Guyana Times Daily by Gytimes

TIP victims ID policemen, trafficker

By Svetlana MarShall

Rape charges are likely to be instituted against two policemen and an alleged human trafficker after they were positively identified by the young ladies who were rescued from the sex trade last weekend.

On Tuesday, the two victims who were allegedly raped by two ranks in the Sherima Police Station positively identified their assailants. The ranks and the woman were also identified by two other persons who witnessed part of the trafficking incident.

Rescued

Over the weekend, the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation (GWMO), led by the 2013 U.S. TIP Hero Simona Broomes, rescued the 14-, 16-, 18-, and 20-year-old victims from 14 Mile Issano, Region Seven. The 26-year-old approached Broomes in Bartica to relate the tale and get her 16-yearold friend out.

According to Broomes, the 26-year-old victim on Tuesday positively identified the policemen. The 16-year-old, who was described as “nervous” during the parade, was unable to identify the ranks.

However, the truck driver and another individual who were at the Sherima Police Station positively identified the policemen. Both victims positively identified the alleged trafficker.

Speaking with Guyana

Times, Broomes said she was elated that GWMO is one step closer to putting another trafficker and delinquent ranks who have failed the system behind bars. While, the GWMO president is happy that the perpetrators will face the court soon, she is disappointed that the victims were made to wait for some time before the ID parade was executed.

Compounding the situation, the young ladies were reportedly forced to sit in CID headquarters in wet clothes.

Broomes explained that the victims and their belongings were drenched during their journey from Bartica to Parika on Monday afternoon.

After reporting to Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown late Monday night, the victims then travelled to Mahaicony. “By the time, they got to the

Help and Shelter Home in Mahaicony... there was no way in which the clothes could have dried because they had to wake up and reach here (CID) for nine o’ clock.”

According to Broomes, the entire ordeal was explained to the Human Services Ministry, but to no avail. The young ladies were initially promised a change of clothing, but were subsequently told that they would have to wait until another day (today).

“It was said to me that the girls will have to wait,” Broomes told this publication.

A request was made to have the young ladies taken to purchase appropriate garments but this request by the GWMO was denied as well.

Human Services Ministry has promised to intervene after being contacted by the president of the women’s organisation.

Special home

Broomes called for the Human Services Ministry to provide a special home in the city for TIP victims, noting that while the organisation is grateful for the assistance given by Help and Shelter, there is need for a special home.

“I think they need to have some place in Georgetown when the girls arrive. It’s a long process, everyone knows the police process is very long, so if they have somewhere close by, they can leave at the appropriate time, Mahaicony is too far.”

Broomes is also pressing for ranks of the Guyana Police Force, TIP Unit officers, and interested members of the public to be trained in the area of human trafficking, as it relates to the treatment of victims.

“We have to undertake a study to know a victim of trafficking: How they respond –their language; things that they need – how important it is to make them feel comfortable; and not for us to talk to them as though they were in the interior,” she said.

“You can’t treat a victim of trafficking like a runaway, or a murderer, or a thief,” she lamented.

Main perpetrator

On April 21, four girls, aged 14, 15, 17 and 18 were rescued from prostitution in the Puruni Back Dam, Region Seven by Broomes and her GWMO members. Shortly after, a policeman was charged with human trafficking. He was accused of trafficking one of the four girls.

A popular Bartica businesswoman who was identified by the girls as the main perpetrator was arrested and charged approximately two weeks ago. She is reportedly behind bars awaiting the completion of her case.

Meanwhile, the four girls are being reintegrated into society while being accommodated by Help and Shelter. The 14-year-old girl will soon be attending classes, compliments of Broomes. (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy. com)

PANCAP to host meeting with Guyanese, Surinamese health officials

Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) in collaboration with the German International Cooperation (GIZ), the EPOS Health Management and the Health Ministry will host the BiNational Commission for Collaboration on Health for Guyana and Suriname from July 11-13, in Georgetown, Guyana.

According to a PANCAP release, the three-day meeting to be held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, will be attended by Surinamese Health Minister Michel Bolkland; other senior officials; head of Suriname Pan American Heath Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO); Dr Guillermo Troya; PAHO representative Dr Gustavo Bretas; and Guyana’s Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran and his team.

This Bi-National Commission meeting originated from a bid by the Health Ministry of Suriname and the recommendations of two consultancies completed under the PANCAP/GIZ/ EPOS Migrant Project. The consultants’ recommendations were influenced by their findings which highlighted the similarities in geographic location, the ex-

periences of high crossborder movement and the matching profile of the migrant and mobile population within both countries

In addition to discussing issues related to HIV/AIDS, participants will also deliberate on health and wellness matters related to migrant and mobile populations in Guyana and Suriname.

These would include neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases. The outcome of the meeting will be a framework for bi-national collaboration on health service policies related to migration and mobility and the priority health issues of both countries.

The Migrant Project supports all priority areas of the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework (CRSF 2008-2012) but is centred on prevention of HIV transmission with specific emphasis on migrant and mobile populations. The project has four components: improving legal and policy framework, implementing innovative health financing mechanisms, empowering communities and making HIV services more migrant-friendly.

PANCAP is a regional partnership established by Caricom heads of government in 2001 to respond to the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean.

Magistrate dumps 54 traffic cases

Magistrate Sherdel Issaacs-Marcus on Monday dismissed 54 traffic matters before her as the police witnesses were not present in court to give evidence.

In the New Amsterdam Magistrate Court on Tuesday, 130 traffic matters were called for the first time after warrants were issued for the drivers to appear and answer to relevant charges. Only two of the officers who instituted the charges called in court on Tuesday made a court appearance to give evidence.

This resulted in fines of $7500 and $5000 being imposed on 83 drivers. The charges were for driving above the speed limit ($7500) and for overloading ($5000). None of the drivers was in court.

Three officers from the traffic department who had instituted 54 charges were not in court, resulting in Magistrate Marcus throwing out the cases.

GWMO President Simona Broomes

Govt says slashing air travel tax not feasible

– APNU urges action to lower costs

Public Works Minister

Winds: North-easterly to easterly at 4.02 to 3.57 metres per second.

High Tide: 05:33h and 17:57h reaching maximum heights of 2.62 metres and 2.52 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:32h and 23:25h reaching minimum heights of 0.68 metre and 0.60 metre respectively.

Robeson Benn has stated that it would not be feasible for government to reduce the travel voucher taxes on airline tickets, as part of efforts to relieve Guyanese passengers of paying the high cost of air transport.

Minister Benn’s comment follows a letter sent to him from shadow public infrastructure, communication, tourism, industry and commerce minister, Joseph Harmon of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

In the letter, Harmon issued a call for a 10 per cent reduction in government taxes on airline tickets to cushion the impact of the hike in fares on Guyanese.

He called on government, through Minister Benn, to consider reducing its travel voucher tax of 15 per cent to 10 per cent.

However, Benn said government is examining the matter of increased airfares from all ends, noting that government is in discussion with the Trinidadian government to ascertain whether it is giving a subsidy to the Caribbean Airlines entity to ensure the fares from that end remain at a stable level.

Reducing taxes

He said reducing taxes would not be viable for the government of Guyana, as that would put a strain on maintaining airport facilities and staffing.

He reminded that Fly Jamaica will commence operations this monthend, which would help to ease the current situation, while Surinam Airways will be adding more flights. The govt is also engaged in talks with COPA Airlines to increase airlift out of Guyana.

He assured that no stone would be left unturned, but could not give direct response as to if a reduction would be implemented.

In the letter to the minister, Harmon said the cut in the tax is proposed in light of the recent steep increase in the cost of airline tickets for travel to and from Guyana, and the claim by airline services that the increases are unavoidable.

No stone unturned

He believes the tax reduction is the only rational and practical move to relieve passengers of the burden of paying the hefty fares. Harmon stated that it was his hope that government would seriously consider his recommendation and act swiftly upon it.

Later in a release, APNU said it is appealing on the government to take all proactive measures within its control to lower the cost of air travel to and from Guyana. The party said since a roundtrip economy class ticket from Guyana to the United States of America now costs over US$1100 and the government of Guyana gets 15 per cent of the base fare plus a departure tax of $4000, APNU is of the opinion that such a steep rise

in the cost of international air travel must be addressed immediately.

“APNU notes that high travel taxes in the Caribbean has caused and will continue to cause severe decline in intra-regional and international travel. In Antigua, the ticket tax is 10 per cent of the base fare; Grenada charges 6.7 per cent of base fare; Jamaica (inclusive of passenger service and security fee, airport improvement fee, stamp tax, passenger facility charge, aviation service charge) – 10 per cent of base fare plus a travel tax of three per cent; Trinidad and Tobago passenger service charge, 4.4 per cent and St Lucia travel tax four per cent.”

Convinced

APNU said it was convinced that with lower taxes, more persons will be encouraged to travel and this surge will serve as a cushion for any potential loss of revenue. It said with competing airlines operating out of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport last year, Guyana gained more than $1 billion in travel voucher taxes alone. “APNU, therefore, strongly recommends that the government of Guyana reduce the travel voucher tax. Reducing the travel voucher tax will reduce the base price of an

airline ticket, and this will have an immediate, positive effect on the number of persons opting to travel to and from Guyana.”

Acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali had recently opposed the increases in airfare ticket prices by Caribbean Airlines, accusing the regional carrier of attempting to rake in profits owing to the high demand in the Guyana market.

Demand and supply He does not believe the taxes pose the problem, but rather the amount of seats available to level out the demand and supply from Guyana’s end.

CAL had promised to maintain a reasonable fare structure during talks with the Guyana government after its competitors EZjet and Delta exited the market earlier this year. According to Minister Ali, CAL’s position in the Guyana market should have been looked at from a corporate responsibility perspective and not as a profit-making opportunity. Government is depending on air transport that is free of hindrances to and from Guyana, given the vibrancy of the tourism sector and a promising industry.

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn

Acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali APNU MP Joseph Harmon

Countrywide: Thundery showers are expected during the day, with clear skies in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.

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 MDGs and post-2015 agenda

AUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report, which was published earlier this month, provides an update on the global situation as it relates to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report, an annual assessment of global and regional progress towards the goals, reflects the most comprehensive, up-to-date data compiled by over 27 UN and international agencies and is produced by the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

As expected, the document contains some interesting facts in relation to each target and some key recommendations which must be taken seriously by national governments and other key development partners.

Based on comprehensive official statistics, the MDGs Report 2013 shows that the combined actions of national governments, the international community, civil society and the private sector are making the achievement of these MDGs a reality. It says that, with some of the MDGs already met, more targets are within reach by the 2015 target date, while challenges to achieving others must be urgently addressed.

With millions of people’s lives improved by already meeting targets on reducing poverty, increasing access to safe water, improving the lives of slum dwellers and achieving gender parity in primary schools, the report says remarkable progress in other areas means more MDGs targets can be achieved by 2015.

According to the report, big gains have been made in health. For example, between 2000 and 2010, mortality rates from malaria fell by more than 25 per cent globally, and an estimated 1.1 million deaths were averted. Death rates from tuberculosis at the global level and in several regions could be halved by 2015, compared to 1990 levels. Between 1995 and 2011, a cumulative total of 51 million tuberculosis patients were successfully treated, saving 20 million lives.

Regarding the HIV/AIDS fight, the report notes that while new HIV infections are declining, an estimated 34 million people were living with HIV in 2011. At the end of 2011, eight million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV or AIDS in developing regions, and the MDG target of universal access to antiretroviral therapy remains reachable by 2015 if current trends continue.

Additionally, the report says that the target of halving the percentage of people suffering from hunger by 2015 is within reach. The proportion of undernourished people worldwide decreased from 23 per cent in 1990-1992 to 15 per cent in 2010-2012.

Worldwide, the mortality rate for children under five dropped by 41 per cent – from 87 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 51 in 2011, which means 14,000 fewer child deaths per day. Increasingly, child deaths are concentrated in the poorest regions, and in the first month of life.

Globally, the maternal mortality ratio declined by 47 per cent over the last two decades, from 400 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births to 210 between 1990 and 2010. The meeting the MDG target of reducing the ratio by three-quarters will require accelerated interventions and stronger political backing for women and children.

With respect to education, between 2000 and 2011, the number of children out of school declined by almost half – from 102 million to 57 million. It should be stated that Guyana has already achieved the target for universal primary education and is working hard to do the same at the secondary level.

However, the report recommends that global attention needs to focus on disparities. “Progress towards the eight MDGs has been uneven not only among regions and countries, but also between population groups within countries. People living in poverty or in rural areas remain at an unfair disadvantage,” it says.

At present, the UN is working with governments, civil society and other partners to build on the momentum generated by the MDGs, to craft an ambitious, yet realistic, agenda for the period after the MDGs target date at the end of 2015. The authors of the report underline the fact that “a successful conclusion to the MDGs will be an important building block for a successor development agenda, and that volumes of experience and lessons learned from the MDGs will benefit prospects for continued progress.”

Ramadan marks the beginning of the holiest time of the year PART 2

Dear Editor,

Why Muslims fast

For Muslims, fasting has a number of benefits:

* It helps one to feel compassion for those who are less fortunate and under-privileged for what they have as a result of feeling hunger and thirst.

* It allows one to build a sense of self-control and willpower, which can be beneficial throughout life in dealing with temptations and peer pressure.

* It offers a time for Muslims to purify their bodies, as well as their souls, by developing a greater sense of humanity, spirituality and community. Ramadan is a very spiritual time for Muslims, and often they invite each other to one another’s home to break the fast and pray together. As with other duties in Islam, fasting becomes obligatory after puberty.

Ramadan

Ramadan is important for Muslims because it is believed to be the month in which the first verses of the Holy Quran, (the divine scripture) were revealed by Allah (God) to the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). From time to time, Muhammad (SAWS) used to go out from Mecca, where he was born and where he worked as caravan trader, to reflect and meditate in solitude. Like Abraham before him, he had never accepted his people’s worship of many gods, and felt a need to

withdraw to a quiet place to reflect on the One God.

One night, while meditating in a cave near Mecca, he heard a voice calling out, telling him to “read”. Muhammad (SAWS) found himself reciting the first verses of the Holy Quran.

The voice was that of Angel Gabriel, and he confirmed that Muhammad (SAWS) was chosen for an important and challenging mission – he was to call the people to monotheism, the belief in one God, and righteousness. Muslims believe that over a period of 23 years, various verses and chapters of the Holy Quran were revealed to Muhammad (SAWS) through Gabriel. The Quran is comprised of 114 chapters of varying length.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day. This means not consuming food and drink, including water, during the daylight hours. In the Arabic language, fast is known as sawm. Muslims rise early in the morning during Ramadan to have a pre-dawn breakfast meal known as suhoor.

At the end of the day the fast is completed by taking the after meal, which usually includes dates, fresh fruits, beverages and dinner. Later in the evening, Muslims attend special nightly tarawih prayers at their local mosque, during which approximately onethirtieth of the Holy Quran is recited, so that the entire scripture is recited in the course of the 29 or 30

days of the month.

Unfortunately, the non-Muslim world views Ramadan as a month of fasting and merely the abstinence from food and drink. Ramadan is a strict and exact training period, for every God-fearing man and woman. It exposes the Muslim to a way of life that prepares them to face the challenges of their socio-economic and spiritual existence.

Ramadan encourages Muslims to renew their pledges and strive continuously to gain the pleasure of Allah. In every corner of the globe, where Muslims exist as a community, their exercises and observances are the same despite ethnic, cultural differences and climatic conditions.

The constant Salaah, recitation of the Holy Quran, observing the fast, paying the Zakat, result from strong Imaan. This places the Muslims in an enviable position to understand the conditions faced by the poor and needy. This creates the feeling of God consciousness (taqwa). This is the time through the khutbah, discussions and practices, Muslims are reminded of the lofty ideals of Islam and the solutions for the world’s problems.

Ramadan is the month for inculcation of virtues, Islamic values, and morals. Allah promises the rewards of good deeds to be multiplied from 10 to 700 times. This is the period when we come to grips with our physical desires

and weaknesses. This is the time we are able to measure our strengths and shortcomings.

Ramadan helps us to see who we really are. It is indeed a testing period to examine the extent to which we are prepared to make sacrifices for the pleasure of Allah. Refusal to observe the commands is a sign of kufr (disbeliever). The sacrifices we are expected to make, increases, our Imaan and cause us to develop taqwa, which is precisely the object of fasting.

Eid ul-Fitr

After Ramadan, Muslims celebrate a very festive and joyous holiday known as Eid ul-Fitr, the festival of the breaking of the fast. On the day of Eid, Muslims attend special congregational prayers in the morning, wearing their best clothes, after the completion of the prayers and special sermon, Muslims rise to greet and hug one another, saying “Eid Mubarak”, which means “Holy Blessings”. Later, Muslims families visit each other’s homes, and have special meals together. Children are often rewarded with gifts, money and sweets. Light and other decorations mark the happy occasion.

Ramadan Mubarak. Ramadan Mubarak. Ramadan Mubarak.

Respectfully submitted, Shan Razack

In China, students of the Jiangshan Middle School light candles to form a heart shape and the initials of the teenagers Yang Mengyuan and Wang Linjia who died in the Asiana plane crash at San Francisco airport on Saturday (BBC News)

send your

The perception of corruption must be addressed

Dear Editor, President Donald Ramotar, quite rightly, is very upset with those who help to create the negative images of Guyana that sometimes detract investors. The president, at the time, was addressing issues at the diplomatic level and it was good that he stood up and defended his territory. I recall diplomatic meetings held only with the opposition members to discuss governance and corruption.

