Guyana Times daily August 8 2017

9 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Issue No. 3295

PRICE

Police Force, M&CC collaborating for a safer city

WHAT'S INSIDE:

2009 “Buck Man” murder

Suspected terror gang member freed

Page 3

P8

Body of drowned Linden teen still to be recovered

Page 2

Teens nabbed with 9kg cocaine – in gas cylinder

Page 11

UG Medical School re-accreditation

2015/2016 graduating classes have nothing to fear Page 7

$80 vat included

Pedestrian killed by speeding cop at Mahaicony Page 9

Govt to develop drug procurement manual P15

Venezuelan crisis could lead to regional instability – FITUG P10

Cop charged for shooting man in P7 abdomen

2 news

tuesDAY, august 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Construction of ‘Green Park’ Body of drowned Linden in Mabaruma moving apace teen still to be recovered

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An artist’s impression of the Green Park on its completion

abaruma in Region One is “going green” with the construction of a ‘Green Park’ costing $13 million at Hosororo. Work has already commenced, and is moving apace.

The park is an initiative of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC). Mabaruma Mayor Henry Smith explained that the green facility will be enclosed with two rows of three-feet-high concrete-and-picket fences, one-foot-deep trenches, chairs for relaxation, numerous trees, and a place for children to play.

The Department of Public Information has said

the mayor also highlighted that the park would be outfitted with lights which will be powered by solar panels, to facilitate persons utilising the facility at nights.

Mabaruma Town Clerk Barrington Wade has said the decision to create the green park was to establish a space where everyone can go and relax and feel comfortable.

“What we are trying to do is to give the surrounding communities a chance, a place where they can come and relax. I am talking about communities like Koriabo, Riboway, the people of Wanaina, Bumbury and, all in all,

the people in Hosororo.

So, therefore, it is an ideal spot; it is central, and this part is one part of the constituency that is very popular in the municipality,” Wade said.

The Green Park is expected to be completed within the next six weeks, and the Town Clerk pointed out that the project is just the start of something great. He has hinted that similar projects would be carried out in the other constituencies.

Establishment of this green park is in keeping with Government’s drive to create a national green economy.

olice in E Division (LindenKwakwani) as of Monday afternoon were still trying to locate the body of 19-year-old Esther Weekes of Lot 14 Burnham Drive, Wismar, Linden, who reportedly drowned in the Demerara River in the vicinity of Burnham Drive and Silvertown, Wismar on Sunday.

The search party continued to search a section of the river in speedboat, however up to press time, there was still no sign of the teen.

Divisional Commander Fazil Karimbaksh said the search was not specified to the area where the teen reportedly drowned but also surrounding areas. However, family members of the teen expressed some disappointment with the way the search was conducted, noted that at least two members of the family were expected to be a part of the search; however they were told that there were not enough life jackets. The family also complained that Police seemed reluctant to conduct the search and also appeared ill-equipped to do so.

The Divisional Commander when contacted noted however, that it was not necessary for the family to be a part of the search since the Police were aware of the location. In the case of any sitings, he said undertakers would be summoned, while he was opti-

Teen: Esther Weekes

mistic that the body might be recovered by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Weekes' family continued to mourn the tragic event. At the time of the incident, Weekes was with her aunt, Cherryann DeJonge and her 11-year-old son. DeJonge on Monday recalled that on the fateful day, the deceased had pestered her for hours to go to the location. She said she was reluctant at first, since one of her sons almost drowned at the same place the day before.

She noted that she finally gave in but then decided that she was going to go along to monitor Weekes and her son while they were there, refusing to leaving them alone.

"If I could have peeked into the future and get any knowledge that this would have happened," the woman noted regretfully. Weekes' great uncle also said that he warned the

trio against venturing to the location. DeJonge said she and her niece were very close.

She recalled that Weekes and her son were playing when the lad slipped into the water and Weekes extended her hand in an effort to save him, when both went overboard.

The woman said their hands "barely touched" when Weekes went under.

