Guyana Times Daily

Patrons of GuyExpo flocked the Digicel booth Friday night to cash in on the many deals (Marceano Narine photo)

SaturdaY, october 4, 2014

Rice cereal factory in Region 2 – courtesy of IAST ... dignitaries had first sample at GuyExpo opening

The Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST), in partnership with the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry Thursday evening launched an initiative to build a commercial facility in Region Two for the production of breakfast cereals from rice.

The launch was attended by President Donald

Ramotar and First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar; Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Mrs Yvonne Hinds; Housing Minister Irfaan Ali; Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh; Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy; Minister within the Agriculture Ministry Ali Baksh; and Minister within the Finance Ministry Juan

Edgehill. Government will invest $75 million into the project, for a facility which has the capacity to produce five metric tonnes of breakfast cereals daily. The funding is secured under the Rural Development Fund administered by the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry.

IAST Director,

Professor Suresh Narine at the launch said, “this is the first of a series of innovative projects at the IAST that will be commercialised within the next 10 months, and I am delighted that this, the first of the series, focuses on adding value to rice to produce a nutritious, tasty and fun highvalue product”.

Narine added: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to Minister Ali for his partnership and vision in collaborating with the institute to make this commercialisation possible.”

Minister Ali said “in keeping with this year’s theme for GuyExpo, ‘Transformation through Partnership’, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce is delighted to take the lead in collaborating with the IAST to ensure rural development, valueadding to our agricultural commodities, and the creation of more than 60 jobs in Region Two”.

By taking the lead on this project, the Minister clearly was able to “walk the talk” when he encouraged patrons during his speech at the opening ceremonies of GuyExpo to take risk so as to create wealth.

Among the beaming and visibly delighted dignitaries, Minister Ramsammy also joined the others in commending the IAST for its role In fostering innovation and further indicated that this project fits in perfectly with the vision the Ministry has been advocating – the utilisation of science and technology for the adding of value to agricultural commodities, not only for the production of nutritious food, but also for the production of other useful and valuable products.

Similar words of encouragement and commendation were echoed by the other speakers, who included Ashni Singh and Prime Minister Hinds. President Ramotar in his comments congratulated the IAST for its efforts and pointed out that in his opinion, there were many other innovative processes developed by the institute that justifies additional commercialisation activity. The President visited the institute approximately six weeks ago and was impressed by the number and spectrum of projects underway at the institute.

The institute began a market survey on the opening night at the GuyExpo to evaluate the product. Already, based on approximately 200 taste testers, the product, which is currently either chocolate or molasses flavoured, has received almost unanimously positive reviews.

Trotman paedophile claim

Welshman nudges Police to push probe

Johnny Anthony Welshman who has accused Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman and two other men of sexually molesting him when he was a child is calling on the Guyana Police Force to be more proactive with the investigations into his alleged abuse.

Speaking with the Guyana Times, Welshman said that the slow pace of the investigations is worrisome to him, because the Police had held one of his

abusers, a friend of his father’s, but subsequently released him. “At the station he was behaving so guilty, but then they let him go, so I don’t know what to think, or what is going on,” he stated.

The 22-year-old claimed that something seems to be amiss with the probe, as he heard that the statement he had given to Police was missing. However, he said that he never confronted the investigating officers to confirm this. “I just want the Police to investigate the matter thoroughly so that I can get the justice I came here for and move on with my life,” the young man cried.

Welshman has said he was “fed-up” with the Police, alleging that he has been threatened on numerous occasions but they have not done anything.

He has said that since he has gone public about his abuse, he has been bombarded with threats and insulting remarks. It has even escalated to a point now where he has to move out of his home, because persons have threatened to shoot up the residence. “I have been threatened so many times. I can’t walk the road: people tell me insulting things and even spit on me. They even called me and my mom and threatened me to withdraw the case from the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions] … and now they threatening the people I’m staying with, so now I have to move out because I can’t put these people’s lives in danger,” he stated.

Welshman went on to dismiss allegations that he was paid to fabricate the allegations against the Speaker of the National Assembly. He alleged that Trotman was using his powers to smear and tarnish his credibility and scare the people who are helping him.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old is adamant in his quest for justice. He said that while he was trying hard to get justice, there were persons out there who were making it most difficult for him to get by, but this would not deter him. “I will do what it takes to make sure that I get justice even if I have to sleep on the road; I will do it, but I will get justice … it’s what I came here for … I can’t let these people get away with it,” the young man said. About two weeks ago, Welshman revealed that he was abused by his father, a friend of his father’s, and Trotman, detailing that the politician had sexually abused him between the ages of 9 and 12. The Speaker has vehemently denied the allegations, stating that they are politically motivated.

President Donald Ramotar with other officials at the launch of the IAST rice cereal

Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman

Johnny Anthony Welshman

OPENINGS

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery showers can be expected in the morning hours with heavy rain showers in the early afternoon hours. Light rain showers are expected to prevail in the late afternoon with partly cloudy conditions expected in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North Easterly between 3.12 metres and 3.57 metre per second.

High Tide: 00:29h and 13:12h reaching maximum heights of 2.33 metres and 2.38 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 06:36h and 19:10h reaching minimum heights of 0.82 metre and 0.83 metre respectively.

GRA emailgate: Sattaur accuses Glenn Lall of corrupting staff

Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur on Friday said his staffers have been allegedly compromised by Kaieteur News Publisher Mohan Lall, better known Glenn Lall, citing the recent disclosures of confidential information.

He has also indicated that the Police have been called in to probe what he described as a very serious security breach. Expressing concerns and alarm at publications made in the Kaieteur News, the GRA Commissioner General has indicated that the content of the articles and publications in the “Dem Boys Seh” column clearly demonstrated that the Kaieteur News and Glenn Lall have been able to successfully infiltrate and corrupt staff within the agency to obtain sensitive and confidential information.

The Commissioner

General stated that Lall was able to obtain confidential information on his overseas travel plans, the purpose of his visit overseas and information on an initial analysis of the income of media houses to inform the need for an audit.

Sattaur said GRA, subsequent to the unlawful disclosures of information, obtained by illegal and illicit means, has since taken numerous steps to buttress its Information Technology Security Infrastructure, internal access to, and transmission of sensitive taxpayer information, in addition to launching an intensive investigation into the source of these leaks and other illegal and illicit activities.

“To date, despite its best efforts, the agency has been unable to identify the source of these illegal disclosures and unlawful transmission of sensitive taxpayer information, personal information on the head of the Guyana

Revenue Authority and other internal workings of the GRA.”

According to Sattaur, having regard to the inability of the GRA to identify the source of these illegal disclosures, it is preparing to formally request the Guyana Police Force to conduct intensive and extensive investigations to determine the perpetrators and offenders. Sattaur reiterates that “the Police should investigate and compel Lall to disclose the source of his information against the Laws of Guyana, rendering them liable to criminal prosecution”.

Audit of Kaieteur News

The Commissioner General said that “a comprehensive audit of Kaieteur News Holding Company was warranted and the initial analysis was prompted by the recent discovery of incidents relating to the alleged evasion of taxes by the company on imported ink and irregular and unlawful evasion of import duties on vehicles imported by remigrants but used by the Kaieteur News’ publisher and his wife.

the GRA has audited thousands of businesses and is yet to receive reports that there was a conspiracy or plot to destroy the said business or that the businesses was/were thereby destroyed.”

According to him, officers of the company, including Lall may rest assured that once the business is compliant with the tax laws, no audit by the GRA will result in the destruction of Kaieteur News.

“Having regard to the extreme length at which the Kaieteur News would go to prevent this audit, including corrupting officers of the GRA or others unknowns to divulge sensitive and confidential information, creation and

A65-year-old cook was on Friday fined $50,000 for electricity theft when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Ramesh Mahabir was charged with fraudulently and maliciously diverting electricity from a utility pole, which is powered by the Guyana Power and

Light (GPL) to his home. Without hesitation, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, stating that he was cooking at the time and had no electricity in his home. The facts were as charged according to the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant.

The Chief Magistrate then fined him $50,000 with an alternative of six months’ imprisonment. Electricity thief fined $50,000

“These unlawful transactions were clear indicators and drivers for a preliminary investigation as to whether a comprehensive audit of the company or Lall was necessary. Unfortunately, Lall and the Kaieteur News were able to surreptitiously obtain this information by deceit, corruption and for illegal means and have attempted to manipulate this information to stultify efforts by the GRA to conduct the comprehensive audit of the company by creating false emails, purportedly suggesting a conspiracy to destroy the newspaper.”

Sattaur maintains that “a comprehensive audit of a company is not designed to destroy a company but to ensure that the company is compliant with the tax and revenue laws of Guyana. He said to date,

publication of fake emails, public statements suggesting audit of the company will result in its destruction, it is evident that the company may not be compliant with the tax laws.”

Sattaur posited that in the three decades that he has been employed within the GRA and the 12 years that he has been the Commissioner General, “there has never been a disclosure of confidential taxpayer information or even an allegation that there has been such disclosure”.

It is interesting to note that it is only after Lall illegally obtained confidential information regarding an impending audit that these unfounded, malicious, and manufactured allegations have surfaced.

GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur

Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall

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

Diaspora and development

President Donald Ramotar and his team of Government ministers recently visited the United States where they participated in the 69th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

As has become customary, the President and his team of ministers used the opportunity while there to meet with the Guyanese Diaspora in that country, which is considered to be in their thousands. Both sides were able to share their views and offer suggestions as to what can be done to make this country, their homeland, a better place for its citizens.

All over the world, governments especially with high rates of migration are seeking to explore ways of how they can tap into the resources, both human and financial, acquired by their citizens over the years in their adopted country.

From the onset, let us state that engagements such as these are necessary as they provide an important avenue for citizens residing abroad to have dialogue with political leaders concerning issues of development and how they (Diaspora) can play a part.

For us in Guyana, the issue of the Diaspora and how they can contribute to the country’s development has been a subject of much discussion. More often than not, discussions have always been centred on how we can encourage the hundreds of thousands of Guyanese living outside of the country to return and offer their services or invest in various fields.

While there is still much work to be done in terms of achieving our developmental aims, the Government must be given some credit for implementing the kind of policies and programmes which are directly geared towards creating greater economic and social development for citizens. The achievements made in various fields such as housing, health, education, infrastructural developments etc, were highly publicised during the President’s meetings with the Diaspora last week.

The PPP/C Administration has already encouraged the Disapora with houselots in the new remigrant housing scheme. Also, other incentives such as duty-free concessions have been offered. This is a good start, and hopefully with time, other forms of support would be provided to ensure that those who are willing to return can do so with little or no hassle.

During one of his engagements with the Diaspora, the President was quoted as saying that his Government remains committed to continuing the transformation of Guyana, but needs the help of all Guyanese including those residing abroad. For him, he does not have a development partner in the Opposition.

He rightfully pointed to the Opposition’s antidevelopmental stance they have adopted since they won a one-seat majority in the National Assembly and which they used to cut critical budgetary allocations, defeat important legislation like the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (amendment) Bill and block transformational projects like the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the Amaila Falls Hydro Power project, and the Specialty Hospital among others.

Certainly, much more needs to be done if our development potential is to be fully realised. For sure, Guyanese at home alone will not be able to push this level of development by themselves because they are too small in number and do not possess all the skills required to undertake this massive task.

It is well known that there is currently a shortage of skills in various fields. Certain skills, especially in the technical areas are badly needed, especially with the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) now being implemented; and here is where those overseas who have acquired these skills can play a part.

We are confident that the engagements with the Diaspora will result in many benefits for Guyana. The Government and other stakeholders are certainly on the right track in their efforts to woo persons to return home and help in nation building. As stated before, it could be win-win situation for all.

Not only would the country benefit, but investment opportunities in Guyana are endless and the Diaspora must take full advantage of them.

Killing of ICRC employee in Donetsk

Dear Editor, It was with deep sadness and indignation that we received the news that on October 2, Laurent DuPasquier was killed during the shelling of the residential area in Donetsk where the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has its office.

We noted the frantic reaction of the Kyiv authorities, who hastened to absolve themselves of responsibility for the death of an employee of this prestigious international humanitar-

ian organisation. Kyiv refused to acknowledge the obvious: that part of Donetsk is controlled by self-defence fighters and was shelled from the Ukrainian forces’ positions.

We resolutely condemn such actions, which constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and insist that the authorities conduct an unbiased and meticulous investigation into this killing and bring the culprits to justice.

For our part, we express our condolences to the ICRC and the family

and friends of Laurent DuPasquier. We believe it is imperative to strictly comply with the memorandum on the protocol adopted following the tripartite consultations of the Contact Group on joint steps aimed at carrying out the peace plan of the Ukrainian President and initiatives of the Russian President, which provide for a ceasefire.

Yours truly, Alexander Lukashevich Russian Foreign Ministry

Send Shiv to India for the ODI matches

Dear Editor,

The West Indies (WI) suffered a nightmare on the opening match against India when the A team bowlers routed the entire team for a mere 148 all out within 40 overs. This is humiliating because it seems as if the Caribbean squad cannot bat the 50 overs with the present team now in India.

I would have thought that now that Clive Lloyd is the Chairman of the WI Selection Panel and former skipper Courtney Walsh is a selector, Shivnarine Chandrpaul would have been included in the ODI squad. Unfortunately this is not so. He should be there to prop up a side.

In fact, he should open the batting and the others bat around him.

It is amazing that the man who has done so well in the past in ODIs is left completely out in the cold. In his international career spanning for two decades, Chanderpaul has been a relentless scorer of runs in all formats of the game.

Specifically looking only at his ODI and List A record, he has an average of over 41, with 12 centuries, 90 additional scores of 50 or greater and a total of 12,000 runs in List A matches.

In his 268 ODIs, he batted 251 times and scored a total of 8778 with 150 his highest. He was not out on 40 occasions. His average in ODI is over 41 runs. A review of the data shows that for the last five years when he was playing for the WI ODI team, Shiv

scored more than 2500 runs in 63 matches at an average of greater than 59 runs in 63 matches, including a knock of 149 not out.

The memorable performance included 16 boundaries and three sixes in only 139 balls, for a strike rate of 109, even as he batted through the entire innings.

Every WI cricket fan remembers his destruction of Chaminda Vaas in Trinidad when the “Tiger” needing 10 runs off the last two deliveries of the game drove Vaas for a four, before flicking the final delivery over midwicket for a six, to seal a famous victory at Queen’s Park Oval.

He is very aggressive against India. His average in his 13 matches in India

is 57, but his average is 81 runs in recent games.

Chanderpaul is known for his consistency and three world famed cricketers, Gibbs, Boycott and Dravid said that the West Indies ODI team should be built around him, and he should bat higher, perhaps opening the batting, as he truly is the glue that keeps them going forward. Dravid is amazed that Shiv is out of the ODI squad.

Come on WICB officials and selectors. It is not late, send Shiv to join the team now. He scored a century two days ago in the Berbice and Demerara encounter following up his remarkable performance against Bangladesh.

Sincerely, Oscar Ramjeet

This family, especially the toddler, are all smiles as they pose with Elmo (Marceano Narine photo)

New York Guyanese Hindus observe Navratri

Dear Editor, Guyanese Hindus thronged mandirs during the evenings from September 24 to October 2 to observe the auspicious festival of Navratri, the annual festival that pays obeisance to the universal mother.

On Thursday evening, the final night when special Kumari (maiden) puja was performed, mandirs were packed to capacity. The mandirs were beautifully dressed with a variety of colours and party favours and lights. Prem Bhakti Mandir (formerly known as Gyaan Bhakti Satsangh) in Jamaica, Queens, was all beautified with a variety of flowers and roses.

The mandir was packed to capacity nightly with devotees who listened to Pandit Rajen Balgobin of New Amsterdam who presented a nightly discourse on the festival.

Worshippers were decked out in traditional colourful attire.

Navratri is an extremely wonderful festival, highly inspiring and instructive on how people should live their lives. Navratri is one of the holiest periods in the Hindu calendar that is accompanied with fasting and sacrifices over nine days and a time when Hindus perform special poojas at home and or in the mandirs to purify their minds and bodies.

In spite of the difficulties of life in America, Hindus make time to visit their temples and to conduct poojas at home just as they would in Guyana or in other countries in the Caribbean. People tend to pray during this period with great fervour and devotion, giving thanks to the universal mother for her sustenance of the population.

