in the vision to take us forward…I believe in today’s investment to secure tomorrow’s future, I believe that we are one people, one nation with one destiny, And I believe that we can live by our motto, side by side, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder… I believe Guyana will shine. I believe in tomorrow!”
Norway will slightly reduce its aid to Afghanistan from next year, signaling to Kabul that it has not done enough to combat corruption and violence against women, the foreign ministry said on Friday.
“We are deeply concerned about the widespread violence against women in Afghanistan,” Foreign Ministry State Secretary Torgeir Larsen said in a statement.
He said the Afghan authorities had failed to sub-
mit a report on the problem that they had promised by July.
“Corruption is a vast problem, with the Kabulbank scandal as one example,” Larsen said. “Not enough has been done to prosecute all those involved, and not enough has been done to recover money that has been embezzled. This indicates that corruption is not being taken seriously enough by the Afghan authorities.”
An Afghan court sentenced more than a dozen
men to jail in March, including Kabulbank’s founder and chief executive, after US$935 million was stolen from what was then Afghanistan’s biggest bank, causing a financial crisis, civil disorder and a run on deposits.
Norway had pledged 750 million crowns (US$126 million) a year to Afghanistan through 2017 but will reduce that to 700 million crowns next year because of what it said was Kabul’s failure to meet its commitments. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Samsung Electronics has announced that it wants to become the market leader in Jamaica. Last week, it opened a Samsung Experience Store in Tropical Plaza, Kingston, and launched the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 as well as a fashion piece, the Galaxy Gear.
“This store is a testament to our interest to expand in this country and become the market leader in Jamaica,”
said Young Dae Sin, managing director, Samsung Electronics Latin America, Miami office.
As for smartphone usages in Jamaica, most of the market uses the BlackBerry, while Apple’s iPhone also has a presence. But Sin figures that Samsung is pretty close to the BlackBerry in terms of popularity.
“I think we are neck and neck with the BlackBerry
here (Jamaica) and the store will help us become leader,” he said. “I can say that we are the market leaders.”
The Experience store features the most popular innovative Samsung and mobile consumer products in demand in the local market, as well as personal assistance by experts trained in the Samsung brand devices and software, the company said.
(Jamaica Observer)
MoneyGram Inter national Inc has decided to remain public after talks with private equity firms over a leveraged buyout did not result in an offer in line with its expectations, three people familiar with the matter said this week.
The world’s second-largest money transfer company was in final-stage discussions with Carlyle Group LP, two of the people said.
One of the people added that MoneyGram’s board was hoping for an offer in the mid US$20s per share range.
The sources requested anonymity because the talks about a sale were confidential. MoneyGram representatives did not respond to requests for comment while Carlyle declined to comment.
With 327,000 locations in retailers, post offices and
Switzerland’s financial markets regulator is working with authorities in other countries to investigate possible manipulation in the US$5 trillion a day foreign exchange market potentially involving multiple banks.
Regulators and investors are concerned about the integrity of financial benchmarks in the wake of a global investigation into the rigging of benchmark interest rates that has so far led to four financial firms, including Switzerland’s largest bank UBS, being fined
around US$2.7 billion and seven men being charged.
“FINMA is currently conducting investigations into several Swiss financial institutions in connection with possible manipulation of foreign exchange markets,” the Swiss regulator said in a statement on Friday.
“FINMA is coordinating closely with authorities in other countries as multiple banks around the world are potentially implicated.
“Switzerland’s competition commission WEKO also on Friday said it had opened a
banks in nearly 200 countries and territories, MoneyGram is second only to Western Union Co among money transfer providers.
Bank of America Corp ran an auction for MoneyGram earlier this summer that also attracted interest from TPG Capital LP, Bain Capital LLC and GTCR LLC, people familiar with the matter previously said. (MSN Money)
BMW has stopped “all future plans” to expand in South Africa after a fourweek strike in the car manufacturing industry caused export sales to drop by 75 per cent. It cost the economy US$2 billion (£1.2 billion), according to the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
BMW told the BBC all plans to increase capacity at its Rosslyn plant had been
called to a halt. A separate strike by car component manufacturing workers is ongoing.
Seven major car manufacturers in South Africa, including Nissan, Ford, General Motors and Mercedes Benz were affected by the protest. Reports suggest between 30,000 and 40,000 people took part in the strike, with workers demanding a 14 per cent pay rise. But instead car manufac-
turers offered a 11.5 per cent rise, which would decrease to 10 per cent in the following two years, which the workers accepted, said a spokesperson for the National Union of Metalworkers for South Africa (NUMSA).
The car manufacturers’ strike finished on September 9, but the car component industry’s strike is in its seventh week. (BBC News)
Samsung said Friday that it is on track for yet another record-setting performance in the third quarter, while rival smartphone maker HTC posted a rare loss.
South Korea-based Samsung said it would report operating profit of US$9.2 billion to US$9.6 billion for the third quarter – which works out to a minimum increase of 23 per cent over the same period last year. The performance is a new record – higher even than the US$7 billion profit posted in the second quarter.
preliminary investigation after learning about potential manipulation of foreign exchange markets by banks. They declined to name the banks under investigation.
The Swiss federal prosecutor’s office said it was in contact with FINMA about the issue.
UBS and Credit Suisse declined to comment. Zuercher Kantonal Bank said the bank was currently not aware of a FINMA investigation. Marc Buerki, CEO of Swiss foreign exchange broker Swissquote, said it was not part of the investigation. (Reuters)
Already home to manmade islands and ski resorts, Dubai is set to build the world’s largest crystalline manmade lagoon, the developers behind the project have confirmed.
Crystal Lagoons, the U.S.based developer of some of the world’s largest manmade lagoons, is to develop its largest ever project in District One, a joint venture between Meydan Group and Sobha Group located at the Mohammed Bin Rashid City master development.
Third-quarter sales were also higher than last year, rising a minimum of 11 per cent to around US$54 billion.