Revisiting the scene on Monday, the woman told this publication that she was still in disbelief as to how her niece could have drowned since she noted that she did not drift far away from land. The grieving woman said she could still hear the haunting final words of her niece as she struggled to stay afloat. She is adamant that the incident was related to something "spiritual".

"She just kept saying, “Auntie Cherry please save me”," DeJonge said melancholy. The woman said her son who was able to make it back to land safely, told her afterwards that the water in the section of the river was "circling around" when they went in. Over the years, several people have drowned in the said area of the river.

One of the last reported cases was in September 2014, when 14-year-old Omar Mitchel of Half Mile, Wismar, Linden drowned while playing with friends in the vicinity of the old Sawmill. Reports had indicated that he was pushed into the river by one of his friends.

news

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tuesDAY, august 8, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, August 8 – a night time retraction of 05:00h and a daytime retraction of 14:30h-16:00h and Wednesday, August 9 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, August 8 – 16:45h-18:15h and Wednesday, August 9 – 05:15h-06:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Light to heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while clear skies can be expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from Easterly to South-easterly and East North-easterly between 1.78 metre to 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 04:47h and 17:10h reaching maximum heights of 2.65 metres and 2.59 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:45h and 22:59h reaching minimum heights of 0.55 metre and 0.60 metre respectively.

Police Force, M&CC collaborating for a safer city A

meeting was held on Monday between the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to forge collaboration in an attempt to better secure the capital city, Georgetown. The meeting was held at the chambers of the M&CC with Assistant Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, Commander of A Division (GeorgetownEast Bank Demerara) Marlon Chapman, Mayor of Georgetown Patricia Chase Green, Town Clerk Royston King, Chief Constable Andrew Foo and members of the Council.

The Town Clerk said the M&CC is seeking collaboration with the GPF in light of the recent prison breaks. King said while the M&CC was aware of the incident, they were not formally notified of the chain of

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events.

According to him, while there are discussions between the City Constabulary and the Police Force, information sharing needs to be more formal. This, he believes, is important because Councillors were elected and have a responsibility to secure the communities which elected them.

“What we are asking for is something that is more institutionalised, something that is more formal, something where we can meet on a regular basis and have discussions so we too can be involved in detecting and preventing crime in the city, because we have a responsibility,” he explained.

Assistant Police Commissioner Hicken said the initiative is one which he welcomes since it will help lower the crime situation in the city. Hicken also noted that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will have to be crafted for the collaboration to be effective.

However, he pointed out that while the MoU is being crafted, there are some immediate actions that will be undertaken. “By the time we are developing the MoU, we can do some standard operating procedures (SOPs) which can start almost immediately,” the Assistant Police Commissioner stated.

He further added that “the MoU gives both sides

Monday, August 7, 2017

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Commander of A Division Marlon Chapman, Assistant Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green and Chief Constable Andrew Foo

of the organisation their roles, responsibilities, the if, what and how. In terms of the Standing Operating Procedures, that can work now and we have this collaboration conducted through the Commander of A Division”. The way in which information is shared is expected to be ironed out in the MoU. Assistant Commissioner Hicken also noted that the collaboration will help to maximise the use of limited resources as it relates to the deploying of officers in and around the city.

According to the Assistant Commissioner, “No organisation should be working in isolation because it takes all the resources in one organisation. If we work in a collaborative effort it gives us more resources generally, not just the human but vehicle and every other aspect of it”.

The immediate ac-

tion taken by Assistant Commissioner Hicken was hailed by Mayor Chase Green, Commander of A

Division Marlon Chapman, Chief Constable Andrew Foo and other members of the Council.

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

Stepping up the breastfeeding campaign

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orld Breastfeeding Week was observed from August 1–7 under the theme, ‘Sustaining Breastfeeding Together’.

It provided yet another opportunity for the various stakeholders in the health sector to remind everyone of the many health benefits that can be obtained when couples go the route of ensuring their babies are breastfed.