Navratri is associated

motherhood – worshippers propitiate the feminine aspects of the Almighty – Hindus do not discriminate among the sexes allowing for the worshipping of Gods and Goddesses.

It is important to stress that while there are several Goddesses and Gods, Hindus believe they all represent the same one almighty who takes different appearances for different purposes and came on earth at different times to model an appropriate lifestyle for humans.

There are several meanings attached to the celebration of Navratri which is directly linked to other Hindu festivals like Ram Leela, Dussehra, and Diwali around this time of the year.

One meaning given for Navratri is nine nights which connotes worshipping of the Goddess Durga (for protection) and her two feminine transforma-

286 animals impounded in September

Dear Editor,

The Home Affairs Ministry wishes to report that during the month of September, the Stray Catching Units operating in Georgetown, East Coast Demerara, West Bank Demerara, West Coast Demerara, West Coast Berbice and the Corentyne caught and impounded a total of 286 animals comprising 21 horses, 119 cows, 87 goats, and 59 sheep.

The Georgetown Unit

accounted for 111, while the Berbice Unit accounted for one 175. Seventeen animals were impounded in the pounds in A Division (Georgetown and East Bank Demerara); 175 in B Division (West Coast Berbice, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne); 61 in C Division (Unity to Good Hope, Good Hope to Conversation Tree and Unity to Abary; and 33 in D Division (West Coast Demerara and West Bank Demerara).

The Home Affairs Ministry continues to appeal to cattle owners to contribute to the safety of road users by ensuring that their animals are properly supervised during their grazing periods and not left to pose danger to persons using the public roads, and also to cause damages to crops and other properties of persons.

Submitted by Home Affairs Ministry

tions – Lakshmi (Lights and wealth) and Saraswati (Education). Each is worshipped for three nights.

“Nav” also means new and Navratri is observed twice a year to mark the coming of the two new seasons – spring and fall. People begin the two seasons with new inspiration, hope and enthusiasm

ed with Navratri – his appearance, disappearance and reappearance in the holy city of Ayodha.

In the spring Navratri, Hindus celebrate the birth of Lord Rama and in the fall, Hindus celebrate the destruction of the evil Ravana by Lord Rama, signifying the triumph of good over evil which is also

Suriname and are staged during the entire period.

In the Caribbean, it is traditional during Navratri for Hindus to invite priests to conduct poojas in their homes. Many Guaynese performed of jhandis (Durga puja) at home. As in Guyana, many worshippers fasted for the entire period, offering jaal

and they want a renewal of their lives. Thus, they pay obeisance to the universal mother for long and healthy life and prosperity and protection during the new seasons. The famed Lord Rama is also associat-

called Dussehra. The Ramleela celebrations are associated with this period and Hindus are holding such celebrations in NY. Ram Leela plays are very popular in Trinidad, Guyana and

or dhar. At the mandir, after pooja, bhojan was served, a unique tradition of Hindus.

Sincerely, Vishnu Bisram

A packed congregation at Prem Bhakti Satsangh during Navrati celebrations

Pandit Rajen Balgobin of New Amsterdam performing aarti at Prem Bhakti Satsangh, New York

BY RONALD ALEXANDER, PHD

Selena, who loved music returned to school to earn a master’s degree and began working with children as a music therapist. Mark went back to his work as an electrician, but he now approached it in a very different way. When he consulted with clients, he suggested bold changes they hadn’t considered and had more patience and compassion with them. In time, Mark and Selena adopted two specialneeds children and had another child

and ask yourself, “Historically have I experienced other challenges in my life and how did I navigate through them?” Now use these past experiences to tap into your internal courage and strength and explore if you can implement the same strategies again.

Trust your inner resources: Once you realise that you survived other traumas before now trust in yourself to know that you have the ability to get through your present challenge.

Learn to keep yourself centred through the unbearable feelings of

through the grief with slow deep breaths. This will help you stay grounded and bring you back to the present.

Start imagining a new life: Even though you are experiencing immense grief start to imagine and invent in your mind’s eye a new future for yourself.

Practice mindfulness: While doing grounding practices such as meditation, yoga, or even walks in nature remember that your loss is cyclical like the seasons. Even when we are in the depths of winter we know that eventu

BY MARYLENE CLOITRE, PHD

It is also important for you to anticipate that your adolescent or child may not want to talk about the event with you. The key is for you to create an environment in which your children feel supported and listened to, and in which you communicate to your children that you are available to talk at any time.

Expect emotions

Expect that your children will be experiencing a number of emotions and that feelings will fluctuate from day to day. Even if your child or teen is doing well, it is possible that feelings and behaviours related to the event may become apparent in the weeks to follow.

Alternatively, your children may not show any signs of distress or worry related to the events. Pay attention to your children’s emotions and behaviours, and talk with them about any concerns you have about their reactions.

Validate emotions. A great variety of feeling is expected as a result of a sudden loss. Show your children that you understand how they are feeling and that they are being heard. For example, you can say “I know how confused you

are about all this. I feel the same way” or “I can see that you are very sad.”

Be honest and open

Your child or adolescent may be more likely to open up about their feelings when you take the lead and discuss your own thoughts and feelings about the event. Sharing your own feelings may help to normalise the experiences and reactions of your children.

Keep it in perspective

When a traumatic event occurs, it is normal for families to become concerned about their sense of safety and well-being. It is important that you keep events such as a plane crash in perspective and recognise that such events are rare. You are encouraged to reassure your children and communicate that these events are not part of everyday life. Use and model coping skills. Encourage your children to use relaxation techniques that have worked for them in the past. This is also important for you as parents to model for your children. Relaxation techniques include taking slow, deep breaths from the diaphragm and visualising a safe and calm place such as a sandy beach or pleasurable memory. Encourage your children to engage in distracting activities, such as sports or hobbies, when they are feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Encourage your children to give back. Children can feel a sense of empowerment, control, and accomplishment by participating actively in their community. Encourage your children to volunteer and help others, especially at times when communities are distressed.

Seek professional guidance. If you see significant changes in your children’s behaviours and emotions that persist over a few weeks or are impacting their functioning, seek professional help. Sometimes a single consultation is all that is needed to help you and your child or teen get back on track. Seek social support. As parents, you may need some support to work through your feelings and thoughts about the event or about how the event has affected your child and family. Seek out support from your friends and families. If needed, speak with a trained professional to process your feelings of anxiety, anger or sadness. (aboutourkids.org)

(continued from thursday)

(continued from friday)

Whittaker appeases restive Plaisance residents

… promises to find solution to ongoing problems

Plaisance villagers met with Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker Friday afternoon to iron out concerns over the operations of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and a plot of land aback the village they have been trying to occupy.

The Minister, it appears, had sent a missive with a member of the NDC that he would meet with residents Friday afternoon to get to the root of their protests that have been going on since last Tuesday. According to a resident, Rodwell Lewis, the Minister had been informed of the escalating situation in the Plaisance area by the Chairman and two council members thus the meeting was called.

Lewis remarked that the Minister was not aware of

some of the issues that had caused them to remonstrate with authorities.

However, the Minister heard the residents out as they registered their disapproval of some of the actions of the Interim Management Committee (IMC). The residents have been protesting since Tuesday about plans to install a new Overseer, which they said is unfair and illegitimate, as they were not approached about this new development though they will be affected by it.

They indicated that they had gotten quite comfortable with the present Overseer, Debra McDowell. She has been there for 15 years and has gained a lot of experience in all that time to be able to handle the duties of her post.

In addition, residents expressed that they have had

an acting Overseer in the past who stole money from their NDC and left, and they do not wish a repeat of this thus they are not in support of anyone being imposed on them.

Minister Whittaker declared that he was not aware of the questionable reputation of the person that is to be installed as Overseer. He will have the matter investigated and get back to residents by Wednesday.

Upon the requests of residents, the Minister also stated that he will also take into account the application of a young lady that has a degree and had applied for the position initially.

He explained that McDowell did not have the relevant qualification for the post, but ceded to the villagers’ protest that she has been there for quite

enough time to have gained enough experience in her post. Regarding the issue of the backlands, the Minister stated that that issue does

not fall under his Ministry.

However, he will be able to arrange a meeting with representatives from the Guyana Sugar Corporation

(GuySuCo) and the Housing Ministry to see what can be done to find an amicable solution. This, he posited, will hopefully occur by Sunday.

TCL Guyana hailed for achieving int’l certification

Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud has expressed pride that TCL Guyana Inc has achieved ISO 14001 EMS Certification, as with such standard, the company would contribute a great deal to sustaining the environment.

At a reception at the Grand Coastal Hotel Wednesday evening where TCL’s management celebrated their company’s international recognition for

under organisational control. ISO 14001 is one of the only environmental management standards that can be certified by an external authority.

Speaking to the issue of balancing the environment with development, the Natural Resources Minister said this continues to be topical issue. “In a country such as ours where there is an abundance of natural resources, as well as rich environmental wealth … we are confronted with what to do, how do we do it and how best

their progressive work in the sphere of cement usage and promotion in Guyana’s construction industry, Minister Persaud commended the company for taking such a step. The Minister observed that while this is also being done in the mining and forestry sectors, the level of commitment by TGI would set an example for others. TCL TGI received the ISO 14001 EMS Certification which was presented to the Plant Manager, Mark Bender, by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) on March 6 at the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown. The ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard (EMS) was introduced in 1996 to help organisations manage the environmental aspects that are

we can get it done in pursuit of creating opportunities, creating prosperity for our people, yet at the same time creating justice in ensuring that we have eco justice as we pursue development.”

He said there are many areas pursued to develop natural resources especially in the extractive sector which is growing, but, “At the end of the day it is about balance, it’s about sensible utilisation and management of those resources,” he stated. The Minister then next touched on industries and the environment, explaining that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was set up to ensure that the balance is maintained. The EPA is the watchdog and ensures there are firm regulations, and a

compliance and enforcement unit was set up within.

“We want to spur growth, create opportunities, and we also want to transform this green wealth that we have and also contribute to this growth and development,” the Minister stated. He said that the EPA has declared a number of companies up to standard, adding that cement companies are also important to the environment. Pointing out the importance of political stability, he noted that without this factor, “all those realities we are trying to realise and sustain, those can be affected”.

“Our government is committed to ensuring that we have a stable political environment that is conducive to the provision of opportunities to all the people of Guyana … and as an investor coming in too, I want to give you that commitment.”

Minister Persaud also congratulated the company regarding the lowering of cement costs in Guyana whilst urging them to maintain their corporate responsibility. Executive Director of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) Evadnie Innis in commending the company noted that it had taken advice to advance.

“We are always encouraging companies to strive for higher heights and strive for certification,” Innis stated. She noted that it is good that people are taking stock of their environment and one of the best ways to do so is to implement a management system that monitors the impact companies have on the environment. Innis also issued a challenge to TCL. “They should not only stop at environment management, there is quality management… we are not a certifying body but we can take you up to the point of certification.”

She threw out the challenge to other companies to

follow suit. Clinton Williams, Head of the GMSA pointed to the company’s capability to strengthen the durability and life-cycle of structures, particularly roadways, while simultaneously allowing long-term cost savings. He urged TGI to move on to work

that would benefit Guyana.

Hannah Wei-Muddeen, Group Health Safety and Environment Manager, TCL Group observed that the award meant international recognition for the company.

TGI’s most recent achievement in Guyana’s infrastruc-

tural development was publicised one month ago when the company, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Works, piloted the Soil Cement Stabilisation technique on the roadway leading to its Georgetown head office.

Residents of Plaisance as they get comfortable in front of the NDC to protest plans to install a new overseer

Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud among guests at the reception to celebrate TCL Guyana Inc international certification

Minibus driver granted bail for causing death charge

A62-year-old minibus

$200,000 bail after being charged for causing death by dangerous driving. Neville Colette ap-

peared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

On September 30 at Prospect Public Road, he allegedly drove motor vehicle BNN 3699 in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of

Verating Akaie.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge. His attorney, Paul Fung-A-Fat, told the court that on the day in question, there were two buses in front of his client, who overtook the vehicles and the now deceased man ran across the road. He noted that his client tried to swerve to avoid hitting Akaie, but he was struck. The lawyer then mentioned a level of carelessness on Akaie’s part.

However, the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant related that the defendant was driving the only bus on the road at that time and the pedestrian was crossing the road when the bus hit him. Akaie was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court for October 24.

Suspected cannabis trafficker remanded

Twenty-nine-year-old

Doodnauth Beharry was on Thursday remanded on a charge of trafficking narcotics.

Beharry stood before the Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It was alleged that on October 1 at Albouystown, he had in his possession 15.9 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. Beharry pleaded not guilty to the charge.

He was represented by Attorney Mark Conway, who told the court that his client was a first-timer and that

should be taken into consideration in granting reasonable bail, since the drug was in a small quantity and was not found on him.

However, the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant noted that the drug was found in the defendant’s pants crotch. Questioned as to whether he had objections to bail, Grant told the court that his objections were based on the nature and prevalence of the offence.

Doodnauth is to return to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Judy Latchman on October 9.

Construction worker remanded for assaulting girlfriend

Collis Duke, a 39-yearold construction worker of South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, was remanded to prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman on an assault charge on Friday afternoon.

Duke pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on September 30 at South Amelia’s Ward, he assaulted Wenetta Kopin, causing her actual bodily harm.

Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick informed the court that the Virtual Complainant (VC) and the

defendant share a relationship. He then told the Court that she received injuries as a result of punches to her shoulders, neck and thighs and other parts of her body.

The VC told the court that the defendant assaulted her, because she refused to have sexual intercourse with him. She related that he “cuffed” her, threw her to the ground, and started to stamp her.

The unrepresented man with no priors was remanded to prison, and the case was transferred to the Linden Court for October 29.

Eyew tness

Raising the bar...

...in investments

GuyExpo is unquestionably one of the most successful local trade shows in the Caribbean.

Hats off to Minister Ali to make it ever bigger and better!! But its success in highlighting what our business community’s doing to be the economy’s “engine of growth” also shows the gaps that have to be plugged if we’re ever to make that quantum leap into that real “middle income” club. You know...the one where we aren’t living from pay cheque to pay cheque.

Too much of what’s on display at GuyExpo are the same fancy imported electronics like smartphones and so on that’s taking the world by storm. And that’s the point, isn’t it?? These aren’t stuff we’re manufacturing – even assembling. Now don’t get your Eyewitness wrong. We ought to be buying those electronics to connect and be enabled as well as anyone else out there.

But if we don’t make stuff that other countries want and demand, where are we ever going to get the foreign funds to pay for the imports?? Truth of the matter is that we’ve been stuck at being producers of “primary goods” for far too long. You know...like rice and sugar and bauxite. Gold may’ve bailed us out for a while – but no one’s going to replace the metal once we’ve dug it out of the ground.

So what did GuyExpo show in terms of manufactured goods. Well, we had our own supermarket of goods produced in Guyana! Even our own rice cereal. And that’s quite a good start. But surely for a country that’s so dependent on agriculture, by now we should’ve been farther down the road in Agro-processing. The Government’s done its bit in creating an investmentfriendly environment. Tax incentives for bringing in manufacturing machinery and all that.

What does it say about us when we don’t have a single cannery in Guyana?? You can’t blame the poor farmers. They’re out in the fields producing “primary product” – like, say, pineapples. It’s up to entrepreneurs to look around and identify niches they can fill by adding value to the primary products, export them and bring in that elusive basket of foreign currency.

And it’s up to the banks to “intermediate” the national savings into manufacturing investments. We looked at the banks at GuyExpo. They were basically focusing on consumer credit – car loans and mortgages.

But the banks are awash in funds. Declaring billions in profits from their high double-digit interest rates. How about making loans for entrepreneurs affordable??

...in diplomacy

The new Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was a big hit in the US following his UN General Assembly visit. And not only on the diplomatic circuit. He filled the Madison Square Garden, usually the stomping grounds for basketball and rock concerts, with an ecstatic crowd of almost 20,000 delirious overseas Indians. The US$1.5 million cost was their gift.

He used Hindi at the UN general Assembly, unlike most Indian diplomats who deliver their speeches in their highly accented English. He did, however, speak in English in from of a mammoth crowd at a rock concert in Central Park (in aid of ending global poverty) where he was introduced by the X-man “Wolverine”, Hugh Jackman. He was making a point!

