Guyana Times Daily

Linden mob disrupts PPP/C’s

mondAY, october 20, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

“Canje Hospital” will soon cater for elderly, addicts

The National Psychiatric Hospital will be transformed into a complex, with three components – one for the elderly, the second for addicts and the third for people with psychiatric problems. This is to reduce overcrowding at the institution.

Health personnel were so informed at Herdmanston Lodge on Thursday at another forum held to address mental health. Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran said that by the end of 2014, the discussions on the Mental Health Strategic Plan will begin to show progress and an all-inclusive document will be made available. The Minister said he hoped discussions would be expanded to other locations such as Berbice and Essequibo and on television as well. A draft plan is to be presented in early December for endorsement and funding.

In the past, Guyana was limited in its mental health care system with few or no

psychiatrists, now there are five psychiatrists. Further, mental health along with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) will be dealt with by specialised units in the Health Ministry.

Dr Shamdeo Persaud, Chief Medical Officer, pointed out the difficulties of treating the mentally-ill. He told the gathering that mental health is everyone’s business as it can affect

persons of any age, race or class. Mental health is the most common disabling condition globally, and is even sometimes determined and affected by the way a child is brought up, Dr Persaud noted. He pointed out that there “needs to be a place where we can refer mentally-ill persons, persons who are suffering from tobacco and other addictions.” He advised that persons get ad-

equate sleep to ensure proper mental health.

Dr Bhiro Harry, a psychiatrist attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, said suicide is a problem all over the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has deemed Guyana the suicide capital of the world, but Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, said that the way

in which the number of suicide deaths is calculated by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and WHO, does not accurately reflect what is recorded by the Guyana Police Force and the Health Ministry.

Dr Harry said the most common method of suicide is ingestion of poisonous substances, followed by hanging. Regions Six, Four, Three, and Two are the most affected, followed by Region Five. Harry stated that a great majority of the persons who commit suicide are of Indo-Guyanese descent. “For every 10, 25 to 30 attempts, one person dies. Females attempt to commit suicide much more than males and 50 per cent of the persons who commit suicide are between 12 and 25 years old. Surprisingly, Pentecostals and Hindus are at par in suicide rate when religions were looked at,” Dr Harry explained.

The mental health strategic plan is being worked on to prevent suicide in

Guyana. The plan is a very detailed one and its goals were recommended by the WHO. “We are hoping to have a mental health institute for training doctors/ nurses to become qualified in order to satisfy the needs of our people. We are having two additional psychiatrists coming to Guyana; one is expected to be placed at Suddie, Essequibo Coast and the other at the National Psychiatric Institution,” Dr Harry said.

Special psychiatric services for children and elderly will be put in place, he added. Minister Ramsaran said the engagement of Hindu and Muslim organisations in fighting suicide is being looked at. The Minister urged everyone to get involved and take a stand against the mental health problems Guyana faces at present. The Ministries of Agriculture, Education and Human Services are expected to be on board with the programme.

CJIA, Ogle Airports usage rise sharply – Innovata report

Global airline data provider Innovata said there has been a 12-per cent increase in flights in and out of Guyana with figures showing around 460,000 one-way seats being offered on services involving Guyanese airports this year when compared to last year.

That said, both airports managed to post capacity increases when compared to 2013 figures, with Ogle doubling its annual capacity, while Cheddi Jagan posted 9.6 per cent growth.

In fact, the rapid expansion at Ogle comes as a result of LIAT having taken the decision to move all of its Cheddi Jagan operations to the airport located 10 kilometres away from the Guyanese capital, which was granted international airport status in 2009.

Previously, Ogle was mainly used for domestic flights within Guyana.

According to Innovata, overall, looking at the annual seat figures since 2005, the combined capacity of the Guyanese market grew by an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6 per cent, with Cheddi Jagan’s capacity having visibly accelerated

in the period after the global economic crisis.

Not surprisingly, considering the country’s political and economic instability in recent years, the Guyanese aviation industry saw uneven development between 2005 and 2014.

CAL commands

As of October 2014, Guyana is served by a total of seven airlines, with Caribbean Airlines – the flag carrier of Trinidad and Tobago – being the dominant player in this country market, as it commands 69 per cent and 62 per cent of seats and flights respectively.

The airline, which carried 2.9 million passengers last year, operates three airport pairs, to New York JFK, Toronto Pearson and Port of Spain, with the latter being its most frequently served destination with a total of 30 weekly flights from the CJIA. Ranking second with a weekly seat share of 14 per cent, Fly Jamaica Airways connects the CJIA to Toronto and Kingston, with the former sector having been added on December 17 with weekly flights.

Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran and Dr Bhiro Harry address the gathering on Thursday

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) recorded 9.6 per cent growth in 2013

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, October 20 from 14:25h-15:55h The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, October 20 from 14:30h-16:00h

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery showers can be expected in the morning and early afternoon, with sunny weather otherwise prevailing. Heavy rain showers are expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 2.7 and 3.1 metres per second.

High Tide: 14:22h reaching a maximum height of 2.41 metres.

Low Tide: 07:54h and 20:17h reaching minimum heights of 0.85 metre and 0.79 metre respectively.

Linden mob disrupts PPP/C’s event

... tried to block PM Hinds from entering vehicle

Agroup of Oppositionbacked protesters Saturday evening disrupted a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) event in Linden during which they verbally attacked Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and at one time, tried to block him from entering his vehicle.

Police were quickly called in and escorted the Prime Minister from the Edward Benjamin Centre where an event to reflect on the PPP/C’s 22th anniversary in Government was held. The hostility shown to Hinds, who has roots in the bauxite town, mirrors a similar occurrence a week ago against Opposition Leader David Granger in Linden. Granger had gone to the community to hold a meeting with party members, but had locked out those who had been opposing his rule. Guyana Times was told that the protest was organised by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), but none of the leaders of the party was seen.

The first verbal attack on Hinds came as he was giving his keynote address at the “Night of Reflections” when one protester ran into the compound and shouted angry remarks at the gathering. Around 19:30h, other protesters joined in, blocking the entrance to the Edward Benjamin Centre and trying to create a disturbance at the gathering. Police had to be called in to restrain the protesters shortly after the group swelled to around 20 to 30. They held placards with messages for the Government. One member

of the audience was also attacked and had to be protected by Police as he tried to escape from one of the angry protesters. Prime Minister Hinds, on the other hand, had to be hustled away in the midst of numerous Police Officers, as protesters tried to prevent him from entering his car.

Hundreds attended Meanwhile, hundreds attended the event, which was addressed by the Prime Minister and Minister within the Finance Ministry, Juan Edghill. The evening’s proceedings began with the welcome and opening remarks being done by Andrew Forsythe. Prayers were then said and the PPP/C song was then sung lustily as those present bellowed “Oh Fighting Men. “ Edghill told the gathering that it was a night of celebration. “We are here

tonight because October 5, 1992 when the PPP/C won Government, and on October 9, 1992 when the late Dr Cheddi Jagan took the oath of office, creating history in Guyana. This was really the first time that in the post-independent Guyana we had free and fair elections. We must celebrate.” He said the PPP/C had restored hope and courage in all Guyanese. “This party is based on love always. Love is stronger than hatred,” the Minister stated.

Hinds for his part said it was “indeed a pleasure to be in Linden to see old faces” and that since the 22 years that PPP/C has been in Government, “there has been deep emphasis on the restoration of democracy not only to Lindeners but to all Guyanese”. He reflected on the life and work of the late Dr Jagan who, he said, reached out to all Guyanese.

CJIA, Ogle Airports usage...

Total weekly seat capacity in Guyana has gone up 24 per cent, with two out of the seven carriers recording growth, when comparing data from this October with the same week last year, while Surinam Airways and LIAT saw their operations unchanged.

Fly Jamaica is the fastest growing operator, increasing its weekly capacity by 100 per cent or 621 weekly seats over the last 12 months. Besides commencing weekly flights to Pearson last December, the latest Jamaican start-up has also added two further weekly flights on the 2379-kilometre sector to Kingston. While no carrier posted capacity decline in the last 12 months, the Guyanese market has seen the arrival of three new airlines, namely Insel Air from Aruba (twiceweekly), Copa Airlines from Panama City (twice-weekly) and CONVIASA from Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela

Passengers at the Ogle International Airport doubled last year,

(weekly).

Top country market

A total of nine countries can be reached nonstop from Guyana according to Innovata schedule data for this October. At around 4800 weekly seats, 4.6 per cent more than in the corresponding week last year, Trinidad and Tobago tops the list of country markets served, with a combined total of 30 weekly flights operated by Caribbean Airlines from the CJIA.

Jamaica has seen the

most significant growth in weekly capacity, 67 per cent, or an additional 414 seats, followed by the USA (24 per cent) and this year’s top po-

Hinds said that Government has placed heavy emphasis on education, pointing to the hundreds of doctors who were trained in Cuba under the present PPP/C Administration.

“There is greater opportunity for persons to study abroad...” the Prime Minister added. “The Linden Foundation School located in Amelia’s Ward is a primary example of what the Government had done to better educate the children of Linden,” he further added.

He also spoke of the $10,000 school grant being rolled out currently. Representatives from both the Progressive Youth Organisation and the Women’s Progressive Youth Organisation also presented messages emphasising that the PPP/C Government had placed great emphasis on freedom for all Guyanese.

sition.

The US, which is served by Surinam Airways and Caribbean Airlines, has seen a net growth of 214 weekly seats due to the latter’s additional weekly departure to New York JFK. Noteworthy is the fact that in the last 12 months, four new country markets have entered this year’s ranking, namely Canada, Aruba, Panama and Venezuela, while Caribbean Airlines has withdrawn its twiceweekly flights to Antigua and Barbuda.

A section of the PPP/C event at the Edward Benjamin Centre

Innovata said

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Death of a dictator

Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, who ruled Haiti between 1971 and 1986, died and was buried earlier this month.

He was only 19 when he became President of Haiti on the death of his father "Papa Doc", who held power from 1957.

Between 1957 and 1986, 29 years, Haiti was under the dictatorship of the Duvaliers, just one year longer than the PNC dictatorship, which controlled Guyana for 28 years. Some may see the passing of the dictator in Haiti as the passing of the age of dictators in the Caribbean – but this must be analysed within the context of the history of the Caribbean.

The US, under its bootstrapping "Monroe Doctrine", occupied Haiti with its marines for 25 years between 1915 and 1934 – but controlled and bled its treasury until 1941 to ensure its "debts" were repaid.

A period of great instability and turmoil followed, which saw Dr Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier being elected President. He subsequently rigged elections and ruled through his private army of goons called the "Tonton Macoutes" or "Bogeymen", who killed more than 30,000 Haitians and exiled hundreds of thousands.

“Papa Doc” had started out as an advocate of negritude and Black Consciousness and had used his popularity with the Black masses to vote out the entrenched Mulatto elite. Duvalier's consolidation of power started with his massive rigging of elections in 1963 and his subsequent "Presidentfor-Life referendum" the following year that gave him a 99.9 per cent approval.

It is very likely that he was the model for Burnham who rigged Guyana's 1968 elections and then the referendum of 1978, with Duvalier-like percentages.

Like Burnham, Duvalier was also supported by the US, because of ideology. Duvalier was used by the US to attack Castro in various fora, a role he was only too willing to play because of Castro's principled position against his excesses.

Corruption became rampant and endemic because Duvalier played his Black supporters against the Mulatto elite whose wealth and properties were coveted. Burnham did the same in Guyana, with his African-Guyanese support manipulated against the Indian Guyanese, who generally supported the PPP.

However, while Duvalier, like Burnham revived the traditional voodoo rites among the African population, the latter did not become a priest or venerated figures of the religion, as the former did.

“Baby Doc”'s accession to office was also encouraged by the US, even as he continued with the brutal repression of his political opponents. He continued to utilise US aid for personal gain as with the US$2 million for his wedding in 1980.

While, as with Burnham, US relations cooled somewhat under the Carter regime (1976-1980), the latter's successor, Reagan, welcomed him and his style of rule with open arms as a "bulwark against communism".

Ironically, by this time Burnham had shifted leftwards with his "cooperative socialism" and was on Reagan's bad books. Not enough, however to provoke regime change, as Maurice Bishop did in Grenada by 1983. Carter's insistence that Haiti destroy all pigs on the island because of a 1978 swine flu epidemic, however, had already devastated most small farmers, for whom pigs were a staple.

Conditions continued to deteriorate on the island, even as “Baby Doc” and his wife lived on a scale so luxuriously, it placed the European royalty they imitated, to shame. A popular uprising in 1986 persuaded the Reagan Administration that it was time to cut “Baby Doc” loose. He was flown to exile in France on a US army plane.

Since that time, the US has interceded time and again in Haiti, to control its governance. It is not coincidental that when “Baby Doc” died, the present US-friendly Haitian President Michel Martelly declared that he would have a state funeral. Discretion proved the better part of valour, however, and the ex-dictator was buried privately by his family.

Burnham, on the other hand, received a state funeral here.

Keep the light of knowledge and virtue burning brightly

Dear Editor,

“Do not let the candle of wisdom die out in the darkness of lust and error. For the wise man approaches with his torch to light up the path of mankind” – Kahlil Gibran

Deepavali (or Diwali), the “Festival of Lights”, is one of the most enchanting and beautiful festivals that adorn the Hindu calendar. It commemorates the beginning of the Hindu New Year and there is an unmistakable element of fun, laughter, excitement, reunion, and heartfelt felicity associated with the celebration.

And why not enjoy and have some fun when the harvest season has ended and the financial books are closed. Diwali originated in rural India as primarily a harvest festival, a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Diwali is observed in many countries outside of India, and in Guyana and Trinidad, the Hindu community joyfully anticipates the coming of Diwali.

The inside and outside of homes are beautifully decorated with diyas (earthen lamps) or candles, and with every passing year, we are literally mesmerised by the spectacularly dazzling display of exquisitely and artistically designed illuminations on motorcades, houses and business premises that seem to outshine the glitter and glamour of Manhattan’s Times Square.

Amid the jubilation and display, we must not lose sight of the strong spiritual current that runs deep in the proper observance of Diwali. Diwali signifies the light that dispels the darkness of ignorance.

This is the light of spir-

itual knowledge that comes from the long and arduous journey towards self-realisation and not intellectual grasp of the sastras (scriptures) or the ability to perfectly recite Sanskrit slokas like a thundering river in full flow. Even a meagre store of this knowledge is enough to cut deep at the bonds of karma and to bring us closer to our essential spiritual nature as Sat, Chit, Anand (Truth, Consciousness and Bliss).

The longest journey begins with a first step, and this Diwali is another reminder for us to take that crucial first step towards self-realisation.

We do not have to go out of the way and put on a special show or display; one piece of cotton soaked in oil or ghee in an earthen lamp and lit with humility and a deep yearning to be free from ignorance is far “brighter” than thousands of dazzling illuminations lit for mere revelry and enjoyment.

In all the great religious and spiritual traditions of the world, “light” itself is symbolic of knowledge, joy, purity, vitality, life-sustaining power, as darkness is symbolic of ignorance, destruction, and death.

As Shri Krishna sang in Gita: “I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance”. [Bhagavad Gita 10:11].

As conditioned beings, we are all caught in this cosmic drama of light and darkness, joy and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat, etc, and the experience of these dualities seems to be a necessary element in our

spiritual evolution. This is beautifully expressed by the mystic poet Rumi, who wrote: “God turns you from one feeling to another and teaches by means of opposites that you will have two wings to fly, not one”. It is not surprising, therefore, that Diwali is celebrated on the fifteen day in the dark half of Kartic (October – November).

It is but fitting that we celebrate this Festival of Lights on the darkest night of the darkest period – indicating that just as the emergence from darkness makes the sunlight even more dazzling and splendid, so God’s Grace and the ensuing spiritual knowledge and awareness (the light of the diya) is most manifest and revealing as we emerge from the depths of spiritual slumber induced by the dense darkness of ignorance and error (the darkest night [Amavasya] of the soul).

Throughout the ages, our rishis and sages have sought for this Light as is evident in the famous Gayatri prayer:

Aum/Bhuh Bhuvah Svah/ Tat Savitur Varenyam/ Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi/ Dhiyo Yo nah Prachodayat ~ The Rig Veda (10:16:3)

Meaning: “We meditate on that most adorable, desirable and enchanting lustre and brilliance of our Supreme Being ….who is our creator, inspirer and source of eternal Joy. May this warm and loving Light inspire and guide our mind and open our hearts.”

And in the Brihad –Aranyaka Upanishad there is the invocation: “Lead us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality”.

The spiritual dimension of Diwali is heightened by the fact that around this time at different periods in the history of the universe and the world, certain events occurred that brought forth great joy and spiritual effulgence and obliterated the forces of darkness and evil.

Lord Vishnu in his fifth avatar appeared as Lord Vamanadev (The Dwarf Incarnation) and vanquished King Bali. Another avatar of Lord Vishnu, Lord Dhanvantari appeared around Diwali time and delivered the Ayurvedic science of medicine to mankind.

The Pandavas of the Mahabharata returned from their exile at the time of Diwali and Bhagwan Shri Krishna killed the wicked king Narakasura and liberated 16,000 princes from captivity. Bhagwan Shri Rama returned to Ayodhya In his famous book, “The Lost City of Dwaraka”, Dr Rao wrote, “The discovery of the legendary city of Dwaraka which is said to have been founded by Shri Krishna set to rest the doubts expressed by historians about the historicity of Mahabharata and the very existence of Dwaraka City. We would say that Shri Krishna definitely existed”.

