Guyana Times 08 20 2017

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PPP roasts AFC over

guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3307

Sunday, August 20, 2017

“hypocritical”,

Page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

No need for President to face media – Harmon P12

“comical” statements Drunken lawyer Pregnant woman arrested dies after being after hitting pedestrian crushed by house Poor umpiring, Brandon McCullum, spinners lead to Warriors defeat Freak storm

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Page 9

Minister urges Annai farmers to begin P17 repairing access road Bags of ganja, cellphone P15 found in NA Prison yard

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Section of Kitty Public Road to be closed for P13 repair works

Thousands of passionate fans converged at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on Saturday to experience the biggest party in sport where the Amazon Warriors and the Trinbago Knight Riders clashed in a nail-biting game (Dexter Ceres Photo)

GECOM chairmanship

Appoint before election preparations start Page 7

– urges British Envoy

“Own your regions and communities” – President tells Rupununi residents P3

Fresh prison unrest

Lusignan prisoners surrender weapons Page 8

…after attempting to kill “informant”

CANU to set up branch in Berbice

P18

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SUnDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

3 PPP roasts AFC over “hypocritical”, “comical” statements T NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, August 20 – a night retraction at 03:30h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Monday, August 21 – a night retraction at 04:00h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, August 20 – 15:40h-17:10h and Monday, August 21 – 16:35h-18:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Heavy rain showers can be expected throughout the day, with sunny weather in the later afternoon. Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East South-easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 03:11h and 15:42h reaching maximum heights of 2.61 metres and 2.58 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 09:13h and 21:33h reaching minimum heights of 0.57 metre and 0.63 metre respectively.

SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has called out the Alliance For Change (AFC) over what it says are hypocritical and comical, among other things, statements made by executives at a recent press conference.

“In a desperate and hasty attempt to appear relevant to the large number of Guyanese in the diaspora, who are in the country for cricket, the Alliance For Change (AFC) held a press conference last Thursday, putting on display several of its leaders. The pronouncements which emanated from this high-level AFC team were, at best, hypocritical and contradictory; and at worst comical,” the Parliamentary Opposition said on Saturday.

According to PPP, the AFC, which is the mi-

nor party in the Coalition Government, is a spent force with very little relevance in electoral politics, a reality which the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is well aware of.

“This is the precise reason why the AFC did not contest the 2016 LGE (Local Government Elections).

The Guyanese people have quickly seen through their false promises to the sugar industry and rice farmers; their contradictory position on the parking meter and VAT on private education, both of which they supported at the level of Cabinet but subsequently and hypocritically conveyed the impression that they are pressuring the Government to change its positions on these two issues,” the PPP noted.

The party has said that

with the AFC having already begun to campaign for the 2019 LGE, Guyanese should take note that the party is only going to its community to campaign for the elections.

It was also pointed out that the AFC was spinelessly silent on President Granger’s continuous attempts to railroad the constitutional process of appointing a Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

“The public has also seen their duplicitous vacillations on the need for disclosure on important contracts entered into by the Government of Guyana.

While in Opposition, they were loudest in the calls for public disclosures of such documents. Now in Government, they are the chief protagonists in defence

of keeping such contract away from the population’s scrutiny,” the PPP asserted.

On this note, the Parliamentary Opposition referred to a statement made during the media briefing that AFC Executives “are not bribable”. The PPP said the Guyanese population knows a different reality, and about the wanton and widespread corruption that has engulfed the entire Government, including the AFC. The former ruling party pointed to allegations of corruption regarding gun licences; the scandalous Guyana Power and Light (GPL) meter contract; the million-dollar tax write-off for an AFC financier; the secret wind farm project being undertaken by an AFC financier, among other projects.

“Own your regions and communities” – President tells Rupununi residents

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resident David Granger charged residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to take responsibility for the prosperity and development of their villages, communities and region and ultimately the country.

He noted that Lethem must fulfil its mission as a capital town by driving the development of the region through investments, infrastructure and information technology.

The President, who spent Friday in the region meeting with regional officials, security forces and residents, urged them to become entrepreneurs and develop their villages and towns particularly in the areas of ‘green’ energy, tourism and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). “When we speak about development we also speak about telecommunications and ‘green’ energy.

Rupununi has the largest volume and hours of sunlight in the entire country.

Let us turn Lethem green; ‘green’ energy must power our buildings, our ministries, our hospitals, our schools, our Police stations. Let us introduce more communication technology. Lethem must be a wellwired town. We can only

A section of the gathering at the meeting in Region Nine

improve communications if we adopt ICT much more quickly and seriously than we are doing,” the President is quoted by the Ministry of the Presidency as saying.

President Granger said Region Nine is the largest region in the country but much more has to be done to improve investment and infrastructural development, adding that his Government stands ready to work with regional and local Government to ensure the vast region reaches its potential. The town of Lethem, he said, is filled with foreign investors and while the country and Government welcomes this, Guyanese must themselves increase their own economic activ-

ity. The Head of State said Lethem needs increased economic activity to create jobs, generate wealth and reduce

poverty and noted that investment can spur the that movement in the economy.

“Guyana must be able to rely on all sections of society. We have to own the Rupununi.

We are obstructing the development of this large region. We are hindering our own development. We must take collective leadership of this region,” the President said.

To aid this development, however, President Granger said that proper infrastructure is a key element. “We need to look at infrastructure. We need to do more.

We need to do better. turn to page 11

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guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, august 20, 2017

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Imploding sugar

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ith our new “crisis a week” norm, the sugar industry’s crisis has been pushed off the front pages of the newspapers but the contradictions precipitated by the Government’s actions to “save” the industry have intensified and may soon explode like an unattended sore. It has been almost two years since this newspaper uncovered that Wales Estate was going to be shuttered and eight months since it actually was.

Five months after that precipitate action, the Government unveiled its “State Paper on the Future of the Sugar Industry” which announced: “The proposed courses of action are to amalgamate Wales Estate with Uitvlugt Estate and reassign its cane to the Uitvlugt factory, since the estate is operating at 50 per cent capacity. Sixty per cent of its drainage and irrigation infrastructure is in a dilapidated condition. The Corporation furthermore seeks to divest itself of the Skeldon Estate. The estates of Albion and Rose Hall are to be amalgamated and the factory at Rose Hall is to be closed.”

The plan added, seemingly as an afterthought, “In the case of Enmore, that factory will be closed at the end of the year when all cane would have been harvested and the East Coast Estates would be earmarked for diversification.”

After the bloodletting, the Guyana sugar industry, run by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), would consist of three estates and three sugar factories: Blairmont on the West Bank Berbice, Albion-Rose Hall in East Berbice and the Uitvlugt-Wales estate in West Demerara. They are expected to produce a total of 147,000 tonnes annually; less than half of its historic average production.

But we can look at what has played out at Wales Estate, since its closure as part of the “amalgamation” with Uitvlugt Estate, twenty-two miles away, as a precursor as to what lies ahead for the other estates to be closed or ‘amalgamated”. There, approximately 1200 of the workers were offered and accepted “severance pay” for their termination of services. Three hundred and fifty canecutters are being coerced to transfer to Uitvlugt against their will and the law.

Most Guyanese are unaware of the quantum of the severance pay to appreciate a family cannot long survive on it. For an average worker who might have accumulated, say, 15 years of service, this pay would amount to 30 weeks of their average weekly wage. What this means is that by now, if the Wales dismissed workers were very disciplined and prudent and stuck to a budget, their severance pay would have been exhausted by now. What are they to do henceforth?

The State Paper promises: “Employees are to be leased land by GuySuCo to engage in crops (crop types to be decided by GuySuCo and the Agriculture Ministry).” This signalled that the Government was going to transition sugar workers into farmers, which would be a very positive and salutary measure. But up this point at Wales, no employee has been leased any of the approximately 8000 acres of land that had been cultivated by the estate.

It would appear that, as was the case with the closure of Wales long before a “State Paper” was articulated, the modalities of leasing of lands to former workers – if in fact the Government is serious about that move – is yet to be worked out.

In the meantime, GuySuCo announced it had converted some 400 acres of land at Wales to produce “seed paddy” that would be sold to rice farmers at the beginning of their crop. This is not adding any new production or employment in Guyana since all seed paddy needed for the industry has been supplied by National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and private contracted farmers.

Because of the purity of seeds needed, seed paddy demands a level of care that is unlikely to be supplied by the inexperienced workers at Wales.

What is then clear is after the closure of all sugar operations at Enmore/LBI and the other locations identified, at least 10,000 workers and their families will be on the breadlines in an economy that is contracting.

Tragic.

Rafieya Husain was on Saturday evening crowned Miss Universe Guyana 2017 when the pageant was held at York College in New York. She also copped the prizes for best gown, interviews and popularity

Being less than honest Dear Editor, Leonard Craig, in a letter published in another section of the media on August 17, 2017, wrote, “I will not trade legal arguments or constitutional misinterpretations, because I believe these matters are best decided by the courts, a turf not unfamiliar to Mr Nandlall; many hold the view that, in such setting, he is neither shy nor incompetent.”

Craig was responding to a previous letter written by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall on the illegalities of the amendments to the broadcast legislation recently passed in Parliament.

For readers to understand the mindset of the former Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), one only has to look at the company he associates with. Leonard Craig is a personal friend and confidant of the Guyana-bashing Freddie Kissoon, who expresses righteous indignation for former PPP ministers, and downright contempt for those Indo-Guyanese who remain loyal to the PPP. I have no doubt that Craig’s association with Kissoon may have influenced his long-running feud with former GNBA Director Tony Vieira.

All the concerns raised by my colleague, the Hon Anil Nandlall, in his letter are legal arguments that formed part of his speech during the debate in the National Assembly on the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2017.

Since Craig “will not trade legal arguments or constitutional misinterpretations” with Anil Nandlall, perhaps he can offer his service and expertise to the blundering Attorney General Basil Williams, who will need all the help he can get to defend this draconian legislation in court.

Craig’s claim of having consultations on the amendments of the law with most of the major stakeholders in the broadcasting sector is erroneous and misleading. In his letter, he wrote, “In my capacity as Chairman, I met with Mr Anil Nandlall and Ms Bibi Shadick, who met with me in their capacity as representatives of Freedom Radio. At that meeting, they were able to freely air their concerns on several matters, including terms and conditions of licensing, fees’ adjustment, restructuring of broadcasting landscape, and strengthening of regulations. A separate caucus was held with Ms. Shadick in her capacity as former

Board Chair.” When contacted, Ms. Bibi Shadick denied having any form of consultation with Leonard Craig during her two meetings with him. She said, “He visited my office to introduce himself as the new GNBA Board Chairman.

We had a brief conversation. The second meeting was with Anil Nandlall in our capacity as representatives of Freedom Radio Inc. But consultations about the Broadcast Act or Amendments were never discussed, as far as I am aware.”

And in a classic example of how misinformation is propagated by this Administration to fool the populace, there was a group photograph on the front page of Friday’s Guyana Chronicle with the Hon Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo flanked by the CEO and other Directors of the GNBA, including PPP representative Ms Bibi Shadick, with a headline that screams “GNBA backs broadcast bill.”

The article that accompanied the photo stated: “The Guyana Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has thrown its full support behind the Broadcast (Amendment) Bill.” This statement is misleading, as “At Wednesday’s meeting which the Prime Minister attended, the

Board was not asked to, nor did it, express its “backing” for the amendments to the Broadcast Bill” -Bibi Shadick.

Further, the PPP is on record as having denounced the amendments to this Bill as unconstitutional.

From information which I have been able to obtain, Leonard Craig met by himself with individual broadcasters over a period of time, before any meeting of the GNBA Board was even convened. He had these meetings by himself as Board Chairman, without any reference to the other Board members.

It appears that his meetings with individual broadcasters were done merely to familiarize himself with them, and cannot be classified as consultations about amendments or regulations.

After the entire GNBA Board had met, there was a single meeting with all broadcasters. This, again, was for introductions and familiarization, and should not be misconstrued as consultation.

Leonard Craig is being less than honest in his letter.

Sincerely, Harry Gill PPP/C Member of Parliament

guyanatimesgy.com

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Addressing the dynamics of suicide Dear Editor, Recently, sections of the local media inaccurately cited the statistics on suicide by the World Health Organization (WHO) when they reported that Guyana’s suicide rate stood at 20.6 per 100,000 in 2015. Editor, there is no truth to this. A visit to the WHO website (http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/) revealed a suicide rate of 30.6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015, which is significantly higher than what is reported by the local media.

Such inaccuracy spurs widespread speculation that some sections of the media may be hiding the suicide problem for political reasons. Further, WHO has reported a sharp increase in suicide for the year 2012 (44.2 per 100,000 inhabitants), and then a robust drop in 2015. I remain skeptical about such statistics. A significant decline in the suicide rate is not rationally possible.

Editor, how can there be such a huge reduction in the suicide rate when the primary triggers of this problem remain unaddressed, and any kind of therapeutic intervention remains se-

verely limited?

One needs to be cautious about the suicide statistics, because of mountainous problems. Although WHO is a reputable and well-respected organisation, it needs to be clear that WHO acknowledges that data from numerous countries are of poor quality due to inherent problems of under-reporting and misclassification.

Furthermore, the accuracy of such statistics remains questionable due to poor data collection methods and procedures in this country. Clearly, multiple problems reduce the accuracy, validity, and reliability of the suicide statistics.

And due to such problems, I remain skeptical about the reported decline in the suicide rate.

Importantly, these issues cannot be ignored when interpreting and drawing conclusions from such statistics.

I reasoned that a significant reduction in suicide can come about only by addressing the abnormally high levels of stress arising out of the catastrophic social, economic and political conditions. Stress mechanistically drives suicide directly

or indirectly by disrupting brain functions, thereby unleashing mental illness (e.g. depression, schizophrenia, etc.) or substance abuse (e.g. alcoholism), or both.

Stress basically hijacks the brain in eliciting suicidal behaviours.

Although such an intricate dynamic is working to propel suicide, it must also be recognised that genes can also augment this problem. Sadly, this dynamic remains unaddressed.

Specifically, a reduction in suicide requires reducing the massive unemployment rate, reducing the massive crime rate, curbing widespread discrimination, ending dysfunctional leaderships, stamping out corruption, bringing ethnic diversity and much-needed skills, as well as ending dysfunction at the Ministry of Social Protection, among a slew of other measures.

Unfortunately, as it stands, this Ministry hurts

Guyanese rather than helps them. This has been my personal experience.

Furthermore, a robust reduction in the suicide rate can come about only by eliminating the primary triggers of suicide, together with making available meaningful therapeutic interventions (counselling, community support, reducing access to pesticides, etc.).

It needs to be noted that although therapeutic interventions are appreciated, valued and necessary, they cannot alone bring down the suicide rate, and are BandAid approaches with marginal and transient gains, if any at all, because victims will inevitably relapse into suicide.

Sincerely, Annie Baliram

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Foundation

Albouystown top Sinus problems NGSA performers “A large nose is the mark of a witty, honoured courteous, affable, generous and liberal man.”– Cyrano de Bergerac

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Anu Dev

or an organ normally taken for granted (unless we’re like Cyrano!), the nose is a gateway for more than its fair share of challenges to its owner. We have all experienced or heard about “sinus problems”, haven’t we?

In clinic during my ENT rotation, we saw a lot of patients coming in because of their sinus problems. Many of them ended up having allergic rhinosinusitis – “rhino” referring to your nose, “sinus” to your sinuses and “-itis” referring to an inflammatory reaction.

Your “sinuses” are airfilled spaces within the bones of your skull. The lining of the nose and sinuses are continuous, so usually both are affected in conditions like rhinosinusitis.

For some people, when they’re exposed to dust, pollen or pet dander, an allergic reaction is trig-

gered. Allergic rhinosinusitis, asthma and eczema are called “atopic” conditions and what this means is basically, in these conditions, your body encounters a normal stimulus, but some persons overreact to it. Your immune system is there to protect your body from threats. So when something like a virus or bacteria invades our defences, there is a chain of events that happen to fight off the invading organism.

But with atopic conditions, your body doesn’t just pull out the big guns for actual threats, it does that for relatively benign things like pollen or dust.

Instead of just ignoring the stimulus, your body kicks off a chain of events in response. In rhinosinusitis, special antibodies and cells release chemicals like histamine that cause your nose to become blocked up and runny.

Unlike a sinus infection, in allergic rhinosinusitis, the nasal discharge is usually clear and thin. If the sinuses are infected, the discharge is usually thick

and yellow/green.

Because of the congestion and airflow obstruction in the nose, many people with allergic rhinosinusitis have a reduced or even absent sense of smell. One of the things that people with allergic rhinosinusitis tend to do is rub their nose quite frequently to relieve itching – an “allergic salute”. They might rub their nose so much so that they end up having a crease just above the tip of their nose.

Other triggers of this allergic reaction are housedust mites which can be found on mattresses and pillows. And is a good reason why we should periodically “dust” these out.