At the White House dinner, because it was during his Nau Raat fasting period, Modi only drank warm water. He didn’t insist that his host follow suit!! Instead the two of them collaborated on an editorial that’ll be published soon. Not bad for a former “visa denied” tea-seller who was persona non grata only a few months ago, eh??

...on Reparations discourse

Former diplomat Cedric Joseph wrote a wonderful piece advising we keep the argument for reparations in the juridical realm. Abu Bakr feels this elides African complicity. But how else do we escape from the belly of the beast but with the master’s tools??

driver who struck down a pedestrian was on Friday placed on

Neville Colette

CMRV empowering Amerindian communities

Argentine Musical Composer thrills Berbicians

Over 50 Amerindians from the 16 villages of North Rupununi have the advantage of a pioneering project on community resource monitoring that has empowered them to keep account of their lands and resources.

The project was coordinated by the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), the Global Canopy Programme (GCPUK) and Iwokrama.

The Community Reporting, Monitoring and Verification (CMRV) Programme was launched two years ago in North Rupununi with the aim to train the people from the area to monitor their surroundings and their lands.

The training, which ended last Tuesday, involved teaching the villagers about Smartphone technologies and software, particularly the Google cloud system.

With these technologies, the villagers were able to collect and store data on a number of areas and the resources within the areas.

In a press statement, the backers of the project stated that the United Nations at a climate change convention had integrated “community participatory monitoring” as a solution towards avoiding deforestation.

According to Iwokrama Project Consultant Vanda Radzick, the Smartphones became “tools” for the villagers as was the aim.

Radzick explained that many of the areas within the Rupununi and other Amerindian villages are

not being monitored properly, and thus mining and logging companies over extend by not maintaining limits or taking the relevant precautions in their activities.

Radzick remarks that in this way the “local community scientists” have the power to capture such activities, record it and report it to the necessary authorities.

In addition, the local monitors were able to take measurements of forest carbon stocks and be empowered as they were able to provide necessary information to the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) as well as uncovering the contradictory nature of the 2010 satellite imagery on deforestation and forest cover in North Rupununi.

The Project Consultant shared that the information gathered has also been useful in helping the villagers manage their resources and day-to-day activities.

Thus, the CMRV Project

resulted in a community monitoring framework covering essential indicators for local, national and international levels. There was also a huge accumulation of data on hunting, fishing, wildlife, water, and farming among others through the trained village monitors.

The NRDDP Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ivor Marslow informed Guyana Times that the data collected will help with the decisions they make at the National Toshao Council (NTC) as well as getting an agenda from them on certain implementations.

Marslow indicated that the community is quite ready to be a part of the Low Carbon and Development Strategy’s (LCDS) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+).

This, he informs, will allow the villagers to have more control over the Rupununi areas.

PPP/C rebuilding traditional support base – Rohee

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) said it was rebuilding and reorganising its support in traditional constituencies ahead of any possible elections.

In fact, the party is working feverishly behind the scenes to ensure it regains its majority in the National Assembly.

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee said that with the work being done, the party has been able to reclaim its strongholds in areas that it had lost during the last general elections in 2011.

He said that his party has always been in a battle-ready mode. According to him, there is no other alternative. “We are not just ready for battle, but for war in the political sphere,” Rohee told this publication recently.

Reiterating that the Party is not just an electioneering political entity, he said much focus has been placed on “working on

the ground”. “We are not set up to only fight election and then disappear after. We are here all the time. We are always on the ground. If it is not the PPP activist, it is leader of the PPP and Ministers of the Government”.

Rohee dismissed allegations that his Party and the Government have been using State funds to distribute

goodies in an effort to buy votes.

The allegation was made by Leader of the Opposition, retired Brigadier David Granger. The Opposition Leader had claimed that Government was campaigning for the PPP/C, in an innate effort to redeem what was lost. Such activities include the $10,000 grant for every schoolchild in the public education system, among other things, he claimed.

In response, Rohee said that Government has been seeking development for all people, whether or not they are supporters of the ruling administration. “Why would a political leader oppose a $10,000 going against children?”

Rohee said that even supporters of APNU and AFC are benefitting without discrimination. “If you ask anyone about what they think about Government and the $10,000 per child grant, I could put my head on a block, people would welcome it,” Rohee said.

Project Field Coordinator Norbert Williams remarked that the training has equipped the people to be able to monitor fishes, wildlife and also protect themselves from the mining companies and other industries that may affect their way of life and lands. However, funding is still necessary to maintain as well as continue to “build (their) capacity”.

The project was funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the memorandum signed with the GFC provided technical and financial support from the LCDS fund.

Berbicians got a chance to see and hear iconic Argentine musical composer Nestor Basurto perform live when the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry held a concert at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School on Wednesday.

Basurto is currently on a tour of Guyana. Persons were thrilled to hear him perform music of the six provinces of the Region of Cuyan in Argentina. He preformed the Zamsla in different rhythms as is customary in two of the provinces. Also performed by Basurto and much to the delight of those in attendance were Chacorrera, Choya, Chamaml, Tonados, Coeca, Huella and Gato.

The house was also specially treated to performances of the Tango. The concert was part of a cultural exchange between Guyana and Argentina. The renowned artiste will again be in concert on Friday when Lindeners will have a chance to see him perform in the mining town. These activities are specially tailored to promote cultural diversity in the area of music between Guyana and Argentina. Other concerts have also

been arranged for West Demerara and Georgetown.

For the past 12 years, Basurto has been running his own recording studio, where he works as an arranger, producer, and director. He has been in the music industry for the past 38 years, and has a collection of his own compositions which totals in excess of 70 pieces.

During Wednesday’s concert, Basurto also introduced music lovers to software which can help them to compose their own music. The software, which is simple to use, is also available for download on his Facebook page.

In a release, Argentine Ambassador to Guyana, Luis Alberto Martina pointed out that the tour was the second part of a cultural exchange that started this year. He pointed out that the exchange provides an excellent opportunity for schools and young students to interact with an internationally acclaimed music producer.

In June of this year, classical Argentine guitarists Jorge Palacios and Jorge Francisco Marti of the ‘Escordando Duo’ visited Guyana and held several performances.

In front row: Field Coordinator Norbert Williams, NRDDB CEO Ivor Marslow, Project Consultant Vanda Radzick, Iwokrama Resource Management Director Raquel Thomas and Project Manager Bryan Allicock with other participants of the CMRV project

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

Fingers point to Lall as email “hackers” attack GRA account

Even as investigations are ongoing into the illegal release of confidential information from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), there have been several additional attempts to attack the agency’s Information Technology infrastructure.

In a statement on Friday, the GRA said on Tuesday at 19:20h, it was notified by the site administrator of Google mail that there were unusual attempts to access the GRA Public Relations Account, grapublicrelations@gmail. com.

According to Google, GRA said, two attempts were made originating out of Bridgetown, Barbados and another in Georgetown, Guyana.

These attempts were unsuccessful since the person or persons seeking access the account could not verify the requisite information.

GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur has pointed out that fortuitously; the increased security measures and infrastructure thwarted these unlawful attempts. However, “What is ex -

tremely disturbing is that were these attempts successful, persons unknown could have accessed GRA information and perpetrate sinister plans or motives.”

The Commissioner General is requesting the Guyana Police Force to launch a thorough investigation into the breaches, illegal disclosures and attempts to attack GRA’s IT infrastructure. It is evident that Glenn Lall and the Kaieteur News have been able to obtain and have been publishing

confidential taxpayer and GRA information which leads one to suspect that these further attempts may be orchestrated to unlawfully access additional information of this nature.

This unlawful access to and disclosure of confidential taxpayer information by Lall are likely to erode public and taxpayers’ confidence in the Authority. This may lead to hesitancy on the part of the taxpayers to submit information to the GRA for fear that this information may be accessed by Lall and similarly disclosed and or manipulated to their detriment.

The GRA is in possession of and will provide the IP addresses of the failed attempts to hack the GRA’s email server.

The Revenue Authority contends that the Kaieteur News would attempt by any measures to stultify efforts by the authority to audit the company, to disparage the image of the authority and Commissioner General thereby, and in the process eroding the public’s trust and confidence in its mandate. It is imperative that Lall and all others involved be thoroughly investigat-

ed and if found culpable be subject to criminal charges.

The Commissioner General stated that “The GRA wishes to assure the public that in light of those breaches, significant efforts have been made to bolster information security and to prevent any further occurrences. The GRA is calling on all civil-minded persons and political parties to condemn these unlawful disclosures by Lall, the illegal and illicit means by which he obtains confidential GRA information and to publicly call for and support the investigation of Glenn Lall and prosecution if necessary. All persons, political parties, private, and public sector organisations should publicly demean Glen Lall and call for the Kaieteur News to disclose the source of this illegally obtained information and that they desist from this unbecoming and unlawful conduct.”

Time fuh Lalloo stand up

People does hear whah dem want fuh hear and dem does play deaf when dem don’t want fuh hear whah dem don’t want fuh hear. That is exactly de problem wid dem Red String and G-Age-R-A people.

Dem does talk only bout certain tings and certain people in de society. When is dem own people, dem does keep quiet. When is not dem own people, dem does behave like when cow buss rope.

And dem does still want fuh turn round and hold on like if dem right. Dem does never accept when dem wrong, even when dem dead wrong. That is whah old people does call wrong and strong.

A woman seh she get rape in de interior and it look like de Police lapse in every ting from de report, to de investigation, to de follow up, to tekkin care of de woman. So de Police get some lashin. And Red String and G-Age-R-A mek noise.

But dem Police all over de country get accustom to a different kinda lashin. Now another woman seh she get rape again in de interior and de same ting happen. And Red String and G-Age-R-A mek noise again.

So it look like de Police ain’t know whah is rape. Dem too accustom to rapin de system, so it become like normal behaviour. Now another woman, this time in Essequibo, start bawlin rape and de Police ain’t know whah to do. And Red String and G-Age-R-A mek noise again.

Well a lil boy stand up and talk he story as plain as he can. But it look like because of de names whah he call, certain people get quiet. Red String quiet. G-Age-R-A quiet. A lotta other big ones quiet too.

And up to now de lil boy can’t getta a lawyer fuh stand up fuh he. Uncle Rafeel used to stand up fuh he long ago. Lalloo can’t stand up, but he always lookin fuh lawyer wuk and he promise it free.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! So is high time Lalloo stand up! And hope Red String and G-Age-R-A mek noise again.

Reception for organisers of electronic voting system this evening

The High Commission of Canada in partnership with the University of Guyana (UG) will this evening host a reception in honour of the Delian Electoral Pilot Project that was conducted during the University of Guyana Students’ Society elections.

The non-profit organisation, Delian Project was invited by UG to provide donated electoral technology for its students’ society elections during the period October 1-4, using automatic ballot scan and tabulation machines.

The reception will enable Delian and UG to share their research findings of using this voting technology for the first time in Guyana.

This is the first pilot project that Delian has undertaken since signing an agreement with the Clinton Global Initiative, last week

(September 22-26) in New York, USA.

The agreement will see Delian conducting one to five pilots over the next 1218 months in Caricom countries.

According to a release by the High Commission, the technology used in the UG student elections is paper-based and allow for electronic, automatic tabulation of results via a form of document ballot voting system, meaning that there is a tangible record of the voter’s intent as a voter still marks a traditional paper ballot.

The advantage of a paper-based, automatic ballot scan and tabulation system solution is that results are tabulated (counted) as they are sent in at the close of the polls, resulting in the ability to announce results almost immediately, while still maintaining the comfort of a paper trail should a physical

re-count be required. Tabulation results are sent securely with encryption to the central tabulation centre either by cellular phone, satellite or the Internet. Automated ballot scan and tabulation machines can also dramatically reduce the number of spoiled ballots by returning to the voter ballots with unclear markings, thereby counting votes that would otherwise not be discarded.

The Delian Project is an independent, non-profit organisation registered in both Canada, and the US. Delian was created as a joint public/ private philanthropic entity in 2011.

The Delian Project gathers and donates electoral technology to emerging and growing democracies. Delian is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, and recently joined the Clinton Global Initiative.

Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall

GRA Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur

EU diplomat urges Caribbean to rethink renewable energy policies

The head of the European Union Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Ambassador Mikael Barfod said if the Caribbean is to fully integrate renewable energy into its development path so that it impacts on its economy, then it must adjust its mindset to do so.

Barfod, who will be participating in the October 6-8 Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum in Miami, said currently, access to renewable energy in the Region is much skewed.

“Only a few Caribbean citizens have had the opportunity to educate themselves on the benefits, and even fewer have actually implemented various renewable energy systems with attendant benefits, despite the affordability of the technology, financing opportunities and very impressive ‘payback’ periods.

“Renewable energy

seems to be perceived as being for the ‘elites’, while in many countries in the Region the fuel adjustment clause still hits the most vulnerable harder than the rest of the population,” he added.

Barfod, in an article entitled “Renewable Energy – Bridging the Caribbean Divide – An EU perspective” said the Caribbean must adopt a renewable energy mentality, even as he acknowledged that “this is no doubt easier said than done”.

But he argued that with the high education levels of the Region, relatively robust governance systems, proximity to and extensive exchanges with very developed economies and the substantial amounts of investments offered by both donor agencies and the private sector, a very sound basis exists on which to achieve the goals of the Region.

He said the Caribbean realities of low penetration

Health Ministry looking to give boys HPV vaccine

The Health Ministry is seeking to offer the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine (HPV) to young boys, but have some reservations because of the current unavailability of the vaccine on the global market.

This is according to Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud in a recent interview with Guyana Times

The HPV vaccine was first launched in Guyana some three years ago and was being administered to young girls between the ages of 10 and 12.

However, Persaud said the Ministry has been considering offering the vaccine which is aimed at preventing anal, oral and cervical cancer, to boys of the same age range.

“We have been taking consideration for introducing HPV into the male population to the same group. But we will have to look at that in context of the availability of the vaccine,” he said.

HPV is a common virus in both women and men. It can cause anal and mouth/

of renewable energy, insufficient renewable energy specialists and technicians; energy monopolies, non-implementation of policies, legislation and regulations as well as relatively low public awareness are well known and documented.

First step

Barfod said education, lifestyle changes, policy, legislation and regulation are factors that should be considered among the “first steps” to overcome the impediments.

“Education is fundamental. Similar to the efforts in the hospitality sector, the renewable energy sector must ensure that all aspects of the sector are captured at various levels of the school curriculum.

“The curriculum at the primary, secondary and tertiary level should all feature aspects of the renewable energy subject matter. In this

regard, it is vital that a gender balanced approach is adopted. On a general level too, public education should inform citizens of the Region on making energy choices when purchasing appliances and the affordability and financing options for installing renewable energy equipment in their homes.”

He said essentially the Caribbean is fighting an un-

declared conflict on high energy prices and energy insecurity, both of which have significantly adverse effects on the development of the region.

“At the same time, the Caribbean will cement its already strong moral case in international climate change negotiations by a radical adoption of renewable energy and energy efficient measures.”

Barfod said volumes have been written on the importance of legislation, policy and regulation for establishing sound investment climates and general sector development frameworks.

“However, it is not sufficient merely to enact these. They must be implemented, regularly updated and reviewed by all stakeholders in a country to reflect changing technologies, changing times and to encourage, mandate and inform the renewable energy develop-

ment strategy.

“These are pre-requisites for bridging the divide. It may be claimed that in many countries of the Region, these already exist. This is well, but are they then also translated into action? If this is not the case, stakeholders must collectively find out why not.”

The European Union diplomat said policies, legislation and regulation should not be seen as passive documents but must be actively reworked to deliver and reflect changing times, technologies and circumstances.

“There are countless examples of countries, cities, utilities and organisations that have taken ambitious strides in renewable energy and energy efficiency; it is time that the Caribbean shows its strength and joins this group – sooner rather than later.”

throat cancer (oropharyngeal cancer) and cancer on the penis. Every year, there are over 9300 HPV-related cancers in men. Many of these cancers could be prevented by the HPV vaccine.

One HPV – Gardasil – is recommended by doctors and health experts for boys aged 11-12 years old. The vaccine can also help prevent genital warts. HPV vaccination of boys is also likely to benefit girls by reducing the spread of HPV viruses.

Persaud said the administering of HPV to girls had caused some amount of challenges since it began in 2011. However, the Ministry was still able to see major coverage in some areas.

He said the challenge with HPV now is the unavailability of vaccines on the world market.