Samsung shares advanced about one per cent after the earnings guidance was released, but it was not enough to erase longer-term losses. Since the end of May, Samsung shares have lost seven per cent of their value amid concerns over slowing smartphone sales.
The pressure on Samsung shares is part of an industrywide trend driven by declining
margins and possible saturation in the smartphone business. While Samsung can rely on other parts of its business including semiconductors and other technology to buffet losses, competing phonemakers have not been so lucky.
Former mobile powerhouse BlackBerry has burned through cash at a startling rate and is now hoping to go private. The company’s Z10 smartphone, its latest bid for relevance, never really gained traction. (CNN Money)
The project will cover 40 hectares and will be fourtimes bigger than the world’s largest existing lagoon. It will be officially launched at the Cityscape Global real estate conference in Dubai on October 8 and, once complete, the developers hope it will be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.
The project will include custom-made beaches, luxury residences, green parklands, waterways, a shopping and dining pavilion and large rec-
reational spaces.
“Caribbean landscapes are no longer exclusive to tropical destinations. Our pioneering concept and state of the art technology, which allows for sustainable, swimmable, turquoise lagoons of unlimited sizes to be built and maintained at low cost anywhere in the world, is proving extremely popular with our growing list of partners across the Middle East,” said Kevin P Morgan, CEO of Crystal Lagoons. (Arabianbusiness)
The spread of international business, in which larger multinational corporations outsource production to poorer nations in order to cut costs, has created controversial situations across the world, in which business ethics are skirted around and violated. While this system of co-dependent countries will always exist as long as there are inequalities between currencies, cost of living and labour wages, there are lines that international businesses must never cross. Crossing these lines can easily destroy your company. There have been endless cases of ethical violations in which environments
were irreparably damaged, lives were lost, and businesses were dismantled by regulators. Violating ethics can cost your company customers and investors, and ultimately your business. Let’s take a look at the main themes of corporate ethics for international business, and some examples of ethics violations.
Outsourcing
This is the most common practice in relation to international businesses. American companies often outsource their manufacturing to emerging and developing countries, where labour and parts are cheaper. China was once the factory capital of the world,
but due to rising wages, companies have shifted their focus to poorer nations, such as Indonesia, Vietnam and South American countries. In the 1990s, Nike was harshly criticised by human rights groups for appalling work conditions in its Chinese factories. Author Naomi Klein reported that Nike’s factory workers in China were forced to work 12 to 15 hour work days for minimal pay and forced to sleep at filthy, dangerous factory dorms. Klein’s bestselling book, No Logo, prompted such a public outcry that Nike was forced to issue a point-blank response to Klein in order to contain the pubic relations damage. (Business Dictionary)
The Bank of Guyana, in collaboration with the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, on Friday launched two commemorative coins in honour of the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion and the 175th anniversary of Indian Immigration to Guyana.
The ceremony took place at the Bank of Guyana with government ministers, bank stakeholders, and representatives of the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA) and the Indian Commemoration Trust (ICT), among other dignitaries, in attendance.
The 1763 Slave Revolt and the 1838 Indian Arrival are the names of the two commemorative coins.
Commenting on the significance of the coins, Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony said the items serve as a good reminder for current and future generations of the importance of their past. “The coin is a good reminder of the resistance that our ancestors put up, they didn’t just accept the conditions under which they laboured, but they also tried to resist the horrors of the slavery system that was imposed upon them.”
He added that the arrival of the Indian indentured im-
migrants is also “significant, because we would have seen over the period of indentureship that close to 500,000 persons would have come and some re-migrated back to India, but again the conditions of indentureship, while we cannot equate it with slavery, was one which was equally horrendous”.
Dr Anthony highlighted that the anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion was also recognised via a book launch, lecture series, and exhibitions at the National Museum, while the Indian immigration anniversary was observed with the construction of a stage at the Monument Gardens and the erection of a monument that is a replica of the Whitby
He added that his ministry was pleased to have gained the assistance of the Bank of Guyana, which acted upon its request to produce the coins.
The culture minister said the bank has collaborated with the ministry to produce coins in 2007 for the establishment of the Guyana National Stadium and for Carifesta X in 2008.
Vision and strength Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, while echoing similar sentiments, said such historic events go to the
During interrogation at the Criminal Investigative Department (CID), the businessman who was arrested at Charity, Essequibo Coast on Wednesday, confessed that he was the target in the Mambo Bar shooting on Saturday evening.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told Guyana Times that while the businessman told investigators he was the main target during the attack, he did not divulge the reason for people wanting him dead.
Nevertheless, Persaud disclosed that the man was released on Friday and the police are continuing to hunt for the gunmen.
This might be a difficult task since the businessman was unable to provide any substantial information that the police can work with.
core of making the country into what it is currently.
“Those who struggled and gave their lives and those who demonstrated vision and strength and fortitude, those who, in whichever, contributed to the achievements in that we might take for granted today – their sacrifices must always be celebrated and saluted. To them,
indeed, we owe immeasurable and eternal debts,” Dr Sigh said.
He also stated that the coins were not only commissioned to mark significant events but to contribute to the documentation of the country’s history.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said such events of commemoration can be po-
sitioned in the history of the world.
Deputy Bank of Guyana Governor Dr Gobind Ganga noted the designs of the coins were chosen in a national competition, from which Courtney Douglas and Adrian Juman emerged winners.
The reverse side of the 1763 Slave Revolt coin de-
It was reported that the businessman was present at the time of the shooting and was not among those injured.
Police have been trying to contact the man since the incident, but were unsuccessful up until Wednesday when he was spotted in Charity.
The Mambo Bar shooting claimed the life of Shelliza Basir-Lall, 33, of Lot 2 Charity, Essequibo Coast and caused injuries to Raymond Lall, 36; Parmanand Persaud, 32, of Lot 27 Block B, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara; and the Lalls chauffeur, Badatunde “Reggae” Nedd, of Parika, East Bank Essequibo.