There’s a strong association between allergic rhinosinusitis and asthma- in fact, it can even make asthma worse.

But since allergic rhinosinusitis is an allergic reaction and not an infection, antibiotics aren’t needed to manage it. You’ll only need antibiotics if you end up developing a bacterial infection. Allergic rhinosinusitis is usually managed with

antihistamines and intranasal steroids. And you can see why those things will help – histamine is the main chemical causing the symptoms so antihistamines work against that and since the condition is basically an overblown immune response to a normal stimuli, the steroids help by damping down that immune response.

Nasal decongestants are also used but they should be used briefly and sparingly if at all. Nasal contestants, if they’re overused, can cause a rebound nasal congestion (rhinitis medicamentosa) which ends up worsening the problem.

Like asthma, one of the most important parts of managing allergic rhinosinusitis is to avoid triggers. Try to identify things at home, at work or in your environment that might be triggering an allergic reaction.

I realise I’ve been a bit technical this week, but I wanted you to know your runny nose a bit more so you could take care of its problems.

Sarah Singh receives her donation from Minister Broomes

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inister within the Natural Resources Ministry Simona Broomes on Friday presented five outstanding National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) 2017 performers of the Albouystown/ Charlestown communities with monetary donations, while urging them to continue on the challenging path to success.

“When school reopens in

Twelve-year-old Aidan Allicock who will be heading to Queens College in September, said he felt “very enlightened and very privileged” by the Minister’s gesture.

An ambitious paediatrician, Walanda Wilson, 12, who secured a spot at the Queen’s College echoed the sentiments of her colleagues and was confident that the Minister’s donation will be of

Aiden Allicock receives a donation from Minister Broomes

September, how you looked at it before, I want you to change that in your mind knowing that you are now shaping your country for the future,” Minister Broomes encouraged.

Securing a place at Bishop’s High School was Sarah Singh who deemed the Minister’s generosity as “unexpected” but “exciting” when she spoke to the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The young aspiring pharmacist highlighted the challenges faced during her school year, having had to traverse the poor roads to get to school. Nevertheless, the student is grateful for her family’s support.

“It’s really exciting when you have your whole family around you and you still get the education you deserve,” she said.

much significance and assistance during the new school year.

“I’m glad, very, very happy… I don’t know what books I have to get yet but I’m sure it will help,” Wilson said.

Demetrius Drup and Daniel Robertson of Albouystown gushed at having their wish of personally meeting a Minister fulfilled. “(I am) excited because I got to meet a Minister which is what I wanted. I wanted to meet someone in politics,” 11-year-old Drup said.

“I feel very happy because I got to meet the Minister and she congratulated me,” were the words of an anxious Robertson. The Minister was not partial in her generosity as she also donated haversacks to other children in the Albouystown/Charlestown community.

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sunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GECOM chairmanship

Appoint before election preparations start – urges British Envoy

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ith GECOM to begin preparing next year to hold Local Government Elections in 2019, British High Commissioner Gregory Quinn is calling on local authorities to appoint a Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as soon as possible.

The British diplomat told reporters on Thursday that the appointment of a GECOM chairman should be fast tracked. “I think next year, 2018, is gonna be fairly a crunch year to make sure all the preparations for 2019 are in place… The sooner we get a chairman for GECOM in place, the better it is going to be for that process,” Quinn expressed.

President David Granger has already rejected two lists of nominees for the position of GECOM Chairman submitted

by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who has since agreed to compile a third list.

Last month, Jagdeo told reporters that he was in the final stages of preparing a third list of nominees for the GECOM Chairmanship post.

“I had committed to submitting a third list publically and with the President, and I believe that I should continue with that process… (And) I am hoping that from this third list, someone would be chosen, and then it would become a moot issue,” Jagdeo

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

British High Commissioner Gregory Quinn

had stated.

However, the Opposition Leader explained that while he is committed to submitting the third list, persons are skeptical about having their names put forward as nominees because they do not want to be considered unsuitable.

Nevertheless, Jagdeo noted that should President Granger deem this new list of names unacceptable, there is a process agreed upon to ensure that a suitable candidate is appointed.

President Granger has been holding strong that Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana prescribes for the Chairman of the Elections Commission to be “a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court…or who is qualified

to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person…”

Having interpreted “fit and proper” to mean any group of qualified persons, the Opposition Leader in December submitted his first list, nominating the following persons: Attorney Christopher Ram, Conflict Resolution Specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh, (retired) Major General Norman McLean, Business executive Ramesh Dookhoo, Indian Rights Activist Rhyaan Shah, and History Professor James Rose for the post at the helm of GECOM. The Head of State rejected the list, saying that the nominees have to be a judge, retired judge, or possess qualifications to be a judge, as well

Drunken lawyer arrested after hitting pedestrian

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popular attorney in Berbice is now in Police custody after he reportedly struck down a pedestrian on the Williamsburg Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice on Friday evening.

The victim is yet to be identified, but Guyana Times understands that the lawyer was highly intoxicated at time of the incident.

The Police have said that

a breathalyser test administered on the lawyer proved that his alcohol consumption was above the legal limit.

Reports received reveal the 51-year-old attorney of East Coast Berbice, was proceeding along the roadway when he struck a male pedestrian who allegedly crossed the road and into the path of the motor van.

The injured man was

picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the Port Mourant Hospital, where he was treated and referred to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

However, as a result of the severity of his injuries, he was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

His condition is listed as critical.

President David Granger

as not be an activist or member of any political party.

Following weeks of impasse, Jagdeo finally agreed to return to the drawing board, and submitted a new list of nominees, comprising: retired Justice of Appeal BS Roy; retired Justice William Ramlall; former Magistrate Oneidge Walrond-Allicock; Attorneys Kashir Khan and Nadia Sagar; and businessman and pilot, Captain Gerald Gouveia.

President Granger reject-

ed this second list as well, saying it was “unacceptable” and that ALL of the nominees should be a judge, retired judge, or qualified to be a judge. The President has argued that he needs to have options on the list, so all of the nominees have to be qualified.

In the meantime, local businessman Marcel Gaskin had moved to the High Court back in March to challenge the constitutionality of President David Granger’s reasoning behind his rejection of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo’s first list of six nominees for the GECOM Chairmanship post.

In the court action, Gaskin sought from the Court a declaratory order on the meaning of Article 161(2).

The businessman, who is the brother of Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, wanted to know whether the list of nominees to be submitted by the Opposition Leader must include a judge, a retired judge or a person qualified to be a judge, as being claimed by the

President.

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, SC, overruled the President’s interpretation of the Constitution, finding that there is no particular preference for the appointment of persons within the Judiciary for the GECOM chairmanship.

In her determination, Justice George found that there was no valid argument to support the idea that the Chairman should be a judge, former judge, or person eligible to be a judge; and noted that persons from each category are equally eligible for the post.

The Chief Justice pointed out that the word “any” in the other category, “…any other fit and proper person”, widens the category, and “does not restrict the qualification or profession” from which the nominee should be drawn.

She added that there was no mandatory category, and all the categories have equal weight.

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SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Fresh prison unrest

Lusignan prisoners surrender weapons …after attempting to kill “informant”

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alm has again been restored at the Lusignan Prisons when, on Saturday morning, several inmates surrendered improvised weapons to prison officers.

A tense and volatile atmosphere had descended on that penitentiary on Friday evening at about 20.30 hrs after 18 prisoners had injured themselves in trying to penetrate the razor wire barrier separating Holding Area One from Holding Area Two, reportedly in an attempt to kill an inmate they accuse of being an informant.

Prison officials have confirmed that 18 prisoners had indeed received razor wire cuts, and some had sustained other injuries, when they tried to scale a fence to access Holding Area Two. The prisoners had allegedly said they wanted to kill the fellow inmate.

It has also been disclosed that four prisoners had received treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital for the injuries they had sustained, and that one had been nursing a stab wound.

The alleged informant was reportedly ushered to protective custody.

This latest prison disturbance follows repeated instances of unrest that have occurred ever since the July 9, 2017 Camp Street

Prisoners surrendered 33 weapons at the Lusignan facility on Saturday

Prison riot and fire which left Prison Officer Odinga Wickham dead.

The Lusignan inmates involved in Friday’s unrest have offered prison authorities a proverbial olive branch, and have apologised to prison officers on Saturday morning as they surrendered 33 improvised weapons.

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, on Saturday indicated that those prisoners thanked officers for not directing shots at them in a departure from a July 29 incident wherein 16 prisoners had been shot in a

riot at Lusignan. That riot was sparked by four inmates brawling among themselves and receiving injuries in the process.

Reportedly, a group of inmates had started to behave disorderly among themselves, and this had escalated into a melee. The prisoners were repeatedly warned by officers, but they had refused to adhere to orders, and had hurled bricks at prison officers who were on duty, as a result of which prison officers were forced to retaliate by opening fire on them.

During that ordeal, three of the injured 16 prisoners were examined by doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital, while the remaining 13 were treated at the penitentiary for minor injuries they had sustained.

Inmates have been increasingly agitated and angry with the recent prison raids, wherein significant sets of contraband items have been confiscated. A Wednesday morning raid at the Camp Street Prisons has unearthed a quantity of cannabis, three cell phones along with SIM cards, four lighters, 20 improvised weapons and three razor blades.

Three major raids conducted at the Lusignan, Timehri and New Amsterdam prisons on August 3 have netted more than 40 improvised weapons, 20 cellphones, 3 tattoo machines, 28 packs of cigarettes, 33 lighters and various quantities of illegal drugs. In fact, the Lusignan Prison raid alone accounted for more than 20 improvised weapons, nine lighters, nine mobile phones, two spoons, and an earphone, among other prohibited items.

In 2016, Samuels, then Deputy Director of Prisons, had categorised contraband as a “multi-million-dollar business” from within the prison system.

La Grange labourer charged for “blasting” music

T

wenty-nine-yearold Rodwell Brown of La Grange, West Bank Demerara was on Friday arraigned before Wales Magistrate Rushell Liverpool on a noise nui-

sance charge detailing that he had made loud and continuous noise whilst being on the La Grange Public Road on July 27 last.

The prosecution’s contention was that Brown

played his stereo system at a level which annoyed Pamela Peters, virtual complainant (VC) in this matter, who was not present at last Thursday’s arraignment.

Brown, a labourer, denied the charge and told

Magistrate Liverpool that he had never previously been charged.

He was placed on bail in the sum of $10,000, and will make his next court appearance on August 24.

Transparent…

C

…or opaque in oil?

all your Eyewitness jaded, but he’s not impressed by this application of a “Multi Stakeholder Group (MSG) for Guyana to obtain membership in the “Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative” (EITI). The latter body, “overseeing” the “transparency” and good governance of extractive operations in some 52 countries engaged in oil, gas and mineral resources, is supposed to be a stamp of approval over our Government’s handling of our incipient oil industry.

But no matter how vigilant the EITI is -- and that’s a matter for debate -- aren’t we locking the stable door after the (oil) horse has bolted? After all, according to our trusty Wiki source, “The EITI Standard requires information along the extractive industry value chain FROM the point of extraction to how the revenue makes its way through the Government, to how it contributes to the economy.”

But in our case, all of Guyana - including key supporters of the Government - have been demanding the details of the contract, since that would determine exactly what we’re supposed to get “FROM the point of extraction”. How exactly did Trotman get to DOUBLE the rate of royalties from 1% to the underwhelmingly 2%?? He can’t have it both ways: saying on one hand that the PPP contract negotiated back in 1999 is cast in stone, yet, on the other hand, a key clause could be changed!

Point of the matter is: the original 1999 Contract was time-bound, and was due for renewal by 2015 -- just when the new Government COINCIDENTALLY acceded to office.

The contract could’ve been renegotiated at that time - and WAS! All that talk of Guyana getting “bad name” for not accepting the sanctity of contracts is nonsense. Just as with the GTT contract -- signed in 1990 and expired in 2010 -- which can be renegotiated, as the Government’s doing right now. No bad name!!

Your Eyewitness has a problem with the MSG, which will represent Guyana at the EITI, accepting the contract shouldn’t be shown to the Guyanese people. Whose interests are they really representing? The legislation says the MSG “shall be comprised of 4 Government Representatives; 4 Business Group Representatives; and 4 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Representatives.”

We can understand the Government and business reps going along (businesses, after all, have to be “pragmatic”!) but the CSOs?? Shouldn’t they have dug their heels in and demanded the contract be made public as a precondition to their giving their stamp of approval to the application to the EITI? But all is not lost. Right now Guyana is merely an “EITI Candidate”; it’ll take two-and-a-half years for Validation.

The people can speak in 2020!!

...on new Bridge

If the Government hasn’t begun its campaign for 2020, the AFC certainly have! After a prolonged period of somnolence, they’ve suddenly found their voice, and are pronouncing on all manner of things. Even the Cummingsburg Accord - but don’t get excited - nothing substantive!! Anyhow, their Minister of Infrastructure, Patterson, announced they’ll get going next year on the fixed-span new Demerara Harbour Bridge, which the PPP had proposed.

But again, don’t get too excited. What they REALLY announced was next year they’ll launch the PROCESS of starting the bridge project. And we know how long THAT can take to get it to the end, don’t we? However, there was an interesting revelation to the effect they’ll be having prospective bidders for the project be PREQUALIFIED. Makes, sense, doesn’t it? You wouldn’t want any fella with a backhoe sending in bids, would you? This is an important and LARGE undertaking.

But if PREQUALIFICATION is necessary for the bridge, why did the Government throw out prequalification for PHARMA SUPPLIES? Aren’t lives even more important than a bridge?

…wish

Your Eyewitness is bemused by the irony of that Marxist holdout in the PPP - Hydar Ali - fervently and ostentatiously agreeing with the British High Commissioner on the need for a change in the voting system.

Aaah, how quickly we forget!!

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

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SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Halted Police promotions

Court will determine legal basis – Minister of State

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inister of State, Joseph Harmon, has made it pellucid that the President has the authority to halt the promotion of members of the Guyana Police Force.

The minister made this announcement at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Friday, when asked by the media about the legal basis for the halt. Harmon noted that the President acted based on information he had received.

Under the orders of President David Granger, Harmon had dispatched a letter to the Police Service Commission (PSC), instructing it to put a halt on the promotions of a number of senior officers. “ T h e President does not act capriciously, as some persons w a n t to feel he did not follow the law,” Harmon said. “The President acts after clear and deliberate consultations with the heads of his services. In the system of security, the National Security Committee meets once every week, and is chaired by the President, and therefore reports come to him from the Commissioner of Police, from the head of the army, from the head of the National Anti-Narcotics Agency, and from the intelligence agencies that sit there every week.”

During the recently concluded Commission of Inquiry into the Police investigation of an alleged plot to assassinate the President, a number of senior police officers testified before the commission.

These included officers from the Major Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department, and the Crime Chief himself, Wendell Blanhum.

Blanhum and other members of the unit had been forced to defend the integrity of the investigation in the face of remonstrations from Chair of the CoI, retired Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slowe. It was revealed that a number of those who testified were on the list to be promoted. President David Granger ordered the Police Service Commission to temporarily halt the promotions until certain complaints have been ivestigated.

The list

A perusal of the list shows that some of the chosen ones include Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken. He was tipped to be promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police; while current Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell

Blanhum had been lined up for Assistant Commissioner.

Head of Special Branch, Brian Eastman, was also listed to become a Senior Superintendent of Police, while Head of Major Crimes, Assistant Superintendent Mitchell Caesar, had been recommended for Deputy Superintendent.

Minister Harmon, in a letter dated July 27, wrote to the PSC informing them that the President directed that there be no consideration of promotion for members of the Guyana Police Force until further notice.

The matter has not gone down well with legal minds and observers, including the political opposition. Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, in a letter to Harmon dated July 26, had threatened legal action unless the President’s directive was withdrawn.

Nandlall’s letter to Harmon argues that the President’s directive violates both the letter and spirit of Article 226(1) of the Constitution of Guyana. The Constitution states“…in the exercise of its functions under this Constitution, a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.”

Further, Article 226(7) states, “In this article… the expression ‘commission’ means the Elections Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Public Service Commission, the Teaching Service Commission, (and) the Police Service Commission.”

That withdrawal never came, and legal proceedings were filed a few days ago by one Rajendra R Jaigobin against the PSC. According to Jaigobin in his challenge, he has a vested interest in ensuring that Guyana’s Constitution is not violated.

He has described it as his national duty to ensure that those representatives who,

and the democratic organs which, exercise the sovereignty of Guyana on his behalf act in due compliance with the said Constitution in the discharge of their public functions and constitutional duties.

Responding to this legal challenge, Harmon has adopted a wait-and-see atti-

tude.

He reiterated that the President received information and acted in the national interest to prevent “harm or injury to the security fabric” of Guyana.