“Because we have a revolving fund created by PAHO for small countries that have a small procurement process, PAHO has recently informed that it will not be able to supply the vaccine for this year. So I have asked our Maternal and Child Health Officer to explore some other options that we may have to start seeking Government’s assistance in this area.”

Persaud said this route will have to be taken since there are still young girls who had received the first dose.

“So we’re trying to at least be able to save those cases.”

He said the Ministry is hoping to expand HPV among young girls, covering close to 100 per cent and above 95 per cent, especially in the hinterland areas where the prevalence is much higher.

CMO, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

Ambassador Mikael Barfod

saturDaY, october 4, 2014 | guYanatimesgY.com

New postage stamps celebrate UG’s 50th anniversary

The Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC), in collaboration with the University of Guyana (UG) launched a new issue of commemorative postage stamps on Friday, to observe the institution’s 50th anniversary.

Stamps are available in $80 and $150 denominations and can be purchased at all post offices countrywide, commencing Tuesday October 7.

According to a release, commemorative stamps are the perfect memorabilia to celebrate an anniversary or significant event. Such stamps are circulated both

ty. This was upgraded to an Institute of Adult and Continuing Education. In 1996, the Institute was renamed the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education. The Faculty of Technology was established in 1969, Agriculture in 1977, and in 1981, the Faculty of Health Sciences, prior to the establishment of which programmes in health sciences were offered within the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

A Forestry Unit was established in 1987. In 2002, the Faculty of Agriculture was renamed the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.

Programme. Students are currently required to pay $127,000 per annum. This does not apply to Communication Studies, Law, Medical, and Tourism students who pay $200,000, $300,000, $500,000 and $153,000 respectively.

In 1975, participation in National Service was made a requirement for persons wishing to pursue programmes at the university; however, in 1994, approval was given by Cabinet for the abolition of mandatory National Service for students at tertiary level education institutions.

In the 1993-94 academ-

locally and internationally to a wide spectrum of people.

These stamps attract the interest of philatelists who purchase, sell and store them as valued collectables.

UG was established in April 1963 and began its operations in October of the same year with a batch of 164 students in temporary premises loaned from Queen’s College in Georgetown.

Today, UG operates two campuses, the main operations at Turkeyen and the other at Berbice.

“Management of GPOC wishes to congratulate UG on its 50th anniversary. Moreover, non-member philatelists and members of the public who would like to obtain First Day Covers for this new issue of commemorative postage stamps should contact the University of Guyana on telephone number 2225402.

Philatelists who are registered with GPOC will receive an updated programme,” the GPOC said.

Programmes were at first confined to the Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. However, in 1967, the Faculty of Education was established. And in 1976, a Department of Extra-Mural Studies was started in the facul-

In 2003, the Faculties of Arts and Education merged to become the School of Education and Humanities. In 2005, the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences was established.

At its inception, only general degree programmes were offered by the university, but from 1966, Certificate and Diploma level programmes were introduced.

First graduate programme

The first graduate programme – a Master’s Degree in Guyanese and West Indian History –was started in 1973. This was followed by Master’s programmes in Biology and Education in 1976, Chemistry and Economics in 1977, Political Science in 1978, and Geography in 1984. A Graduate Diploma in Development Studies was also introduced in 1984. From 1975, the university began accrediting programmes run by sister institutions in the Commonwealth Caribbean. A training programme for medical practitioners was launched in October 1985.

The university occupied its present site at Turkeyen in October 1969. The tuition fee of $100 per annum was abolished in 1974. However, in the 1994-95 academic year, the university introduced a Cost Recovery

“Marine”

gunmen rob

miner of $4M

ANorth West District (NWD) businessman was relieved of $4 million after his boat was intercepted by four bandits along the Baramani River, NWD on Thursday evening at about 18:30h.

The victim, Rudolph Ashby, 31, of Aruka River, NWD was held up by four men, one of whom was armed with a shot gun and another with a handgun.

Based on Police investigations, the miner was on his way home and while travelling along the Baramani River, the four men who were in another boat veered into him, causing severe damages to his vessel.

The men then held him at gunpoint and took away the cash he was carrying in a bag.

ic year, the semester system was introduced in the Faculties of Education and Social Sciences. This system was introduced to the remaining faculties in 1994/95.

Within the past five years, a number of new programmes have been introduced, including Masters Degree in Administration, Post-Graduate Diplomas in Urban Planning and Environmental Management and Bachellor Degrees in Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry.

The university also certifies affiliated programmes. The health sector is the main beneficiary of this facility.

In 2005, the meritorious position of Distinguished Professor was instituted. Professor Clive Thomas is the sole holder of this distinction.

In 2009, the first Emeritus Professors were installed. To date, four Professors have been installed.

The current enrolment at the Turkeyen Campus is in excess of 5500 students pursuing more than 60 under-graduate and postgraduate programmes.

To date, more than 15,000 students have graduated and gone on to successful careers, both locally and internationally.

They then made good their escape. According to information reaching Guyana Times , Ashby might have been followed by the group of men who knew he was carrying a huge sum of money.

After the incident, Ashby was reportedly rescued by a passenger boat that was passing and subsequently made a complaint to the Police. No one was arrested, but the miner said he can identify his attackers if he sees them again.

Gunmen terrorise, rob Chinese restaurant owner

The owner of the Chow Hing Chinese Restaurant at Rosignol, West Bank Berbice was severely beaten by six armed men who then escaped with an undisclosed sum of cash and other items.

The robbery was committed on the business place at about 19:25h.

Sue Yong, 49, was assaulted about the body, but more particular to the face after he reportedly refused to corporate with the bandits who were armed with handguns, cutlasses and knives.

Based on reports received, the owner of the restaurant was about to lock up for the day when two men entered under the pretence of ordering food.

Soon after, they instructed the staff and the owner, along with his wife, to lie on the floor. The oth-

ers who exited a heavily tinted black motor car then made their way into the restaurant, demanding money.

Yong reportedly told the men that he did not have any since business was slow for the day, but the men proceeded to the upper flat of the house where they ransacked it in the hope of finding money.

They eventually found an undisclosed sum but went back to the owner demanding more. It was at this time he was dealt several lashes to the body. After doing so, they took away a gold chain belonging to the owner, a laptop computer and mobile phones.

The men, who were all masked, then made good their escape in the black car. A close friend of the Chinese national told Guyana Times on Friday

that the motor vehicle was seen patrolling the area prior to the robbery.

She added that customers were in the restaurant, but a few minutes after they left, the men carried out the attack. The woman added that Yong was severely beaten and had to seek medical attention at the Fort Wellington Hospital.

His entire face, she said was swollen and his head is in bandages. The matter was reported to the Police who took more than 30 minutes to arrive on the scene. Statements were taken and several persons were questioned, but no arrest was made. Guyana Times understands that the business has a night guard, but at the time of the incident, he had not reported for duty. The Police have since launched an investigation.

ACMW wants regional media to regulate itself

The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACMW) is making preparations to engage in a UNESCOsupported project to develop a framework for media self-regulation in the Caribbean.

Stakeholder consultations will take place in Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago this month to explore models and options for media self-regulation and to engage in frank dialogue on media ethics and standards.

In Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, the ACMW will also participate in workshops associated with the work of the media at election time and host separate sessions on charting

a way forward on the issue of self-regulation.

The TT consultations will take place on October 8 and 9 in partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA), Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) and Ken Gordon School of Journalism and Communication Studies at COSTAATT.

On October 25, there will be consultations in St Lucia.

In Jamaica, consultations will be hosted at the University of the West Indies (UWI) on October 28. The resource personnel for the project will be John Yearwood, World Editor at the Miami Herald; Nick Fillmore, former CBC Canada senior producer and media trainer; Dr Canute James, Jamaican journalist/media trainer; Wesley Gibbings, journalist/media trainer from Trinidad and Tobago and Byron Buckley, Jamaican journalist/communication specialist/media trainer. (CMC)

The Guyana consultations will be hosted on October 18 and 19 in collaboration with the Guyana Press Association (GPA). The Guyana event is pegged to a workshop sponsored by the Canadian High Commission on media and elections. In Trinidad, a seminar will also be held on covering elections.

The Guyana Post Office Corporation in collaboration with the University of Guyana has launched a new issue of commemorative postage stamps to observe the institution’s 50th anniversary

French Guiana eyes local investment opportunities

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of French Guiana is among a group of countries participating for the first time in this year’s trade and investment exposition (GuyExpo).

Speaking with Guyana Times on Thursday, Second Vice Chairman of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry Alex Madeleine said it is the first time that the business community of the French-speaking country is participating in the exposition.

The expo, he said, paves the way for rediscovery of business partnerships here.

“So our objective is to now represent French Guiana to the Guyanese business community and to also take some information where we are able to take back to French Guiana to motivate our companies to come back and do business here,” he told Guyana Times through his interpreter Simon Clerc.

Madeleine explained that along with the Chamber of Commerce visiting Guyana for GuyExpo, the Director of the National Bank of France will deliver a presentation of the economy of French Guiana to local companies.

French Guiana, situated on the North-Eastern coast of South America, is bounded by Brazil to the South and East, Suriname to the West, and the Atlantic Ocean to the North-East.

The country has a developing market economy, patterned on metropolitan France and sustained by aid and tech-

nical assistance from France.

Services and the production, processing, and export of agricultural, forestry, and fishing products are the largest sectors of the economy. The Gross National Product (GNP) per capita is one of the highest in South America.

Agriculture produces about one-twentieth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs about one-eighth of the registered work force, as well as many small subsistence and part-time farmers.

Subsistence farming predominates and centres on the growing of cassava, dasheen (taro), sweet potatoes, rice, corn (maize), bananas and plantains. Most small farms are worked and owned by families, but there are some large estates engaged in growing cash crops, including sugarcane, limes,

bananas, and tropical fruits, largely for export to France.

Forests cover more than four-fifths of the land and contain valuable commercial species. Some forestland is reserved by the state, but most is open to exploitation. Most of the timber cut is used for industrial purposes, and of this, about two-fifths is exported.

Pastures support mainly cattle, pigs, and poultry. Meat and milk production is limited, and large quantities of both must be imported. Shrimps account for most of the annual fish catch.

Mineral industries are of negligible importance, and French Guiana must import mineral fuels and metallic minerals. Gold, gravel, and sand are the only minerals extracted.

The limited manufacturing industries are concentrated on fish, meat, and crop processing and rum and sawn-wood production. Most capital and consumer goods

GuyExpo which was first launched in 1995 became an annual event in 2004. Two years ago, just over 300 exhibitors participated in the exhibition.

This year, over 400 are expected, with 56 international booths and some 70 delegates from 10 countries, including Argentina, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and many other Caribbean neighbours.

GuyExpo is being held this year under the theme “Transformation: Partnering for a better Guyana”.

Benn urges Opposition to get onboard CJIA's expansion

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn said this year offers more capacity in terms of carriers and seat availability, pointing out that the additional competition will lead to better prices for the travelling public.

“Over the years we have worked diligently to ensure additional airlift into and out of Guyana; thus, offering the passengers more choice of carriers to different destinations. We have been successful in that mission since during the last year we have seen new services being offered by Conviasa, Insel Air, COPA Airlines and Fly Jamaica. This sort of achievement within such a short period of time is unprecedented in the aviation industry.”

Depending on their final destination, passengers wishing to travel to the US can now do so via Caribbean Airlines (CAL), COPA Airlines, Insel Air, Suriname Airways (SLM) and Fly Jamaica.

COPA, Fly Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines offer services to New York while SLM, COPA and CAL offer services to Miami.

In the case of TravelSpan, Minister Benn said that the MPW is in contact with its management and has been assured that all passengers with tickets will be fully refunded.

TravelSpan recently exited the market as a result of issues with its carrier.

“I wish to remind that the Government of Guyana has always had an interest in protecting the consumer, and for this reason, we put in place an escrow account where new non-scheduled carriers are required to deposit monies which can be used to refund passengers if the airline suspends their operations.”

The Ministry continues to pursue additional airlift to Guyana, and only last week, two of its senior officials attended the World Routes Conference where meetings were held with several legacy and low cost carriers who expressed an interest in offering services to the North American and European markets.

“There is no doubt that Guyana is an attractive market for some of these carriers since a large number of Guyanese live in the Diaspora in North America and the United Kingdom. The fact that our economy has shown positive growth in the last eight years is an added bonus since there is a direct link between passenger growth and positive GDP in any market,”

Minister Benn stated

The airport expansion project, the Minister added, is a prime selling point for potential investors.

“I am therefore calling on Mr Joseph Harmon and my colleagues in the Opposition to support Government in its effort to attract these new carriers by simply embracing our infrastructure developmental plan. The current runway and terminal does not have the capacity to accommodate long haul carriers from Europe and more economical aircraft to North America, and this is hampering our negotiations with these carriers.”

Minister Benn reiterated that “the aviation sector has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years. There is still room for growth if we can set aside partisan politics and do what is right for Guyana and its people”.

French Chambers of Commerce Vice Chairman Alex Madeleine

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn

GuyExpo:

Regional

Venezuela lawmaker Robert Serra buried in Caracas

Thousands of Venezuelans have paid their last respects to governing party member of Parliament Robert Serra. Serra and his partner Maria Herrera were found dead at their home on Wednesday night in Caracas.

President Nicolas Maduro and other Government officials joined a procession that accompanied the coffins through the streets of Caracas. Maduro has blamed “ultra-right” Opposition groups in the country and in neighbouring

Colombia for the murder.

Serra and Herrera were reported to be have been stabbed. They were buried at a local cemetery after a brief religious ceremony, attended by President Maduro.

In tears, Maduro sang the national anthem and songs praising the Bolivarian Revolution – the movement launched in the 1990s by late President Hugo Chávez.

“I know this cemetery very well, because there are Venezuelan martyrs resting in every corner of it,” said Maduro at the cemetery. “The crowds have been calling for justice. Rest assured that we will, sooner rather than later, arrest those who committed this crime. They have been identified.

“But, more importantly, we will identify the masterminds of these murders. They are abroad, in Colombia and in Miami,” said Maduro. (Excerpt from BBC News)

PM Persad-Bissessar defends her terrorism stand

TT would have faced international pressure if it had not joined with 90 other countries to cosponsor a resolution aimed at tackling global terrorism, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Thursday. She said so as she defended her decision not to consult with Caricom before signing the resolution at the meeting of the UN Security Council, chaired by United States President Barack Obama at UN headquarters, New York, last week.

Documents

Saying “there was limited time for that kind of discussion,” Persad-Bissessar noted the co-sponsorship resolution was also signed by Jamaica. She added: “Jamaica has co-sponsored the resolution as well and what happened is after we arrived in New York, it was brought to our attention that the US was putting forward that resolution. There was limited time for that kind of discussion.

“However, when it was brought to my attention I

had discussions with the Secretary General and Ambassador to Caricom to speak to other Caricom heads to the way forward for Caricom with respect to resolution.”

She also said that many Heads of State in Caricom were not present at the time. However, she said Government would continue to engage Caricom partners to get involved in the fight against terrorism. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

detail secret talks between Washington and Havana

In a new book cataloguing the recent history of clandestine exchanges between the US and Cuba, the reliance on secret intermediaries belies the common perception that the two governments rarely communicated during the decades that followed the Cuban revolution in 1959.

Documents detail how Jimmy Carter acted as a secret intermediary for the Clinton Administration during the 1994 Balseros immigration crisis and how Secretary of State Henry Kissinger ordered contingency plans drawn up to “clobber” Havana in 1976 in response to Cuba’s military intervention in defence of the Angola’s MPLA Government.

The new book, Back Channel to Cuba, was launched Wednesday at New York’s Pierre Hotel by co-authors Peter Kornbluh, a Cuba expert at the non-

Documents detail how Jimmy Carter acted as a secret intermediary for the Clinton Administration during the 1994 Balseros immigration crisis

governmental National Security Archive, and William LeoGrande, a veteran Cuba foreign-policy specialist at American University in Washington, DC.

“It’s an odd place to hold a press conference, but for a historic reason,” said co-author Peter Kornbluh. “It’s

the place where the first secret talks to normalise relations with Cuba were held, during a three-hour meeting here almost 40 years ago.”

The book is filled with a cast of secret intermediaries who have shuttled back and forth between the two countries even during times of intense hostility. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Jamaican student dies at Spanish Town Hospital after chikungunya symptoms, heart complications

A14-year-old St Jago High School student died at the Spanish Town Hospital on Wednesday from what his father said were complications triggered by the chikungunya virus.

