Guyana Times Daily - November 26, 2014

wednesdAY, nOVeMBeR 26, 2014 | guYAnAtiMesgY.cOM

november 26, 2014

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, November 26 from 05:00h-06:30h

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, November 26 from 06:45h-08:15h

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery showers can be expected during the day and into the evening hours over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 4.02 metres and 4.91 metres per second.

High Tide: 06:57h and 19:12h reaching maximum heights of 2.57 metres and 2.65 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:27h and 12:45h reaching minimum heights of 0.48 metre and 0.69 metre respectively.

The above-normal high tide warning is in effect until Thursday, November 27. Residents of low-lying, riverine, and flood-prone areas are advised to take necessary precautions against possible flooding.

NBS $69.9M fraud

probe… Ombudsman admits report was leaked

– admits he did nothing about it

By Michael younge

The report compiled by Ombudsman retired Justice Winston Moore into a complaint filed by a former Chief Executive Officer of the New Building Society (NBS) Maurice Arjoon, who was fired and prosecuted following a $69.9 million fraud at the entity, was leaked.

The report was given wide coverage in sections of the media, mere hours after it had been dispatched to a handful of Government officials.

On November 12, the Kaieteur News and Stabroek News commenced publication of a wide range of articles widely considered biased, politically charged and misleading by those who were named in the Ombudsman’s report, in particular those sections that were produced purely based on hearsay evidence.

Admission

Speaking during an interview on Tuesday at his Brickdam, Georgetown office, Moore admitted that the report was leaked. He, however, defended the integrity of the staff, but admitted he did nothing to investigate how the report was leaked.

Asked what systems are in place there to ensure that confidential documents and other forms of correspondence which are not approved for public dissemination are protected, the Ombudsman could not identify any.

He confirmed that copies of the report were sent to President Donald Ramotar; Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon; Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack, acting Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud; and Arjoon.

Moore denied that he deliberately gave information to the press or caused any part of the report to be published. He also denied that his decision to undertake the probe following the complaint made by Arjoon was politically motivated.

Moore claimed that his report in no way touches on the NBS or its Board of Directors.

He said he was more concerned about the prosecution of the men and the systems followed therein to arrive at decisions.

Moore said he is standing by his report and invited those named to raise their concerns formally with his of-

fice.

He denied that several persons who were mentioned in the report were not given an opportunity to respond.

Moore said that he did not see it fit to solicit responses from the NBS and its Board as the probe focused largely on the decision to institute charges against Arjoon and two other senior bank officials.

Moore also rejected the view that most of the infor-

mation contained in his report on the fraud was based on hearsay and gossip as opposed to facts and the circumstances surrounding the initial Police probe into the allegations against the men.

He appeared unmoved by the concerns raised by several stakeholders, including the NBS, about the damage that was done by both the leakage of the report and the manner in which it was reported on by Opposition-aligned media entities.

Moore was adamant that he would not be taking any responsibility for the leakage and said he has since authorised the dissemination of the report.

Challenge

On Monday, the NBS, through Senior Counsel Ashton Chase, challenged the validity of the report on the $69.9 million fraud, which occurred at the entity in 2006, by registering its concerns with the Ombudsman’s Office and the Office of the President.

In a letter addressed to Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon, Chase expressed grave concern over media reports which appeared in the Kaieteur News and Stabroek News following the release of sections of the report.

“It seems that the publications arise from an initial or draft report of the Ombudsman into our client’s

business and which report has not yet been made public.

"In the first instance, until made public, the report should not be published and the appropriate steps of restraint ought to be taken by the authorities, including the Ombudsman,” the letter said.

The Senior Counsel said his client is managed by a Board comprising persons elected by members of the Society and there is no Government nominee thereon.

“In addition, our aforesaid clients are not a Government Department or prescribed authority and de hors the parameters intended for such investigation by the Ombudsman,” the letter to the Head of the Presidential Secretariat noted.

The letter added that “this is unfair and an abuse of the statutory process”, as it would appear from the media coverage, grave condemnation of the NBS without it having been given an opportunity to make a response has been made.

Damage Chase contended that certain statements and comments by the Ombudsman were prejudicial to his client, especially bearing in mind that there are part heard proceedings before the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature touching this matter and since it is sub-judice, the Ombudsman having regard to his career, should know the damage inflicted.

“If it was purposeful, it is all the more so, since it features in the newspapers through a former client of the present Attorney General who no doubt participated in the Ombudsman’s appointment,” the letter stated. The Ombudsman, however, insisted that he did not see how the report could negatively impact the ongoing court case, although legal minds whom this publication spoke with agree with Chase and the position taken by the NBS..

Ombudsman Winston Moore

Labour Minister, Dr Nanda Kishore Gopaul

Former NBS Chief Executive Officer Maurice Arjoon

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

The Commissioner General’s withdrawal

The proceedings and conclusion of most court cases usually answer many questions in the course of any justice system. Even when the verdict is not what many observers and those interested in a case expect, the hearings in themselves often bring to bear the pros and cons of the charge or charges being laid in light of the defence being mounted as a counter.

A case in point is the recent trial of South African double amputee sprint runner Oscar Pistorius, who was sentenced for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The Paralympic champion admitted shooting Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, but denied murder, saying he mistook her for an intruder.

After an intense trial, on September 12, Pistorius was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter, and was sentenced on October 13 to five years in prison. Pistorius could however serve as little as ten months and, although the sentencing could now become the subject of an appeal by the State, the cross-examination during the trial shed light on most of what took place on that fateful night.

Many in and out of South Africa have expressed their views on the verdict and the sentence. But each view expressed would largely be based on the evidence presented and the cross-examination which ensued. While no one knows exactly what happened, except Pistorius of course, much of what was disclosed led followers of the case to conclude one way or another.

Here in Guyana, the just concluded criminal case involving alleged threats made by Kaieteur News Owner and Publisher Glenn Lall to Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Khurshid Sattaur has unfortunately raised more questions than answers in the minds of those who have followed the yet ongoing saga, to put it mildly, between the two men.

On the one hand, the newspaper proprietor has become quite a self-appointed vociferous figure, believed by many to be championing the cause of justice and transparency in public life, particularly in Government, while on the other, the complainant is the most senior tax official in the country and the recipient of a national award, the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) in 2011.

This newspaper had reported in early September that Sattaur, after seeking legal advice on the alleged threats received via a phone call, which were believed to be aimed at dissuading the GRA from pursuing the investigation into an alleged duty-free scam, now the subject of a separate court case, thought it best to report the matter to the Police.

It was well considered action taken by the Commissioner General to place the matter in the hands of the Police so that the law could then take its course. Following about three months of investigation by the Police and legal advice from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the charge was duly instituted against Lall and a court date set, interestingly on the same day that he had to return for his second appearance on the tax fraud charges.

There must have been the anticipation of an intriguing case in the course of the trial, only for all and sundry to be left high and dry after the startling revelation was made by the magistrate that the Commissioner General had declined to give evidence in the matter.

Did Sattaur waste the Police’s time and resources? Was justice served in this matter? Was there a subsequent threat from Lall after the initial one when Sattaur decided to report the matter to the Police? Was that the reason for the withdrawal? Is there any truth to Sattaur (and Government) making a truce with the principals at the newspaper?

Sattaur knows the answer to these questions, and in particular, what happened on the night of the phone call, and in the aftermath. His attempt to blame the Police and the DPP’s Chambers is as weak as his withdrawal.

Shared governance will not work (Part One)

Dear Editor,

“The parliamentary Opposition parties have been at the table for three years. And the right to obstruct crude and cruel governance is a sacred one. Truth be told, the AFC and APNU have not done a quarter of the obstruction they should be doing,” wrote Dr David Hinds in the SN of November 12, titled, “The ball is in the APNU, AFC court”.

The militant Afrocentric advocate does not mince words in exercising free speech in press freedom. Hopelessly out of touch with Guyana’s reality, his constant obstructionist bullying catalyses race friction to make it, as he wrote “time that (sic) we end what Elder Eusi Kwayana calls the ‘horse race of thoroughbreds’ and what Bro Bob Marley called the ‘Rat Race’”.

This time there is no camouflage of his constant entitlement tirade. How ironic it is that currently in Guyana and the entire Caribbean, there are absolutely no equally strident militant matching Indo Guyanese advocates or messiah who can be quoted in their defense.

When Dr Hinds wrote, “Today we rightfully mourn another death blow to (sic) our right to be free people in a free Guyana”, he should also bravely tender his political Guru’s original partition solution to overcome.

In the “The Fire Next

Time” (1963), a non-fiction book on race relations in the United States, black author James Baldwin suggests that “White people in this country (USA) will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved this – which will not be tomorrow and may very well be never – then the Negro problem will no longer exist, for it will no longer be needed”.

Mr Baldwin suggests that ‘whiteness’ in America was a social phenomenon of choice, not a biological identity. In his advocacy for ‘blackness’, his theory of ‘whiteness’ connected the latter group’s identity with terrorism – that is, slavery, rape, torture and miscegenation, etc, which regarded black people as sub-human.

After emancipation, both the white ‘massa’ and black slaves achieved freedom to determine their own future. Active black resistance changed the US political trajectory, resulting in the black 13.2 percent population becoming fully integrated, as desired, into the US mainstream.

Black accommodation within the overwhelming Eurocentric US was no big deal. It was non threatening. Black people’s other options were not limited to full integration, alone. Symbiotic dependency or exclusivity in their own US black homeland was open.

The US creation of Liberia resulted in freed slaves being shipped back to Africa. That American black integration solution significantly influenced the Caribbean, specifically Guyana despite the glaring dis-similarities. Guyanese black racial affinities became paramount to the national interests as exemplified by Afrocentric militants like Dr Hinds, etc.

A specialised teacher of African studies at a US university, he lives in a world all by himself. Nothing else matters. While Guyana’s ‘massa’ was also white, owning and subjugating slaves, emancipation also freed both.

But with the white population spread out across the Caribbean as a tiny minority, freed slaves made up the majority population in the islands. Compared to America, the racial dynamics were reversed.

Freed slave descendants easily became automatic inheritors of the inhabited countries with less to overcome or worry about. Black dependency and exclusivity with their former ‘massa’ became one love, unlike the US. Not altogether so in Guyana.

Guyana’s emancipation and independence found the whites in eventual flight, but the country’s racial dynamics also inherited Indians as a majority - dwindling - who were absolutely neither white, nor ‘massa’

by any means.

They were unique in the Caribbean as they were neither. They became the new substitute threat in lieu of the departed ‘massa’. Tragically considered by whites as backward pagans, some among the emancipated slaves eventually also similarly targeted their Indo Guyanese countrymen. Still mocked as pagans, they became the new obstacles to overcome.

The PPP’s socialist leadership, which promoted economic equality, was rejected in racial orchestration. Partisan racialism trounced national interests. In fact, the PPP’s socialist ideology ratcheted up the former ‘massa’s’ wrath. They found the Indian based working class PPP as the greater threat.

Black emancipation preceding political independence easily relapsed into a comfortable unifying dependency alliance on their former slave owners to confront and what else, violently overcome, what they both considered to be their topmost threat.

For some in the black leadership, their automatic embrace of the despised ‘massa’ was the best born again fulcrum hope as ‘saviour’. Dependency and exclusivity again became anchored in jubilant bacchanal with another ironic emancipation.

Georgetown was back to normal for the most part after floodwaters receded as this picturesque view of the South Road Canal illustrates (Carl Croker photo)

Violence in schools: Beware, some prescriptions might be worse!

Dear Editor,

The Editorial titled, “Violence in Schools”, in the November 20 issue of another newspaper proposed the appointment of Welfare Officers in schools as a potential solution for what was projected as dysfunctional relationships between teachers and students to the extent where both male, and increasingly female students are physically attacking both male and female teachers.

Such (mis)behaviour might very well reflect changing/deteriorating mores in our society as indeed appears to be the case in other countries. It will not hurt to survey what counter or ameliorative measures have been/are being tried elsewhere so that we do not ‘re-invent the wheel’ or repeat their mistakes. Notwithstanding, I wish to share this thought based on my many years of experience as a primary and secondary school teacher: We must be wary of exacerbating the situation by unwittingly introducing intermediaries in the basic student-teacher relationship; any change that is likely to dilute the bond that must necessarily be cultivated and sustained between the student and the teacher might in the long run do more harm than well-mean-

ing good.

A Welfare Officer in each school to deal with issues that cannot be dealt with by the hierarchy that currently exists (example, Senior Teacher, Deputy HM, HM with other professional support available on-call regionally, including psycho-social counselors) might very well undermine the authorityfigure that must reside in the child’s teacher with support, if necessary from parental involvement.

Such undermining does no one any good. It merely increases the bureaucracy, which in turn, encourages buck-passing and reduces accountability for achievement.

I can also draw parallels with my decades of experience as a Human Resource Management practitioner and consultant in Industrial, Governmental and International organizations in various cultural contexts.

In too many instances I have seen and advised against the dilution of the primary supervisor-supervisee relationship which resulted from introduction of un-necessary intermediaries. To me the most effective solution lies in:

The professional empowerment of the teacher (or the supervisor as the case might be) by ensuring that the

‘technical’ knowledge of the subjects being taught and the skill of teaching have been acquired;

The necessary pre-appointment orientation and aptitude to deal with the ‘human aspects’ of the job are fully satisfied initially; and

Continually being upgraded in the light of contextual changes and new developments in substantive subject matter as well as societal dynamics.

In this regard one must ask to what extent are teachers trained in inter-personal relationships, counseling and leadership before they start working as teachers.

My guess is that most entrants into the teaching profession get very little, if any pre-appointment preparation for the most challenging job as a teacher. How many just move overnight after graduating as a student to being a teacher where some may indeed quickly learn ‘to swim’ while several others just float or sink?

I do believe that much more will be gained if we select and prepare our teachers better to perform as the gurus of yore, the real teachers, rather than propping them up with school counselors or welfare officers.

Sincerely, Nowrang

Persaud

Problems associated with sponsorship

Dear Editor, There has been an increasing trend of late for events to be caught up in controversy with concomitant loss of brand equity for the sponsors supporting with the brand names and advertising dollars.

Sponsors support events that lend some value to their brands. When there is misalignment in the form of some trouble for the sport or event, the brands associated are ultimately tarnished to varying degrees.

Case in point is the recent West Indies-Digicel cricket fiasco in India, the Guyana Open Golf-Digicel tournament, and the Troy Humphrey MemorialHumphrey’s Bakery cycle race held in Guyana recently.