“We will see whether there is any basis in law for the challenge to take place, which says that the

President of the country, having received information that has been brought up by a system of reports, which says that there is some action to take place will cause harm or injury to the security fabric of this country, that he cannot take any action about it. I would like to see that argument whenev-

er it comes.”

Meanwhile, Harmon also refuted reports that there are plans to disband the Major Crimes Unit in the wake of damning testimony being made against its work before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged plot to assassinate the President.

Freak storm

Pregnant woman dies after being crushed by house … several homes destroyed, emergency relief expected today

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woman, who was seven months pregnant, is now dead while several others are injured after a house collapsed at Jawalla, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), during a freak storm on Friday.

An emergency team from the Regional Democratic Council’s office has been dispatched to the village to conduct a preliminary investigation, with emergency relief expected today.

Dead is 29-year-old Marsha Jordan. She is the mother of two girls, ages three and 11. It is unclear whether the father of the children was around when the incident occurred but this publication was informed that a relative is housing the children.

According to reports, at around 16:00h, heavy winds, lightning and thunderstorms wreaked havoc on the Amerindian village, damaging several houses in the process.

Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford when contacted confirmed that one of the houses that collapsed was responsible for the woman’s death. She died immediately after the collapse and was removed from the debris.

“I got a call late yesterday afternoon and I was told that a storm passed through Jawalla and it damaged several houses, one house collapsed with a woman and her child and the woman died but the child survived,” Bradford related.

The Regional Chairman

said a resident from the village contacted him and informed him of the incident.

He added that he was informed that the stormed moved in the direction of Phillipai village, noting that this is the first instance of such a storm.

“We have a team of three persons who we sent to do an initial assessment and feed us back the information but we are yet to hear from them. The thing is there is great difficulty to get information from villages in the Upper Mazaruni area,” he said.

According to Bradford, the team reported that four houses have been destroyed, while several business places and private homes have been partially damaged. He added that sanitary blocks

Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford

at the Nursery and Primary schools have been totalled.

He told Guyana Times that immediately after hearing the report, he activated

the Regional Disaster Risk Management plan and that the committee has met and they are monitoring the situation with the team on the ground.

The preliminary report was forwarded to the Civil Defence Commission and the regional administration would request assistance where and when necessary, the Chairman related.

Deputy Director General of the Civil Defence Commission, Major Kester Craig, told this publication that they are monitoring the incident and keeping abreast with the regional administration. He added that they would be mobilising a team to render assistance to the administration.

(Lakhram Bhagirat)

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sunDAY, august 20, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Number 19 Village accident

Minibus driver’s licence suspended

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he minibus driver, who on Thursday last drove minibus BNN 9791 ina dangerous manner, causing five persons to be hospitalised, was on Friday charged for the offence.

Kemchand Shivprashad of Corentyne, Berbice made his appearance at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. He admitted to the charge read to him by Magistrate Alex Moore, which stated that on August 17, 2017, at Number 19 Public Road, East Berbice, Corentyne, while being under the influence of alcohol, he drove dangerously thereby causing serious injuries to Shazar Kiodeen, seven; Ryan Gorad, 10; Beesham Kiodeen, 12; Fizeea Kiodeen, 10 and Mohamed Safraz, 44.

Magistrate Moore suspended the defendant from driving for a two-year period.

However, Shivprashad was rearrested following his appearance as the five injured persons are still hospitalised but are said to be in a stable condition. On Thursday night, the five injured persons mentioned

above, along with Lilawattie Basdeo, 26; Eshan Looknauth, five; Dinesh Looknauth, 22; Yashi Looknauth, three; Fardeen Kiodeen, three; and Chari Narine, 45; all had to be rushed to the hospital after Shivprashad drove dangerously and collided with motor lorry GLL 8559 with trailer TSS 458.

According to reports received by Guyana Times, the lorry was proceeding East along the northern carriageway while the minibus was proceeding in the same direction.

Shivprashad attempted to overtake the lorry but was unsuccessful, causing him to collide with the rear of the trailer. Following the collision, the passengers had to be pulled from the mangled bus and rushed to the hospital, where six of them were treated and sent away.

Breathalyser tests were administered to both drivers and Shivprashad was found to be above the legal limit.

As such, he was arrested and charged.

Famous last words

S

atiricus sighed deeply as he ambled towards the back of the Back Street Bar. He wondered why it was that his leaders had him subjected to such regular ridicule.

Did they realize, when they opened their mouths at their press conferences or wherever, that it was supporters like him who had to face the heat in rum-shops and bars across Guyana?

“We are not bribable?” declared Hari as Satiricus started on his first beer. “What the hell is that supposed to mean, when the people paid their first-class tickets, hotel rooms and food?”

“Ow bai! Leh de man drink ‘e beer, na,” grinned Bungi. “Remembah dem leadah seh dah ah “political investment”!!”

“And the leader was on the trip!!” said Hari indignantly as Satiricus downed his beer.

“Listen fellas,” said Satiricus. “The man meant they don’t take money in brown envelopes from anyone, like we see in those movies.”

“How about if dem put de money in dem bank account?” asked Bungi with a straight face. “Or in white envelope?”

“I think this will become one of those famous last words,” said Hari. “Like Bill Clinton telling the American people, ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman,’ when talking about oral sex from Monica Lewinsky.

“My friends,” said Satiricus tiredly, “it all depends on what is a bribe.”

“You remind me of Bill Clinton again,” said Hari.

“Remember when he answered another question from the House Inquiry, ‘That depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is.’!!”

“Budday, me gat wan simple tes’ fuh tell when a bribe,” said Bungi. “Me l’arn am frum when abee a drink.”

“What’s that?” asked Satiricus and Hari together.

“W’en somebady buy wan drink or somet’ing fuh yuh,” Bungi said slowly, “dem want somet’ing frum yuh!”

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SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Driver with disability arraigned on 4 additional charges A critical review of the mid-year report on the performance of the economy (Part I)

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he recently published mid-year report presented by the Finance Minister, attracted as expected, critics from independent analysts/economists and executive members of the Opposition. Notwithstanding, such a report, having to do with the mid-year macroeconomic performance of the economy, is an appropriate subject for discussion by this column as well. Though others have been harsh with their views and analysis of the report, I would like to highlight some of the positives, so as to present somewhat of a balanced review.

I have observed well, a notable repetitive emphasis made by the Finance Minister on the ‘historic early budget’. While this may very well be historic and indeed commendable, it seems as though this is the only proud ‘original’ accomplishment made by the respective Ministry. It is important not to allow for the ‘glories’ of such one-off accomplishments to become a tool of distraction from the many other crucial objectives of the Ministry, as this would potentially develop into what I would describe as blurred vision; consistency is paramount.

To back this up, it was highlighted by the Finance Minister himself and also the International Monetary Fund (IMF) country report, June 2017 that the delayed spending in budgetary allocations for 2017 lends to an adverse economic climate. To this end, the IMF country report projected that the fiscal deficit may widen to 7.2 per cent of GDP in 2017, due in part to delay capital spending from 2016. In order for there to be material growth in an economy, the basic economic formula to achieve this is the sum total of consumer spending, Government spending, investments and net exports – this is basically the formula for Aggregate Demand of a country’s output which happens to be a measure of GDP as well.

According to the report, less than one third or approximately one sixth, representing about 16 per cent of the budget was spent up to the mid-year period. That’s roughly $40 billion or so, out of the magnanimous $250 billion Budget approved for the fiscal year 2017.

In this context, while monumental self-praise is being peddled for the budget’s early presentation, the sluggish pace of implementation of the policies and measures therein, is evidently stifling the economy.

Government spending, is vital to support real growth of an economy – it must go hand in hand with all other spending and also more importantly, to boost confidence in the economy. In fact, the report drew reference to India’s mid-year performance – on the global front – in which it was cited that emerging market and developing economies are projected to grow by 4.6 per cent, up 0.3 percentage points from its 2016 level. Interestingly, it was acknowledged that this growth will be driven primarily by a 7.2 per cent growth in India and 6.7 per cent growth in China.

Further, “India’s performance was attributed to stronger than originally reported growth in the first half combined with strong Government spending, which offset the disruptions caused by the currency exchange initiative”. This was cited from page three of the report hence, one can therefore understand the importance and degree of economic effect which strong government spending within the economy could bring, or rather, how important it is. What this means in Guyana’s context, is that the mechanisms for there to be timely and efficient administering of Government spending programmes, are unsurprisingly weak, slow, ineffective and inefficient, pointing to the fact that this inherent dysfunctionality is largely associated with the transactional nature of the relevant Government agencies and in particular, the Finance Ministry.

While I note that the report vaguely mentioned that interventions to address these shortcomings are underway, more detail in this regard should have been outlined to give a clearer picture into what exactly are the measures being employed to address these weaknesses.

Turning to domestic development focusing on the real sector, economic growth in the first half of 2017 rose to 2.2 per cent compared, to the 2.0 per cent growth recorded for the corresponding period 2016. Expansion in the agriculture, fishing, and the forestry sector, together with manufacturing, construction and services sectors, also contributed significantly, and were all attributed to the marginal increase.

The Government must be commended however, for their efforts in promoting the development of agriculture in the hinterland regions and the diversification programme through the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI). In this respect, projects such as planting of 600 black pepper cuttings, establishment of a turmeric factory at Hosororo, to name a few as described on page eight of the document, are no doubt positive for the economy and of course for the people of those communities and regions. It is hoped that more similar initiatives are in the pipeline and form part of a broader national development strategy, aimed at transforming Guyana from a third world county to an emerging economy in the Caribbean region and South and Latin America.

Next week, I shall continue this discussion in an attempt to present a comprehensive review of the country’s mid-year report, 2017.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

T

wenty-seven-yearold Jamie Narine has again been arraigned in the Wales Magistrate’s Court on traffic-related offences, less than two months after being charged

by Police for similar matters.

Narine, who lives with a disability, was on Thursday arraigned before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool on allegations detailing that on August 10, at La Grange Public Road, West Bank Demerara, he drove motorcar PTT 6624 while he was not the holder of a valid driver’s licence.

He was also charged with breach of insurance, crossing double yellow lines, and having tinted glass on his vehicle to the point where it obstructed the identification of the driver and passenger.

The 27-year-old father of two, of Long Pond, Sisters Village, WBD, entered not guilty pleas on the charges; and the magistrate, consid-

driven motor car PTT 6624 in a manner that was dangerous to the public. At that time, he was also accused of using the said motor car to cross double solid yellow lines. Moreover, the police had further alleged that Narine, drove the motor vehicle while his identification was not easily distinguish-

able because the glass on the vehicle was so dark that neither the driver nor passenger could be identified.

Narine had been released on $25,000 bail on the dangerous driving charge. He was unrepresented on both appearances when he answered to the traffic charges.

“Own your regions and... from page 3

Jamie Narine

ering that he was released on bail for a trafficking in narcotics matter, placed him on bail in the sum of $30,000. His matter comes up on November 9 for trial.

Narine previously appeared at the Wales Court on June 29, 2017 on similar road traffic offences, but had also denied those charges.

Police had alleged that on June 23, at the same La Grange Public Road, he had

We need to ensure that this region has better aerodrome, bridges, roadways. I see the region as being a place that can attract investment… Your region must have a better aerodrome; the best in all the regions, a world class aerodrome so people can fly legally from anywhere and land here, but the infrastructure must be improved.

We have to move the Rupununi into the fu-

ture and I am sure with the Town Council and the [Regional Democratic Council] RDC you would be able to move the town further down the road of development,” he said.

Indigenous Peoples’ Affair Minister, Sydney Allicock echoed these sentiments, noting that while the region has tremendous potential, it is now up to the people to work to make that potential become a reality.

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SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

No need for President to face media – Harmon

I

t has been well over a year since the President of Guyana last hosted a press conference and according to Minister of State

Joseph Harmon, an appropriate time will be announced for an event.

During a post-Cabinet press briefing on Friday,

Harmon said President David Granger would announce a press conference at the appropriate time. He urged the public to disabuse themselves of

Minister of State Joseph Harmon the belief that the President was deliberately avoiding the media.

“Disabuse your mind of that idea, that the President has any issue with respect to meeting the media. I believe in the nature of a press conference, as we are having here, the President will be able to deal with that question.”

“As you are aware, you have had access to His Excellency whenever there is an occasion, when the media approaches him and he deals with the questions that you have. And I believe in a very fulsome manner.”

Harmon said if the media wanted more substantive interactions, the President is the one “in charge of that agenda” and would set one at an appropriate time. In the interim, the Minister said, the post-Cabinet press confer-

ences he hosts would have to do, in order to inform the nation of the government’s policy positions.

However, Harmon was reminded of events of national importance which had unfolded without the President holding a press conference. These events, which would certainly be deemed the appropriate time by many, included the recent prison break and fire that gutted the Camp Street Prison.

“I understand your concern about (the President) meeting with the media, but every single week the President meets with the security personnel in the country. And in between that, he is briefed on a daily basis by agencies that have responsibility for matters within the public domain.”

“So I wouldn’t want to go beyond that and say the President needs to meet with the media to demonstrate that he is capable of leading this country. I think that the President is the leader of this country, he’s our Commanderin-Chief and he is exercising those functions in a manner that is consistent with national security and in the best interest of the people,” he said.

According to Harmon, he would once again intercede with President Granger to meet with the media at a press conference.

Since his ascension to the

presidency, Granger has relied on a weekly televised show known as ‘The Public Interest’ to give journalists an opportunity to interview him on national matters.

President Granger had promised to meet with local media operatives when he returned from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government Summit in July.

Opposition Leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo has repeatedly called on the President to engage the media, especially as he could best provide clarity on various issues. Noting that presidential press briefings are a fundamental part of democracy, he had repeated this call in a recent interview.

The Guyana Press Association (GPA) had also called on the President to host press conferences to answer questions about his Government’s policies and programmes.

The GPA had acknowledged that the President was not averse to speaking with the media on the sidelines of public events or during his “Public Interest” televised programme; however, the Association had expressed the belief that accountability to the Guyanese people would be best served through press conferences.

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SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Section of Kitty Public Road to be closed for repair works …alternative routes identified

V Text and context in Integral Humanism

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eturning to Guyana from the US in 1990, I wrote a paper, “For a New Political Culture”, which I circulated to the leadership of the three major parties then in Guyana: the PPP, PNC and the WPA. I had proposed a conference to discuss the premise of the paper encompassed in the title. It never came off, because of objections -- interestingly enough -- from the WPA. In the introduction, I wrote: “Race, in Guyana, transcends class as the dominant cleavage and suffuses politics as well as most other social interactions. A powerful norm, however, has emerged which militates against the public acknowledgement of this fact. The main purveyors of this convention have Ravi Dev been the politicians who, desiring to be “national” leaders, engage in ponderous textual hermeneutics of their imported, unadapted “isms”, to declare that ethnicity has no objective existence. In spite of this, these same politicians, by their mobilization tactics and other activities, demonstrate that they have come to a modus vivendi with the ethnic imperative.”

A quarter of a century before, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, in proposing a new approach for India in his four lectures collected as “Integral Humanism”, had extended the point to insist on the need to interrogate all these “isms” that originated from other societies before applying them to India or any other society. He proposed that every particular “ism” had been created to deal with specific circumstances in particular societies and time, and needed to be contextualised.

At the time, India had spent the seventeen years after independence in 1947 practising “Democratic Socialism”, espoused by Jawaharlal Nehru, who had passed away the year before, in 1964.

Upadhyaya explained, for instance, that both “democracy” and “socialism” had originated under quite specific circumstances in Europe. The former in the wake of the breakup of the Holy Roman Empire, starting in the 10th century: “there ensued a conflict between these new centres of power and the established kings and feudal lords.

The fundamental principles of democracy became the pivot around which this conflict revolved.” Socialism arose in Europe following its Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, where the conflict between the workers and the owners of capital was identified by Karl Marx as the starting point of his “explanation of Dialectical Materialism”.

Upadhyaya did not suggest that there was not necessarily any merit in those “isms”, but that they be examined within the context of the values etc of the receiving nation, to consider their relevance, and not apply them arbitrarily.

Similarly, he was no “revivalist” of some ancient notion of “glorious” India, as some proposed. He advised, “We, too, have attempted to reshape our life as was required to face the new situations. Therefore, we cannot afford to shut our eyes to all that has happened in the past one thousand years.

Similarly, those who would like to make Western ideologies the basis of our progress forget that these ideologies have arisen in certain special situations and times. They are not necessarily universal. They cannot be free from the limitations of the particular people and their culture which gave birth to these isms.”

Upadhyaya thus presaged Quentin Skinner’s 1969 article, ‘Meaning and Understanding in the History of Ideas’, which launched the now dominant “Cambridge School” of political or intellectual thought, which insists that context is crucial to a historical understanding of texts. In fact, Skinner excavated Hobbes’s “Leviathan” -- a foundational text of “democracy” -- to show the latter was answering specific questions posed by the historical circumstances.