The death of Azee Baker plunged the school community into gloom and raised more concern about the wait period at the hospital, as the Jamaica Observer was told that pleas for help by the boy’s father, Abraham Baker, were ignored for

some time until the boy collapsed.

“His father was calling out for help but nobody came to help,” a hospital employee told the Observer last night.

“Is after the boy collapsed that they came to help him. By then it was too late.”

Abraham Baker said his son started exhibiting signs of illness on Wednesday, September 24, but managed to go to school up to Friday, September 26.

On Monday, September 29, he took Azee, his only

child, to the hospital where he was seen and released with a prescription for Panadol. However, on Wednesday, October 1, the father had to take his son back to the hospital.

Baker told the Observer that, in addition to the diagnosis of the chikungunya virus, they also found out that young Azee had a heart problem only a day before his passing and that could have been a contributing factor. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Brazil’s Silva slips, Neves may make runoff – Sensus poll shows

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff continues to broaden her advantage ahead of Sunday’s election, but it is not clear which of her rivals she will face in an expected second-round runoff, a new poll showed on Friday.

Environmentalist Marina Silva, who was favoured to

defeat Rousseff after a surge in the polls one month ago, has steadily lost support and is now running neck-andneck with market favourite

Aecio Neves in a battle for second place, a survey by pollster Sensus said.

The poll showed Rousseff gaining two percentage points to 37.3 per

cent from the previous Sensus survey a week ago, while Silva has fallen to 22.5 per cent from 25 per cent. Neves held his ground at 20.6 per cent.

The gap between Silva and Neves is within the poll’s margin of error of two percentage points up or down and statistically insignificant. Sensus polls are not as closely watched by political analysts as the surveys by bigger research firms Datafolha and Ibope that are more frequent and use larger samples.

But the poll confirmed a Datafolha survey on Thursday that also showed Neves within striking distance of second place. If no candidate secures a majority in the first round, the top two vote-getters will face off on October 26. In a turnaround to the hotly contested presidential race, Rousseff has emerged as the favourite to gain a second term, with most polls showing her winning in a runoff vote. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Thousands of pro-government marchers in Haiti rally behind leaders

Supporters of the Administration of Haitian President Michel Martelly and the Government of Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, took to the streets by the thousands on Thursday, as Haiti’s top two leaders walked through the Northern town of Cap Haitien where a newly-built international airport has just been inaugurated.

The large crowd – arguably estimated at 50,000 to 60,000 by some and up to 100,000 by others – were chanting slogans favourable

to the Martelly-Lamothe Government they say is bringing development to the Northern region through the various projects that are being implemented in that part of the country.

“I am 55-years old and I’ve never seen such development efforts in Cap Haitien and in the North in general,” Jacquelin Louis, a pro-government marcher, told the Haitian-Caribbean News Network (HCNN) on Thursday.

“Thank you! Thank you, President Martelly! Thank you Prime Minister

Lamothe for all the projects and achievements,” said Marline Sincère, 24, brandishing a poster of Martelly in her right hand.

A series of projects in education, health, agriculture and road infrastructure and support initiatives to provide basic services have been implemented or are underway. A huge unprecedented social assistance programme, called “EDE PEP (Help the People)” has also been launched for the benefit of the most vulnerable. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

President Nicolas Maduro (left) and Cabello (right) accused right wingers of being behind the murders

Brazil’s presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff of Workers Party (PT) takes part in a TV debate in Rio de Janeiro October 2

Around the world

Islamic State video shows second British hostage beheaded

Islamic State militants beheaded British aid worker Alan Henning in a video posted on Friday, triggering swift condemnation by the British and US governments.

The footage on YouTube, highlighted on pro-Islamic State Twitter feeds, showed a middle-aged man in an orange jumpsuit kneeling next to a black-clad militant in arid scrubland, similar to past Islamic State beheading videos of two American journalists and a British aid worker.

As in previous videos, Henning appears to read from a script before he is killed. “Because of our parliament’s decision to attack the Islamic State, I, as a

member of the British public, will now pay the price for that decision,” he says.

A male voice with a British accent says, “The blood of David Haines was on your hands Cameron,” in references to the slain aid worker and to Britain’s Prime Minister. “Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of the British Parliament.”

Henning, a 47-year-old taxi driver from Salford in Northern England, was part of an aid convoy taking medical supplies to a hospital in North-west Syria in December last year when it was stopped by gunmen and he was abducted. In response to the vid-

Sweden to recognise State of Palestine

Sweden’s new Prime Minister said Friday that his Government will recognise a Palestinian state, a move that drew praise from Palestinian officials.

In a declaration listing his Government’s priorities, Social Democratic leader Stefan Lofven told lawmakers that the IsraeliPalestinian conflict can only be resolved through a twostate solution requiring “mutual recognition” and a will from both sides to co-exist peacefully.

“Therefore Sweden will recognize the state of Palestine,” Lofven said. He didn’t say when or how that would happen. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki welcomed Lofven’s

announcement and called on other European Union countries to follow suit.

“In the name of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership, we thank and salute the Swedish position,” Malki said in a statement. He said the only other Western European countries that have recognized a Palestinian state are Malta and Cyprus. Some Eastern European countries did so during the Cold War.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psakia said the US looks forward to working with the new Government of Sweden – a close partner – but called international recognition of a Palestinian state “premature.” (Excerpt from France24)

“The brutal murder of

just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are. My thoughts

and

Dozens killed in India festival stampede

At least 32 people have been killed and 15 others injured in a stampede during an important Hindu festival in India.

Indian officials said the accident occurred on Friday near a public park in the city of Patna in the eastern Bihar state and that the fatalities were mostly women and children.

Dussehra – a festival during which effigies of the demon king Ravana are burnt to mark the victory of good over evil – draws huge crowds at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, the administrative capital of Bihar.

“We have information that 32 people including women and children died due to a stampede,” Gupteshwar Pandey, addi-

tional director-general of Police for Bihar state, told AFP news agency. “Dozens of people were seriously injured.”

In addition to the dead, at least 15 people were taken to hospital. Police were examining closed-circuit television pictures to determine the cause.

Reports said rumours of a live electricity cable falling on people prompted the stampede, with people rushing towards the exit as they were leaving at the end of the Dussehra celebrations.

Officials were quoted by NDTV as saying that some people fainted during the stampede and were admitted to the Patna Medical College Hospital, which is just two kilometres from the site of the incident. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

First womb-transplant baby born

Awoman in Sweden has given birth to a baby boy using a transplanted womb, in a medical first, doctors report. The 36 year-old mother, who was born without a uterus, received a donated womb from a friend in her 60s.

The British medical journal The Lancet says the baby was born prematurely in September weighing 1.8kg (3.9lb). The father said his son was “amazing”. Cancer treatment and birth defects are the main reasons women can be left without a functioning womb.

If they want a child of their own, their only option is surrogacy. The identity of the couple in Sweden has not been released, but it is known the mother still had functioning ovaries. The couple went through IVF to produce 11 embryos, which were frozen.

Doctors at the Sahlgrenska University

Hospital in Gothenburg then performed the womb transplant. The donor was a 61-year-old family friend who had gone through the menopause seven years earlier.

Drugs to suppress the immune system were needed to prevent the womb be-

Hong Kong protests: Student leaders postpone talks

Leaders of a pro-democracy student group in Hong Kong have postponed talks with the Government after demonstrators got into scuffles with opponents.

The group said the authorities were failing to protect protesters. Police denied colluding with those who used violence against the protesters, and said they had arrested members of the triad criminal gangs.

Activists are protesting at plans by China to vet election candidates and have been occupying parts of the city. Hong Kong’s leader on Thursday offered talks to

defuse the situation after the protesters called for his resignation.

But scuffles broke out as people apparently angry

with the disruption caused by the protests tried to dismantle tents and barricades.

The Hong Kong Federation of Students, which was in-

vited to negotiations with the government, said in a statement it had “shelved” the talks. A time and place for the negotiations had never been confirmed.

“The Government allowed the mafia to attack peaceful Occupy participants. It has cut off the path to a dialogue, and should be responsible for the consequences,” it said.

“The Government has not kept its promise. We have no choice but to shelve the talks.” It was not clear whether the statement reflected the position of other groups involved in the protest.

ing rejected. A year after the transplant, doctors decided they were ready to implant one of the frozen embryos and a pregnancy ensued.

The baby was born prematurely, 31 weeks into the pregnancy, after the mother developed pre-eclampsia and the baby’s heart rate became abnormal. Both baby and mum are now said to be doing well. In an anonymous interview with the AP new agency, the father said: “It was a pretty tough journey over the years, but we now have the most amazing baby. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Nine UN troops killed in worst attack yet on Mali force

Nine United Nations peacekeepers in Mali were killed when heavily armed gunmen on motorbikes ambushed their convoy on Friday, the deadliest attack yet on UN troops in the West African nation, the mission said.

The attack on the peacekeepers from Niger took place in the region of Gao and highlighted a sharp increase in strikes on foreign troops based in Mali to prevent the return of al Qaedalinked Islamists who seized its Northern desert region in 2012.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was “shocked and outraged” by the attack

and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

“They were targeting a convoy that included a fuel truck, knowing full well that an attack on a fuel truck would cause an even greater number of casualties, which adds to the horrendous nature of the crime,” Dujarric said.

Dujarric said that 30 peacekeepers had been killed in Mali since the UN mission began in July last year, while another 90 had been wounded. He said Friday’s attack took place between the Northeastern towns of Menaka and Ansongo. (Excerpt from Reuters)

An undated family handout photo of British aid worker Alan Henning taken at a refugee camp on the Turkish-Syria border

eo, Cameron said:

Alan Henning by ISIL shows

prayers tonight are with Alan’s wife Barbara, their children and all those who loved him. (Excerpt

Dr Mats Brannstrom and his team performed the womb transplant in Gothenburg

Protesters “feel they are under attack from thuggish elements, potentially triads”, reports Carrie Gracie in Mong Kok

sATURDAY, ocTobeR 4, 2014 | gUYAnATimesgY.com

Guyana, Barbados sign MoU to establish trade missions

Guyana and Barbados on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at establishing Trade Missions between the two countries.

The MoU was signed by Keith Burrowes, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and Madaline HeadleyWoodroffe, Business Development Officer of the Barbados Industrial Development Corporation (BIDC) at the GuyExpo Investment Forum held Friday at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Burrowes noted that while the MoU should have been signed years ago, it means Guyana is going into an agreement with Barbados and examining having MoUs with other countries as well.

He pointed to the issue of due diligence, which is one area the entity would be examining carefully with overseas investors. Noting that credit ratings would be examined, while a turnover time of one week would be applied, the GO-Invest CEO explained the importance of working with other agencies in this regard.

Agreements will be made with the Guyana Revenue Authority and other agencies, Burrowes noted, stressing the fact that there are new economic requirements coming on board, for which Guyana was not ready, alluding to the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, the absence of which has begun to affect the business community.

Headley-Woodroffe observed that BIDC was similar to Go-Invest. She explained that while the main function of the MoU was to facilitate trade between the two countries “for a long time now, we have been trading with Guyana and many Caribbean islands”.

The Barbadian business official stated that while

The Attorney General Chamber has filed legal proceedings against the company that was contracted for consultancy services on the installation of floodlights at the Albion Sports Complex, Corentyne, Berbice.

Design and Construction Services Ltd was slapped with the $60.3 million lawsuit for breach of contract and negligence in the performance of services it was hired for. The action was filed in the Commercial Division of the Court on Friday. It is set to be heard by the presiding judge on November 12.

The construction company signed a contract

she was responsible for the Caribbean and Caricom trade agreements, BIDC provides incubation services for some investors for three years, until they graduate into full-fledged manufacturers.

“We provide subsidised factory space and also help them with funding through a special technical assistance programme. We try to encourage entrepreneurship from a young age by assisting the youths in our schools, training them in the ways of how to be entrepreneurs and giving them every opportunity to do so through competitions, etc.” she added.

Headley-Woodroffe pointed out that while the Barbadian team is attending GuyExpo mainly to share ideas and learn from Guyana in terms of agriculture, they welcomed help and assistance in areas needed by Barbados.

“We have eight companies being represented and they cross the borders of different areas; cabling, some in food, jewellery, printing, solar power agencies, just to give you a sample of some of

with the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, since February 28, 2011, to provide consultancy services in relation to the design and supervision of all capital works on the project, which included the building and construction of civil and electrical works for the erection and operation of six lighting towers supplied by MUSCO Sports Lighting Inc at Albion Sports Complex. According to the Statement of Claim filed, the Plaintiff claims that in executing works detailed in the contract, Design and Construction Services Ltd was neglectful in performing its services and failed to

the areas we are covering,” Headley-Woodroffe stated.

Observing that solar energy was developed in Barbados first, she expressed hurt that all of the solar panels are now being provided by China, Australia, Germany and other places.

“I believe that as a Region, we should be able to do more to promote the things which we have developed here and in so doing, we are also looking at having geographical indicators (GIs) for some of our products in Barbados especially in the rum industry, because rum was first made in Barbados,” the Bajan noted.

She explained that the team was trying to promote GIs in several areas such as black belly sheep farming and husbandry.

The MoU signed Friday is intended to “lead the way for trade between our countries. It will assist with trade missions, etc from one country to another.

It will help to broaden horizons into other areas like Brazil; that we can step from Barbados through the Caricom agreements

to Guyana and hopefully into Brazil. We hope you can find avenues as well, back through Barbados to the northern areas of the Region,” she stated.

Headley-Woodroffe noted, however, that trading in the Region does have challenges.

She pointed to the challenges faced in exporting products from each country, noting that between Guyana and Barbados, shipping is mainly the problem. “It is difficult to ship items from Barbados directly to Guyana because of the trade route. I believe that the authorities need to address this from both in Barbados and in Guyana and the Region generally, because if we are in a small area, I don’t believe that we should have to go Miami or so far afield and spend two weeks to get an item here,” the Barbadian trade officer explained.

She urged both countries to negotiate and discuss with relevant agencies in an effort to improve the situation and trade within the Region.

design, specify, and outline the appropriate foundation structure and electrical system for the erection of six lighting towers and to prepare adequate bills of

Guyana Goldfields on target for mine startup next year – CEO

Guyana Goldfields Inc will meet its June 2015 operation deadline, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Scott Caldwell said, despite initial hiccups.

The Canadian Company will get into full operation by the end of 2015, producing some 150,000 ounces of gold annually. Giving an update on the project, Caldwell said that construction at the Aurora Gold Mine is progressing, pointing out that already 50 per cent of the US$249 million allotted for the project has been expended. It is estimated that the company will spend approximately US$20 million per month in an effort to en-

among the 32 Canadian exploration companies operating in Guyana’s extractive sector working in the gold, bauxite, oil and gas, manganese, uranium and other precious metals sub-sectors.

Other Canadian companies that are poised to embark on large-scale operations here include CGX Energy Inc, Sandspring Resources ETK, Reunion Minerals, and First Bauxite. It was explained that CGX is slated to commence its drilling programme in the final quarter of 2014, as well as a plethora of mineral mining companies.

Additionally, Canada has been strongly endorsing legislative reform and the

sure the successful completion of the mine. It is being funded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC); Export Development Canada (EDC); ING Capital LLC; Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation; and the Bank of Nova Scotia.

Guyana Goldfields officially launched its Aurora Gold Mine Operations in December 2013. The Project represents a 4.8 million ounce deposit. When it kicks into operations, it will become the country’s largest gold mine operation ever, with more than 1500 employees. However, even as the mine is being constructed, 700 persons are employed, with over 80 per cent being Guyanese.

Guyana Goldfields is

signed by the company contained serious and substantial defects.

These defects, the Statement of Claim said, prevented the foundation structures and electrical system from being used for the purpose they were designed for and they had to be demolished, redesigned and reconstructed at additional costs to the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry.

quantities thereof.

In addition, the legal document stated that because of those actions, the foundation structures and the electrical system de-

The installation of floodlighting facilities at the Albion Sport Complex was intended for the playing of cricket and hosting of other sporting events at nights.