From reports gathered, the man was seen at the bar on the night of the shooting, and was reportedly on the dance floor with a relative of the dead woman.
Lall told Guyana Times that about 23:00h on the fateful night, he and his wife went to Mambo Bar with three friends to hang out.
As midnight approached, a white Toyota Carina AT 212 motor car pulled up and two masked men exited and started to shoot.
He added that his wife got up and was running for safety when she was shot.
This publication understands that at least 19 9mm spent shells were recovered.
A unique twist to the way you earn your living or handle your money will surprise someone close to you. Your system and set budget will be impressive and teach someone a lesson.
By Bernice Bede Osol
(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
A financial gain will be yours due to a settlement, winning or gift. Be grateful for what you receive, but don’t let someone take advantage of your good fortune.
Put more faith in the people you love. Avoid criticism and moodiness when what’s required is tolerance and support. An unexpected change will affect your status.
Travel about, and enjoy exciting events happening in your community. Engage in activities that bring you in contact with new people. Problems at home or with a lover must be avoided.
(Aug. 23Sept. 22)
(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)
Share your ideas and put your plans into motion. Socialising will lead to greater options and meeting new people. Expand your awareness and make personal improvements.
(March 21-April 19)
Problems will surface with regard to your home or an important relationship. Don’t be too quick to judge someone who appears to be in an unfortunate situation. Offer patience and understanding.
(April 20-May 20)
Plan to have fun, but be cautious when engaging in physical activity. An interesting concept or project will intrigue you. The people you meet will influence your future.
(May 21June 20)
Mix business with pleasure, but don’t believe everything you hear. Promises may be revoked. Ask for any offer you receive in writing. A shrewd strategy will help you get ahead.
Let your feelings be known. Making special plans and visiting destinations that allow you to feel carefree will be conducive to love and romance. You’ll make a good impression.
(Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Keep your emotions in check even if someone is putting pressure on you or trying to make changes you don’t want. Accept the inevitable and get on with your day.
(Oct. 24Nov. 22)
Explore, research and expand your interests and your knowledge. Take on projects that will alter your living space and lift your spirits. Love and romance will ease your stress.
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
Uncertainty must not be allowed to ruin your plans. A challenge will allow you to show off. Travel plans or entertaining friends will help you embrace a new beginning.
Tourist villa apartments 1, 2 & 3 bedroom, long & short term, and car rental service. Phone: 227-2199, 227-2186
Dentures provided in 72 hours from as low as $4500. Contact Dr B Stuart, 209B Charlotte St, Lacytown. Tel: 225-5034
Electronics course - hands-on training, starting October 2, Abdul Electronics. Phone: 226-6551, 225-0391.
Learn to play the guitar, keyboard, drums, and train your voice at Foundation 7. Phone: 225-1151 or 617-4200.
Available: Fresh long-stemmed roses, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315
3114, 692-0126
One 320CL Excavator located at Mahdia; excellent working condition. Owner migrating, call 6820365 or 614-1669
Gold Land, excellent investment. Priced to sell, call 682-0365, 6141669
Wine vessel (jue) Shang dynasty, old Chinese painting, old Ming prints, Ming dynasty Chinese painting on bamboo, Qi Baishi orginal painting, rare bowls and pots, all Chinese antiques. Phone: 592-623-7029
Pure bred American Akita puppies for sale $200,000. Phone: 639-8924, 227-4674
Mercury in large quantities 99.9999% purity. Call: 679-1985, 219-4535, 693-5004
1 Canon copier (Image Runner 6020) with finisher. Call 647-5150, 694-5738
Cheap earth. Delivery to spot, ECD and EBD. Phone: 627-9977
Clean garden earth & builders waste. Also bobcat rental, excavating, clearing & leveling done. Phone: 6160617, 663-3285.
Cellphone accessories and spares for all smart phones: Blackberry, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, HTC, iPhone, Sony Ericsson, LG at Halema’s Fashion 104 Regent Street, next door to the Multiplex Mall. Call 622-7740/696-4008
One music set with three power amps with a total of 5,500 watts, etc. for more information please call, 682-3481. Price negotiable.
Healthworld Holistic Centre: Psychotherapy available for all types of abnormal behaviors – addictions, emotional, suicidal, anger, relationships and sexual problems. Treatment of stress disorders, depression, fear, low self-esteem, insomnia, trauma, psychosomatic sicknesses and children's disorders. We also conduct IQ evaluations and behavioral assessments. By appointment only. Clinic hours: 11:00 - 17:00h. Tel: 592-621-0552. Email:healthworldhc@gmail.com
Ayurvedic herbal treatment for all chronic genetic/none genetic diseases, including HIV, Cancer, diabetic, pregnancy, sexual (weakness), etc. Phone: 685- 3220.
Are you pouring on pounds? Then call Raul /Carol Wilson: 660-6818, 641-5923, 216-3016, 216-3601 for your healthy eating package.
Stay healthy and flexible with yoga. Phone: 693-2233
Immigration & Visa Services
We handle all Canadian, USA and UK immigration and visa matters. Self sponsorships, holiday/visitor’s visas, work permits, students visas, family, class, immigration forms, embassy enquiries, appeals for refused cases, US green card lottery, business class waivers, pardons, etc. Get your visa approved. High success rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates. Certified Immigration Consultants, 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts) Tel: 2251540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca
U.S. Green Card Lottery 2013. We are now accepting entries for the Annual Green Card Lottery sponsored by the U.S. Government. Enter now for a chance to become a permanent resident of the USA. Closing date November 2, 2013. Contact Balwant Persaud Immigration and Visa Services 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings and Light Sts.) Tel: 2251540, 655-3105, 622-8308
Professional Key Shop, 125 Carmichael Street, Georgetown. Phone: 225-3923, mobile: 6213249. We cut any type of key, service and repair all types of locks. Get your extra key today.