In 1990, I concluded the introduction to the call for “A new Political Culture”: “It is the contention of this paper that until the politicians and other actors in the public arena openly and publicly confront the racial basis of Guyanese political culture and structures, and deal with its consequences affirmatively, we will remain mired in a Sisyphean paradigm.

Doomed to struggle strenuously - perhaps even heroically but ultimately futilely, for the goal they all claim to share in common - a Guyana in which all groups can have their just share of power: political, economic and social.”

ehicles travelling from the East Coast of Demerara will have to take alternative routes to the Kitty Public Road, since sections of that road will be closed for four weeks to facilitate repairs to culverts in the area.

Works in this regard are currently ongoing at the junction of Vlissengen Road and Carifesta Avenue, and will soon extend across the Kitty Public Road, hence the need for that road to be closed.

This closure will take effect from Wednesday, August 23, and would be in effect until September 20. The road will be closed to vehicular traffic from west of Queen Street, Kitty (in the vicinity of the Guyoil Gas Station) up to the Vlissengen Road junction.

The project has moved beyond its first leg, which comprised works being undertaken on the sinkhole that had developed in the vicinity of the Kitty Pump Station.

That first leg was successfully completed last month.

The first of the four-phase second leg of the project recently commenced, and extensive culvert works are ongoing just south of the Kitty Public Road and east of Vlissengen Road.

The second phase of leg two will commence in the new week, and will see the works being extended from

The alternative routes that can be taken during the four-week closure of sections of the Kitty Public Road

south of the Kitty Public Road to north of it just up to the start of the Rupert Craig Highway. Vehicular traffic will be prohibited from heading west along the Kitty Public Road, and road users will instead have to utilise alternative routes.

These include: Sheriff Street (highlighted in green), all heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks and low-bed trailers are asked to use this route; Church Road (highlighted in blue); Earl’s Avenue (highlighted in red); Pere Street (highlighted in yellow); and

Queen Street (highlighted in purple).

Road users are further advised that this phase of the project will not require the closure of the Rupert Craig Highway to eastbound traffic in the vicinity of the junction at Vlissengen Road.

While recognising the inconvenience such closure of a critical section of the roadway will cause, the Public Infrastructure Ministry has emphasised the crucial necessity of the project.

“Ultimately, we’re executing this project with public

safety in mind,” Head of the Works Service Group (WSG), Geoffrey Vaughn, explained.

“Yes, the public will be inconvenienced, and of course this closure will lead to some amount of frustration. We understand that, and we apologise for that. However, we must stress to the general public that these works are absolutely necessary if we are going to ensure that our road users are traversing along a road that is safe. Our primary focus will always be the safety of our country’s citizens,” he stated.

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SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Man charged for spending ‘house foundation’ money

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man, who converted money entrusted to him by his aunt, was before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged with fraudulent conversion.

Justin Jackson admitted to using the money for his own use when he appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly.

He plead guilty to the charge, which stated that in February 2017, at Croal Street, Georgetown, while being entrusted with $70,000 to purchase cement to start the foundation of a home, he

fraudulently converted same to his own use and benefits.

Jackson also admitted to converting another $94,000 entrusted to him by Clair Taylor to his own use and benefits at Regent Street, Georgetown.

According to the prosecution, the Virtual Complainant (VC) is constructing her home at Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The defendant reportedly encouraged the VC to commence the construction of her foundation to which Taylor

agreed.

She reported that she first gave the defendant $70,000 to purchase cement and then wired him $94,000 to purchase sand.

However, the court was told that the defendant failed to show up and after inquires, the VC was told that the unemployed man used the money to support his family.

The matter was reported to the Police and the man was arrested and charged with the offence.

Jackson told the court

“I will not waste the court’s time, I am currently out of a job and I have a daughter that I need to provide for so I use the money. I am trying to work something out to repay the money by September.”

The VC told Magistrate Daly that she does not wish for the defendant to be imprisoned and agreed to his plan to repay her by September.

The accused was ordered to repay the woman through the court or he would face one-year jail time if he did not comply.

Younge’s Take Government’s gamble

T

he A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition-Government continues to gamble dangerously with the future of this country and its people in so many respects.

The coalition, which is now in the middle of its tenure, is still struggling to place its feet firmly on the ground as far as understanding how Government works, and how to govern with the highest levels of transparency, inclusivity and accountability.

Also, the coalition, having realised that it is impossible, and unrealistic to implement some of the controversial policies contained in its 2015 manifesto, is now forced to make amendments and gradually come up with new ad hoc and ill-thought-out policy Michael Younge positions as they go along. This has led to confusion and conflict in Government, as some Ministers are sticking to the original plans as adumbrated in the manifesto document while others are attempting to either completely replace them with more realistically rational ones. This is the sole reason for mixed up and confusing public pronouncements made by key spokespersons in the Government on a variety of matters ranging from how to handle GuySuCo, NICIL’s operations and alleged indebtedness and the rice industry to dealing with the Guyana Power and Light Company and its ineffectiveness as well as unreality.

That aside, the coalition Government simply has not managed to deliver any significant reform that has contributed positively to the livelihood of the Guyanese people over the last two years. It also not piloted or unveiled any authentic (or original) massive urban or rural development plan that could serve as the centrepiece of its legacy in office. It clearly does not have any new ideas about driving Private Sector growth and development because its Finance Minister Winston Jordan continues to dish out familiar philosophical and ideological perspectives that are synonymous with the Forbes Burnham brand of socioeconomic management.

Many times, his views and positions on economic issues lack vision and are uninspiring to say the least. As a Finance Minister, Jordan’s tenure will be remembered for the tumultuous and back breaking taxes that his Government imposed on every citizen of this country and the fact that his version of economics has left the country paralysed in many respects. His “dragonomics” has also crippled the legitimate manufacturing and productive sectors which are burdened with the cost of doing business locally while trying to compete regionally. Food prices have skyrocketed under this Government and it would not be surprising if the President and his army of Ministers and advisors could not tell us the price for a loaf of bread, pint of oil or even a tub of butter at the corner shops. Their super salaries and tax perks keep them insulated from the shocks of Guyana’s currently lethargic economy.

Notwithstanding the improved performances of pupils at various regional exams, the country’s education sector is still indeed of more modern reforms. The People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, had a plan and a very comprehensive strategy for its holistic development but this has seemingly been shelved even though the APNU/AFC Government has no properly compiled plan of its own. The current Minister, Nicolette Henry, has been set up to fail. Her track record alone proves that she is incapable of driving any new reforms that could see the education sector transformed. Also since Manickchand left the Ministry, there has been an information blackout and secrecy everywhere about what’s going on.

As far as improved security is concerned, the APNU/AFC Government is proving that it easier to talk the talk than walk the walk. Government is taking a beating and the criminals are outfoxing the security forces. Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan oversight and management of this sector has been disastrous if not shameful. Under this Minister’s very active and watchful eyes, there has been chaos in the prison system that has resulted in the loss of innocent lives and the arson of the country main correctional facility. Criminals are having a holiday by unleashing havoc on the ordinary citizenry daily. And while it can be easily argued that the security forces have been trying, the fact is they have been failing too many times. They are reactive far too many times when they should have been proactive. Ramjattan does not provide good policy direction and oversight when necessary. Since the PPP demitted office, the level of interference in the day to day management of these bodies to secure politically satisfactory outcomes and appointments favourably to the Government have been unprecedented. Just look at the President’s directive to the Police Service Commission on the issue of promotions and the subsequent lie after objections from the public that it was done to avoid compromising the integrity of the Guyana Police Force.

Ramjattan should be fired for his general incompetence.

No other area under this Government is performing satisfactorily. Its Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry is also plagued with corruption and Amerindians are being shafted and treated as collateral damage so that the APNU/AFC Government can regain full control of their economic livelihoods and land.

The coalition Government must change course and come up with a blueprint for Guyana’s development. It must end its current campaign of arrogance and revenge in order to get ahead with the people’s business.

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sunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Bag of ganja, cellphone found in NA Prison yard

P

olice have launched an investigation to determine how a bag containing marijuana, a cellular phone and other contraband items got over the fence of the New Amsterdam Prison on Saturday afternoon.

A Prison Officer reportedly alerted his superiors to the find. This publication understands that at about 14:30h, the officer discovered the bag lying on the ground inside the compound of the prison close to the eastern fence. The officer reportedly checked the bag and discovered 1.15kg of marijuana, a cellular phone, several packs of cigarettes, and 300 zip locked plastic

bags. Â Â According to the officer, he noticed an object sailing over the fence and went to check on the bag, which landed next to the wall close to the building, which houses the remand male prisoners.

However, when investigators from the Police Force visited the prison to investigate, they found that the prison officer’s story was not totally accurate.

Deputy Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper, who led the investigating team, said the time on the surveillance footage showing when the bag was tossed over the fence differs

The items which were found in the NA prison yard on Saturday

from the time the prison officer said he had seen the bag coming over the fence.

Prison Officer Joan Ann Erskine was only re-

cently nabbed with 298 grams of ganja at the New Amsterdam Prison. She was jailed for 18 months and fined $200,000 by Senior

Magistrate Alex Moore after she was found guilty of trafficking in narcotics.

Meanwhile, on August 3 last, members of the Joint Services were able to seize eight cellular phones during an operation at the New Amsterdam Prisons.

Senior Superintendent Cooper led a party which included 20 police officers and seven prison officers to the New Amsterdam Prison for the search. During the visit, two dormitories were searched along with a few holding cells. Apart from the cellular phones, lighters and other contraband items were unearthed.

They discovered eight cellular phones, three cellu-

lar phone batteries, one cellular phone display, three ear phones, five cellular phone chargers, sixteen cigarette lighters, two tattoo machines, five improvised weapons, twenty packs of cigarettes and three grams of cannabis.

The find at the New Amsterdam Prison came one day after members of the Joint Services were able to find similar items at the Timehri Prison.

Meanwhile, several weeks ago, a quantity of cannabis, three cellular phones along with three SIM cards, four lighters, 20 improvised weapons and three razor blades were found at the facility following a search.

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SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

Scenes from Hero CPL Match 17

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SunDAY, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Anna's

Minister urges Annai farmers to begin repairing access road

Mining, Indigenous land rights and the Stockholm Syndrome

O

ne year ago, Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams, to the amusement of many, audaciously forecasted that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition would join the ranks of the coalition Government. Farthest from the truth is where history places him today. In any case, who in their right mind would make such a prediction when the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-dominated A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has made a mockery of the Alliance For Change (AFC)? Almost half way into its mandate, the Government barely fits the definition of a coalition of parties, and continues to use AFC officials as rubber-stamp champs.

Yet Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, when questioned, affirms that “the coalition is strong”, as if it isn’t clear enough that the PNC strives to undermine those from the AFC who still exert some level of authority over Anna Correia important national portfolios.

Trotman however, cannot dissimulate the bullish nature which is historically embedded deep in the veins of the PNC. This hypothetically provides some insight into why founder of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO), PNC member and Junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes, is allowed to encumber the Indigenous land titling process in Tasserene.

So PNC supporters through mining syndicates want land to mine and they want it now. What better way to pressure those for whom their votes matter the most when they cannot derive immediate satisfaction from Trotman, than protesting outside the party Chairman’s workplace? In so doing, they have sent two strong and unmistakably symbolic messages: even if the AFC forms part of the coalition, it doesn’t have the requisite decision-making power to run the show, and in any case, PNC party supporters are the ones who muster the favours of the Government more than any other segment of the coalition electorate. The PNC “run things now”.

Of course to save face and increase future prospects in a (highly implausible) scenario where the same coalition of parties wins the 2020 election, Trotman and his opportunistic party comrades will continue to justify the very prejudices they are indubitably subject to. Were it not for the opportunistic nature of political “party-hoppers” and protagonists involved, one might find the case fit for a Stockholm Syndrome diagnosis.

Interestingly, it takes only a bit of shouting from miners to obtain land rights almost immediately, while Indigenous peoples in Guyana are currently being denied their ancestral rights over lands which they have inhabited long before the Europeans even set foot on South America. In stark contrast with the privileges being bestowed on miners, Guyana’s First Peoples have seen their land rights overtly targeted by the coalition regime. The David Granger ordained Lands Commission fiasco, literally amputated decades of hard work which pioneered Indigenous land rights in Guyana, silencing the voice of Indigenous peoples and rendering the scant complaints almost inaudible. And since Granger and his Cabinet conveniently hide behind historical revisionism and their “personal perception” of the law, the ambiguities and flaws of the Mining Act Cap 65:10 will continue to be used as pretext for privileges granted to miners over Indigenous land rights.

Understandably, economic mismanagement, unabashed corruption and discriminatory government practices, instilled a feeling of disenfranchisement which is palpable among Guyanese citizens country-wide. However, the highest forms of disdain are currently reserved for Amerindians, which is why Keith Scott was allowed to pollute the Parliament of Guyana on June 16, 2017, via his ignominious utterances intended to delegitimise Indigenous land rights. Little did he seem to realise then, that not only was he breaching globally recognised minority rights, but he was also infringing on Guyana’s Independence Act Cao 14 S 17 as well as the constitutional provisions which uphold Indigenous peoples in Guyana.

Au finale, this recent victory of mining syndicates in securing more lands to mine is but just one aspect of the regime’s discriminatory and biased treatment of Guyanese, determined by political creed and as far as Indigenous peoples are concerned, ethnicity.

The PNC-dominated Government cannot summon respect for the minority factions of its own coalition, prefers to wage open political warfare among its own ranks and cut grass under the feet of those who alternatively, should represent its proclivity for national unity. How then can we expect governance based on equity and equality for all Guyanese?

Contact sundayarrow@gmail.com

A section of the farmland

W

eeks after Government signalled its intention not to compensate hinterland residents, who were washed out by floodwaters, Indigenous Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock told Village leaders in Region Nine (Upprt Tskutu-Upper Essequibo) that they should begin repairing the 12mile long farm road in the Annai sub-District themselves. He added that when Government sees them trying, more assistance would come.

The Minister was at the time in the region to attend the meeting of the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) in Bina Hill, Annai. The meeting was in preparation for the upcoming National Toshaos Council (NTC) conference, which will be held from August 21 to 26 at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) in Georgetown.

Community leaders, including Toshaos and Senior Councillors, Community Development Officers (CDOs) and District Development Officers (DDO’s) of communities in the South Rupununi, participated in the meeting and highlighted developments within their respective communities while raising issues and challenges.

The 12-mile access road was one of the major concerns of the leaders. The road was destroyed by the recent flooding that the region experienced.

During his address, Allicock explained that only one mile of the road was budgeted for in the 2018 Budget and urged the community to collaborate and employ self-help to repair a few more miles of the road.

“It can be done in phases; all you have to do is use your tractors and pickups and do it as a small community project. Once you start to do that we are going to see that you are trying and help is going to come, this is about partnership,” he said.

In response to the Minister’s suggestion, the residents agreed to organise themselves and to commence repairs so that they could be able to begin restarting their farms.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has expressed interest in providing assistance to Regions Eight (Potaro-

The access road

Siparuni) and Nine – hinterland regions that have recently been affected by flooding. However, in July, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan told the National Assembly that Guyana and neighbouring Brazil have jointly been “looking at the dimensions of the impact of the flooding” on bordering communities in both countries.

Minister Bulkan also explained that Government does not offer compensation during natural disasters, but would render assistance once determination has been made of the level of damage done to houses, livestock and farmlands, after the fact.

Government provided cleaning and food supplies after floodwaters had receded from the affected regions, the Minister explained; and to resuscitate their livelihoods, the Agriculture Ministry has indicated its willingness to assist farmers who have sustained damages and/or

Some of the leaders at the meeting (DPI Photo)

losses during the flooding.

Some 40 residents, who were affected by the flooding in Region Nine, were provided food and shelter at an emergency centre set up in Lethem.

However, a source close to the regional administration said that the fact that the Minister asked the residents to repair the road without offering the relevant machinery reeks of disrespect. It was highlighted that the residents, al-

though they agree, do not have the relevant machinery or resources to undertake such a task.

As it relates to community projects, Minister Allicock noted that the NRDDB is the medium through which the leaders can submit project proposals to the Ministry and the regional administration. He urged those present to capitalise on the opportunities being offered to them.

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sunday, august 20, 2017 | guyanatimesGY.com

IS conflict: Iraq launches CANU to set up branch in Berbice ground offensive in Tal Afar

T

he Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) is to set up an office in Berbice, and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has said the new office will be housed in one of the buildings belonging to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

The Upper Corentyne has in the past been used as a trans-shipment point for illegal drugs trafficking between Guyana and Suriname. The Police have established that much of the marijuana cultivated along the Berbice River and at some sections of the Canje River are shipped to neighbouring Suriname.

Addressing some Corentyne residents recently, Ramjattan said the CANU unit would help strengthen the Berbice Police Division which has been diligently working to combat the problem.