In each of these cases, there have been issues that have brought the respective sport or event into controversy. In the instances of the West Indies tour and the Troy Humphery Memorial cycle race, the players/riders caused the anguish and have led to negative publicity events.

In the case of the Guyana Open Golf Tournament, there appears to have some movement in the playing rules for the apparent benefit of someone (as took place with the GMR&SC race meet recently), and this left the country’s premier golf event in controversy.

Organizers and participants must understand the role and expectations of sponsors and respect same. In the least, sponsors expect

Is this the story they want us to believe?

Dear Editor,

This is the story they want us to believe, that three friends were horsing around with a, well she stopped short of making the ridiculous statement of a “toy gun”, when it accidentally went off hitting a young man in his neck. This is the story the mother of the slain young man would have us believe.

Three grown men who would usually meet to play Nintendo and out of the clear blue skies dropped a loaded firearm. Subsequently, that firearm “accidentally” discharged hitting the young man in the neck.

I mean this is the version of an all too familiar story of guns and ammunition in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica). The truth about this whole web of gun culture is, whenever these guys are caught in the act, there

is a manufacture of excuses; the excuses just keep pouring in.

But silly as it sounds, they believe it and strangely enough they want us to believe it also. Well, yours truly as well as all right thinking Guyanese do not buy that nonsensical story. And here›s my reason.

This story has all the trappings of a group of guys either on the verge of making one of these armed robberies we ever so often experience in Region Four, or just returned from a successful heist when the distribution of the proceeds became a serious issue.

Things have gone sour in the arrangements when he was shot. This is what his mother should be telling us and not that soap opera version she is giving the media.

To hammer home the point, what were they doing

with guns? From my knowledge and the way things are done in the army is, guns and live ammunition are not given to army personnel like that.

Therefore the firearm in question must have been illegal - one of these «guns for hire» schemes. In any event the authorities need to institute charges on the two supposedly GDF recruits, as well as the one who is hospitalized.

They are all complicit in this act. The English proverb says, «Peeing on my leg and calling it rain», but I›d rather use the Caribbean version which states, «Peeing in my eye and calling it rain». This anansi story is a classic case of «peeing in one›s eye and calling it rain».

Sincerely,

Neil Adams

Shared governance will...

from page 4

a successful event and positive press!

There must be clear and well communicated rules and measures of sanction against those who bring the games or events into disrepute. The means by which participation can complain must also be well communicated. Without the sponsors much of what is accomplished cannot be done.

Those with responsibility for marketing across the various companies must be nervous with this developing trend and will react conservatively to requests for sponsorship by simply saying no if they see no proper measures put in place to protect their brand image.

Ryan E Balram Marketing Consultant

Fifty years later (19642014), Dr Hinds raises Mr Kwayana’s flagging antiquity for his well known final solution: “It’s time that (sic) we end what Elder Eusi Kwayana calls the ‘horse race of thoroughbreds’ and what Bro Bob Marley called the “Rat Race....The time for dreaming crossover and (sic) non ethnic voting partners is over. We cannot wait any longer on the ideal” is the warning very loud and most clear. The cat is definitely out of the bag. Undoubtedly, when Mr Kwayana and crew were conjoined with Dr Walter Rodney, the Buxton sage was privately pursuing ‘his own race’, not the class agenda of Dr Rodney’s WPA. Now Mr Kwayana’s pound of flesh, demanded in 1964 is considered due.

Continuously under fire by militant Afrocentric activists operating among Guyana’s significant black minority population, the Indo Guyanese have been branded, ever since, as automatically guilty, just because of ideology, their politics, culture, religion and numbers.

Despite known widespread Indian poverty and “backwardness of communication”, they apparently achieved notoriety just by their existing presence and survival. The English language was just not their cup of tea.

An extremist old time black magic, historically honed by resisting ‘massa’ as their first enemy, ritualistically rained revengeful riots, rapes and reverse racism through terrorism topped off by miscegenation of Indians to achieve political and racial paramountcy over their existence.

Confronted with the usual black engineered terrorism factually aimed at supplanting political authority over what they viewed as political paganism, by a mere class touting PPP, but Indian Government, the latter’s leadership was totally defenceless.

The ideologues erroneously relied on ideology, class affinity, human decency, democracy and or numbers for accommodation and survival.

Now the white terrorism against US black people, most despicable as per Mr Baldwin’s contempt, found Guyana’s slave descendants, forget the damaging sub human imagery, ironically raining down similar organized vulture terrorism on defenceless Indo Guyanese.

Obversely, black violent stratagem achieved righteous sanitized divinity with a ‘massa’ in remote control sponsorship. All’s well that ends well? Dr Hind’s current gyration advocacy is no less heinous.

Active pre-meditative ra-

cial entitlement ‘madness’, most deliberately calculated in its methodical cunningness, is again directed against Indo Guyanese demanding their endorsement, accommodation and validation exclusively by race. Its either this way, or there will be escalated obstruction, destruction and whatever may be racial war. Historically, womb nurtured and by its biological Pavlovian conditioning, the black copycat atrocities of the US white identity which Mr Baldwin earlier decried, is openly touted in the media. Is it judiciously sanguine, since Indo Guyanese are targeted?

The use of age old violence and terrorism in Guyana, originally conceived against ‘massa’, was always a latently handy tool of obstruction and destruction. The AFC’s black leadership instigated the 2012 Linden riots. How easily they conjured it up in Agricola by tickling black people into targeting their fellow Indo Guyanese.

So what’s the best solution for obstruction, destruction and racial atrocities against Indo Guyanese? Shared Government operating behind close doors without public scrutiny? It will not work.

Sincerely, Sultan Mohamed

Page Foundation

Emory University Hospital will begin stockpiling blood plasma from Ebola survivors, treated with a pathogen inactivation system that’s never been used before in the United States, the company that developed the technology announced on Friday.

So far, the US has had some amazing success in treating Ebola, possibly thanks to experimental plasma treatments. Drawn from survivors, the stuff comes enriched in antibodies that could help to fight off the disease – but it also has the potential to carry other diseases, like malaria, that are common in West Africa where Ebola is raging. The new system will kill off any extra contaminants that may be lurking in this potentially life-saving serum.

It’s the same one, Cerus Corporation’s Intercept system, that will be used in a Gates Foundation-funded study of Ebola treatments in West Africa. The pathogen-killing molecule at the heart of the system is amotosalen, part of a class of three-ringed molecules called psoralens. They’re the compounds in lime that cause what some doctors call “Mexican beer dermatitis”: Get a squirt of the citrus on your skin when you push it into your Corona, spend a few hours on the beach in the sunlight, and the molecules interact with the UV rays to give you a nasty rash.

Amotosalen doesn’t cause dermatitis, but it works by the same mechanism. When technicians add it to blood plasma, it nestles in the middle

of DNA and RNA helices, linking the bases on either side. Then, activated by a burst of UV light, it irreversibly bonds to those bases – so the genetic material can’t replicate any more. Pathogens, inactivated.

Europe has long used blood purification systems – Intercept was first approved eight years ago, and there are other techniques, too. But the FDA has been slow to approve the same technology, mostly, it seems, for lack of demand. Last week the agency approved the technique for restricted use in treating the plasma of Ebola survivors.

We already screen donated blood for several common contaminants: infectious diseases like hepatitis, West Nile, and Chagas disease. (The Red Cross also screens for HIV.) Those screens mean it’s very

safe to use donated blood in the United States. But that can change when new diseases enter the pipeline – ones that we don’t test for, or ones that we don’t even know exist.

For the FDA, the tipping point might have been two diseases that are new to the US, Chikungunya and dengue. As temperatures rise, mosquitoes migrate northwards, carrying diseases that have historically been stuck in warmer, tropical countries.

So in October, the FDA approved the Intercept system for use in areas like Florida and Texas where the mosquitoborne diseases are becoming a problem. (Nobody’s used the treated plasma yet.) Because they’re so uncommon here, we don’t test for those two diseases, or malaria. But soon,

Part 2

testing may not be enough.

“There’s an increasing realisation that it’s challenging to be proactive about epidemics with our current testing paradigm,” said William “Obi” Greenman, Cerus’ president and chief executive officer. We may be confronting enough new pathogens in this rapidly changing climate of ours that inactivation will become necessary to keep our blood supply safe. If so, the FDA is ready; Greenman says they’re likely to decide whether to approve the Intercept system to treat all donated plasma in the next several months.

The Ebola virus has claimed more than 5000 lives during the current epidemic in West Africa, the largest outbreak since the virus was discovered nearly 40 years ago.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 13,000 people have been infected during the outbreak.

People are infected when they have direct contact through broken skin, or the mouth and nose, with the blood, vomit, faeces or bodily fluids of someone with Ebola.

The virus can be present in urine and semen too.

Infection may also occur through direct contact with contaminated bedding, clothing and surfaces – but only through broken skin.

It is still unclear how long the virus exists on surfaces but there is some evidence to suggest it can last up to six days. Bleach and chlorine can kill Ebola. (Wired)

By DeBBie Pincus

Ask yourself: what are you really anxious about One of the ways adults manage anxiety in our important relationships is to deflect onto our children. Let’s say you feel emotional distance in your marriage. Rather than address the problem directly with your spouse, you might instead get overly focused on your child.

intensity. However, it doesn’t solve anything. It increases anxiety and we end up trying to “fix” something that isn’t the problem. Attending to the actual problem will calm us down and help our life function at its best.

Focus on yourself. “How could I possibly focus on myself? I have three children, a job and a million things to do!” Focusing on yourself

You might see problems in your child that barely exist, but become exaggerated in your mind. This gives you a place to focus the intense emotions not being dealt with in your marriage. A child is an easy target to place the focus on. It’s normal to want to avoid the hard stuff between you and another person and bring in a third, like a child, to reduce the

does not mean not taking care of your responsibilities. It does mean finding a way to make you a priority as well. If you don’t care for yourself, you won’t be able to take care of the children, the house, your job. Focusing on yourself means knowing where you end and your child begins. You are not one, but two. It means developing yourself, your adult relationships, your goals and aspirations. Doing this will help calm you down because you will be in charge of your own life rather than living in reaction to everyone around you. Not everything in your child’s life is your “job”! And if your children see you taking responsibility for managing your life, they will learn to manage their own responsibilities and feel free to develop their own life.

Stay in the present. When you find yourself thinking up “what if” scenarios about your child, bring yourself back to the “now”. Ask yourself if there is anything now, right now, that would be helpful to do or say that would aid your child both now and in the future. This will help you calm down and give your child what she actually needs. Try this simple exercise.

A “what if” anxiety creeps in: “What if my daughter doesn’t pass her history test?” Bring yourself back to the present and ask yourself: What are the facts suggesting to me that she won’t do well? Her last test score was low (fact). Is my concern based on facts or fears? I’m also worried because I struggled in history at her age (fear). (Excerpt

Bosai calls for employees' cooperation to resolve differences

One day after employees of bauxite mining company Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Inc (BMGGI) staged a protest over pay increases, the company implored workers to work collaboratively with management in an effort to resolve the issue.

Approximately 200 employees on Monday protested outside the north gate of the company, refusing to work unless they were assured that they would be paid an 8.5 per cent increase across the board, instead of the six per cent proposed by the company.

In a press release, the company said it was calling on employees to negotiate through their representatives to immediately end the wages impasse, noting that both the company and workers’ interests may be damaged in the long run by such protest action.

Bosai said it wished for employees to return to the bargaining table and resolve the issue in a spirit

of amicability, trust and good faith.

The release further stated that the proposed six per cent increase in wages was a fair offer, and the company, while having produced bauxite, had been unable to market the product as in the past.

The company reminded its workers to be aware that the production of bauxite, or any product for that matter, is not an automatic guarantee of it being sold.

Concern for workers

The release further stated that reduced demand globally for bauxite products and the fragility of the international markets have forced the company to make its proposed offer, as it was concerned for the welfare of its employees, and their families.

It added that the town of Linden and the sustainability of Bosai are both crucial, pointing out that notwithstanding the situation in 2013, when the

company failed to reach its targets, management paid its staff an end-of-year 1.5 per cent bonus without any conditions, or regard to individual performance.

The company said it wished to remind all stakeholders that in better years all would have managed to settle differences amicably, and while all would like for the markets to open up, at the moment, the company had to wait on its buyers.

Bosai said it was calling for the understanding of the Union and all of its employees, noting that other major companies have also awarded six per cent increases to their employees.

It called on all to let reason and common sense prevail.

On Monday, the Vice Chairman of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) Linden Branch, Orrin Tischmaker said workers were dissatisfied

Man ordered to pay $15,000 for cannabis possession

Twenty-nine-yearold Odel Devine of Lot 90 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown was on Monday morning fined $15,000 after pleading guilty to a possession of narcotics charge. The man appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before the presiding Magistrate Ann McLennan. It was alleged that on November 19, at West Ruimveldt, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, he had in his pos-

session a narcotic, that is to say 3.5 grams of cannabis.

The court heard that on the day in question at around 01:50h, Police from the West Ruimveldt area carried out a search on the defendant. During the search, they found the substance in his left side pants pocket.

He was apprehended and taken to the West Ruimveldt Police Station. An investigation was carried out and the substance was weighted. He was then arrested.

Devine told the court “I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and I’m sorry”. When the Magistrate asked him why he uses the substance, he responded by saying that sometimes he takes “one or two smoke” since he has minor problems.

He was ordered to pay a $15,000, fine along with three weeks community service and was cautioned that a default in his sentence would result in five months imprisonment.

Labourer fined for break and enter

Fifty-one-year-old

Puran Ramdeo was arraigned on a burglary charge when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Ann McLennan on Tuesday morning.

with the way in which negotiations were progressing with the management.

He also cited safety concerns and the company’s reported refusal to pay any bonus as issues with which workers were unhappy.

The Union representative said according to the structure in place at the company, if workers met a specified production target, they were guaranteed a bonus and the reported decision to not pay the incentive was in contradiction to the agreement.

The labourer of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara pleaded guilty. The charge alleged that on November 23, at Campbellville, Georgetown, with the intent to commit a felony, he attempted to break and enter the storeroom of Virtual Defendant (VC) Joy Thomas and stole one 50 pound gas cylinder valued $15,000 which belonged to the VC.

The court heard that Thomas resides in a two-story house – the top flat is her living quarters and the bottom flat is used as a storage room. On the day in question, Thomas secured her

premises by the necessary measures and when to bed.