On a more recent time scale, Diwali is celebrated by the Sikhs because on this day in 1619, Guru Hargobind (the Sixth Guru), was released from captivity at Gwalior Fort by the mogul emperor Jahangir (the same tyrant who tortured and martyred the Fifth Guru, Arjan Dev, in Lahore).

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One of the many performances at the Diwali cultural presentation at the Monument Garden, Camp and Church Streets, on Sunday (Carl Croker photo)

Constant attacks on GRA Commissioner General disgraceful

Dear Editor,

The current and constant personal attacks on Mr Khurshid Sattaur, Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority for doing his job by the Kaieteur Newspaper owner and publisher are malicious, vile, disgraceful, and libellous and must have made the famous doyen of print journalism, the late Dr Vic Forsythe turn in his grave.

Mr Sattaur’s career at the GRA has been founded on the gift of a formidable brain, which has moved the Revenue Authority from strength to strength with the massive increases in revenue collection year after year as well as staff morale, and what I mostly admire about him is that he has not been afraid in going after those delinquent taxpayers

who feel that they are above the law.

Through every medium he has unreservedly made some breathtaking breakthrough to capture and to bring in the revenue owing to the Government and he should be commended for the hard work he has been doing despite the many challenges facing him.

This has irritated those who do not like to part with their money but usually like to portray themselves with publicity that they are doing so much good for those who cannot afford to pay to further their education.

In Guyana, some people are so gullible to those with money that even when they are breaking the income tax law, they have followers who are backing and representing them in order to make them feel important.

The Government has given this son of the soil a national award for his dedicated service to his job, and I do hope that the University of the West Indies will see it fit at some stage to honour him with a Doctorate in recognition of his contribution to and hard work on taxation in Guyana.

The benefits enjoyed by citizens of any country are derived from taxes, and Mr Sattaur has made that bold step in making us proud as we travel around the country and see what the tax dollars are doing for all of us, including those who like to condemn and criticise, and that is all that they can do.

Those who are now writing to the professional accounting body of which Mr Sattaur is a member should try to understand and read the Tax Act and stick to the

issues rather than trying to bring “a good man down”.

This is the election season and perhaps the GRA has been infiltrated by some representatives of political parties who are on the campaign trail. My advice to all the staff at the GRA is to focus on your work and stop bringing the boss down: he has set a good platform for us to continue to do well in our various areas of work.

To all the taxpayers, you have an obligation to yourself, country and future generation, just divorce your mind from reading and listening to trash, and try at all times to think well of people, since we all have a short life on this earth, so pay your taxes for the betterment of all of us.

Peter Fraser, Taxpayer

The GPF still has some hardworking, decent Policemen

Dear Editor,

On October 9, at approximately 12:00h, I called a Commander (name given) on the Essequibo Coast to report the constant threatening behaviour towards my family by a man who lives on my premises.

This kind of belligerence and terrorisation is nothing uncommon or even sporadic by this man towards my family. We have been forced to endure constant attacks which are reported to the Police at Anna Regina without any investigation been done by the ranks and the previous commander.

There were reports of corruption at this police station. Whenever the new commander gives an instruction to his ranks to arrest the individual, these ranks will ignore his instructions while he is away in a meeting with the Commissioner of Police.

Four ranks, including the commander, came to arrest the man, but he was hiding in the house and never opened the door. He blatantly defied the members of the Police Force and continued to make a mockery of them.

This man can be seen driving on the road with his vehicle, although the commander has instructed the patrol Policemen to arrest him for threatening behaviour towards my family. One detective of the station was

seen talking to the wanted man, but never used the opportunity to arrest him.

While these Policemen seem to be doing their duty, I have lost confidence in them.

What is noteworthy is that several ranks immediately arrived on the scene as soon as I telephoned him about another attack by this man towards my family. I never had the honour and privilege before to meet and talk with the commander before he came in the region.

I was deeply touched by the sincere way in which he expressed himself towards me about the need for effectiveness in the Guyana Police Force (GPF). He stressed that for trust to be had in the Police Force by members of the public, the “desk attitude” of the officers must change.

This kind of attitude displayed by this commander will certainly boost the morale of the Police Force which remains low at all time. He will bring back public confidence and cooperation by members of the public, the lack of which significantly hamper the complaints process.

Poor training severely limits the effectiveness of the GPF. Commander Tyndall appealed to all ranks to pull their weight in ensuring the delivery of

a quick response whenever they receive a complaint at the desk.

What I appreciate about this new commander is that he quickly mobilised his ranks who were in the station and brought them with him to my place; other commanders should take an example from him and I urge other Policemen to uphold the deeds and oath they took to serve and protect the citi-

zens and respected tradition of the GPF.

You have committed yourself to the people impartially in choosing this profession.

I wish to thank the commander and his ranks for their quick action. The GPF still has some hardworking and decent Policemen.

Yours faithfully, Mohamed Khan

Keep the light...

The Jains also celebrate Diwali because Mahavira (the last Jain Tirthankar) attained nirvana or salvation on Diwali night in 527 BC, over 2500 years ago in Pavapuri province in Bihar. The Harivamsa Purana (a supplement to the Mahabharata) provides one of the oldest references to Diwali by mentioning dipalikaya as a festival marking the nirvana of Lord Mahavira.

One of the core principles of Jainism is the adoption of compassion and nonviolence as a way of life itself and the concept of aparigraha or non-possessiveness to protect the environment from human greed.

For Buddhists, Diwali mark the anniversary of the third Mauryan Emperor Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism. Ashoka is still the only emperor who renounced war after victory.

Why would someone need so many lawyers for a simple case?

Dear Editor, I am following the recent drama of the court Matter involving the publisher of Kaieteur News which I note has gained a lot of attention and media publicity.

I noticed that even persons in the public domain were following the newspaper owner and his wife, the defendants.

I decided to put pen to paper as it appears the Guyanese people love drama and some even follow and defend the rich and wannabe celebrities, lending support to growing lawlessness in the country.

I was curious too (after reading about the barrage of high-profile lawyers hired by the newspaper owner) as to why someone would need so many lawyers to defend what was described as a simple case that would not see the light of day.

It is interesting as to how these high-profile lawyers will defend the perpetrators, because, so far as I have seen, the angle the newspaper owner has publicly adopted as his defence is a joke and laughable at best.

The newspaper owner and his letter writers – fake ones I assume – have chosen to use the newspaper to publish letters, with these petty defence positions.

One writer says that because the newspaper owner and his wife have been charged for tax evasion, then children of officials in Guyana, including the GRA Head, should also be charged for the same thing. There is no way that the two situations can be equated.

Any level-minded Guyanese would be aware that if someone benefits from a duty-free concession on a vehicle and he is a pub-

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In still more recent times, the great reformer, guru, and storehouse of Vedic knowledge, Maharishi Saraswati Dayanand, attained nirvana on Diwali night.

He fiercely fought against superstitions and hypocrisy and his core mission was to re-establish the glories of the Vedas. On that moonless night of Amavasya, Maharishi ushered in a new dispensation for mankind based on truth, justice and equality and a new society – the Arya Samaj.

Diwali is also the worship of Maha Lakshmi. Maha Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Among the four goals of man, purusharthas (dharma, artha, kama, moksha), artha is associated with the attainment of wealth and material prosperity.

The ancient rishis never

neglected any aspect of human life; so, Hinduism can never be described as “other worldly”. No good can come out of false renunciation. Active involvement in the world has to be the way for most of us.

The human dimension of our existence has to flourish, but every aspect of our life must be guided by dharma (righteous conduct). Wealth must be acquired by ethical means and even then we have to banish greed and covetousness from our lives.

Maha Lakshmi rides on an owl, a creature that sees only in the dark; reminding us that when we become carried away by wealth, we quickly become enveloped in the darkness of ignorance.

But as we light our diyas tonight, we have to realise that it is God’s presence in our lives that can make us truly prosperous and illuminate our lives in the midst

lic official with children that, at some point, the children may drive the vehicle, especially if they all reside at the same premises and the vehicle is usually parked there.

This cannot be compared to a man and his wife with ‘seemingly’ lots of money (shoe store, newspaper company, etc) driving two very expensive vehicles belonging to two elderly strangers who are poor persons and who live as far away as “Timbuktu” from the everyday ‘borrowers’.

One would want to ask the obvious: why would someone do that? In fact, why would the elderly folks go to such lengths to apply for duty-free concessions for expensive vehicles if they wanted to relax as old folks at home and had no intention of driving them? Were they employing the newspaper owner and his wife as their drivers? Come on, Guyana! There has to be more to this case.

When I first read the details of this case, the first thing that came to mind was a clear case of money laundering.

This process involves persons with lots of money at their disposal and who cannot account publicly for it, especially if the funds were acquired by not-so honest means.

They would give other persons who had nothing some money to put things in their names when they (the money launderers) were the true beneficiaries and what happens in the end? The persons who accept and utilise these funds are always indebted to the money launderers, in many cases – drug dealers.

Yours truly, Ramrattan Singh

of the darkest pain and suffering. I know many people who are normally referred to as “poor people” who have a light shining in their eyes, a glow on their faces, and a song in their hearts. These are the blessings we need on this Diwali day. We have to keep the light of knowledge and virtue burning brightly within and bring it forth to the world in good actions and deeds, working vigorously and selflessly to eradicate poverty, violence, exploitation, injustice, hatred and cruelty; fiercely resisting all forms of discrimination; forging friendship and goodwill; and in humble and little ways, bringing warmth and joy to the lives we touch.

Happy Diwali! Submitted by Cecil Ramkirath

Page Foundation

Thousands of children across West Africa have been left orphaned by the Ebola outbreak, with friends and neighbours too fearful of the disease to take them into their homes.

As the outbreak sweeps across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the children of many of the virus’s victims have been left destitute and alone.

Such is the fear of infection in the country’s small towns and villages that neighbours are shunning the surviving children of the dead, ignoring the long established African tradition of taking orphan children into your home.

Now charity workers are warning it will take months of care and counselling to rebuild the children’s shattered lives and persuade communities to accept them again.

According to teachers and social workers on the ground, the death rate of the current outbreak is being matched by the number of orphans left by the disease, with around 5000 children robbed of their parents since the outbreak began.

With the number of Ebola cases predicted to climb to

10,000 a week by the World Health Organisation – and with death rates of 70 per cent – growing numbers of children face even harsher prospects than usual in what are already desperately poor countries.

Tom Dannatt, of the charity Street Child, said: “These children are generally from the poorest families and after the death of their parents, they are left with literally nothing. Their family has been wiped out and their homes and possessions have been burnt because of the fear of infection. On top of that, there is a stigma against them. People don’t want to take them into their homes for fear of contracting the disease.”

Street Child workers are working to persuade communities that children who have lost parents to Ebola are not necessarily contagious themselves and would be safe to take into their homes after a 21-day quarantine period.

feared he would infect them.

The 17-year-old Liberian boy was shot by a stray bullet in August after protesters

capital’s largest slum.

On returning home, the boy, called Titus, was turned away by his family for fear

with whom Street Child had only recently reunited Titus after years struggling to survive on the streets.

In just one example of the fear created by the Ebola outbreak a street child faced violent hostility from relatives after they

attempted to break the military-enforced quarantine of Monrovia’s Westpoint, the

that his injuries may be related to Ebola and put them at risk – the same family

Titus managed to receive the medical attention he needed and, after being found by one of Street Child’s social workers, is being looked after until it is safe to return home with their support.

Dannatt said friends and neighbours can be persuaded, with patient efforts by social workers and community leaders, to revert to the tradition of taking in a village’s orphans.

“There’s a culture in West Africa of taking in the children of people who have died and with good education and social work we can go back to that. We can persuade people that these children do not pose a risk after 21 days isolation, but it takes a lot of patient work,” he said. “We are having some success and some

families are starting to take in these children.”

None of the children helped by the charity have so far contracted Ebola themselves, but he warned that the scale of the problem was “simply vast”, adding: “On current WHO predictions of the spread of the disease we could start to see 1000 people a day dying and that means roughly 1000 children a day being orphaned.”

Q: What does Ebola do?

**A:** Symptoms begin with fever, muscle pain and a sore throat, escalating rapidly to vomiting, diarrhoea and internal and external bleeding, leading quickly to death. Health workers are at serious risk of contracting the disease and need to wear a protective suit covering their entire body.

Q: Why is it spreading so rapidly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea?

**A: **Many of the areas that are seriously affected already suffer extreme poverty and have limited access to soap or running water to help control the spread of disease. Hospitals in these countries frequently lack basic supplies and are understaffed. Another significant problem is that burial ceremonies, in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person, can increase the spread of the disease.

Q: How long does the virus survive?

**A: ** One thing in mankind’s favour is that the Ebola virus is quite fragile and easily destroyed by high temperatures, being dried out and disinfectants such as soapy water and alcohol gel. It will survive a few days at longest if left in a pool of bodily fluid, such as spit or blood, in a cool, damp place.

Q: Is the disease treatable?

**A: **Early treatment improves a patient’s chances of survival. However there is no vaccine or cure. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive. Patients are frequently dehydrated and require oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids. There are limited supplies of experimental drugs, including ZMapp, a combination of monoclonal antibodies. (Excerpted from the Telegraph)

Engineer shot dead during robbery

BY BHISHAM MOHAMED

An Electrical Engineer attached to the Edward B Beharry and Company Limited was on Sunday morning shot and killed during a robbery at his home at Delph Street, Prashad Nagar.

Dead is 24-year-old Saleem Abdool of Lot 33 Delphi Street, Prashad Nagar and formerly of Lot 32 Arberdeen Village, Essequibo Coast.

The incident reportedly took place about 04:00h. According to information received, the young man lived alone and it was while he was attempting to open his gate, he was confronted

by three men on bicycles. Guyana Times was told that the men demanded

Entrepreneurship at CAPE:

that Abdool hands over his valuables, but instead, he put up a fight.

It was during the scuffle, he was shot to the abdomen. He then ran some distance and hid behind a minibus, but the men reportedly followed him and pumped at least three more bullets into his body.

Upon hearing the gunshots, persons in the neighbourhood rushed to his rescue and summoned the Police.

Abdool was picked up, placed in an ambulance and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The three men reportedly managed to relieve him of his mobile phone, his

wallet and the jewellery he was wearing at the time.

Abdool Rafeek, an uncle of the dead man who travelled from the Essequibo Coast after receiving the news, told Guyana Times that his nephew left his home on the Essequibo Coast so that he can complete his studies at the University of Guyana.

He explained that they received the telephone call about 05:15h on Sunday morning and immediately left for Georgetown, noting that his nephew was now building a life of his own.

The young man had been employed at the Edward B Beharry and Company Limited since he graduated from univer-

sity. The distraught uncle stated that from what they were told, his nephew left his car at home and went out on Saturday evening and returned home with a taxi. It was during this time, the men pounced on him as he was opening his gate to enter his premises.

He added that the Police found four spent shells at the murder scene, but were told that after the young man was shot once, he ran about 80 feet and hid behind a minibus in an attempt to escape his attackers, but they reportedly followed and shot him again.

Abdool was the only son of his parents. His mother was devastated on receiv-

ing the news. She was reportedly against him living in Georgetown based on the increase in criminal activities there.

The uncle added that his nephew’s death followed that of another relative, Abdool Hassim of 2509 Tuschen Housing Scheme, who was also killed in a similar manner on Friday evening.

The young Electrical Engineer leaves to mourn his parents and four sisters. His body is at the Lyken Funeral Home awaiting a post- mortem examination today. The Police have since launched an investigation into the incident. (bhisham@guyanatimesgy.com)

Students link low interest to Education Ministry's neglect

The low demand by students to pursue Entrepreneurship at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) has been tied to the lack of promotion by education officials, students and teachers of some of the senior secondary schools here have said.

The introduction of this subject by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) was deemed a step in the right direction and the subject was described as the gateway and opportunity for many to be freed from poverty.

Observers say that the traditional curriculum inherited from the British had been heavy on the “classics” which included Latin, Greek and Literature. However, after Independence, even though each administration had attempted to introduce subjects such as Agriculture, Accounting and other Business subjects, Guyanese youths were still not imbued with the willingness to evaluate risks so as to undertake them and transfer their knowledge into viable products and services.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand said since the subject is new, it would take some time before more students actu-

ally decide to study it, but students at Bishops’ High School said that not much has been said about the subject.

“I don’t think a lot has been done to promote the subject. We don’t have textbooks for the course so that is the problem,” a CAPE student at the school said.

A senior staff of St Stanislaus College told Guyana Times that no one chose to write that unit at CAPE, even though she said the subject did pique their interest for a short while.

“One of the guidelines is that you should at least have 15 students and I believe there were one or two students who were interested, but because of the small number of students, we cannot teach them because what happens, every CAPE subject is given 10 periods on the timetable and if you have 10 periods on the timetable to teach two students, we’re taking away valuable resources.”

Sixth Form College needed

She further mentioned that the problem lies in the fact that CAPE offers over 30 subjects, and the demand for each subject at each school would be too low to teach students.

“I think CAPE has about over 30 subjects in Unit 1 and 2, you know how many teachers you are asking for in one school? And the number of students who want to do the subject, it is not feasible at all.”

She hinted that a Sixth Form College would ensure better management and use of resources.

“All of us apply to the same programme and you do it, you know we can better cater for that.”

Contacted on the issue, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam told this newspaper that he would have to investigate these occurrences. His Deputy Doodmattie Singh noted

that the schools are prepared to teach the subject and she is unaware of the low demand.