In July last, the $91 million project was commissioned by President Donald

implementation of effective policies and legislation to manage Guyana’s extractive sectors. Canada’s engagement ensures sustainable development of all gains from the oil and gas sector for all of the nation’s peoples. Canada is also supporting Guyana in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat in developing an oil and gas policy and extractive sector legislation based on Canadian models. It was explained that the development of effective legislation would result in greater accountability, allowing for the sector to develop in a sustainable manner, which will ensure poverty alleviation and its associated socio-economic hardships.

Ramotar.

The six towers contain 17 luminaries on each pole, which totalled 102 1500 watts bulbs that are being powered by Guyana Power and Light (GPL). A high powered generator is expected to be acquired in the near future.

The project was completed in phases. The first phase had to do with the supply of the floodlight equipment; while phase two dealt with the construction, placing of the foundation, and erection of towers.

Phase three entails tying-up the project with the installation of the imported equipment and powering of the system.

Keith Burrowes, Chief Executive Officer, Guyana Office for Investment and Madaline HeadleyWoodroffe, Business Development Officer, Barbados Industrial Development Corporation sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish Trade Missions between Guyana and Barbados

Albion Sports Complex under floodlights

President and Chief Executive Officer, Guyana Goldfields Inc Scott Caldwell

GuyExpo forum targets overseas investors

The GuyExpo 2014 Investment Forum held on Friday at the Guyana International Conference Centre urged visiting delegations to invest in Guyana.

With various speakers highlighting the benefits of their sectors and the liberal incentives available, it was hoped that the message was received. Keith Burrowes, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), stressed the need for investment in the country even as he recognised that GOInvest has to be modernised. This, he noted, is awaiting approval by Cabinet.

According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Burrowes pointed to the liberal incentives available for investors. He explained the entity’s collaboration with some sectors, such as agriculture and mining. Burrowes noted that while GO-Invest was not a one-stop-shop, what was needed was a more formal relationship with other agencies. He emphasised that the entity was not responsible for several sectors and the modernisation would

ensure the smooth flow of applications. Burrowes spoke of the Public-Private Partnership model of development which has been advanced in Guyana, and reiterated that while GO-Invest was focused on foreign investors, it also was paying attention to local businesses and was seeking to help in their promotion.

The CEO stressed that the modernisation of the entity would include having Memorandums of Understanding with overseas investors as this would allow them some time before

they would have to actually travel to Guyana. Burrowes observed that in any given year, the entity would record at least US$15 million in investment, but this had dropped due to the political situation. Pointing to due diligence, he noted that this was one area the entity would be examining carefully with overseas investors. He explained that credit ratings would be examined, while a turnover time of one week would be applied.

The GO-Invest CEO explained the importance of working with other agencies

in this regard, noting that investors were often asked to get certain things. In relation to waiting for documents needed, Burrowes stated that investors would be required to sign a document stating what was outstanding and the time required to bring it in to the entity. Agreements will be made with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and other agencies, Burrowes noted, stressing the fact that there were new economic requirements coming on board, for which Guyana was not ready.

New momentum can help global economy beat mediocre growth

Bolder policies can inject a new momentum into the world economy to help it overcome what has been so far a disappointing recovery, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said.

In a Washington speech heralding next week’s IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, Lagarde said the IMF’s main job now is to help the global economy shift gears and overcome a brittle and uneven recovery that is beset by risks. She told an audience at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service October 2 that the world economy is at an inflection point. “Yes, there is a recovery but, as you all know— and we can all feel it—the level of growth and jobs is simply not good enough.” The world needs to aim higher and try harder, Lagarde stated. This means “bolder policies to inject a ‘new momentum’ that can overcome this ‘new mediocre’ that clouds the future.”

The Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group each year bring together around 10,000 central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness.

Six years after the financial crisis began, there is continued weakness in the global economy, and only a modest pickup is foreseen for 2015, Lagarde observed. Among advanced economies, the rebound is expected to be strongest in the United States; modest in Japan; and weakest in the euro area. Led by Asia, and China in particular, emerging market and developing economies are expected to continue to help drive global activity. For them too, however, it is likely to be at a slower pace than before.

For the low-income developing countries, including sub-Saharan Africa, economic prospects are rising but, as debt builds up in some countries, they need to be watching as well. In the Middle East, the out-

look is clouded by difficult economic transitions and by intense social and political strife. The world economy risks getting stuck with a mediocre level of growth— low growth for a long time, Lagarde said. “If people expect growth potential to be lower tomorrow, they will cut back on investment and consumption today. This dynamic could seriously impede the recovery, especially in advanced economies that are also grappling with high unemployment and low inflation.”

Migration to ‘the shadows’ Lagarde also pointed to concern that financial sector excesses may be building up, especially in advanced economies. Asset valuations are at an all time high; spreads and volatility are at an all time low. Also worrying is the migration of new market and liquidity risks to the “shadows” of the financial world—part of the less-regulated, nonbank sector, which is growing rapidly in some countries. In addition developments in Ukraine, the Middle East, and in countries affected by the Ebola outbreak represent geopolitical risk.

Generating new momentum

Faced with these events, the world economy can muddle along with sub-par, mediocre growth, Lagarde said. “Or it can aim for a better

Caricom, India affirm value of diplomatic cooperation

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) and India on Friday (3 October) affirmed the importance they attached to diplomatic cooperation as a new Indian envoy was accredited to Caricom.

During a short ceremony at the Secretariat, in which High Commissioner of India to Caricom, H.E. Vankatachalam Mahalingam presented his Letters of Credence to SecretaryGeneral Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, the High Commissioner said the relationship had matured since 1997 with a convergence of views on international issues related to climate change, sustainable development, concerns of Small Island Developing States and renewable energy.

As Caricom and India deepen diplomatic relations, he said his country was pleased with the move to commence the second Caricom-India Joint Commission in 2015. The Joint Commission is a mechanism for dialogue between the two parties to enhance cooperation in political, economic, environmental, health, scientific and technical spheres.

path where bold policies would accelerate growth, increase employment, and achieve a ‘new momentum.’

A more balanced policy toolkit would use both the demand and supply side of the economy. Monetary policy has provided important support to demand during the crisis, Lagarde observed. Now it needs more support from other policies, specifically: Growth- and jobfriendly fiscal policies, such as addressing tax evasion, supporting more efficient public spending, and cutting payroll taxes; Structural reforms to raise productivity, competitiveness, and employment through training programs; encouraging women to join the labor force; opening up product and service markets; and reforming energy subsidies; and boosting efficient public investment in infrastructure, which can be a powerful impetus for growth and jobs.

Still, in many advanced economies, these policies would only go so far unless the flow of credit to the economy is improved. “We need insolvency regimes that can help banks and the private sector effectively deal with their debt burdens—to free up their balance sheets so credit can flow back and grease the wheels of the economy.” Lagarde said. How to galvanize the globe

Ambassador Irwin LaRocque told the High Commissioner the Caricom Secretariat was anticipating preparatory discussions to engage on matters of mutual interest including the Post2015 Development Agenda.

T he elaboration of that agenda, he said, would provide “a great opportunity” for developing countries to ensure their development challenges were addressed in a more holistic way.

In respect of the just concluded Third International Conference on Small Island

But given “mediocre” growth and the policy “momentum” needed to overcome it, galvanizing global cooperation in such an effort involves multilateralism and the role of the IMF, Lagarde said. Noting that 2014 marks the IMF’s 70th anniversary, Lagarde said the IMF had been a forum for cooperation throughout its history, including through the financial crisis.

She cited examples of global economic cooperation in action during this crisis. ”Perhaps most prominent has been the G-20 nations coming together— including to provide additional resources to the IMF— to bolster confidence and safeguard the global financial system.”

She noted that the G-20 recently announced further progress in developing strategies to lift mediumterm growth by a collec -

Developing States (SIDS), Ambassador LaRocque said that the Community looked forward to “the full support and assistance” of India at the multilateral level to advocate issues of strategic importance to small countries. “Of significance to our Member States in this regard are measures to alleviate the crushing debt burden which many of them face and addressing the policy of graduation which denies these heavily indebted countries access to development financing principally due to the use of per capita income as the determining factor in measuring levels of development,” Ambassador LaRocque told the newly accredited Indian envoy.

Given India’s awareness of the effect of natural disasters, the Secretary-General said Caricom welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with it on ways to implement strategies which promote resilience, adaptation and mitigation to climate change.

The newly accredited envoy acknowledged the “major role” Caricom has played in “protecting the region’s interest” and pledged his country’s commitment to collaborating with the Caricom Secretariat for “common and mutual benefits.”

He said India had taken note of Caricom’s first-ever Strategic Plan for 2015-2019 and keenly looked forward to the accelerated implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) given the steady increase of Indian corporate forays into the region. High Commissioner Mahalingam also noted India’s anticipation of the Community’s support in the restructuring of the United Nations (UN), including the UN Security Council.

tive 2 percent of GDP by 2018— holding the promise of more growth and jobs.

“Seventy years on, we continue to adapt to fulfill our raison d’être—to safeguard stability by helping countries through economic fallouts, and forging cooperative solutions to global problems. For you and for generations to come,” Lagarde said.

Officials from the 188 members of the IMF and the World Bank are attending the 2014 Annual Meetings. Under the broader umbrella of the formal sessions, there will be a host of meetings of different official groups, including the Group of Twenty advanced economies and emerging markets, the Commonwealth Finance Ministers, and the Group of Seven. There will also be meetings with civil society, academics, and the private sector.

A section of the gathering of investors at the GuyExpo 2014 Investment Forum held at the Guyana International Conference Centre

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde

West Indies assessing whether to play Narine in India ODIs – Lloyd

Clive Lloyd, the chairman of the West Indies selection panel, has said the decision on whether Sunil Narine remains in India for West Indies' upcoming limited-overs series' will be made in consultation with the WICB "in a day or so."

Narine was suspended from bowling in the Champions League Twenty20 on Thursday, and is ineligible to play in the tournament's final today. Suggesting that corrective measures to his action, if any were needed, should have been made earlier, Lloyd questioned the timing of Narine's suspension, saying the decision could be "destroying" to Narine and affect the team's chances on the forthcoming tour of India and in the World Cup.

From October 8, West Indies will play five ODIs and a T20 against India, before three Tests. Narine's bowling ban is restricted only to the Champions League and other BCCIrun tournaments like the IPL, but it is sure to increase scrutiny on him in international cricket as well.

Disappointed

"We will have to take that decision in a day or so. I am very disappointed because he is an exciting cricketer," Lloyd said on Friday, at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, where West Indies played a warm-up game. "The point is, just like [Muttiah] Muralitharan, because your action is different, doesn't mean that you are

throwing.

"We have to take a look at things and assess the situation. We don't want to make any rash decision as such. We will discuss it. The board [WICB] will probably take it from there. We will have to inform the board. We can't take decisions just like that. They have to be informed."

ESPNcricinfo understands that the decision will be arrived at before October 6, when the West Indies squad leaves Mumbai for Kochi, which will host the first ODI.

Lloyd said the WICB and the West Indies team management had been told that Narine would be under the scanner in India by a source whose identity he would not disclose. "Before we came here we were told that they were going to call Narine, so it's quite obvious that something must have been said somewhere," he said. "I really can't tell you that [who it was] but I can tell you it's a highly reli-

able source, because we have to make contingency plans for things like that just in case it happens," Lloyd said, adding that the West Indies cricket fraternity would back Narine.

Legality

Lamenting the timing of the suspension, "just before an important series against India and the World Cup that follows", Lloyd said he could not really understand the need to raise questions over the legality of Narine's action when "he has been bowling in the same manner" for years.

"He has been bowling over the years with the same sort of action. Now all of a sudden it has changed. What has changed, I don't know," Lloyd said. "You can't just ban him from bowling just before an important tour like this and with the World Cup coming up. It destroys the individual's ability as such and I think you may end up destroying someone's career.

"This guy has been doing well playing for KKR for the last three years. If you look at his action, he has been doing pretty much the same and I want to know what is it that has been found that they ban him and not say something like, 'Listen, you have a bit of a problem and you have to rectify it.'"

Lloyd compared the situation with that of Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has been suspended from bowling in international cricket. "All of a sudden, this guy [Narine] who is supposed to be one of the best bowlers around

- like Ajmal for that matter, how many Test wickets does Ajmal have? - and all of a sudden his bowling action is suspect. My point is something should be done before all this comes to this point.

"It can destroy a team. You want to know if this is being orchestrated because if you lose your main bowler then it puts some pressure on the selectors and the team and so on."

Ambiguity

Lloyd also questioned the Champions League T20 regulations and procedure, which has proven to be rather ambiguous.

"Nobody has told us anything. Nobody has written a letter. That is the thing about it. Something should be said to us. We are left high and dry. All of a sudden, the guy is not playing in a tournament

he has played for the last three years. What are you then saying about the tournament then? Are you saying that the tournament has probably previously allowed people who have got bad actions to play?"

Asked if the ICC, which has been tightlipped over the issue since it doesn't govern the Champions League, should step in and get in touch with the WICB, Lloyd said he hoped it happened soon.

"I think it's wrong the way they have gone about it and I have been involved in the ICC for years [as a match referee and technical committee chief] and I think you cannot just ban a guy just like that. This is a guy who has played for us all over the world, not only in the West Indies. All of a sudden, this guy has got a suspect action. I am not happy, I would like to

strongly say that." Kumar Dharmasena, a leading umpire on the ICC Elite Panel, has been involved in three of the four cases of suspect actions being reported in Champions League. So, Lloyd said, he was not sure if that indirectly meant Narine would be reported in international cricket.

With the ICC taking a hard stance on illegal actions in the last six months, the WICB is likely to be wary. Ian Gould, another Elite Panel umpire, will be one of the match officials for the ODI series in India.

Gould was among the umpires who reported off-spinners Sachithra Senanayake and Ajmal, both of whom were later banned from bowling in international cricket, earlier this year. (Cricinfo)

Busy weekend for East Coast Demerara cricketers

As part of the East Coast Cricket Board’s (ECCB) mandate in ensuring cricket is played at all levels throughout the East Coast corridor, the board has roll out a busy schedule for this weekend. For today’s Under-19 fixture, Lusignan will host Golden Grove where the final semi-final spot will be decided upon. On Sunday Unity/ Lancaster will host Perseverance in the sec -

ond Over-40 semi-final. Also on Sunday the Elizabeth Styles sponsored 40 Overs Cricket Competition will commence with three matches for teams form Upper East Coast area. Strathavon Cricket

Club will host Helena 1-2; Mahaica Sports Club will play Bravados at Helena 1-2 Community Centre ground and Enterprise B host Buxton A. The H. Nauth and Sons Engineering and

Contracting Services & Petrol Station 20/20 competition also continues on Sunday with four matches in the Lower East Coast Zone.

Lusignan (B) host Golden Grove from at 10:00 hrs, while

Lusignan (A) host Better Hope (A) at 13:00 hrs. Over at the Better Hope Community Centre ground, Better Hope (B) play LBI at 10:00 hrs before Ogle (Blue) challenge Mon Repos (B) at 13:00 hrs.

Clive Lloyd

Clive Lloyd: 'This guy has been doing well for KKR for three years. [His action] has been pretty much the same; what has been found that they ban him?'

Professional Cricket League…

WICB releases Home and Away 4-day schedule

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) on Friday announced the schedule for the inaugural Professional Cricket League’s (PCL), Regional Four-Day Tournament.

The R4D will be played on a home and away basis over ten rounds from November 14, 2014 to March 23, 2015.

Each of the six franchise teams will have a unique name. The Windward Islands franchise will be known as Volcanoes while the Trinidad and Tobago franchise will be known as Red Force. The other four franchises will announce their names in due course.

The league format tournament will commence with three matches in the opening round from November 14 to 17 in Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana. Each round will consist of three matches.

Each team will play ten matches, five at home and five away.

The PCL inaugural Draft Ceremony will be held on Monday, October 6 in Barbados. Each franchise has retained 10 players and will be required to draft five additional players to make up a squad of 15 players.