“We need to have this up and running very shortly, so that we can have this core set of people to deal solely with the apprehension of drug traffickers; and these are persons who have had intense training to deal with such problems,” he stated.

In an interview with this publication, Ramjattan explained that there has been an increased amount of interceptions of illicit substances in Berbice.

“I have been getting the reports, that is why I have asked that we send some more CANU officers to Berbice,” he told this publication.

Less than a week ago, 50 pounds of marijuana were

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

tossed out of a moving car on the West Coast of Berbice.

In recent months, several persons have appeared before courts in Berbice on charges of trafficking in narcotics, and many of them have been jailed for the offence. The Police have also conducted several drug eradication exercises in the Berbice River area.

“There have also been reports of drug interdictions and some eradication exercises at the back of New Amsterdam, where one set of dope is being planted; so it is important that we get information from the public.

We also will do our surveillance to catch these criminals, and then prosecute them and then lock them up,” Ramjattan told this publication.

While addressing the Corentyne residents, he told them that from the reports he has been receiving, the police have been doing a great job in trying to deal with this drug issue. “…which seems to have increased in the Berbice

area.” The Public Security Minister noted. “Once dope is being planted and sold and trafficked, then we need to quickly nip this in the bud, to prevent it from turning from bad to worse.

“Some of the big ones we want to lock up. The guys with the little spliff, [a cannabis cigarette] we have to have some alternative sentencing policy for them, because we don’t want to pack out jails again with people with one joint or anything like that. So it is important that we get the whole framework understood. In any event, those guys that are planting it and then transporting it in compact ways, we want to get them; so the effort is going to be improved to catch them.”

The minister told the Guyana Times, “We need to have this up and running very shortly, so that we can have this core set of people to deal solely with the apprehension of drug traffickers, and these are persons who have had intense training to deal with such problems,” the minister said.

He said the CANU unit would help strengthen the Berbice Police Division, which has been diligently working to combat the problem.

CANU was established in an effort to assist in curbing narco-trafficking. The Berbice CANU office will be a part of the National AntiNarcotics Agency (NANA).

NANA is a collaboration of intelligence from CANU, the Guyana Revenue Authority’s Drug Enforcement Unit and the Guyana Police Force’s Narcotics Section.

NANA is a policy-making body.

I

n a televised speech announcing the offensive overnight, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the jihadists had the choice between "surrender or die".

The army targeted Tal Afar after seizing Mosul, IS's main stronghold 55km (35 miles) to the east, in July.

Tal Afar, which has a mainly Shia-Muslim population, fell to IS in 2014.

It sits on a major road between Mosul and the Syrian border that was once a key supply route for the jihadist group. Iraqi warplanes have bombarded IS positions in the city for several days, in preparation for ground operations.

On Sunday Mr Abadi, dressed in a black military uniform and standing in front of an Iraqi flag and a map of the country, an-

nounced the "start of an operation to free Tal Afar".

"I am saying to Daesh [the Islamic State group] that there is no choice other than to surrender or die," he said.

He finished his speech with an address to Iraqi troops: "The whole world is with you."

Hours before Mr Abadi's statement, the Iraqi air force dropped leaflets over the city warning people to "prepare" for the latest assault.

"The battle is imminent and the victory is coming, God willing," the leaflets read.

Correspondents say Iraqi forces are expecting fierce resistance from IS despite the group being weakened by recent aerial bombardments and a lack of fresh supplies.

Last month, a senior Iraqi commander who once

served as mayor of Tal Afar said there were between 1,500 and 2,000 militants and their family members left in the town.

Maj-Gen Najm al-Jabouri told Reuters news agency the jihadists were "worn out and demoralised" and that he did not expect a fierce battle for the town like the one for Mosul, which lasted almost nine months and took a heavy toll on Iraqi forces.

He also noted that only one part of the town had narrow streets comparable to those in Mosul's Old City. Few civilians are believed to be left in Tal Afar, with 49,000 having fled since April.

Beside Tal Afar, IS controls territory around Hawija, 170km (105 miles) to the south-east; and from Ana to Al-Qaim in the Euphrates river valley, 220km to the south. (BBC)

sunDAY, august 20, 2017

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Lethal United hit 4 again, Liverpool scrape first win

Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku (arms outstretched), celebrates scoring his side’s second goal

M

anchester United netted four goals for the second consecutive week in the Premier League to rout Swansea City 4-0 on Saturday and ensure their highest-scoring start to a season for 110 years.

United manager Jose Mourinho said he "let the horses run freely" at the Liberty Stadium while goals

also flowed at Southampton, who snuffed out an astonishing comeback by 10-man West Ham United to win 3-2.

Liverpool struggled to squeeze past Crystal Palace 1-0 and promoted Brighton and Hove Albion suffered their second defeat in two games, 2-0 at Leicester City.

Mourinho's United com-

Elaine Thompson, Shaunae Miller-Uibo for Birmingham Diamond League

pleted their victory with a devastating late burst in which Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba and substitute Anthony Martial scored between the 80th and 84th minutes after Eric Bailly had netted late in the first half with his first goal for the club.

United, who scored twice late on to beat West Ham by

the same score last weekend, have one of the strongest benches in the league and it was Martial's 75th-minute introduction that began the mayhem.

"It was 1-0 and we thought let's go for more and exploit the fragile morale of the opponent. Our bench is really good - the players have a lot to give," Mourinho said.

Martial capped the rout with a delightful strike after he picked the ball up 35 yards out, cut inside and thumped the ball past a despairing Lukasz Fabianksi.

"There was happiness in our play," Mourinho said.

"There was no need to close the door."

Swansea badly missed the departed Gylfi Sigurdsson and injured

Fernando Llorente and look to be in desperate need of reinforcements in the transfer window.

Southampton got the better of an astonishing game of two penalties, a sending-off and an ultimately futile West Ham fightback at St Mary's.

After the home side went 2-0 through Manolo Gabbiadini and a Dusan Tadic penalty, and West Ham's Marko Arnautovic was sent off for elbowing Jack Stephens, the Hammers started to play.

Mexican forward Javier Hernandez scored his first goals for the club to bring hope of an unlikely point before Saints' second penalty deep into stoppage-time was converted by Charlie Austin.

Liverpool secured their

Kyrgios sweeps away Nadal in Cincinnati quarter-final T

he excitable Nick Kyrgios made short work of top-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal in a dazzling 6-2 7-5 victory on Friday at the Cincinnati Open.

In a highly-anticipated quarter-final matchup,

reporters. "Nick is a great player, but I played poorly.

"I started the match well and then I played a very bad game in the second set when he broke me.

I played some good points.

He had some mistakes and I was able to be back in the

one when the ATP rankings come out next week.

The 22-year-old Kyrgios recorded 10 aces in a strong serving display, and moved to the semi-final to face David Ferrer, who produced another shocking result in dominating third-

E

laine Thompson, who could be out for revenge after not living up to expectations at last week’s IAAF World Championships in London, is among a stacked field in the 100m that includes fellow Jamaicans Schillonie Calvert-Powell, Jura Levy, Christania Williams and Natasha Morrison.

World Championship 200m bronze medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo is also down to contest the 100m.

The line-up also includes world championship silver medalist Marie Josee Ta Lou and bronze medallist Dafne Schippers.

In the 400 metres, World Championship finalists Novelene Williams-Mills and Shericka Jackson as well as NCAA champion Chrisann Gordon, a semi-finalist in London, will take on World Champion Phyllis Francis and bronze medallist Allyson Felix.

Williams-Mills, in her last season as a professional, leads the Diamond League standings with 30 points and will be looking to build on that to try and ensure she ends her swansong season with a healthy windfall.

In the 400-metre hurdles, World Championship bronze medallist Ristanana Tracey and Janieve Russell go up against a strong field that includes American Shamier Little and two-time world champion Zuzana Hejnova.

The men’s 110m hurdles will feature Barbados’ Shane Brathwaite battling world record holder Aries Merritt as well as world championship finalists Orlando Ortega and Garfield Darien.

World champs triple jump finalists Shanieka Ricketts and Kimberly Williams will be part of the storyline of the latest battle between world champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela and Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen. (SportsMax)

first league win of the season, and inflicted Palace's second defeat, when Sadio Mane broke the Anfield deadlock after 73 minutes, although Christian Benteke should have given the visitors the lead moments earlier.

Watford, who drew with Liverpool last week, beat Bournemouth 2-0 with a first goal from new Brazilian striker Richarlison while West Bromwich Albion won 1-0 at Burnley with a late goal from Hal Robson-Kanu who was then sent off for elbowing.

The win was Albion's second of the season and put them level on points with leaders Manchester United.

Stoke City host Arsenal in the late kickoff. (Reuters)

Nick Kyrgios of Australia is congratulated by Rafael Nadal of Spain after their match

Australian Kyrgios breezed past the 15-times grand slam champion Nadal in about one hour and 20 minutes.

"He obviously is a tough match always," Nadal told

match. And then I played a terrible game. So it was a bad match for me."

Despite the defeat, the 31-year-old Nadal will for the fourth time in his career be the world number

seed Dominic Thiem 6-3 6-3. Kyrgios, known as much for his temper as for his brilliant shot-making, was poised against Nadal.

The young contender blew a chance to close

the match while serving at 5-4 in the second set when Nadal broke him. But he promptly broke back before closing out the night.

Earlier in the day, Kyrgios completed his match, that began on Thursday before it was held over due to rain, defeating hard-serving 6-foot 11-inch Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 4-6 7-6(6) 6-3.

Kyrgios did have an outburst in that match when he threw his racquet down in disgust after losing two straight service points in the tiebreak to even it up at 6-6.

The outburst appeared to work as he won the next two points and then dominated a deflated Karlovic in the final set.

Nadal was somewhat rusty in beating fellow countryman Albert RamosVinolas 7-6(1) 6-2 earlier in the day but few would have expected his result against Kyrgios. On the other side of the draw, redhot American John Isner beat countryman Jared Donaldson 7-6(4) 7-5 to set up a semi-final against seventh-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who sailed past Japan's Yuichi Sugita 6-2 6-1. (Reuters)

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guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, august 20, 2017

England rout Windies inside 3 days

S

tuart Broad hogged the limelight in the dark as England routed a hopelessly outclassed West Indies in the landmark day-night test match at Edgbaston, wrapping up victory by an innings and 209 runs on Saturday.

Broad became the second most prolific wicket taker in English test history, taking his 384th scalp on a remarkable day for the home attack as they shared around 19 wickets to put the visitors' callow batting line-up to the sword.

The paceman went past Ian Botham's haul of 383 wickets while ripping the heart out of the visitors' second innings to move to second on the England all-time list behind his strike partner James Anderson, who also enjoyed a big day.

Watching in the Sky Sports commentary box amid an excited full-house enjoying the conclusion to the first day-night test to be staged in England, Botham enthused: "It's fantastic.

– subject Caribbean side to innings and 209-run defeat

Jermaine Blackwood was stumped in his eagerness to keep attacking © Getty Images

"It would have been an anti-climax (for Broad) to do it in Leeds in (the second test) with the atmosphere as great as it is here."

The great all-rounder then added with a laugh: "It just makes me feel bloody old!"

On a cold, damp day, England had been, first, in-

spired by Anderson and Toby Roland-Jones as they forced the Windies to follow on, bowling them out for 168 by early in the postlunch session in response to England's mammoth 514 for eight declared.

Anderson had led the charge with three wickets and a run-out. Then with

the floodlights on and the pink ball wobbling around, captain Joe Root naturally invited the Windies to endure further nightmares.

This time Anderson and Roland-Jones, who had also taken two first-innings wickets, soon struck again before Broad stole the show as the Windies once more crum-

Virat Kohli says Mission 2019 Cricket World Cup starts in Sri Lanka V

irat Kohli declared that the clock will start ticking in the build-up to the 2019 World Cup when India begin the Oneday International series against Sri Lanka at the Dumbulla International Stadium on Sunday.

India, ranked No 3 in the ICC ODI list, will look to add to their dominance over Sri Lanka, having achieved a 3-0 Test series sweep. Sri Lanka also upset India in the early stages of the ICC Champions Trophy in June, but Virat Kohli had his sights set on the big prize.

“See, for us it’s about time frame, it’s not about which opposition we are playing,” Kohli told a pre-match media conference on Saturday. “You can’t pick and choose, I have never believed in that and we as a team don’t believe in that.

“Two years to go, almost 24 months to go for the World Cup and now is the time to give players certain roles to get into the groove and understand what we need to do in reaching that World Cup final. For us, it’s all about when you want to start, giving roles to players, experimenting as a team.”

The India skipper confirmed KL Rahul would bat at No 4 while acknowledged that it was a challenge for Ajinkya Rahane. The top Test batsman’s ODI future hangs in the balance.

He hardly played in the Champions Trophy as Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma opened and then was Manof-the-Series in the West Indies with Rohit rested.

Kohli hinted Rahane or Manish Pandey may have to sit out. That could mean Kedar Jadhav gets a go.

“In any format, if you have any kind of desperation or urge to cement your place or perform so to say, there is always going to be a bit of pressure on you. See, it’s a pecking order that you need to look at. Shikhar, who was not even in the mix of things till a few months back, when he comes back you see what he can do.

“So, it becomes very difficult for you to understand, what do you do in that situation because he came back and scored in the Champions Trophy.

He continued his form in the Test series and won you t w o Tests.

“Jinks (Rahane) u n d e r s t a n d s that at this stage he is the third opener in the team, we certainly back him because he has been shifted around a bit in the batting order, which is not healthy for a guy who likes to open in the shorter format,” he said, adding that Rahane was more relaxed after clicking in the Caribbean.

The key to India doing well consistently was to try new things.

“Sometimes we get so carried away

by Team India’s expectations that you have to win every game that we don’t follow a pattern.”

Kohli said India are likely to pick only two spinners from left-armers Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel while hinting leg-spinner Yuzhvendra Chahal could play.

He was confident India had the core set for the World Cup. “The core has always been good.

We have players who have the ability to strike 200, and players who have the ability to play for 35 overs in a oneday game. It all depends on what you decide to do as a team and then move forward in that direction. Everyone is ready to take those challenges up, they’re ready to embrace them, and that I think is the most exciting part.

“If we can embrace trying out a few difficult things and being uncomfortable, then it’ll help our cricket grow even further. If you see the way we’re playing Test cricket right now, we’re almost getting 400 in a day, which we haven’t done on many occasions…”

(HindustanTimes)

Virat Kholi

bled, this time being bowled out for 137.

Having taken tea with four down in their second innings and already resigned to going one down in the three-test series, Broad, watched in the crowd by his father, former England batsman Chris Broad, chose his moment to move from support act to main man.

The hors d'oeuvre was two wickets in two balls, first trapping Roston Chase lbw and then having captain Jason Holder caught at slip

by Alastair Cook, to equal Botham's mark, only to be thwarted in his bid to be the first man ever to take three test hat-tricks by Kemar Roach's straight bat.

Then, he produced a beauty that nipped back to bowl Shane Dowrich, a fitting record-breaking delivery before he went on to finish with figures of 3-34.

England's all-time leading wicket taker Anderson and Roland-Jones, continuing the excellent start to his test career, then finished the job, with the Middlesex bowler securing the final wicket as Ben Stokes snaffled Alzarri Joseph at slip.

Only Jermaine Blackwood came out of the debacle with much credit for the West Indies with his laudable, counter-attacking 79 not out

in the first innings amid the carnage.

Anderson, who had set the ball rolling with the first wicket on Friday, continued where he left off after a false start when the players had to come off after just one ball because of rain.

On the resumption, he produced a sharp, rearing delivery off a length that had Kyle Hope helplessly steering the ball to Stokes at gully to set the tone for the day.

He also then ran out Kieran Powell, who had embarked on a calamitous quick single, with a direct hit before he got rid of Chase, inducing him to play on.

Only Jamaican Blackwood, who struck two sixes and nine fours, stood firm with his 49-ball half-century, going on to his 79 off just 76 balls.

Anderson finished with 3-34 off his 15 overs in the first innings with RolandJones and Broad both taking two wickets apiece.

Cook, who won the man of the match award for his epic 10-hour 243 that had set up the win, said with a smile: "This is unbelievable for an old man like me. It's always nice to win and contribute with a big score."