At around 14:30h, Thomas’s nephew raised an alarm when he saw the defendant in the house with the gas cylinder in his hands. The Police was summoned and Ramdeo was arrested and taken to the Prashad Nagar Police outpost.

However, Ramdeo told the court his side of the story which differed from that of the defence. According to the defendant, he was sent by Thomas’s nephew to purchase a cylinder of gas. He said he was paid $200 to go and purchase the gas and after he picked up the bottle, the VC’s nephew walked away.

The unrepresented man was fined $15,000 and cautioned that a default in paying the fine would result in 14 days imprisonment.

Puran Ramdeo

Approximately 200 Bosai employees went on strike on Monday demanding a wage increase of 8.5 per cent

Region 2 invests $81M to improve drainage, irrigation

– residents, rice farmers thankful

By IndrawattIe natram

The Region Two (Pomeroo-Supenaam) Administration, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), has invested $81 million to improve drainage and irrigation throughout the entire Essequibo Coast.

The desilting of the drainage canals comes at a time when Guyana has

eas on the Essequibo Coast.

Beneficiaries of the project, predominately rice farmers and residents, are thankful to the Government of Guyana for executing the project at an opportune time. The project, which entails the clearing of most canals and the desilting of clogged facades and conservancies, will enable more crop production as well as encourage more and more farmers to open up more lands.

been experiencing unusually heavy rainfall, which has caused floods in several parts of Guyana. The works executed are aimed at helping to eradicate flooding in residential and farming ar-

Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud inspected the work throughout the Coast, including the desilting works at Capoey. According to Persaud, the project will help to improve

drainage between Johanna Cecilia and Dartmouth.

The Chairman pointed out that desilting works are currently in progress in the Walton Hall-Paradise areas. Inspections were also conducted at Queenstown which was recently flooded. Persaud said he was pleased with the works done by the contractor.

At La Union, the Chairman, during his inspection, noted that works are being done on the main canal leading to the sluice mouth. This, he said, will allow more water to flow easily, and further enable water to flow smooth-

ly from Queenstown and Annandale.

Additionally, inspections were done at Taymouth Manor and Three Friends sluice where desilting works are presently ongoing.

Meanwhile, farmers said that they are thankful and uttered loud praise for the work done. Most rice farmers pointed out that most of the canals and drainage trenches were invaded by tall bushes and weeds, making the flow of water problematic.

The project will minimise flooding in areas as well as boost production.

Trader charged with attempted burglary on $50,000 bail

A51-year-old trader of Lot 306 South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown, was placed on $50,000 bail for intent to commit a felony charge.

Andrew Henry, also known as Andrew Thomas made an appearance before Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on Monday, November 17, at Georgetown with intent to commit a felony, he allegedly attempted to break and enter the bar of Courtney Bowman.

Representing the defendant was Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat, who requested that bail be granted in a reasonable sum stating that his client does not have any prior or pending matters and that he did not steal anything. Police Prosecutor

Dinero Jones did not oppose bail but asked that the defendant be granted bail in a substantial amount.

Bail was granted and the father of two will make his next court appearance before Magistrate Dylon Bess on December 16.

Eyew tness

Say it ain’t so...

...Bill

Ahhh...tis the season to be jolly...or so we thought until we read the reports on Bill Crosby as a serial rapist who drugged a series of young women and then did the dirty on them. Now don’t think this Eyewitness is trying to outdo that Muckraking rag from Saffon Street... he heartily and willingly concedes that belt to Mook Lall and his motley crew of bottom feeders.

Your prim and proper Eyewitness was shocked speechless at the revelations about his “Dad of the century” - who he grew up wishing HIS Dad could’ve been like, back in the day. But dropping sly bon mots was not his father’s schtick...dropping his thick black belt across the budding Eyewitness’ scrawny shoulders was more like it.

He double-checked the allegations on that bastion of uprightness - the Washington Post, who’d actually brought down a US President. He expected them to check their facts on the “Doctor” who’d revolutionised the American treatment of Blacks on their TV. No mean achievement since that was the main medium, where those folks in the land of the free reinforced their biases.

Seems that the “Cos” you and your Eyewitness knew as the avuncular black icon who could dress down his race about their unwillingness to face some “harsh facts” about themselves - was totally unwilling to face some even harsher ones about his sexual predatory habits.

Bill, it seems, didn’t just drop full blown from the brow of the creators of the “Cosby Show”. As a drop out from Temple University in the midst of the swinging 60s who made it big as the first black Star on a major sit com - “I Spy” - Bill was quite a ladies man.

Even though he was married at 26 (to a 19 year old), he hung out with the likes of Hugh Hefner and his Playboy playgirls. And grabbed as no much as he could get - and then some. One could say that “use them like facial tissue and discarding them” was the norm back then - but not the kink about drugging the nubile young’uns and then raping them.

Most of these women are now in their 70s - and their testimony’s living proof of what’s being said about the act of rape. We’re pretty sure Cosby could’ve had more than his “fair” (?) share of “sweet young things” - as they were dime a dozen in Hollywood.

But it had to be a quest for domination and humiliation that would insist the women were comatose.

...Mook Lall

Mohan “Mook” Lall claimed he’d been chomping at the bits for his day in court. But all ended, not with a bang, but a whimper. And the whimper - unlike the copious tears he’d shed in fear of being prosecuted by the GRA - wasn’t even his.

First, there was the very detailed statement the head of the GRA had made about how Lall had threatened him over the phone. The charges were presumably so serious that the GRA head enchilada went ahead and filed charges. But they say that time heals all - and so it was that the head enchilada of the GRA claimed that time had healed the fears aroused by the Mook’s threatening language. This Eyewitness guessed that this is why counsellors advise warring couples (and nations) to have a “cooling off period”. Whimper, whimper...

But the Mook must’ve been sorely disappointed that the fraud charges were adjourned (not “prorogued”) till next year. The other, old defendants weren’t in court. Drats!!

Maybe they couldn’t get a ride?? Whimper ...whimper. No day in court??

...Mr Ombudsman

The country didn’t know much about Ombubsmen... until President Ramotar appointed one. But when the fella accepted as gospel, wild accusations of persecution by an Executive fired for negligence (what else do you call allowing $69.9 million to be withdrawn from an account through forgery?) - it makes you wonder about the President’s vetting system.

One of the canals being desilted along the Essequibo Coast

Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud inspecting a desilted canal

P&P continues support for Tina Insanally Foundation Guyana to soon benefit from National Youth Policy – Dr Anthony

... in face of concerns

over long delay

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Monday confirmed that Guyana will soon be benefiting from a National Youth Policy, which was promised some years ago.

In a telephone interview with this publication, Anthony said that the United Nations has agreed to fund the programme, and the Ministry was now waiting on the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) to finalise the process.

The aim of the National Youth Policy is to respond to the challenges facing youths in Guyana, while creating

Minister announced the commencement of countrywide consultations on the document to meet the changing socioeconomic circumstances facing Guyanese youth.

These consultations and surveys during which 2500 questionnaires were distributed were concluded about three years later; and, the Minister said the National Youth Policy is in the process of being completed.

Many persons have contended that the delayed release of the Policy and similar situations jeopardise the outstanding work done by the Government over the

opportunities for them to further transform their lives through equitable access to education, housing, health services, and economic opportunities. The Policy will be complemented by a strategic implementation plan, inclusive of a monitoring and evaluation framework that identifies clear activities, actions, goals, and timelines.

In October of 2013, the National Youth Steering Committee was in the process of completing data collection to inform the Policy after travelling to most regions in Guyana to conduct focus group sessions, consultations and surveys.

Missing link

The National Youth Policy can be the missing link between the state of hopelessness that is hovering over youths and their ability to make more meaningful contributions to the growth and development of Guyana.

Only recently, the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry staged its first youth award ceremony to recognise outstanding contributions made by individuals and organisations that have focused their efforts on creating and providing an enabling environment that facilitates youth advocacy and provides effective youth programmes.

Back in 2011, the

P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd is playing its part in helping develop young Guyanese, as it continues its tradition of supporting Tina Insanally Foundation (TIF) with year-end donations.

Ever since the Foundation, which works to enrich the lives of disadvantaged children in Guyana, started some four years ago, P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd has been on board.

Vijaya Panday of P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd recently handed over a cheque to a young steel pan player at a practice session for TIF’s annual concert on Sunday, December 7. TIF programmes provide opportunities for exposure to music, foster creativity and promote self expression. It collaborates with local partners to ensure that the children in its programmes have the resources they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

last 22 years to advance the interests of youth in the areas of health, education and sport. It also sends the wrong message to young people, who have been eagerly awaiting the impact of Government policy that would have emanated from their direct input.

Youths want to redefine the role they play in the world through Information and Communication Technology (ICT), science and research, and sport. A National Youth Policy, which could be revised every two years, could provide them with the platform to grow and advance in this regard .Other problems such as juvenile delinquency and the emergence of a new cadre of youth criminals could be effectively tackled through prudent planning at the community level. Issues related to domestic abuse, rape, incest and teenage pregnancy are also matters which should be adequately dealt with in this document.

Guyana has to become the guiding light for other Caricom countries and its South American neighbours. It must advance the best National Youth Policy to further develop the aspirations of young Guyanese, who are already making sterling contributions the world over.

It is time Guyana brings the long overdue visionary and guiding document to fruition.

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Ban Styrofoam now – Sooba

... says damage, disposal costly

Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba has joined many Guyanese citizens in calling for an immediate ban of the use of Styrofoam containers locally.

Speaking to Guyana Times Tuesday via telephone, Sooba explained that she was very happy that the Government has taken the initiative to move towards a ban. However, she is adamant that the ban should be instituted urgently.

In June 2013, the Government took the initiative to ban the importation of Styrofoam containers starting from June 2014. However, the Government decided to put a hold on the ban.

The Natural Resources Ministry last week said: “A moratorium/ban on the importation, use and retail of Styrofoam in the food service industry is on the cards for first quarter 2015.”

It was further explained by the Ministry that an implementation plan, including regulations under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Act, is being prepared to institute the moratorium.

Efforts to get more information on the matter were futile. Parmanand

Persaud, who is attached to the Ministry, said that they were working on compiling technical information on the issue.

With the recent 7.75 inches of rainfall which caused major flooding in the city, the Ministries of Agriculture, Public Works and Local Government were forced to conduct an emergency cleaning of the Sussex Street Koker. This was done to remove a garbage pile-up, consisting mainly of Styrofoam containers, to aid in drainage

from the La Penitence and Albouystown area.

Sooba, who was very active in the cleaning up exercise, was very disheartened by the garbage pile-up, especially since the Sussex Street Canal is among the seven canals around the city of Georgetown, which was recently cleaned during the “Clean Up My Country” campaign.

Sooba explained that Styrofoam containers make up the bulk of garbage and contribute heav-

ily to blocked drains. “I think they should use the cardboard boxes, they are bio-degradable and easier to get rid of.”

She added that Styrofoam containers were very expensive to get rid of.

Meanwhile, arising from the garbage situation, the litter regulations were implemented in November which state that a person can be fined up to $100,000 for illegal dumping of garbage.

Sooba has said there were a number of political issues within the City Council which were hampering the stringent enforcement of the litter regulations around the city. Coupled with the enforcement of the litter regulations and the long-awaited implementation of the ban on Styrofoam containers, it is anticipated that Guyana will be transformed into a cleaner and healthier place.

Forgive and forget

Satiricus had been taught as a boy, of John F Kennedy’s maxim - “Forgive your enemies, but don’t forget their names”. What could he say?? Satiricus’ Dad was an “eye for an eye kinda guy”. So Satiricus grew up admiring those who could “forgive and forget”.

While his Dad thought such folks were a bunch of “pussies” who were scared shitless about repercussions of “remembering”, Satiricus felt virtuous not being so “cynical”.

So when this case of GPA vs Mook Lall came up, which Satiricus had even been assigned by his Editor to cover, Satiricus was tense. Here it was, a man who caused other men to wet their buktas and pants when he even mentioned their names - being threatened by the Mook, Satiricus had been livid.

If you could threaten the Man who knew all your hanky-panky financial dealings, what the hell was next?? Bugging your reporters’ phones??

So Satiricus just knew that the full force of the law in all its majesty would come down on the Mook. Just to show him that there’s a line those who’ve sworn to uphold the law must draw. And it wasn’t in the sand!!

So Satiricus had schlepped over to that magnificent structure in which justice was dispensed on the East Coast and shoehorned himself into the mass of humanity to listen to the “unstrained” quality of mercy.

And mercy it was!! A new saint was created in Guyana. The GPA fella who’d made the charge against the Mook, now said that “all was forgiven”. Everybody in court gasped!! He didn’t actually say this himselfsaints don’t just present themselves to fellas whom they’ve forgiven. He gave his benediction - it had to be that, since it allowed the Mook to walk off scotch freethrough his begotten emissary.

Time, the great man pointed out, healed everything. And he had been healed. Satiricus could just imagine a halo floating over the newly beatified One.

Since this transformation must’ve come without any external promptings - such as further threats or gutless fears - Satiricus just knew that, like Saul on the way to Damascus, the GPA Bigwig was a changed man. This was an epiphany. This came from within!!

From now on, when citizens didn’t pay their taxes because their flesh was weak and they wanted to spend it on wine, women and song - Satiricus was certain they’d be forgiven. Being the big softie he was Satiricus’ eyes teared up at the magnificence of the GPA boss. Such fearlessness!!

$55,000 bail for 55-year-old on assault, wounding charges

Colin Souns, 55, was placed on $55,000 bail after being arraigned on grievous bodily harm and assault charges when he appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday afternoon.

The charge alleged that on November 10 at Stabroek Market wharf, Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously inflict-

ed grievous bodily harm on Patrick Edwards. It was further alleged that on the same day, he unlawfully assaulted Edwards –charges he denied.

Souns was represented by Attorney Folio Richards who submitted her bail application on the defendant’s behalf. She noted that her client is a self employed man with a wife and four children. She noted that he has no prior or

pending matters and is not a flight risk. Richards highlighted that Souns attended court off of his own initiative and will return for his trial.

There were no objections to bail from the Prosecution. With that, in an amount of $55,000, bail was granted to the defendant. Souns is to make his second court appearance on December 16 before Magistrate Dylon Bess.