Now concerning our president’s outburst and being upset with the negative picture being painted, I think first of what many of us are doing. We give outsiders the idea that Guyana is some backward, God-forgotten place, where anything can happen. I recall just before one of the school shootings in the U.S., a Guyanese was saying that

she would not return for anything, since she was very concerned about her child’s safety. Well after the shooting, I spoke with her and I asked her about safety in her adopted land. She was kind of put off. My point is that there is no need for us, or members of the diaspora, to go about bad-mouthing Guyana, since crime is universal, and Guyana is far removed from many of the places we like to boast about, or even live in. Guyana does not make top-10 most crime-ridden countries. In fact, the list of most crimes per 100,000 people is quite interesting: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Italy and India. We just have to learn to be honest and think before we talk.

When it comes to cost of living, the U.S., Canada and

the UK all rank lower than Guyana in terms of being able to cope. In fact, Guyana scores well in comparison with other places. This can be checked out in terms of prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services, converted to U.S. dollars. Most Guyanese regularly save a little and this is not so for many who live in these supposed super countries.

So as much as I support the defending of our land from negative diplomatic remarks that cannot be corroborated, I also rebuke those of us who go about being negative and sulky. We are a work in progress and the quicker we allow this to be internalised, the better it will be for all us. We will stay and put in our lot.

Yours truly, Rowan

Guillard

RHTY&SC sport programme also emphasises education

Dear Editor,

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC).

It is doing a wonderful job. Last year, it started a drive where the various cricket teams of the club ventured into helping the not-so-fortunate children of the area. Actually, it was in response to the request from many of the parents of these less fortunate children that the club last year distributed some $600,000 worth of school bags.

This year the target is to reach the one million mark, and so far so good. In fact, only a few days ago, the club received over $100,000 worth in schoolbags from a local insurance company. As a matter of fact, this time around, the club is aiming to distribute not just schoolbags, but exercise books. The target children

are those attending the annual summer camps and the less fortunate students in the Lower Corentyne area.

I commend this kind of charity work, and I urge for contributions from those who are much more fortunate, both individuals and companies. Remember that these bags are going to the children who really need them. Also, since it is not actual money that is being given, there is nothing to fear where wasting or wrongful use is concerned.

Many times, people talk about investing in sporting activities where children are concerned. But if a few can twist it around and make the education very primary, it will be a different and welcoming change. After all, the regional cricket team has only 11 players – so what happens when

one cannot have a career in sports? Without being biased, I think that people should accept the fact that an educated person has sports as an option, but not necessarily vice versa.

In the U.S., there are talks about what is happening to many of the basketball players, who simply had a soft time in universities. They were granted their scholarships, but never really studied and passed exams. Mind you, they have the legal and official accreditation, but at the functional level, they have many problems, after their playing days.

Just like how beauty and brains can go together; sports and education can be paired.

Yours faithfully,

Ingrid Lowe

letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Education Ministry’s hotlines proving a good initiative

Dear Editor, There is a good fever spreading around the edu cation sector, and I wel come it. Concerning the hotlines for complaints, in a jiffy, the whole operation is turning into a positive blitz. According to the min ister of education, since the hotline ser vice became operation al, over 30 calls have been received, and these cov er Regions Three, Four, Five and Six. The report highlight ed that so far, more than 20 complaints have been investigated. This good start must be built upon.

The range of issues at hand is quite disturbing: graduation fees, registration and transfers, training of unemployed adults, school furniture being used for lessons at a church, expired juice being sold at a school, garbage situation, unsatisfactory work on a nursery school, and vagrants loitering school zones.

I am very concerned about the last case, as I have seen this umpteen times. During the second-to-last week of school, I went to a primary school in Church Street,

Georgetown to pick up my child. Lo and behold, a seemingly insane man was exiting the gate.

I was aghast and making matters worse, it was dismissal time. Children by their very nature are prone to heckling people of this type, and I shudder at what can develop if some kind of heckling incident should occur.

I recall another parent, complaining in the press, about a vagrant stealing a child’s lunch. He too entered the compound – this being located in Camp Street, Georgetown. We just cannot have our children being placed in unnecessary vulner-

able situations. School zones must be patrolled, especially around dismissal times. The other issue is that of the training of unemployed adults. I am concerned about all of these little schools – if that is what this complaint is dealing with – they have all over the country. They may be play schools as such, but we all know how important these early preschool years are – every period in a child’s life is very important. The Education Ministry ought to step in and check out some of these schools. Many of them are for money and nothing else. Since the ministry believes that it is necessary to engage the entire country in the quest to educate the children, it can now move towards having some informative sessions for these schools with unqualified helpers. They mean good and they do a good job overall, but this can be enhanced with some compulsory training sessions.

Yours sincerely, Parent Name withheld by request

You can

letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or

Page Foundation

15 secrets of happy families

BY DENISE MANN

Happy family secret number

six: Put family before friends

“In happy families, family comes before friends,” he says, “The camp counsellor understands something that parents don’t and that is that caring for children also has to be fun. Give rules, but understand that children need fun, too. When children get bored and listless, they start looking for excitement out of the home and that is when friends become more important. Friendship is important, but subordinate to family.”

Happy family secret number seven: Limit children’s after-school activities

Today, growing numbers of children are overscheduled and participate in six or seven after-school activities per week. The mother becomes a chauffeur and the children are never home at the same time. This is not a recipe for a happy family, Boteach says. “If your children grow up not knowing how to do ballet, they will be OK. No afterschool activities is an extreme and too many activities is the other extreme, but moderation is where we should aim.”

Create your own after-school activities as a family, he suggests. For example, take your children rollerblading, bike riding, or swimming after

school as a family.

Happy family secret number eight: Build and honour rituals “Families need rituals,” Boteach says. Rituals can be religious, national, or even family-specific, he says. Barbara Fiese, PhD, professor and chair of psychology at Syracuse University in New York, agrees. “Happy families have meaningful rituals and are not stressed out by them,” she says. “They can be unique to your own family such as going for bagels on Saturday morning, a weekly pizza night, or even a family song. Rituals tend to bring family members close together because they are repeated over time.”

To work, rituals need to be flexible, she adds. “They can’t be rigid,” Fiese says. “If the bagel place is closed, you have to go someplace else.”

Happy family secret number nine: Keep your voices down

Remember that children thrive on stability. “There has to be a calm environment at home,” says Boteach. “Talk to your children, give them strict rules, and punish children when necessary, but don’t lose control and yell. If you yell at children that shows you are out of control and you create a non-peaceful environment.”

Happy family secret number 10: Never fight in front of the children

TV viewers never really saw Carol and Mike Brady go at it, did they? While some fighting or bickering may be inevitable, try to keep it away from the children, Boteach says. “If your children see you fight and argue, apologise and say, ‘We are sorry you had to see it. Daddy and I just had a disagreement, but everything is OK now.’”

Happy family secret number 11: Don’t work too much

All work and no play does worse things to a family than make it dull. “If you are away all the time and don’t prioritise your children, your children will internalise feelings of insecurity,” says Boteach. They’ll begin to believe that they’re not valuable enough.

Happy family secret number 12: Encourage sibling harmony

Sibling rivalry can be divisive. “I try to speak to my children about how fortunate they are to have siblings,” Boteach says.

Happy family secret number 13: Have private jokes

Happy families have inside jokes, Syracuse’s Fiese

says, “Jokes and nicknames symbolise that this is a group that you belong to and serves as a shorthand for larger experiences,” she says.

Happy family secret number 14: Be flexible

“This is easier said than done,” says Fiese. “But by their very nature, families change so you have to be open to change in membership and age,” Fiese says. “Somebody gets married, somebody dies, somebody remarries and teenagers are no longer children and young adults are no longer teenagers, but they are all still part of the family.”

Happy family secret number 15: Communicate

Rose J Perkins, EdD, associate professor of psychology at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, says that a happy family communicate with one another. “Frequently families are set up where everyone tells the mom and then the mom sends the message, but in a happy family, there are more flexible, open lines of communication.”

In happy families, “all the members of the family unit are able to communicate openly,” she says. (www.webmd.com/ parenting)

Reasons our promises are so important to our children

Some parents are very adamant about their promises – they never make promises they can’t keep. Other parents have good intentions and promise all kinds of things that look doable in the moment, but then when the actual time to deliver arrives, they fall short. Parents need to be aware of the impact promises have on children. If you think it doesn’t matter, think again. Here are 10 reasons why promises are important to children.

* It’s a matter of trust – Our children trust us to keep our word. Little children especially look up to parents with a kind of awe whether or not we are aware of it. Consequently when a promise is made, it is assumed by the child that the promise will be kept.

* Leading by example – Some parents like to try the “Do as I say and not as I do” model with their children. Unfortunately this does not work. It can be confusing for younger children and downright distasteful for older children, as it puts parents in a hypocritical light. If we want our children to learn to keep their promises, then we must learn to keep ours.

* Teaches integrity –When children see parents following through on their promises, they are seeing a form of integrity in action. They know that whatever mom or dad promises is

something they can count on.

* Affects discipline – Sometimes parents will promise a particular punishment or consequence for misbehaviour. If those promises are never kept, the child learns that he or she can get away with disobedience because there will be no meaningful consequences. As the child grows older, this practice can become more and more of a problem.

* Kept promises teach dependability – Whether it’s going to the zoo or getting grounded for acting up, when parents consistently keep their promises, children learn dependability. It will come as no surprise when electronic privileges get cut off for misconduct. It was promised that they would. By the same token the trip to the amusement park is a sure thing because Mom and Dad promised.

* It’s a matter of reputation – Imagine an airline company that always promises to get you to a certain destination and they never deliver. Maybe it’s only one city short of where you expected to go or maybe it’s the next state over. The point is, you would never trust that airline to get you where you want to go and they would have a bad reputation. Parents need to have good reputations with their children if they expect the children to follow their example in becoming good adults.

* Teaches about honesty – The last thing you want to hear your child say to you is that you are a liar. Yet, when a child is faced with a broken promise, particularly when the promise was very important, if it isn’t said, you can be pretty sure that is the thought that goes through the child’s mind. Part of keeping a promise has to do with honesty, and this is a trait that we want to develop in our children.

* Children will learn to value the promise –When a child grows up with parents who only make promises they can keep, that child learns the value of a promise. That child will grow up to be a person who also only makes promises that he or she can keep.

* Keeping a promise shows respect – As children get older respect becomes a big issue with them. They want to receive respect and keeping promises made to them shows them that they are respected.

* Parents are the first teachers – As first teachers, everything parents do matters in the lives of the children. This is an important thing to remember. Keeping promises teaches many things, and parents need to be the best teachers their children could ever have. (www.nanny.net)

(CONTINUED FROM TUESDAY)

Republic Bank plugs $1.5M into steel pan programme

Around 175 youths will benefit from the fourth PanStart Pan Minors Literacy Programme 2013, organised by the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry with financial support from Republic Bank Guyana Limited.

The programme will see youths from Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and 10 being trained to play the steel pan instrument, and is scheduled to be held from July 8 to 25. At a simple ceremony on Thursday at the Guyana School of Music on Brickdam, Republic Bank handed over a cheque of $1.5 million to Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony to finance the project. The cheque was handed over by the bank’s finance and planning department manager, Vanessa Thompson.

Anthony lauded the contributions of the bank, describing the relationship which exists with the ministry and the bank as a “model relationship”.

Positive development

“I hope that other companies can see how to really structure relationships with us, because it is helping with positive development in our community,” he noted.

He recalled that the collaboration started with the Panorama steel band competition and grew over the years. The minister underscored that over the years the demand for steel pan workshops in various communities has also grown. Dr Anthony said the ministry is and will continue to create opportunities for persons to play music, adding that it is hoping to use music as a technique to produce improvements in communities.

“We feel that music and learning

music is a very important thing. In other countries like our neighbouring country Venezuela, they have been using music to get into the communities and help with positive social development… we hope we can have such a system… that’s what we are leaning for.”

Thriving music school

Moving his attention to the music school, he stated that when it was established a few years ago, many people felt it would not go few, since they were sceptical that the ministry could run a music school. However, “we have proven the critics wrong and we are advancing”. He posited that the quality of teaching in the school is high, since it always strives for excellence.

“Our passes from the school speaks volumes, because we have been getting a majority of passes, which is excellent… we are not writing a local examination, we are writing an international exam that is highly accredited.” The culture minister emphasised that persons who study music at the school can pass there and go anywhere and play music.

Additionally, he highlighted that the school is oversubscribed, noting that more and more persons desire to get into the school but it cannot offer any more places.

“Maybe that’s a good thing, we will have to look at how we expand it, we are constantly looking at how we can improve the school, and I am very grateful for the leadership which is being provided by Mr Cecil Bovell and Mr Andrew Tyndall in moving the school forward.”

Pleased

Republic Bank’s finance and planning department manager said the bank was pleased to be sponsoring the programme. “We are looking forward to the fruit of this programme, especially when we have our 24-team steel pan competition at the sports hall.”

The communication and public relations marketing manager’s assistant Jonelle Dummett added that the bank is happy to support Guyana’s youths yet again and to help in the sustenance and resurgence of the steel pan art form in Guyana.

Region Five corrects misleading Stabroek News report

The Region Five administration has dismissed a report in the Stabroek News concerning works on the Burma road, saying that bad weather had stalled the project.

In responding to the Stabroek News article captioned: “Burma Road broken up two weeks after $7.5M rehab works”, the administration explained that contract #306/13 for general maintenance of the Burma Branch Road at the cost of $7,495,800 was signed on May 29, between the Regional Democratic Council and contractor Shereaz Bacchus.

According to the region, owing to inclement weather, only the mobilisation of equipment, clearing of road shoulders, and the cleaning and the squaring of existing potholes have been done. Additionally, the regional administration said information emanating from its engineering department revealed that so far approximately 10 per cent of the work has been completed. This work was done based on a request from farmers and residents to facilitate easier ingress and egress from the rice mill.

“This project had a duration of three weeks initially, work will resume as soon as the weather pattern changes. Further delays are envisaged due to

the unpredictable weather pattern. The contract entails placing, and compacting four-inch crusher run into position in isolated sections of the roadway and applying RC250 bitumen which will see the said sections of road being completed to a DBST (Double Bituminous Surface Treatment) surface.”

“For all intent and purposes, the regional admin-

istration wishes to inform the general public that only 20 per cent of mobilisation was paid to the contractor which was supported by an advance mobilisation bond, which was supplied by the contractor to cover the said amount paid.”

The RDC said due to the inclement weather, road works as a whole has been put on hold throughout the region.

1823 Monument to be unveiled in August

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony said the 1823 Monument will be unveiled in August, noting that the sculptor is completing the final touches on the site.

Speaking to this publication on Thursday, he stated that what is there now is not the monument, adding that only a bit of the landscaping and pedestal has been completed. “So we now would have to insert some of the things that they would have sculpted onto that, so that process may take another two to three weeks and once that is completed, we will then do the unveiling.”

The minister stated that the ministry is looking to unveil the monument sometime on, or around the 190th anniversary of the

Demerara Uprising. Minister Anthony added that the ministry has noticed that without even being completed, someone has defaced the structure by throwing paint on it.

He also noted that recently the ministry worked with the Walter Rodney Foundation to do some rehabilitation work on his gravesite, but lamented that as soon as the work was completed, the grill work around the grave was vandalised.

“People must understand that these are very important sites, they are national figures that we commemorate and we must have respect for these sites.”

In light of this, the minister is calling on the public to desist from vandalising monuments and national sites.

Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony receiving $1.5 million cheque from Republic Bank’s Finance and Planning Department Manager Vanessa Thompson for the fourth PanStart Pan Minors Literacy Programme 2013

The site for the 1823 Monument

wednesday, july 10, 2013| guyanatimesgy.com

Man steals cream liqueur thinking it’s chocolate milk

Aman was brought before Magistrate Faith McGusty charged with simple larceny on Friday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It was alleged that on July 6, at Bounty Supermarket, Water Street, Georgetown, Damion James stole two bottles of cream

liqueur valued $1298. The defendant pleaded guilty with explanation. The two bottles of cream liqueur were found hidden in his pants. When the security guard at the supermarket asked him if he could afford to pay for the stolen items, he replied in the negative. He was then taken to Brickdam Police

Station.

According to the defendant, he was very hungry and when he took the two bottles, he did not know they contained alcohol, as he thought they contained chocolate milk.

James was given the option to pay a fine of $10,000 or face two months in prison. The defendant then

asked if he could pay $5000 now, and work and pay off the rest. To this, the magistrate said if he looked outside and saw a market stall, he may pay “layaway” or “hire purchase”.

The defendant was left standing in the courtroom confused. He was subsequently taken downstairs into the court lockups.

Nigerian national charged with illegal entry

ANigerian national appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty charged with illegal entry on Tuesday in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It was alleged that on July 1, Anthony

Chukuwimeka Aka entered Guyana at Springlands by sea without the consent of an immigration officer. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge read against him. According to Prosecutor Deniro Jones, on July 7, the defendant was arrest-

ed at Charity, Essequibo Coast and asked to produce his passport, and he replied that he had none. He was taken into custody where he was further questioned. The defendant said he had entered Guyana without any documents and that he was

just passing through. He explained that he was going to Venezuela to work with a friend.

The defendant was given the option of paying a $30,000 fine or spending two months in prison, after which he would be deported.

Whim man wanted for death of shopkeeper

Police on Tuesday issued a wanted bulletin for Carlton Akeem Bourne for the death of Winston Ragnauth called “Tony”, whose body was found on November 7, 2012, with his throat slit at his home at Whim, Corentyne. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Bourne is asked to contact

the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-6978, 225-2227, 333-2151 to 3, 333-2191, 337-2225, 911 or at the nearest police station. According to the po-

lice, Bourne’s last known address is Whim Village, Corentyne, Berbice. Ragnauth was killed during a burglary of his grocery shop.