(Reuters)

SCOREBOARD England 1st innings 514 for 8 decl West Indies 1st innings (Overnight: 44-1) K. Brathwaite c Bairstow b Anderson 0 K. Powell run out (Anderson)20 K. Hope c Stokes b Anderson 25 S. Hope b Roland-Jones 15 R. Chase b Anderson 0 J. Blackwood not out 79 S. Dowrich lbw b Roland-Jon es 4 J. Holder c Bairstow b Ali 11 K. Roach b Broad 5 A. Joseph lbw b Broad 6 M. Cummins run out (Westley) 0 Extras (lb-1 w-2) 3 Total (all out, 47 overs) 168 Fall of wickets: 1-0 K. Brathwaite,2-45 K. Hope,3-47 K. Powell,4-47 R. Chase,5-89 S. Hope,6-101 S. Dowrich,7-129 J. Holder,8-134 K. Roach,9-162 A. Joseph,10-168 M. Cummins Bowling Anderson 15 - 6 - 34 - 3(w-1), Broad 16 - 3 - 47 – 2, Roland-Jones 6 - 0 - 31 - 2(w-1), Stokes 7-

0 - 40 – 0, Ali 3 - 1 - 15 - 1 West Indies 2nd innings K. Brathwaite lbw b Ali 40 K. Powell c Cook b Anderson 10 K. Hope lbw b Roland-Jones 12 S. Hope c Root b Stokes 4 R. Chase lbw b Broad 24 J. Blackwood st Bairstow b Al i 12 S. Dowrich b Broad 5 J. Holder c Cook b Broad 0 K. Roach b Anderson 12 A. Joseph c Stokes b Roland-Jo nes 8 M. Cummins not out 0 Extras (b-9 lb-1)10 Total (all out, 45.4 overs) 137 Fall of wickets: 1-15 K. Powell,2-41 K. Hope,3-60 S. Hope,4-76 K. Brathwaite,5-102 J. Blackwood,6-104 R. Chase,7-104 J. Holder,8-115 S. Dowrich,9-137 K. Roach,10-137 A. Joseph Bowling: Anderson 7 - 2 12 – 2, Broad 10 - 4 - 34 – 3, Roland-Jones 6.4 - 3 - 18 – 2, Stokes 9- 4 - 9 – 1, Ali 13 - 2 - 54 - 2

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sports

Police, Northern Rangers and Riddim Squad notch up wins – Corona Beer Invitational Football Tournament

T

he Petra organised Corona Beer Invitational football tournament continued of Friday evening with a triple header at the Georgetown Football Club ground and saw Police sentencing Black Pearl to a 12-0 defeat. A dominant performance from the Police frontline saw four players record braces while Quincy Holder enjoyed himself immensely by scoring a helmet-trick.

Dwayne Jacobs opened the scoring in the 10th minute and effectively triggered the “goal rush”, he would add his second in the 40th minute while Keon Duke got his brace in the 21st and 67th minutes.

A thorn in Black Pearl’s side, Quincy Holder scored in the 30th, 56th, 64th and 68th minutes while Rawle Thornhill got in on the act in the 42nd and 65th minutes while Anthio Wallace marked his name on the score sheet in the 45th and 74th minutes respectively.

In the second game of the night, the resurgent Northern Rangers continued their winning form as they beat a young Pele FC by a 3-0

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margin. The game was lively in the opening 20 minutes as Pele took the attack to the Rangers forcing saves from the custodian in the opening minutes, however their failure to convert the many chances that fell their way would come back to haunt them as a brace from Anthony Sancho in the 7th and 22nd minutes and a solitary strike from Stephon Reynolds in the 36th minute would seal the game for the Northern Rangers.

In the final game of the night Riddim Squad needed a single goal to get past an experienced Santos FC to secure maximum points.

Like the losers of game two, Santos also had numerous chances to take the lead in the first half but their failure to convert those chances cost them the game as Riddim Squad’s Rolex Smith would capitalise on a defensive error in the 30th minute to put his team in the lead and effectively win the game.

The tournament will continue on Monday evening at the same venue with the three remaining group stage matches.

XXIII Goodwill Swim Meet

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21

fter the dust settled on day one of the 23rd Goodwill Swim Meet being held at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, the consistency of the Trinidadian swimmers paid off as their team led overall on points (265), with Suriname in second (214.5), The Bahamas third (181), hosts Guyana in fourth (155), St Lucia fifth (63.5), Barbados sixth (41) and Grenada at the bottom with 5 points.

The standout performer for the host nation Guyana in the Boys 11-12 100 Metre Backstroke was Leon Seatonwho copped first place in a time of 1:10.49s, while the Trinidadian duo of Keishawn Daniel (1:12.91s) and Sheni ST Hillaire (1:14.39s) were second and third in that order.

Lian Winter continued

– Guyana in 4th place to give a good representation of Guyana in the backstroke event as she was second in the Girls 11-12 100 Metre Backstroke with a time of 1:17.48s to finish behind Keianna Moss of The Bahamas who claimed top spot in 1:15.54s with Caitlyn Look Fong (Trinidad and Tobago) closing out the top three in 1:18.25s.

The duo of Aleka Persaud and Patrice Mahaica had Guyanese supporters out of their seats urging them on in the Girls 9-10 100 Metre Backstroke, however they could not pass Trinidad’s Jot Blackett who won that race in 1:20.04s and had to settle for second and third respectively with times of 1:21.04s and 1:22.75s. Earlier in the Boys 15-17 50 Metre Breaststroke, Trinidadian Jamie Williams clocked 31.26s to edge out Guyana’s Daniel Scott (31.78s) while

his compatriot Nathaniel Pascall was third in 31.82s.

Aleka Persaud was one of the most consistent performers for the host nation as she was second in the Girls 9-10 50 Meter Breaststroke behind Bahamas’ Leylah Knowles (38.47s), Persaud finished with a time of 39.06s and Joy Blackett (T&T) third in 40.22s.

She (Persaud) maintained her fine form in the Girls 9-10 100 Metre Freestyle beating the field convincingly with a time of 1:05.78s, while Amelia Rajack (T&T) was second in 1:08.39s with Joy Blackett (1:09.43s) in third.

Trinidad and Tobago are the defending champions of the Meet and are in a strong position to retain their title, however Guyana will be looking to improve immensely as they strive for a top three overall finish.

Table tennis competition hosted in Essequibo after 20 years

Some participants in action during the competition

T

he Essequibo Table Tennis Sub-Committee of Region Two, on Friday August 18, 2017, hosted its first table tennis competition in the Cinderella County after 20

years.

The event’s organiers, Debra Daniels and Nathan Persaud, at the closing ceremony said the aim of the event was to promote awareness of the sport of table tennis. The event had five categories and was held at the Anna Regina Secondary School. It kicked off with 13 events in the U-15, U-17, U-21 and open categories.

Daniels in her address noted; “We have been inviting schools to do training in the afternoons at ARMS. We are still a young committee so we didn’t get the response as intended".

The committee currently provides training in communities such as Johana Cecilia, Zorg, the Pomeroon and even Amerindian communities.

Nathan Persaud, another coordinator explained, “We are trying to raise awareness, we want people to get on board and bring the sport back to the region, we intend to continue to train as well as keep records of today’s performance so that the region can be represented at school athletics nationally.”

Persaud and Daniels both revealed that they have reaped meaningful results through their trainings.

"Training has been progressive, we have kids coming out. It’s a new sport with new idea that help to boost the kids, Coaching are also provided," Persaud said.

However the organisers pointed out that they feel the sport can be kept alive if there is more participation from the community and at the school level. However they thanked all those who showed support throughout the competition.

The committee intends to host another competition in the near future but the date has yet to be confirmed.

22

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sundAY, august 20, 2017

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2017

Poor umpiring, Brandon McCullum, spinners lead to Warriors defeat T

he Guyana Amazon Warriors now face an uphill task to qualify for the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) playoffs after suffering a sev-

questionable umpiring decisions, Sohail Tanveer had Colin Munro’s bails flying with a delivery that beat the inside-edge and Warriors were up and running.

Darren Bravo added the middle-order impetus (CPL T20 via Getty Images)

en-wicket defeat at the hands of Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) on Saturday at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Watched by a capacity ground, a listless Warriors were only able to post a below-par 130 for 5 which the Knight Riders, led by pugnacious opener Brendon McCullum unbeaten 65 (4x4s; 4x6s) responded in blazing fashion with 131 for 3 in 15.5 overs, condemning the three-time finalist to their fifth loss in six matches and a strong possibility of finishing outside the top four for the first time.

Defending the paltry total, Veerasammy Permaul got the early wicket of Sunil Narine caught at long-on before he could inflict any serious damage. After some

Trump card leg spinner Rashid Khan drew McCullum forward when he was on 21 by getting the ball to dip and inducing an edge that was put down by wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton which would have left TKR 41-3 in the seventh over.

Both Darren Bravo and the New Zealander kept the alarming fluency to the innings hitting boundaries at will. He took to off-spinner Steven Jacobs who surprisingly was not given the new ball, for 14 runs in the 9th over – the over which he replaced Khan had previously conceded just three runs and created numerous chances.

The foregone conclusion that the Warriors were batted out of the contest became pellucid as the match progressed. Fortune indeed

favours the brave as Rayad Emrit bowled Bravo with a slower ball trying to play a booming cover-drive.

McCullum cuts loose

The 15th over proved the final nail in the coffin for Warriors as TKR took medium-pacer Roshon Primus to the cleaners by scoring 20 in his lone over. His first ball, a full toss, McCullum lifts it up and over mid-off to bring up his second 50 of the season from 39 balls.

A single and two was followed by him, making room to disdainfully hit Primus for six over the covers.

The next six was huge! A straight hit which sailed hit the roof of the pavilion and out the ground.

The sorrow faced by the team got a chance to show Denesh Ramdin stylishly hit a flat six to seal the match.

Inserted by Knight Riders, Walton took 10 off the first over delivered by Ronsford Beaton, clipping him through fine-leg for consecutive boundaries.

Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre brought the demise of Walton after the batsman dragged him straight down the throat of wide long-on.

Captain Martin Guptill was bowled by a classical off-spinning delivery from Narine. Dragged forward with the flight, Guptill went for an expansive drive but the ball spun back in sharply to sneak through the big gap between bat and pad to knock the stumps.

Assad Fudadin having his first match of the season impressed in his short stay at the crease, hitting two fours and a majestic six which landed in the Red

Stand. Just as he was beginning to look assured at the crease, he top-edged a mid-wicket leaving his team 39 for 3 in the seventh over.

Jason Mohammed, who top scored with 65 (6x4s; 2x6s) played some exquisite shots through cover region to get his innings going.

His partner in the rebuilding process Gajanand Singh was gifted an early reprieve, being dropped with a sensational effort by Javon Searles in the 10th over.

Searles came in too quickly from deep square leg but saw the ball swirling over his head, in the end had to dive full length backwards and it just eluded him. The miss-hap ensured the home side reached 61-3 in the 10th over.

Both players continued to grow in stature and Singh in particular looked to be in full control of his innings.

He brought the crowd to its feet, with a gorgeous sweep shot- backward of square, helping the Warriors progress to 89 for 3 in the 15th over.

The rush for quick was runs was on, with Mohammed giving himself room to swat Dwayne Bravo over cover for four.

They kept the pressure on the Knight Riders’ boundary riders, scampering for quick twos.

Beaton broke the back the fourth wicket 63-run partnership which came from 59 balls when Singh top edged a short-ball falling for run-a-ball 27 which was inclusive of two fours.

It took a single for the wristy Mohammed to reach his run-a-ball half century

Jason Mohammed played a gem of an innings to prop his team to their eventual total (CPL T20 via Getty Images)

that was inclusive of fours and one six. From there-on he looked to play a shot a ball, slapping Beaton over point for four then taking the attack to Bravo, clipping him over cover for four then depositing him deep into the Orange Stand. The champion dancing of Bravo even-

tually came out when he bowled Mohammed with the final ball of the innings.

Warriors will face Barbados Tridents today from 18:00h while Knight Riders will have their next match on Wednesday against host St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

SCOREBOARD Guyana Amazon Warriors C Walton † c DM Bravo b Pier re 10 M Guptill * b Narine 4 A Fudadin c Beaton b Miller 13 J Mohammed b DJ Bravo 66 G Singh c Ramdin b Beaton 27 R Primus not out 4 Extras (4 wd,2 lb)6 Total (5 wickets, 20 overs)130 Did not bat : S Tanvir, R Emrit, S Jacobs, R Khan, V Permaul Fall of wickets : 1-12 (C Walton,1.3), 2-16 (M Guptill,3.2), 3-39 (A Fudadin,6.3), 4-102 (G Singh,16.2), 5-130 (J Mohammed,19.6) Bowling: Beaton 4-0-27-1 ( wd 2), Pierre 4-024-1, Miller 4-0-25-1, Narine 4-1-11-1, DJ Bravo 3-035-1 ( wd 2), Frylinck 1-0-6-0

Trinbago Knight Riders (target 131 runs from 20 overs) S Narine c Mohammed b Permaul 1 B McCullum not out 65 C Munro b Tanveer 11 DM Bravo b Emrit 27 D Ramdin †not out 20 Extras (7 wd,) 7 Total (3 wickets, 15.5 overs) 131 Did not bat : R Frylinck, DJ Bravo *, J Searles, K Pierre, N Miller, R Beaton Fall of wickets : 1-7 (S Narine,1.3), 2-18 (C Munro,2.5), 3-73 (DM Bravo,9.4) Bowling: Tanveer 3-0-20-1, Permaul 4-0-30-1 ( wd 1), Emrit 2.5-0-27-1 ( wd 1), Khan 3-011-0 ( wd 3), Jacobs 2-0-230, Primus 1-0-20-0 ( wd 2)

guyanatimesgy.com

sundAY, august 20, 2017

Scenes from

23

Hero CPL Match 17 Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, 2017

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

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Pg 22

Poor umpiring, Brandon McCullum, spinners lead to Warriors defeat

England rout Windies inside 3 days

Pg 20

– subject Caribbean side to innings and 209-run defeat

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August 20, 2017

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Inside

Fun and Educational ‘Kids Today, Leaders Tomorrow’, a new TVG children’s programme, makes learning fun Page 2

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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AUGUST 20, 2017

Feature

‘Kids Today, Leaders Tomorrow’, a new TVG children’s programme, makes learning fun

R

ecognised as a pioneer children’s programme in Guyana, ‘Kids Today, Leaders Tomorrow’ (KTLT) combines education and entertainment for nursery and primary students.

KTLT is a pre-recorded, one hour TV programme produced by Ms Robin St.

teaching techniques, which are backed by childhooddevelopment principles and quality research, are being used successfully in many classrooms around the country.

Consisting of four main segments geared towards developing cognition, ‘Kids Today, Leaders Tomorrow’

son and their roles, are composed by the children participating on the show. This ultimately means, as is substantiated by overwhelming response from viewers, that the programmes are relatable to children as they are done by children.

KTLT is hosted by Ms Taneka Sanchara, the direc-

Learning is fun on KTLT

pating on KTLT are drawn from various schools across the country. They are excited about the project and always eager to explore new ideas for the show.

According to the show’s producer, Ms Robin St. Marthe, since KTLT’s first showing in July 2017, it has received “great feedback from both kids and adults”.

“We also receive positive responses from head teachers and the teaching community, which would give pointers to help make the shows even more ‘edutaining’ – this we are grateful.

Going forward, we want to have a KTLT Club where we can compete in debates, have those who pass through teach others, and ultimately grow up to be the leaders of this nation. As it is right

now, there is so much potential and we are going to keep going,” St. Marthe declared.

This year, KTLT was part of GBTI’s Early Savers Summer Camp, where its teachers hosted literacy, art

and craft sessions with the camp.

For more information on ‘Kids Today, Leaders Tomorrow’ children’s programme, please call 592223-7230 or 592-223-7231.

Role play is an active, social activity used to help children reflect on and develop their knowledge of a topic

Having fun on set

Marthe. It is aired on TVG Channel 28 in Georgetown and Essequibo, and Channel 12 in Berbice on Saturdays at 11am and rebroadcast on Wednesdays at 4pm, and Fridays at 8:30am.

The children’s show, which appeals to ages 4 to 11, aims to make learning fun with its holistic, wellthought-out programmes presented to get children active - not only physically, but mentally.

KTLT’s interactive, educational activities and

provides insight to parents/ guardians on how to effectively use its teaching methodologies at home. Subject areas covered include craft, proper hygiene, storytelling, English, science and math.

A special segment features guests (such as local celebrities, famous personalities and others) who read to the children or be interviewed by them on the show.

What is unique about this segment is that all the questions asked, based on their understanding of the per-

Learning about shapes on the show

tor of Unique Play School & Daycare which was recently recognised by the Ministry of Social Protection’s Childcare Services as being one of 13 schools licensed to operate in Guyana, and Ms Kimell Thomas, a practising teacher for over 13 years and a social worker for four years. Thomas currently serves as a welfare officer at Stephen’s Primary, providing guidance, counselling and support to children and their parents.

The children partici-

Craft segment

Some of the crafts made on the show

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AUGUST 20, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

T

he Guyana Philatelic Society (GPS) aims to create greater interest and activity in the study of British Guiana and Guyana stamps and postal history.

It is a source of information for British Guiana and Guyana collectors, where they can connect via exhibitions and group meetings, and by using the Society’s social media internet sites being developed.