The Draft Ceremony will be video streamed live on windiescricket.com

The WICB Professional Cricket League comprises the Regional 4 Day Tournament and the NAGICO Super50 Tournament which will be played in January 2015. (WICB Media)

WICB Professional Cricket League R4D Schedule

Round 1 – November 14-17

Jamaica Franchise v Volcanoes –

Sabina Park

Red Force v Barbados Franchise –

Queen’s Park Oval

Guyana Franchise v Leewards

Franchise – Guyana National

Stadium

Round 2 – November 21-24

Guyana Franchise v Volcanoes –

Providence Stadium

Leewards Franchise v Red Force –

Leewards venue TBC

Barbados Franchise v Jamaica

Franchise – Kensington Oval

Round 3 – November 28 –

December 1

Volcanoes v Leewards Franchise –

Grenada National Stadium

Guyana Franchise v Barbados

Franchise – Guyana National

Stadium

Red Force v Jamaica Franchise –

Queen’s Park Oval

Round 4 – December 5 – 8

Volcanoes v Barbados Franchise –

Arnos Vale

Jamaica Franchise v Leewards

Franchise – Sabina Park

Red Force v Guyana Franchise –

Queen’s Park Oval

BREAK

Round 5 – February 6-9

Jamaica Franchise v Guyana

Franchise – Sabina Park

Volcanoes v Red Force – Beausejour

Cricket Ground

Barbados Franchise v Leewards

Franchise – Kensington Oval

Round 6 – February 13-16

Volcanoes v Jamaica Franchise –Arnos Vale

Barbados Franchise v Red Force –Kensington Oval

Leewards Franchise v Guyana

Franchise – Leewards venue TBC

Round 7 – February 20-23

Leewards Franchise v Volcanoes –Leewards venue TBC

Barbados Franchise v Guyana Franchise – Kensington Oval

Jamaica Franchise v Red Force –Sabina Park

BREAK

Round 8 – March 6-9

Red Force v Volcanoes – Queen’s Park Oval

Guyana Franchise v Jamaica

Franchise – Guyana National

Stadium

Leewards Franchise v Barbados

Franchise – Leewards venue TBC

Round 9 – March 13-16

Barbados Franchise v Volcanoes –

Kensington Oval

Leewards Franchise v Jamaica

Franchise – Leewards venue TBC

Guyana Franchise v Red Force –Guyana National Stadium

Round 10 – March 20-23

Volcanoes v Guyana Franchise –

Windsor Park Stadium

Red Force v Leewards Franchise –Queen’s Park Oval

Jamaica Franchise v Barbados

Franchise – Sabina Park

Football star Messi to face tax evasion trial

Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi is to face trial for alleged tax evasion, a Spanish judge has ruled.

The judge rejected a prosecution recommendation to drop the charges on the grounds the player's father was responsible for his finances.

Messi and his father Jorge are accused of defrauding the authorities of more than 4m euros (£3.1m; $5m).

The pair, who deny wrongdoing, have five days to appeal against the ruling. It is alleged that they withheld the money between 2007 and 2009.

The income related to Messi's image rights, including contracts with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and the Kuwait Food Company.

The footballer and his father are suspected of avoid-

ing paying Spanish tax by using companies in Belize and Uruguay to sell the rights to use Messi's image.

The judge ruled: "In this type of crime, it is not necessary for someone to have complete knowledge of all the accounting and business operations nor the exact quantity, rather it is sufficient to be aware of the designs to commit fraud and consent to them."

In August 2013 Messi and his father made a 5m euro "corrective payment", equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest.

Messi has been four times Fifa World Player of the Year and is captain of Argentina.

The court decision comes as Barcelona grapples with a separate prominent legal case.

A Madrid court is hearing a lawsuit that accuses Barcelona of misappropriating funds from the transfer fee to buy Brazil striker Neymar from Santos in 2013.

Club president Sandro Rosell quit in January, but insisted he had "acted correctly" over the transfer. (BBC Sport)

Major changes made to PPP/C horse race meet

Organisers of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) horse race meet have added a race for K and L Class animals to the programme for a winning purse of $140,000 over a distance of 1000 metres, according to coordinator Dennis DeRoop.

The one-day event is billed for October 12 at the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club (KMTC), Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne.

With the inclusion of that race, the event will now be a ten-race meet, with over $8 million in cash and prizes up for the taking.

DeRoop also indicated that the third and fourth prizes for the feature race have been increased to

$400,000 and $200,000 respectively.

The feature race will be for horses classified A and Lower and they will run a mile for $1.5 million and the President’s Cup.

Other events billed for the day are the D3 non-winners in 2014 and the E and Lower for $600,000, over a distance of 1400 metres; the F3 and Lower race also carry a price tag of $600,000 and will run also 1400 metres.

Other 1400 metres races are for animals G3 non-winners in 2014 and the H and Lower and I1 and Lower. The winning tag for those two races is set at $300,000 and $220,000 respectively. There are four 1000 metres races and there are for animals classified J3 and Lower, Two-year-old race for Guyana bred horses, J1 and Lower and Two-yearold race for West Indies bred horses. The winning tags for those races are $180,000 and $200,000, $200,000 and $300,000 respectively.

Registration for the meet will close on October 7 and interested horse owners can make contact with Fazal Habibulla on 232-0232 or 657-7010, Dennis DeRoop on 609-9143, Roopnarine Matadial on 325-3192 and Nikita Ross on 662-4668. Race time is 12:30 houars. (Rajiv Bisnauth)

India beat Pakistan to hockey gold in South Korea

India won their first Asian Games hockey gold in 16 years after beating rivals Pakistan on penalties in Incheon, South Korea.

The contest ended 1-1 after regulation time but Parattu Sreejesh saved two of Pakistan's four efforts as the shootout ended 4-2 in favour of the Indians.

It was a first Asian

Games gold for India since 1998 and secures their place in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Around 4000 fans watched the first final between the nations in 32 years. "This is a special moment for Indian hockey," said the country's Australian coach Terry Walsh. "Most of the guys had not played a big fi -

nal for a long time so I am very happy for them to have accomplished the task."

Defeat extends a miserable run for Pakistan, who failed to qualify for this year's World Cup and now face a tough task in qualifying for Rio.

South Korea won the bronze medal with a 3-2 win over Malaysia. (BBC Sport)

Dennis DeRoop

Lionel Messi at a news conference in Barcelona on Thursday

Members of the Indian team proudly display their medals

Super Kings v Knight Riders, CLT20 2014, final, Bangalore…

Narine ban skews title fight

It's easy to overstate the influence of one player in a team sport, but the loss of just one player might mean Kolkata Knight Riders go into the Champions League T20 final as underdogs despite having won their last 14 matches. Unless they choose to play him as a specialist batsman, Sunil Narine will play no part in the final. Chennai Super Kings, against whose power-packed batting lineup he has an economy rate of 5.90 in eight matches, must have rejoiced when they heard news of his bowling ban during their semi-final game.

The last time Super Kings faced him, in the opening game of the tournament's group stage, they scored nine runs off Narine's four overs, and scored 148 off the 16 overs bowled by Knight Riders' other bowl-

ers. In the end, Knight Riders won despite slipping to 51 for 5 at the start of their chase.

Narine is the highest wicket-taker in this tournament, has the best economy rate of anyone who has bowled a significant number of overs, and is absolutely central to Knight Riders' bowling plans. Out of the 20 overs he has bowled in the CLT20, only four have come outside the first six or the last five of an innings. Now, in their most important game of the tournament, Knight Riders will have to rejig their entire bowling plan and figure out which of their bowlers will deliver the most critical overs.

This isn't to say Knight Riders are a one-man team. As shown by S Rajesh, ESPNcricinfo's stats editor, in his analysis of their winning streak, the improved

performance of their batsmen has been a vital factor in their success. The rest of their spin attack, moreover, has been excellent. But can they stand up to Super Kings' fearsome phalanx of batsmen without their talisman bowling the bulk of the pressure overs?

Watch out for

Since smashing a 43ball 90 against Dolphins, Suresh Raina has twice been out cheaply in frustrating ways - run-out against Perth Scorchers, caught at a specifically stationed short midwicket against Kings XI Punjab. Raina is striking the ball as cleanly as ever, and Knight Riders might need to get him out early to keep Super Kings in check.

Jacques Kallis scored a match-winning half-century the last time he faced

Super Kings in a final, and he seems to be in good touch with the bat, having scored an unbeaten 40-ball 54 in the semi-final against Hobart Hurricanes. Kallis has only had to bowl four overs in three matches so far in this tournament, but he might be required to fill in with the ball in the final, with Narine not around.

Team news

The boundaries at the Chinnaswamy Stadium are considerably shorter than those in Hyderabad, where they played their semi-final, and this might cause Super Kings to consider selecting an extra seamer in place of Pawan Negi, the third spinner.

Chennai Super Kings 1 Dwayne Smith, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Faf du Plessis, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Ishwar Pandey/ Pawan Negi, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Knight Riders have used all four of their spinners in their recent games, and don't have anyone else in the squad as a direct replacement for Narine. It looks like they will have to go with an extra seam option, and that probably means Pat Cummins will return to their line-up.

Kolkata Knight Riders 1 Robin Uthappa (wk), 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Ryan ten Doeschate, 7 Suryakumar Yadav, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Pat Cummins, 11 Kuldeep Yadav. (Cricinfo)

Hamilton beats Rosberg in Japanese GP practice

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in second practice in the Japanese Grand Prix, beating team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg by 0.24 seconds.

The two Mercedes drivers were in a league of their own, more than a second clear of the rest of the field.

Williams's Valtteri Bottas was third ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel at Suzuka.

The two Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso were sixth and seventh respectively.

But no-one looked like they had a chance of challenging Hamilton and Rosberg at the latest stage of their tense battle for the title.

Hamilton heads into the weekend three points clear of Rosberg and the two were closely matched throughout the day and well clear of the rest of the field, whether on single-lap pace or over a racesimulation run on heavier fuel.

Hamilton appeared more competitive on the faster 'medium' tyre, which will be used for qualifying on Saturday, while Rosberg had an advantage on their race-type laps when they switched to the 'hard' tyre late in the session.

Hamilton has turned a 29-point deficit into a threepoint advantage with two victories in the last two races and Rosberg's retirement in Singapore two weeks ago.

But they seem likely to have another close fight throughout the weekend at Suzuka, arguably the most demanding circuit on the calendar.

A brief shower in the closing minutes did not affect the drivers too much, but the weather is a talking point.

Qualifying is expected to be dry, but the race is likely to be wet, as typhoon Phanfone approaches the Japanese mainland.

Although the eye of the storm is not expected to hit until Monday, heavy rain and strong winds are expected on Sunday and there have been discussions about whether the start of the race should be moved. As things stand, it is likely to go ahead at 15:00 local time (07:00 BST) as scheduled.

Suzuka proved its usual test for the drivers, with Daniel Ricciardo and Kamui Kobayashi suffering worst. Red Bull's Ricciardo had a heavy crash at the last corner, which led to the session being stopped while the car was recovered.

Earlier, Japanese Kamui Kobayashi became another driver to suffer on the notoriously demanding track, crashing after losing control at Turn Three.

The session came to an end about three minutes short of its allotted 90 minutes when Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso hit the latest in a series of reliability problems and ground to a halt on the back straight after the Spoon Curve.

The car was driven by 17-year-old Max Verstappen in the first session as the Dutchman set a new record as the youngest man to take part in a grand prix weekend ahead of his full debut in 2015.

Verstappen suffered a turbo failure with about seven minutes of the first session remaining. The car was repaired in time for Vergne to go out after about 10 minutes of the second session, only to grind to a halt again.

The Frenchman did manage some laps, posting the 11th fastest time, before the car again hit trouble.

Lotus's Pastor Maldonado will take a 10-place grid penalty for using more than the allowed number of engine components. (BBC Sport)

'Retirement never crossed my mind' – Taylor

October 2006. A 22-year-old fast bowler rips through the defences of Michael Hussey, Brett Lee and Brad Hogg at the Brabourne Stadium to become the first West Indian to get a hat-trick in ODIs. The bowler oozes promise and his spell is crucial in West Indies winning the Champions Trophy match by 10 runs. October 2014. The fast bowler, on a comeback trail after a long hiatus, is back at the Brabourne Stadium, as West Indies embark on their third tour to India in three years, and the memory of that hat-trick still fresh in his mind.

"How can I forget anything like that? It is there and it will be there for a very long while until I can put something in front of that," Jerome Taylor said, on the eve of the practice match against India A. "But that was one-day cricket and that's in the past. There are lot of things that can be achieved in the future. I am actually working on be-

ing a better cricketer overall as well."

It has been a tough road for Taylor. His international career was disrupted with a spate of injuries when he was at his peak and there was a 32-month period during which all he played were a couple of domestic T20 matches. Moreover, dur-

ing this period, his commitment to returning to the fold was questioned by the West Indies Cricket Board. Despite the setbacks, Taylor never thought of giving up the game altogether aside.

"That thought [retirement] never crossed my mind," he says. "It was more of physical challenge than a

mental one. I have undergone a lot of stuff to get back to this point. It was a lot of work in the back end and it worked okay for me."

Taylor made a comeback to international cricket earlier this year during the series against New Zealand and has picked up 18 wickets in the five Tests since

his return. The current version is not the tearaway fast bowler from five years ago, but Taylor, who is striving for consistency, says he maintains the ability to bowl a heavy ball. The tour of India will be his first full series since his return.

"This might be a good series for me," he says. "If I give a good account of myself against one of the top-ranking teams, that would actually boost my confidence and would help my career move forward. When I look at the Indian team and their batting line-up, yes, you will be put under pressure, but you have to spend hours in the field if you want to hit the straps as soon as possible.

"What I do is try to listen to my body and use that as a guide going forward. Your body will tell you whenever something is wrong or right, and as a competitor, you cannot be afraid of expressing yourself in the park. Yes, it is going to stay in the back of your mind, but if you let

that take over, then it's going to hurt so much."

The addition of Taylor, along with Kemar Roach, has given the West Indies pace attack a potency that had been absent for a while. It's still a new partnership. "I haven't bowled much with Kemar since he came onto the scene," Taylor says. "It's only in the last two Test series that we have got together and it is something that is working really well. We even work together in the nets, we share information and stuff like that. So we are looking forward to whatever challenge lies ahead."

One of the challenges will be the conditions. In Mumbai, where the team plays both its practice matches, the temperatures have hit post-monsoon highs of 35 degrees, with almost 80% humidity. "It's not a place where you can blast batters out," Taylor says. Patience will be the key and Taylor knows a thing or two about it. (Cricinfo)

Sunil Narine’s absence could be crucial for both teams in today’s final

Jerome Taylor has taken 18 wickets in five Test matches since his return from a lengthy injuryenforced lay-off

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India A v West Indians, Mumbai…

Windies make miserable start to India tour

West Indies' first day of cricket in India was characterised by the batting problems they often encounter when they don the team maroons. The dual approach of blast out and block out was on show again, which meant there were repeated periods of lull during the innings that allowed the bowlers to dictate. India A's bowling attack, non-threatening but disciplined, did not have to do anything special as West Indians collapsed to 148 all out within 40 overs. It may be the sign of things to come in the series.

The batting performance was being keenly followed in the pavilion by the former West Indies captain and now the chief selector Clive Lloyd and Richard Pybus, the director of cricket. For Lloyd, who had scored 160 runs on his debut Test in 1966, also at Brabourne, it would have been a reminder of the state of affairs.

Lendl Simmons was joined by Leon Johnson to

open the innings as West Indians chose to bat, but neither looked comfortable against the discipline of Dhawal Kulkarni or against the pace of Jasprit Bumrah. Johnson was the first to depart, outside-edging an angled delivery from Bumrah to second slip in the fourth over. Three overs later, there was more bad news as Simmons trudged off the field with a troublesome back.

Darren Bravo had stroked a couple of boundaries but his eagerness to score cost him his wicket. He pushed at a Kulkarni delivery, bowled round the wicket, away from his body only to see his stumps splayed as the ball took an inside edge.

Denesh Ramdin, the Test captain, then gave brief support to Marlon Samuels in a fourth-wicket association worth 32 runs. Samuels forced the scoring with powerful shots through off and down the ground, but even then, a big chunk of runs - 21

out of the first 50 - came through extras. Just when the two batsmen appeared to have weathered the initial nerves, Ramdin's slash at a Stuart Binny delivery was snaffled by a diving Unmukt Chand at second slip.

At 70 for 4 in the 17th over, West Indies had plenty of time to build and if a recovery was to come, Samuels, Kieron Pollard, the captain for the game, and Darren Sammy would have been central to it. However, the innings floundered as legspinner Amit Mishra bamboozled Pollard and Sammy with googlies in successive overs to reduce the tourists to 76 for 6.