The evidence shows that breastfeeding has cognitive and health benefits for both infants and their mothers. It is especially critical during the first six months of life, helping prevent diarrhoea and pneumonia – two major causes of death in infants. Also, mothers who breastfeed have a reduced risk of ovarian and breast cancer; two leading causes of death among women.

In fact, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and scientists across the world have promoted breastfeeding as the foundation of good nutrition and a platform to protect children against diseases. However, inspite of all of the known facts about breastfeeding, countries, including Guyana, are still lagging behind as a huge percentage of newborns are not being breastfed.

According to a new report by UNICEF and the WHO in collaboration with ‘The Global Breastfeeding Collective’, no country in the world fully meets recommended standards for breastfeeding. The ‘Global Breastfeeding Scorecard’, which evaluated 194 nations, found that only 40 per cent of children younger than six months are breastfed exclusively and only 23 countries have exclusive breastfeeding rates above 60 per cent.

The 23 countries that have achieved exclusive breastfeeding rates above 60 per cent are: Bolivia, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Micronesia, Federated States of Nauru, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, São Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Timor-Leste, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Zambia.

According to the WHO, globally, investment in breastfeeding is far too low. It says that each year, governments in lower- and middle-income countries spend approximately US$250 million on breastfeeding promotions; and donors provide only an additional US$85 million. The scorecard was released at the start of World Breastfeeding Week alongside a new analysis demonstrating that an annual investment of only US$4.70 per newborn is required to increase the global rate of exclusive breastfeeding among children under six months to 50 per cent by 2025. ‘Nurturing the Health and Wealth of Nations: The Investment Case for Breastfeeding’, suggests that meeting this target could save the lives of 520,000 children under the age of five and potentially generate US$300 billion in economic gains over 10 years, as a result of reduced illness and healthcare costs and increased productivity.

In Guyana’s case, the breastfeeding rate for newborn babies is now approximately 23 per cent. This is enough to cause the authorities here to review national policies and revise and strengthen the present approaches in relation to the national breastfeeding campaign. There is an urgent need here for a consistent, aggressive breastfeeding campaign aimed at persuading mothers and fathers that early and exclusive breastfeeding helps children survive, supports healthy brain development, improves cognitive performance and is a major factor in better educational achievement at age five. Even if there is such a campaign at the moment, it is very limited and done in an inconsistent manner.

That said, ‘The Global Breastfeeding Collective’ is calling on countries to: increase funding to raise breastfeeding rates from birth through two years, fully implement the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions through strong legal measures that are enforced and independently monitored by organisations free from conflicts of interest, enact paid family leave and workplace breastfeeding policies, building on the International Labour Organisation’s maternity protection guidelines as a minimum requirement, including provisions for the informal sector, implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in maternity facilities, including providing breast-milk for sick and vulnerable newborns, improve access to skilled breastfeeding counselling as part of comprehensive breastfeeding policies and programmes in health facilities, strengthen links between health facilities and communities, and encourage community networks that protect, promote, and support breastfeeding and strengthen monitoring systems that track the progress of policies, programmes, and funding towards achieving both national and global breastfeeding targets.

These are all useful recommendations which countries such as Guyana should take seriously by working diligently towards ensuring they become a reality.

The annual salmon migration is practically an all-you-can-eat buffet for bears in Alaska. The journey upstream sometimes covers hundreds of miles, and the fish must leap out of the water to get over waterfalls. When the bear is at the right place at the right time, dinner is served (Photograph By Nick Dale, National Geographic Your Shot)

Self-anointed crusader of morality

Dear Editor, Self-anointed crusader of morality, Freddie Kissoon, continues with his obsessive rantings against the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). In his latest diatribe, published on August 7th 2017, he queries the PPP acquisition of a plot of land at Bath Settlement in Region 5.

Is it not strange that Freddie Kissoon never queried how the People’s National Congress (PNC) expropriated 25 acres of land from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for its headquarters at Sophia, for which it obtained transport just before the 1992 General and Regional Elections?