“I don’t know what’s happening in the school system, so I will have to find that out.” Singh had previously told this newspaper that teachers of Sixth Form schools were trained to deliver the new curriculum.

Meanwhile, across in Berbice, five students from Berbice High are currently pursuing the subject, while an undisclosed number is pursuing it at Queen’s College.

A Bishops’ High School

official stated that several students expressed an interest in the subject, but it will not be offered until the institution is properly equipped to teach the unit.

“We’re waiting on the textbooks before we teach the students, we have lecturer on standby but we’re just waiting on the textbooks which we hope would be in by next week.”

According to the CXC syllabus, Entrepreneurship seeks to empower students by providing the knowledge, skills and attitudes to achieve entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings. It also places emphasis on the individual’s acumen to realise opportunity, assess risk, and apply the

skills necessary to transform innovative ideas into viable, sustainable ventures.

Additionally, the CAPE Entrepreneurship syllabus provides students with the mindset that supports creativity and innovation needed to transform ideas into ventures that create value and wealth. CXC said in developing the syllabus, consideration was

given to the relatively high rate of unemployment, the constraints on job creation, the imperatives of globalisation in the Region, and the need to inculcate the entrepreneurial spirit.

“Recent research has shown that one of the main obstacles to individuals starting their own business ventures is the lack of knowledge of how to transform an idea into a success-

ful venture. Most aspiring entrepreneurs lack the ability to analyse opportunities, assess risk, develop and implement a business plan in order to get their ventures started. The CAPE Entrepreneurship syllabus seeks to fill that void in the continuum from idea generation to venture creation,” CXC said.

Dead: Saleem Abdool

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Chief Education Officer Olato Sam

Bandit captured after Better Hope robbery

Moments after committing a robbery at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD), the perpetrator was arrested by Police ranks who responded to the report.

He was reportedly caught in the vicinity of the old cinema at Plaisance, ECD.

Based on reports received, upon his arrest, an unlicensed Glock 9mm pistol with 11 rounds of matching ammunition were found in his possession, along with the stolen articles.

The victim, Bibi Deonarine, 54, of Lot 65 Zahora Street, Better Hope, ECD, had just disembarked a minibus and was walking along “Puluj Road” when she was held up by the lone gunman on a pedal cycle.

The young man is sus-

pected to be in his teens.

However, after holding Deonarine at gunpoint, he demanded that she hand over her bag. Out of fear, the woman complied and the gunman fled the scene on his bicycle.

The shivering woman saw a Police mobile patrol in the vicinity and related her ordeal. They immediately went in pursuit of the young man and caught up with him. They recovered the woman’s bag containing her spectacles, money, medication and house keys.

The pair of spectacles, along with the house keys and medication was returned to the woman, but the money and the handbag were kept as evidence by the Police.

A still shaken Deonarine told Guyana Times on Sunday morning that while walking in the

road, she saw the young man in front of her and he smiled at her. As she approached him, she saw him pushing his hand under his jersey. And shortly after, she realised that he was holding a gun.

“Moms don’t move, drop everything and the bag,” were his words to her.

As was instructed, she obeyed out of fear, but did not realise she had her shoulder bag around her neck.

He reportedly “crank” the gun and told her to drop the shoulder bag and she did, and he picked it up and rode away in the direction of Plaisance.

The woman added that several persons in the area saw what occurred but were afraid to render assistance since the man was armed.

By this time, she stopped a Police vehicle

which was passing and told them of the robbery. They responded quickly and were able to apprehend the perpetrator.

The woman noted that after his apprehension, the robber was taken to her home where she positively identified him. He remains in Police custody and charges are expected to be laid shortly.

Deonarine stated that there have been several robberies in her village over the past weeks, recalling that a young man was beaten and robbed right in front of her house a few days ago.

Then a shop owner, she added, was shot during a home invasion. As such, she is calling on the Police to conduct regular visits in the area in an attempt to stamp out criminal activities.

34 million Caribbean, Latin American citizens without electricity in homes

Some 34 million citizens in Latin America and the Caribbean have no electricity in their homes and 75 per cent of the regional energy matrix relies on non-renewable sources.

This means expanding access to energy and increasing the use of renewable energies and efficiency are needed to achieve sustainable development with equality, regional authorities and representatives of international organisations agreed during the launch of the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Americas.

This was declared at a forum last week in Chile. The speakers included Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet; the Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, Kandeh Yumkella; the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena; the VicePresident of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), Hans Schulz; and the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Chile, Antonio Molpeceres.

President Michelle Bachelet indicated that Chile, where 96 per cent of the population does have access to electricity, has

set the goal of reducing by 50 per cent the number of families that have no electrical power today by the year 2018. The country also aims to have 20 per cent of its matrix coming from non-conventional renewable energies by 2025 and is promoting energy efficiency with the objective of achieving a 20 per cent savings by that same year.

Kandeh Yumkella, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, contended that energy, which was not included explicitly in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), should be a central theme in the post-2015 agenda to foment growth, competitiveness and innovation. There are still 1.3 billion people in the world today who lack access to

electricity, he underscored.

Of those people, some 34 million live in Latin America and the Caribbean, which amounts to five per cent of the Region’s total population, ECLAC’s Executive Secretary said. Alicia Bárcena explained that this United Nations organisation had identified four key points for a sustainable agenda on this issue: promote the efficient use and saving of energy, foster equal access, improve energy security and diversify the matrix, 75 per cent of which currently depends on non-renewable sources.

The Vice President of the IDB said that organisation is on track to reach the goal of allocating US$5 billion in five years to finance sustainable energy projects, as it committed to do

in 2012 during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20). Among the most recent regional efforts, Hans Schulz highlighted the deployment of solar energy in Chile and wind energy in Uruguay.

Sustainable Energy for All is a multi-stakeholder partnership between Governments, Private Sector and civil society that was launched in 2011 by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. It has set three interlinked objectives to be achieved by 2030: ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy matrix.

The United Nations agreed in late 2012 that the period between 2014 and 2024 would be considered the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All. The gathering inaugurated represents that campaign’s launch in this Region, where 21 Latin American and Caribbean countries have already joined the initiative. The meeting, which concluded on Friday, October 17, was attended by authorities from the Energy Ministries of numerous countries in the Region, as well as representatives of the Private Sector and civil society.

Eyew tness

Debacle...

... in cricket

Some say WI cricket reached its low point after our great run between 1975 and 1990 when we absolutely ruled the cricket roost. But this Eyewitness believes we finally have a defining moment that we’ll all look back on as to when we really hit rock-bottom. It’s October 17, 2014 when the WI team walked off the field in the middle of a tour of India.

The entire sorry episode illustrates the rot that’s overtaken WI cricket – and it’s not confined to the performance of the players on the field. Whether we like it or not, cricket’s a professional sport today. But those who control the sport in the Caribbean – the WICB and its territorial affiliates – insist on using their colonial “amateur” institutions and habits to run the game entirely for their own aggrandisement and benefit.

In this modern professional era, the players aren’t going to lower their eyes, doff their caps and say, “Yes, sah!!” to whatever the WICB says. Let’s take the latest straw that broke the players’ backs in India.

The WICB negotiations with the WIPA – supposedly representing the players’ interest – were never even accepted by the WIPA’s Board!! The agreement was signed by WICB President Dave Cameron and the head of the WIPA – Wavell Hinds. Back in mid-September.

The WIPA never had this agreement ratified by the players as a group. And with good reason. As Captain Bravo wrote, “The players will not accept any agreement it has had no input in, did not give its consent to and which would infringe on its rights.” The players only saw the new agreement when they’d already arrived in India – and they immediately expressed their disagreement to Hinds. Not surprisingly since their fees for Tests/ODIs and T20s were slashed by 65 per cent!!

In Bravo’s letter to Hinds, he also objected to the clause where the WIPA not only received three per cent of the players fees but an ADDITIONAL fee of US$500,000 IF the new fee structure remained in place. While many will say the players could’ve waited until the tour was over, it must be stated that they did offer a way out of the debacle: retain the old fee structure until they returned.

Very bluntly, the WICB wasn’t even willing to work with the WIPA – just with Wavell Hinds – to ram an unacceptable “agreement” down the players’ throats.

This will not do. Justice demands the players must be involved.

.. on Parliament’s reconvening

Ralph Ramkarran twisted his ears, fell on his knees and “beg pardon” because he allowed the date for reconvening Parliament to remain at the discretion of the Government. Well, he actually did not just allow, it was his “omission”. But you could tell he’s ruing the day he didn’t do more to sandbag his erstwhile comrades while he had the chance.

Ramkarran also implicitly bitch-slapped Lalloo Ram when pointing out that – as your humble Eyewitness did yesterday – the Standing Order (SO) that Lalloo’d quoted only allows the Speaker to intercede IF the Government had fixed a date to end the adjournment. But being on the same side (the DARK SIDE!) of Lalloo nowadays, he didn’t mention the wanker’s puerile intervention.

So what did Ramkarran recommend in the end?? That Parliament should change the SO on adjournments so that it doesn’t say a recess ends until “a date to be fixed”. Which gives the Government power to decide. Well, heck!! Parliament can do what they want with the SOs –unless they conflict with the Constitution. So in the meantime, Ramkarran invokes a Deus ex machina (where’s he’s the God in the machine (Constitution) to call on the Speaker to just fix a date! Envy is so corrosive!!

...on MP selection??

Lalloo Ram thinks new MPs must be “more competent, qualified and committed”. The poor, pathetic wannabe (anything with some status!) just disqualified himself on all three grounds!!

President Michelle Bachelet

Divided Linden will hurt PNCR at poll – Party Coordinator

BY SVETLANA MARSHALL

The ongoing division within Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) can hurt the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) during the next elections, the party’s Linden Coordinator Sandra Adams said.

Observers say that the party’s support has been rapidly moving from active to passive due to the ongoing rift between the Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon and the leadership of the party.

Solomon, who is often backed by Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon and Trade Unionist Leslie Gonsalves, is forming an “army” of his own, even as Adams attempts to take control.

Only last week, Party Leader David Granger had a bitter sendoff when angry PNCR supporters voiced their dissatisfaction over his leadership style. At the time, Granger was addressing a select group of supporters at the Mackenzie High School when a decision was taken by Adams to lock out the angry supporters who were at the venue.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Sunday, Adams admitted that the ongoing rivalry within the region can negatively impact the PNCR during the next elections.

According to her, the Central Executive has returned to the drawing board to devise a plan that would mitigate the impacts of such a fallout.

Small support

Based on her observation and analysis, Adams said only a handful of persons are backing the Solomon faction.

“Every day more and more people are getting clarity on the issue,” she said in response to the general attitude of Lindeners towards the party since the rift began. Having served two terms in the National Assembly since 1998 as a PNCR Member of Parliament, Adams was forced to migrate in 2007 after being diagnosed with a thyroid disorder in 2002. However by January 2014, she had undergone surgery and treatment, resulting in her full recovery. Her doctor had granted permission for her to return home

and so she did in February. Adams said being full of energy and experience in the political realm, she offered her support to the Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon, recognising that there was no PNCR party structure in the region.

But this offer, she said, was rejected from the onset.

“He blatantly refused. He told me he was not interested,” she recalled.

Having served as the last Chairperson of the PNCR Linden arm in 2003 and the only PNCR Member in Region 10 to serve as a Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) Councillor, RDC Councillor and Member of Parliament, Adams with the determination to rebuild the party structure in Linden she paid a visit to the party’s Headquarters in Sophia, Georgetown to make her case.

She said subsequently, the Central Executives met with all the heads in Region 10, including the Regional Chairman, Vice Chairman, two Members of Parliament and the region’s Central Executive representative Mortimer Mingo.

Taking into consideration her track record, Adams was reportedly identified by the central body as the most

suitable person to rebuild the party groups within the region since at the time there was no official group in place.

But this decision was met with stern objection by Solomon and Kissoon.

“They voiced their opinions which were negative,” the now appointed Party Coordinator recalled. Her appointment was followed by a series of conflicts. Despite the prevailing problems, Adams with the support of Granger and the Central Executive continues to hold small functions to muster up support. However, plans to stage a regional conference to facilitate the implementation of a party organ in the region have been put on pause given the current hiccups. Adams in the past had accused Solomon and Kissoon of factionalism and attempting to create rifts between the party and its Region 10 supporters. Adams said there are a

few members who had openly raised objections about her appointment as Regional Coordinator. She said they were not completely cognisant of the party’s structure and her responsibilities in the post.

Solomon, Kissoon ignorant

“They were personally misled by the Regional Chairman and Vanessa Kissoon. They’re in ignorance of party structure and procedure. The RDC Chairman does not know his position. I was appointed by the Central Executive Committee of my party to serve as Regional Coordinator. Region 10 has been out of a party structure for the last eight years, whether interim or full structure.”

Kissoon, however, earlier this year had flayed the party for disregarding protocol in its appointment of Adams, saying that as a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the region, she was not consulted. Kissoon at the time had said that it was not for her to collaborate with Adams, but for the Central Executive to respect the elected party leadership of Region 10 and resist the urge, though tempting it may be, to disrespect the will of the people which is protected in the party’s Constitution.

Writing to Granger, she had said: “Cde Leader, it is unfortunate that the APNU [A Partnership for National Unity] and PNC want to be respected and consulted on the issues that impact their constituents, even as you seek to deny similar rights and respect to the people of Linden/Region 10. I am aware Region 10 representatives were called and informed of Central Committee’s decision to appoint Cde Adams and this was made without any consultation. Cde Leader, the demands of the party members at Linden are consistent with your demands of Central Government.”

Kissoon and current Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon had been credited with ensuring a landslide victory for APNU in the Upper Demerara District at the last election, with the coalition sweeping both of the geographic seats. (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy.com)

Simply the Truth

Returning to Berbice

The return to Berbice is an exercise in pulling back and pushing forward in time whilst trying to stay still in order that some kind of objective assessment may be established. We tend to pull ourselves backward in order to return to a past that is half real and half nostalgia.

Most of us become nostalgic, and we cling almost hysterically to our youthful days. We cling to what we believe to be our villages and our schools. And we give with this lovely generosity while we live our tiny lives in places like Toronto and New York.

The grind. The waking up. The travelling to work. The return from our salaried jobs, the pushing of food into mouths, the watching of meaningless television programmes.

The restless, tired sleep; the awakening; the journey again to a job which gives our lives meaning, but which really makes no difference to anyone, and from which we can be replaced instantly. It is to pay the bills, and a great many good people ease their way into graves.

Every so often, those of us who scrape some money together come back to Berbice. Our flash and dazzle is some-

thing that we will scrape to pay off, until we can come back again. Our lives grow meaning from our return.

And there are some of us who are so desperately pathetic that we twist our meaninglessness into a hatred of this nation. Any mention of Guyana or Berbice evokes bitter bile. It is not so much about hatred of Berbice/Guyana as it is about self-hatred.

One of my family members, upon hearing that I will return home to Guyana and Berbice, was so incensed that she said: “Someone will put a bullet in your head!” The mere mention of Guyana or Berbice incurs such wrath that reason flees and thought withers.

Debate is useless (it seldom happens!) and is reduced to vulgar argument. When I say that I am going to Malaysia or Singapore or Morocco or Thailand or Taiwan or China or Jordan or some such place, there is no real argument! But Guyana?

And yet, here I am for a few days in Guyana, having been to some 64 countries. And I can say with the simple truth that I am safest in this nation of ours, this Guyana, especially this Berbice.

It takes belief, one sup-

poses. But it is also about refusing to believe that this nation has spewed me out like so much bitter vomit. One of my family members said that I left Guyana and Berbice and never gave it a second thought.

But not one of my family members has read the things I have published. Hundreds of thousands of words in books and scholarly journals. If they did, they would see that I never really left in spirit.

I am home for a few days, and I shall cherish those days. I shall cherish the ten men who helped lift my borrowed car from a drain in Kitty, wanting nothing in return. I shall cherish the charm and family atmosphere of Little Rock in New Amsterdam.

Nothing like home, bhai! Nothing like home, gyaal!

No replacement yet for Ambassador Ishmael

President Donald Ramotar is yet to name a replacement for now retired Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Ishmael Odeen, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said.

She, however, said that while the post is still vacant, it will be filled “shortly”.

In a June exclusive interview with Guyana Times Rodrigues-Birkett had said that Ambassador Ishmael would have been demitting office and he will be replaced by an appointment by the President.

“He is retiring because of health reasons. Ambassador has been unwell for some time, and no doubt that would have affected his ability to function 100 per cent, and of course, we wished that he had recovered sooner but these are some of the things we have to experience with health,” the Foreign Affairs Minister disclosed.

Appointed Ambassador to Kuwait in 2011, Ishmael’s work has helped raise Guyana’s profile in the Middle East, RodriguesBirkett said, noting “We are now a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and prior to this membership, we were not present in that part of the world. I think the establishment of that mission has improved our profile in that area,” the Minister said in justifying the Government opening of a mission in the oil-rich country.

Asked what tangible benefits has the country received so far as a result of the mis-

Dr Ishmael recently called it a day owing to failing health. He has been credited with putting together what he described as a serialised edition of the history of Guyana, which contained some very damning documents of the Forbes Burnham-led People’s National Congress (PNC) Administration. The Guyana Story is available on the Internet.

sion there, Rodrigues-Birkett said, “It is not just establishment of diplomatic missions and posting Ambassadors, you don’t have an instant item that you can point to, but we have had in recent times increase visits. We have also received indication from the Saudi Arabian Government that they want to send a team of investors to Guyana and they have invited a team from our end so we are working with them on that.”