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Parfaite Harmonie $1M and $1.2M phone: 675-7292
46 houselots in residential area between Charles & Peter Streets, Parika, EBE. Phone: 622-6971/6612289
Learn transcendental meditation and reduce stress and anxiety, develop full brain potential, increase focus and memory, be healthier & happier, increase energy, vitality and longevity, enjoy more success in life, improve relationships and develop higher states of consciousness. A technique that works for everyone. For next introductory lecture on October 10, contact Ashoke (certified TM teacher) Phone: 233-6921, 609-3701. Email kashokejp_68 2yahoo.com askgeneration
Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 339-3536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 275-0322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 943-1515 for the perfect trendy touch.
Retired Engineer aged 66 would like to know a single female over the age of 50. Phone: 604-7022
One business property, Lamaha Street. Phone: 669-3313, 231-4586, 695-4382. Properties for sale. Phone: 642-2116 2-storey
Gas station land. Size: over one acre
Phone Ms Liverpool on 625-7582, 681-9293.
Gas station. Phone: 625-7582, 6445128, 681-9293
Cellphone repairs, unlocking & spares of all smart phones: Blackberry, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, HTC, iPhone, Sony Ericsson, LG & any brand you own. Installation of BBM on Samsung and iPhone. Halema’s Fashion 104 Regent Street, next door to the Multiplex Mall. Call 622-7740/696-4008
Tattoo & body piercing by professional artist with best prices; visit Halema’s Fashion 104 Regent Street, next door to the Multiplex Mall. Call 622-7740/6964008
Dutch healing and upliftment, for clearing of land, dredging and ground work (strictly interior operation). Phone: 6621247.
J Eastman & Associates Financial Services: Taxation, VAT Compliance, Accounting & Consultancy, and Cash Flow Projection. Address: 190 Church St, S/Cburg (East of Austin’s Book Store) Phone: 662-7467, 223-2105
Lethem – Rupununi Heritage Month event September 27-29. Visit: Iwokrama, Rock View Resort, Bonfim - Brazil, Moco Moco & Kumu Falls, St Ignatius - Lethem. Package $150,000. Phone: 662-3665
House plans starting at $9,000 Phone: 674-0725, 266-2154.
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Afather of one was on Friday evening killed after he was struck down by a motor car while he attempted to cross the Kuru Kururu Public road, SoesdykeLinden Highway. The accident reportedly occurred at about 18:45h and it is believed that the man was heavily intoxicated.
Chandrika Ramchand Persaud, 45, of Kuru Kururu, reportedly died on the spot and was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where his death was certified by a doctor.
According to information received, the man was under the influence of alcohol and while crossing the road, he walked into the path of a Toyota Spacio driven by a woman. After the impact, the driver reportedly panicked and stopped some distance away from where the man was stuck.
She was taken into police custody and is assisting with investigations.
Persaud sustained broken legs and arms and severe head injuries. An eyewitness told Guyana Times that he was standing a short distance away when he heard a sudden impact, and as he looked around, he saw the man lying in a pool of blood. He recalled seeing the man a few minutes prior to his demise.
The eyewitness confirmed that the man was
under the influence of alcohol, while noting that he lived alone, but drives a sand truck for a living. This publication understands that it is a norm for the man to drink after he completes a day’s work.
Alvin Persaud, a nephew of the dead man, when contacted told Guyana Times that he learnt of his uncle’s demise after a friend telephoned him to relate the unfortunate news. He explained that when he arrived on the scene, his uncle’s arms and legs were almost severed and his head had a gaping wound.
The young man explained that Persaud’s brother met his demise in a similar manner a few years ago and admitted that his uncle was indeed a heavy drinker. He also stated that Persaud’s son also died recently due to a medical complication.
After the child’s death, Persaud started to consume alcohol on a more regular basis. Additional information reaching Guyana Times revealed that Persaud and his wife separated more than five years ago as a result of his heavy drinking habits.
Persaud’s body was taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Home and is awaiting a post-mortem examination. He leaves to mourn his wife, child and siblings, among other relatives.
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olice are investigating yet another robbery in Berbice. On Thursday, two men dressed in army uniforms robbed a Number 75 Village, Corentyne businessman at the Kilcoy, Corentyne foreshore.
According to reports, about 14:00h, Harrynarine Singh, a businessman of Number 75 Village, was at the foreshore to purchase fish when he was attacked by two men dressed in Guyana Defence Force (GDF) uniforms.
The men relieved him of an undisclosed sum of money, one cellular phone and a scale. Singh said the men approached him as he was on his way to meet some fishermen to purchase their catch.
He said robbers appeared to be soldiers on duty, but as they got closer, he discovered that their booths were not the same as that worn by solders. The robbers demanded that Singh hand over his valuables and he did out of fear for his life. The bandits then made good their escape. The matter was reported to the Albion Police Station.
Residents in the community say persons who appeared to be soldiers were seen in the area earlier in the day. The incident occurred in a street, two houses away from the Albion police Station. According to police sources, no one has been arrested.
Pravin Tambe scripted the most remarkable chapter in his brief Twenty20 career, as he scuttled the Chennai Super Kings chase with a canny spell of legspin bowling that reaped 3 wickets for 10 in four overs on Friday.
Super Kings began poorly in pursuit of 160, failing to eclipse the required rate in the Powerplay, as both openers were run out, but Tambe ensured the dangerous men below would not prosper, as he and the seamers gleaned a wicket per over between the 9th and
sixes in his 28-ball 46.
Attacking strokes
Rahane arrived with consecutive fifties behind him, and his abiding fine touch was plain to see in the first over, when he strode down the pitch to send Ravindra Jadeja into the sightscreen.
He lay low for several overs after that, as he collected runs into the outfield, but unfurled his attacking strokes again in the company of Shane Watson, with whom he put on 59 for the fourth wicket.