That West Indians were spared some embarrassment was due to positive strokeplay from Samuels. Anything full, and he was prepared to drill it down the ground. He reached his half-century off 53 deliveries and his innings included nine boundaries, two more than the rest of the batsmen combined. Karn Sharma was driven down the ground twice for fours in his first over but he eventually ended Samuels' stay, trapping the batsman in front.

The rest chose the path of least resistance, crumbling against the spinners to be bowled out in the 39th over. Take out the 28 extras and Samuels' 56 and the contribution of the remaining 10 men was just 64 on a pitch without any alarming turn. The ball did kick from the surface, like it does on all fresh Mumbai pitches, which makes them enjoyable to bat on.

The India A batsmen made the most of it. M Vijay and Chand added 71 comfortable runs for the first wicket before Vijay drove Kemar Roach straight to cover. Chand continued to progress without any trouble and reached his halfcentury off 60 deliveries.

ov), 9-144 (Holder, 35.3 ov), 10-148 (Rampaul, 38.1 ov)

Bowling: DS Kulkarni 6-2-14-1 (1-w), JJ Bumrah 6-0-46-1 (5w), A Mishra 10-1-26-3 (1-nb, 1-w), STR Binny 6-0-19-1 (2-w), KV Sharma 7.1-1-27-2, Parvez Rasool 3-1-7-1

Rasool 21

JE Taylor b Mishra 0

KAJ Roach not out 10 R Rampaul b Sharma 3

Extras (lb-9, w-18, nb-1) 28

Total (all out; 38.1 overs) 148 Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Johnson, 3.1 ov), 2-34 (Simmons, 6.6 ov), 3-38 (Bravo, 8.3 ov), 4-70 (Ramdin, 16.5 ov), 5-75 (Pollard, 17.5 ov), 6-76 (Sammy, 19.2 ov), 7-123 (Samuels, 25.5 ov), 8-124 (Taylor, 26.6

India A innings (target: 149 runs from 50 overs) M Vijay c Samuels b Roach 26 UBT Chand not out 79 KK Nair not out 28

Extras (lb-5, w-10, nb-1) 16

Total (1 wicket; 25.3 overs) 149 Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Vijay, 12.1 ov)

Bowling: R Rampaul 6-1-25-0 (1-nb, 2-w), JE Taylor 5-0-250 (3-w), JO Holder 3-0-25-0 (3-w), MN Samuels 7-0-35-0, KAJ Roach 4-0-28-1 (1-w), KA Pollard 0.3-0-6-0 (1-w)

"They were quick and one doesn't get to play 6'6" bowler like Jason Holder in India, so you have to make adjustments," Chand said. "I made plans to not go after balls fizzing outside off, or moving away and tried to play only at balls on which I had full control.

"One needs to have the right mindset. Initially, I did not go for the hooks and pulls and only when I was settled, I played those shots."

As the target drew near, he opened up and smashed Samuels for consecutive sixes over wide long-on. In company of Karun Nair, he helped India A reach the target in the 26th over. (Cricinfo)

Marlon Samuels' positive strokeplay saved West Indians from total embarrassment

AAG launches South American 10k

The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) launched the 2014 edition of the South American 10k set for Guyana on October 26 at the Guyana Olympic Association Headquarters on Friday.

The event will feature three categories; Open, Juniors and Masters, with the open (male and female) first place prize being $1,000 UDS for the winner while second will receive USD $600, third; USD $400, fourth; USD $300 and fifth; USD $200.

The Masters 40-55 age category will see the first place prize being GYD $20,000 while second and third will receive 12,000 and 8,000 respectively.

The master’s 56 and over will see the top prize be-

ing GYD $15,000, second $10,000 and third 5,000.

However, the junior athletes will not be receiving cash regardless of if the compete in the junior or open category as the AAG has made it clear that it will contradict the ruling of the IAAF.

On the other hand the juniors will receive grants or vouchers worth USD 100 for first place, USD $75 for second $50 for third and $25 for fourth.

President of the AAG Aubrey Hutson, revealed that for the first time at the vent their will be a gears bus that will transport the athlete’s gears form the start line to the finish line.

Huston also highlighted that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will be providing significant medical as-

siatnce to the event as the race will have two ambulances on the course; one behind the last athlete and the other roaming the course in case of injured athletes. There will also be two doctors and five medics at the finish line.

Meanwhile the meet is expected to attract a number of international athletes as invitations were sent to a number of neighboring countries.

While no international participation was conformed at the launching, Hutson believed that drawing closer to event things will pick not just internationally but locally as well.

The race will be highly anticipated especially with top distance athlete Cleveland Forde aiming to

make a title defence.

However, he might face his toughest local challenge yet from Cleveland Thomas who ran the fastest 10k for the year at the Courts 10k event in a time of 32mins and 45s.

Registration for the event will close on October 17. However, the AAG will accommodate late registration at a cost of GYD 2,000.

All international athletes are expected to be in the country by October 25 as the AAG will be providing transportation and accommodation from said date to October 27 at the Sleepin Hotel.

Athletes arriving before or leaving after the dates will have to indicate to the association beforehand.

Exciting Courts 'Pee Wee' kicks off today

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

All 24 teams of the annual Courts Pee Wee

football competition will be in action today when play in this year’s tournament gets underway at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.

The action will commence at 10:00 hours with the march pass of the participating schools, which have been drawn from Georgetown. Two matches will be played at the same time on the Thirst Park outfield with the final set of games starting at 13:45 hours.

In the first round of matches, West Ruimveldt will take on Redeemer, Comenius will tackle Green Acres, Tucville will trade skills with Thomas Moore, St Stephens will play St Gabriel’s, FE Pollard will compete against St Angela’s and defending champions St Pius will start against J.E. Burnham.

Immediately after that, Success Academy will con-

front Enterprise Primary, East LaPenitence will play Ketley, St Margaret’s will collide with Smith’s Memorial, South Ruimveldt will take on St Ambrose, Marian Academy will face Stella Maris and North Georgetown will trade skills with Winfer Garden.

The tournament, which targets primary schools, has unearthed talent in abundance over the years, and this year is expected to once again bring forth a new breed of footballers.

One of the coordinators, Troy Mendonca of the Petra Organisation, said the initial aim of the competition is to showcase the potentials that lie in the school system. Ultimately, Mendonca and his team are hoping to identify and develop young footballers who can represent the nation at the highest level.

The tournament is a collaborative effort of Courts (Guyana) Inc., Banks DIH Limited, the Education Ministry and the Petra Organisation.

Five-Stage preparations heat up this weekend

– Laparkan 11-race programme at National Park today

With the annual ‘Ride for Life’ FiveStage cycling meet just a matter of weeks away, local riders have been putting in the miles ahead of the country’s premier cycling showpiece.

Today, the preparation phase will continue for the October 16-19 event when national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed stages the annual Laparkan Holdings Limited 11-race programme at the inner circuit of the National Park.

Once again, the country’s leading pedal cyclists will converge on the home of cycling in Guyana for what is anticipated to be a keenly contested day of racing.

The feature race- the 35-lap School Boys and

Invitational- in particular, is sizing up to be a humdinger with several riders in prime condition set to face the starting line.

All eyes would no doubt be on Team Coco’s Raynauth Jeffrey, who is seemingly peaking at the right time with back-to-back wins last weekend. On Saturday last, he outsprinted the experienced Robin Persaud to win the feature event of the 14th annual DeSinco Trading 11-race programme, before topping Alanzo Greaves in a heated two-way battle in Greaves’ inaugural birthday 30-lap race the following day.

Both races were held at the inner circuit of the National Park.

Action will pedal off at 09:00 hours today, and it will be Persaud who will put

his title on the line, having won last year’s Laparak feature race in a time of one hour, 18 minutes, 16 seconds (01h: 18m: 16s).

Other races carded for

the day include the BMX 6-9, 9-12, 12-14 and Open, as well as the Juveniles, Mountain Bikes and Veterans Under-50, Over50 and Over-60. High rank-

ing officials of Laparkan Holdings Limited are expected to witness the races and assist in the presentation of prizes at the conclusion.

Aubrey Hutson (Second right) and Gavin Hope Vice president (third from right) at the press conference

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

The in-form Raynauth Jeffrey will be hunting more success today

Flashback! The St Pius lauds in a jubilant mood after their victory in the final last year (An Avenash Ramzan file photo)

GT Beer Berbice Cup commences today

Banks DIH Limited, under its GT Beer brand, has committed to part sponsorship of the second annual Berbice Cup knockout football tournament, set to kick off today at the Monedderlust FC ground, West Coast Berbice.

This year’s competition will involve the top four sides from the Berbice Football Association and their counterparts from the East Demerara Football Association as they battle for one million dollars in prize monies, as well as individual accolades.

According to Outdoor Events Manager of Banks DIH Limited, Mortimer Stewart, “We are happy to be part of this competition and assure the teams and organisers that Banks DIH is on board.”

The official march pass and address to the eight contesting teams is slated for 16:00 hours after which the opening game between last year’s beaten finalist Rosignol United and the oldest football club in Berbice, Cougars FC, will put the tournament in motion. Both coaches have expressed confidence in advancing to the next round, which could very well send the game into extra time and possibly a penalty shootout.

Former national goalkeeper Phillip Carrington, who is in charge at Cougars, stated that his youthful side has been hard at training over the last two weeks and from the commitment he saw and

the enthusiasm generated, he expects a good showing tonight.

His opposite, Keith O’Jeer, is equally confident of a good showing from his unit, which includes former national youth players, Mark Wrong and Delroy Ferdinand, who will control the midfield. Captain Curtis Moore will marshall the defense.

For Cougars, Stefon DeFlorimonte will control the defense with Roger Crandon and Alvin Reynolds in midfield. Sherwin Parris and Ron Wilson will spearhead the attack.

The feature match will bring together the home side and defending champion, Monedderlust FC and Bakewell Buxton Stars. Both sides possess loads of young talent and this game is expected to be fast paced.

National Under-17

Captain Kevin Layne Jnr will be in charge at midfield with main support from Leon McDougal. Royston Khalil and national Under-17 player Atlyn Browne will lead the offense. The experienced Travis Henry will be in charge of the defense.

In his pre-game com-

ment, Manager of Monedderlust, Kevin Layne Snr, dismissed any claim of his side being the loser and predicted that his side will triumph. Meanwhile, coach of Bakewell Buxton Stars, Sherry Abrams, stated that her side is prepared and ready and will be coming at the Cup holders.

Midfielder Rawle Fredricks will skipper the side and play alongside Sherwin Griffith in the middle, while a lot will depend on Tierre Joseph up front, as well as defender Kester Hatton and goalkeeper Tyron Abrams at the back.

Joseph Family duo takes Gold and Bronze at 2014 Dae do International

Taekwondo Championships and Team Trials

Trini heritage brother and sister duo of Brandon and Melissa Joseph won Gold and Bronze medals respectively, at the recent Dae do International Taekwondo Championships and Team Trials held at the Ft Lauderdale Convention Center, in Florida U.S.A Brandon won Gold in the boys colored belt cadet middleweight division, fighting against a heavier and more

experienced opponent, who was one weight class up over Brandon. Brandon was more the aggressor, bloodying his opponent's nose in the second round, in which the fight had to be stopped in that round, as well as the third round to check on the opponents bleeding nose, as well as clean the blood from the mat. It was a hard fought match between the two in which the finish was exciting, as the op-

ponents coach told his fighter to stay away and work the clock in the last seconds of the match, from a determined oncoming Brandon. Melissa won Bronze in the senior girls featherweight division but narrow-

Field events showcase weakness for defending School champs

North Georgetown/ District 11 continued their process of selecting athletes to help defend their School nationals title with tiers field event inter schools championships on Friday at the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) Ground.

The day’s action was a bit bland with marginal performances and seems to be one of the weak points for the zone heading into the School National event.

St Stanislaus College, Queen’s College and Brickdam Secondary were a few of the schools that had success at the event while Bishop’s High School showed up late. St Roses High School did not turn up to be a part of the event. Kingston High School also had some talented athletes. However, a provisional day might be give to St Roses to participate in field event action sometime during the new week.

ly missed Silver, as she was coming on strong in the third and final round. It was a controversial close fight in which many thought Melissa had won. Melissa expressed after the fight, "If I only had another 30 seconds I would have won". It was however an exciting finish to the match.

This now sets up the brother and sister duo for the 2014 Pan Am Open International Taekwondo Championships, in Portland Oregon, U.S.A. which runs from Dec 12 to14th, 2014. Fifteen countries have already been confirmed. This international event earns prestigious graded seeded Olympic points to medal, in qualifying for Brazil 2016 Olympic Games. This Pan Am event also depends on Melissa's current medical studies, as she had to pass on the more recent 2014 All Star International Taekwondo Tournament, held at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Resort in Kissimmee, Florida.

The trophies up for grabs in the GT Beer Berbice Knockout Cup

Some of the action at the field events.

Brandon 2014 Daedo Championships & Team Trials Finals

Melissa 2014 Daedo Championships & Team Trials Finals

Senior Inter-County 4-day tournament…

Berbice, GCB Developmental XI game ended in tame drawn

Demerara crowned overall champions

Berbice rounded off a reassuring performance, as they drew their final round of the GCB four-day Intercounty game against the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Developmental XI on Friday at the Wales Community Centre ground, Wet Coast Demerara.

Resuming on 136-

4, skipper Narsingh Deonarine used the relaxed atmosphere to explore the range of his stroke-play, scoring 77, as Berbice, leading by 52 on first innings, were eventually bowled out for 273.

Set a winning target of 326 for victory, the GCB Developmental XI reached 50-1 in their second in-

nings when the four-day contest was brought to a close.

Openers Shimron Hetmyer (33 not out) struck four boundaries while Sharaz Ramcharran was unbeaten on eight when the two skippers decided to call of the match off.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul (16) was the only causality

for the Developmental XI.

Royston Crandon (33) and Anthony Bramble (18) along with tail-ender Gudakesh Motie, who was unbeaten on 13, were the other notable scorers for Berbice.

Sharaz Ramcharran was the most successful bowler for the Developmental XI with four wickets.

Meanwhile, Demerara were crowned overall champions of the tournament after acclimating 44 points. They received the winning trophy and $100,000, while Berbice carried away their second place trophy and $50,000 after ended on 30 points.

Demerara middle-order batsman Rajendra Chandrika who registered the tournament’s top score of 219 against Berbice was awarded the competition’s MVP award as well as the leading run scorer award.

GCB Developmental XI skipper Steven Jacobs and Essequibian spinner Anthony Adams who both snared 15 wickets were awarded joint best-bowler award after which Jacobs decided to allow Adams to take away the trophy.

West Indies assessing whether to play Narine in India ODIs

15-member Guyana team off to Suriname Open

Guyana will be represented by a confident bunch of golfers this weekend when the annual Royal Bank Canada (RBC) Invitational Suriname Open tournament is staged in the neighbouring Dutchspeaking nation.

Guyana has always had a presence at the tournament, which will be staged today and Sunday in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country. A total of 15 golfers, including three females, will play under the colours of the Golden Arrowhead in the tournament, which will utilise the Stableford format.

There will be a total of four categories for the male players and one for those on the distaff side.

Lusignan Golf Club President, David Mohamad, who is part of the Guyana contingent, said he is confident the local golfers will do well during the two-day activity.

Mohamad boasted that the Lusignan Course is on par or even better than the one is Suriname, making him enthusiastic of solid returns from the Guyanese.

“Our course, since purchasing the new equipment

two months ago, is as good or even better than the one in Paramaribo,” Mohamad said.

The Lusignan Golf Club head also indicated that all 15 members of the Guyana team have shown consistent form over the past few months in the locally organised competitions.

Apart from Guyana and host Suriname, golfers from French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Holland, Canada and the United States of America have registered to compete at the tournament.

The Guyana team is Mike Gayadin, Dr Philbert London, Shonella Webster, Troy Cadogan, Kishan Bacchus, David Mohamad, Joann Deo, Imran Khan, P. Loutam, Carlos Adams, Lakeram Ramsundar, Parmanand Persaud, Christine Sukhram, Alfred Mentore, M. Bhagwandin, Brian Glasford and Chatterpaul Deo.

Upon their return, the local golfers are expected to up their preparations for the annual Guyana Open- the premier golf tournament on the local calendar. (Avenash Ramzan)

Demerara skipper Vishal Singh collects the winning trophy from Anand Sanasie

Christine Sukhram