Eyew tness

Floating...

...another “Dick Poll”

The dyspeptic Alliance For Change (AFC) duo – not Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo: they’re busy making money with their lawyering –Asquith Rose and Harish S Singh from New York are at it again. Probably unemployed with the U.S. nine per cent unemployment rate, they have oodles of time on their hands. And you know what they say about idle hands being the devil’s tools!

In their latest letter, beating the dead horse, that is the AFC, and clearly composed in a fevered state of either the heat of the New York summer or close proximity to the devil’s habitat – they float another “Dick Poll”. You remember the first Dick Poll issued by the AFC, don’t you?

The not-cheap American pollster Dick Morris was brought down (you can guess at whose expense) after the AFC was launched. He predicted a victory for the AFC in 2006!!!!

It’s an old tactic from the American hustings: bombard the population with fake positive polls for your party and build a “momentum of support” for them. Well the ploy failed then and it’ll fail again. The Dick poll shrunk ignominiously into a tiny “also ran” then and it’ll become even smaller this go around. But imagine the shamelessness of the AFC apologists to knock Bisram’s polls, when in each case he at least got the winner right.

This time they didn’t have any Dicks around to concoct some fake polls. But that didn’t faze the AFC scribblers. They simply announced they had the results of a “secret” People’s Progressive Party (PPP) poll, which showed that the AFC got 27 per cent!!! This was opposed to 33 per cent by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the PPP’s 39 per cent. They probably haven’t recovered from the embarrassment of the expansive Dick Poll: they didn’t claim they’ll win.

But what they do say amounts to the same empty dream. They claim that based on these numbers, the PPP will have to work “more closely with APNU and the AFC” by bringing them into the Cabinet!!! So this is what it all boils down to: a “lil Minista wuk”!! ?? We always know this...but here’s it in black and white. So what about their boast that their majority in Parliament is all they need to “serve the people”.

However, it looks like the two jokers’ brains were addled by the New York heat. Even based on their cookedup numbers, the PPP will still retain the presidency – and use the powers of the executive to govern on their own. As they’re doing right now, thank you!!

...trouble

The owner of the Muckraker, Mook Lall, still hopes to get a radio station so he can “talk” his opinions as opposed to having his chief factotum Adam Harris writing it out in longhand for him. Reporting on the WPA’s long list of 32 demands written out (in longhand?) by David Hinds to APNU, the Muckraker headlined the report, “WPA picks up the “fight” for the rescinding of radio licences”

What Mook Lall should be working on right now is the cleaning up of his “sketchy past” and his character. The chairman of the Broadcasting Commission revealed that she does have a recent application from the Mook for a radio licence. He should know that the character of the applicant is a very big criterion he has to satisfy. We know he has a very long road to travel for rehabilitation – but didn’t they say that the longest journey begins with the first step?

As for David Hinds and the WPA, they should be thankful that APNU gave them a “squeeze” the last elections. On their own, they’re dead meat. Be nice to your saviours.

...the new cricket

As the Tri-Nation Tournament draws to its final, it’s clear that the WI needs a larger pool of talent to draw from. The Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) should accomplish this as it demands a substantial number local players. Look how the Indians build their reserves. Go Limacol CPL!!!

Unions want UG administration to control subvention

The unions representing staff at the University of Guyana (UG) is suggesting that funds approved by Parliament for the payment of salaries and contractual financial benefits to staff must be controlled by the university’s administration and be deposited into a bank account on an annual basis.

The proposal was made during a second meeting on Monday between the aggrieved unions, senior administration and Vice Chancellor Dr Jacob Opadeyi to discuss the escalating problems affecting the functioning of the university.

University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) Vice President Dr Melissa Ifill said this practice, employed in other regional and international universities would ensure timely payments to staff and eliminate time wastage by senior officials who make monthly treks to the education and finance ministries.

Verge of collapse

The vice chancellor also provided an update to the unions about the university’s outstanding liabilities and debt, revealing that the country’s premier tertiary institution is on the “verge of a collapse”.

Dr Ifill said they were

told that the university continues to pile up additional debt on a monthly basis and is indebted to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), credit unions, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the medical and pension schemes.

She added that temporary staff members continue to feel the brunt of suffering since many of them have not received salaries despite submission of claim forms since earlier 2012.

According to her, the unions have again signalled its intention to take legal and industrial action should the administration fail to provide a concise plan with timeframes about the manner in which obligations will be met.

The unions also indicated a willingness to support the agenda of the vice chancellor, including the possible implementation of some recommendations contained in the Hamilton Report.

Regular meetings

“We requested that he solicit support particularly from the academic board and the Committee of Deans. The unions also requested that the VC meet with all faculty and staff on a quarterly or half-yearly basis and honour the undertaking by the UG administration in February 2012 to meet the unions on a monthly basis.”

Dr Opadeyi was asked to reconvene the university’s negotiating team as a means of addressing concession related on salaries and benefits.

Dr Ifill stated that the unions are also concerned that the life of the council came to an end in June and no effort has been made to have a new council appointed.

The unions lamented that this ad-hoc, unplanned approach to the university’s governance by the relevant authorities continues to have a negative impact on the functioning of the campus.

Dr Ifill explained that the university’s negotiating team cannot be convened without at least two council members.

“Therefore, recommencement of salary negotiations is dependent upon the appointment of a new council or the extension of the life of the current council,” she noted.

Dr Ifill added that a scheduled meeting of the Appointment Committee this week has also been cancelled since it requires a complete quorum of council members.

This means that new appointments, renewals and extensions of contracts are currently at a standstill although the new academic year is scheduled to commence in just over a month.

“The unions repeat its recommendation to the minister of education to appoint persons to the council who are competent and who possess the necessary skill-sets to transform Guyana’s sole national university into an outstanding, creditable tertiary institution,” Dr Ifill said.

Wakenaam Night funds to aid community development projects

Proceeds of the upcoming Wakenaam Night will go towards community development projects aimed at showcasing the natural beauty of the island.

This is according to the Wakenaam Night Committee Chairman Sheikh Ahmad in a recent interview with Guyana Times. Ahmad noted that the event is slated for August 17 and will seek to attract an increase number of local and international tourists to the island.

“The funds we make from the event goes back to the community through projects and the entire event is done in collaboration with Ministry of Tourism, it's a community-based venture,” said Ahmad. He continued: “This year, funds will aid the government in the building of the Wakenaam Cottage Hospital Laboratory.”

Ahmad noted that the event will consist of an expo, featuring some 25 booths on products of Wakenaam. “There will also be collaboration with other companies from Georgetown which are willing to showcase their products and service to residents of Wakenaam,” said Ahmad, pointing out that the celebrations will also see the return of the Wakenaam Pageant after a two-year absence.

“Because of this event, the funds we raised aided in the construction of a community centre... we have made donations to the school and even assist other cultural groups with their endeavours and have aided in development of sport on the island with the funds we raised from the yearly activity,” Ahamad stated. He noted the committee tries to make the event a home-coming activity and along with the Tourism Ministry, has

been able to create an affordable package for visitors. “We offer a bed and breakfast service for the tourists who come for Wakenaam Night... we also showcase the industries we have on the island, example our pottery industry .” Wakenaam Night started in 2008 after residents decided to raise funds to build a pavilion for the youths in the community to have a recreational facility. Since then, the dream has been realised through the staging of the event with the pageant as a highlight. The pageant will be used to promote health, fitness and inner beauty among women and children of all ethnic groups, while producing positive role models for the Wakenaam island community. The event is also intended to publicly recognise women empowerment and outstanding businesses.

UGSSA Vice President Dr Melissa Ifill

Caricom officials to undergo training to respond to chemical threats

INTERPOL and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) will be hosting a two-day workshop from today, which will enable the member states within the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to develop capabilities to respond to a national or regional emergency related to the accidental or deliberate use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive (CBRNE) materials.

The workshop, which will be convened in Kingston, Jamaica, will bring together several senior officials representing law enforcement agencies in the region, as well as policy personnel from foreign affairs and national security ministries from Caricom member states, the Caricom Secretariat said in a release.

The objective of this initiative is to acquaint securi -

ty planners and law enforcement with best practices and related methodologies integral to the development and implementation of national emergency response systems to strategic threats and to acquaint them with the critical infrastructure needed to develop adequate national and regional response capacities.

O’Neil Hamilton, the coordinator of a joint Caricom-United Nations programme aimed at preventing the transshipment, transit or export of CBRNE materials and related technology within the region, has described the workshop as “an important initiative which serves to deepen cooperation between the international community and Caricom states in facing non-traditional security and potential public health challenges. This also broadens our focus and capability beyond responding to natu-

ral disasters to also include events that are of an unconventional nature, resulting from an accident or deliberate action”.

The workshop also represents an expanded engagement between INTERPOL, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and Caricom member states to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction within the Caribbean and to adequately equip regional first responders with the necessary training and expertise to effectively deal with the aftermath of a national catastrophe, particularly resulting from exposure to chemical biological or radiological agents.

In addition to delegations from Caricom member states, the meeting will also be attended by Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch of the United Nations chief Dr Gabriele Kraatz-Wadsack.

Man held with semi-automatic pistol

Police early Tuesday morning arrested a man with an illegal gun during a patrol exercise in Georgetown.

In a release, police said about 01:30h on Tuesday, ranks of a mobile police patrol stopped and searched a man at Front Road, East Ruimveldt,

Georgetown, in whose possession an unlicensed .32 semiautomatic pistol was found. He is in police custody assisting with investigations.

Honeymoon trouble?

Satiricus was caught by surprise with WAPPA’s public announcement that they disagreed with the tactics of APANU. They wanted more confrontation against the government. Satiricus always thought that when you formed a coalition, it was sorta like marriage. You’d disagree every now and then but you kept your voices down so the neighbours wouldn’t hear that all wasn’t sunshine and peaches.

Especially when the marriage was so new...not even two years. “Why!” thought Satiricus, “the honeymoon isn’t even over yet.” But Satiricus did have some intimations from the beginning that there might be trouble ahead. Satiricus knew from his own (bitter) experience that even when there were only two persons in a marriage, things could get tricky...if not rocky.

“Imagine what’ll happen when there are 10 parties in this marriage called APANU!” Satiricus had mused. Satiricus was a monogamous-minded fellow but he told himself philosophically, “different strokes for different folks”. And if it took 10 parties to do the stroking, then so be it. Who was he to tell others what to do? But Satiricus did wonder what the other parties to the polygamous marriage were doing. Shouldn’t they be telling WAPPA “Hush!!”??

But just like the old Tradewinds song about a “Honeymooning Couple”, the argument seemed to be about who should be “on top”. And there wasn’t even a “ting a

ling a ling” in the air – just the bullying tones of David Hands. Poor GrainJa. Seems that he was ambushed. “Like most husbands are,” thought Satiricus ruefully. In such situations, his only response was to wail plaintively, “What did I do now?” Not that it ever helped. The cold shoulder or worse was what he got.

He thought that the polite and proper GrainJa was getting “worse” from the loud mouthed Hands. Satiricus wanted to know how could Hands give GrainJa an ultimatum when there were eight other presumably equal partners in the marriage. Was GrainJa supposed to ignore the other partners? Satiricus didn’t think that would’ve been fair.

But Satiricus had heard that in these polygamous relationships, there was often one “favourite” who thought they had more rights that the others. Was WAPPA the favourite? Were they first among equals? “Hmmmm,” thought Satiricus, “there might be something to this...” Look at how Roop Na Rain had been made second in command in APANU. Satiricus had always thought the old Queens school tie between GrainJa and Roop Na Rain had to mean something.

So maybe Hands and the rest of the WPA were not in the inner circle? Maybe they thought Roop Na Rain was making deals on his own? Satiricus’ head was beginning to spin. He figured that he’d stick to one partner and that maybe GrainJa and APANU might be better off doing the same.

Problem of inequality not easy to solve – OAS

Organisation of American States (OAS) General Secretary José Miguel Insulza on Monday participated in the United Nations “Thematic debate on inequality” held at UN headquarters in New York, urging a level playing field, but acknowledging that the problem of inequality is not easy to solve.

The debate was organised by UN General Assembly President Vuk Jeremic, and was attended by the Guyana Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Executive Secretary Alicia Barcena, among other officials and representatives of international organisations and agencies of the UN system.

Timeliness

In his speech, the leader of the hemispheric organisation recognised the “timeliness” of the event convened by the president of the UN General Assembly, “which comes as many countries around the world have recently witnessed protest movements attributed to a widespread perception of inequality”. Although these protests have been caused by diverse factors, he said, “they have similar characteristics and feature new protagonists: they are mass movements that bring together various actors, especially young people.

Their common theme is the demand that, given the state of development of their countries, they

are entitled to a more just distribution of income or social benefits from society and the state. What is behind these protests is the public demand for economic, political and social equality.”

The conference was opened by Jeremic, the host of the event, who thanked the OAS for its “significant assistance in organising this thematic debate” and emphasised the “invaluable contribution that Secretary General Insulza has made to the high level advisory panel “which is helping to reflect on the future of multilateralism in our increasingly globalised and interdependent world”.

Social justice

Referring to the subject of the debate, President Jeremic said that “the struggle for social justice, together with the aspiration to mitigate inequality has been a universal quest for millennia, inscribed in the holy books of humanity’s great faiths.” Therefore, he added, “to tackle social inequality is a moral duty, a political necessity and an imperative for the due protection of human rights”.

For his part, United Nations General Secretary Ban Kimoon said that “in a time of profound change and considerable uncertainty, the Millennium Development Goals have been remarkably successful in generating global actions across a range of issues”. Nevertheless, he re-

called that, although 600 million people have risen from extreme poverty, “social and economic inequalities can tear the social fabric, undermine social cohesion and prevent nations from thriving. That’s why equality is emerging as a central plank in the discussion on the post-2015 development agenda”.

Secretary General Ban Kimoon opened the discussion by calling for the identification of solutions to the economic and financial crises, bring universal benefits. “We will need to create about 470 million new jobs between 2015 and 2030,” he said, and concluded that “tackling inequality, eradicating poverty and promoting shared prosperity should be at the heart of the sustainable agen-

da of the United Nations”.

In his speech, Secretary General Insulza explained that Latin America has reduced poverty substantially in recent years, “but this important achievement has been accompanied by only a very marginal reduction in the gap between the lowest and highest incomes in society”. “Although poverty has dropped to 30 per cent of the population of Latin America, that figure is still high for a region with our level of development,” he said. Moreover, he noted factors such as discrimination, vulnerability and social exclusion that exacerbate the effects of inequality, especially in the case of indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants and rural populations.

Factors of inequality

The head of the hemispheric organisation also cited unemployment, access to education, health, housing quality, and social security as factors that set the parameters of inequality in the world and said that it is not just a matter of distribution, because throughout the hemisphere, “more than 250 million people lack health insurance”.

The secretary general further analysed the causes of rising inequality, stating that “it is usual to attribute the phenomenon to ‘positive’ factors of economic growth: there is a much greater demand for and higher salaries paid to skilled professionals, the reward for talent, risk and innovation, the road

to global competitiveness provided by greater access to markets, etc,” but he recalled that “even if one accepts that inequality is caused by changing market conditions, it is clear that we will not find solutions in the market to address it. The sustained increase in inequality has occurred over the last four decades, when some began to proclaim that “the state is part of the problem, not the solution.”

Public policies

At the end of his presentation, the OAS secretary general insisted the problem of inequality “is not simple one to solve, because as we have seen, greater equality does not come as a result of economic growth”. He therefore advocated seeking to reduce inequality through public policies focused on providing greater opportunities, “increasing social mobility through better education and health care, equal access to credit as well as housing, transportation and public safety services”.

The development of these policies today faces also an “additional obstacle” which is the loss of confidence in institutions that affects many countries, he said. “This makes it difficult to undertake changes that involve an increase in resources to finance public policies and strengthen institutions. Regaining that trust by undertaking a deep reform of our institutions is the great challenge of the political class in our hemisphere,” he concluded.

OAS General Secretary José Miguel Insulza

wednesday, july 10, 2013 | guyanatimesgy.com

Police record three per cent hike in serious crimes

An overall increase of three per cent in serious crimes has been recorded at the end of June 2013 in comparison to the same period in 2012, the Guyana Police Force said on Monday.

The total number of reports of serious crimes made between January 1 and June 30 was 1979 compared to 1923 for the same period in 2012. Some of the offences monitored are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape and kidnapping.

A total of 60 murders were recorded at the end of June in comparison to 62 murders for the same period in 2012. Of the 60 murders this year, 28 were of the disorderly type, nine were committed during armed robberies, one was

execution type, and six were domestic-related, while the other 16 are so far undetermined.

At the end of June, robbery under arms overall has decreased by seven per cent, with 472 reports compared to 509 for the same period in 2012. The statistics indicate a decrease of five per cent in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms and a 10 per cent decrease in armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, in relation to traffic, there has been an increase of 16 road fatalities at the end of June 2013 in comparison to the same period in 2012, with 56 fatalities from 53 accidents in 2013 compared to 40 fatalities from 38 accidents during 2012. The pe-

riod January 1 to June 30, saw reductions in relation to the other categories of traffic accidents – serious, minor and damage.

So far, pedestrians have been the main road users affected with 17 such persons having lost their lives at the end of June. In addition, 10 motorcyclists, 10 pedal cyclists, seven drivers of motor vehicles, two pillion riders and 10 passengers of motor vehicles also lost their lives.

Speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents and was the cause of 41 of the 53 fatal accidents recorded at the end of June. Traffic enforcement by the police during the period January to June resulted in a total of 43,688 cases being made against errant motorists; of this total, 10,863 cases were for speeding.

Two held for fire at Charity guest house

Two men have been arrested for a fire that destroyed a guest house at Charity, Essequibo Coast early Tuesday morning.

Police apprehended the two suspects in relation to the fire. One of the suspects is at Charity Police Outpost while the other is hospitalised at the Charity Oscar Joseph

Hospital under guard. Millions of dollars went up in flames after the interior of the guest house was badly burnt.

The facility is owned by a popular businessman, Forbes Burnette of Charity Housing Scheme. According to the mother of the businessman, Burtly Burnette, her family was informed of the fire

around 01:30h on Tuesday.

The mother said she was told that the men in custody are the ones who set the building alight.

The mother said millions of dollars worth in furniture was damaged. She said the exterior of the building was not damaged owing to prompt actions by public-spirited citizens.

Nursing body seeks govt

to finance operations

The General Nursing Council (GNC) is courting the government for a yearly subvention to help finance its operations, a top official at the body said.

The council said it is unable to effectively execute its mandate due to lack of adequate funds. Registrar of the council Donneth Kellman told Guyana Times in a recent interview that the GNC depends heavily on fees generated through registration, examination, certificates, badges and verification to offset expenses which include the payment of salaries to its five staff.

“From the money received, we have to pay the panel of markers, invigilators and whatever is left, we use for salary and pay out utility bills,” Kellman explained.

While the council has been able to conduct examinations for registration of nurses, midwives and nursing assistants, it has been unable to inspect nursing schools and hospitals to ensure they operate in keeping with the stipulated guidelines.

Kellman said the council could better execute its mandate with financial assistance from the Health

Ministry. “We are hoping that in order to function better, we would need financial support from the ministry in terms of subvention so that we can conduct our training; this is the continuing nursing education programme, conduct inspections.”

According to the registrar, the council has made several requests to the ministry, but to no avail. “We made a request approximately three years ago but they said it was late and they did not budget for it, and so as recent as this year, we sought financial assistance and we are still waiting on a response.”

Questioned about a proposed sum that would enable the council to effectively execute its duties, the registrar said, “we didn’t really come up with a sum, we left it open for them to decide”.

Kellman said while the Health Ministry provides accommodation for the GNC, there is a need for further support. “They promised that they will supply us with furniture and greater security since we moved in here, but till now we are still waiting.”

In January, the GNC was transferred to the

subvention

Georgetown School of Nursing Annex in Kingston, an environment which has been described as spacious and comfortable.

In July 2009 when the Health Ministry was set ablaze, the council had no other option than to relocate. From 2009 to January 2013, it was housed at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, Carmichael Street, Georgetown.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persuad, when contacted, told Guyana Times that the Health Ministry continues to analyse the possibility of offering financial assistance to the council, noting that the budget remains a challenge. He said in addition to accommodation, the ministry assists in the payment of bills to ease the burden.

The council was inaugurated on March 26, 1954, with a mandate to conduct examinations for registration of nurses, midwives and nursing assistants. Additionally, the council is responsible for the establishment and enhancing of standards of education and practice, in addition to determining entry requirements for programmes of study leading to admission to register.

The Georgetown School of Nursing Annex where the General Nursing Council is housed

General Nursing Council’s Registrar Donneth Kellman

Small businesses blossoming, says Republic Bank specialist

Republic Bank Marketing

Specialist Josaun

Edmondson said there has been a tremendous growth in the development of Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) on the local landscape over the past years.

Edmondson, who is responsible for small and medium-scale lending, stated that the bank has noticed an overwhelming growth in SME which has forced the institution to introduce the new portfolio which he holds.

“As of 2012, we have seen tremendous growth in small and medium scale business activity and this has led to the creation of my position,” the marketing specialist remarked.

Necessary support

Edmondson oversees and ensures small businesses receive the necessary support which they require to assist them in development and eventually expansion. “Because like the employed people, self-employed customers also have their individual needs and are unique in their business dealings,” the lending officer related.

Edmondson pointed to the fact that in the most advanced economies, SMEs make up close to 70 per cent of the income generated; which emphasises its significance.

He explained that Republic Bank is working on implementing various ways of offering more support to this unique group of entrepreneurs. According to Edmondson, Republic Bank will be sponsoring Empretec’s Venture Out 2013 prizes for the best loan proposal.

The benefit of the loan prize is that it would be collateralfree with no required security and will offer a very preferential interest rate, which is extremely lower than offered to regular customers.

The marketing specialist revealed that the three prizes for the best business loan proposals are $400,000 and two $300,000 prizes. He explained that based on the specifications and needs of the Venture Out group, Republic Bank has decided to lend within that bracket.

“This can probably evolve during the coming years, but Republic Bank has seen the need to extend our sponsorship even further. We have been doing this since 2010 and we actually see the need to extend our interest in small businesses,” Edmondson disclosed.

Processing

He noted that once a proposal is submitted by the entrepreneur, it is forward to the bank after perusal by Empretec and processed within a month.

“You will receive response as to the winners, who will then submit income statements, financial statements and whatever is needed.” Commenting on the quality of loan proposals, Edmondson mentioned that Empretec will introduce a more in-depth training on the business proposal writing.

“At Republic Bank, it is not

a requirement, when you come in you have to do this elaborate business proposal. It’s merely a discussion between you and the loan officer.”

However, since it is not expected of the loan officer to remember the details of such discussions, the proposal is necessary to provide a synopsis of relevant information that is required by the banking officials so as to make a decision on a specific case.

Edmondson encouraged other female entrepreneurs to join in the coming years and stated that every business will be regarded on a case-by-case basis since there are variations in the loan needs.

He acknowledged that businesses will have rainy days, but must keep the bank informed so that representation can be made and consideration can be given to the struggling customers.

According to Edmondson, a person who has a previous good reputation with the bank will have an advantage and can consult the bank beyond the required age limit.

Addressing the issue of timely processing, Edmondson pointed out that the absence of the Credit Reporting Bureau has also prevented a speedy consideration of the loans and the bank is also working with the relevant authorities to fast track this.

Be transparent

He urged entrepreneurs to be transparent, keep good records and practice prudent marketing strategies.

“While banks have the ability to lend the customers, they also have an obligation to ensure debt repayment is honoured and businesses grow,” Edmondson added.

Senior Small and Micro Enterprise Officer Debra Yan reported that one of the areas in which Republic Bank will be placing increasing emphasis is the education and empowerment of customers. “In so doing, we seek new opportunities in this area and our focus continues to be strong in this regard. We have observed the core needs and opportunities for women entrepreneurs are different from those of their male counterparts.”

Yan noted that Republic Bank has seen the opportunity for bridging the gap in order to assist women entrepreneurs with the potential for the level of success, which they can achieve.

“We are aware that times are changing and businesses in general continue to evolve. The way business is done today is vastly different from 20, 10 or five years ago,” the small businesses officer related.

She said that increasing competition has forced businesses to be innovative in order to adopt and survive. “And we want to prepare as many of our customers as possible to embrace these continuous changes,” Yan said.

Republic Bank has diverse tools for small and micro enterprise development, including a Caribbean SME toolkit, which is a means of inspiring entrepreneurs to greater heights.

160 graduate from IT courses

One hundred and sixty persons graduated from several Information Technology (IT) courses held at Albion, Region Six last Saturday.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan speaking at the graduation ceremony said that government recognises the importance of IT, because without it, “we will be unable to compete and will not be in line with development”.

The six month programme was held in collaboration with GuySuCo, Albion Estate. Armogan noted that the courses will help to empower women so that they can supplement their incomes.

“You will be able to find jobs for yourselves and you can also find jobs which will allow you to work at home.” Armogan noted that as part of the Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic’s (PPP/C) 2011 manifesto, job creation is one of the major goals of the current administration.

One of the areas the party focused on is information technology. “Thousands of jobs will be cre

ated through call centres. This type of skill which you now have pro

vides unique opportunities for persons who did not go to high grades in school to access information and to do business from home through the computer.”

The courses targeted beginners as well as those at the intermediate and advanced levels. Armogan noted that the government has been financing the programme through GuySuCo for the past 19 years. “It brings people of different backgrounds and ages together so that they can interact and share ideas from an age perspective.”

The estate conducts two sets of courses each year. Since the programme commenced in 2001, thousands of persons have benefited.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan presents a certificate to one of the graduates

TT PM to Dr Rowley: Hand over the criminal

Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar has called on Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to give up the whistleblower who passed him the information on the Section 34 emails, saying that person had misled Rowley to lie in Parliament.

“The person responsible for this defamation, this libel must pay for that. Hand over the criminal, Dr Rowley,” Persad-Bissessar said during the United National Congress’ Monday Night Forum in Warrenville, Cunupia. “You must come clean to the country and tell the public who was the fabricator of this evil.”

Persad-Bissessar made the comment to supporters after earlier making reference to media report which quoted acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams as saying the emails were a fabrication. Rowley produced the emails in the parliament during a no-confidence motion against PersadBissessar on May 20. The emails allege efforts to undermine the judiciary, the office of the director of public prosecutions (DPP) and the media. Persad-Bissessar and her colleagues have denied any knowledge of the emails, but the prime minister mandat-

ed Williams to probe the complaint, and he in turn appointed Richardson to head a sixmember investigating team.

Monday’s report marked the first time that Williams had spoken about the authenticity of the emails. He, however, noted that the police were still probing whether the content of the emails represented actual conversations between individuals in the "Emailgate" probe. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

U.S. bill boosts AntiguaBarbuda’s WTO case

The increased push by American legislators to legalise online gambling within U.S. borders bodes well for Antigua and Barbuda in the ongoing World Trade Organisation (WTO) cross-border trade dispute.

“This is of considerable benefit to us… It vindicates what we have said all along,” lead counsel for Antigua and Barbuda in the matter, Mark Mendel, said to local and regional media during the taping for Sunday evening’s Media Roundtable programme on ABS.

Mendel was referencing a new bill introduced by U.S. Congressman Peter King in June. If passed, The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer

Protection and Enforcement Act of 2013 would federally legalise online gambling in the U.S.

The legislation would also allow U.S. states, including New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada –all of which have legalised Internet gambling, in some form – to continue to offer these services.

Beginning in 1998, the U.S. breached its commitments to members of the WTO under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) by enacting laws that prevented foreignbased operators from offering gambling and betting services to its citizens, crippling Antigua and Barbuda’s burgeoning gaming industry. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

St Lucia's airport closes as Tropical Storm Chantal approaches

The government of St Lucia closed the George F Charles Airport midnight on Monday due the impending passage of Tropical Storm Chantal.

As a result the regional carrier, LIAT has been forced to cancel several flights in and out of the island on Tuesday.

According to a release from LIAT, an assessment was made by the St Lucian authorities at 11:00h on Tuesday to determine the time for reopening the airport.

Other precautionary measures have also been implemented as Tropical Storm Chantal approaches the Lesser Antilles.

At a pre-strike meeting of the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) in St Lucia on Monday, Police

Two Jamaican farmers found murdered

The farming communi-

ty in the eastern parish of St Thomas has been shaken by the deadly attack on two of its members.

The bodies of two brothers, both farmers, were found late Monday on the farm they operated in the community of Golden Grove in the parish.

The police report that family members became concerned when the brothers failed to return home at the usual time.

A search was launched by residents and shortly after 18:00h their bodies were found with gunshot wounds to their heads.

Up to early Tuesday morning, investigators were still at the crime scene.

Mexico: Confusion over unreliable Baja California vote count

Mexican election officials have sparked confusion by announcing the result of a key local election, and later saying that their count was unreliable.

Both the opposition and the governing party claimed victory in Sunday’s vote in Baja California state.

The opposition, initially declared the winner, has threatened to withdraw cooperation with the federal government on a reform package agreed last year.

Officials have ordered a recount, to be finalised by the weekend.

Mexicans in 14 states out of 31 federal entities voted for regional assemblies and municipal governments, but the only governorship up for grabs was in Baja California.

The opposition National Action Party (PAN) took control of Baja California in

1989, and it has remained one of their most important power bases.

Electoral officials announced on Monday that 97 per cent of the votes in Baja California had been counted, and that the PAN candidate was three percentage points ahead of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidate.

However, electoral coun-

cil spokeswoman Helga Casanova said errors in the count meant the result “should not be considered reliable”.

A recount would begin on today and will last until the weekend, she said.

PAN officials have suggested they could pull out of the so-called Pact for Mexico if the election issues are not sorted out. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Commissioner Vernon Francois announced the cancellation of leave for police officers, with the exception of those on vacation leave.

During the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony, it was also announced that all schools will be closed on Tuesday and will remain closed until this morning, unless advised otherwise. In Barbados, local emergency services have been placed on full alert and the Department of Emergency Management activated the emergency operations centre at 21:30h and also open Category One shelters from 18:00h to facilitate persons who wish to shelter there. (Excerpt from

Venezuela’s Maduro spurs on Snowden in asylum bid

And in the Corporate Area, sections of the busy Red Hills road were blocked following an incident in which two men were fatally shot during a confrontation with the police.

The protest was triggered by the death of two brothers – Sayoga and Gary Cooke, who were travelling in a car along Karl Samuda Avenue in the area.

The residents say the men were stopped by the police and shortly afterwards explosions were heard, the brothers were rushed to hospital where they were pronounced dead.

The roadblocks were cleared by the police; however, the residents have vowed to continue their protest.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday that his government had received the asylum application of Edward Snowden and called on the fugitive whistleblower to decide if he wants to fly to Caracas.

“We have received the asylum request letter,” Maduro told reporters from the presidential palace. “He will have to decide when he flies, if he finally wants to fly here.”

“We told this young man, ‘you are being persecuted by the empire, come here’,” Maduro added, referring to the United States.

Snowden was also offered asylum in fellow Latin American left-

ist nations Bolivia and Nicaragua over the weekend.

On Sunday, the 30-yearold former National Security Agency contractor won the support of Cuba – a key transit point from Russia to the southern continent – in his quest to seek sanctuary from the United States.

“We support the sovereign rights of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and all the regional states to grant asylum to those who are being persecuted for their ideals or their fight for democratic rights,” Cuban leader Raul Castro said, although he did no indicate whether his country would itself offer refuge to Snowden. (Excerpt from France24)

Colombia extradites drug lord Daniel Barrera to U.S.

Colombia has extradited one of the country’s most notorious drug lords to the U.S., officials have said.

Daniel Barrera, known as “El Loco” (The Madman), was caught last year in Venezuela, and sent back to Colombia.

While on the run he had cosmetic surgery and tried to burn his fingerprints to conceal his identity.

He was convicted on drugs charges in Colombia in 1990 but escaped. He is wanted in the U.S. on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.

At the height of his powers, he is believed to have controlled smuggling routes from Colombia through Venezuela to Central America and eventually the U.S.

He is thought to have

transported hundreds of tonnes of cocaine and accrued a vast fortune over almost two decades. Barrera, now 51, was arrested in Venezuela in September 2012 while making a call in a phone booth. He only ever used public telephones to communicate with his family and allies, in an attempt to avoid his calls

being traced. The U.S. had offered US$5 million (£3 million) for information leading to his arrest and Colombia added an additional US$2.7 million to that reward. Colombian national police chief Jose Roberto Leon said Tuesday’s extradition showed other criminals they were better off turning themselves in. (BBC News)

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar

According to the release from LIAT, an assessment was to be made by the St Lucian authorities at 11:00h on Tuesday to determine the time for reopening the airport

The opposition candidate was first declared the winner, then told he must wait

Both the U.S. and Colombia had offered a reward for Daniel Barrera’s arrest

Egypt’s army warns over disruption after Morsi ousting

Egypt’s defence minister has warned against any attempt to disrupt the country’s “difficult” transition.

His statement comes almost a week after the army deposed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and appointed top judge Adly Mansour as interim leader.

Supporters of Morsi have been holding demonstrations against his ousting.

Meanwhile, Mansour has been trying to shore up his position by appointing Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister.

Hazem el-Beblawi served as finance minister during the period of military rule

in the aftermath of Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow.

He told BBC Arabic that he would be choosing his ministers based on experi-

ence and efficiency, but said it was “difficult for me to specify when” he would finish forming the government.

Mansour has also ap-

Ohio kidnap victims break silence in "thank you" video

Three women who police say were held captive in a Cleveland home for about a decade have issued a video in which they thanked the public for the encouragement and financial support that are allowing them to restart their lives.

Amanda Berry, Gina

DeJesus and Michelle Knight broke their public silence in the three-minute, 30-second video posted Monday night on YouTube. They said the support and prayers of family, friends and the public are allowing them to rebuild their lives after what Berry called “this entire ordeal.”

Car bomb rips through southern Beirut neighbourhood

Acar bomb rocked a stronghold of the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah on Tuesday morning, injuring dozens of people in a southern suburb of the capital.

Fifty-three people were hurt in the blast in the Bir El Abed neighbourhood, Lebanese Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil told Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV. Thirteen of them remained hospitalised Tuesday afternoon in stable condition, he said.

The blast erupted in a parking lot near the Islamic Cooperation Centre, a super-

market, the National News Agency reported. Video from the scene broadcast on Al-Manar showed vehicles ablaze, black smoke billowing aloft.

Fire crews doused the flames as authorities kept the crowds back. The explosion affected the lower floors of surrounding buildings, blowing out windows and damaging balconies, NNA reported.