He found gaps in the covers often, and when the ball suited him, Rahane hit inside-out above the infield as well. An advanc-
ing drive over extra cover in the ninth over was followed three overs later by a graceful blow that carried the ball well over the cover rope and a fluent drive in the same direction. In between, the wayward yorkers were glanced to the fine leg fence and the short balls dispatched square on the leg side
The Super Kings attack was disciplined at the finish however. Royals were placed at 141 for 4 at the end of the 17th over, looking set for a score in excess of 170, but could only muster 18 more runs, surrendering three wickets in Dwayne Bravo’s final over.
(Cricinfo)
13th overs of the innings.
At the innings break, Royals may perhaps have felt their 159 for 8 was at least ten runs light at a traditionally high-scoring venue, but despite a desperate R Ashwin salvo towards the finish, the hosts extended their winning streak at home to 13 victories. A fluid Ajinkya Rahane scored 70 from 56 balls, which helped set up the 14-run win, with the Royals finishing the year unbeaten in Jaipur.
Tentative Tambe extracted no alarming turn from the
hard surface, but succeeded instead by pushing his legbreaks through quickly at the batsmen’s legs. The Super Kings batsmen were tentative in his first over, and when Badrinath ran past one that kept low in Tambe’s next over, the visitors were even more reluctant to take him on.
He trapped Dwayne Bravo in front with a slider in the following over, after Rahul Shukla had done MS Dhoni in with a beauty at the other end, then effectively delivered the coup de grace by removing Suresh Raina, who had been the
only top order batsman to produce a start. When Tambe began his spell, Super Kings were 41 for 2 after 6 overs, and when he finished, they were 73 for 7 after 13.
Ashwin swung bravely at the seam bowlers, whose standards dipped after the middle overs, but his team had already surrendered too much ground. He and Chris Morris got Super Kings to within 23 runs off victory before the 20th over, and although Ashwin struck the first ball for six, he fell on the fourth delivery, having struck three fours and three
Afghanistan secured their passage to Australia and New Zealand in 2015 by beating Kenya comprehensively on Friday for the second time in succession in Sharjah, sealing their maiden World Cup qualification.
They finished second in the World Cricket League Championship - nine wins in 14 matches - and joined Ireland as the second Associate team in the 2015 World Cup, while the remaining two spots for Associates will be decided by a qualifying tournament in New Zealand in 2014. Afghanistan had to beat Kenya to prevent UAE from gaining qualification and their bowlers delivered once again. Having dismissed Kenya for 89 on October 2, Afghanistan skittled them for 93 today, ensuring their batsmen had a facile target to achieve their World Cup goal. They did it in 20.5 overs to reach their third global tournament, having appeared in the World Twenty20s in 2010 and 2012. Before their wickets began to tumble, howev-
er, Kenya had been stifled: their run rate was less than one during the first 15 overs. Karim Sadiq provided Afghanistan their first wicket, trapping Irfan Karim lbw in the sixth over for 3 off 27 balls. The second came one over later, with Mohammd Nabi bowling the debutant Gurdeep Singh for 1 off 23 deliveries. Gurdeep, at 15 years and 258 days, was the second youngest player to appear in an ODI.
Morris Ouma had just struck the innings’ first boundary, off the last ball of the 16th over, when he lost his partner Collins Obuya the next ball. Their partnership of 9 had taken seven overs, leaving the innings with no momentum. Kenya then had their largest stand - 53 between Ouma and Rakep Patel for the fourth wicket - but after that was broken when Patel missed a cut off Hamza Hotak, there was no more resistance.
Ouma followed for 39 an over later - run out by Samiullah Shenwari - and Hotak and Hamid Hassan made short work of the lower order. Afghanistan took seven wickets for 24 to dismiss Kenya in 43.3 overs. It was Kenya’s third sub-100 score against Afghanistan in five days; they had been routed for 56 in the Twenty20 on September 30. Needing only 94 to join cricket’s elite at the World
Cup, Afghanistan’s chase began poorly when they lost the opener Mohammad Shahzad for 1 in the second over. They scored slowly too, but their bowlers had given them the luxury of being able to do so while seeing off the new ball. By the time the umpires took the players off for lunch, Nawroz Mangal and Asghar Stanikzai had taken the team to 24 for 1 in nine
overs. They will join Pool A at the World Cup along with Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and another qualifier. Afghanistan’s progress means that Netherlands, UAE, Scotland, Kenya, Namibia, Canada, Uganda, Hong Kong, Nepal and Papua New Guinea will have to compete for the last two Associate berths. (Cricinfo)
Kenya innings
I Karim lbw b Karim Sadiq 3
Gurdeep Singh b Mohammad Nabi 1
M Ouma† run out (Samiullah Shenwari) 39
C Obuya* b Karim Sadiq 1
R Patel b Hamza Hotak 18
D Gondaria c Shaidi b Mohammad Nabi 6
R Aga b Hamza Hotak 6
N Odhiambo c & b Hamza Hotak 0
N Odhiambo b Hamid Hassan 2
H Varaiya b Hamid Hassan 0
S Ngoche not out 5
Extras: (b 2, lb 1, w 9) 12
Total: (all out, 43.3 overs) 93
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-7, 3-16, 4-69, 5-70, 6-79, 7-81, 8-86, 9-86, 10-93
Bowling: Hamid Hassan 7-311-2, Shapoor Zadran 5-19-0, Karim Sadiq 7-2-10-2, Mohammad Nabi 8.3-4-102, Hamza Hotak 10-1-193, Rahmat Shah 2-0-14-0, Samiullah Shenwari 4-0-17-0
Afghanistan innings Mohammad Shahzad† c Gondaria b Aga 1 Nawroz Mangal lbw b Ngoche 19 Asghar Stanikzai b Ngoche 9 Mohammad Nabi* not out 46 Hashmatullah Shaidi not out 13
Extras: (b 2, lb 1, w 5) 8
Total: (3 wkts, 20.5 overs) 96 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-33, 3-34 Bowling: N Odhiambo 5-016-0, R Aga 3-0-6-1, H Varaiya 7-0-36-0, S Ngoche 4.5-030-2, R Patel 1-0-5-0
FIFA has agreed to set up a taskforce to look into alternative dates for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But a final decision on when the tournament could be played will not take place before the 2014 World Cup.