The Ministries of Agriculture, Public Works and Local Government were forced to conduct emergency cleaning of the Sussex Street koker to remove garbage pile-up, consisting mainly of Styrofoam containers

Trinidad and Tobago-Guyana land deal…

High level TT delegation to arrive in December

BY SVETLANA MARSHALL

Trinidad and Tobago’s Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj and Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment Vasant Bharath will lead a 10-member delegation to Guyana in December to advance agriculture relations with Guyana.

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy disclosed on Tuesday that the high profile team comprising eight Trinidadian investors will arrive in Guyana during the first week of December.

Last September, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) setting the stage for the leasing of lands in Guyana by private investors of Trinidad and Tobago for the pursuit of agricultural production including agro-processing.

During this upcoming meeting, the Trinidadian counterparts will indicate the type of crops to be grown in addition to the proposed areas.

In March of this year, Trinidad’s Food Production Ministry called on investors to tap into agricultural opportunities in Guyana, but from all indications, the investors were trickling in.

The process only ended recently.

Last year, the Trinidadian Food Production Ministry expressed an interest in utilising 10,000 acres of land in Guyana for the purpose of sustainable food production.

The Guyanese Government had signalled its willingness to provide 1000 acres during the initial stage, had the MoU evolved into an agreement.

The MoU was signed by both Dr Ramsammy and Minister Maharaj on September 6, 2013 in Trinidad and Tobago. The MoU addresses programmes and activities, core areas of cooperation, monitoring and coordinating mechanism, mutual responsibility, commitments and settlements, rights and obligations and scope for termination.

Recognising that global food insecurity remains a major problem across the world due to rising food prices amid declining food production levels due to climate change, the par-

APNU stages another poorly attended picket in front OP

Granger yet to respond to president

APartnership For National Unity (APNU) on Thursday staged yet another poorly attended protest in front of the Office of the President on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown.

Among the protesters this time, there were several women in various stages of pregnancy all calling on the President to lift the prorogation order.

Over the last few months the coalition has held several protest actions and one rally. The initial protest in front of the Office of the President was in support for local government elections.

That position has since changed and the party is calling for the president to set a date for General Elections.

APNU has had a mixed response from its supporters towards the protest actions.

A member of APNU's picket line calling for general elections

The party has already signalled its intention to continue its protest actions until the president either lifts the suspension of the National Assembly or issue a dissolution order. In effect, the dissolution order would mean that the country has to go to General and Regional Elections.

ties had signed the agree- ment in their quest to re-

duce their food import bills. For Trinidad, this plan is in keeping with its National Food Production Action Plan 2012-2015.

The MoU provides guidance for the development, promotion and strengthening of bilateral cooperation between the countries through the development of joint ventures and activities that will contribute significantly to the promotion of food security but it does not impose action targets for either Guyana or Trinidad.

“In the execution of such programmes, projects and activities the parties will give consideration to developing capacity in sectors critical for food security and reducing the food import bill including but not limited to small ruminant production, dairy, beef and poultry pro-

duction, certified seeds (rice) production, corn and soy bean for animal feed, garlic, onion, legumes, coconuts, citrus and aquaculture,” a section of the MoU stated.

But shortly after the MoU was signed, the Trinidad and Tobago Agriculture Society, United Farmers Association and the Trinidad and Tobago Cane Producers Association objected to the MoU signed between Trinidad and Tobago.

It was contended that the agreement would not bring about a dent in TT’s $4 billion food importation bill. Even farmers in Guyana had signalled their objection, but Dr Ramsammy said it was simply a misunderstanding, explaining that if brought into fruition, easier access will be provided into both markets.

This November 2012 photo shows Trinidad and Tobago Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj (fourth from left) and a team from his ministry following a meeting with President Donald Ramotar, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Robert Persaud

Sussex Street koker breached

–

Albouystown residents counting losses

BY ALEXIS RODNEY

Pandemonium broke out last evening among residents of Albouystown, Georgetown when their homes became inundated with water owing to a breakage of the Koker at Sussex Street, Georgetown.

The flooding in the Albouystown community comes weeks after a similar situation occurred in Providence on the East Bank of Demerara, which saw residents experiencing major losses.

The Albouystown residents, during their boisterous protest, blamed the Public Works Ministry for the mishap. They told Guyana Times that they are at their wits end at the level of inattention the community is receiving.

Coupled with the rising water in their homes, the residents who had gathered at the site were also deeply concerned over another possible crisis since a high tide was predicted sometime later in the evening.

When Guyana Times arrived at the scene, an engineer from the Mayor and City Council was already at work.

The once gushing water was contained with assistance lent by members of the Guyana Fire service.

Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Green who was also at the scene, told this publication that she became aware of the situation earlier in the afternoon. According to her, it is alleged by residents that someone might have tampered with the koker’s

lock and opened the door.

However, while that could not be proven, she was concerned about the safety of affected residents in the community. “There is still some amount of water gushing in so they are going to activate the pump to ensure that that water that is flooding in the Albouystown area would be pumped out”, Chase Green told this newspaper, noting that the situation was unfortunate.

The koker attendant was not present at the time of the incident. In fact, according to Chase Green, based on what was told to her, the pump attendant is required to service several sluices. She said maybe in his absence, someone may have tampered with the koker.

Residents also complained about the presence of oil in the water. “What we were told is that someone might have emptied some oil from a barrel in the water, we don’t know”.

Chase Green observed

that the revetment which was built to preserve the existing uses of the shoreline as a defence against erosion was broken in. This, she explained, has made little space available for the holding of water.

“Maybe what the Ministry of Works could do is build a proper revetment with concrete and bring it to the height of the entrance of the koker which will give you a better capacity to hold the water in these eventualities”.

Residents in their frustration criticised the operation of the sluice, noting that the work being carried out by those responsible is ineffective.

“Instead of them listening to people who know what is to be done, they are not listening to nobody”, one obviously upset resident told Guyana Times. The man explained that the “good” pump was removed earlier in the day and was replaced with another that was worn

out.

Another resident, Dexter Haughton told reporters on scene that since February the Public Works Ministry had installed the new pump there. He said while the pump works efficiently form time to time, the buildup of garbage would get into the foot valve of the equipment, causing it to choke.

The pump, he explained, operates mainly when there is intense rainfall. He explained that while he is working to assist the residents of Albouystown with his skill, he is not being given any attention.

“I did what is called a video footage of the different canals in the city. Every time I try to meet with the hierarchies, no one wants to see with me because I am an ordinary person. I tried to see the Minister of Local Government but nothing,” the distraught resident opined.

Residents say the Sussex Street koker was allowed to deteriorate to its current state and leaves much to be desired.

“Imagine we used to play in this as a boy child”, one resident said. “This is how it is though”.

In early October, officials from the Public Works Ministry were forced to replace a new sluice door on the koker which services the Peters Hall and Providence neigbourhood on the East Bank of Demerara.

The koker door reportedly caved under the pressure of the rising tide. Residents experienced severe losses during after that incident.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women... 10 women killed by their spouses so far this year

Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster on Tuesday called on men to respect and honour women, as she disclosed that 10 women were murdered by their spouses for the year so far.

At an interfaith service held in observance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women at the Human Services and Social Security Ministry’s East and Lamaha Streets location, Webster reiterated that men must recognise the need to treat women with respect and learn to protect them. She added that males should realise that their presence on Earth is due to their mothers, and in that sense, honour women.

Violence against women persists because of inequalities between genders, discrimination and oppression, and often times affects the most vulnerable in our society. Over the years, it has become more visible in Guyanese society, with scores of women being assaulted viciously. Efforts by Government and civil society to change social behaviours to stem the tide seem to be bearing little fruit, although the number of domestic violence related deaths decreased considerably this year compared to the 2013 figure of 20 plus deaths.

Among the organisations represented at the service was the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), whose Country Representative Patrice LaFleur highlighted that Guyanese norms and traditions usually promoted gender inequality, which supported gender-based violence, particularly violence against women, and this was something that needed to be changed.

“In many instances, there are some traditional values which are promoted and we have to ensure that

it is not continued, because we would never see the end of violence if we continue in this manner.”

She went on to quote the Executive Director of the UNFPA: ‘“We can have all the laws and policies, but if we do not change our traditions, ours norms and values, which continue to promote violence against women and girls, society will continue to experience the violations of which we see daily.”’

Moreover, as the theme for International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s End Gender-Based Violence” suggests, LaFleur urged parents to play their role in eliminating violence in the home.

“As parents, what are you doing to ensure that, first of all, you socialise your children in a particular way so that they respect each other and that violence is never the answer in response to a conflict or issue.”

Lawmakers

According to the UN, “Thirty-five per cent of women and girls globally experience some form of physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, with up to seven in ten women facing this abuse in some countries.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “Everyone has a responsibility to prevent and end violence against women and girls, starting by challenging the culture of discrimination that allows it to continue.”

In focusing on the legal aspect of eliminating violence against women, Minister Webster called on the lawmakers and investigators to address the issues and cases on domestic violence in a more timely manner.

Albouystown was flooded last evening following the breakage of the Sussex Street koker

Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster addressing the gathering

Regional

Cuban doctor infected with Ebola virus in stable condition

Cuban doctor Felix Baez Sarrias, who contracted the Ebola virus during his work as part of the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade in Sierra Leone, is in stable condition, though he feels very tired, said the head of the intensive care unit at Geneva’s Cantonal Hospital, Dr Jerome Pugin.

Pugin told reporters that it is difficult to predict how Felix, 43, will progress because his health condition may change rapidly, explaining that the patient may improve or worsen quickly, as happens in the case of hemorrhagic diseases.

According to EFE news agency, the patient began to be experimentally treated with the medication known as Zimapp, which has been administered to other foreign patients who, over the past few months, have got the Ebola virus in western Africa, with results considered to be promising.

The Cuban doctor arrived in Geneva on Thursday to be treated

for Ebola, in a section of the Genevabased university hospital specialising in highly infectious diseases. The treatment the doctor is receiving in Geneva is in tune with an

accord between the World Health Organisation and Cuba to treat the island’s medical personnel currently on assignments in other countries.

(Caribbean News Now)

More than 8000 cases of Chikungunya reported in Curacao

The Chikungunya epidemic in Curacao is still not at its peak, according to the Public Health Department (GGD).

The first patient in Curacao was reported in August. Now, in late November, there are more than 8000 cases of

Chikungunya on the island. And if that is not enough, there are about 1000 more patients each week.

According to the GGD, people underestimate the impact of the disease until they get it themselves. The only way to curb the epidemic is to reduce the number of breeding sites of mosquito larvae.

There is no vaccine to prevent Chikungunya virus infection or disease. The only way to prevent the virus infection is by avoiding mosquito bites. The mosquitoes that spread the Chikungunya virus bite mostly during the daytime.

(Caribbean News Now)

Colombia’s FARC rebels free two soldiers to restart peace talks

Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels freed two captured soldiers on Tuesday, the first step toward resuming stalled peace talks which the Government suspended after the insurgent group took five hostages, including an Army General.

The halt in the twoyear-old negotiations in Havana threatened to derail efforts to end five decades of war between the Government and the FARC, which has killed more than 200,000 people since 1964.

President Juan Manuel Santos, who has staked his legacy on a successful peace deal, has said talks would not restart until all

the hostages are free, including General Ruben Dario Alzate, the highestranking military official ever taken by the FARC.

The soldiers, Paulo Cesar Rivera and Jonathan Andres Diaz, who were taken captive in the restive eastern department of Arauca during a military operation on November 9, were freed with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“We’re glad that these two people can shortly return to their homes, where their families await them,” Christoph Harnisch, head of the ICRC’s Colombia delegation, said in a statement. The FARC confirmed the liberation of the soldiers in a statement and

said it would now focus its efforts on freeing the general and the two other hostages captured with him. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Stop screening students for CSEC, Jamaica's Education Ministry tells schools

The Education Ministry has taken steps to halt the screening of students in public schools who sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

By 2016 schools will be required to enter 100 per cent of the grade-eleven cohort to sit at least five subjects in an external examination, the Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

According to the Ministry, this year 71 per cent of the grade-eleven cohort entered English Language in CSEC, City and Guilds and the Caribbean Certificate for Secondary Level Competence examinations, with 68 per cent sitting and 44 per cent passing. For Mathematics 66 per cent of the eligible cohort en-

tered the three external examinations with 63 per cent sitting and 36 per cent passing.

The Ministry was responding to a recent report published by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI), which indicated that teachers and administrators only enter for examinations students whose performance they believe will not jeopardise the overall pass rate of the school.

Chief Education Officer, Dr Grace McLean, referring to a bulletin issued in February 2013, has advised principals and members of staff to desist debarring students who have not attained a minimum of 60 or 65 per cent in their mock examinations from sitting external examinations. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Reward, hotline for murdered Germans in Tobago

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams on Monday signalled his intention to give the investigation into the murders of German couple Hubertus and Birgid Keil top priority by naming an experienced team to handle the case. A reward of TT$100,000 is also being offered to the public for assistance in catching the perpetrator/s and a hotline has been set up to accommodate the provision of such information. The hotline numbers are 708-9302, 708-9142 or 800-TIPS.

Speaking at a joint news conference at the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) Division of Tourism in Scarborough, Williams said although the incident was clearly a one-off type event it was not a norm on the island and police would give the case their highest attention due to the implication for the island’s tourism thrust. “We have put together a team of investigators, comprising numerous units

of the Police Service, including the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit and the CID, and we are in fact treating this matter as our highest priority. It is being treated this way because we know the implications of an incident like this in Tobago,” Williams said.

The team would be given the necessary resources to ensure the crime was solved effectively and efficiently, he added. “I have given that assurance to the Assistant Commissioner that all the available resources that he requires we will be providing it to ensure that this matter is extensively investigated...” he added. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)x

IMF wants to know what PetroCaribe money was used for in St Vincent

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it is monitoring the potential impact of Venezuela’s current economic stress on PetroCaribe, the country’s oil alliance with several Caribbean islands, and it also wants to know what PetroCaribe money was used for in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Merco Press reported.

According to SVG Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Caracas has invited PetroCaribe member countries to a meeting about “reaffirming” their com-

mitment to the initiative, the brainchild of the former Venezuelan president, the late Hugo Chávez.

IMF Western Hemisphere advisor, Elie Canetti, told reporters that the IMF’s main concern “is that we know Venezuela is going through increasing financial stress, and oil prices have dropped from around US$120 a barrel to mid 70s a barrel and Venezuela is hugely dependent on selling oils.”