With these tools, GPS facilitates a collectors exchange or the buying and selling of stamps by its members. This includes all philatelic materials, envelopes, collections, books, to name just a few.

The Society also offers philatelic advice from its experts and conduct appraisals of single stamps or collections of stamps from Guyana.

One of GPS' most notable stamp collections is on cricket. Issued August 3, 1976, a collection of stamps featured the World Cricket Cup won

by West Indies team in 1975 (SC #243-244) was released.

Then there was a collection issued on January 8, 1968 celebrating the visit of the Marylebone Cricket Club to the West Indies (SC #36-38).

Objectives of GPS

The purpose of GPS is to provide up-to-date information on Guyana stamps; assist collectors to build bigger and better collections by providing greater opportunities to obtain philatelic material; and educate the youths of Guyana on stamp collecting.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Ann Wood, founder of the Guyana Philatelic Society, related that the Society was started in 2012 as a nonprofit organisation based in California, U.S.A. “I started out by holding a small stamp show with displays of British Guiana stamps at the Sleepin’ Hotel in Brickdam. I was pleasantly surprised at the attendance and interest in stamp collecting. It seemed like everyone that came was a collector during a period of their life or knew someone that was a stamp collector. Needless to say during that show, I felt compelled to start a stamp club to renew the interest and provide support for collectors in Guyana, thus GPS started.

In 2013, I contacted the former Postmaster General, Mr. Henry Dundas, about exhib-

Stamps celebrate World Cricket Cup won

by West Indies team in 1975

iting at GPO in Georgetown, since the Philatelic Bureau is located there. He gladly welcomed us and we have been exhibiting at GPO regularly

Cricket fans at Bourda in 1955. This photo is featured in legendary Guyanese cricketer Rohan Kanhai's autobiography, “Blasting for Runs”

since then,” Ann recalled.

Ann is originally from Kitty, Georgetown, and has lived for more than 30 years in the United States.

As a child, she became fascinated by the stamps on the letters that her father, Dr. Sam Ramphal, a radio evangelist, received as a result of the radio programme, “Deliverance Time”. During

that period, she started her collection and is still an avid collector of British Guiana and Guyana stamps.

Over the years, Ann acquired most of her Guyana stamps through the mail with the help of the Guyana Philatelic Bureau where she has held an account for more than 30 years. She also regularly attends stamp shows throughout the world and searches the internet to find stamps.

Ann is a member of the American Philatelic Society, The Royal Philatelic Society London, the British West Indies Study Circle, The British Caribbean Philatelic Study Group and other specialized stamp clubs. In addition, she is an expert with the American Philatelic Society for British Guiana and Guyana stamps.

The avid stamp collector travels from the US to Guyana twice a year to organize stamp exhibitions, workshops and school visits, and gives away free stamps at all events to promote the hobby.

In 2014, Ann, with the guidance of former Postmaster, Henry Dundas, visited and photographed all 70 of Guyana post offices, something that has rarely been done by anyone. She has also created postcards of the post offices.

Ann continues shares her knowledge, time and resourc-

es so that others can enjoy and learn from stamp collecting just like she does.

“We hope to use stamp collecting as an educational tool in schools across Guyana; to help collectors increase their knowledge of stamp collecting by providing access to philatelic books and catalogs for research; and to provide philatelic resources for collectors,” Ann noted.

In May 2016, the Society was at the World Stamp Show held in New York with over 100,000 collectors in attendance. GPS displayed the postcards with the post offices of Guyana and held a members meeting with many of its international members in attendance.

GPS has grown to more than 200 members in several countries and continues to grow rapidly. Its members are people from all walks life: those who collect new issues from Guyana to those who have only very limited stamp budgets.

Above all, GPS stamp club offers the friendship, knowledge and experience of its members who give advice on all aspects of collecting.

For more information, visit https://guyanastamps.com or Guyana Philatelic Society on Facebook. (Cover photo: Issued on January 8, 1968, this stamp collection features the Marylebone Cricket Club’s visit to the West Indies)

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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AUGUST 20, 2017

Feature

Guyana Premier, an all-Guyanese brand promoting everything local, aims to empower youths through 'self-elevation'

I

Students from Belvedere Primary School with their backpacks

n an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Dave Lalltoo, founder of Guyana Premier, said youth empowerment is one of the biggest aims of Guyana Premier. He believes that “the key to true empowerment is through self-elevation and making the most of one's education at a tender age is essential to this since good buildings are built on strong foundations”.

Although most children are given an equal opportunity in terms of access to education in Guyana, Lalltoo said not all of them are able to use it to its full-

est potential because they lack some of the basic resources. This led Lalltoo and his team to the idea of giving back to rural communities by providing essential school items to those who are otherwise unable to afford them or find difficulties in doing so. Thus, Guyana Premier's ‘Back to School Drive’ was born.

Lalltoo along with his dedicated team took it upon themselves to approach both the private and public sectors to gain their support on this venture. According to Lalltoo, corporate Guyana stepped up to the calling and the

initiative was eventually exclusively supported by these private entities.

Adequate school supplies were gathered to provide for the needs of almost 250 children, which was the goal set by the team, so the drive was closed off and necessary arrangements for the distribution went underway.

Recently, students in Leguan (Essequibo) and Belvedere (Berbice) benefitted from the annual ‘Back to School Drive’.

“One of the main reasons we decided to give back to communities like Leguan and Belvedere in

Berbice is because we were incredible touched by the two top National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) students from both areas.

Upon listening to their stories, we saw the need to give back to these disadvantaged rural communities. Guyana Premier was launched five months back and this is the first of many charity events,” Lalltoo said.

Officials from Maryville Primary School in Leguan and Belvedere Primary School in Region Six were contacted and the dates were set for the team to visit. On August 2, 2017, Guyana Premier embarked on their first set of distribution in Leguan.

As a proud product of Leguan himself, Lalltoo was ecstatic about beginning this project in his alma mater, Maryville Primary. He promised that there were great things in the future for the children of Leguan and around the country as Guyana Premier aims to fulfil its mandate.

The students were fitted with shoes, provided by Guyana Medical Relief, and given backpacks packed with essential supplies.

Lalltoo and his team then ventured to Region

Guyana Premier's founder Dave Lalltoo handing over Massy Hamper to Region Six NGSA 2017 top student

Four to the Belvedere Primary School, Berbice to provide essential school supplies to underprivileged children.

“The ‘Back to School Drive’ was indeed a successful one. We’re thankful to Massy Stores Guyana, Hallmark Guyana, C&L Construction Company, Branderz Guyana, Java Coffee Bar, Doolie's Bakery, Modern Grafix, Guyana Medical Relief, Shermol Cleaners, K’s Pharmacy, Pandit & Son’s, The Outdoor Store & Pet Shop, Bibi Halal Corner,

and many others who came on board to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate,” Lalltoo expressed.

Lalltoo mentioned that he and his team are currently planning a medical outreach for unprivileged children and elders in December. Additionally, the ‘Back to School Drive’ will be an annual project targeting many more rural areas of Guyana.

For more information, visit Guyana Premier on Facebook or www.guyanapremier.com

Guyana Premier's Marketing Executive, Omesh Balmacoon, fitting a child from Maryville Primary School with his shoes

Students from Maryville Primary School with their backpacks

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Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

Empowering youths through theatre arts

By Ashraf Dabie

I

t is essential for investments to be made and avenues for growth be readily available for the development of youths because they are the future leaders of our country. These avenues often revolve around leadership, entrepreneurship, technology, sports, and the arts.

Notably, through theatre arts, renowned local actress Simone Dowding has, for many years, been engaging youths in meaningful activities geared at developing their talents and creating exposure, which will inherently build on their social skills.

After about 35 years in the performing arts industry, dramatist and television personality, Simone Dowding, launched her very own drama academy in 2007, the Purple Arts Production.

Sunday Times Magazine, Simone said that the annual Children’s Drama Workshop was started because of her love for the limelight, but lacked the opportunity to showcase her talents.

“I wanted to do something that will involve children because I didn’t have the opportunity to do the things I wanted to do. The idea of ensuring young people have a spring board to get into theatre and have some knowledge of the arts is what really got me excited,” Simone noted.

Impacting Lives

With those objectives in mind, training takes the form of weekly workshops within the months of July and August. Via these workshops, Simone is able to impart basic principles of theatre and performing arts, setting the pace for a lifetime

Simone with participants of the Purple Arts Children Drama Workshop while promoting their production on a local morning show

bers. In the first year, she had a class of approximately 25 students, which continued to be the amount for five years in a row.

The actress recalled being blown away by the students’ inherent creativity. She pointed out that they brought their own ideas to the workshops, many of which addressed prevalent social issues within the Caribbean.

“What I did was to allow them to say what they wanted to say and then script-

me. There was once instance of this when they did the play ‘Sliding Floor’; I was truly amazed with the story these children came up with.

To listen to them is a joy. I can never master looking at them on stage and not shed tears of joy. To see how they progress during the workshops, initially not knowing anything about the arts, is what makes me truly happy,” Simone declared.

The veteran actress added that the workshop was

ment, and communities.

“That is what gives me the joy to work with the children. We also help them understand that there is nothing that can stop them from being themselves. I always teach them confidence and encourage them to use every rock as a stepping stone,” the actress conveyed.

For this year, the Purple Arts Production’s Children Drama Workshop is already underway with about 20 students benefiting from the

Simone Dowding joined by participants of the Purple Arts Children Drama Workshop on a live television programme

Sadly, Purple Arts Production was dormant for a number of years.

However, after a five-year hiatus, Simone decided to once again embark on her ground-breaking initiative, which now stands as a highly anticipated ‘summer’ event for students, especially in Georgetown.

In an interview with

in the spotlight for those budding artists, who are generally between the ages of 8-16.

As such, her sessions zoom in on acting, directing, playwriting, stage and costume management, and even extend to incorporate advanced skills such as mastering the art of breathing necessary for actors. This experience culmi-

nates with the actress tasking the students with putting on their very own production, which is customarily staged for a public audience.

Reminiscing on when she started the workshop in 2012, Simone admitted she was sceptical about students showing up to her workshop.

However, this anxiety was dispelled when participants began arriving in their num-

Preparing for the staging of the Workshop’s production

Participants of the Drama Workshop taking the curtain call after the staging of their production

ed it. So I always give credit to the children because it’s their stories. All I did was nurture, guide and help lead them along the way, but they already knew exactly what they wanted,” the doting tutor expressed.

Consequently, under Simone’s tutelage paired with the students’ ingenuity, stellar performances are produced yearly, highlighting serious social issues such rape and abuse, among others.

“For the past years, we did plays that were always written by the children, and they never cease to amaze

created to help keep children off the streets and get them occupied in meaningful activities.

“So when they come to the workshop, I have a lot of walls to break down. Because some of them, we don’t know the situation in their homes, so they come to the class and they’re in a corner, but by the third workshop they’re more flexible,” she averred.

Simone added that the skills, network and experiences gained from the workshops help to propel participants into assuming leadership roles within their schools, places of employ-

sessions offered by Simone and her team of experienced tutors, who are also attached to the Theatre Guild Playhouse. After the completion of the workshop, there will be a staging of its annual production, which is set for August 26 at Theatre Guild.

The public is invited to witness the outstanding performances by the workshop’s participants as they take to the stage with four dramatic pieces: “School Time”; “My History”; “Warrior of Dignity”; along with a spoken word performance - all of which are promised to be educational and entertaining.

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Fashion

K

io Richards is a relatively ‘new’ designer on the local fashion scene who works unremittingly to etch his name on the list of notable designers in Guyana.

“At a young age, I was fascinated by simple arts and crafts, which led to challenging myself to draw human-dressed silhouettes.

Fashion was my way of relaxation. After realising I was always the tiniest of everyone, both in school and at home, at the age of nine I started drawing clothes I wanted to fit into – though I still can’t fit into them,” the 4’ 5” designer quipped in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Kio recalled “nagging” his grandmother, a headmistress and founder of a nursery school in Region Five, who loves sewing, to allow him to try sewing under her tutelage. She agreed and Kio made his first pajama out of an old bed sheet.

“Due to illnesses, including two attacks of stroke, she eventually stopped sewing, but always wished to see or hear me take part in a fashion show. I was never bold enough to do so until ‘Reflections’, a fashion event by Guyanese design-

them-

Designer Kio Richards

er Nelsion Nurse. I resided in Trinidad and Tobago for a number of years. I was inspired by the colourful culture existing in that country. This inspiration led to designing costumes for medium carnival band; pageant gowns for one of the most well-known pageants in Trinidad, the Miss Lauren Ravea,” the designer recounted.

Fashion designing was not the only art form Kio participated in while he resided in Trinidad. He was also involved in the performing arts: singing, drama (acting) and dancing for some of Trinidad’s most famous dance groups, including his own – the Jerningham

Style Tips for Men

B

usiness casual means something less formal than a suit and tie, not a casual outfit that looks vaguely presentable. So what should you wear?

The first part of the business casual wardrobe to sort out is shirts.

Go for formal shirts like you would with a suit, though feel free to add more patterns and less formal collar types such as the button down collar. Polo shirts should be avoided at all costs.

The shirts can be worn with either an open collar or a less formal tie such as the knitted variety. If going tieless, make you sure you undo the top two buttons of the shirt and avoid showing your undershirt. Buttoning all of the buttons when not wearing a tie can look rather affected and only buttoning one is too uptight and stuffy.

The next area is trousers. This is an area to let your personality show, so feel free to inject some colour. Fit is very important, so make sure the trousers just cover your socks and no more. Opt for trousers made from cottons and wools.

Avoid pleats to keep your look slick and modern. Maintain your professional image with a well-tailored blazer. A business casual wardrobe could get away with just a couple of basic blazers in a grey and a navy.

Avoid metal buttons or loud pat-

terns to make them more versatile and therefore more useable. Avoid wearing jackets meant for suits, as this will look out of place.

Shoes are one of the most important areas of the business casual wardrobe. Avoid both ends of the formality spectrum; say no to closed lace black cap toes and avoid trainers and boat shoes. Instead go for suede brogues or chukka boots or a brown leather Chelsea boot.

Invest in shoes; it’s the best style investment you’ll make.

Accessories are an afterthought to many, but make or break an outfit. With business casual, keep them to a minimum. If you have double cuff shirts, which work fine casually as long as a jacket is worn, cufflinks will be needed.

Keep them simple with a solid metal, such as Sterling silver.

Pocket squares should not be left out and work well with patch pockets. Opt for a patterned silk square that contrasts and adds colour your outfit. Bright and heavily patterned socks are another great way to add more colour. Finally, don’t forget about the belt. It should be a similar colour to your shoes, but the match does not need to be exact.

Get inspired for your next business casual look from the ensembles featured today.

Junction.

Kio mentioned that his group was instrumental in helping him become a professional dancer for Trinidad’s International Soca Monarch – an opportunity he cherishes.

Honing his designing talent for years, Kio decided to launch his first clothing collection, Bold.

He explained that the collection was inspired by the love and support from his family and his mission to help give a voice to those who are timid in standing up for

selves.

“My wish and goal is to combine my knowledge and versatility in areas that will help in the empowerment of both men and women. Also, to be able to introduce new models and or designers to Guyana’s fashion industry,” the 23-year-old declared.

For more information on the designer, visit Prestige Design and/or Kio Richards on Facebook or call 6565519.

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

Recipe of the week

Ingredients: 4oz room temperature butter 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, room temperature 1 cup flour 3tsp crushed garlic Ÿtsp finely chopped hot pepper ½tsp yellow mustard 2 egg yolks

&

Chic Ways to Display House Numbers

M

ark your territory, in style. Find inspiration from the ideas below.

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, place room temperature butter and shredded cheddar cheese and beat using a mixer until well blended and creamy. Add flour, garlic, hot pepper, yellow mustard and egg yolks and beat until combined.

Place mixture in a cookie press, piping bag or Ziploc bag with a large star tip.

Pipe on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; pipe into 3-5 inch pieces.

Place in preheat oven and bake for 11-12 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute or so before removing from the baking ban. (Recipe and photo from www.jehancancook.com)

This wall-planter works double time displaying succulents and shrubs, as well as a sleek set of house numbers. This is a must-steal idea if you have an entrance gate on your property.

Greatest Cooking Tips Ripen tomatoes by storing them in a paper bag on the counter for a couple of days.

Microwave citrus for a few seconds before juicing you'll get more out of it.

When you make burgers, indent the centre with your thumb - the patty will stay flat as it cooks.

Spritz/rub your rubber spatula with cooking spray/ oil so batter won't stick.

Use crushed tortilla chips as a substitute for bread crumbs.

Take your house numbers to the next level with modern planters that pack major appeal.

Home Help Clean your cast-iron skillet with a paste of coarse salt and pepper.

Give your emptied-out food processor one last whirl to rid the blade of clingy food.