Fears that Qatar’s hot summer temperatures could pose a health risk to players and fans forced football’s world governing body to act.
The taskforce will consult with medical experts, broadcasters, sponsors and influential European leagues.
“We need to carry out very deep consultations and investigations and show some diplomacy and wisdom,” said FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
At the climax of a two-day meeting in Zurich, Blatter also confirmed Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa would head the taskforce.
The BBC understands that FIFA is considering inviting English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore to be a member of the work-
ing group.
He has been an outspoken opponent of plans to stage a World Cup in the northern hemisphere winter, claiming it would lead to disruption in many domestic leagues.
The name of FA general secretary Alex Horne has also been mooted but sources say the final composition will be subject to agreement by FIFA’s executive committee.
The Premier League said in a statement: “We welcome the news that FIFA intends to conduct a thorough con-
sultation process involving all of the appropriate stakeholders, including confederations, associations, leagues and clubs.”
Qatar was awarded the World Cup in December 2010, beating Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States in a vote.
The Gulf state planned to combat the fierce heat, with temperatures rising to in excess of 40C, by building airconditioned stadiums.
But concerns remained, prompting Blatter to announce in July this year that the World Cup should be switched to a cooler time of the year, away from Qatar’s summer months of June and July.
There have also been calls to strip the desert nation of the right to stage the World Cup completely and run the vote again. But Blatter insisted: “The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be played in Qatar. There you have it.”
Qatar has also come under scrutiny after a British newspaper published a report that accused the country of
abusing the rights of migrant workers.
Blatter said FIFA could not get involved in labour issues in any country but added that his organisation “cannot ignore” the allegations.
“I express all my sympathy and regret for anything that happens in any country where there are deaths on construction sites, especially when they are related to a World Cup,” he told a news conference.
Hassan Al Thawadi, head of Qatar’s organising committee, has already said the Gulf state was addressing concerns.
“It’s not a World Cup being built on the blood of innocents,” he said. “That is unacceptable to anybody. We will be eradicating these issues.”
Prior to Friday’s announcement, Harold MayneNicholls, the head of the FIFA inspection team that assessed Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid, thought the tournament should be moved to January and February, when temperatures in the Gulf state average about 22C.
he Shameer Baksh
TMemorial Under-17 cricket competition will commence today with the aim of fulfilling the board’s mandate of identifying every available talent to take Berbice cricket to the next level.
This competition forms part of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continued effort to work in aid of the development of cricket in the West Berbice area.
The teams participating will be Berbice Bridge
Company Blairmont , Achievers, Shieldstown Sports Club, D’Edward Sports Club, Cotton Tree Die Hard, Bush Lot Sports Club and Blairmont Little Giants.
Players participating for respective teams will have to born after September 1, 1997. The preliminary stage will take a round robin format and the two teams with the most points after preliminaries will contest the final.
Today: Bush Lot Sports Club vs Achievers at Bush Lot
D’Edward Sports Club vs Berbice Bridge Company
Blairmont at D’Edward Cotton Tree Die Hard vsShieldstown SC at Cotton Tree
Blairmont Little Giants gained a first round bye
Sunday: D’Edward SC vs B/mont Little Giants at D’Edward
Bush Lot SC vs Cotton Tree Die Hard at Bush Lot
Shieldstown SC vs Achievers at Shieldstown
Berbice Bridge Company
Blairmont gained a bye
Rafael Nadal battled back from the brink of defeat to beat Italian Fabio Fognini and reach the semi-finals of the China Open. The Spaniard was a set and 4-1 down, but recovered to win 2-6 6-4 6-1 and extend his unbeaten run to 20 matches.
Nadal, 27, will regain the world number one ranking if he beats fourth seed Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals.
Current world number one Novak Djokovic will play French fifth seed Richard Gasquet in the other semi.
Djokovic, the defending champion, swept past American Sam Querrey 6-1 6-2, while Gasquet defeated Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer 6-3 6-4 and Berdych beat eighth seed John Isner of the US 7-5 6-2.
A return to the number one ranking for the first time since July 2011 was look-
ing unlikely for Nadal after he lost the first set against Fognini and was just a point away from trailing 5-1 in the second.
But the Mallorca-born left-hander - who looked to be struggling with his knee at one point - rediscovered his form, relinquishing just one more game to the world number 19 on his way into the final four.
Nadal is enjoying one of his best years despite missing the Australian Open with a knee injury, and he remains unbeaten on hard courts in 2013 having won his 12th Grand Slam title at the US Open last month.
On the possibility of replacing Djokovic as world number one, he said: “It’s something that doesn’t create more pressure for me.
“It’s something that already happened in the past. If that happens again, it will be
good, it will be special for me.”
“It is not the moment to think about number one, it is the moment to think about Berdych or Isner.”
Meanwhile, in the women’s tournament, world number one Serena Williams powered past sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 6-4.
The Dane offered brief resistance to break Williams’s serve in the sixth game of the second set before the 32-yearold American went on the offensive in a 38-shot rally in the seventh.
Williams, winner of 17 Grand Slam singles titles, extinguished any hope of a comeback to book a semi-final meeting with Poland’s third seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Angelique Kerber of Germany 7-6 (9-7) 6-4.
“I felt I played really well tonight (Friday night), especially in the first set,” said Williams. (BBC Sport)
Former Guyana and West Indies fast bowler, Colin Stuart, has been appointed the new Territorial Development Officer (TDO) of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), effective from October 1, according to a release from the GCB.
Stuart previously held the TDO position in 2005. His tasks will be outlined by the GCB and West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). The two boards will identify areas of concern and priority for him to attend to.
According to the release, Stuart will like to focus on the players’ mental application. In addition, he will pay heed to the physical aspects, along with nutrition. He is expected to deal with players at the Under-15, 17, 19 and senior levels.