Is it not strange how Freddie Kissoon never questioned how, during its 28 years of dictatorship, the PNC acquired several prime properties in Georgetown, including in Bel Air Park; on Camp Street; on Robb Street; on South Road; on Durban Street, and at several locations throughout the country?

Is it not strange that Freddie Kissoon never questioned how Forbes Burnham acquired hundreds of acres of land at Belfield, on the East Coast of Demerara?

Is it not strange how Freddie Kissoon has never queried the compulsory but unconstitutional acquisition of hundreds of private properties that the PNC Government seized from citizens, paying them a 1939

valuation that amounted to a mere fraction of the market value of those properties? These properties included Tacuba Lodge, Echilibar Villas, Sijan Plaza, Hope Estate, a huge block of land at Turkyen, and hundreds more.

Is it not strange how Freddie Kissoon never queried how Desmond Hoyte sold prime commercial properties and huge blocks of land owned by the State for a fraction of their market value, without any competitive bidding process, to a group of businessmen who formed themselves into an organization called Committee for the Re-election of the President (CREEP) – an organisation established to get Hoyte re-elected at the 1992 Elections? The PPP Government was forced to purchase one of these properties, located on Water Street, from one of these businessmen to house the pavement vendors at a cost of 350 million dollars.

Is it not strange how Freddie Kissoon never questioned the PPP Administration for gifting,

by Transport, 5 acres of prime real estate at the back of the Botanical Gardens to the Burnham family?

Is it not strange that Freddie Kissoon never questioned how one particular businessman was acknowledged as responsible for the AFC acquiring a plot of land on the Railway Embankment at Kitty? And at the opening of a party of-

fice at those premises, the businessman was hailed as making a “political investment”, for which he is now being rewarded with hundreds of millions of dollars in pharmaceutical contracts and duty free concessions to establish a “Wind Farm”?

In the same way that Freddie Kissoon demands an explanation from the PPP, the PPP is demanding an explanation from him on his silence on the matters raised above. We know he will not respond; but, then again, no one will be surprised. After all, Freddie Kissoon has no credibility in the estimation of sensible Guyanese.

Needless to say, the PPP can, and will, defend everything it has done in office. It is proud of its track record of transforming this nation. Freddie Kissoon himself, whether he wants to admit it or not, is part of this transformation.

When the PPP took office in 1992, Freddie Kissoon was living in his motherin-law’s house in Hadfield Street, Wortmanville. When the PPP demitted office, Freddie Kissoon was, and still is, living in a mansion located in a highly residential compound in the city of Georgetown.

When the PPP assumed office, Freddie Kissoon commuted by minibus. When the PPP demitted office, Freddie Kissoon was driving an SUV. At a heavily subsidised price, the PPP/C

Administration distributed by sale more than 100,000 house lots to citizens of all walks of life and from every ethnic group, right across the length and breadth of this country.

The PPP distributed by sale, at a heavily subsidised price, plots of land for commercial use to companies of every type at industrial estates at Eccles, Ruimveldt, Lethem, Coldingen, and at hundreds of other locations across the length and breadth of this country.

In the same vein, the PPP distributed by sale, at a heavily subsidised price, hundreds, if not thousands, of plots of land to religious organisations, non-governmental organisations, non-profit organisations and sporting organisations.

All these lands were sold based upon applications made to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA).

Like any one of these persons/ companies/organisations, the PPP applied for, and was offered, a plot of land to purchase in Bath, which it did. Therefore, Mr Kissoon, there was nothing illegal or improper about this transaction. The PPP does not consider being in Government as debarring the party from benefiting from facilities offered by the Government to the rest of the country.

Sincerely, People’s Progressive Party

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Myths on wage negotiations post-slavery Dear Editor, There is a contention that the arrival of Indian indentured labourers undermined the wages of the freed slaves (1838), affecting the power of the ex-slaves to negotiate fair wages. Fair wages could not be determined at the time, given the transition of the economy from slave to wage labour. Indians, because of numerical size, were not competing with the ex-slaves for work; thus the argument that the presence of Indian indentureds was the cause for low wages of ex-slaves is not supported by facts.