Place a plastic bag over your hand to easily grease a pan without the mess.

Cover a fine grater with wax paper before grating for quick clean-up.

Keep a coaster under your drippy honey jar so it won't stick to the table.

If large trees hide your home from the road, make it easy on your mail man by hanging weather-proof house numbers from the trunk of the tree closest to the road.

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Puzzles

Crossword

1

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131

ACROSS Gourmet cook Chomps down Less distant Hands-down (2 wds.)

Get an earful Combine Lure Wax melodramatic River to the Seine Violinist -- Stern Frolic Scampers Hammerlock pro Yon maiden Divide the pie Except Nine-headed monster Poet's twilights Fair-hiring letters Movie theater TV knob Furry companion Rapper Dr. -Estuary Caught a fly Pencil part Honey wine Ms. Bovary Gator Bowl site Dwindled Yin complement NFL kicker Matt -Vonnegut et al.

Subatomic particle Average size A Jackson sister Hindu attire He brings up the rear -- Jima Inventory list Payable now Rain-delay rollout Anthology Tasting a little Kind deed Discharge "Take -- --!"

In an open manner Top athlete (hyph.)

-- - --- cake (kid's game) Finish first Fire engine gear Summer in Quebec Ground zero Sing the praises of Weekly program Insulation meas. (hyph.)

Pith helmet Links champ Sam -Hitchhiker's need Lands in "la mer" Mr. Kierkegaard Fall behind Spreadsheet unit Family member Lost brightness A, B or C Wave maker Ernie of the PGA Big clock Superman's emblem

132 Mine, to Mimi

133 Glamorous wrap

135 Carla, on "Cheers"

137 Not shy

139 Use hair rollers

140 Clear the windshield

142 Tavern fare

144 Rather than (3 wds.)

148 Allay, as thirst

150 World Cup sport

153 "-- the Greek"

155 Baobab or banyan

156 Improvise (hyph.)

157 Jazz pianist -- Garner 158 Strictness

159 "Garfield" pooch

160 Holds up 161 Cozily 162 Solitary 163 Nonexistent

DOWN

1 Black-tongued dog

2 Whodunit suspect 3 Facilitate

4 Just picked 5 Contractor

6 Newspaper flyer

7 Jeweled coronet

8 Depot info

9 Jiffies

10 Mideast desert

11 Bambi's aunt

12 24-hr. cashier 13 Teases

14 Quebec school

15 "What a --!"

16 A.D. coiner

17 Singer -- Sumac 18 Outlaw

19 Bring into accord

20 Sat down

30 Hunted and pecked

32 Listen carefully 34 Hairstyle

38 Sooner than anon

39 Lion, in Tanzania

41 Santa follower

42 Running mates

43 Shuttle course 44 Toil

46 "Cape Fear" star (2 wds.)

47 Pasta-sauce brand

49 Fine violins

51 Moose kin 53 Lawmaker 54 Fashioned

56 Drop like -- -- potato

59 Canine cry

61 Deli breads

63 Diameter halves 64 Footlocker

65 Long bout

67 Dept. head 68 Socializes

69 Pricey entree

70 Left Bank friend

73 "Wayne's World" pal

75 Actress Dianne - 77 Sudden downpour

81 "Mad Max" star Gibson

82 Ms. Hagen of stage

84 Apparition

85 Ducks and turkeys

86 Pertaining to birds

87 Trial jurisdiction

91 -- Lobos of pop music

92 It flows by Flanders

93 Stage whispers 94 Empires

95 World War II pope

96 Stretchy bandage

99 Ambler or Clapton 102 Entreaty

103 "The Velvet Fog" Fencing swords 104

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- DINOSAURS WORD GAME by Kathleen Saxe TODAY'S WORD -- DINOSAURS (DINOSAURS: DINE-uh-sors: Extinct, often gigantic reptiles of the Mesozoic Era.) Average mark 32 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 53 or more words in DINOSAURS? dais danio darn dour drain dross inroads iron nadir

nard naris nidus nodus oasis onus ordain ours said

sand sans sard sari sinus soar soda sonar sora

sound sour suds surd adios adorn arid aroid around

arsis arson audio undo unsaid radio radius radon raid

rain rani rind road roan rosin round ruin

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

105 Marmalade chunks

107 Tibet's -- Lama

109 Conger catcher

111 Perfume bottle

114 Flood control

117 Egyptian peninsula

119 Scoff at

121 -- -di-dah 122 Feast 123 Aver

124 Feudal tenant

125 Shoe-happy Marcos

126 Completely wrecks 127 Squawks

130 Fancy chocolate

134 Variety of squash

136 At sunup

137 Libra neighbor

138 Give a clue (2 wds.)

140 Society newbies

141 Pale brown

143 Cornell or Pound

145 Lahore language

146 Eye, to Pierre

147 Have a hunch

149 Baby fox

151 Gear tooth 152 Annex

154 Well output Solution on Pg 13

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AUGUST 20, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

T

he total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 will be an opportunity for amateur and professional photographers alike, but precautions should be taken to protect both eyes and cameras.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the safest time to look up or snap photos during the eclipse is at the “moment of totality” when the moon fully moves into place to block out the sun, and only the faint ring of the sun’s corona is visible from behind the moon. Looking directly at the sun during a normal day or a partial eclipse can injure your eyes.

Experts advise wearing a pair of special-purpose “eclipse glasses” or looking through a solar viewer device.

Eclipse viewing glasses and handheld solar viewers should meet all the following criteria: • Have certification information with a designated ISO 123122 international standard.

• Have the manufacturer’s name and address printed somewhere on the product.

• Not be used if they are older than three years, or have scratched

or wrinkled lenses.

• Not use homemade filters.

• Ordinary sunglasses -- even very dark ones -- should not be used as a replacement for eclipse

viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers.

If you are using a digital S.L.R. camera with its large sensor, definitely put a solar filter over your camera lens to reduce the sun’s intense brightness and protect your gear from damage. A solar filter is also a good idea for a point-andshoot camera.

High-quality mobile cameras, like those used by the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S Android phones, have lenses and autoexposure settings that should be able to take quick pictures of the sun without suffering damage.

But to protect your eyes (and lingering doubts about sensor safety), taping on a solar filter is

safer; a smartphone photography tipsheet on NASA’s site recommends using the filter.

The cameras in the iPhone 7 line, which include optical stabilization and exposure controls, can handle lowlight photography for pictures down on the ground during the full eclipse; Apple Watch owners can also use those devices as a camera remote for the iPhone.

(Information sources: NASA and New York Times)

Tech News

Mark Zuckerberg on hate speech: ‘We're watching the situation closely’

M

ark Zuckerberg says Facebook is doing the best it can to both be a place where everyone can share their ideas and also feel safe.

"It's important that Facebook is a place where people with different views can share their ideas. Debate is part of a healthy society," Zuckerberg says in a post he published on his personal Facebook page Wednesday night.

But that does not mean Facebook is granting carte

blanche (give full discretionary power) for anyone to post anything he or she professes to believe in.

Facebook and several other tech companies have taken a decidedly active role in blocking hate speech and those who promote it from the internet.

"There is no place for hate in our community.

That's why we've always taken down any post that promotes or celebrates hate crimes or acts of terrorism…," Zuckerberg says.

Crossword Solution

And, Facebook will continue to do so. "… We're

watching the situation closely and will take down threats of physical harm."

But even with an army of more than 20,000 employees, Facebook cannot possibly individually monitor the activity of more than 2 billion monthly active users.

Zuckerberg knows there will be mistakes.

"We won't always be perfect, but you have my commitment that we'll keep working to make Facebook a place where everyone can feel safe," he says.

It's not the first time Zuckerberg has addressed the challenge of monitoring what users publish on Facebook. In an epic manifesto published in February, Zuckerberg said that Facebook had made some mistakes in taking down content it shouldn't have.

His apology for this was largely seen as a courageous and necessary move as a leader.

Going forward, Zuckerberg says Facebook will allow and encourage

discourse on the behemoth social media platform, within limits.

"When someone tries to silence others or attacks them based on who they are or what they believe, that hurts us all and is unacceptable," he says.

"There's not enough balance, nuance, and depth in our public discourse, and I believe we can do something about that. We need to bring people closer together, and I know we can make progress at that."

Tech Tips

Creating PDF Files on Your Phone

Y

our phone’s app store should have several utilities for converting documents and pages into PDF files, and some are free. Adobe, which created the format back in the early 1990s, has a version of its Acrobat Reader app for Android, iOS and Windows phones, but the PDF conversion tool requires a monthly subscription fee of about US$10. Recent versions of Android and iOS, however, have their own PDF-making tools built right in.

Android features can vary based on the version used by the device manufacturer. But in most cases, you should be able to create a PDF from an open email message or web page by tapping the three-dot More menu in the upper-right corner of the screen and selecting the Print option. If you do not see a Print command, select Share and check for a Print option there. When you are asked to select a printer, choose Save as PDF, tap Save and choose a place

to store the resulting file.

In iOS 10, when you have a message or page open onscreen, tap the Share menu icon (the one that looks like

an arrow popping out of a box) and select Print. When the print preview appears, put your fingers on the screen and pinch them out-

ward to create a PDF of the document. Tap the Share menu icon again to send or store the new PDF file. (NY Times)

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AUGUST 20, 2017

Bollywood/Hollywood

Kareena Kapoor Khan: ‘Hindi films portraying women in a progressive way’

E

mma Stone has been paid more than any other actress this year. The “La La Land” star earned US$26m over a 12-month period from June 2016 to June 2017, mainly due to the success of the Hollywood musical.

That puts her at the top of Forbes magazine's annual list, beating the likes of Jennifer Anniston and Emma Watson.

Jennifer Lawrence, who topped the list in

2016, came third with earnings of US$24m.

The 28-year-old recently spoke out about the gender pay gap in Hollywood, revealing her male co-stars had taken pay cuts so they could earn the same.

Jennifer Lawrence has topped the Forbes list for the past two years, mainly because of her earnings from the “Hunger Games” franchise.

Last year the 10 highest paid actresses in Hollywood were paid US$205m collectively - which was less than half than the top 10 male stars.

The gender pay gap in the film business has been a hot topic ever since the Sony hack in 2014.

Emails were leaked showing how Jennifer Lawrence and co-star Amy Adams were paid less than their male co-stars on “American Hustle”.

Earlier this month, “Girl With A Dragon Tattoo” actress Noomi Rapace called the gender pay gap in Hollywood "disturbing".

And Emilia Clarke said sexism in the entertainment industry was "like dealing with racism". (BBC)

K

areena Kapoor Khan says she is proud and happy that Bollywood filmmakers are now showing women in a progressive way in movies.

The actor attributes this change to the influx of young writers in films.

"One can definitely see a change in the way women have been portrayed on screen in the Hindi film industry.

"The roles are now written by young directors, who have been successful in highlighting the personality of women who are hardworking and successful. Films have now been portraying women in a more progressive manner," Kareena said.

The 36-year-old actor, who was last seen in “Udta Punjab”, welcomed her first child, Taimur Ali Khan, in

December last year.

Talking about balancing her work and motherhood, the actor says, "I have always maintained a personal and professional life but now it's more difficult as Taimur is too young. I try to strike a

Woman claims to be pregnant with Drake's baby

T

he woman claiming to be carrying Drake's baby is gearing up for the big day when her son —

yep, it's a boy! — arrives, and she's already chosen a name for the alleged OVO heir.

Sophie "Rosee Divine" recently held a baby shower to celebrate the upcoming birth of her son, who's set to arrive just about a week before Drizzy's 31st birthday in October.

While Drake is yet to confirm that the baby is his, and is likely to check for paternity proof once he's born, Sophie is holding firm in her belief that the baby is all his, saying he was conceived when the Canada-born rapper visited her in France earlier this year.

She's even gone on to choose a name for her growing bundle of joy: Adonis.

(BET)

K

im Kardashian and Kanye West are currently in the process of expanding their family and it's now been reportedly revealed that they have more than one reason to celebrate.

According to Radar Online, shortly after Beyoncé and Jay Z welcomed twins of their own, the reality TV/music couple is said to be welcoming twins as well.

Going even further, it seems as Kim has reportedly already fleshed out a life plan for her growing buns in the oven, and reality TV is high up on the list. Also, she allegedly wants her twins to be the faces for celebrity twins everywhere.

"Kim finds it frustrating watching Beyoncé at the center of the publicity her twins have brought her," a source told CLOSER Magazine. "She wants her babies to be the biggest

B

ollywood's dancing diva Madhuri Dixit Nene was surprised when she got to know about the development of a series based on her. She says getting Indian actress Priyanka Chopra on board

T

child stars in the A-list world."

The reality star is also reportedly shopping around a reality show about her life with 'Ye in hopes that it will "bring them closer together as a family."

"Kim's been in talks with TV networks about having a reality show called Meet the Wests and starting the

legal process to patent the twins' names — which she's decided on — for endorsement deals and their clothing lines," the source added.

"She's told Kanye she'll replicate her 'momager' Kris Jenner by managing the family. She wants to start as soon as possible so they can maximize their star potential."

as an executive producer is a right step.

"I was pleasantly surprised in the summer of 2016 when Sri (Rao) said he wanted to do a series inspired by my life in America," Madhuri said in a

here were reports that former CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani had asked the makers of Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez’ movie “A Gentleman” to trim a kissing scene. However, Sidharth and the film’s directors Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK have trashed the rumours.

At a film event, Sidharth said, “The kissing scene is there. It has not been cut.” He was answering questions whether CBFC found the kiss too long and asked it to be trimmed like the one between Daniel Craig and Monica Bellucci in James Bond film, “Spectre”.

“I am surprised how the reports came up and who is telling such stories. I don’t know why there is a big deal about kissing scenes. It is not cut. So the report is not true,” directors of the film, Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK told reporters.

Sidharth, who will be seen as Risky Rishi, was trained for the action sequences by the Hollywood action choreographer Cyril Raffaelli, known for his work in Hollywood films like “Tekken” and “Transporter”.

Sidharth said in a statement: "It's purely hand-to-hand combat. We had an action choreographer from Paris. Cyril Raffaelli has done loads of Hollywood films and he was training me. So, whatev-

balance. I have a great support system with (husband) Saif and my family."

Kareena believes a modern Indian woman plays diverse roles in her life and she considers herself to be one. (Times of India)

statement.

The story would follow how Madhuri settles down with her bi-cultural family and tries to bring her colourful lifestyle to an otherwise dull town.

Sri Rao, a New Yorkbased writer for shows like 'General Hospital: Night Shift', will pen the pilot and executive produce the series, as will Madhuri's husband, Sriram Nene.

"As Ram and I chatted with Sri, the story evolved and Mark Gordon Productions came on board, wanting to produce it.

Bringing on Priyanka was perfect in that she had experience with the landscape."

(Times of India)

er action you see is all doable, it's all handto-hand technique."

“A Gentleman” is set to release on August 25. (Hindustan Times)

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AUGUST 20, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

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AUGUST 20, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

A change of plans or loARIES cation will inspire you to do (March 21- things differently. Protect April 19) against mishaps, minor injuries or health issues. Proper diet, exercise and moderation will be required.

The urge to participate

TAURUS should be monitored carefully.

(April 20- Don't take part in something May 20) that is above your physical capabilities. Be smart, and lean toward activities that require intelligence, not brawn.

Make personal choices GEMINI that will improve your do(May 28- mestic situation. Do the work June 20) required to add to your comfort or convenience. More action and less talk will pay off.

When it comes to making donations or lending or borrowing (June 21- money or possessions, don't act July 22) in haste. Don't make assumptions. Avoid indulgent behavior.

Moderation will save you from financial and emotional loss.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Reassess your lifestyle and the decisions you make every day to come up with a plan that will inspire you to improve your current situation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Don't go overboard. You may desire personal or physical change, but the results will not live up to your expectations if you are excessive or unrealistic.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Open up about what you want to see happen. If you don't share your feelings, no one will know what you want.

Positive change will lead to satisfaction and happiness.

Emotions will skyrockSCORPIO et and tempers will mount.

(Oct. 24- Avoid situations that back you Nov. 22) into a corner. Stick to creative endeavors that will keep you too busy to indulge in personal battles.

A different location or SAGITTARIUS hangout will give you a new (Nov. 23outlook.

Participate in events Dec. 21) that can bring about change in your community or influence how you go about realizing your plans.

Calvin and Hobbes

You'll crave change, but CAPRICORN that doesn't mean you should (Dec. 22- engage in travel or something Jan. 19) that is going to be costly or time-consuming or could upset someone who loves you.

Make relationships a priAQUARIUS ority. Be willing to compro(Jan. 20- mise if it will help stabilize Feb. 19) your life. You must do the work if you want to reap the reward.

Make time for your needs.

PISCES (Feb. 20- Plan to relax or indulge in Mar. 20) something that brings you joy. Personal improvements or creative endeavors will lead to interesting encounters.