Prior to his Kuwait appointment, Ambassador Ishmael also served as Ambassador to Venezuela (November 2003-January 2011) and to the US (June 1993-October 2003). While in the US, he was also Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Ambassador Ishmael previously worked as a teacher and achieved in the 1980s the status of Deputy Headmaster in the Guyana school system. He broke away from teaching in 1970-1971 and worked as an Information Officer in the Ministry of External Affairs (now the Foreign Affairs Ministry) of Guyana.

Ambassador Ishmael holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography, a post-graduate Diploma in Education and a PhD in Education.

Professor Daizal Samad

APNU Leader David Granger

Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon

APNU MP Vanessa Kissoon

Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Odeen Ishmael

NY’s Little Guyana is a global nirvana

By Ray Cavanaugh

Nobody told me about Little Guyana, a mile-plus-long stretch in the Richmond Hill neighbourhood of Queens where the residents are Indian but sound like Bob Marley when they speak.

I discovered it by accident when I fell asleep on the A train, passed up my intended destination and was awakened by a fellow passenger telling me that the train had reached its last stop. The people here, known as Indo-Guyanese, are mainly descendants of indentured servants who were recruited from India (often by deceptive tactics) to work on the sugar plantations of present-day Guyana – formerly known as British Guiana – starting in 1838, when the British abolished black slavery in their colonies.

cuts through the Queens neighbourhoods of Richmond Hill and Ozone Park, and is the throbbing heart of Little Guyana. Refreshed by my subway snooze, I felt like walking a mile or so in the direction of the place I’d intended to visit. This intended destination was soon forgotten, though, as the Little Guyana carnival atmosphere cast its spell on me.

It would be difficult to overstate the vibrancy: I was hard-pressed to pass a block of storefronts without witnessing the full colour spectrum on display. Nearby 101st Avenue has considerable flavour, but nothing approaching the bewitching carpet ride of Liberty Avenue. The Little Guyana strip runs from 104th to 130th Street. I noticed an Indo-Guyanese presence before and after these streets, but the cultural dynamism

I was surprised to learn that the Guyanese are New York’s fifth largest immigrant group, according to American Community Survey figures reported by multiple media outlets. It’s probably safe to say that many, if not most, Americans know little or nothing about Guyana, a small nation on the northeast coast of South America, although some may recall the 1978 Jonestown atrocity, in which cult leader Jim Jones persuaded (or forced) more than 900 of his followers to commit suicide by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid in the agrarian utopia he’d founded in that country.

Aside from a few Creolesounding words, there’s no real language barrier in this neighbourhood. Guyana is South America’s only English-speaking country. It’s also considered part of the Caribbean, and this West Indies connection accounts for the Bob Marley accent here in Little Guyana, a neighbourhood that began to take shape in the 1970s. Upon my unplanned arrival, I exited from the subway station onto Liberty Avenue, which

began to dissipate.

I kept hearing a wild type of music that I later learned is called “chutney”. It contains sounds of the Far East, but has a faster tempo and a more pulsating beat, reflecting the Caribbean influence. Because the weather was pleasant, cars with open windows kept delivering a loud dose of chutney. In many cases, though, open windows were superfluous; some vehicles were equipped with speakers that blasted the music as if it were a block party.

Aesthetically, Liberty Avenue is less than flawless. Suspended overhead is a subway rail, an old structure that emits a cacophony of squeaks every few minutes as a train passes by. I also had to dodge some bird droppings. Urban grit is rife, but there’s no real danger. The strip is bustling and unabashedly commercial. A house of worship might stand 30 feet from a rum joint and right next door to a henna tattoo parlour. Within three minutes of people-watching, I’d spotted Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and cross-wearing Christians

passing by the same street corner. In a five-block radius you’ll find a Pentecostal church, a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall, a Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Hindu temple and an Islamic clothing store.

There’s also a spiritual venue directly beneath a subway entrance. This is called the Sri Durgamatha Astrological Centre, where you can ascertain your everlasting destiny, for better or worse. I tried to go in, but the place was closed. Hopefully, there was no deeper meaning there. Although many women go about in Western garb, I saw no shortage of saris, the traditional Indian dress, or sari shops, where prices range from a few dollars to many times that amount. My bargain-hunting senses were titillated by the DVD boxes full of lowpriced Bollywood flicks at many spots along the strip.

At one point along Liberty Avenue, I encountered a snacker’s nirvana. I obtained a bite of heaven at the Little Guyana Bake Shop, where a mere 85 cents purchased me a coconut bun that was as sweet and fluffy as it was addictive. I then considered some pine tarts, cheese rolls and crunchy Guyanese sal sev biscuits. But I opted for jalebi (a circular sweet with the chewiest of textures) and salara (an especially decadent red coconut roll).

A few blocks from the Bake Shop, I met a machetewielding man who offered, for $3 (about R30), to hack open a coconut and plunge in a straw for my exotic refreshment. I thought about it but declined. Then I asked whether I could take a picture of him swinging his machete. He declined.

An intriguingly high number of restaurants were serving Chinese food done Guyanese style. As it turns out, a small population of Chinese also once worked as indentured servants in Guyana; they left their culinary mark on their Indian counterparts. Despite some occasional banality – CVS,

7-Eleven, McDonald’s – the overall cultural thumbprint is strong, about as much as it’s possible to find in the United States in 2014. That said, I’ve read that there has been discussion in the community about how to answer the classic multiplechoice ethnicity question: Despite being from South America, the Guyanese are not Latino. Nor are they black, white or East Asian. So, what are they?

I’m not sure, except to say that they’re a colourful and distinctive blend, just like their neighbourhood.

(Independent Online)

Keep lookin out fuh de fringes

Old people seh when yuh live in a glass house yuh musn’t pelt people pun de road. Old people also seh that knock got knock back. Plus old people seh when yuh do evil tings, yuh musbe ready fuh de consequences.

These days it gotta lotta people who ain’t ready to face de consequences of de evil tings whah dem doin. Whah is de most hutful part is that some of de evildoers ain’t even know whah de consequences gon be yet.

But whole country done know that it gon have consequences. And that dem kinda consequences does be both severe and several. ‘Severe’ meaning that it ain’t gon be easy and ‘several’ meaning de number of years.

And de ‘years’ part is whah got dem losin sleep over, even though dem drinkin sleepin tablet and runnin to read other people paper early morning. As old people also seh, whah miss yuh nah go pass yuh.

A man de other day thief in Better Hope. He run away to Plaisance hopin fuh better. But de Pullice had better hope than he, so when dem ketch he, dem throw he in de only place whah was better fuh he at Sparendaam. Now he beggin fuh better and he hopin fuh better. But he bound to get some better years.

It got people who miss a lotta years in de past. Dem miss it by de skin of dem teeth, but teeth don’t keep that kinda skin fuh long. Is simply because whah ever is done in secret does come to light some day. And whah ever is done outta Guyana does still come back to Guyana.

It also got some people who does like to call people all kinda names and use all kinda words to describe other people. But when dem get back word in dem a**, dem does can’t tek it. Mosta dem is on de fringe and behavin like dem on de fringe, but when yuh call dem fringe dem vex. Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Just keep lookin out fuh de fringes!

Essequibo Nite provides platform for businesses to expand – Imam Bacchus and Sons Limited

Director of Imam Bacchus and Sons Limited Raheel Baksh has praised the hosting of Essequibo Nite, noting that the event provides a solid platform for businesses to showcase their products and access more markets.

The company established some 52 years ago, provides Region Two and popular Georgetown supermarkets with a wide variety of products and produce.

Baksh told Guyana Times that the company during Essequibo Nite used the opportunity to showcase their products, which include white rice, chowmein,

ground peas, plantain and barley flour.

A wide variety of products branded “Imam Bacchus” were on displayed and given away as samples to persons visiting their bright and colourful booth.

The booth was designed in such a way to host all of the company’s products and services which include schools, (pre-school, nursery and primary), a cafeteria, play ground, gym, chowmein factory, supermarket and rice mill.

Also on display were John Deer vehicles. Baksh said the main focus of the company this year was to

promote the schools and healthy lifestyle.

She said the company exports their branded white rice and chowmein, and promotes healthy eating, through the use of plantain and barley flour as oppose to regular flour.

Cookies were made from the plantain flour and given as samples.

Baksh congratulated the Essequibo Nite Committee for hosting the two-day event, which allowed primarily the rural business community to showcase their products and services.

But she had a grouse, pointing out that the Anna Regina Centre Ground, the venue of the event was too noisy as too many music systems were blaring at maximum volume.

This, she said made it extremely difficult to speak and hear what persons had to say.

The Director is calling on the Essequibo Night Planning Committee to address this problem next year, thus making the occasion a more business and less party event. The expo which began on Friday ended on Sunday.

The Bake Shop on Liberty Avenue sells addictive sweets. The Little Guyana strip of Queens, New York, runs from 104th to 130th Street.

In a span of mere blocks in the Little Guyana neighbourhood of Queens, New York, you’ll find a Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Hindu temple

Inside the Imam Bacchus and Sons Limited Booth

Times Notebook

Guyana blazing new grounds in promoting education for all

On October 11, the first distribution of cash vouchers worth $10,000 per child was initiated by the President and the Minister of Education. The programme, “Because We Care”, is now in full rollout mode across Guyana.

The Guyanese population has responded with overall commendation for the architects of the initiative. It appears as if this is the only country where a cash award is being given to families for every child in a public school. Guyana is blazing another new path.

Critics believe that this is an election gimmick. But the PPP/C Government included it in its 2014 budget, which was more than two years before the next election is due.

The No-Confidence Motion in Parliament that could force a new election soon is a reality that followed the programme’s introduction.

Vast improvement

There is a very logical explanation why this is the most appropriate time of the year. All children who would be registering for school for the first time would benefit.

Even as Guyana rolls out this programme, four of our children have copped awards at the 2014 CXC. Out of the possible eight top awards given by CXC, Guyana has won four of the awards and one of those awards was for the overall top CXC student in Caricom.

Last year, our children won five of the eight awards

and no country has won more of the top CXC awards than Guyana over the last decade. The vast improvement in the education sector is no coincidence and has much to do with the investment Guyana is making in the education sector.

From just about US$8 per capita in 1991, Guyana today invests over US$200, more than 25 times it did in 1991. The education sector commands close to 20 per cent of the entire national budget today, compared to about four per cent in 1991.

It is the reason why most of the schools have been reconstructed or rehabilitated and new schools have been constructed. The Education

Ministry has massively invested in the infrastructure and in technology so that our teachers and students could benefit from a modernisation of the education sector.

“Because We Care” is about achieving universal access to education at all levels. Which one of us is not proud that we have long surpassed the goal of 100 per cent universal access for primary education?

In terms of secondary education, Guyana has emerged from a dreadful past when, in 1992 just above 30 per cent of our children had access to secondary education, almost the same as in 1964. Today,

greater than 90 per cent of Guyanese children have access to secondary education.

The education sector has increased the training of teachers through in-service training and pre-service training. In addition to the pre-service training programme at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), there are now in-service training programmes in most geographic regions of Guyana.

Multi-faceted

From less than 30 per cent trained teachers in our schools in 1991, there is now more than 75 per cent. Because we care, there are mentor-teachers providing

valuable support to young teachers.

There is almost $1 billion for school feeding and uniform voucher programmes. Many schools in our hinterland have a hot meal feeding programme for children. Many schools on the coast have a juice and biscuit snack programme in place.

The Ministry of Education is trying to expand the feeding and snack programme so that all children in school can benefit and ensure that our children are nutrition-secure. This is a programme similar to programmes in other countries.

The uniform voucher programme is unique. We have not been able to find an-

other example of a country that provides financial support for uniforms for schoolchildren. The Free Textbook Programme in Guyanese schools is not new, but before 1991, it was a promise not kept. Guyana has ensured that most of our children have access to school books.

Guyanese schools today are increasingly utilising Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and computers as part of their education strategy. This has been achieved because of the significant number of computers distributed to families via the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Project.

In African and other developing countries, children must pay to go to school. More than 100,000 children go to public nursery, primary and secondary schools free of charge. Rich or poor families have equitable access to education.

Education remains one of the surest ways for children and families to improve their economic standing. Education is a guaranteed way for a child to escape poverty. Because we care, our country ensures that children find a way to better lives through education. This must bring a sense of pride in all of us.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times. notebook@gmail.com.

Fisherman stabbed to death during rum spree

By Bhisham mohamed

Adrinking spree involving two friends at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, turned tragic on Sunday afternoon after one of them whipped out a knife and inflicted a single wound to the other’s left side, damaging his spine in the process.

Suresh “Blackboy” Ramnarine, 20, of Lot 209 Zeelugt, died on his way to the Leonora Cottage Hospital while the suspect, “Burnham” is in Police custody. He has since confessed to the murder and directed the Police to the murder weapon, which was thrown into a clump of bushes after he inflicted the injury.

Based on reports received, the two men who both work on sea were imbibing at “Burnham”’s dur-

ing which an argument ensued followed by a little “chucking”. It was during this time, Burnham pulled out a knife that he usually carries and stabbed Ramnarine.

In a bid to escape, Ramnarine ran towards the sea wall where he collapsed

in front of a relative’s home. Persons in the neighbourhood managed to apprehend Burnham who attempted to flee the scene and was subsequently handed over to the Police.

Velo Ramnarine, mother of the dead man told Guyana Times that she was doing house chores when a neighbour related the dreaded news. The distraught woman stated that she immediately called a taxi and went to the scene. There, she noted that her son was lying in a pool of blood and was panting for breath.

“Hard talking” She added that the Police arrived a few minutes later and rushed her son to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The suspect, she related, told relatives that they

had a ‘lil hard talk’ during which he stabbed him unintentionally.

The mother stated that her son left home around 08:00h with the intention of meeting a businessman in the area to discuss going to sea. She posited that he was not wearing any shirt when he left the home and thought that he would return shortly.

The woman added that after he did not return home, she thought he might have stopped by a female friend in the area. “Ever since he come from sea on Thursday, he deh by this gal and she mother … I went to them house and find he deh on Friday… all ah dem bin a drink and I tell he to beware of them people, that them go be the cause for he death and so seh so done,” she cried.

However, when Guyana

Times visited the house where it was alleged that the stabbing occurred, a young woman refuted these claims, noting that they had not seen Ramnarine for the day. They claimed that he was drinking with his boss and his boss’s son when he was stabbed.

“After the cussout with he family last week Friday, we tell he that he must not come home hay … that we nah want problems with he family … so when we hear he get stabbed, we run out to see wah happen by we get another cussing from he family saying that we ah de cause.”

The dead man’s grandfather, who is known as “Lall”, told the Guyana Times that he went to collect the “Because we care” cash vouchers and on his way back, he heard that his grandson was stabbed. He

went to the scene and saw his grandson in a pool of blood.

He assisted the Police in picking up the injured man and took him to the hospital, but it was too late.

The distraught grandfather said that doctors confirmed that the young man was stabbed once, and the wound measures one inch in width and six inches in depth. They also confirmed that due to the deepness, his spine was damaged, the man related.

Others in the neighbourhood told the Guyana Times that the two men were good friends and were not sure of a reason for the murder. Ramnarine leaves to mourn his mother, six siblings and other relatives.

His body is at the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem. (bhisham@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Education remains one of the surest ways for children and families to improve their economic standing

Dead: Suresh “Blackboy” Ramnarine

Berbicians cash in on $10,000 Govt grant

The Government of Guyana’s, “Because We Care,” $10,000 education grant continues to be rolled out at schools across the country.

Disbursement of the grant continued in Berbice on Sunday with parents from 20 schools benefitting with Berbice High School, Berbice Educational Institute, New Amsterdam Secondary and St Therese Primary School serving as the distribution centres.

The education grant is the latest in a series of initiatives extended by Government to parents to ensure that students get the best education. This was pointed out by President Donald Ramotar and Regional Chairman Permaul Armogan, when they formally launched the region’s rollout exercise at the Berbice High School, and as they continued throughout the

per cent trained teachers in all school, with the current rate being 75 per cent.

“We are providing the schools, the materials, we are providing the hot meals in schools, snacks, assistance for uniform; we are trying to take the pressure off parents and would have now come to this ($10,000 grant) to give our parents more assistance, to ensure our

Has the potential

The President said that given time, the country has the potential to reach a developed status. He pointed out that the workers of the country now and those of the future would build this country; hence, Government’s focus on educating the nation.

“We possess all the materials, all the ability to move to a develop country in the shortest period of time. We have natural resources, and we have talented people

he said.

This focus, in ensuring the laying of a strong foundation for a prosperous society has been the basis for Government’s allocation, annually of 30 per cent of the nation’s budget to the social sectors, the largest chunk of which goes to the education sector.

“We are spending our money where it can affect more of our people in a bigger way,” the President explained. This provision of the majority of the allocation to the social sector is important, as well, in ensuring the redistribution of wealth and income in society, and ensuring no one is at a disadvantage because of their economic position.

The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) recently announced that Guyana copped four of the eight regional awards this year, including Best Overall

day, meeting parents at the other distribution sites in the region.

The President noted that the initiative “Because We Care” is aptly named, because records testify to Government’s commitment to education of the nation’s students. In fact, testimonies to Government’s care are its renovation and/or construction of 1000 schools, the achievement of Universal Primary Education and being on the verge of attaining Universal Secondary Education, the President noted.