The presence of a few hundred Indian labourers could not have any seriously adverse effect on the wage negotiations of some 100,000 ex-slaves. The demand for waged workers was in the tens of thousands, and the Africans withheld their labour. Anyone who studies labour economics or ne-

gotiating power of workers would tell you there was no way a few hundred (1938 after which indentureship was suspended) or a few thousands contracted servants (post 1945 when indentureship resumed) would impact on the power of tens of thousands to negotiate wages with labour in great demand.

It is also noted that, during the 1840s and into the 1950s, there were far more Portuguese (and later combined with Chinese) than Indians in Guiana. There were also African indentured labourers from the West Indian islands. There were far more African labourers from outside of Guiana (1840s-50s), combined with Portuguese, than indentured Indians. Thus it could not be factual that Indian labourers impacted on the power of exslaves to negotiate fair wages.

Documented history also

reveals that Indians were not coming to take jobs from exslaves. The ex-slaves did not want to cultivate crops on estates. Indians simply filled the void left by the Africans.

By 1860, there were significant numbers of Indian labourers – more than 10 thousand -- but there were still far more Africans, Portuguese and Chinese combined. At one time, there were more Portuguese and Chinese indentureds (combined) than Indians, but Portuguese, Chinese, and indentured Africans were not accused of depressing the wages of the ex-slaves.

Documented history shows that, by 1860, almost all the ex-slaves had completely left estate work. Thus it was not possible that the indentured labourers would affect the Africans in obtaining jobs on the fields, or the wages they were paid.

Labour economists would

know that different types of labour would be paid different amounts of wages. The Indians were at the bottom of the pay scale in their contracts for cultivating cane.

Documents show that labourers were constantly needed on the estates because most of the ex-slaves did not want to return to the fields. Thus the planters had to keep bring workers from India, Portugal or China.

Many Indians (almost a fifth) died on the plantation, a third went back to India; so there was always a shortage of labourers (to meet the need), except when indentureship was abolished in 1917, resulting in several estates being abandoned. So, there was always a need for labourers; thus Indians could not have hurt Africans in any negotiation for wages.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Pensioner’s plight with NIS Dear Editor, I, the undersigned pensioner, hereby implore your newspaper to permit me space to highlight the plight I have, for the past two years, been enduring from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

My name is Shivindra Sahadeo, my NIS Number is 8-45712-51, I attained the age of 60 on 16th February 2015, and I filed for my old age benefit and was awarded an old age grant on 28th April, 2015.

On April 28th, 2015, I queried at the Pension Enquiry Unit of the National Insurance Office at Brickdam why I was awarded an old age grant and not an old age pen-

sion, and an officer informed me that some of my contributions were not taken into account to compute my claim, since I was contributing to the scheme as a self-employed contributor and those contributions were regarded as late-paid contributions, hence same were not used in computation.

On April 24th, 2015, I filed at the National Insurance Scheme Board an appeal against the decision of the General Manager to award me an Old Age Grant.

Despite those contributions being late-paid, I had still endured the hefty interest rate and complied with payments.

On the June 29th, 2076,

I received a letter from the Secretary of the National Insurance Scheme Board stating that my matter was brought before the NIS Board, and the late-paid contributions were waived, and same would be used to review my benefit.

Editor, to this date, and despite my making numerous enquiries at the National Insurance Scheme’s Pension Office, my case has seemingly become stagnated, since no one can provide me with definite information on the current status of my claim. I made numerous appeals to the Chairman of the National Insurance Scheme, Dr Surendra Persaud, via

email, highlighting the plight I am currently enduring to receive my pension, but this action has proved futile.

I am a pensioner. I suffered a stroke. Recently, bandits broke into my home and assaulted me and my wife. It is unfair that I have to visit the NIS office every week to find out the status of my claim. I implore the relevant authorities to address my concern and bring closure to my matter, since my current medical situation precludes me from working, and I have no other means of financial support.

Sincerely, Shivindra Sahadeo

Isn’t this a case of the pot calling the kettle black?