Witnesses said that crowds hurled bottles at the interior minister, Marwan Charbel, as he was touring the site, and he fled. (Excerpt from CNN)

The women had gone missing separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16, and 20 years old.

In the video, none of the women had any visible scars of the abuse they said they suffered at the hands of Ariel Castro, who has pleaded not guilty to a 329-count indictment alleging he kidnapped them off the streets and held them captive in his twostory home. They were smiling and appeared upbeat.

Castro, a 52-year-old former bus driver, fathered a six-year-old daughter with Berry and is accused of starving and punching Knight, causing her to miscarry. He was arrested on May 6, shortly after Berry broke through a door at the home and yelled to neighbours for help. (Excerpt from France24)

pointed liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei as deputy president with responsibility for foreign affairs. He has issued a temporary constitution and a timetable for transition leading to new elections early next year.

The ultra-conservative Nour party said it was still studying the nomination of ElBaradei, a former head of the United Nations nuclear agency.

His candidacy as prime minister foundered earlier in the week when Nour objected.

The party withdrew from talks to form a new government, but reports on Tuesday suggested it was back on board. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Sudan

U.S. considers pulling all troops from Afghanistan

The U.S. is considering pulling out all its troops from Afghanistan next year, U.S. officials said, amid tension between the President Barack Obama’s administration and Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government.

Obama is committed to wrapping up U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but the United States has been talking with officials in Afghanistan about keeping a small residual force there of perhaps 8000 troops.

U.S. officials did not deny a report that Obama has become increasingly frustrated by his dealings with Karzai. Their relationship fell to new depths after last month’s U.S. move to open peace talks with the Taliban, which led Karzai to

suspend talks on a security pact between the two allies.

A June 27 video conference between Obama and Karzai aimed at lowering tensions ended poorly, the New York Times reported, citing U.S. and Afghan officials with knowledge of the conversation.

Senior Afghan figures close to Karzai were skeptical that Washington would consider a complete withdrawal.

“Both sides understand how to pressure each other. But both the U.S. and Afghanistan fully understand the need for foreign troops, especially U.S. ones, to stay beyond 2014 and that it is vital for security here and in the wider region,” a top palace official told Reuters on Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

signs deal with Chinese firm to build new airport in Khartoum

The Sudanese government and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) signed on Monday a contract for the construction of Khartoum’s new airport at a cost of US$700 million with an implementation period of about 40 months.

Sudan Airports Holding Company Director Mohamed Abdul-Aziz and the CHEC director signed the contract in the presence of the Sudanese finance minister and the Chinese ambassador in Khartoum.

“Khartoum’s new international airport is a dream that all Sudanese people are looking forward to. This project is an addition to Sudan and Africa, as it serves

to link the African countries with the Middle East and also helps in the recovery of economy and trade in Sudan”, said Sudan’s Finance Minister Ali Mahmoud when addressing the signing ceremony on Monday.

“The cost of this project, to be implemented by the Chinese CHEC, amounts to 700 million U.S. dollars with a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China,” the minister said, stressing the importance of the standing cooperation between Sudan and China in the way that “achieves the common interests of the two peoples”.

The Chinese Ambassador in Khartoum, Luo Xiaoguang

said: “We are glad to celebrate this occasion and this strategic project, which comes as part of developing the infrastructure of the Republic of Sudan within the context of the long-time relations between the two countries.”

Khartoum’s new airport lies about 40 kilometres from the centre of the capital. The airport will have two runways, with a total area of 79 square km and an internal operational area of 20 square km.

The new project also includes an international hotel with 300 double rooms, an advanced conference centre, businessmen centre and a mall of 8000 square metres.

Late nights sap children’s brain power

Late nights and lax bedtime routines can blunt young children’s minds, research suggests.

The findings on sleep patterns and brain power come from a UK study of more than 11,000 sevenyear-olds.

Youngsters who had no regular bedtime or who went to bed later than 21:00h had lower scores for reading and math.

Lack of sleep may disrupt natural body rhythms and impair how well the brain learns new information say the study authors. They gathered data on the children at the ages of three, five and then seven

Late nights may have knock-on effects

to find out how well they were doing with their learning and whether this might be related to their sleeping habits.

Erratic bedtimes were most common at the age of

three, when around one in five of the children went to bed at varying times. By the age of seven, more than half the children had a regular bedtime of between 19:30h and 20:30h.

Overall, children who had never had regular bedtimes tended to fare worse than their peers in terms of test scores for reading, math and spatial awareness.

The impact was more obvious throughout early childhood in girls than in boys and appeared to be cumulative.

The researchers, led by Professor Amanda Sacker from University College London, said it was possible that inconsistent bedtimes were a reflection of chaotic family settings and it was this, rather than disrupted sleep, that had an impact on cognitive performance in children. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Pro-Morsi supporters say they are willing to die for their cause

The three women held captive for a decade in Cleveland, Ohio, issued a video on Tuesday, thanking the public for their support

Caribbean

New work permit policy enhances The Bahamas financial services sector

Foreign business professionals travelling to The Bahamas solely for meetings for a less than two-week stay will no longer require a shortterm work permit, Guardian Business can confirm. As

The Bahamas looks to maintain its position as a worldclass financial services centre, Financial Services

Minister Ryan Pinder said this newest policy is part of the government’s commit-

North America

ment to make doing business in The Bahamas easier.

“Through consultations with the Financial Services Ministry, we became aware of the need for clarification on certain matters relating to immigration policies and especially for those who come to The Bahamas for short-term business trips, who don’t come for any kind of compensation or remuneration,” he told reporters last week. He noted

that the Financial Services Ministry is partnering with the Department of Immigration to ensure that there is efficient entry into The Bahamas for business meetings. Dr Nicola VirgilRolle, director of financial services, pointed out that the movement of foreigners throughout The Bahamas for international business, finance and trade is expected and encouraged. (Caribbean News Now)

Barnes and Noble CEO William Lynch resigns, retailer struggles with weak sales, big losses

Barnes and Noble Inc said William Lynch has stepped down as CEO, effective immediately, just weeks after the book retailer announced weak sales, big losses and the declining popularity of its Nook e-readers. Lynch’s resignation comes after just three years in the role. No successor was named, but the New York company said that it is reviewing its strategic plan

Europe

and will provide an update “when appropriate”. Shares fell nearly five per cent in after-hours trading on the news.

In the wake of his departure, Chief Financial Officer Michael Huseby will become president of the company and CEO of its Nook Media unit. Controller Allen Lindstrom will succeed Huseby as CFO. Huseby and Mitchell Klipper, CEO of Barnes and

Noble Retail Group, will report directly to Leonard Riggio, the company’s chairman and largest shareholder with a nearly 30 per cent stake. Riggio declined an interview through a company spokeswoman. The news did not surprise some analysts. “The board lost confidence in Lynch. Investors lost confidence,” Belus Capital Markets analyst Brian Sozzi said. (The Washington Post)

Euro gets 18th member: tiny Latvia

Latvia will adopt the euro from the beginning of next year, becoming the 18th member of a currency union that just a year ago risked disintegration due to the credit crisis.

European Union finance ministers gave the ex-Soviet state on the Baltic Sea the green light Tuesday to swap its currency – the lat – for euros starting on January 1, 2014 following recommendations from EU officials and the European Central Bank.

Latvia gained its inde-

pendence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and joined the EU and NATO in 2004.

It has a population of two million – nearly 30 per cent of Russian origin – and annual gross domestic product of 22 billion euros (US$28 billion), equivalent to just 0.2 per cent of eurozone output. It will be the fourth smallest member of the currency area, ahead of Cyprus, Estonia and Malta.

Talk of a eurozone break up reached fever pitch early last year as a political crisis

in Greece threatened to torpedo its rescue by EU partners and the International Monetary Fund.

The ECB’s pledge in July 2012 to backstop the euro restored market calm. But nerves were jangled again earlier this year when the Mediterranean island of Cyprus went into meltdown, triggering a bailout that imposed losses on savers, a massive downsizing of its banking industry and an aggressive austerity programme. (CNN Money)

Africa

G8 tax measures open opportunity for Africa

The decision by rich countries to clamp down on multinationals that avoid paying taxes has been described as a ‘game-changer’ by the African Tax Administration Forum. The commitments made by G8 countries at their summit in June are expected to improve the environment and make it more practical for tax agencies to tax multinationals which use complex structures in multiple countries to avoid

Asia

paying taxes.

“This is one hell of an opportunity,” said Logan Wort, executive secretary of the platform whose mandate is to promote and facilitate mutual co-operation among African tax administrations.

According to Wort, the decision to have tax authorities automatically share information would give tax agencies an understanding of how much and where a particular multinational paid in taxes, how much is due and

where they reported losses and profits.

This, Wort told a group of African journalists at ATAF’s Pretoria headquaters, would be particularly beneficial in industries that are currently booming in Africa such as financial services, telecommunications and construction. The G8 summit also agreed that multinationals should declare the taxes they pay on a country-by-country basis.

(allAfrica)

China’s inflation rate rises to 2.7 per cent

China’s inflation rate rose by more than expected in June, increasing to 2.7 per cent from 2.1 per cent the month before. Food price inflation was 4.9 per cent in June, compared with 3.2 per cent in May, with rising pork prices partly to blame.

While the headline inflation number was above analysts’ expectations, it remains below the govern-

Middle East

ment’s target figure of 3.5 per cent. Analysts say the latest figure reduces the prospect of interest rate cuts in 2013.

Cutting interest rates risks inflating a property bubble, while tightening may put additional pressure on the economy in the middle of the current global economic uncertainty.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch economists Lu Ting

and Zhi Xiaojia expect authorities to keep monetary policy neutral with “neither easing nor tightening”. China expects economic growth this year to be 7.5 per cent – which would be the slowest rate in 23 years for the country. The government is due to release data on gross domestic product for the second quarter of the year on July 15. (BBC News)

JLT free zone on verge of becoming UAE’s biggest

ubai Multi

DCommodities Centre Authority, which is based in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, is on the verge of becoming the largest free zone in the UAE, with the number of registered companies on track to surpass 7000 this quarter.

DMCC executive chairman Ahmed Bin Sulayem said he has no plans to stop growing, even beyond doubling the figures. Jebel Ali is currently the largest free

zone in the UAE.

The authority recently announced it would build the world’s tallest commercial tower within its 107,000 square metre business park expansion.

“I don’t want the story to end at 10,000 or 12,000 offices. I want it to be even bigger than that, maybe even double,” Bin Sulayem said.

“That’s my aspiration, and building the tallest tower gives me that confidence that at least after it’s all

said and done we left nothing to chance.”

More than 1200 new companies joined the free zone during the first half of 2013, the same figure as the entire year of 2011 and 30 per cent more than the same period last year. A record 260 firms were registered in April alone. About 65,000 people now live and work in the area, which has 65 towers located in the emirate’s south opposite Dubai Marina. (Arabianbusiness)

Top four traits of successful entrepreneurs

(CONTINUED FROM TUESDAY)

An entrepreneur takes calculated risks

When a risk goes bad an entrepreneur does not waste a lot of time looking for someone to blame. Instead a true entrepreneur analyses what went wrong, learns from it, and moves on.

An entrepreneur is self-motivated

This is about more than simply being your own boss. This is about more than simply being able to get up in the morning and get to work. An entrepreneur is always capable of

seeing a tomorrow that’s just a little bit better than today. He is not satisfied to just sit on his laurels and enjoy the fruits of his success. He is constantly looking forward – creating plausible plans to create more opportunities and find his next point of success. An entrepreneur is also willing to push himself. Last year’s success was fine, but this year’s success should reflect his growth. He is always coming up with some new project and looking for ways to make that project succeed.

There is not much room

in the business world for self-doubt. Fear can make you back away from projects that could be the key to your ultimate success. Furthermore, the entrepreneur has to be in the business of convincing other people that his ideas are good. Partners, investors, financing, creative structuring – it all depends on the entrepreneur’s ability to convince other people that they’re making a good bet when they team up with him. If the entrepreneur is not sure about himself, how can anyone else be sure of him?

(Business Dictionary)

EU end to sugar quota detrimental – Dr Ramsammy

Agriculture Minister

Dr Leslie Ramsammy has said that despite a move to extend the European Union sugar quota to 2017, the end will prove detrimental to all African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

Minister Ramsammy expressed his disappointment with this final decision made by the European Union (EU), during a recent interview with the media.

The new deadline was agreed upon over the last week. While he said this extension is indeed an improvement from 2015, the overall end to the EU sugar agreement would have severe negative impact on ACP countries.

Dr Ramsammy noted that a few months ago, Guyana lobbied for an extension to the original deadline of 2020, which was approved by the EU Parliament.

However, that decision was not accepted by the EU Commission and Guyana’s deadline was returned to 2015 like all other ACP countries.

“We have been lobbying as you know this past week, they have decided that they will go with the middle point which is 2017. It is better than the 2015 date but I believe that it is detrimental to the sugar industry of the ACP countries and my own position is that it is also a breach of fate,” the minister said.

He added: “When the sugar protocol in 1976 was signed, it was agreed that this would be a support

that would be continuous and when the Economic Partnership Agreement was put into place and removed the sugar protocol, there was this promise that support would be given to the industry over a period of time so that the industry could recover from the loss of those benefits that was in the sugar protocol.”

ACP sugar supplying states last week indicated that they are appalled by the decision reached by the EU institutions to abol-

ish EU beet and sugar quotas in 2017. The ACP has regularly and consistently warned the EU of the damage that the early abolition would cause to their economies.

This was seen to contradict and undermine the objectives of the EPAs, which many of the ACP sugar exporters had entered into, or are in the process of finalising the negotiations with the EU.

The commission’s own impact study forecast that prices would decrease by some 45 per cent when compared to 2012 market prices

The ACP firmly believes that this time lag will be too short to implement measures to improve the competitiveness of their respective industries and allow them to operate successfully in such a liberalised market. It will also negate the gains made so far from investments made through the EU-funded Accompanying Measures Support Programme and own scarce resources in some cases.

Lindeners building monument to honour slain trio

The Region 10

Democratic Council is currently in the process of setting up a monument park in honour of Shemroy Boyea, Allan Lewis, and Ron Somerset who were killed last July 18 while protesting a proposed increase in electricity tariffs in the town.

On Tuesday, residents of the community gathered at the Egbert Benjamin Centre at Linden along with Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon and regional councillors, to discuss the design of the park, which is to be situated at West Watooka, Wismar, Linden – a few yards away from the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge where the trio were shot and killed.

Architect Robert Bentick, who is responsible for the design of the monument, was also present at the proposal ceremony and made a presentation on the design of the site.

The name ‘Linden Martyrs Monumental Park’ was decided by residents, and, according to Solomon, it will create an opportunity to commemorate and reflect on the series of events, which lead up to July 18.

“In one week, it will mark one year to observe and commemorate...what transpired in Linden... how do we take this moment and make it an opportunity? An opportunity not just for Linden and Region 10 but an opportunity for Guyana.

“An opportunity for us to

reflect where as a nation we are going wrong... the monument would signify what we endured last year. Three lives were lost and this whole community suffered... our courage would overcome our fears, because it is only by staring our fears in the eye would we be able to overcome it,” he said.

Solomon further noted that the monument will also give persons in the community an opportunity to know where they came from.

He explained that on Tuesday the proposed monument site will be unveiled.

A committee was also recently established to deal with the erection of the July 18 monument and another in memory of 43 Lindeners who died in the July 6, 1964

Son Chapman boat explosion.

At the proposal ceremony, Solomon also urged the gathering to participate in the making of the history of the town.

“Not history arrogantly, but history so that you can make your reflections, so that in years to come you can say that you were a part of identifying the structure that symbolises our strength and perseverance where we can lend to this region inspiration as to how do we move forward and identify and correct where we went wrong?”

A series of commemorative events have also been planned in relation to the incident, expected to be conducted from July 12 to 18.

Enterprise man freed of mother’s murder

An Enterprise, East Coast Demerara man was on Tuesday morning freed of a charge of murdering his mother back in 2009.

The state’s case was that the man beat his mother to death after she refused to give him money to buy rum. Ravindra Siew, 37, of Croal Street, Enterprise, was indicted with the murder of his 57-year-old mother, Ramrattie Deonauth, between July 19 and 20, 2009 at their home.

On Monday, a 12-member mixed jury was em-

panelled before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court and the trial began, after Prosecutor Tishana James-Lake waived her right to make an opening address. The state counsel had six witnesses to call. Siew was represented by Attorney Hemant Ramdhani. James-Lake proceeded to call four of her witnesses, all of whom were police officers. The matter was then adjourned to the following day when the prosecutor was expected to call the remaining witnesses.

However, on Tuesday,

the prosecutor informed the court that she was unable to get the remaining witnesses, including the accused’s father and brother, to testify against Siew. She then closed her case in the matter after which the judge acquitted the accused on the grounds of lack of evidence. According to reports, on the day in question sometime around 15:30h, Siew went home under the influence of alcohol and asked his mother for money to buy alcohol; however, she refused. The then 33-year-old Siew became annoyed and be-

wednesday, july 10, 2013

Mahaica man shot dead during home invasion

By Vahnu Manikchand

AMahaica, East Coast Demerara family is now mourning the loss of a member who was shot dead after gunmen invaded their home.

Dead is 27-year-old, Omadatt Persaud called “Vicky” of Lot 70, Fourth Street, Supply, Mahaica. The incident occurred sometime around 19:30h on Monday evening. Persaud was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital sometime around 21:40h and was pronounced dead on arrival.