Government is also on the verge of attaining 100

and what we need to do is to build on the natural talents of our people, to provide them and enhance their talents with sound scientific education, so that they can help to move our country forward,” he said.

Further, the President noted: “There is no better gift that you can give to a child than to give them a sound education.”

He explained that parents have the responsibility to provide children with two things; roots (so that they can have morals and values) and education (so that they can soar). “We cannot love them and hold them back,”

Grenadian students commence training in health sciences

Guyana has embarked on a first time medical scholarship initiative which will see the further strengthening of ties with its regional counterparts.

On Thursday last, Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran hosted 11 Grenadian students who will be pursuing studies in four technician courses.

Dr Ramsaran encouraged the group of students who have all come for the first time to Guyana, to work hard and excel in their areas of studies.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud said it is an exciting new opportunity for the Ministry and the students. The students will be joining their Guyanese counterparts in studies in the areas of Dental Extension, Pharmacy Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technician and

X-ray Technician.

The Guyana Government through the Health Ministry has agreed to provide training for the students, since, according to Dr Persaud Grenada does not have the capacity to offer such training programmes.

“We do have the resources, we do have the capacity and so we want to maximise on this opportunity”

He explained that the Health Ministry will assist with accommodation for the period October to December. The Grenadian Government, he said will take responsibility for accommodation thereafter.

The CMO explained that the programmes vary in time; between two years and 15 months. He said all facilities, including lecturers, text books and other learning materials will be provided free of cost to the students, who will also be

provided with a monthly stipend for the period.

The Grenadian Government will take care of the students’ airfare to and from Guyana and will also provide uniform allowance and other subsistence that they will need, Persaud added.

Dr Persaud explained that Grenada is lacking the capacity to carry out such training and it is with this in mind that the Guyana Government has undertaken the initiative.

He said the programmes are of a high standard.

“They are actually accredited and they can actually use this certificate with their qualification to apply to the university to do a degree programme. These are technician programmes and they have met those requirements.”

The students begin classes today.

NA has no tourist attraction – GTA

student. Guyana won five of the eight awards last year. The Regional Chairman outlined the other programmes, including the school feeding and uniform voucher assistance, which the cash grant is aiming to complement.

Parents from Regions One, Three and Seven and some city areas have benefitted since the rolling out of the grant initiative on October 11 in Bartica. The project caters for all children in the public education system. Over 188,400 families will benefit from the $2 billion initiative, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has acknowledged that there are setbacks to New Amsterdam being promoted as a tourist destination, saying that the old town had no tourist attraction, but have heroes who could be celebrated.

The comment was made by GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh as he officially launched New Amsterdam Town Week on Sunday.

Haralsingh said there were not many places in the Ancient Town that tourist will be attracted to.

“There are no museums, no gardens, no parks, no statues of our heroes, no big sporting facilities, no culture centres, no en-

tertainment centres, malls, shopping centres, art galleries…. We realise that New Amsterdam is a small town with a rich history, culture and heritage,” Haralsingh told the launch.

He said the Mission Chapel Church located in the town is 272 years old with a rich history and Edgar Mittelholzer, a renowned Guyanese novelist was born in the town.

The only two Guyanese to be knighted by the Queen 11 are New Amsterdamers – former Commonwealth Secretary General, Sir Shridath Ramphal and Attorney, Sir Lionel Luckhoo, who is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having

successfully defended 245 murder cases.

Apart from them, there are scores of famous musicians, scholars and politicians from New Amsterdam, Singh noted.

Berbicians, he noted could take advantage of this by looking for ways to attracting the traffic which once entered the town through the ferry service which is no more.

“Citizens need to learn how to compete and take advantage of the 14 per cent of visitors who come to Guyana annually from Suriname. Most of those 28,000 persons go to other parts of the country.”

Parents of students of Berbice High, Vryman Erven Secondary, All Saints Primary, St Aloysius Primary and Smythfield Nursery at the distribution exercise at the Berbice High School

President Donald Ramotar looks on as parents uplift their grant during the distribution at the Berbice Educational Institute

Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud (third right) with the Grenadian students

The Praise Dance Ministry performing at the launch of New Amsterdam Town Week

CIOG commissions $90M Masjid on WCD

The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) on Sunday commissioned a newly-reconstructed Masjid and multi-complex at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara.

The project was sponsored by the Zakat House of Kuwait, an international aid organisation which provided a whopping $90 million for the construction of the multi-complex. Zakat House was established in 2009 to support and work with new and growing charities to make the charity sector sustainable and efficient. This is done by offering affordable office space and office services and resources to support these charities.

The initiative at MetenMeer-Zorg was undertaken to rebuild its Masjid after it was found that the previous structure could not accommodate the growing Muslim population in that community and its environs.

The facility will serve

communities along the West Coast of Demerara and East Bank of Essequibo. It can accommodate approximately 500 worshippers. Additionally, it has facilities that can be used to host social and

cultural events and offer training and other integral social services to the persons in those communities.

CIOG President Fazeel Ferouz said the building represents an integral step forward in community

involvement. He said that “Masjid is a place for the community” as he extended gratitude to the Zakat House of Kuwait for its part in the construction of the Masjid.

CIOG Director of

in Guyana. Since then, he further elaborated, the organisation has been providing $700,000 on a monthly basis towards this programme. He underscored that it was important that the real message of Islam get out there and not what is being peddled by extremist groups such as a Boko Haram in Nigeria and Islamic State (IS) in Syria. He noted that seemingly theses forces infiltrated close to home, since there were reports of 50 Trinidad and Tobago nationals being involved with IS, noting that everything must be done to safeguard the minds of Guyana’s populace.

“We have a responsibility to educate the community of the true teaching of Islam; this is the only way we will be able to remove misunderstandings and misconceptions about Islam,” ul-Hack said.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett noted that this country has

Education and advisor Sheikh Moen ul-Hack said that the project was more so possible through the support of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which would have introduced the two Islamic bodies.

He explained that the working relationship of CIOG and Zakat House commenced some years ago when the Kuwaiti organisation agreed to sponsor a programme for orphaned Muslim children

an exceedingly high level of religious harmony. She contended, however, that at times this religious harmony is taken for granted. On a global scale, she said, there was need for more harmony to be fostered in the religious areas. Housing Minister Irfaan Ali said that the CIOG plays an integral role in society and should be given due recognition. He pointed out that most times the executives work in the shadows and they should be commended for the tremendous work that they have done for the Guyanese public.

After the commissioning ceremony, persons in attendance were treated to a meal. Many persons at the event expressed gratitude that the complex was rebuilt. One man explained to Guyana Times that he was particularly grateful that the site would now be more than a Masjid and offer extensive community service.

CIOG representatives and government officials look on as the symbolic cutting of the ribbon to officially open the Masjid (Marceano Narine photo)

Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett interacts with CIOG President Fazeel Ferouz

Unveiling of the dedication plaque at the Meten-Meer-Zorg Masjid. In photo are Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Housing Minister Irfaan Ali, CIOG President Fazeel Ferouz and CIOG Director of Education and advisor Sheikh Moen ul-Hack

Regional

Castro offers to cooperate with US on Ebola

Fidel Castro, the 88-year-old former Cuban leader, has said his country is ready to work with the United States in the battle against Ebola, saying that such cooperation would be in the interest of "the peace of the world".

Cuba has already sent 165 doctors and nurses to help fight Ebola in Sierra Leone and plans to send 296 others soon to Liberia and Guinea.

Writing in state media on Saturday, Castro said: "We will gladly cooperate with American personnel in that task, and not in search of peace between the two states that have been adversaries for so many years, but ... for peace in the world, a goal that can and should be attempted.

"The medical personnel who heads anywhere to save lives, even at the risk of losing theirs, are the greatest

T&T not ready for Ebola

T&T is still not ready for an Ebola outbreak. Dr Varma Deyalsingh, Treasurer of the T&T Medical Board and Secretary of the Psychiatric Association, said while the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) 12-bed capacity and Caura Hospital’s 48-bed capacity announced by Health Minister Fuad Khan to quarantine people with Ebola was a good start, it was not enough.

Better containment of the virus, more equipment, and the training of staff are also required, he said.

Deyalsingh said the health sector’s state of readiness against the deadly virus can be gauged by asking any random patient in the emergency department of any hospital how long they had to wait for treatment.

Speaking to the Sunday Guardian in a telephone interview on Friday,

Deyalsingh said an Ebola patient has to get up to 20 units of blood per day to save his life, “and we can’t even get two units of blood to do normal procedures that we have planned, such as elective surgery, much less cope with an influx of Ebola patients.

“In T&T we lack the human and infrastructural resources to deal with Ebola.

“We have to look at our Carnival, the celebrations, crowds present ideal conditions for Ebola to spread.

“The virus is just a plane ride away from reaching T&T, one person can come here and destroy the whole if he is a viral bomb."

Deyalsingh said there was a consensus among doctors, and the majority of them have said that Carnival should be postponed. He said, however, that while there was public education on Ebola, the Government was sending mixed messages. (Excerpt from TT Guardian)

example of solidarity that a human being can offer, especially when one is not driven by material inter-

est."

Cuban officials said on Saturday that their Health Ministry would try to organise more aid for the affected countries in West Africa at a meeting with Cuban allies and international health organisations on today.

The Caribbean county's efforts have already brought unusual praise from US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was quoted saying that countries like Cuba had taken impressive steps to tackle Ebola.

The US, for its part, has already deployed hundreds of soldiers as well as healthcare workers to help control the disease. Washington has pledged to send up to 4000 military personnel to the region by the end of October.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Water crisis squeezes Sao Paulo state

The state of Sao Paulo is on the cusp of an unprecedented water crisis stemming in part from one of the worst droughts in decades, leaving millions scrambling to find clean water sources.

On Friday, the city of Sao Paulo recorded its hottest temperature in more than 71 years, and 70 cities in the state are facing extreme drought, with 30 cities already on some sort of water rationing.

The problem stems from a lack of water at the Cantareira, a complex of reservoirs and small dams built in the 1970s that are the primary source of water for more than 10 million people in the state.

The water levels at the Cantareira are now below four per cent, the lowest in recorded history, and esti-

mates on when it could totally dry range from November to March of next year.

A visit to the town of Nazare Paulista revealed how bad things are, with the water lines under bridges visible, and abandoned cars appearing from the mud of what was once underwater.

In May, just a few weeks before the World Cup, and with the water levels nearing 10 per cent, officials released what they called an emergency "dead volume" reserve of water into the Cantareira to boost volumes back up to above 20 per cent. But with almost no rain, it went down to record lows.

Officials are now debating if they want to release a second round of reserve water, as there are disagreements over whether it is healthy for drinking. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Hurricane Gonzalo: Bermuda bruised by direct hit

Bermudians are clearing up after a direct hit from Hurricane Gonzalo downed power lines and damaged buildings on the tiny Atlantic territory.

Bermuda was "bruised", but came out of the storm better than expected, Premier Michael Dunkley said.

The storm made landfall on Friday, with rain and 175 kilometres per hour (110 miles per hour) winds.

Only minor injuries were reported in what was the strongest storm to hit the island in a decade.

It was the second storm in a week to hit the island.

Gonzalo caused power cuts to 31,200 homes, although two-thirds of people had their electricity restored by Saturday

afternoon, according to the Bermuda Electric Company. The hurricane also caused flooding, felled trees and damaged buildings.

Nicaragua rains: Downpours leave 22 dead

Twenty-two people have died in Nicaragua during several days of heavy rains. Nine of them were killed in the capital Managua when a wall collapsed during a torrential downpour. In other areas of the city, emergency crews evacuated families from areas at risk from mudslides.

A government spokeswoman said they would join thousands of people housed in temporary shelters because of downpours since September.

The spokeswoman, Rosario Murillo, said the authorities had decided to evacuate all families who were considered to be living in critical areas of the city

vulnerable to flooding and mudslides.

People were forced to evacuate all their belongings after the Government removed them to temporary shelters.

"We have to evacuate these people and use the Police to guarantee that these spaces are not re-occupied," she said.

Correspondents say many poorer communities in Nicaragua do not like the places where the Government takes them because they tend to be far from urban centres and from their workplaces, and they often return.

Over 30,000 people have been affected by the rains in Nicaragua. (BBC

Initially a Category Four storm as it approached the island, Hurricane Gonzalo weakened and was downgraded to a Category Two

storm on Friday before it made landfall.

The international airport in Bermuda, which is a British overseas territory, closed ahead of the storm and many roads were closed after being blocked by falling debris.

The main hospital saw some damage to its roof but otherwise fared well, Premier Dunkley said.

"As far as roads and infrastructure, we are in a much better position than many people might have thought," he said.

The Royal Navy has deployed a frigate, HMS Argyll , along with trained medical personnel to help with the provision of humanitarian assistance in Bermuda, the UK Defence Ministry said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Trini girl held in ‘candle wax’ death of 9-year-old brother

A13-year-old relative of nine-year-old Abeomi Jeremiah, who was found motionless on his bed with candle wax on his eyelids, has been in Police custody since Monday, the Trinidad Express on Sunday reported.

The newspaper said the girl was among five people interviewed by Southern Homicide Bureau in connection with Jeremiah’s strange death. The others, including a 12-year-old girl, were questioned and released.

The Express said:

"Investigators are awaiting instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether charges will be laid against the teenager. Jeremiah’s death was described by investigators as strange.

"The Tunapuna Boys’

Roman Catholic Primary School pupil was found motionless in a bedroom, with candle wax on his eyes, face and ears.

"The teen who was seen clutching a lit candle and acting “strangely” following the incident two weeks ago. She was then released.

"Police reports stated that around 11:30 pm, Jeremiah’s mother, Ingrid Francis, smelled smoke coming from a bedroom in the family’s home. When Francis checked the bedroom, she found Jeremiah’s 12-year-old sister with her hair on fire. A wardrobe containing clothes had also been ignited.

Francis quickly extinguished the fire and went to check on Jeremiah, who seemed to be asleep on a bed in the same room. He was unresponsive.

The worst Ebola outbreak on record has killed more than 4500 people, most of them in West African countries (EPA)

Hurricane Gonzalo was the strongest storm since 2011, but caused less damage than initially feared

T&T Medical Board's Dr Varma Deyalsingh

Around the world

Texas lab worker on cruise tests negative for Ebola

ADallas hospital lab worker who spent much of a cruise holiday in isolation after possible exposure to Ebola has tested negative for the disease, and in Texas some of the dozens of people still being monitored were expected to be cleared on Sunday and today.

The Carnival Magic docked in the port of Galveston, Texas after a week-long cruise that included being denied docking by Belize and Mexico because of the presence of the woman on board.

The precautions taken over the Texas lab worker reflected anxiety over the spread of Ebola.

Three cases of the disease have been diagnosed in the United States, and doz-

ens of people are being monitored having been exposed to the three patients.

The worst outbreak on record of the virus, which is spread by contact with

Nepal Annapurna: Search ends for surviving trekkers

Rescue teams in Nepal say that there are now no trekkers left stranded after completing their search for survivors of a devastating Himalayan storm.

The focus now is on recovering bodies buried in the snow, a Government Spokesman told the BBC.

It is unclear how many people may still be missing in the country's worst-ever trekking disaster.

At least 39 people are known to have died, and nearly 400 people have been rescued from the Annapurna trail.

It is the fifth day that Nepalese army and private helicopters have been searching the trail.

Officials say the rescue effort grew harder on Sunday because of worsen-

ing weather.

The BBC's Andrew North in Kathmandu says that in addition to finding bodies, the authorities are eager to improve the flow of information on those caught up in the disaster.

There are currently three different lists of the dead and survivors, being run by the army, the Home Ministry and Nepal's trekking association, and some people may have been counted twice. The authorities say they now want to create a single list.

Nepalese, Japanese, Israeli, Canadian, Indian, Slovak, Vietnamese and Polish trekkers are said to be among the dead.

Many survivors have been left with severe frostbite and will have to have limbs amputated. (Excerpt from BBC News)

bodily fluids of sick people, has killed more than 4500 people, mostly in the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Liberian President Ellen

Johnson Sirleaf urged stronger international action to bring the epidemic under control on Sunday, saying the disease is unleashing an economic catastrophe that will leave a "lost generation" of young West Africans.

The lab worker who was being monitored aboard the cruise liner worked at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital where a Liberian man, Thomas Eric Duncan, was treated for Ebola.

The worker, who has not been named, did not have contact with Duncan but was being monitored as she might have come in contact with test samples from Duncan.

Two nurses who treated Duncan, who died on October 8, have contracted the disease. (Excerpt from Reuters)

India's ruling party makes gains in state polls

India's right-wing ruling party secured strong victories in two important state elections, tightening its grip on power after storming to power nationally five months ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was assured of victory in Maharashtra, of which financial hub Mumbai is the capital, over its centre-left rival the Congress party which ruled the western state with its allies for 15 years.

Celebrations erupted at BJP headquarters in Mumbai, with supporters lighting firecrackers, feeding each other sweets, throwing flower petals and shouting "Long live Mother India!" – although the party is likely to fall short of

Nigerians doubtful of girls' release after Boko Haram 'truce' breached

Awave of violence hours after Nigeria's Government announced a truce with Boko Haram raised doubt on Sunday about whether more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist militants will really be released, deflating the new hopes of their parents.

Nigeria's Armed Forces Chief Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh announced the ceasefire on Friday to enable the release of the girls, who were abducted from the remote north-eastern village of Chibok in April.

But Boko Haram has

not confirmed the truce and there have been at least five attacks since – blamed by security sources on the insurgents – that have killed dozens. Talks were scheduled to continue in neighbouring Chad today.