“So, we are mindful and concerned about the feasibility of PetroCaribe continuing, certainly at the level it has

been, and we are looking into what will be the impact on Caribbean countries,” Cantelli said.

“So if PetroCaribe is, in the extreme, wound down, or if PetroCaribe financing benefits become less generous, it is something that will have to be taken in account in the fiscal strategy,” he said, adding that the Washington-based financial institution is trying to understand what exactly PetroCaribe money was used to pay for in SVG. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Felix Baez Sarrias arrived in Geneva on Thursday to be treated for Ebola, in a section of the Geneva-based university hospital specialising in highly infectious diseases

Murdered German couple Hubertus and Birgid Keil

Chikungunya is a viral disease, carried mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito

Around the world

Streets of Ferguson Missouri smolder after grand jury decides not to indict officer

also could have added a charge of armed criminal action. If at least nine of the 12 grand jurors had voted that there was enough to proceed with charges, Wilson would have stood trial

Ferguson Police Officer

Darren Wilson has not been indicted in the August shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

More than a dozen buildings have been charred, set ablaze in a wave of fury.

Stores many owned by locals looted, with shattered glass covering the asphalt outside. Shell casings on the ground, having been fired by unknown shooters after citizens erupted following a grand jury’s decision not to indict the officer.

Many of those who took to the streets late Monday into Tuesday to express their anger, to vent their feelings about racial injustice – rooted in the fact that Brown was black and Wilson is

white – and Police violence did so peacefully. Others did not, hurling bottles, batteries and rocks at Police.

Authorities responded with round after round of tear gas, as well as shooting bean bags into the crowds. An entire row of businesses on West Florissant Avenue, a major thoroughfare, were engulfed in flames. Police cars were turned into fireballs, as was a row of cars at a car dealership in nearby Dellwood. There were so many infernos that firefighters couldn’t rush to everyone.

Amid the looting and arson, some protesters demanded the media stop reporting on the events. CNN’s Sara Sidner was struck in the head with a rock. St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said he heard at least 100 gunshots through the night. Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson said Police did not fire any of the bullets.

Iraq’s Anbar grapples with devastation

Amid an enduring ISIL siege, the province is experiencing one of Iraq’s worst humanitarian crises.

A 10-month siege of Anbar province has sparked one of the worst humanitarian crises to hit Iraq. The province, which borders Syria, has seen fierce fighting between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which has controlled most of Iraq’s western province for the past two months.

“The siege has also seen a blockade of food, medical supplies and other goods,” 26-year-old Hadi Othman, a resident of Amiriyat alFallujah in Anbar, told Al Jazeera. Othman said the lack of petroleum byprod-

ucts has driven Anbar back into the “stone age”.

Another tribal fighter told Reuters on October 24, that families, trapped in their villages, had resort-

Pope Francis complains of

“haggard”

Europe in Strasbourg

Pope Francis has warned that the world sees Europe as “somewhat elderly and haggard” during a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The Pope said the continent felt “less and less a protagonist”, in a world that regarded it with mistrust.

He also called for a “united response” to the help the boatloads of migrants arriving in Europe.

Pope Francis’s whistlestop visit to Strasbourg disgruntled some, who accused him of neglecting Europe.

Many of Strasbourg’s Catholics were upset that the Pope would not meet them or visit the city’s cathedral.

The four-hour visit – the shortest made by any Pope abroad – was his second European trip since his elec-

tion last year. He travelled to Albania in September.

Addressing the Parliament on Tuesday, the Pope called for action following the deaths of thousands of migrants who have drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean.

“We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery,” he said.

“The absence of mutual support within the European Union runs the risk of encouraging... solutions which fail to take into account the human dignity of immigrants, and thus contribute to slave labour and continuing social tensions.”

The treatment of migrants was a subject he also touched on during a second speech at the Council of Europe, Europe’s main human rights body.(Excerpt from BBC)

ed to firewood for cooking. Unable to reach their farms, many were trying to grow vegetables in their back yards, he said. Women have had to deliver babies in their

homes.

Long neglected by former Iraqi governments, Anbar was a flashpoint in Iraq’s conflict with ISIL. Several residents told Al Jazeera that the ISIL siege was motivated by vengeance as the province “stood by the Iraqi military and Police forces and resisted ISIL domination”.

The humanitarian crisis can be illustrated by the price of a bag of flour which, if it can be found at all, costs $100 compared to $20 prior to the siege. “Prices for food have skyrocketed fivefold following a two-month siege by ISIL,” said resident Yaqoub Abbasi, noting many in his town now live on a gruel made from spelt.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

France delays delivery of Mistral warship to Russia

rench

FPresident François Hollande delayed indefinitely on Tuesday his decision on whether to deliver the first of two Mistral helicopter carriers ordered by Russia citing the “current situation” in eastern Ukraine.

“The President of the Republic considers that the situation in eastern Ukraine still does not permit the delivery of the first BPC (helicopter carrying and command vessel),” said a statement from the President’s office.

“He has therefore decided that it is appropriate to suspend, until further notice, examination of the request for the necessary authorisation to export the first BCP to the Russian Federation.”

The statement follows months of speculation about

Thousands line up to vote in Kashmir India

Indian-administered Kashmir headed to the polls under tight security with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party eyeing power for the first time in the disputed Muslimmajority region.

More than one million residents were eligible to vote on Monday in the first stage of staggered elections in the Himalayan region, claimed by both India and Pakistan and the scene of two wars between the rival neighbours.

Voting started at 08:00h local time (0230 GMT) in 15 constituencies near the de facto border that divides Kashmir along with the remote Ladakh region, home to mostly Buddhists, where temperatures have dropped to below freezing.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is staging a bold attempt to seize control of the 87-member assembly, a move

that would have been unthinkable until very recently.

The party has traditionally had no base in the Kashmir Valley where residents’ resentment against Indian rule runs high. About a dozen rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces since 1989 for Kashmir’s independence or for its merger with Pakistan.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in the violence.

But Modi’s landslide win at national elections in May and a meltdown in support for incumbent Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after deadly floods in September have given the BJP hope of a breakthrough. Outside a heavily guarded polling booth in Ganderbal, a seat Abdullah’s family has long dominated; some voters at least were ready to give the BJP a chance. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Man admits killing boy he met online

An “Internet predator” has admitted stabbing to death a 14-year-old boy after meeting him online.

the contract, with Paris coming under intense pressure from its NATO allies to scrap the 1.2 billion Euros (US$1.58 billion) contract.

The Vladivostok was supposed to be the first of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers delivered to Russia according to the original deal signed in 2011.

The ships, which were built in the western French port city of SaintNazaire, were scheduled to be delivered to Russia by the last quarter of 2014.

The concern in France, which is suffering from record-high unemployment and stagnant growth, is that it not only loses the receipts from this sale but also that its credibility as a weapons exporter is compromised.

(Excerpt from France24)

Breck Bednar, of Caterham, Surrey, was found with a neck wound at a flat in Grays, Essex, in February. Lewis Daynes, 19, of Rosebery Road, Grays, was due to stand trial at Chelmsford Crown Court on a charge of murder but admitted he committed the offence.

It is believed Daynes met Breck, a student at St Bede’s School in Redhill, while playing video games online. Barrister Richard Whittam QC said it was the prosecution’s case that the murder “involved a sexual, sadistic motivation.”

After the stabbing, police became aware of a Facebook post saying Breck had met someone “he thought wanted to be his friend”.

The post, claiming to be from a relative of the victim, said he had turned to the Internet after struggling to make friends.

It added that on the night of his death, Breck told his father he was going

to his friend’s house for a sleepover a couple of streets away, saying it “wasn’t a huge concern for his parents”. At the time of the killing, Breck’s mother Lorin LaFave, said her son was “brutally murdered” by an “Internet predator” and posted a message to his favourite band Coldplay on Facebook asking them to raise awareness of the dangers teenagers face online.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms LaFave said she was left “heartbroken” by her son’s death.

The teenager was a member of the Air Training Corps and attended St John the Evangelist church in Caterham, his family said.

(Excerpt from BBC)

The grand jurors’ mission was never to convict Wilson. Rather, it was to decide whether there was reason enough to charge him with a crime – either first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. They

First of five phases of voting in Indian-administered region begins with PM Modi’s BJP eyeing power for the first time

Residents of Anbar are in dire need of food aid and humanitarian assistance

Breck Bednar

wednesdAY, november 26, 2014 | guYAnAtimesgY.com

AFC leadership race... December 1 is deadline for nominations

– Williams says expect “interesting” conference

BY JOMO PAUL

Alliance For Change (AFC) General

Secretary David Patterson on Tuesday confirmed that December 1 has been set as the deadline for nominations for the upcoming AFC biennial conference.

At this upcoming congress, the party is expected to elect its Leader, Chairman, Vice Chairman, General Secretary and other functionaries within the party.

Patterson had already confirmed that all posts within the party will be up for election. However, the Presidential and Prime Ministerial candidates will not be elected since the party would have to hold a special conference for them to be elected.

Previously, Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo and Chairman Nigel Hughes were seen as the most formidable nominations for the respective presidential and prime ministerial nominations.

The other previously named candidates were incumbent Leader Khemraj Ramjattan and Cathy Hughes. Nominations were also received for Prime Ministerial candidate Raphael Trotman, Cathy Hughes, Dr Verasammy Ramayya and Patterson.

However the party had claimed that its conference which was previously scheduled for October 26 was dependent on the passage of the No-Confidence Motion that the party brought against the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Donald Ramotar Administration.

However due to the non-passage of the NoConfidence Motion, the party was forced to abandon

the late October date and reschedule its biennial congress.

During a telephone interview with Guyana Times, Patterson said that thus far, he has received a “few” nominations, noting that he will be making the final tally of nominees for each position within the party when the deadline passes on Monday December 1.

Further, Patterson related that he has confirmed some 275 delegates for the December 6 conference. These delegates are expected to come from Guyana’s 10 administrative regions.

He told Guyana Times too that the event was billed for the auditorium of the St Stanislaus College on Brickdam, Georgetown.

When asked about the theme for the event, Patterson related that the theme will be unveiled at a Press conference billed for sometime later this week.

AFC Youth Leader Trevor Williams and Executive Member Valerie Garrido-Lowe were not previously nominated for any of the top spots within the party.

When contacted on Tuesday, Williams said that as far as he is aware he was not nominated for any leadership position within the party but insisted that if nominated he would not shy away from the position.

He explained to this publication that there may be nominations “from the floor” on the day of the event and if it just so happens that he receives one of those nominations, he would not decline.

He explained that in the past, there have been nominations of this kind for the positions of General Secretary, Vice Chairman and Treasurer of the party.

“I have not been nominated... but if nominated I don’t think I would decline” said the AFC Youth Leader adding that “I am open to nominations... I am open to their confidence.”

He claimed that the AFC delegates are very democratic and have a tendency to openly express their democratic rights.

When asked about his future with the party and this probability of him being elected to office, Williams was adamant that he has his political ambitions but given the current state of affairs with respect to the National Assembly, any pursuit of that at this point would be “distracting.”

He confessed “at some point I do see myself running for higher office.”

When asked whether he believes there will be any change in the leadership of the party at the upcoming congress, Williams said that none of the leaders should go to the conference without expecting a challenge for their respective roles within the party.

He explained that “it would be an interesting conference”.

10 women killed...

from page 12

The interfaith service held in observance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women featured several prayers, inspirational speeches, and various performances highlighting gender-based violence

On Monday, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) highlighted, in a press release, its experience of the unprofessional behaviour of the Guyana Police Force in addressing sexual violence.

“The GHRA has been involved in cases in which the Police, particularly in rural locations, discouraged vic-

tims from reporting sexual offences, distorted statements to eliminate sexual offences, or refused to take statements altogether,” the release indicated. Further, the Association suggested the implementation of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), which would manage and tailor responses to the par-

Caricom staff showcase creativity at Talent Celebrations

The creativity of Caricom Secretariat staff is currently on show at the Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown Secretariat during the week-long Staff Talent Celebrations.

“Creativity and Innovation for a Better Tomorrow” is the theme of this year’s staff celebrations.

The celebrations got off to an official start when Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque declared the week of activities open on Monday in a brief ceremony at the Secretariat, a release from the organisation said.

The ceremony was set amid displays of collectibles, and art and craft mounted by the very artistic and inventive staff at the Secretariat.

Secretary General LaRocque said he was very impressed with the talent he saw on show and commended the Caricom Staff Talent Committee headed by Vanessa Stephney for an excellent job.

The displays included digital photographs; canvas paintings; photographs from around the world; pressed flower art and collectibles such as shoes, hand bags, liquors from around the world; mug collections; scarf

collections; and a host of other art and craft pieces produced by staff members and their families.

The week will also showcase poetry, singing, dancing, modelling and the culinary arts. On Tuesday, the Secretariat hosted an evening of Musical Entertainment, Poetry and Palav.

And today, taste buds will come alive with a culinary exhibition, which will feature scrumptious dishes, including Guyanese cuisine, foods from other Caricom countries, and various traditional beverages and baked delicacies.

Education Ministry trains teachers to deal with drug use in schools

The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Health today concluded a two-day Drug Prevention Education workshop which targeted teachers throughout the regions who participated in intense training to identify and offer assistance to students who are victims of drug abuse.

ticular needs of the victim whereby a Police officer would be present on duty to take statements when the victim was ready to provide them.

The interfaith service marked the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism to commemorate the elimination of violence against women.

At the workshop held at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Senior Guidance and Counselling Officer, Ministry of Education, Mercylene Moses, explained that the seminar was organised based on numerous reports that the ministry had received with regards to subsistence abuse in school.

She said that the aim is to equip teachers with the necessary skills which will allow them to create a child-friend-

ly atmosphere, to be able to work with the students and their parents. Moses added that parental involvement is the approach to be used to help tackle this issue, as eventually the programme will be extended to the parents to increase their knowledge to deal with the issue.

Harmful

Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is a patterned use of a substance (drug) in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others.

“Sometimes you would hear that a student is found with drugs and one is not sure where it came from so we have to use our competencies to be able to work with them and not make them fearful,” Moses noted.

When a child is found

with drugs, the Police become involved; however the child is not put before the courts, but usually goes through counselling.

Moses said that the programme currently targets the public schools, however if the private schools indicate that they require such training it will be made available to them.

Meanwhile, Coordinator of Phoenix Recovery Project, Drug Recovery programme, Clerence Young said that the programme is significant, in that there is need not just to reach the students, but the entire population because subsistence abuse respects no barriers.