Guyana Times understands that there were six persons home at the time; the deceased, his mother and his sister, along with her husband and two children, who were sitting outside. Reports received suggested that the three masked men entered the yard from the back and confronted their victims. Two of the men were armed with handguns and ordered the overseabased Guyanese to go in the house, where Persaud was.

The men then shot the 27-year-old man before relieving his family members of their jewellery and making good their escape. Persaud’s brother-in-law, who asked not to be named, related to this newspaper that he and his family are on vacation and came to Guyana on Friday. The man recalled that he, his wife and two children were sitting outside relaxing when three men confronted them, forcing their way into the house.

“They just came, two of them had guns and they take us inside. Vicky was inside and when he saw them, he fell down on the floor and as soon as the men came in, they shot him in his head,” the man said. He continued that the other unarmed man, picked up a cutlass from the kitchen and hit him with it.

Inconsolable

Then they took him upstairs to look for money but when they got there, he told them that he does not know where the money was. This, he noted, upset the men, causing them to gun butt him on his forehead.

stairs, she saw her son with blood on his face bracing against the door.

Meanwhile, Persaud’s uncle, Gopaul Sukhnandan, told this newspaper that he was at home a few houses away when he heard the gunshot, but someone who pass said it was a “squib”, but then he heard two others and suspected something was amiss.

Screaming

“After I hear the other two shots, I know that was not any squib then I hear somebody start halla for help and I run out on the road with the other neighbours, but we could go in cause we na know what really going on,” he stated.

Sukhnandan explained that they waited a few minutes before going in the yard and when they did, they saw Persaud’s lifeless body covered in blood from a gaping wound. The man said they called the Mahaica Police Station, but there was no answer so his nephew had to go to the station to get the police; however, when he got there, they were told no officer was around.

“Me nephew left the station after them na get none police there and come back to the house and then we take he (Vicky) to de hospital that was like 15 minutes after,” he noted.

gan cuffing and kicking his mother about her body. At the time, Siew’s father was at home; however, he had sustained a stroke and could not render assistance to his wife. Neighbours intervened and the man left the premises only to return later.

Around 20:30h when Siew returned, he dealt several blows to his father before her continued the assault on his mother. The following morning Deonauth’s husband found her on the floor in the room and after his attempts to wake her up failed, police was summoned.

The traumatised man went on to say that the perpetrators then relieved him of a gold chain and band before escaping. During the entire incident, Persaud’s mother Chandroutie Persaud was upstairs hiding.

When this publication arrived at the house on Tuesday, neighbours and relatives gathered to convey their condolences to the family as the mother kept on weeping inconsolably. The woman said when she heard the first shot she went to hide in a room upstairs. The woman said she locked the door and began screaming for help.

The distraught woman said when she came down-

Neighbours and relatives vent their anger about the way the Mahaica Police Station is managed. They noted that officers from Georgetown and the Vigilance Police Station had to go to the house on Monday evening to investigate the incident.

Persaud, who is separated from his wife, left to mourn his son, mother, three sisters and other relatives and friends. He was described as a quiet and friendly person who was loved by everyone. Relatives disclosed that the man used to live alone and was suppose to migrate, as such, his mother came to Guyana to spend some time here before he left. The man’s body is at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination, which is expected to be done today. (vahnum@ guyanatimesgy.com)

Dead: Omadatt Persaud

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

SUDOKU

You might be able to put something you recently learned to good use. It could have to do with maintaining a relationship.

By Bernice Bede Osol

(June 21July 22) (Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

It might take a second or even a third effort to achieve an important career objective, but it will be well worth it. Once you set your sights on your target, never veer from it.

Your enthusiasm is likely to be contagious when associates witness your zest for life. Your joie de vivre helps others feel much better about their own lives.

Interesting events could generate additional earnings or income for you. Chances are, you’ll drum up some new ways to acquire extra business.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

(July 23Aug. 22) (Feb. 20-March 20)

Your appreciation for everyone’s point of view places you in the role of peacemaker. You’ll have plenty of chances to use your gift.

(March 21-April 19)

Harmony in the work place will pay off for everyone involved. Once a positive example is set and the entire crew sees what comes of it, everyone will happily follow suit.

(April 20-May 20)

Being the smart person you are, you’ll know that the best way to silence a griper is to smother him or her with affection. It’s one of the most positive motivating tools you can use.

(May 21June 20)

The greater part of your efforts will be directed toward providing more for your family or co-workers. You’ll be a beacon of strength and compassion.

What makes you such a good salesperson is that you won’t sell anything that you don’t believe in. Your prospects will admire your credibility and will want to do business with you.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Don’t be afraid to allow your generosity to prevail over your practicality. Remember the old saying: “From those to whom much is given, much will be required.”

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Even though you are likely to feel a strong need for companionship, you will nevertheless be very careful about whom you choose to spend time with.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

If your goals seem easy to achieve, it will be because you haven’t been motivated by selfish urges. Things always seem easier when we like what we’re doing.

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

arCHie

dilbert

AccOMMODATiON

Furnished rooms and apartments; 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments- long & short term rental. Affordable rates Call: 227-2199, 227-2186, 227-2189

cAR RENTAL

Journey Inn Apartments & car rental. Rooms & car to rent from $3000 Premio, Vitz. Phone: 689-6668, 6394452.

Dentures provided in 72 hours from as low as $4500. Contact Dr B Stuart, 209B Charlotte Street, Lacytown. Tel: 225-5034

EDUcATiON

611-8416, 6528176, 644-1736 or 617-4200,

YELLOW PAGES

wednesday, july 10, 2013

Get your Visa approved. High Success Rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates. Certified Immigration Consultants 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts.) Tel: 225-1540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca

Professional Key Shop, 125 Carmichael Street, Georgetown. Phone: 225-3923, mobile: 6213249. We cut any type of key, service and repair all types of locks. Get your extra key today.

Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 339-3536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 275-0322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 943-1515 for the perfect trendy touch.

INDIAN GUY NEEDS FEMALE COMPANION PHONE: 644-2306

VEHicLEs FOR sALE

AA 60 CARINA CAR AUTOMATIC $360,000 PHONE: 644-2306

JUST ARRIVED: TOP QUALITY RECONDITIONED VEHICLES; TOYOTA PREMIO; TOYOTA SPACIO; TOYOTA VITZ (NEW SHAPE); TOYOTA NOAH; SUZUKI SWIFT; MERCEDES BENZ C200 COMPRESSOR; BMW 318 I; COROLLA AE100 WAGON; LAND CRUISER (FULLY LOADED); MAZDA PROCEED 4WD EXTRACAB PICKUP; TOYOTA HILUX; 3RZ AND 5L; 4WD EXTRACAB PICKUPS; HIACE PITBULL 19 SEATER; MITSUBISHI CANTER TRUCKS 3; 3.5; TONS OPEN TRAY; 3 TONS WITH TAILGATE HOIST; 2 TONS 4WD; 3 TONS DUMP TRUCK. PREORDER YOUR UNITS EARLY AND GET THE BEST PRICES. FULL AFTER SALES SERVICE AND FINANCING AVAILABLE. DEO MARAJ AUTO SALES, 2 CHIMNEY ROAD, CHATEAU MARGOT, ECD. 624-0762 , 220-5177. A NAME AND A SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST.

NEW ATVs INTRODUCTORY PRICE $1,450,000 (DUTY FREE). PHONE: 691-0234.

NEW 2013 ISUZU DMAX, SINGLE & DOUBLE CABS. PHONE: 691-0234

Honda CRV, lady-driven. Phone 657-0482 SOLD AS IS.

Moon sighted, Ramadan begins

The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) wishes to inform all Muslims that the crescent for Ramadan has been sighted. Taraweeh prayers commenced Tuesday evening and fasting begins this morning Wednesday. CIOG wishes to extend Ramadan greetings to all Muslims.

ciOg president's Ramadan message

My dear Brothers and Sisters, Assalamu Alaikum; May the Peace, Mercy and Blessing of Allah be with you all!

On this important and auspicious occasion, the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan I would like to wish all Guyanese and especially our Muslim brothers and sisters, “Ramadan Mubarak!”

and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity. It is a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, he will be saved from the fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.”

In another narration, our Beloved Prophet (SAW) said, in the first part of Ramadan we earn the mercy of Allah, the second part we earn the forgiveness of Allah, and during the third part, we earn freedom from the fire of Hell.

Our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said whoever does not give up false statements and evil actions, Allah will not be in need of him giving up his food and drink.

are religious, social, economic or otherwise. The Month of Ramadan is a time to reflect on all these challenges that mankind faces today and we seek the solution which can only be found through our dedication, prayer, charity, and fast.

Available: Fresh long-stemmed ros-

es, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315

FOR SALE

All models of engines (Perkins, cummins, lister, deuez, john dere etc) enclosed and open air any size of KVA. Call Ram on 619-4483 or 226-6325

One two flat home: 3 bedrooms upper flat, with bath and kitchen, lower flat: bath & kitchen.

Located in Atlantic Gardens, call 6194483 or 656-7471 for more information.

German Shepherd pups for sale. Phone: 619-6086, 699-7077.

One 4108 Perkins Engine. Call: 6805346

Husehold furniture. Phone: 687-5653

1 CHICKEN FARM (8 ACRES) 5 PENS, CAPACITY - 30,000 BIRDS WITH OWN WATER SOURCE AND OTHER AMENITIES AT LALUNI, PRICE NEG PHONE: 611-8049

Learn transcendental meditation and reduce stress, be happy increase intelligence, develop your full brain potential, improve relationships, be successful, be peaceful, develop higher states of consciousness , a technique that works for everyone, enroll now for next class. Contact Askoke (certified teacher) email kashokejp_68 @yahoo. com. Phone: 233-693

Healthworld Holistic Centre: Psychotherapy available for all types of abnormal behaviors – addictions, emotional, suicidal, anger, relationship and sexual problems. Treatment of stress disorders, depression, fear, low self-esteem, insomnia, trauma, psychosomatic sicknesses, and children's disorders. We also conduct IQ evaluations and behavioral assessments. By appointments only. Clinic hours: 11:00 – 17:00h. Tel: 592-621-0552. Email:healthworldhc@gmail.com

Are you pouring on pounds? Then call Raul /Carol Wilson: 660-6818, 6415923, 216-3016, 216-3601 for your healthy eating package.

Immigration & Visa Services We han-

2-stoery concrete house, 32’x55’, 3 bedrooms, Block 8, Mon Repos, ECD. $36M. Phone: 642-2116

J. Eastman and Associates Chartered Accountants, services, taxation, financial services, VAT preparation, auditing, income tax, vehicle and building compliances. Phone: 223-2105, 662-7467, located 190 Church Street, Georgetown (opp Pet Shop).

sPiRiTUALiTy

Learn transcendental meditation and gain deep relaxation, eliminate stress, increase creativity and intelligence, promote health, attain inner happiness and fulfillment and contribute to peace for the world. Contact certified teacher Ashoka: 233-6921, email kashokejp_68@yahoo.com

Suriname astrology palmist and Djuka healer, the most powerful spiritualist in the world, are you suffering from the following problems - (any religions) love, marriage, family, health, business, husband and wife relationships, property, court, children, promotion, visa, pregnancy, education, depression, job, sexual, jealousy, enemy, money, drinking, also you can have all evil forces destroyed such as black magic, witchcraft, voodoo, obeyah, etc, and gives powerful protection. Private and confidential. Phone: 601-5947.

Dutch Spiritual work. Unite lovers, get rid of evil, enhance prosperity, good luck baths and charm bowu guards, etc. Phone: 220-0708, 6126417, 687-5653

Divinations and cleansing of spiritual problems of all kinds. Powerful Ifá and Khemetian spiritual guards, pendants, crystals, and rune stones to help you overcome problems with love, relationships, legal, sexual, pregnancy, business, sickness, jobs, enemies, work, money and many more. Call 10:00-16:00h on: +592690-1824. Email: anew-life@live.com

SUMMERTIME TRAVEL DAILY FLIGHTS. LETHEM, PORT KAITUMA, MAHDIA, KAIETEUR FALLS, PARAMAKATOI. JUNE 29 - JULY 1. PARIMARIBO-SURINAME, BOA VISTA-BRAZIL, KAIETEUR FALLS DAY, ESSEQUIBO & MAZARUNI RIVER. TEL: 264-2851, CELL: 668-6501

Business property; ideal for doctors’ clinic, pharmacy, western union or boutique. One upper flat 3 bedrooms , 2 bathrooms$150,000 monthly. 1 Barber shop or 1 internet café. Call: 223-9727, 673-0373, 666-7001

Office space 349 East Street , North Cummingsburg. No agents please. Phone: 226-6551, 225-0391 Furnished rooms for rent. All facilities included. Call BG Real Estate Agency, 27 Dasrate Street, Triumph. Call Isha on 220-2130, 622-7097

One cook interior phone:680-5346. Clerical staff. Must be computer literate, knowledge of CorelDraw will be an asset. Send applications to Jarrods, 51 Main Street, Georgetown.

Ramadan Mubarak to all our brothers and sisters, the imams, president and leaders of our country! Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed to our Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Almighty Allah (SWT) said in the Holy Quran Chapter 2, Verse 183:

“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may learn self-restraint (Taqwah).”

Regarding the Holy Month of Ramadan, our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has beautifully and comprehensively described what a blessed month it is by saying: “O people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which there is a night better than a thousand months. A month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer to Allah by performing any good deeds in this month shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time. Whoever discharges an obligatory deed in this month shall receive the reward of performing 70 obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience,

Dear Brothers and Sisters, we have the most noble visitor, the Holy Month of Ramadan, let’s make maximum use of the short time that we have to earn the mercy and forgiveness of Allah.

greatest message

Let us in this Month of Ramadan, the month in which the Quran was revealed, go back to the pages of the Holy Quran and reflect on the message of the Quran because it is the greatest message and the final message sent to mankind by Allah.

Let us use our time in Ramadan, to study the life, the mission, and the achievements of the greatest benefactor of humanity, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW). We should let our lives reflect our love for him and all those ideals that he spoke about and taught us.

There is a cry in the world for this noble way of life; the message of peace, the message of love, the message of unity of all humanity, the message of tolerance, the message which if we follow it sincerely and implement it in our lives, our lives will be changed for the better and the world will be a better place for all.

Islam has the solution for all the problems facing humanity whether these problems

Fasting and charity will earn us His grace and His mercy. We need to make maximum use of the Holy Month of Ramadan by praying to Allah, by taking care of the poor and needy in our community, by seeking the forgiveness of Allah for all our sins and turning to Him in repentance. We should utilise the opportunity to pay our zakaat as our blessings are multiplied tremendously during Ramadan. Muslims make full use during Ramadan to share out their zakaat, which is made payable to the destitute especially our near relatives by taking care of their needs. You are, therefore, encouraged to pay your zakaat upon reaching the Nisaab ($166,387), Allah’s willing.

Make peace

Let us in the month of Ramadan try our best to make peace with all our family members, neighbours, and fellow citizens. Let us visit the sick and pray for them. Let us extend our mercy to the orphans in our community. Let us sympathise and help the widows and elderly people in society. These actions will earn us God’s forgiveness and mercy; this is what Ramadan stands for.

Let us rededicate our lives to prayers and righteous deeds to make our homes, our community, and country a better place for all Guyanese. I pray that God Almighty give us the strength and health to fast throughout the month of Ramadan and also to stand in prayer during the nights of the Ramadan. Once again Ramadan Mubarak! Ramadan Mubarak! Ramadan Mubarak! May Allah bless us all and bless our country…

WASSALAMU ALALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKAATUHU!

Corruption getting worse, says poll

One person in four has paid a bribe to a public body in the last year, according to a survey carried out in 95 countries by Transparency International.

The poor record of some African nations on bribery stands out. Sierra Leone has the highest number of respondents, admitting to having paid a bribe – 84 per cent – and seven out of nine of the countries with the highest reported bribery rate are in subSaharan Africa. The countries with the lowest reported bribery rate are Denmark, Finland, Japan and Australia, they all have a bribery rate of one per cent.

Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer gathered data from 95 countries on bribery. For a small number of them, including Brazil and Russia, data on particular questions has been excluded because of concerns about validity and reliability. For

the question on corrupt institutions, 105 countries were covered.

The margin of error for each country is three per cent. The typical sample size is 1000 people. Four countries – Cyprus, Luxembourg, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands – have a sample size of 500 people and a margin of error of four per cent.

The country percentage stands as follow to the question Have you paid a bribe?

Afghanistan 46, Algeria, 41 Argentina 13, Armenia 18, Australia one, Bangladesh 39, Belgium four, Bolivia 36, Bosnia and Herzegovina 28, Bulgaria eight, Cambodia 57, Cameroon 62, Canada three, Chile 10, Colombia 22, Croatia four, Cyprus 19, Czech Republic 15, Denmark one, DR Congo 46, Egypt 36, El Salvador 12, Estonia six, Ethiopia 44, Finland one, Georgia four, Ghana 54, Greece 22, Hungary 12, India 54, Indonesia 36,

Iraq 29, Israel 12, Italy five, Jamaica12, Japan one, Jordan 37, Kazakhstan 34, Kenya 70, Kosovo 16, Kyrgyzstan 45, Latvia 19, Liberia 75, Libya 62, Lithuania 26, Macedonia 17, Madagascar 28, Malaysia three, Maldives three, Mexico 33, Moldova 29, Mongolia 45, Morocco 49, Mozambique 62, Nepal 31, New Zealand three, Nigeria 44, Norway three, Pakistan 34, Palestine 12, Papua New Guinea 27, Paraguay 25, Peru 20, Philippines 12, Portugal three, Romania 17, Rwanda 13, Senegal 57, Serbia 26, Sierra Leone 84, Slovakia 21, Slovenia six, Solomon Islands 34, South Africa 47, South Korea three, South Sudan 39, Spain two, Sri Lanka 19, Sudan 17, Switzerland seven, Taiwan 36, Tanzania 56, Thailand 18, Tunisia 18, Turkey 21, Uganda 61, UK five, Ukraine 37, Uruguay three, U.S. seven, Vanuatu 13, Venezuela 27, Vietnam 30, Yemen 74 and Zimbabwe 62.