"We were jubilating. We had every reason to be happy ... but since then the ceasefire has been broken in quite a number of places already," Lawan Abana, a parent of the one of the missing girls, told Reuters by telephone.

He added that there were doubts about the credentials of the reported Boko Haram negotiator Danladi Ahmadu, who was unheard of before. "Can we trust him that he can deliver on this promise of releasing the girls when he has not delivered on the promise of the ceasefire?" Abana questioned. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Fierce fighting rages in Syria's Kobane

The Syrian border town of Kobane has been hit by the fiercest fighting in days as Kurdish forces repelled advancing fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a group monitoring the violence has said.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 48 mortars had been fired at Kurdish areas in the past two days with two car bombs hitting Kurdish positions on Saturday evening leading to casualties.

"We had the most intense clashes of days, perhaps a week last night. [ISIL] attacked from three different sides, including the municipality building side and the market place," Abdulrahman Gok, a local journalist, told the Reuters news agency.

The Observatory also said 70 ISIL fighters had been killed in the past two

an absolute majority.

The BJP won outright for the first time in Haryana, which borders the national capital, New Delhi, handing the oncepowerful Congress a humiliating defeat after its 10-year rule of the state, official results showed.

"We are two steps closer to our mission of a Congress-free India," BJP President Amit Shah told reporters in New Delhi.

"Today's results show that the Modi wave is still the tsunami that can destroy," Shah said after supporters placed a garland around his neck.

Despite the wins, the BJP is expected to fall short of a majority in Maharashtra and is seen as needing a partner to form a government. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

days, according to sources at the hospital in the nearby town of Tel Abyab, where bodies are taken.

Al Jazeera cannot independently verify the group's report.

"Last night, there were clashes all across Kobane ... this morning, the clashes are still ongoing," a Kurdish female fighter said.

Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith, reporting from the Syria-Turkey border, said US-led air strikes on Saturday allowed Kurdish fighters to recapture territory from ISIL, but street-tostreet and building-to-building clashes were still raging. The month-long battle for Kobane has ebbed and flowed. A week ago, Kurds warned the town would fall imminently and the USled coalition stepped up air strikes against ISIL, which wants to take Kobane to consolidate its position in northern Syria. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Mass jail break as DR Congo violence worsens

Armed men have raided a jail in the town of Butembo in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, releasing all 370 prisoners, military sources told Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera's Malcolm Webb, reporting from east DR Congo, said the Congolese army and the town's Mayor confirmed the raid, but that there were conflicting reports as to who was responsible for the incident late on Saturday night.

The North Kivu province of eastern DR Congo has been hit by gruesome violence over the last 10 days, with officials and local rights groups saying

that about 80 people have been killed.

The blame for many of the attacks has been levelled at the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a secretive Ugandan rebel group hiding out in the neighbouring country. It has terrorised the area for much of the last two decades. On Thursday, about 26 people were slaughtered with machetes in Beni, while 50 kilometres away in Eringeti, another 24 people, mostly women and children, were killed when militia entered the town and used machetes, axes and hoes to kill them. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Hong Kong street clashes erupt despite imminent talks

Violent clashes erupted in Hong Kong early on Sunday for a second night, deepening a sense of impasse between a Government with limited options and a pro-democracy movement increasingly willing to confront Police.

The worst political crisis in Hong Kong since Britain handed the free-wheeling city back to China in 1997 entered its fourth week with no sign of a resolution despite talks scheduled on Tuesday between the Government and student protest leaders.

Beijing has signalled through Hong Kong's leaders that it is not willing to reverse a decision in late August that effectively denies the financial hub the full democracy the protesters are demanding for an election in 2017.

"Unless there is some kind of breakthrough in two hours of talks on Tuesday, I'm worried we will see the standoff worsen and get violent," Sonny Lo, a professor at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, told Reuters.

"We could be entering a new and much more problematic stage. I hope the Government has worked out some compromises, because things could get very difficult now."

Hong Kong's Beijingbacked leader Leung Chunying, who has so far resisted calls to quit, said more time was needed to broker what he hoped would be a non-violent end to the upheaval.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

The Carnival Magic cruise ship is seen after reaching port in Galveston, Texas on October 19

Police officers are reflected on reflective materials held by prodemocracy protesters on a blocked road at Mongkok shopping district in Hong Kong on October 19

A woman holds a sign during a protest demanding the release of abducted secondary school girls from the remote village of Chibok

VOX POPULI

Christine Elliot –Public Sector Employee

“For now, they are [doing enough], but there is still the fact Chikungunya hasn’t been addressed properly. And while the Chikungunya virus may not be as deadly as the Ebola virus, it is still important. It still merits proper systems being put in place.”

PUBLIC OPINION

What the people say about Government’s efforts to ensure that Ebola never reaches these shores…

Josanie Europe – Teacher

“I think thus far the Government’s efforts are commendable, but still it remains inadequate to actually prevent the Ebola virus from reaching Guyana. The Government/Administration – the people in charge – need to ensure that the country’s anti-Ebola plan is working and working effectively. We need the proper human resources and technology to properly screen and detect the carriers of Ebola.”

Colin Higgins – Private Sector Employee

“I'm not fully aware of every step that they have taken so far. One thing I heard is that they have restricted entry into Guyana of persons from the countries where there is the outbreak of the virus. That I find to be a decent measure. With me being an employee at the [Cheddi Jagan International Airport] CJIA, I haven't seen any steps taken there that are in the best interest of our health as it relates to protecting anyone there from contracting the virus. Since that is a major gateway for entry into Guyana from all parts of the world, I suggest that they first educate persons about the virus, letting persons know what the virus actually is, how it is spread, how it can be contracted, how you can protect yourself from contracting it, and if you become infected, how you can address that as well.”

Commonwealth to develop new tool for managing public debt

The Commonwealth is developing a new public debt management system to further enhance its world-renowned software that has benefited more than 60 countries since 1985.

The new system, which will incorporating latest technological advances and recent developments in

public debt management, will be an integrated tool for recording, accounting, reporting, monitoring and analysing a country’s public and publicly guaranteed debt, lending portfolio, derivatives, grants and private sector external debt.

Deodat Maharaj, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary General, Social

& Economic Development, said: “We are well aware of the negative impact that the high cost of servicing debt can have on a country's development gains. Through the practical application of this new software, member countries will have a robust tool to better manage debt sustainability and risks.”

Kimberly Sattaur –University of Guyana Student “They are doing as much as they can, because from what I heard they don’t have the requisite facilities to combat the virus if (God forbids) it ever reaches here. Plus there is this conspiracy theory that the Ebola virus was created as a form of population control. I don’t know how truth that is, but for now, yes, they are doing enough.”

Shabaz Duesbury – Hospitality Worker

“No, not at all, they are not doing enough. We need more screening at borders. If we have to refuse them entry, then so be it, we refuse them entry. Government needs to make its policy clear on this issue. I have to deal with tourists coming from different parts of the world on a daily basis and I am seriously scared about the virus.”

I SAY...

IDino – Vendor

“For me, I would want to see more screening not just at Timehri but at Ogle and Springlands and Essequibo. This virus killing so many people in West Africa already; I don’t want it to reach here. It would be a horror movie if it ever reaches here. I read about the travel ban, but is that all? They need to educate the public more. If that disease ever reaches here, this entire economy would shut down, people would not leave their houses. Look at how it spreads and look at how clustered the city streets usually are.”

Delisa Small –University of Guyana Student

“I

...is a Guyana Times effort to give expression to issues concerning Guyanese. Every week we will publish views on one issue along with contributors’ photographs. The views expressed in comments published do not reflect the opinions of the Guyana Times Inc. I Say... will be published every Monday

High level IMF economic forum for Jamaica this week

The 2014 High Level Caribbean Forum on “Unlocking Economic Growth” will be held from October 23-24 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The forum, third in the series, is hosted by the International Monetary Fund and the Government of Jamaica, and will bring

together finance ministers and central bank governors from across the Caribbean to exchange views on tackling some key obstacles to growth in the region.

Nouriel Roubini, Professor of Economics and International Business at New York University will deliver the keynote address. IMF Deputy Managing Director Min Zhu, the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica, and the Honourable Dr Peter Phillips, Minister of Finance and Planning, will also address the conference.

National Geographic, FAO in pact to raise awareness on nutrition

The National Geographic Society and FAO today agreed to work together to provide information and raise awareness about hunger and nutrition.

In particular, when reporting on food and agriculture, National Geographic will utilize food and agricultural statistics as well as trends and data sets, sourced from FAO's statistical service, FAOStat. Speaking at the agreement's signing ceremony in Rome, FAO DirectorGeneral José Graziano da Silva noted that National Geographic and FAO "share the view that wide access to reliable information is a key tool in the fight for human rights, and specifically when it comes to the right to food."

ship with the FAO and we are very pleased to be formalizing a longer term relationship."

The FAO and National Geographic partnership envisages cooperation, a regular dialogue and access to FAO expertise, knowledge exchange, content-sharing, cross promotion, joint activities and participation at events and on publishing platforms.

National Geographic magazine's in-depth eight-month Future of Food series, began in May 2014, and has included food and agricultural statistics and trends on topics such as feeding megacities in a world of changing demographics, reducing food loss and waste, and global forestry issues.

FAO is also providing material for articles and graphics for the NatGeoFood.com website.

FAO and National Geographic today inaugurated at FAO's headquarters, a travelling photo exhibit that showcases the Future of Food series. An expanded version of the exhibit - a project involving FAO and National Geographic Italia, the Society's Italian chapter - will go on show at Rome's Palazzo delle Esposizioni on 13 November, 2014. This exhibit will coincide with the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), the high-level intergovernmental meeting co-organized by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Rome from 19-21 November.

know there are travel bans in place but considering that there are cases in Spain and the US, the travel bans are not enough. What we need is more port of entry testing and other facilities. We need robust education programmes for the general public.”

National Geographic's Chief Content Officer Chris Johns said: "National Geographic's reporting on food greatly benefits by our partner-

Chris Johns, Chief Content Officer, National Geographic Society and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva sign the partnership agreement

Putting family farmers first to eradicate hunger – FAO report

Nine out of 10 of the world’s 570 million farms are managed by families, making the family farm the predominant form of agriculture, and consequently a potentially crucial agent of change in achieving sustainable food security and in eradicating hunger in the future, according to a new U.N. report released Thursday.

Family farms produce about 80 per cent of the world’s food. Their prevalence and output mean they “are vital to the solution of the hunger problem” afflicting more than 800 million people, Food and Agriculture (FAO) Director General José Graziano da Silva wrote in the introduction to FAO’s new State of Food and Agriculture 2014 report.

Family farms are also the custodians of about 75 per cent of all agricultural resources in the world, and are therefore key to improved ecological and resource sustainability. They are also among the most vulnerable to the effects of resource depletion and climate change.

While evidence shows impressive yields on land managed by family farmers, many smaller farms are unable to produce enough to provide decent livelihoods for the families. Family farming is thus faced with a triple challenge: yield growth to meet the world’s need for food security and better nutrition; environmental sustainability to protect the planet and to secure their own productive capacity; and productivity growth and livelihood diversification to lift themselves out of poverty and hunger.

According to the SOFA report, all these challenges mean that family farmers must innovate.

“In all cases, family farmers need to be protagonists of innovation as only this way can they take ownership of the process and ensure that the solutions offered respond to their needs,” Graziano da Silva said. “Family farming is a key component of the healthy food systems we need to lead healthier lives.”

The report calls for the public sector, working with farmers, civil society organisations and the private sector, to improve innovation systems for agriculture. Agricultural innovation systems include all the institutions and actors that support farmers in developing

and adopting better ways of working in today’s increasingly complex world.

Innovation capacity must be promoted at various levels, with incentives for farmers, researchers, advisory service providers and integrated value chains to interact and create networks and partnerships to share information, SOFA says.

Policymakers must also consider the diversity of family farms in terms of size, technologies used, and integration into markets, as well as their ecological and socio-economic settings. This diversity means that farmers need different things from an innovation system. Still, all farms need better governance, macroeconomic stability, physical and institutional market infrastructure, education as well as basic agricultural research, according to SOFA.

Public investment in agricultural research as well as extension and advisory services – which should be designed to be more participatory – must be increased to emphasise sustainable intensification and closing the yield and labour productivity gaps characterising farm sectors in many developing nations.

Although agricultural research by private companies is increasing, public-sector investment remains indispensable to ensure research in areas of little interest to the Private Sector – such as basic research, orphan crops or sustainable production practices. Such research constitutes a public good with many potential beneficiaries.

Family farms are vital

The FAO report offers a rich set of new details about family farms. Most family farms are small. Eighty-four per cent of the world’s farms are less

than two hectares in size. However, farm sizes vary widely. Indeed, farms larger than 50 hectares – including many family farms – occupy two-thirds of the world’s agricultural land. In many high-income and upper-middle-income countries, large farms, responsible for most agricultural production, account for most farm land. But in most low- and lowermiddle-income countries, small and medium-sized farms occupy most farm land and produce most of the food.

Small farms produce a higher share of the world’s food relative to the share of land they use, as they tend to have higher yields than larger farms within the same countries and agro-ecological settings. However, the higher productivity of land on family farms involves lower labor productivity, which perpetuates poverty and hinders development.

Much of the world’s food production involves unpaid labour by family

NA has no...

Haralsingh noted that there is scope for more tour operators in the town as there are only two such operators in the county.

“You could look at culinary tourism or create an event like New Amsterdam Week or Month.” On that note, he urged persons to take advantage of the GTA “Homecoming year” next year.

Singh also suggested the planning of signature events in the town, which he said must be planned well. According to the GTA Director, New Amsterdam was the first town to push for sanitation regulations in Guyana.

Speaking of the Town Week which is being held under the theme “Collaboration and Fraternity for Community Development”, the GTA Director said the occasion should be a catalyst

members. The report emphasises that it is imperative to boost output per worker, especially in lowincome countries, in order to lift farm incomes and expand rural economic welfare in general. Currently, farm sizes are becoming smaller and smaller in most developing countries, where many smallholder farm households derive the bulk of their income from off-farm activities.

Policies should aim to increase access to inputs such as seeds and fertilisers as well as to markets and credit, according to SOFA. Effective and inclusive producer organisations can support innovation by members, helping them gain access to markets, and facilitating linkages with others in the innovation system, besides ensuring that family farms have a voice in policy making, the report emphasises.

To encourage family farmers to invest in sustainable agricultural practices, which often have high start-up costs and long pay-off periods, authorities should seek to provide an enabling environment for innovation. Policies meant to catalyse innovation will need to go beyond technology transfer, according to SOFA. They must also be inclusive and tailored to local contexts, so that farmers have ownership of innovation, and take gender and intergenerational issues into consideration, involving youth in the future of the agricultural sector.

From page 12

for grander events.

Meanwhile, Region Six Chairman David Armogan, who also spoke at the launch which took place on the tarmac of Banks DIH Limited New Street outlet, said “It is time for us to reflect on how far we have come as a town which is in fact the oldest in Guyana. Town Week gives us an opportunity to come together and also gives people from outside of New Amsterdam the opportunity to come here and enjoy the kind of hospitality that only we are capable of unleashing.”

Congratulating the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council for organising the week of activities, Armogan said the municipality has a duty to its citizens while citizens also have a responsibility to the municipality.

“We must understand

Equality

Often we tend to think that equality is about treating everyone the same. It’s probably a good idea to give this a little thought, because equality is more than treating everyone the same, it’s actually more about treating people in such a way that the results for everyone can be the same rather.

Dat Sookram

In other words, it is important to put things in place to support everyone to achieve similar outcomes. For example if someone is using a wheelchair, it will be wise to make it accessible for him or her to enter any building and use any road as he/she likes.

We do live in a multicultural society and it can be a challenge for the minorities. One of the ways to remove that challenge is to involve an encouraging message to youths for example, so that they are aware that diversity and inclusion are valued.

We all know that messages can be communicated in a variety of ways, so it will be key to have staff members welcome everyone with a welcoming attitude.

When we take the time to make sure that everyone is supported to have access to resources and decision making and being recognised, then equality of outcome can easily be achieved.

Even if it is not done intentionally, when systems are not put in place to support the ones who need that extra help, it can actually show a sense of being excluded, because people from marginalised societies wouldn’t feel that they can attend an event for example even if the mission statement of the organisation clearly states that it is open to everyone.

So to prevent any controversy, it would be wise to make sure that all access areas are accessible to one and all.

A better way to explain equality is a way to create a fairer society, where everybody can participate fully and have the opportunity to maximise their potential. In other words, it wouldn’t be a good idea to initiate programmes that are only targeting certain people.

A study by Mutual Responsibility states that health and social problems are worse in more unequal countries and that life expectancy is longer in more equal rich countries. The study also shows that the prevalence of mental illness is higher in more unequal rich countries and drug use is more common in more unequal countries.

So apart from being ethical in doing the right thing, it also has universal benefits and it starts with us.

For questions, comments or feedback, sent them to mcnarine@rogers.com.

that we have a responsibility to ensure that we keep our environment in a manner that is beneficial to us.”

This is especially needed in a time when environmental degradation is one of the major concerns of the world. He criticised residents, most of whom he said have no regard for the Council’s efforts at cleaning.

“I am appalled sometimes to see days after you would have cleaned a particular area, residents will go there and litter it in the same way that we would have found it before we started to clean.”

The Regional Chairman said while the municipality has a responsible to clean, the residents have a duty to ensure that they do not dump garbage indiscriminately around the town.