Dear Editor, When Cathy Hughes rose to make her presentation in the Parliament on August 4th, 2017, she made it clear that the bill defines the powers and functions of the original Broadcasting Laws. These are all understandable concepts.

She then said, “Guyana has to move forward from the days of ethnic division”, and I welcome this position also.

Where is Mrs Hughes’s conscience when, under this Granger Administration, there are umpteen examples of a preponderance of appointments across the public services that are steeped in an outcome that emboldens ethnic supremacy? One has only to look at the list of Heads of Departments, Permanent Secretaries, District Education Officers, the heads of the hospitals and other senior functionaries in the public service, who were appointed since this Granger Administration assumed office, and one can identify a clear act of centralised suppression of a targeted segment of the Guyanese population.

Is Mrs. Hughes disingenuous in making this call?

She also stated that this amendment to the bill was designed to organise “civilized discourse and debate”, but in the very next breath, in her statement, she went into what many would consider an uncivilised discourse, with no objection from an increasingly biased Speaker of the National Assembly.

Why is there need for such raw, unadulterated, gutter politics in that venerable and rather magnificent institution? Those who forget history

will always struggle to develop the future. This is clearly what is happening in Guyana in 2017, and the GDP figures at 2% do tell a full story.

The Good Book admonishes us: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind…”

Where was Mrs Hughes’s humility of mind demonstrated as she forced this ill-conceived and ill-thought-out piece of legislation down the Guyanese people’s throat with much haste?

She should really pay more attention to the needs of the ordinary people, rather than the needs of the small Granger cabal. One last point: my brother Enrico Woolford is reputed to be the Editor-inChief and alleged majority owner of Capitol News. But today he is also a key influencer in the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, as one of the three Ministerial Advisors to Mrs Hughes; and he shared in the annual payout of some Gy$23 million in 2016. So, will persons inside the Ministry of Public Telecommunications who are tasked with influencing the Minister but have a vested interest in Capitol News steer licences to this news outfit using insider information? Isn't this a conflict of interest situation? Isn't this a “friends and family arrangement” too? Isn’t this a case of the pot calling the kettle black? Or is this the big hustle in favour of the Granger cabal, compliments of the taxpayers of Guyana, with the now washed out strategy of blaming the PPP for all of their current-day indiscretions?

Regards, Sase Singh

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pieces of bad advice we give children

BY EMMA M SEPPÄLÄ, PHD

M

ost parents want their children to be successful in life? -- ?and so we teach them attitudes that we believe will help them achieve their goals. But as I learned while researching my book The Happiness Track, many widely-held theories about what it takes to be successful are proving to be counterproductive.

Sure, they may produce results in the short term.

But eventually, they lead to burnout and – get this – less success. Here are a few of the most damaging things many of us are currently teaching our children about success, and what to teach them instead: What we tell our children: Focus on the future.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

What we should be telling them: Live (or work) in the moment.

It’s hard to stay tightly focused. Research shows our minds tend to wander 50 per cent of the time we’re awake. And when our minds wander, we often start to brood over the past or worry about the future – thereby leading to negative emotions like anger, regret, and stress.

A mind that is constantly trying to focus upon the future – from getting good grades to applying to colleges – will be prone to greater anxiety and fear.

While a little bit of stress can serve as a motivator, long-term chronic stress impairs our health as well as our intellectual faculties, such as attention and mem-

ory. As a consequence, focusing too hard on the future can actually impair our performance.

Children do better, and feel happier, if they are learn how to stay in the present moment. And when people feel happy, they’re able to learn faster, think more creatively, and problem-solve more easily. Studies even suggest that happiness makes you 12 per cent more productive. Positive emotions also make you more resilient to stress – helping you to overcome challenges and setbacks more quickly so you can get back on track.

It’s certainly good for children to have goals they’re working toward.

But instead of always encouraging them to focus on what’s next on their to-do list, help them stay focused on the task or conversation at hand.

What we tell our children: Stress is inevitable – keep pushing yourself.