While the progamme is designed primarily to assist teachers to offers assistance to students, it offers an opportunity for them to assist colleagues and family members.

Caricom Secretariat staff showcase their talent

AFC General Secretary David Patterson

A section of those participating in the Ministry of Education’ s Drug Prevention Education workshop at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD)

FATF lauds Government for commitment

President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Roger Wilkins, has written to President Donald Ramotar in response to a letter which the President wrote pledging on behalf of Guyana, the Government of Guyana’s high level political commitment to implement the action plan developed between the Government of Guyana and the International Cooperation Review Group.

The letter recognises the high level political commitment which President Ramotar has given to bring Guyana into compliance with the international AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) regime

President Ramotar’s letter was hand delivered by Attorney-General Mohabir Anil Nandlall, in Paris, France, in October 2014, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

Commitment

On the basis of this commitment, and the representations made on the Government’s behalf at the AARG Review Group meetings, instead of being blacklisted by FATF, the FATF has identified Guyana in the public document, “Improving Global AML/ CFT Compliance: Ongoing Process”, of October 24, 2014.

The Attorney-General is currently leading Guyana’s delegation at the Plenary

Meeting XL, and Special Ministerial V Meeting of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) in El Salvador.

The Attorney-General updated the Plenary Meeting XL on Guyana’s submission of its Action Plan after collaboration with the American Regional Review Group (ARRG). This Action Plan was submitted and approved by FATF at the Paris meeting, where the high level commitment was given by President Ramotar, pledging Guyana’s commitment to implement this Action Plan.

Guyana was granted until September 2015 to implement the legislative measures and until May 2015 to implement the non legislative measures. This recommendation was accepted at the FATF meeting in Paris.

The Attorney-General further informed the meeting in El Salvador that the non legislative measures are being implemented with dispatch and there is every likelihood that these will be completed long before the May 2015 deadline.

With regard the legislative measures, the Attorney-General pointed out that this is the area which continues to pose tremendous challenges to the Government of Guyana since up until the Paris meeting, the majority comprising the joint opposition in the National Assembly refused to lend their support to the enactment of the AMLCFT (Amendment) Bill 2013 which captures all the requisite legislative measures.

He further pointed out that since the Paris meeting there have been some developments in that Parliament has since been prorogued because the joint opposition was proceeding to move and pass a no-confidence motion which would have resulted in dissolution of Parliament and general elections within three months.

One of the grounds for the prorogation of the Parliament was to offer an opportunity by the President for the Government and the joint opposition to enter into constructive engagements in order to arrive at consensus on a number of national issues including the swift enactment of the AMLCFT (Amendment) Bill.

Hydromet weather predictions inaccurate

By Svetlana MarShall

The inaccurate weather forecasts provided by the Agriculture Ministry’s Hydrometeorological Department cannot go unnoticed.

But though criticisms continue to roll in, Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy maintains that his department is doing its best.

Without warning, sections of Guyana, particularly the coastal, low-lying and riverine areas, experienced intense rainfall which resulted in widespread flooding and intermittent power failures. Over a period of approximately 12 hours, from the night of Wednesday, November 19 to Thursday morning, the rains rocked the nation. It was only after the “damage” was done, that the Hydrometeorological Department issued a statement indicating that Guyana had recorded the highest rain-

wednesday, november 26, 2014 | guyanatimesgy.com

No need for ferry service at Berbice River – President

President Donald Ramotar has addressed calls for the Berbice River ferry service to return, saying that the ferry will not be able to cope with the volume of traffic.

These calls were recently renewed after the Berbice Bridge malfunctioned on Friday, which resulted in passengers and vehicles being stranded on both sides of the river.

Vehicles were also lined up on both sides of the river waiting for the crossing facility to become operable again.

Berbicians, who were on their way home, returned to the city after there was no word on when the bridge would have been fixed.

PM in Berbice

Among those stranded was Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who was in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) for a meeting at East Canje.

He was forced to overnight at a hotel in New Amsterdam.

Following this incident, several persons renewed calls for the New Amsterdam-Rosignol ferry service to be fully reinstated.

However, President Ramotar is of the view that having a ferry to take commuters across the Berbice River is not the way to go.

Prior to the commissioning of the Berbice River Bridge on December 23,

Hydromet Office with excellent weather across the coast.

In response, the Agriculture Minister on Tuesday said weather forecasting was not a precise science, so although predictions are made, changes can be effected due to a shift in the weather pattern. Alluding directly to Saturday and Sunday weather forecasts, Minister Ramsammy said the Agriculture Ministry,

A scene from the recent floods

fall in decades at 186.6mm in Georgetown, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

In the said release, it was stated that Guyana on Saturday could expect cloudy to overcast skies with showers, accompanied with isolated thunderstorms along the coast.

The forecast for Sunday

read, “Mainly overcast skies can be expected throughout Northern Guyana with intermittent rain and scattered to occasional thundershowers.

Rainfall intensities are likely to be moderate to heavy and accompanied by gusty winds.”

But the reality last Saturday and Sunday was far from the predictions given by the

2008, a ferry service was in place to transport both vehicles and passengers across the river.

The service ceased when the bridge was commissioned and was reintroduced two years later, but only to take passengers across the river during peak hours.

Sympathy

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Times, the President expressed his sympathy to those who were badly inconvenienced when the Berbice Bridge was down on Friday.

He said the relatively short period of time in which hundreds of persons were stranded on both sides of the river showed the importance of the bridge to Berbice.

“It shows the great volume of traffic that is now us-

challenges, the Minister said the Hydromet Office is often reluctant to disseminate information or issue warnings.

Failure

Late last year, the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Luncheon was quoted as saying “The Hydromet Office failed us!” It was a period when heavy showers rocked the capital city resulting in major flooding in floodprone communities. The Hydromet Office had issued a statement after the rains had ended.

But the biggest mistake was made in February when the Agriculture Minister, based on information emanating from the Hydromet Office, told the Guyana Times that a storm was set to hit Guyana on February 6. The Agriculture Ministry, in collaboration with the Hydrometeorological Department, had indicated that there was a 70 per cent chance of the storm hitting Guyana.

ing the bridge compared to when the ferry was in existence.

The bridge has made it so much easier for people to transact business and, therefore, the bridge is an absolute necessity. There is no question of substituting the bridge with anything,” the President reaffirmed.

Increased traffic

According to the Head of State, a ferry will not be able to cope with the increase in traffic. “It was barely able to cope then, now with the rise in the volume of traffic, it is impossible for the ferry to deal with that,” he pointed out.

The President explained that if there are problems with the Berbice River Bridge, alternative measures will have to be put in place so that persons can continue to transact their businesses. However, he said those measures will not include the ferry service returning.

Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn on Saturday disclosed that a “computerised fault” on the bridge caused the problem on Friday evening. The bridge consists of 39 pontoons from its base as well as 78 anchors. It is owned and managed by the BBCI and following a concessionary period of 21 years, will be transferred to the Government.

tion was totally off with sun prevailing on February 6. In response, the Minister offered a similar explanation.

By July, the Agriculture Ministry announced that the Hydromet Office would be installing approximately 30 additional Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) across Guyana to supplement and verify radar data. At the time, there were 14 AWS, seven meteorological observatories/ synoptic stations, 60 water level stations and 148 rainfall stations at strategic locations across the country. Of the 30 AWS, eight were expected to be installed this year, but the Agriculture Minister was unable to indicate how many have been installed to date.

In addition to the 30 new stations, the Ministry is in the process of placing 40 transmitting rain gauges in flood-prone areas to enable forecasters to see what is happening on the ground on a 24hour basis and make adjustments to forecasts.

through the Hydromet Office, had issued a subsequent statement with the “correct forecast”.

Given the country’s geographical land mass and location, it is likely that the weather pattern can shift affecting other territories as well. However, due to the

Due to the high intensity weather pattern, which was reportedly over the Atlantic, it was predicted that Guyana would have experienced rainfall of 45 to 80 millimetres over a 24-hour period.

Regions Three to Five and Northern Region Six were among regions to be severely affected.

Low-lying and riverine communities were asked to take precautions against possible floods. But this predic-

In addition to providing short-, medium- and longterm forecasts for farmers, the Hydromet Office provides weather forecasts for aviation purposes at the Cheddi Jagan and International Ogle Airports and airstrips across the country.

The Hydromet Office has a combination of 40 transmitting water level and rainfall loggers in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) and Mahaica River areas.

President Donald Ramotar

Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

Start saving for your future. Curb unnecessary spending and look into various ways to market your services. You have more to offer than you realise, so don’t sell yourself short.

Go after your dreams. Once you learn the fundamentals, you can begin training for the career that appeals to you the most. It’s never too late to start something new.

You will gain plenty of inspiration if you are around optimistic and enthusiastic individuals. Arguing will be a waste of time and could end in emotional, physical or financial loss.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

AQUARIUS

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

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

Finish off odd jobs you have been postponing. You will have more time to spend with friends and family once your to-do list is complete. Take charge in order to make a lasting impression.

Don’t confine yourself to the same old routine. Make travel arrangements that will give you a chance to explore new cultures, different points of view or a unique lifestyle.

Find a way to keep busy away from home. Being in too close contact with certain people will lead to tension that you can do without. Focus on self-improvement, not what others do.

Stand up for your rights. If someone tries to take credit for your work, make sure to set the record straight and get the acclaim you deserve.

If you pay close attention, you will learn valuable information from one of your peers. Consider the motives of someone who is after your personal information. Only offer what’s necessary.

Love looks promising. If you are honest about your expectations, you will build a solid relationship. Make a point to protect your valuables, whether at home or away. Make your home your sanctuary. Redecorating or making minor renovations can add value to your property and impart a sense of wellbeing to you and your loved ones.

Greater stability will be yours if you are ready to make a commitment. Rumours will spread if you try to keep matters hidden. Tell the truth and silence your opponents.

It’s time to put your plans into action. You will waste precious time if you wait for someone else to make the first move. If you take the initiative, you will stand out.

GEMINI

TUESDAY'S WORD

PeanuTs

Calvin and Hobbes

dilberT

arCHie

Ottley powers TT to win

Yannick Ottley’s highest first class score—76 not out— and Jason Mohammed’s seventh first class half century (56) propelled the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a come-from-behind six-wicket win over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on the final day of their WICB Professional Cricket League four-day match at Warner Park in St Kitts yesterday.

The Red Force were on the ropes on Saturday, conceding a first innings deficit of 72 but leg-spinner Imran Khan, who was named Man of the Match flipped the script on Sunday, grabbing six wickets for 13 runs to dismiss the host for 130

which gave Rayad Emrit’s men a victory target of 203.

The visitors were 95 for two overnight with Ottley unbeaten on 40 and it seemed like it would be a straightforward victory for the Red Force but a couple of rain delays on the final day yesterday prolonged the celebrations but it could not prevent it.

It was only the second time the 23-year-old Ottley scored a half century and it came at the perfect time for the visitors who have struggled with the bat so far this season.

Ottley played it safe for most of his innings, facing 230 balls and spending more than five hours in the mid-

SCOREBOARD

Leewards 202

T&T Red Force 130

Leewards 130

T&T 2nd inns

(overnight 95/2)

L Simmons lbw Tonge 13

I Khan c Hamilton b Peters 21

Y Ottley not out 76

J Mohammed c Richardson

b Martin 56

N Pooran st Hamilton

b Taylor 23

D Ramdin not out 6

Extras: b4, w2, nb2 8

Total: 4 wkts 203

Fall of wkts: 27, 42, 146, 187. Bowling: G Tonge 9-3-30-1, J Louis 13-3-31-1, O Peters 10-5-20-1, A Martin 24.18-44-1, J Taylor 17-5-411, Y Leonard 8-0-33-0.

Result: T&T Red Force won by 6 wkts.

Points: T&T Red Force 15, Leewards 4pts.

Double Olympic cham-

pion Mo Farah will open his 2015 racing schedule at the international Great Edinburgh Cross Country on Saturday 10 January.

The 31-year-old Englishman’s appearance at Holyrood Park will be his first cross-country race for four years.

Farah is preparing for the defence of his 5,000m and 10,000m crowns at the World Championships in Beijing.

“Next year will be an important year for me,” said Farah, who sat out the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

“And I’m looking forward to returning to the Great Edinburgh Cross Country to kick off my season.”

Farah’s American coach

Southampton's late equaliser forces draw

dle.

He hit eight fours and a six and shared a pivotal 104-run stand for the third wicket with vice-captain Mohammed to put the Red Force on course for the win.

Mohammed faced 131 balls and spent more than two hours in the middle before he was caught by Lyndell Richardson off Anthony Martin with the score on 146 for three.

Nicholas Pooran hit two

fours and a six in his 57ball 23 to take the Red Force closer to their target before Ottley and Denesh Ramdin (six not out) finished the job.

The win also helped the Red Force jump from fourth place to second on the six-team standings with 20 points while Guyana Jaguars stayed at the top following their victory over the Windward Islands Hurricanes in Guyana yesterday. (Trinidad Express)

Mo Farah will open season on January 10

Alberto Salazar was a threetime winner of the New York City Marathon - but also a firm believer in the benefits of cross-country during his own career.

“For many years, I ran cross-country to build my base for the summer track season and it will be nice to

return to Edinburgh and try to repeat my winning run of 2011 there,” said Farah.

That triumph in the 8k Great Edinburgh International race was the reigning World, Olympic and European 5,000m and 10,000m champion’s most recent cross-country event.

After finishing eighth in his marathon debut in London in April, Farah missed Glasgow 2014 as he recovered from illness but won double gold at the European Championships in Zurich in August.

“It was a fantastic feeling winning the Great North Run in front of a home crowd in September and I’m sure there will be plenty of support in Edinburgh for my first event in 2015,” said Farah. The Great Edinburgh Cross Country, to be televised live on the BBC, is part of a new year event for runners of all abilities, based at Holyrood Park, next to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

The main race is part of the prestigious IAAF Cross Country Permit series. (BBC Sport)

Nathaniel Clyne denied Aston Villa a much-needed win as his late goal rescued a point for a disappointing Southampton side.

The England right-back buried Ryan Bertrand’s cross to reduce the gap to leaders Chelsea to six points.

Villa went ahead when Gabriel Agbonlahor took advantage of an error of judgement from Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster to score.

But Saints’ pressure finally told when Clyne sidefooted home from 12 yards.