Apart from being the TDO and GCB/WICB match referee, Stuart will be attending a cricket tutors’ clinic in Jamaica next week which will enhance his ability to work with the cricketers. His first priorities thereafter will be to train a new group of foundation and Level One coaches.
Stuart played primarily as a fast bowler and accumulated 144 First Class wickets. He also represented West Indies in six Test matches and eight One Day Internationals. In Test, he captured 20 wickets at an average of 31.39, with his best figures being 3-33. In ODIs, he took eight wickets at an average of 25.63 with his best being 5-44. Stuart also has degrees from the University of Guyana - one in Social Work and the other in Sociology. The GCB looks forward to him spearheading its development programs in a professional and timely manner.
SHIMOGA, India -West Indies A snatched a crucial 75 run lead against India A on the third and penultimate day of the second unofficial Test on Friday.
The Windies were 28 without loss in their second innings and with just a day’s play remaining today, a draw appears the most likely outcome.
Kraigg Brathwaite was batting at 18 and Kieran Powell was not out at nine as the visitors made slow start in the second innings at Jawaharlal Nehru National College of Engineering Ground.
West Indies A - missing Fidel Edwards, who bowled just four overs - couldn’t find enough in the pitch to blast
The Universal DVD First Division T20 cricket competition in Berbice continued last weekend with some outstanding individual performances.
Berbice opening batsman Anthony D’Andrade hit 59 not out, which included five fours and three sixes, along with 44 from former Guyana Under-19 batsman Joemal La Fleur, helped Bermine post 122 for 2 in 15 overs against Skeldon Community Centre. The two of them featured in an opening stand of 102 in 12.2 overs. Skeldon could only respond with 94 for 8.
Former Berbice Under-19 allrounder Kevin Ramdeen scored 55 (4x4, 4x6) to steer Young Warriors Universal DVD to 134 for 4 in 15 overs against Edinburgh. Former Guyana Under-19 batsman Linden Austin chipped
their way through the lower order and dismissed the Indians for 359.
Uday Kaul, who hit five
fours and a six to be unbeaten on 64, held the lower order together after the hosts began the day on 191 for three in response to the West Indies first innings total of 406.
The two overnight not out batsmen, Vasudevan Jagadeesh who scored 86 and Abhishek Nayar 89 stretched their fourth wicket partnership to 99 before getting separated.
Jagadeesh became the first of seamer Miguel Cummins’ three victims.
Nayar was dismissed not long after as he was trapped in front by left-arm spinner Nikita Miller.
Cummins finished with three wickets for three for 58 while Veerasammy Permaul, Nikita Miller and Assad Fudadin picked up two wickets apiece.
India A 1st innings
V Jagadeesh b Cummins 86
G Gambhir c F Edwards b Permaul 11
C Pujara* c Powell b Miller 25
V Sehwag st †Walton b Permaul 7
A Nayar lbw b Miller 89
M Kaif c Deonarine b Fudadin 26
U Kaul† not out 64 Parvez Rasool c Johnson
b Deonarine 11
B Bhatt c Miller b Cummins 11
Z Khan b Cummins 0 Mohammed Shami c †Walton
b Fudadin 15
Extras: (lb 4, nb 10) 14
Total: (all out, 131.1 overs) 359
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-104, 3-114, 4-213, 5-245, 6-273, 7-304, 8-321, 9-321, 10-359
Bowling: F Edwards 4-0-300, M Cummins 25-7-58-3, V Permaul 32-8-88-2, N Deonarine 25-3-66-1, N Miller 31-4-902, A Fudadin 14.1-3-23-2
West Indies A 2nd innings
K Brathwaite not out 18
K Powell not out 9
Extras: (lb 1) 1
Total: (0 wkts, 14 overs) 28
Bowling: Z Khan 5-2-60, Mohammed Shami 4-216-0, Parvez Rasool 3-21-0, B Bhatt 2-0-4-0
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Bangladesh Under-19 team will clash with hosts Guyana in a warm-up match today at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground. Bourda.
The match will give the tourists some practice ahead of their seven limited overs matches against West Indies Under-19, slated to begin on Monday in Guyana.
The Bangladesh cricket team, under captain Mehidy Hassan Miraz, arrived in Guyana on Thursday morning, will play a strong Guyana Under-19 team in the 50 overs match. For today’s warm-up game, admission is free and patrons will use the Rohan Kanhai stand.
In an invited comment at the conclusion of the final net session on Friday at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) ground, Woolford Avenue, Guyana coach Adrian Amsterdam said the team is fully prepared and eagerly looking forward to the game.
“We had a short encampment period, but an intense one. I am confident that the guys can deliver a surprise and win tomorrow match (today),” said Amsterdam.
Shawn Pereira will captain the Guyana team.
On the other hand, the Asian youth team spent most of Friday afternoon engaged in some team training and net sessions under the watchful eyes of coach Richard John McInnes and assistant coach Zafrul Ehsan at the Guyana
National Stadium.
McInnes told Guyana Times Sport after Friday’s training session that today’s game will be very important, since it will give his charges the opportunity to get acclimatise with the conditions here ahead of the limited overs series.
“The conditions here are pretty much similar like back home, the wicket is keeping low and is very conducive to spin, so tomorrow (today) warm-up game we will see how it goes. We were training quite hard back home, so overall I think we are fully prepared,” McInnes concluded.