KEy cUTTiNg

England, Australia tussle for Ashes title starts today

England captain

Alastair Cook has told his players to be ready for an almighty tussle when the Ashes series against Australia gets under way today.

England are favourites to win their third Ashes in a row, a feat they have not achieved since 1956.

Ahead of the Trent Bridge Test, Cook said: “Australia have fantastic players and it will be one heck of a battle.

“Every Ashes series I have played in is always intense and that is what we have got to prepare ourselves for.”

Cook, 28, who will be captaining his country in an Ashes series for the first time, added: “Cricket isn’t played on paper and it never will be. It’s about who delivers out there come tomorrow (today) and the next 24 days of cricket.”

The momentum in one of sport’s oldest rivalries has shifted towards England in recent years following an era of Australian dominance.

Having lost eight straight series between 1989 and 2002-03, England have won three of the last four, culminating in a resounding 3-1 triumph in 2010-11, their

first victory in Australia since 1986-87.

Recent form points to another England success, with Australia having suffered a 4-0 whitewash by India in March, three months after England’s 2-1 away victory over the same opposition.

The tourists have also endured a chaotic build-up to the series. Batsman David Warner was banned after punching England’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar and coach Mickey Arthur was replaced by Darren Lehmann just two weeks before the series.

Captain Michael Clarke, however, said Australia had put the turmoil behind them and, after encouraging performances in their warm-up

matches against Somerset and Worcestershire, were capable of surpassing expectations.

“We come here as underdogs and we know it’s going to be tough but I know the boys are up for the challenge,” he said.

“I think every single one of our boys has prepared as well as they possibly can. Now it’s about going out on that stage and playing with freedom and backing your own ability.

“We have so much talent inside that room and I just want to see the guys play their natural games.

“We’ve spoken about a lot but I think the talking is done for us as a team now. Now it’s not what you say,

it’s what you do.”

While Clarke declared himself “100 per cent fit” for the contest following a longstanding back problem, both captains vowed not to disclose their team selections until the toss at 10:30 BST.

Lehmann hinted last week that Warner could be a surprise inclusion at number six for Australia as the tourists look to unsettle England with an aggressive brand of cricket. Clarke said he was confident that Warner would be “a success” if selected.

England have won seven of their last nine Tests at Trent Bridge, including a famous victory in the 2005 Ashes, when unlikely batting heroes Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles helped put the hosts 2-1 up in the series with one to play.

The ground will be full to its 17,000 capacity for all five days of the match after tickets sold out within hours of going on sale in October.

Cook, who scored 766 runs at an average of 127.66 in the 2010-11 Ashes, said expectation levels across the country were consistent with his experiences in past contests against Australia.

Cavendish says crash not his fault

Mark Cavendish claimed he was not at fault for a crash at the end of stage 10 of the Tour de France as Marcel Kittel took victory in Saint Malo.

Kittel edged Andre Greipel in a sprint finish, with Cavendish third after colliding with Kittel’s leadout man Tom Veelers and sending him tumbling.

The Manxman tweeted: “Just seen the sprint. I believe I didn’t move line.

“I’m actually coming past Veelers and we touch elbows when he moves. Anyway, hope he’s OK.”

Britain’s Chris Froome remains in the overall race lead after avoiding the aftermath of the crash on an otherwise untroubled day.

“It was a bit tricky towards the end, but I always had a team-mate with me and I kept out of trouble,” Froome said.

“It’s always nervous when you come into the last 2km with a bunch sprint coming off the final bend, but I was to one side of the crash and went around it without any problems.”

Cavendish will not be punished for his part in the incident, which came in a bunch sprint at the very end of a largely flat 197km (122-mile) route that started in Saint Gildas DesBois in

north west France.

An army of British fans had crossed the channel in hope of seeing Cavendish claim his second stage win of this year’s race and 25th Tour stage win in total.

But he could not get close to his sprint rivals Greipel and Kittel, with the latter timing his attack perfectly to pip his fellow German at the line.

Behind them on the home straight, Veelers slowed down and veered to his right, into Cavendish’s path, after leading out his Argos-Shimano team-mate Greipel. Cavendish barged past him and knocked the Dutchman off his bike.

Race commissaries ruled the clash was Veelers’ fault and Cavendish denied any intent on his part, adding on

Twitter: “There’s no way I’d move on a rider deliberately, especially one not contesting a sprint.”

Veelers, who was not badly hurt in the incident, said: “I had the feeling Cavendish was boxed in my wheel. He touched my handlebars and knocked me over.”

Kitttel absolved Cavendish of responsibility, saying: “I cannot imagine that Cavendish did that on purpose, it just happens sometimes in a hectic finale. Every sprinter wants to come to the front when he comes to the line and I hope that he is OK.

“You can see that Cavendish really bumped into the handlebar of Tom but it doesn’t look like he does it on purpose.”

Immediately after the

South Africa to play full series against Pakistan in the UAE

Pakistan’s batsmen had a torrid time on their

South Africa will play Pakistan in two Tests in the United Arab Emirates from October 14, ending their eight-month absence from the Test arena. Their last Test series was at home in February against Pakistan, as their tour to Sri Lanka in July has been adjusted to drop the Tests. The tour will also include five one-day internationals and two T20s.

the second Test on October 23 before switching to coloured clothing in November. Sharjah will host the first and fifth ODIs while Abu Dhabi also gets two games with Dubai hosting the remaining one-dayer and both T20s.

stage, Cavendish was involved in an angry confrontation with reporters after being asked about the collision and the disappointing lead-out attempts from his Omega Pharma-QuickStep team.

“We came up, we lost our guys early,” Cavendish said. “I tried to follow [teammate] Gert Steegmans, I followed his lead and launched from there.

“It was too early in the sprint so I settled back on to Tom’s wheel and when Greipel kicked I went then. We as a team could have done something different. We will talk about that later.”

No other riders were affected by the crash despite its proximity to the finish line and the fact it happened in front of a fast-moving peloton.

Team Sky rider Froome retains his lead of one minute and 25 seconds over second-placed Alejandro Valverde, and will look to extend his advantage in today’s 33km (20.5-mile) time trial, which finishes in Mont Saint Michel.

“It is definitely a day where I will try and extend my lead,’’ Froome said. “It is definitely a day that could help the general classification. I definitely want to go for it.”

South Africa, who arrive in the UAE on October 5, will play a three-day practice match to prepare for the first Test in Abu Dhabi. The teams will move to Dubai for

Two

Pakistan had little success on their tour to South Africa earlier this year as the home side won all three Tests and then beat Pakistan 3-2 in the fivematch ODI series. Pakistan claimed the two-match T20 series 1-0 though, by winning the second game after the first one was washed out without a ball bowled. (Cricinfo)

Sri Lankan umpires banned

after sting

Sri Lanka Cricket has banned two umpires, Sagara Gallage and Maurice Zilva, who were named in a sting operation last year dealing with illegal payments for influencing first-class matches.

A third umpire, Gamini Dissanayake, has been downgraded from the top umpire’s panel for a year and issued a “severe warning” by the board CEO.

The decisions came after an emergency executive committee meeting in Colombo, where the recommendations of the disciplinary committee’s recommendations were endorsed.

The sting, broadcast by India TV, claimed to have “exposed” several first-class umpires from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan who were allegedly willing to give decisions favouring players for a fee. In the sting, conducted in July and August 2012, the reporters claimed to belong to a sports management company and promised the umpires officiating assignments in

events of all kinds around the world, largely domestic Twenty20 leagues.

The hardest hit of the three Sri Lankan umpires was Gallage, who was banned for 10 years from all cricket, while Zilva got a three-year ban. Dissanayake, the third Sri Lankan umpire named in the sting, was the most high-profile of the three, having regularly been the fourth umpire in international matches, though he was yet to be one of the main officials in an international game.

The Pakistan and Bangladesh boards have already handed out punishments to their umpires caught in the sting. Bangladesh’s Nadir Shah was banned for 10 years by the BCB on corruption charges, and Pakistan’s Nadeem Ghauri and Anis Siddiqi have already been slapped with bans.

Zilva and Gallage were the reserve umpires in two warm-up matches each before the World T20 in Sri Lanka last year. (Cricinfo)

Alastair Cook (left) and Michael Clarke display the replica Ashes trophy

Mark Cavendish

tour to South Africa early in the year

Cavendish struggles as Kittel wins stage 10

Saint Malo, FRANCE

– Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France campaign suffered another setback on Tuesday when the Briton had to settle for third in a sprint after being involved in a crash in a chaotic stage 10 finale won by Marcel Kittel.

Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider Cavendish appeared to leave his line and bumped into Dutchman Tom Veelers who lost his balance and hit the ground as he was leading out Kittel for the German’s second Tour stage win this year.

The race commissaries, however, ruled Veelers was at fault, saying the Dutchman was drifting back and made a small movement towards his right while Cavendish was sprinting.

Another German, Andre Greipel of the Lotto Belisol team, took second place while Britain’s Chris Froome retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey before today’s individual time trial.

Tom lost control and crashed on the ground.

“I cannot imagine that it was on purpose because it was a very hectic situation and it was the last moment of the sprint. Sometimes that is something that just happens.”

Coastal roads

Cavendish later wrote on his Twitter feed: “Just seen the sprint. I believe I didn’t move line. I’m actually coming past Veelers & we touch elbows when he moves. Anyway, hope he’s ok.

“There’s no way I’d move on a rider deliberately, especially one not contesting a sprint.”

He still leads Spain’s Alejandro Valverde by one minute 25 seconds and Dutchman Bauke Mollema by 1:44 with Alberto Contador in sixth place overall, 1:51 off the pace.

“When I went out it was too late and there were too strong guys ahead of me, (team mate Gert) Steegmans went early and we ran out of guys (to lead him out),” Cavendish, who angrily grabbed a journalist’s dictaphone when asked about the incident, told reporters.

we could have done things a little bit different but that’s bike racing. My legs are still not great.”

“Guys were going fast,

Kittel, who had won the opening stage in Corsica, was the strongest man at the end of a 197-km ride from St Gildas des Bois, would not be drawn into controversy.

“I saw the crash on video and it was very unlucky that they bumped into each other,” Kittel told a news conference.

“Tom was going hard from doing the lead-out, Cavendish tried to pass him on the right and the handlebars touched each other and

Media banned from pit lanes following safety concerns

The FIA has banned media and 'non-essential personnel' from Grand Prix pit lanes after a cameraman was injured at last Sunday's German Grand Prix.

A loose wheel from the car of Red Bull's Mark Webber struck cameraman Paul Allen, breaking his collarbone.

The ban, issued by Formula 1's ruling body, covers "anyone other than event marshals and team personnel".

On Monday, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said that cameramen would only be allowed to film from the pit lane wall. Other media will also be kept out of the pit lane, with the FIA saying in a state-

ment: "Access for approved media will be confined to the pit wall."

Sunday's incident oc-

curred as Red Bull driver Webber was leaving the pits following a tyre change that had taken longer than usual.

The Australian was released without the right rear wheel being properly secured and after it came free of the car it bounced into Allen, striking the Briton from behind.

The FIA also announced that it will seek an immediate change to regulations so that all team personnel working on cars during pit stops wear head protection, and that the speed limit in the pits is reduced from 100 kmh to 80 kmh. (BBC Sport)

BCCI objects to South Africa tour itinerary

The BCCI has objected to the itinerary of India’s tour to South Africa starting in November, which was announced by Cricket South Africa on Monday.

According to the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, CSA announced the schedule without obtaining the BCCI’s consent.

“We have written to CSA mentioning that while we have been discussing the tour itinerary, nothing had been agreed upon (before they announced the schedule). The discussions are on and a consensual decision will come soon,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has been in charge of the BCCI’s day-to-day affairs with N Srinivasan having stepped aside as president, confirmed that the BCCI had

raised “concerns” with CSA.

While Patel refused to elaborate on those concerns, Dalmiya said the BCCI had issues with the scheduling of the Tests. At the moment, the tour comprises two Twenty20 internationals and seven ODIs, followed by three Tests.

“We have some concerns over the gap between the last two Tests of the threematch series,” Dalmiya told reporters in Kolkata. “We have informed this to our South African counterpart (CSA) and the two boards are trying very amicably to sort out the matter. The new schedule will be announced soon.” *

The present schedule has an eight-day gap between the second and third Tests. Earlier this year, when South Africa hosted Pakistan, there was a sim-

ilar eight-day gap between two Tests. The BCCI prefers to play three-Test series with a three-day interval for home series.

The last time India toured South Africa (in 2010-11), the biggest gap was five days – between the first Test at Centurion and the Boxing Day Test. This time, the gap between the first two Tests is just two days, with CSA deciding to reinstate the Boxing Day and New Year Tests to Durban and Newlands respectively.

It is learned that the new BCCI administration has concerns with the “number of matches and the itinerary” for the tour. The tour is scheduled to end on January 19, just before the start of the New Zealand tour, though the schedule for that tour hasn’t yet been

finalised.

The BCCI feels that seven ODIs are “too many”. “If we have five ODIs, perhaps the tour can get over a week early and the boys can have a week-long break before flying to New Zealand,” a BCCI insider said, preferring anonymity. He also revealed that the board has been consulting the players on whether they would prefer to play the Tests before the ODIs.

CSA, however, has claimed that it has not received any formal complaint from the BCCI and that they have followed all the correct protocols. “If the BCCI has any concerns they can raise them with us and we will sort them out amicably as we have always done in the past,” Michael Owen Smith, CSA media consultant, said. (Cricinfo)

Cavendish, who trails Peter Sagan of Slovakia by a massive 103 points in the green jersey standings, already missed a golden stage win opportunity last Thursday when a crash in the final hour left him too exhausted to put up a decent fight in the final sprint.

Froome is expected to dominate his rivals in today’s 33-km flat dash from Avranches to the Mont Saint Michel.

“I’ve done few races with similar kinds of time trials,” Froome told a news conference. “You can make small advantages with equipment, we’ve got a new time trial bike this year, I’ve spent a bit of time in the wind tunnel, which I had never done before, all these things will add up. (Reuters)

On Tuesday, five riders, including Tour debutant and local rider Julien Simon, led for 191 of the 197 km before being caught by the peloton as the race entered the Brittany town of Saint Malo after winding along windblown coastal roads. It was a relatively quiet day for Froome, who took shelter behind Skyteam mate Ian Stannard in the finale.

Enmore Masters sweep Superstar XI in twomatch series

Over-40 Enmore Masters made a clean sweep of their two-match softball series against Superstar XI, emerging with convincing victories in the home and away format.

Playing at the Enmore Community Centre ground on June 30, Enmore Masters stitched together a fourwicket victory with seven balls to spare.

Batting first, Superstar XI, a Mahaica-based team, racked up 160-8 from the stipulated 20 overs. Enmore Masters then knocked off the target, reaching 161-6 from 18.5 overs.

G Dayaram led Enmore Masters to victory with an unbeaten 54, while Jacob Persaud (42*) and R. Malone (26) offered support during the chase.

On Sunday last in the return game at the Helena ground, Enmore Masters coasted to a six-wicket win, thanks to a good all-round effort.

Superstar XI, batting first, posted a meagre 80 all out with none of their batsmen getting among the runs in the face of some miserly bowling.

Anil Persaud was the principal wicket taker, bagging 5-12, while Chetram Ramlall snared 3-16. Enmore Masters responded with 81-4 in 12 overs to complete the easy win.

S Panday and Jacob Persaud were the leading scorers with 16 and 12 respectively. The Enmore Masters are expected to be in action again on Friday in a floodlight encounter against a team to be named.

Marcel Kittel (right) sprints over the finish line in stage 10 on Tuesday

Jacob Persaud

Anil Persaud

Tyres blew out on a few cars two Sundays ago

wedneSday,

India qualify to meet Sri Lanka at expense of West Indies

Port of Spain, TRINIDAD – India, propelled by impressive swing bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, booked a place in the final of the Celkon Mobile Cup ODI series and will oppose Sri Lanka at Queen’s Park Oval on Thursday.

Kumar’s timely haul of four wickets for eight runs, from six overs, squeezed India into the play-off and dashed the hopes of West Indies as the world champions defeated Sri Lanka by 81 runs in their rain-hit match on Tuesday .

The match was reduced to a 26-over contest after India, sent in to bat, had their innings curtailed by persistent rain , having reached 119 for 3 off 29 overs. With limited time left in the afternoon, after more than four hours were washed out, Sri Lanka were set 178 to win off 26 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis system..

It meant that India needed to win the game convincingly, and to restrict Sri Lanka to under 167, to secure a bonus point and a place in the final. They achieved it, finished on 10 points, and pushed out West Indies by virtue of a superior net-run-rate.

Paceman Kumar , also named man of the match, gave the Indians early control of the important match as he found the edge of Upul Tharanga’s bat in his second over and won a firstball LBW appeal against Kumar Sangakkara, rocking Sri Lanka at 13 for 2 in the third over.

Kumar , on a pitch offering good bounce and getting the ball to seam around, claimed his third and fourth wickets as Mahela Jayawardene (11) cut to Vijay and Lahiru Thirimanne lofted a drive to Kohli . This quickly reduced Sri Lanka were 31 for 4 in the ninth over and they never recovered.