Ronald Koeman’s side dominated possessioncompleting 229 passes more than the hosts - and undoubtedly deserved a share of the spoils.

But with their next three games coming against Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United, Koeman will be concerned at the lack of quality in the final third on display from his side against Villa’s packed defence.

They managed only four shots on target all evening, and Villa keeper Brad Guzan had not been forced into serious action until Clyne’s well-taken finish nine minutes from time.

Villa stopped a run of three straight home defeats but few of the crowd of 25,311 - the lowest league attendance at Villa Park since December 1999 - will remember Paul Lambert’s 100th game in charge with much fondness.

Lambert’s side have scored just six league goals in 12 games and Agbonlahor’s opener was their only serious attempt in an evening where they lined up to frustrate Southampton and hit on the break.

It was a limited gameplan, but one which worked for the opening goal. Ciaran Clark’s hammered clearance split the Southampton central defenders and Agbonlahor made the most of hesitation between Toby Alderweireld and Forster to nip in and steer home from a tight angle.

Southampton continued to probe for an opening but with Shane Long struggling in the hole behind Graziano Pelle, they failed to test Guzan until after the hour mark.

Jose Fonte’s low effort then forced Guzan to nervously kick clear before Dusan Tadic rattled in a free-kick which was well dealt with.

For all of Southampton’s play, Villa had the chance to wrap up the win when they broke from a Saints corner, but Andreas Weimann was unable to steer home Agbonlahor’s cross.

It was a crucial miss as moments later Southampton finally found a way through.

Bertrand beat his man on the left to pick out Clyne on the edge of the box, and with Agbonlahor slow to react, the full-back drove into the far corner.

(BBC Sport)

Nathaniel Clyne

Yannick Ottley

Mo Farah

Champions League… NBA Roundup…

Chelsea advance to knockout stage with 5-0 rout of Schalke

James’ scores 29 to help Cavs stop 4-game skid

Chelsea qualified for the Champions League knockout phase with a group match to spare as they ruthlessly swept aside Roberto Di Matteo’s Schalke.

The Blues, knowing a win would put them in the last 16, led through John Terry’s header after 86 seconds.

A slick move ended with Willian driving in the second, before Schalke defender Jan Kirchhoff headed into his own net as Chelsea led 3-0 at half-time.

Didier Drogba tapped in before setting up Ramires to head in the fifth.

Chelsea substitutes Drogba and Ramires netted in the last 15 minutes to cap a flawless performance which merited the emphatic scoreline for the visitors in Gelsenkirchen.

The Blues’ superiority in the Premier League, where they are unbeaten in 12 matches and lead by six points, has led to many onlookers asking whether they can go through the entire top-flight season without

losing.

On this evidence, where the Blues suffocated Schalke of possession and then regularly sliced them apart when springing forward on the attack, Jose Mourinho’s men could also be a difficult team to beat for Europe’s elite.

But if Chelsea continue to produce this quality of performance when the knockout stage resumes in the New Year, then Mourinho will believe he can join the Italian in turning the west London side into European champions.

After Diego Costa’s low shot forced a corner inside the opening minute, ex-England skipper Terry out-jumped two Schalke defenders to power Cesc Fabregas’s set piece into the top corner.

Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois barely had a save to make on a quiet night - although the Belgian almost conceded a fortuitous equaliser after 13 minutes. Cameroon forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s deflected shot looped over Courtois, who was grateful

to see the ball cannon back off his crossbar.

The Blues dominated possession throughout, outthinking and outmuscling their German opponents.

The intelligence and positioning of Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic broke down any Schalke moves, allowing his more attack-minded team-mates - Fabregas and Willian particularly - to stretch the home defence.

And, inevitably, Fabregas and Willianalong with Eden Hazardcreated the slick, incisive move which allowed the Brazilian to drill under the body of Schalke keeper Ralf Fahrmann.

Chelsea all but secured victory before the break when home defender Kirchhoff, surrounded by team-mates and under little pressure from visiting players, headed into his own goal.

But the away side refused to ease off in the second half as Drogba and Ramires made it a night to forget for former boss Di Matteo. (BBC Sport)

Focus on Vettori as Kiwis search for win

In September this year, Daniel Vettori had admitted that his Test future was “on the backburner” after a spate of injuries had left him unsure of his fitness to cope with the demands of the format.

Expectedly, then, most of the attention in the leadup to the Test has been on his inclusion in the New Zealand squad, even if it is only a “one-off”.

Vettori, who last played a Test in July 2012, was travelling in the UAE with the New Zealand A squad, focused on building up his workload ahead of the World Cup. His selection, unconventional as it is, also shows New Zealand’s desperation to win the final Test and level the series.

They put Pakistan under pressure on the final day of the second Test, with an interesting declaration, but the inexperience of their spinners also came through.

In terms of number of matches, not much separates the spin pair of Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig from Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar - where Sodhi and Craig have played 15 Tests between them, Babar and Shah have 10. Towards the end of the day in Dubai, however, Craig and Sodhi couldn’t summon the consistency

and guile to make use of a day-five pitch and choke Pakistan.

Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, has pointed out that making use of footmarks on tracks was something the pair were still adapting their technique to, and on a track that’s likely to be the lowest and slowest of all the surfaces in the series, the visitors will be

LeBron James scored 29 points, including 16 in the first quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers broke a fourgame losing streak with a 106-74 National Basketball Association win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

After bluntly assessing his own play at Monday’s shootaround, saying, “I stink,” James took control early and sparked his team to a much-needed comfortable win.

After averaging 18.5 points and shooting 41 per cent from the field in the losing streak, James was 9 for 17 from the field Monday and tied a season-high with 11 assists while not playing the fourth quarter.

James hit four shots from the field, including a three-pointer, made all seven of his free throws and had four assists in the opening period. He finished the first half with 22 points, including a fadeaway jumper from the top of the key to end the second quarter.

Anderson Varejao scored 14 points while Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving each added 12.

CLIPPERS 113, HORNETS 92

Blake Griffin had 22 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, Chris Paul had 22 points and a season-high 15 assists and Los Angeles handed Charlotte its sixth straight loss.

Griffin was 10 of 23 from the field and finished one assist shy of a triple-double.

The Clippers were 15 of 32 from three-point range, while the Hornets were just 2 of 20. Jamal Crawford had 21 points and J.J. Redick added 17 and the sharp-

banking on Vettori’s experience and knowledge.

For Pakistan, the second Test was a trip out of their comfort zone, a break in their series of bat-first-batbig strategy that brought them so much success against Australia and in

shooting duo combined to go 9 of 17 from beyond the arc.

Paul came in averaging had 9.5 assists for the Clippers (8-5).

Cody Zeller led the way for Charlotte with a career-high 17 points off the bench. Al Jefferson had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Kemba Walker added 15 points for the Hornets (4-

in one loss of matching the franchise mark for consecutive losses to begin a season and will look to avoid an 0-15 opening when they host Brooklyn on Wednesday. They also are just four losses from tying the 2009-10 Nets, who set an NBA record by beginning the season 0-18. If the losing continues, Philadelphia could break the NBA record for losses to start the season on Dec. 5 when hosting Oklahoma City.

ROCKETS 91, KNICKS 86

James Harden had 36 points to lead the depleted Houston to a victory over slumping New York Knicks. Houston (11-3) played without centre Dwight Howard (knee) and point guard Patrick Beverley (hamstring), but Harden had half of the Rockets’ 14 three-pointers to overwhelm the Knicks, who played the second half without star forward Carmelo Anthony. Anthony left the game

11), who have lost eight of their last nine games.

TRAIL BLAZERS 114, 76ERS 104

LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 of his 33 points during the pivotal third quarter to help Portland defeat Philadelphia, sending the 76ers to their 14th straight loss to open the season.

Wesley Matthews added 17 points, Damian Lillard had 16 and Robin Lopez chipped in 12 for Portland (11-3), which won its eighth in a row.

Michael Carter-Williams led Philadelphia (0-14) with 24 points.

The 76ers moved with-

the first Test of the series.

with less than two minutes remaining in the first half and did not return, suffering from back spasms, the team said. Anthony had 14 points.

Jose Calderon and Travis Wear both had 9 points for the Knicks (4-11), who fell to 1-6 on the road and suffered their 10th loss in the last 12 games. Despite leaving so early in the game, Anthony led Knicks scorers, and none of his teammates scored double figures. Six other players scored at least eight points, including five bench players. The Knicks made only two field goals in the final five minutes of the game. (Waterloo Region Record)

Their second innings on the final day of the game was one of the toughest they have played in recent Tests in the UAE and while they were jittery, it gave the likes of Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq a chance to show their mettle in negotiating the draw.

Pakistan will be wary of the fact that a 1-1 scoreline at the end of the series could cost them the No. 3 spot in the Test rankings, as they will fall behind England if they lose this match.

Chelsea scores yet another goal during their routing of Schalke

Daniel Vettori

Lebron James

Carmelo Anthony

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Australian cricketer critical after being hit by bouncer

Australia batsman Phil Hughes is in a critical condition after being hit by a bouncer at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The South Australia lefthander, 25, collapsed after a delivery from New South Wales bowler Sean Abbott struck him on the head, missing his helmet.

Hughes was carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital where he was put in an induced coma following surgery

Cricket Australia team doctor Peter Brukner said there would be no update on his condition until Wednesday.

Australian media reported that Hughes stopped breathing at one point and needed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the side of the pitch.

Cricket Australia said on its official website that Hughes had been “struck on the back, lower left side of the head”.

It said no blame could be attached to Abbott, a 22-year-old who made his Australia debut last month.

Brukner said in a statement that Hughes had “sustained a severe head injury” and “remains in a critical condition” after surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney.

“Unless there is any significant change there will be no further updates on his condition until tomorrow,” added Brukner.

“Phillip is receiving the best possible medical care. The thoughts of his teammates and the wider cricket community are with Phillip and his family and friends at this difficult time.”

Hughes, who has played 26 Tests, made his Test debut at the age of 20 against South Africa in 2009.

In only his second match, he became the youngest batsman to post two centuries in a single Test.

Ashes series.

Having returned to the one-day side against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last month, Hughes was in contention for a possible Test recall following reports that Australia captain Michael Clarke might be ruled out of the first match against India on 4 December.

But he was hit on the side of the head as he tried to turn away from a short ball by fast bowler Abbott and was immediately surrounded by opposition players and umpires, who called for help.

A helicopter arrived, but Hughes, who had scored 63, was taken to Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital by road and a doctor who treated the player at the scene accompanied him, Australian media reported.

The Sheffield Shield match was abandoned.

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“He is one of the most respected and liked kids in Australian cricket, he doesn’t have an enemy in the game, he’s great company.”

Cricket Australia chief executive officer James Sutherland said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Phil Hughes. He added: “His welfare is our highest priority. We are also thinking of his family, team-mates and friends in the Australian cricket family. We’re also naturally concerned about all of those involved in today’s game and will be giving them our utmost support.”

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He played county cricket for Hampshire, Middlesex and Worcestershire and shared in a then world record 10th-wicket partnership of 163 with Ashton Agar against England in the 2013

Peter Lalor, senior cricket writer for the Australian newspaper, told BBC Radio 5 live Hughes “looked stunned” immediately after being struck.

“We assumed he was going to shake it off, but he fell sickeningly into the pitch,”

Australia coach Darren Lehmann was among many people to register his support for Hughes, writing on Twitter: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Phil and his family. He is a great fighter and a great young man.” (BBC Sport)

Messi breaks Champions League’s goal scoring record

Bforward Raul. But Messi, 27, surpassed the record by scoring in his 91st game in the competition, the Argentine diverting Rafinha’s 38thminute shot from the edge of the area past the keeper.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has 70 goals from 107 Champions League games.

It is Messi’s second major record in four days, having scored a landmark 253rd Spanish topflight goal with a hattrick against Sevilla on Saturday. (BBC

Phil Hughes

arcelona’s Lionel Messi became the Champions League’s all-time top scorer with a goal against

Apoel Nicosia. Messi went into Tuesday’s Group F game in Cyprus level on 71 goals with former Real Madrid

Sport)

Lionel Messi

Guyana ready for Umada Cup, says GCF head

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) is working overtime to ensure a successful hosting of the prestigious Umada Cup Chess tournament, billed to start on Thursday in Georgetown.

The competition, hosted in Guyana for the first time, will run until December 1, with all games being played at the Sleepin Hotel on Brickdam, Georgetown.

During an interview on Tuesday, GCF President Irshad Mohamed pointed out that all systems are in place for the five-day tournament, with some of the overseas players already here; while others are due to arrive today.

“Everything is in place as we speak. All the arrangements have been finalised; accommodation and so on, so we’re on track to having a successful tournament,” Mohamed highlighted.

Initially, 17 countries were invited to compete at the fifth annual tournament, but only six would take to the tables come Thursday. Guyana apart, players would come from Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Suriname and the Dominican Republic.

As the host nation, Guyana has the privilege of entering an unlimited number of players, and according to Mohamed, at least 40 locals are set to do battle against the foreigners. Suriname is expected to field a team of 14, while Trinidad and Tobago has confirmed eight entries, Barbados and Jamaica three each and two from the Dominican Republic.

Mohamed also used the opportunity to underscore the importance of Guyana hosting such a prestigious tournament for the first time.

crandon praises...

Deonarine, wielding his off-spin, then snared 5-24, as the Windward Islands Volcanoes were dismissed for 184 in their first innings.

Batting a second time, Guyana Jaguars declared at 175-6 with Chanderpaul scoring 44 and Deonarine 34, setting the visitors a target of 283 in just over two sessions.

The Volcanoes failed to erupt, succumbing meekly to the spin of Permaul, who snatched a career-best 8-36 as they folded for 190. Permaul ended with excellent match-figures of 11-76 to carry his tournament tally to 16 from two games.

“Obviously it was a top

performance from Permaul and I think he did an excellent job for us. Hopefully,

“It is important for us to host this tournament. Hopefully, it can help to lift the level of the game in Guyana, as well as encourage more persons to come and join the chess fraternity,” the GCF commented.

The tournament, according to Mohamed, is being organised under the auspices of current president of FIDE, the world governing body for chess, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

The tournament will be held in two categories: one for players in the Open Section and another for those in the Challenger Section. Both sections will be played under the Swiss System for nine rounds and will be FIDE rated. A grand payout package of US$16,000 would be at stake.