He also pledged the regional administration’s sup-

port for the town. That pledge was appreciated by former Chief Labour Officer Norman Semple, who delivered greetings on behalf of the Lions Club of New Amsterdam.

However, he said the regional administration can do more for New Amsterdam, which he called the capital of Berbice. Semple was also critical of the Health Department of the municipality. Town Week activities continue today with a medical outreach and blood drive at the same venue while on Wednesday, there will be a reading competition for secondary schools at the Town Hall in the afternoon. During the morning session, there will be a Spelling B Competition for primary schools. The feature event of Town Week will be a street fair, which will be held on Saturday.

Narine

FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva

THURSDAY'S

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

Consider all of the options available to you. Think about altering your location or lifestyle to get the most out of an opportunity. Change can be beneficial if you move quickly.

Love is in the stars. If something is important to you, see to the arrangements yourself. Waiting for someone else to make things happen will be a waste of time.

Your strengths and weaknesses will be tested. It may seem that you are meeting opposition at every turn, but with a little persistence, you will come out ahead.

Communication is your strength. Group discussions with people from different backgrounds will give you greater insight and ideas that you can utilise in your personal projects.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Whether you need to collect money or possessions or pay someone back, it’s time to deal with such matters. If your life is not going the way you envisioned, determine what’s required to improve it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Get your facts straight and your paperwork in order before dealing with banks, government agencies or other institutions. A creative solution to a professional challenge will improve your chances of advancement.

Greater freedom will be yours if you ask for help. You will get a good response from people who are in a position to influence your future.

Consider the consequences before taking action. Ignoring problems will only make matters worse. Not everyone will play by the rules, so make the appropriate preparations and then counterattack.

An opportunity to travel should not be missed. You have a lot to learn, but you must be willing to listen to others. Incorporate new skills and knowledge into your job performance.

You need to have a serious discussion with a loved one. The time is right to discuss the future and the pros and cons of moving in a new direction.

Money is headed your way. Now is the time to make a lasting impression. You will be hard to resist, so let everyone know what you want and expect. Don’t neglect your responsibilities. If things have become unsettled or out of control, back up and consider what contributed to your current position and the best way to turn things around.

PeanuTs

dilberT

AQUARIUS

CANCER

GEMINI

calvin and hobbes

WORD

Persaud pips Greaves to take 5-Stage title

the

By Bhisham mohamed

After 266 miles of gruelling riding in the three counties of Guyana, Carlton Wheelers' Robin Persaud clocked a time of 10 hours, 26 minutes and 6 seconds to win the eighth Annual Five-Stage Road Race, which culminated on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, on Sunday.

Persaud barely outlasted national cyclists Alanzo Greaves by a mere nine seconds (10:26.15s) and Geron Williams by 16 seconds (10:26.22s) to top the overall standing.

Coming in fourth was Marlon Williams, followed by Paul De Nobrega in fifth and

Scott Savory sixth. Michael Anthony took the seventh position, while Paul Choo Wee Nam came in eight. Shaquille Agard took the ninth spot, followed by Ray Millington.

Also winning the veteran prize was Persaud ahead of Choo Wee Nam and Horace Burrowes in second and third respectively. In the junior category, Michael Anthony took first with Agard finishing second and Alonzo Ambrose third in the event.

Young cyclist Raphel Leung was awarded with a special prize for being the youngest cyclist to cross the finish line after four days of intense competition.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Persaud dubbed the ‘king of the road’ explained that he kept his focus throughout the competition, hence his success. He was extremely elated to have won the title, and owed the success to a well put together strategy.

He recalled that he had a 10 seconds advantage and it was all about time consciousness. He said his most memorable moment during the Five-Stage event was on Sunday, noting that he was satisfied at the way he rode the final three kilometres of the final stage from Kara Kara Linden to Homestretch Avenue.

Further, the veteran

when asked what was his advice to young cyclists, said: "Stay focused, be disciplined and you will get there.” On the issue of Team Coco's pulling out at the third leg of the Five-Stage cycle race, Persaud said that it was very disappointed to not have them participate.

He was confident that even though a 30 seconds penalty was imposed on the side, they still had enough time.

On the same issue, Alanzo Greaves said that with the absence of the Team Coco's riders, there was no sort of competition.

He said that once competition is evident, cyclists would have been more chal-

lenged and cycle fans might have seen a different result.

Nevertheless, he is thankful that he completed the Five-Stage meet, but admitted that it was a difficult race, especially in Essequibo. He explained that after reaching a certain point off the East Bank Highway, his legs ‘just give out’ and it was then Persaud took advantage. He added that Persaud rode a good race and congratulated him not only that he won the final stage, but also the overall competition.

Both Greaves and Persaud said that a few days rest will be on their minds before the Digicel’s Breast Cancer Awareness Race, which is slated for Sunday.

The eighth Annual Five-Stage Road Race commenced on Thursday last with the first stage on the Corentyne and ended at New Amsterdam. The first leg was won by Alanzo Greaves. The second stage started at Rosignol and ended at Carifesta Avenue which was won by Team Coco’s Ruben Campanioni.

The third leg, Wales, West Bank Demerara to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo was taken by Marlon "Fishy" Williams and so was the fourth stage, which rode off at Supenaam and proceeded to Charity and back to Suddie for the finish. The final stage was from Linden to Georgetown.

Milan, Napoli draw in sensational fashion

Inter Milan and Napoli served up 78 minutes of dismal football before bursting into life to share four goals in a breathless final 12 minutes as they drew 2-2 in Serie A on Sunday.

Jose Callejon twice put Napoli in front, the second in the 90th minute, but Inter replied almost immediately each time, firstly through substitute Fredy Guarin and then Hernanes.

The second goal was a huge relief for Inter coach Walter Mazzarri, whose position has become precarious after two straight three-goal defeats, although the grizzled coach was not there to see it, having been sent from the touchline for dissent.

A spectacular own goal by Brazilian defender Rafael Marques, followed by a Keisuke Honda double gave AC Milan a 3-1 win at

Verona while third-placed Sampdoria remain unbeaten despite throwing away a two-goal lead and drawing 2-2 at Cagliari.

Champions Juventus, who dropped their first points in a 1-1 draw at Sassuolo on Saturday, lead with 19 points from seven games, one ahead of AS Roma, who beat Chievo 3-0, also on Saturday.

Inter President, Indonesian business tycoon Erick Thohir, did little to ease Mazzarri's worries in a pre-match interview, telling the Mediaset channel: "I believe in this project, but let's see what happens in the next couple of games."

Most of the match was sloppy and bad-tempered, with the players greeting almost every refereeing decision with howls of protest. Even when the game did

Inter Milan celebrates the game saving goal

come to life, it was courtesy of dreadful defending.

Callejon fired Napoli ahead in the 79th minute after Inter defender Nemanja Vidic obligingly headed a long throw-in straight into his path and Guarin replied three minutes later when he was left unmarked at a cor-

ner.

Napoli regained the lead when Callejon side-footed past Samir Handanovic after escaping the attention of the Inter defender only for Hernanes, completely unmarked, to reply with a header almost immediately to save Inter.

MARQUES BLUNDER

Milan were sent on their way when Marques, facing his own goal and under no pressure when he tried to hoof away Ignazio Abete's cross, completely miskicked and sent a sliced volley whistling past his own goalkeeper Rafael in the 21st minute.

Honda burst clear and sent a curling finish past Rafael six minutes later, then ran onto Adil Rami's through ball to prod home his sixth goal of the season after the break as Milan climbed to fourth with 14 points from seven games.

Nicolas Lopez scored Verona's late consolation.

At Cagliari's Stadio Sant'Elia, Manolo Gabbiadini and Pedro Obiang put Sampdoria in the driving seat but the game changed when Fabrizio Cacciatore gave

away a penalty, was sent off and Danilo Avelar converted for the home side in the 59th minute.

Cagliari took control and Marco Sau equalised with a low shot on the turn.

Richmond Boakye scored Atalanta's first home goal of the season in their 1-0 win over Parma and promoted Palermo claimed their first victory of the campaign when a stoppage-time header from their Costa Rica defender Giancarlo Gonzalez gave them a 2-1 win over Cesena.

Filip Djordjevic scored his fifth goal in three games to set Lazio on the way to a 2-0 win at Fiorentina. The visitors wasted so much time that the referee added on eight minutes of stoppage time, during which Senad Lulic added the second. (Reuters)

Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony pose with the winners of the various categories after the presentation ceremony at the National Cultural Centre

Robin Persaud collects his trophy from Dr Frank Anthony for winning

8th Annual 5 Stage Road Race

WADA mulling longer drug bans

The World Anti-Doping Agency may consider longer bans for athletes who have used banned substances if research on steroid longevity proves valid.

Research conducted on mice in Oslo suggests some drugs could benefit athletes after their bans expire .

Wada has welcomed the findings from Kristian Gundersen, Professor of Physiology at the University of Oslo.

But Dr Olivier Rabin, Wada's director of science, said: "We need proof we can transfer such results to humans."

The research suggests muscles can retain the advantages given by anabolic steroids decades after the point at which they were taken.

It could also have major implications for the existing anti-doping system, where a first-time offender is unlikely to be suspended for more than two years and may well serve less than half that.

Talking to BBC Sport, Dr Rabin said: "In the future, if these results do demonstrate there is an issue beyond two or four years we will bring it to the attention of the members of our committees.

"Scientific committees to start with, but also the executive committee of Wada and the foundation board, to see if that would justify the future revision of the code and changes to the rules.

"We can do a lot of things with mice that we cannot do with humans.

"We can cure a lot of diseases in mice that we cannot cure yet in humans, so there is always a big gap between mice and humans. It doesn't strictly mean these results will be transferred to human beings."

Asked about the timescale for proving the findings, Dr Rabin said: "You never know with research but they normally run for two to three years and can be reconducted if there are some interesting elements."

Should the research be proved, previously-banned athletes like US sprinter Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay – the second fastest man in history – and Britain's Dwain Chambers would again come under the spotlight.

This summer, 32-yearold Gatlin ran the fastest ever 100m and 200m times by a man in his thirties, despite twice having served suspensions. (BBCSport)

Mayweather Jr being sued

The sons of former heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman are suing Floyd Mayweather Jr, Mayweather Promotions and Showtime on a variety of charges stemming from the infamous sparring sessions televised on the network's "All Access" reality series last month.

Hasim Rahman Jr, who is in his early 20s, and 18-year-old brother Sharif Rahman, both amateur boxers, allege battery, tortious assault, false imprisonment, negligence, defamation, unjust enrichment and for having their names and likeness used without permission, among other charges, in the 21-page lawsuit filed Thursday in Nevada's Clark County District Court.

In the weeks before Mayweather's welterweight championship rematch with Marcos Maidana on September 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Showtime televised its "All Access" series, which followed the build-up to the fight.

During the second episode, which aired on September 6, there were scenes that included Sharif Rahman taking a serious beating from amateur Donovan Cameron during a sparring session at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas while Mayweather watched.

Upset that his brother had taken such a vicious pounding, Hasim Rahman Jr. arrived at the gym and challenged the smaller Cameron to get into the ring with him. While members of the gym lined up wagers, including Mayweather, they fought for 31 consecutive minutes, according to the telecast and lawsuit, until Cameron could not go on. All the while, Mayweather was present and cheering wildly.

The suit alleges that

three months too short to judge man utD manager

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has said it was "stupid" to tell people to judge him on his first three months at Old Trafford.

When the Dutchman took charge of the club in July, he said his methods usually bore fruit after three months.

With that initial period up, United are sixth in the league after two losses.

Van Gaal, 63, said: "It was very stupid to say three months because then the media are only talking about three months."

United have won three competitive games since Van Gaal took over in the summer.

Victory against West Brom on Monday would see them win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time in 2014.

But the former Netherlands coach does not believe his team have performed at their best, even during victories over West Ham and Everton.

"It is always the performance that counts, but the performance always goes up and down," he added.

"Against Everton we could not say it was very good. The first 60 minutes, maybe, but a game lasts 90 minutes.

"I don't think points are very important in the process. It's the game, it's the style, it's the forma -

"Mayweather forced Sharif to fight multiple rounds of approximately 5, 6 and 7 minutes in length." Sharif contends that he asked for traditional three-minute rounds but Mayweather said "this is the doghouse" and to "turn those bells off."

After a bystander told Sharif he should leave the ring, the suit alleges that Mayweather responded by telling Cameron and others that "if Sharif left the ring to beat his ass outside the ring."

"Sharif feared for his safety and was forced to continue to fight," the suit said.

According to the suit, Sharif Rahman suffered injuries during the sparring that were bad enough that he had to seek medical attention.

The lawsuit contends that neither Rahman brother was asked to sign a release to allow their names or likenesses to be used in the show and that, as a result of their sparring being aired they "have suffered mental anguish and

embarrassment."

In addition, the suit contends that Mayweather's gym was not licensed to allow amateurs to spar and failed to provide adequate safety measures.

Mayweather, an executive producer of "All Access" and a licensed promoter in Nevada, was called before the Nevada State Athletic Commission to answer questions about the sparring sessions after members of the commission saw the television show.

On September 23, Mayweather testified – although not under oath – to the commission that the sparring scenes (as well as others featuring several of Mayweather's girlfriends smoking marijuana in front of him in his Las Vegas home) were staged for the television show in order to help boost pay-per-view sales. He said the 31-minute sparring session did not happen as the fighters were allowed to take several breaks. He also told the commission

that the gambling shown in the episode was also fake.

"With "All Access," we're able to edit and chop footage the way we want," Mayweather told the commission.

Mayweather had also spoken in the episode about what he called "the doghouse" fights in the gym.

"The doghouse – the rules are you fight 'til whoever quits," Mayweather said in the episode. Later in the episode, a smiling Mayweather added, "Guys fight to the death. It's not right, but it's doghouse rules."

The commission was concerned over the lack of regard for the health and safety of the fighters and questioned him about the "doghouse" fights but accepted his version of events and closed the matter – much to the surprise of many, because there were numerous people in the gym, including Showtime production personnel, who were not questioned about the sparring.

"Defendant Mayweather knowingly misrepresented facts while testifying before the Nevada State Athletic Commission," the suit said.

The Rahman brothers are seeking damages in excess of US$10,000 plus punitive damages.

Attorney Vicki Greco of the Greco Law Group, one of the firms representing the Rahman brothers, declined comment to ESPN.com on Friday evening, saying, "We are in the beginning stages of litigation so we won't be making any comments at this time, but we most likely will in the future."

Showtime, which has declined repeated requests for comment on Mayweather's testimony to the commission that the series was staged, did not respond to an ESPN.com request for comment on the lawsuit, nor did Mayweather's publicist. (ESPN)

ilonen takes biggest win of career

tion, it's the philosophy that we have to judge and not the points.

"The points are coming when we are playing good, and not only good for 60 minutes, but 90 minutes."

United could have a number of players back from injury for the trip to The Hawthorns, with Ander Herrera, Chris Smalling, Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Michael Carrick all having recently returned to training.

Defenders Jonny Evans and Paddy McNair and midfielders Jesse Lingard and Antonio Valencia are still sidelined while captain Wayne Rooney is suspended. (ESPN)

Finland's Mikko Ilonen defeated world number five Henrik Stenson 3&1 to win the World Match Play at the London Club in Kent.

Ilonen, the world number 52, carded four birdies in a bogey-free round to seal the biggest win of his career.

Stenson, three down after

12, birdied 13, only for Ilonen to hole a 12-footer to go three up with four to play.

The Swedish Ryder Cup player pulled one back but was unable to do any more as Ilonen sealed it on the 17th.

"The game plan was not to make any mistakes, you can't afford those with Henrik," said Ilonen, who takes his fifth

win on the European Tour.

"I felt really comfortable going into the final. I felt like I had a good chance of beating him and I did."

Stenson won the FedEx Cup and the Race to Dubai last year but is still searching for his first tournament victory of 2014.

"I exceeded my expectations for the week," he said. "I didn't play my best, I was unlucky on a couple of putts but the best player won."

Stenson had earlier won his semi-final against South Africa's George Coetzee on the final hole, while Ilonen defeated Dutchman Joost Luiten 2&1.

Coetzee and Luiten could not be separated over 18 holes in the third-place play-off, with the latter taking it at the first extra hole.

(BBCSport)

Floyd Mayweather

Dr Olivier Rabin

Mikko Ilonen poses after one of his many outstanding shots

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Pacquiao makes basketball debut

Manny Pacquiao made his professional basketball debut on Sunday, just a month before he is set to defend his WBO welterweight crown.

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Pacquiao started Sunday's game for the newly formed KIA Sorento of the Philippine Basketball Association but played only seven minutes and committed two turnovers in his team's 80-66 win over the Blackwater Elite at Philippine Arena.

The boxing icon, who joined the pro league team as a player-coach, played in a preseason game earlier this month, finishing with one point and two turnovers after a 10-minute stint.

The 5-foot-6 Pacquiao said after the game he would take a break from his KIA duties to focus on the defense of his WBO welterweight crown on November 22 in Macau against

feated junior welterweight

Stoke comes from behind to top Swansea

Substitute Jonathan Walters struck the winner as Stoke came from behind to defeat Swansea and claim just their second home league win this season.

The visitors, dominant in the first half, went ahead through a Wilfried Bony penalty after Ryan Shawcross was penalised for a foul on the Ivorian.

Stoke levelled through a Charlie Adam penalty as Angel Rangel was harshly judged to have fouled Victor Moses.