Paceman Yadav and the Indian spinners, Jadeja and Ashwin, then tightened the grip and the end came quickly as the last six wickets collapsed for 65 runs. Sri Lanka were bowled out for

96 in 24.4 overs. Earlier, India were sent in and were forced to contend with good bowling from the Sri Lankans as captain Angelo Matthews, Dilhara and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath kept them in check.

Opener Rohit Sharma led a dogged fight-back, after Matthews made the breakthrough by ripping off the edge of Dhawan’s bat in the seventh over, and rescued the innings in mini-part-

nerships of 49 with captain Virat Kohli (31 off 52 balls) and 35 with wicketkeeper Karthik (12). Herath accounted for both Kohli and Karthik, producing a remarkable ball that spun past the defensive bat of Karthik and hit his off-stump. Sharma was unbeaten on an important 48 off 83 balls when the rains came and significantly changed the complexion of the match, much to the dismay of West Indies. (CMC/ WICB)

SCOREBOARD

India innings

RG Sharma not out 48

S Dhawan c Jayawardene

b Mathews 15

V Kohli* lbw b Herath 31

KD Karthik (wkp) b Herath 12

SK Raina not out 4

Extras (b1, lb3, w3, nb2) 9

Total (3 wkts, 29 overs) 119

Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-76, 3-111

Bowling: S Eranga 6-0-27-0 (1w), L Dilhara 8 -0-4-0 (2nb, 1w), A Mathews 5-1-5- 1, L Malinga 3-1-7- 0, R Herath 6-032-2, J Mendis 1 -0-4- 0 (1w)

Sri Lanka Innings

W Tharanga c Raina b Kumar 6

M D Jayawardene c Vijay b Kumar 11

KC Sangakkara (wkp) lbw b Kumar 0 LD Chandimal st wkp Karthik

b Jadeja 26

HDRL Thirimanne c Kohli b Kumar 0

AD Mathews* c wkp Karthik

b Jadeja 10

J Mendis b Ashwin 13

LHD Dilhara c wkp Karthik

b I Sharma 6

RKB Herath c Vijay

b I Sharma 4

RMS Eranga not out 2

L Malinga c Jadeja b Yadav 7

Extras (lb 6, w 5) 11

Total (all out 24.4 overs) 96

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-27, 4-31, 5-56, 6-63, 7-78, 8-84, 9-87, 10-96

Bowling: B Kumar 6-1- 8-4, UT Yadav 4.4-0-28-1 (3w), I Sharma 4-0-17-2, R Jadeja 5-0-17-2 (1w), R Ashwin 5-0-20-1 (1w), Umpires : Nigel Llong (Eng) and Peter Nero (WI)

Professional Paint supports young Yadram

As part of its corporate mandate to give back to society, Professional Paint on Monday presented a brand new cricket gear bag to national under-15 captain and opening batsman, Bhaskar Yadram, who will lead the Guyana team to Jamaica today for the start of the West Indies Cricket Board Under-15 championship.

The company, which was recently formed, has branches at Montrose Public Road and Logwood, Enmore, both on the East Coast of Demerara, is a dealer in auto body paint.

The 13-year-old Yadram, the only player from East Coast Demerara to make the squad, said he was delighted to receive the SS Sunridges bag from proprietor Devanand Singh and Elle LaRose, who represented Professional Paint.

The presentation took place at Tiger Sports at Logwood, Enmore, where Yadram promised to return home with the regional under-15 title, which has eluded Guyana since 1999.

“I’m confident we can win, because we have a very good team,” the right-handed Yadram, who can also double as wicketkeeper, said. “I

want to thank Professional Paint for this donation, and promise them good performances in Jamaica.”

Singh said his company is pleased to support the young cricketer, who hails from the Enterprise Busta Sports Club, East Coast Demerara, but plays for the Gandhi Youth Organisation and Guyana National Industrial Corporation in Georgetown.

“We at Professional Paint want to wish him the very best. Obviously, we want to see him make runs for the team, and more importantly, help Guyana to win the title,” Singh outlined.

Playing for Demerara in the NEW GPC INC. sponsored two-day under-15 Inter-county competition, Yadram emerged as the leading runscorer by quite a distance, scoring 266 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 66.50.

He impressed with 99 not out and 51 against the President’s XI, 71 and 25 against Berbice, and 20 in the lone innings against Essequibo.

Yadram, who represented Guyana for the first time at the under-15 level last year, comes from a family with a rich cricket history.

His brother Kamesh

Yadram, who on Monday captained Demerara to the GTM Under-19 50-over title, represented Guyana at the under-15 level in 2010 and at the under-19 level in 2012 and earlier this year. Bhaskar’s sister, Kavita Yadram, is also a national player, representing the female under-19 team in 2010. His father, Seemangal Yadram, played club cricket, while uncle Latchman Yadram is a Level One coach attached to the National Sports Commission. Meanwhile, when the West Indies Cricket Board regional under-15 competition bowls off on Friday, Guyana will be in action gainst the Leeward Islands. The Guyana under-15 team reads: Bhaskar Yadram (captain), Adrian Sukhwah (wicketkeeper), Raymond Perez, Darshan Persaud, Richie Lucknauth, Ronaldo Mohamed (vice-captain), Timothy McAlmont, Mark Williams, Sagar Hetheramani, Ashmead Nedd, Matthew Hardial, Vickram Talmakund, Christopher Latchman and Sylus Tyndall.

The six reserves are: Joel Seetaram, Jaddel McAlister, Kelvin Shewprasad, Andrew Clifford, Steve Deonarine and Joshua Harrichand.

RHTY&SC/TCL academy attracts large turnout

The Area H ground was a hive of activity on Monday morning when the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) commenced its 16th annual cricket academy with 50 young aspiring cricketers, including two females, being part of the two-week activity.

The RHTY&SC has teamed up with Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL), who is on board for the

second successive year, to stage the academy, which will focus on the basics of cricket, among other areas.

While coaches Winston Smith, Michael HylesFranco and Renwick Batson will centre on instilling the fundamentals of cricket to the youngsters, other resource personnel will lecture the youngsters on a series of important topics, including HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, history of cricket, importance of education

and personal hygiene.

Sessions are being held from 09:00h to 14:00h each day. The academy, which will conclude next Friday with the presentation of certificates, has attracted youths from Rose Hall Town and surrounding areas.

Secretary/CEO of the RHTY&SC, Hilbert Foster, in an invited comment, said the academy has served the club, Berbice, Guyana and by extension West Indies cricket well since its incep-

tion several years ago.

He said the activity has recorded tremendous success over the past decade and a half, moulding several raw talents into quality players.

Among the leading players who passed through the programme are Test batsman Assad Fudadin, West Indies ODI all-rounder Royston Crandon, wicketkeeper/batsman Delbert Hicks, West Indies female cricketers Shemaine Campbell and Erva

Giddings, and national youth players Clinton Pestano, Dominic Rikhi and Shawn Perriera.

Meanwhile, at the launch of the academy last month, Plant Manager at TCL, Mark Bender, said his company, when approached by Foster, did not hesitate to come on board for the second year in a row.

His company has invested $200,000 into the activity and the sum would be used for the purchase of cricket balls, paying coach-

es, refreshments and stationery during the event. Bender said TCL Guyana Inc. embraces the idea of using cricket as a medium to tackle social ills, noting that by doing such, the RHY&SC is playing an active role in shaping a better society.

The plant manager added that by encouraging youngsters to participate in the academy, the club is subtly driving them away from a life of crime and unwholesome activities.

National under-19 captain and opening batsman, Bhaskar Yadram (right) receives the SS gear bag from Elle LaRose in the presence of the proprietor of Professional Paint, Devanand Singh (Photo: Avenash Ramzan)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke Sri Lanka’s top order with 4 for 8 as India won by 81 runs to secure a spot in the final in Port of Spain

Guyana U-15 coach confident of winning title

– team depart this morning for Jamaica

By Rajiv Bisnauth

Newly-appointed head coach of the national Under-15 team, Julian Moore, believes that his team can produce Guyana’s third regional under-15 title when they compete in the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board tournament from July 10-26, in Jamaica.

“The team has had a good build-up ahead of this tournament. We had a sixday stint at the Essequibo Cricket Board hostel in Anna Regina, where we went through the fundamentals of the game, we worked on all areas – the fitness area, the mental area, batting, running between the wickets, bowling good line and length and wicket keeping, so we’re 100 per cent ready and I am confident that the team will do well,” Moore said.

Asked about the combi-

nation of the squad, Moore, who represented Guyana at the U-15 level in 2000, said the team is well balanced, comprising of a maximum number of match winners; he also cited this team has the best chance of winning the coveted title.

Guyana won the first of its two regional under-15 titles in 1998, and

has not tasted regional success at any level since 1999. Guyana’s second place finish in 2001 was its best showing since then. The Guyanese ended in the cellar position last year.

Bhaskar Yadram was elected captain and Ronaldo Mohammed, his deputy. The squad will be managed by Virendra Chintamani.

The 14-man squad, along with the coach and manager, is expected to depart the Cheddi Jagan International Airport this morning at 05:35h for Jamaica.

Guyana will be in action on Friday against the Leeward Islands in their first round encounter.

The Guyana Under-15 team reads: Bhaskar Yadram (Captain), Adrian Sukhwah (wicketkeeper), Raymond Perez, Darshan Persaud, Richie Lucknauth, Ronaldo Mohamed (vice-captain), Timothy McAlmont, Mark Williams, Sagar Hetheramani, Ashmead Nedd, Matthew Hardial, Vickram Talmakund, Christopher Latchman and Sylus Tyndall.

The six standby players are: Joel Seetaram, Jaddel McAlister, Kelvin Shewprasad, Andrew Clifford, Steve Deonarine and Joshua Harrichand.

Traffic department win Commander’s 4k road relay

Traffic took control of the road in the Commander’s 4k road relay in Berbice last Friday.

The event, which was part of a series of activities organised by B Division in observance of the 174th anniversary of the Guyana Police Force, saw a combined traffic team from B Division beating SubDivision One (Central Police Station) and SubDivision number Two (West Berbice) respectively.

The other teams that participated were Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Whim/Corentyne and Special Constabulary.

The race started outside Caribbean Cuisine, Number Two, Canje, and finished at Main and St All Streets in New Amsterdam.

Each team was comprised of a senior officer, a male and female constable and a cadet

Constable Mark

Commander Clifton Hicken and Constable

officer, who ran the final leg. Corporal Denzel Marks, female constable Chrishandra Wills, male constable Mark Edwards and cadet officer Ronald Alli competed for the champion team.

After the race, Commander of B Division Senior Superintendent

Clifton Hicken noted that the camaraderie augurs well for the GPF, noting: “I think that you would have exhibited the kind of discipline required for the Guyana Police Force. You were required to fall in for 05:00h and despite the inclement weather you did so

and as a result of that the race kicked off at 06:00h and we would not have impeded on the traffic.”

He emphasised that waking early and exercising are part of good policing: “You need to keep fit so that you can execute your duties in a professional manner.”

Canje Knights destroy NA Warriors 50-44

Canje Knights have secured a place in the final of the Mackeson basketball competition being played in New Amsterdam.

The Knights booked their ticket to the final when they overpowered New Amsterdam Warriors 50-44 at the Vryman’s Ervin court on Sunday in a hard fought battle, which was rife with turnovers. The Knights finished their quota of matches with only one loss while the Warriors suffered their second loss.

Despite still having a game to play, the New Amsterdam team cannot get past leaders Smythfield Rockers, who played unbeaten in the preliminary round, or the Knights. New Amsterdam Warriors will next meet Rose Hall Town Jammers, who are yet to win a game. At stake in the competition is $80,000 for the winners and 40,000 for the runner up. The competition is being sponsored by ANSA McAL.

NATI squeeze into third round of Digicel football c/ships

New Amsterdam

Technical Institute’s (NATI) Jarrel

Walters scored a brace to defeat arch-rivals GuySuCo Port Mourant Training Centre (GPMTC) 2-1 in the Digicel Schools Football competition at the Skeldon Community Centre ground on Sunday.

Walters scored in the 28th and 39th minutes while Darren Seubarran netted in the 88th minute as GPMTC desperately tried the take the game into extra time.

Meanwhile, Skeldon High has been disqualified from the competition for fielding a player that does not attend the school. Corentyne

Comprehensive replaced the booted school for Monday’s

round two match against Tagore Secondary. Also through to the third round is Berbice High School (BHS) after brushing aside Vryman’s Ervin Secondary 6-0 at the All Saints ground in New Amsterdam on Monday. Scoring for BHS were Mark Wrong in the 7th minute, Sherwin Arriendial in 46th and 62nd minutes, Kerron McKenzie in the 13th minute and substitute player Steffon Hinds in the 72nd and 76th minutes.

BHS will take on Orealla today at the All Saints ground in the highly anticipated matchup. Orealla, last Friday, upset defending champions Tutorial Academy. (Andrew Carmichael)

Khan, Drayton are Trophy Stall chess champs

Senior national chess champion Taffin Khan played unbeaten, demolishing his seven opponents to capture the championship trophy in the Trophy Stall chess tournament that ended on Sunday at the Carifesta Sports Complex, Georgetown.

In addition, Anthony Drayton won the junior category, but was not unscathed, recording two losses to senior players. Drayton lost to Khan on Sunday with a pawn down in an endgame struggle involving active knights, pawns and kings in the penultimate round.

Lone female participant Maria Thomas brought sec-

ond; Canada-based Guyanese Raymond Singh settled for the third spot, while Cleveland Hutson copped fourth among the seniors.

Among the juniors, Roberto Neto secured the runner-up spot; former junior champion Haifeng Su brought third and Carlos Petterson, fourth. The best beginner was 13-year-old Rajiv Muneshwer of Queen’s College.

Muneshwer, on Sunday, defeated 17-year-old Davion Mars, one of last year’s national junior championship finalists. Omar BrittonGrant was again adjudged the best Under-16 player, a position he also held in recent competitions. Ron

Motilall copped the prize for best Under-19 player. The final points’ standing for the seniors read: Taffin Khan (seven), Maria Thomas and Raymond Singh (five each) and Cleveland Hutson (4.5). Among the juniors, Anthony Drayton scored five points, Roberto Neto, four and a half, and former national junior champion Haifeng Su and Carlos Petterson, four apiece.

Muneshwer and Motilall scored three points each, while Britton-Grant recorded two and a half points. Nine seniors and 13 junior players participated in the tournament, which consisted of seven rounds.

Bhaskar Yadram Julian Moore

From left to right: ASP Hugh Jessemy,

Edwards, Cadet Officer Ronald Alli,

Chrishandra Wills

NATI and GPMTC battle for possession

Taffin Khan (seated second right) and Anthony Drayton (seated extreme right) pose with the other top performers, their trophies and medals

P&P tennis camp officially underway

By AvenAsh RAmzAn

The future stars of tennis in Guyana are undergoing are currently involved in a basic training stint at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, as the 10th edition of the P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultant Limited’s two-week camp served off on Monday.

The event is a collaborative effort of the insurance company and the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) and will see players from as young as five year olds learning the fundamentals of tennis.

At the official opening ceremony at the National Gymnasium on Tuesday morning, president of the GTA, Ramesh Seebarran, underscored the value of the camp, noting that it is such activities that help to mould the champions of tomorrow.

He also used the opportunity to thank P&P Insurance and its Managing Director Bishwa Panday, for seeing the wisdom to invest in youths over the last decade.

“Bish, the Guyana Lawn Tennis is grateful for your support and that of P&P Insurance. Your support is important because it is from here that we produce our future champions. We hope that this partnership con-

tinues way into the future,” Seebarran commented.

and the nurturing of young talents and we will continue in that direction,” Panday, a former secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board and West Indies Cricket Board Director, pointed out.

Panday added that the camp, apart from exposing the youngsters to the rudiments of the game, will also afford them the opportunity to exert their energies in a positive way.

Guyana’s Level Two coach, Shelly DalyRamdyhan, with assistance from Level One coach, Leyland Leacock, will conduct the two-week activity.

The experienced DalyRamdyhan welcomed the youngsters to the programme, noting that they are in for a great two weeks of fun, while learning the intricacies of the game. She also showered praises on Panday and his company for their input in the development of tennis in Guyana, adding that the annual camp has been able to consistently produce quality players.

Seebarran said it is the aim of the GTA to have the newcomers of the academy registered with clubs affiliated to the governing body in order to expand the pool of players available at the various age groups.

as well gauge their progress.

meaningful engagements.

The GTA head pointed out that a mini-tournament will be held at the conclusion of the camp next Friday to give the participants exposure to competitive action,

Delivering remarks to the participants, Panday spoke of his company’s interest and commitment in helping to shape the lives of young people by affording them the opportunity for

“P&P has a sound record of assisting many sporting disciplines, and only recently we had our annual day of cycle races at the National Park. We are committed to the development of sports

The camp is being run at the National Gymnasium from 09:00h to 11:00h from Monday to Friday for children 6-11 years, and at the Racquet Centre from noon to 14:00h Mondays to Fridays for the 12-18 age group.

INSIDE TODAY'S SPORTS

Managing Director of P&P Insurance Bishwa Panday (left) presents his company’s sponsorship cheque to president of the GTA, Ramesh Seebarran, as the young participants eagerly wait to get into action (Photo: Avenash Ramzan)

Coaches Winston Smith (right) and Michael Hyles-Franco (left) strike a pose with the participants prior to the start of the academy on Monday morning at the Area H ground (Photo: Avenash Ramzan)