In the Open Section, the winner will cart off US$2,500, while the second and third place finishers will pocket US$1,500 and US$1,000 respectively. The winner of the Challenger Section is entitled to US$1,500, with the runnerup copping US$1,000 and third US$750. In the case of a tie, the sum of the prizes involved will be shared equally.

he can continue in the same vein and win more matches for us. [Devendra] Bishoo has been bowling well too so we’re pretty happy with the way things are going,” Crandon said.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Jaguars will be without three key players for this weekend’s third round match against Barbados at the Guyana National Stadium.

The left-handed trio Chanderpaul, Leon Johnson and Assad Fudadin will join the West Indies team heading to South Africa for the upcoming series, and they have been replaced by openers Shimron Hetmyer and Tagenarine Chanderpaul and fast bowler Keon Joseph, according to a usually reliable source.

After two rounds the points standing is: Guyana Jaguars (34), T&T Red Force (20), Jamaica (19), Barbados (12), Leeward Islands (06) and Windward Islands Volcanoes (04).

Gardner, Harrison win in Suriname

Veteran distance runners Llewellyn Gardner and Lindon Harrison won their respective categories on Sunday at the Suriname Marathon.

Gardner finished ahead of his master’s opponents in the 50 and over age category in a time of four hours, seven minutes 19s while Harrison topped the 4550 age cagetory in a time of three hours, 52 minutes 22second. Harrison finished ninth overall while Gardner finished 10th.

Both the athletes were happy with their performances and noted that it was a really good race in the end.

Harrison thanked his sponsors that included, S&L Electrical, Prime Electirical and Real Value Supermarket while Gardner thanked the Director of Sport Neil Kumar, long time distance Coach Leslie Black Ricks and Sari as well as Carmel Lobe of Wild Life for their contributions to the venture. Meanwhile the next event for both athletes will be 5k event being sponsored by Real Value Supermarket on December 7 in the National Park from 16:00h.

Ganga confident BCCI impasse will end amicably

Former national captain and West Indies opener Daren Ganga says the current impasse between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will most likely end amicably. The BCCI has sent a lawsuit the way of the West Indies after the regional cricketers pulled out of a tour of India recently, due to a payment structure impasse with their players Association (WIPA) and the WICB. The BCCI angered by the situation sent a bill valued US$41.97m to the WICB and gave them 15 days to respond officially with a proposed format for repayment. The WICB has since written to the BCCI basically telling them that they are broke and to revisit the situation.

Ganga thinks the long standing relationship between the WICB and the BCCI should work in their

favour. “I think the BCCI wants to make an example of the West Indies using this situation. They of course suffered losses but I think at the end of the day, some payment might be needed but it would end up amicably. Both boards have enjoyed great relations in the past and I don’t think they would allow this to go very far.”

Ganga said that the result of what went on in

India is just an example of the lack of good governance of the sport in the Caribbean.

“We need better governance when it comes to cricket administration in the Caribbean, we have been lacking in this sector for a while and this is now manifesting itself for the world to see. It is a very embarrassing situation and we are not looking good out there.

“There must be better governance of the sport in the region and to achieve this, you need to have better governance of the sport at the territorial level. We need to have better administrators coming through from the club level up. Our clubs in this country for example are not even properly set-up and this hampers them from going to corporate TT for sponsorship and stuff, so we need to take a look from the bottom level and then we would see better governance at the top.” (Treinidad Guardian)

Qatar pledges $1M to research

Qatar has agreed to contribute $1 million to a global anti-doping research fund.

The World AntiDoping Agency says the oil-rich Gulf nation is making the contribution as part of a worldwide

government program to match the $10 million already pledged by the International Olympic Committee.

WADA says Qatar’s donation “will significantly help” in funding research into new techniques for detecting banned substances and methods.

Other countries that have pledged to contribute to the fund include the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, South Korea and Turkey. (ESPN)

Tour de France set for Manche in 2016

The 2016 Tour de France will return home for its “Grand Depart,” starting in the wind-battered Manche region.

Manche, in northwestern France, has welcomed the Tour 23 times from 1911

to 2013, when an individual time trial was held between Avranches and Mont-SaintMichel, one of the country’s most famous tourist attraction.

Next year’s race will begin in the Dutch City of Utrecht.

This year, it got underway in Yorkshire, where millions of spectators lined the windy roads of northern England.

Organizers said details of the 2016 start will be announced on Dec. 9 in MontSaint-Michel. (ESPN)

Irshad Mohamed

Lindon Harrison

Llewellyn Gardner

Veerasammy Permaul

Shimron Hetmyer

Darren Ganga

Keon Joseph

Prison inmates to compete at Flex Night

Possibly for the first time in the history of bodybuilding in Guyana, prison inmates will be competing with athletes from other gyms nationally and internationally at the Flex Night International event, which will be held on December 7 at the National Cultural Centre.

This development takes the unfolding three-way relationship that involves Flex Night Incorporated, Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited and the Guyana Prison Service to another level.

The Georgetown Prison now boasts a gym facility - Republicans Flex-In Gym - the result of financial support from Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited, and technical assistance from Directors of Flex Night Inc.

This initiative itself grew out of a paradigm shift announced by the Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee a few years ago whereby the emphasis would fall more upon correction and rehabilitation than upon punishment.

With financial inputs from Demerara Mutual, an MOU was signed, equipment was acquired and both inmates and officers were trained in the essentials of gym management and basic training techniques.

The entire sporting establishment will, on December 7, be applauding this breakthrough on the part of Flex Night Inc. and the Guyana Prison Service in attracting those representatives to the bodybuilding stage. The event will start at 18:00 hours sharp.

Ram Slam 20/20 postponed again

The unavailability of the Lusignan Community Centre for this weekend has once again forced organisers of the Ram Slam 20/20 cricket competition to shift the event to December 7 at the same venue.

This is a second change of dates for the event, which was initially slated to be held on November 23, but due to heavy rainfall on the East Coast of Demerara, the ground was deemed unfit for play.

The tournament was rescheduled for this weekend, but now with the unavailability of the ground, it has been shifted to early December.

“Due to the now unavailability of the ground for the approaching weekend, we have been forced to further shift the event to the following weekend, for which the NDC has confirmed availability. As such, the Ram Slam T/20 cricket is rescheduled to Sunday December 7, 2014,” the organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.

The competition is set to

feature four neighbourhood villages, namely Mon Repos, Good Hope, Lusignan and Annandale. It is an effort geared at rekindling the competitive spirit and rivalry among these four villages, and at the same time, renewing the interest of the game and community spirit of this Neighbourhood Democratic Council area.

The Lusignan club, which has wide membership stretching across the four communities and beyond, expects this event to be a rambunctious family affair with side attractions of games for the children, lots of food, drinks, and music.

The matches themselves will feature players who have made the villages proud within recent years and include several high profile players, such as former and current Guyana national players such as Emran Khan, Krishna Deosaran and Brian Sattaur, all of whom have played in select West Indian teams, emerging prospects such as Somnauth Bharrat, Rajindra Naikbaran, Kumar

Guinness "Greatness in the Streets" off to hot start

West Bank Road started hot in the Georgetown Zone of the Guinness ‘Greatness in the Streets’ Futsal Competition on Sunday evening at Demerara Park.

The tournament now it its early phase and West Bank Road already had the upset of the competition when they defeated National and Georgetown defending champions Queens Street Tiger Bay 2-0.

Akeem Fitzpatrick made a splendid tackle and had the easiest opportunity, netting in the ninth minute to go ahead 1-nil.

The defending champions were unable to get any momentum going as they open were pushed on defence with constant attacks from West Bank Road as the first half ended 1-0.

On resumption, Jamal Haynes dribbled his way through the defence Queens Street to score in the 13th minute that would eventually win the game for West

Bank Road.

Meanwhile Hope Street Tigerbay was dominant with a 4-0 drubbing of D’urban Street in the group D match.

Dwayne Dickson’s notched the opening goal from the penalty spot in 9th minute penalty while the second game until the second half in the 22nd minute from Stephon Moore made.

D’urban Street would only add to their own misery one minute later with an own goal while Pierre Bobb would seal the deal in the final minute of the game.

The first game of the evening saw Festival City Warriors pulling off a 2-1 win over North Sophia.

Festival City would score in the eighth minute through Daniel Favourite to take the lead while Leron Jones would connect on a volley with an exquisite header one minute after to equalise for North Sophia.

Daniel Favourite’s 8th minute strike gave the

Warriors a positive start following an easy finish after being fed a clinical pass from the right flank. Favourite scored again in the 17th minute to lead Festival City to the win.

The final game of the evening was another thriller as Albouystown ‘B’ escaped with a 2-1 victory over South Sophia South Sophia went ahead in the sixth minute with a Dwayne Lowe goal before Marlon Nedd scored one minute later to equalise for Albouystown ‘B’.

The 14th minute saw a breakdown of South Sophia’s defence as Roy Cassou would capitalise and score for the Albouystown side.

West Front Road defeated Cross Street 1-0 with a goal from Randolph Wagner while Broad Street Bullies would defeat Riverview 2-0 on penalty kicks. Leopold Street also gained a walkover against Stevedore Housing Scheme to end the night’s proceedings.

Port Mourant hand Albion first defeat of the year

Bishundial and Vishnu Ramjeet, and young talents such as Steven Ramdass and Tameshwar Motilall.

Admission is free and all are invited to be thoroughly entertained, the organisers have said.

The matches are aimed at further developing cricket in these communities, thereby keeping young people away from some of society’s ills such as illegal drugs, HIV/AIDS and suicide.

Monies raised will be used to fund participation of the club in the various competitions run by respective Boards such as the East Coast Cricket Board, the Demerara Cricket Board and the Guyana Cricket Board, at the Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 levels, in Inter-Association, Senior Demerara and National competitions.”

The Club has won every conceivable competition on the East Coast of Demerara over the past 25 years, at both the senior and junior levels, and has been the runner-up in National Club Competitions on several occasions.

Port Mourant Cricket Club (PMCC) handed Albion their first loss of the year with a three wicket win in the Balram Shane Memorial Cricket 50over cricket competition on Sunday.

Albion, batting first found it tough on a pitch which offered assistance to the spinners and were dismissed for 187 in 45.4 overs.

Jonathon Foo hit an enterprising 109 (9x4’s, 3x6’s) and was associated in a fifth wicket stand of 81 with David Latchaya who made 29.

Apart from the two, none of the other batsmen were

able to cope with the spin of Devindra Takoodeen (4 for 24) and Beechan Deolall (2 for 46).

In reply, Albion threatened to keep the trophy which they have held for the past three years as PMCC were struggling at 48-3 off 19 overs.

Troy Gonzales joined Loyden Lewis at the crease and the pair added 66 for the fourth wicket.

The Balram Shane Memorial Cricket competition is played annually between the two rivaling clubs and was first contested in 2000.

Albion has won the trophy on eleven occasions while PMCC claimed their third on Sunday. The competition was once rained out. (Andrew Carmichael)

Lewis departed for 55 (2x4) at 114-4 as Ameer Khan came to the wicket and immediately freed his arms for a fast paced 28 (1x4, 2x6) runs before departing with the score on 175. Meanwhile, Gonzales continued to keep the score board ticking and stayed until the end for an unbeaten 60 (4x4, 1x6). Foo was named man of the match for his 109.

Flashback! From left: Former Director of the Guyana Prison Service Dale Erskine, Managing Director of Flex Night Donald Sinclair and Chief Executive Officer of Demerara Mutual Keith Cholmondeley with a copy of the MOU

The winning Port Mourant team pose with the trophy

WICB PCL 4-Day Tournament…

Crandon praises “excellent” Guyana Jaguars

– Joseph, Chanderpaul, Hetmyer to replace Windies trio for next round

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

Head Coach of the Guyana Jaguars Franchise, Esaun Crandon, on Tuesday praised his team’s “excellent” execution against the Windward Islands Volcanoes, whom they thrashed by 92 runs to surge to the top of the points table in the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) 4-Day tournament.

Playing at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, the Jaguars, led by an eight-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul on the final day, subjected the Islanders to a second consecutive defeat. By contrast, it was the Jaguars second successive victoryfollowing their innings humiliation of the Leeward Islands- and they have now assumed pole position with 34 points, 14 ahead of their nearest rival, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.

Reflecting on the win against the Windward Islands Volcanoes, Crandon praised the players for their execution of the game plan.

“Definitely, I think we played excellent cricket over the four days and I think we did well upfront by putting up a good first innings total,” the former Guyana fast bowler reckoned.

Batting first after win-

ning the toss, Guyana Jaguars, on the back of a second consecutive hundred from Narsingh Deonarine (139) and 62 from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, posted 291 after the game started after lunch on the first day owing to early morning showers.

DeClou set to return on "Big Brawl"

– 5-fight card set for January 24

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

The Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) will stage the ‘Big Brawl’, a five-fight card set for January 24 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The event will be headlined by the return of Edmond DeClou, who suffered a broken jaw in his last fight in October 2013 against Derick Richmond. De Clou will now face Gladwin Dorway in an eight-round Middleweight clash.

How well DeClou will cope with the ring rust and the fact that he might still be smarting from the injury is left to be seen. The loss to Richmond was only his second in 17 fights, and the first since he initially tasted defeat at the hands of Kwesi Jones in fight number two.

The reigning Guyana and Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) Middleweight champion would no doubt look to improve on his record of 14 wins (3 KOs), two losses and a draw, and get his career back on track.

Dorway, on the other hand, is at the initial steps of what is a promising career, surging to four victories, all by way of knockout. He has however, suffered three losses, all coming in his last three encounters.

At the start of his career, Dorway stopped countrymen David Thomas, Anson Green, Cassius Matthews and Shawn Pile within the distance at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, but subsequently suffered consecutive defeats to compatriot Mark Austin, and twice to Jamaican Richard

Holmes, the last of which was in July this year. With the Sports Hall being a happy hunting ground, Dorway would look get past DeClou and revitalise his fledging career.

In the other bouts, Dexter Marques and Quincy Gomes will square off in a six-round Catchweight contest, while Jermaine Estwick will make his debut against Eversley Browne in a Junior Middleweight four-rounder, and newcomer Keane Allicock will face David Thomas in a four-round Lightweight bout.

The lone female fight will also feature a debutant with Simone Hoyte starting her career against the veteran Shelly Gibson. Action will start at 20:00 hours and admission to any part of the Sports Hall is $1,000.

Edmond DeClou

Dexter Marques

Narsingh Deonarine

Esaun Crandon

Tagenarine Chanderpaul