Walters' impact was immediate, heading home Oussama Assaidi's cross.

It is a victory which will ease the fears of those who worried about Stoke's home form this season.

Both Aston Villa and Leicester had already won at the Britannia Stadium during an indifferent start to the campaign for Mark Hughes' men, and Swansea's bright start to Sunday's match suggested another visiting team could leave the Potteries with three points.

But thanks to a little fortune with the Adam penalty, and the impact of secondhalf substitutes Walters and Assaidi, Stoke regrouped after the break to secure backto-back league victories.

Swansea, who are now without a win in five league games, will be frustrated at not having made the most of their first-half dominance and disappointed that Stoke were awarded a penalty.

The visitors created two great chances – influential duo Gylfi Sigurdsson and Ki Sung-Yueng forcing Asmir Begovic into action – before they were awarded a penalty themselves.

As the players prepared for a corner, Shawcross needlessly pulled down Bony inside and referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot.

Bony's composed finish further added to Shawcross' woe as no player has conceded more penalties in the Premier League since the 2008/09 season than the Stoke defender, whose unwanted tally stands at seven.

Fortunately for Shawcross, referee Oliver helped level matters by harshly penalising Rangel for what he believed was a foul on Moses just before the break.

There seemed to be little contact between the pair and the Argentine was still shaking his head in disbelief even after Adam had stepped up to score his second goal of the season. Stoke were far better after the restart, retaining possession and creating a number of chances against a retreating Swansea.

First, Adam shot from distance and then Peter Crouch – who had scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances against the Welsh side –headed wide from a corner.

Walters made a 62ndminute introduction to the match – and his bullet of a header from Assaidi's cross ensured Stoke leapt to 10th in the table while Swansea, after a promising start to the season, fell to eighth. (BCC Sport)

l aND FOr Sale

unde-

champion Chris Algieri. (ESPN)

Manny Pacquiao

Stoke City celebrates win

Letter to the sport editor Can West Indies survive the silly and embarrassing action in Dharamsala?

Dear Editor,

Cricketing nations the world over as well as the diehard fans in the Caribbean and the wider world are at a loss of the silly action by the cricketers to return home in the midst of a tour because of a financial dispute with the WICB and are now wondering what will be future of the game as far as the West Indies is concerned.

At the moment it seems to be grim.

As I have said before blame must be attributed not only to the players, and the WIPA, but should also be placed on the WICB for not intervening and preventing the stand off between the cricketers and their bargaining agent.

I also wish to cast blame on Clive Lloyd, former Captain, who was and maybe still is in India at the time of the walk off. Clive, although is merely Chairman of the Selection Committee, and not President of the WICB, is well respected by the players since he was the most successful Captain who led the West Indies more than any other Captain.

I am certain if he had strong words with Bravo and his team mates they would have backed down from their plan.

Another Captain Richie Richardson, another official was there also and one wonders if he did not try to dissuade the cricketers from their foolish action.

Clive apologised and in a report from New Delhi apologised for the walk out and said that the players have made a mistake and went further to express the hope that he hoped the players' action would not damage the outstanding great relationship between the two cricketing nations.

I am not certain about this since the BCCI is hopping mad since they have lost tens of millions of dollars and their fans were deprived of seeing the Windies in action, and as a result, threatened legal action and mo -

Serena criticises Russian Chief for sexist slur

World number one

Serena Williams

slammed Shamil Tarpishchev for using "extremely sexist, racist and bullying" comments after the Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) President described her and sister Venus as the "Williams brothers".

reso seeking intervention by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the world's governing body for cricket and plans to scrap India's tour to the West Indies in 2016.

Of course it will interfere with Windies participation in the upcoming World Cup. What would be detrimental to most of the players is to ban them from playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League.

Former captain Courtney Walsh criticized the players and said that they should have never walked out in the midst of a tour while world renowned commentator, Barbadianborn Tony Cozier like me blames the WIPA, WICB and the players. He said all three clearly failed to appreciate the damaging consequences such drastic decision was bound to have on them all.

It seems to me that the players had planned their embarrassing action. Why didn't they inform the Board that they would not play unless their demands were met, before they departed for India.

Maybe the WICB would have selected a second string squad as they did during the Kerry Packer debacle when Alvin Kalicharran replaced Lloyd as Captain and several "A" team players would have been drafted in the team.

Well there is now a dilemma and every effort should be made to resolve the matter in order to bring cricket back to where it was. We must always remember that cricket is our culture, and the best medium for Caribbean integration followed by the University of the West Indies.

Therefore, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) should be involved and that regional body should move as speedily as possible to salvage the desperate situation.

Sincerely,

Oscar Ramjeet

The WTA took swift action and fined Tarpishchev US$25,000 (15,540 pounds) and disqualified him from working in an organisational capacity for a year on Saturday after he made the comments on Russian State Television on Friday.

Tarpishchev, who is also an International Olympic Committee member, made an official apology later on Saturday after a WTA demand to do so but that was not enough for a clearly unhappy Williams.

"I thought they were very insensitive and extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time. I thought they were in a way bullying," Williams told reporters in Singapore on Sunday.

"I've done the best that I can do, and that's all I can say. So I just wasn't very happy with his comments. I

think a lot of people weren't happy as well.

"But the WTA and the USTA (United States Tennis Association) did a wonderful job of making sure that -in this day of age, 2014 for someone with his power, it's really unacceptable to make such bullying remarks."

Appearing on a chat show, the programme host said to Tarpishchev: "I was at the Olympics, where Maria Sharapova was in the final, playing with one, with

one of the...." before the RTF head responded by saying "Williams brothers".

WTA Chief Executive Stacy Allaster said the comments were "insulting, demeaning and have absolutely no place on our sport".

"REALLY IRRESPONSIBLE"

American Serena Williams, 33, is the current world number one and has won 18 grand slam singles titles. She has also teamed up with her elder sister

Venus to win 13 grand slams and three Olympic gold medals in doubles.

Venus, 34, is a former world number one, who has also won seven grand slam singles titles.

Serena is in Singapore to play in the season-ending WTA Finals tournament, which she has won the last two years. The tournament begins on Monday with Williams taking on Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the opening match.

Also in the field is world number two Maria Sharapova, with whom Serena has endured a frosty relationship. The French Open champion was also offended by the comments of her compatriot.

"I think they were very disrespectful and uncalled for, and I'm glad that many people have stood up, including the WTA," Sharapova said.

"It was very inappropriate, especially in his position and all the responsibilities that he has not just in sport, but being part of the Olympic Committee. It was just really irresponsible on his side." (Reuters)

Mayweather Sr says Mayweather/ Pacquiao will happen

Although Floyd Mayweather Jr has yet to announce his plans for 2015, his father has no doubt that a fight against Manny Pacquiao will happen.

"It's gonna happen. That fight's gonna happen. Trust me," Floyd Mayweather Sr told fighthype.com. "That fight's definitely gonna happen. It's a fight for the world, man, right there. It's the biggest fight that has ever been in life, so like I said, man, that fight's gonna happen."

Mayweather Sr said his son never told him that the fight was in his plans, but with his son saying that he will retire after finishing the two fights left on his six-

fight Showtime deal, he believes all signs point to the megafight with Pacquiao.

"[I'll] tell you right now, he never told me the

fight's gonna happen, but ... the fight's gonna happen," Mayweather Sr told the website. "You mark my words, and we'll see."

The 37-year-old Mayweather Jr, who is 47-0 with 26 knockouts and holds the welterweight and junior middleweight titles, has yet to divulge his future plans other than he expects to fight somebody in May.

"I'm gonna go and talk to my team and see what the future holds," Mayweather said last month after his second victory over Marcos Maidana. "I don't know who I'm fighting in May, but I expect to fight in May. Manny Pacquiao needs to focus on the

guy in front of him. Once he gets past him, he can look to the future. If the Pacquiao fight presents itself, let's make it happen."

The 35-year-old Pacquiao, who next defends his welterweight title on November 22 against Chris Algieri in Macau, China, has said that a fight against Mayweather "could happen" in 2015. He even took a few jabs at Mayweather last month on Twitter, saying, "He acts like an uneducated person" and that "he should fear God".

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said recently that HBO and Showtime/CBS have been holding talks about working together on a joint pay-per-view. It remains to be seen whether a deal can be made -- it has gone unmade for years despite intense public demand -but count former champion Sugar Ray Leonard among those who want to see it happen.

"They should fight. ... That fight would be huge," Leonard told Fox 11 Los Angeles last month. "I think fans are starving for excitement. Fans are starving for competition, evenly matched fights. But it would be huge."

Serena Williams

Floyd Mayweather Sr

Manny Pacquiao

D'Andrade wins TTARP 5K

Trinidad-based Guyanese Lionel D’Andrade is running himself into form by winning the Trinidad and Tobago Association for Responsible Persons (TTARP) annual 5k event on Saturday at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

D'Andrade crossed the finish line in 15 minutes, 34 seconds while Trinidadian Sherwyn Stapleton was second in 15 minutes, 50 seconds and Shane Barran of Trinidad, third in 16 minutes, four seconds.

“I feel good with my time. Today I tried to run under 16. But I didn't get to do a proper warm-up, because

I arrived late for the race. After Curtis Cox (T&T) won the Pale Seco 6K two weeks ago, I felt I needed to come back stronger and I did that, so I am still please with my time; even though it was also very humid," D’Andrade stated.

Meanwhile, Trinidad’s Tonya Nero who is a regular performer in Guyana won the female version of the event in 18 minutes, 17 seconds.

D’Andrade's next event will be the 6.5K scheduled for November 8, as the lanky runner is seemingly opting to miss the South American 10k event scheduled for October 26.

murray wins Vienna open

Andy Murray came from a set down to beat David Ferrer 5-7 6-2 7-5 in the final of the Vienna Open.

The victory means he moves ahead of the Spaniard in the race to qualify for the World Tour Finals.

Murray, 27, broke his opponent three times in the final set before holding his nerve to serve out the match and win only his second title of the year.

The win means that the Briton leapfrogs Ferrer, 32, and moves up to eighth in the race to London.

"It always feels good to win a tournament," said Murray, following the match that lasted two hours and 42 minutes.

"It was an extremely difficult match. Ferrer deserved to win the first set, I deserved the second and the third could have gone either way. But it's been a great week and I'm very happy."

The victory was Murray's first over a top eight player since he won the Wimbledon title in 2013.

Murray will now travel to Valencia for a tournament that carries 500

GABF to host school games

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) is looking to beef up its database on school players with the organisation of school games among four secondary schools scheduled to start on October 24.

The four schools that will be involved in the event are St Roses High School, St Stanislaus College, President’s College and Bishops' High School.

According to the GABF, the choice of schools for

the commencement of games was determined by the performance ranking of the school and whether the school has a basketball court.

Further, the GABF in a release has made it clear that the games are not part of a tournament but should be viewed as exchange games to develop school basketball.

Meanwhile, the GABF also revealed that in January 2015, the Federation will be donating $50,000 to $100,000

to Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) as well as $50,000 to $100,000 to Berbice Amateur Basketball Association (BABA) to emulate its efforts to play basketball exchange games in the schools where possible.

In addition, the GABF in 2015 will be aiming to add more schools to the pilot programme in Region Four, including both male and female student athletes as it seeks to make basketball an ever-present feature of the annual school calendar.

The GABF has made it clear in the release that they will support these exchange games annually and will keep expanding the programme across the country.

The GABF also hopes that corporate sponsors join with the Federation to promote and develop schools basketball.

The games are expected to uplift basketball in Guyana and imbue in the students confidence and the will to succeed.

Tennis Association names IGG squad

The Guyana Tennis Association has named a four member Under-12 squad for the upcoming Inter-Guiana Games scheduled for Guyana on October 24.

The event will feature Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and will be held at the GBTI Court in Bel Air Par, and Diamond. The squad will feature Kalyca Fraser and Sarah

Klautky on the female squad, while the male squad will be Jordan Beaton and Heimraj Resaul. The games are expected to last from October 24 to 25 with intense action among the three countries. Meanwhile, the Association will name an Under-16 and 18 team in the coming week to participate in the event.

cozier weighs in on WicB, WIPA conflict

points before playing in Paris, where there are 1,000 on offer for the winner, in the last event before the season finale at the O2 Arena.

Six players are chasing three remaining places for the ATP World Tour Finals. Marin Cilic is sixth in the race but qualifies as he won the US Open.

"It's the same for both of us," added Murray on the race to London.

"Ferrer won in Shanghai last week, I won here. Whoever qualifies for the finals will deserve it. It's the best players over the 12 months. We'll see over the next weeks, but it's going to be very close."

Tomas Berdych also closed in on his place at the World Tour Finals with victory at the Stockholm Open where he also came from a set down to beat Grigor Dimitrov 5-7 6-4 6-4.

He now sits seventh in the world, while Dimitrov's hopes of qualifying for the O2 are fading.

Cilic, who has already qualified for the World Tour Finals, won the Kremlin Cup Men's Singles Final, with a 6-4 6-4 win over Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut. (BBC Sport)

Commentator Tony Cozier has said West Indies could fail to send a squad to their upcoming tour of South Africa as well as the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand if the standoff between the West Indies Cricket Board, West Indies Players Association President and CEO Wavell Hinds and the West Indies Players' Movement spearheaded by ODI Captain Dwayne Bravo remains unresolved.

"The BCCI are very upset that the West Indies Board and the players should have called off the tour at this stage," Cozier told ESPN cricinfo in a telephone interview from Barbados on Friday. "Now having done that, meaning that this tour is finished, they were scheduled to go to South Africa right after. They've got three Test matches in December, five one-day internationals in January and a Twenty20 and then they are scheduled to move straight from South Africa to the World Cup in Australia in New Zealand. I can't see that happening if the stand-off remains."

Tony Cozier

Cozier characterised the abandonment of the West Indies tour of India as a "lose-lose situation" and stated that both the players and the Board shared responsibility for letting the dispute get out of hand. Cozier believes the players should have made their stand prior to leaving the West Indies for the start of the tour, but once they were in India, the WICB should have intervened after the situation escalated on tour with Bravo calling for the resignation of Hinds.

"The West Indies Board really should have got in-

volved and said, 'Look, we can sort this out. Let's wait for the tour to finish, play all the way through and then we'll go with what your demands are. We'll talk about it. If it needs negotiating, we'll agree with that. But we have to talk about it,' not to abandon a very important tour, a very significant tour virtually before it started."

Cozier also lamented that another blow had been delivered to cricket fans in the region now that they can no longer watch their team on tour going up against the reigning World Cup Champions. Spectator attendance at grounds throughout the West Indies has been in decline for some time and this latest incident will not help resuscitate what Cozier describes as a waning level of support for West Indies cricket.

"The fact of the matter is that the West Indies, under the ICC rankings for Tests and ODIs, they're eighth in the list and only above Bangladesh and Zimbabwe," Cozier said. "The interest in cricket here in the Caribbean on the field has certainly waned to a large extent. The Test match-

es against New Zealand, a very good series here back in June, a good tight series New Zealand won 2-1, you looked at the crowds then and you had maybe 200300 people at the ground. The biggest crowd perhaps was in Barbados where you had about 1000. That just reflects the exasperation of the supporters here in the Caribbean. They can't understand why this should be happening over and over and over. You wonder if they've all given up on it now.

"In any situation when you have an employer against an employee, which is the Board and the players, that public sympathy would be inclined more to the employee who happens to be the players and of course they are the ones who go into the middle. They are the stars. All the same, there are other sports which have come up and challenged West Indies cricket, which after all has been the bedrock of unity within the Caribbean for the better part of 120 years. Whether it will continue, well that's another question."

(Cricinfo)

Heimraj Resaul

Kalyca Fraser

Jordan Beaton

Sarah Klautky

Andy Murray lifts his trophy after the win

Persaud pips Greaves to take 5-Stage title

A jubilant Robin Persaud raises his hands as he crosses

Sierra Leone's player banished by Greek club over Ebola

Greek club PAS Lamia have asked Sierra Leone's John Kamara not to train or play with the club for three weeks due to fears over the Ebola virus.

Kamara returned to Greece after playing for the Leone Stars in their Africa Cup of Nations ties in Cameroon.

Lamia told him the decision was on advice from the Greek health ministry.

"[The club told me] I shouldn't be with the team for 15 to 21 days as I went to Africa to play and because of the Ebola virus," Kamara told BBC Sport.

"They made it clear I should stay indoors or I should travel abroad to see my family and not go to training."

Sierra Leone had to host their tie against Cameroon in Yaounde because they are banned from playing at home by the Confederation of African Football due the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the country.

The move by second tier

added.

"[While we were in Cameroon] they checked our temperatures every morning and every evening.

"I have told the club I am ready to undergo any medical they want me to do – as far as I am concerned I don't have the Ebola virus.

"I don't understand it but I have to respect their decision."

The 26-year-old added he would have to think about his future with the club.

"I can't say anything about my future right now because I have so many things to think about, I have to speak to my family and my agent about it before I consider what to do," he said.

Lamia comes despite the fact there have been no reported cases of Ebola in Cameroon and Kamara has not been to Sierra Leone in more than a year.

"The last time I was in Sierra Leone was for the World Cup qualifiers against Tunisia and Cape Verde," he

Kamara played in both Nations Cup qualifiers for Sierra Leone in Cameroon, the Leone Stars earned a goalless draw before losing 2-0 four days later.

The BBC has contacted the second tier Greek club but no one has was available for comment. (BBC Sport)

John Kamara has been advised not to train or play with the club for three weeks due to fears over the Ebola virus