Following the warm-up game, the Bangladeshis will play the West Indies junior team on October 7 at the Guyana National Stadium, October 9 at Bourda, October 11 at Guyana National Stadium, October 14 at Everest, October 16 at the Guyana National Stadium, October 19 at Albion and
October 21 at Everest. The games for the Guyana National Stadium are day/night fixtures and will start at 13:30h. The other games scheduled for Bourda, Albion and Everest will begin at 09:00h. Guyana: Shawn Pereira (Captain), Ricardo Peters, Ryan Shun, Kamesh Yadram, Sharaz Ramcharan, Kemol Savory, Vishal Narayan, Steven Sankar, Henry Greene, Martin Pestano Bell, Romario Shepherd, Kemo Paul, Shailendra Shameer, Ricardo Mohamed, Shivram Persaud and Banerd Bailey. Bangladesh: Mehidy Hassan Miraz (Captain), Jasim Uddin (Vice-Captain), Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain, Munim Shahriar, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Musaddek Hossain, Saeed Sarkar, Joyraj Sheik, Abu Hider, Rifat Pradhan, Nahid Hasan, Nihad Uz Zaman, Jubair Hossain and Rahatul Ferdous.
in with 38. Ramdeen came back with his offspin and took 2 for 6 from three overs to restrict Edinburgh to 61 in 14.3 overs.
Karamdat Bissoondial hit 54 (3x6, 3x4) in Blairmont Community Centre’s 85 for 7, made in their 10 overs against
D’Edward that struggled to 28 for 9 in their respons.
Berbice Under-19 left arm spinner Kevon Jawahir had figures of 2 for 4 from two overs, Berbice Under-19 left arm spinner Waqar Hassan, offspinner Shabeer Baksh 1 for 0 from one over and pacer Deveshwari Prashad, 1 for 4 from two overs, were the wicket takers.
Former Guyana Under-19 pacer Raun Johnson took 4 for 14 from four overs and former West Indies Test pacer Brendon Bess, 3 for 15 from four overs, to help West Berbice restrict Universal DVD Young Warriors to 116 for 8 in 20 overs. The consistent Keith Fraser hit 41 (5x6, 1x4), Berbice cricketer Krishndat Ramoo, 37 not out, and former Berbice Under-19 batsman Rafael Estriado, 28, steered West Berbice to a six-wicket win.
Bush Lot Rising Star pacer Dellon Joseph picked up 4 for 17 from four overs to help restrict Upper Corentyne to 118 for 9 in 20 overs. His efforts however, went in vain as Bush Lot could only respond with 100 for 9 in 20 overs, compliments of Upper Corentyne offspinner Jameel Azad with 3 for 7 from one over, and Lakeram Latchman with 2 for 15 from four overs.
The match between Young Warriors Universal DVD and Skeldon Community Centre at Cumberland was rained out without a ball being bowled.
The preliminary stage of the competition will conclude this weekend with matches scheduled for today and Sunday.
Saturday’s fixture: Group A 13:30h: Albion Community Centre vs
D’Edward at Albion Blairmont Community Centre vs Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets at Blairmont
Group B: 09.00 hours: Bermine vs Bush Lot Rising Star at Albion West Berbice vs Upper Corentyne at Port Mourant
Sunday’s fixture: Group A
13:30h: Blairmont Community Centre vs Police at Blairmont
Group B:
13:30h: Young Warriors Universal DVD vs Bermine at Cumberland Edinburgh vs West Berbice at Edinburgh
Points standing after the latest
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/ Banks Beer Super League 2013/14 tournament gets underway on Sunday with two matches.
Close to $7 million in prize monies and trophies will be up for grabs with incentives for individual outstanding performances as well. The winning team will receive $3 million, runner-up, $2 million, third place, $1 million, and fourth place, $500,000.
Also, there will be a daily gate prize of $25,000 for a lucky fan, along with other special prizes.
Meanwhile, the tournament was officially launched on Friday, in the lobby of the Banks DIH Sports Bar at Thirst Park, before a gathering that included GFF
President Christopher Matthias, Vice President of Competitions Collie Hercules, Banks Beer Brand Manager Brian Choo-Hen, Communication Manager of the company Troy Peters, GFF Vice President Ivan Persaud, players and associations representatives from the 16 clubs selected to participate in the event.
Matthias in his remarks said the league plays an in-
tegral role in the development of the players, citing the objectives that the GFF would like to achieve through the staging of the League. He urged teams to adhere to the rules that have been set up to govern the event.
Hercules, whose responsibility is to run the league, commended the organising committee for producing the Plan that will govern the league, emphasising its importance
Action in the annual Courts (Guyana) Inc./Petra Organisation/Banks DIH Limited’s Pee Wee football competition is set to continue today with a dozen games at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.
In the first set of games from 10:00h, St Gabriel’s will take on Stella Maris and that fixture will be played simultaneously with F.E. Pollard against St Angela’s.
At 10:50h, Ketley will tackle Success, while Marian Academy will collide with Sophia, before Redeemer square off against East La Penitence; South Ruimveldt engage J.E. Burnham at 11:40h.
St Sidwell’s will then play Winfer Gardens and Tucville will take on St Pius from 12:30h, while North Georgetown and West Field will collide and St Margaret’s will battle Enterprise with both games commencing at 13:20h.
In the final pair of games, St Ambrose will take on Green Acres and West Ruimveldt will tackle St Stephen’s at 14:10h. Meanwhile, co-director of the Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca, said that they were extremely pleased with the turnout of teams and the noticeable improved skills of the players in this year’s event, which opened last Saturday at the same venue.
Mendonca, along with Marlan Cole, is one of the core principals of the organization. He said the presence of 22 of the 24 teams made it a positive start to the competition, adding that all the recruited teams would have been in attendance had it not been for a case of miscommunication between them and the absent schools.
He, however, pointed out that the situation has been rectified by his staff and he expects a full turnout out of schools this weekend.
in shaping the future of Guyana’s football.
Hercules encouraged the teams to be disciplined, play hard and help develop a brand of football that will be pleasing to the fans.
Choo-Hen welcomed all those present and echoed similar sentiments expressed by Peters, adding that the company will remain steadfast in its commitment to assisting in the development of the sport.
Meanwhile, the two matches will see the Guyana Defence Force tackling Linden’s Silver Shattas in the feature clash at 20:00h. That match will be preceded by the encounter between hosts Milerock and Riddim Squad from 18:00h.