What we should be telling them instead: Learn to chill out.

Children are feeling anxious at younger and younger ages, worrying about grades and feeling pressure to do better at school. Most distressingly, we’re even seeing stress-induced suicides in children.

The way we conduct our lives as adults often communicates to children that stress is an unavoidable part of leading a successful life. We down caffeine and over-schedule ourselves during the day, living in a constant state of overdrive and burning ourselves out – and at night, we’re so wired

that we use alcohol, sleep medication, or Xanax to calm down.

All in all, this is not a good lifestyle to model for children. It’s no surprise that research shows that children whose parents are dealing with burnout at work are more likely than their peers to experience burnout at school.

I recommend that parents consider teaching their children the skills they will need to be more resilient in the face of stressful events.

While we can’t change the work and life demands that we face at work and at school, we can use techniques such as meditation, yoga and breathing to better deal with the pressures we face. These tools help children learn to tap into their parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system (as opposed to the “fight or flight” stress response).

What we tell our children: Stay busy.

What we should be telling them: Have fun doing nothing.

Even in our leisure time, people in Western societies tend to value high-intensity positive emotions like excitement, as opposed to low-intensity emotions like calm. (The opposite is true in East Asian countries.)

This means that our children’ schedules are often packed to the brim with extracurricular activities and family outings, leaving little downtime.

There’s nothing wrong with excitement, fun, and seeking out new experiences. But excitement, like stress, exhausts our phys-

iology by tapping into our “fight or flight” system – and so we can unwittingly prompt our children to burn through their energy after school or on weekends, leaving them with fewer resources for the times when they need it most.

Moreover, research shows that our brains are more likely to come up with brilliant ideas when we are not focusing (thus the proverbial a-ha moment in the shower). So instead of over-scheduling children, we should be blocking out time when they can be left to their own devices. Children can turn any situation – whether they are sitting in a waiting room or walking to school – into an opportunity for play. They may also choose calming activities like reading a book, taking the dog for a walk, or simply lying under a tree and staring up at the clouds – all of which will allow them to approach the rest of their lives from a more centred, peaceful place. Giving your children downtime will help them to be more creative and innovative. And just as importantly, it will help them learn to relax.

The point here is not to never challenge them or deprive them of opportunities for learning, the point is not to overschedule and overcommit them to the point where they don’t have opportunities to learn independent play, to be with themselves and daydream, to learn to be happy just being rather than always doing. (psychologytoday.com) TO BE CONTINUED

‒ every potential friendship has pros and cons. How do we really decide who fits us?

BY MATT HUSTON

N

ew acquaintances are easy to “friend” but just as easy to forget. How do we decide who’s truly friendship material? Superficial connections like going to school together or rooting for the same team can get things off the ground, but there are other, more covert social dynamics at play.

Someone like you

We gravitate toward people who resemble us and come from similar backgrounds – researchers call this homophily. Social network experts Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler have found that, even controlling for ethnicity, friends have similar genomes: Compared to strangers, friends in a large sample were, on average, as genetically similar as fourth cousins. Further exposing the role of like-

ness, Wellesley College psychologist Angela Bahns and colleagues determined that even new friends were more similar than nearby strangers in their attitudes about politics, exercise, loud music, and much more.

Barriers to entry

Friends who reported longer and closer bonds were no more alike than those with less established ones, Bahns’s study showed, suggesting that the selection of like-minded companions, more than long-term social influence, accounts for the similarities. “Whatever people rate as important,” Bahns says, “they tend to match friends more closely on that thing.” Yet friends held comparable attitudes whether or not they recalled discussing them. How does sorting happen? One possible explanation is that we use minimal details and visual cues to infer similarity. Volunteers in another study showed a propensity to pick conversation partners who were similar to them – but if everyone’s torso area was covered with a plastic bag, this similarity seeking disappeared.

Branching out

“We prefer similarity most of the time,” Bahns says, but not in every domain. Friends in her study tended to be more closely matched than strangers on the personality trait of agreeableness but not on neuroticism, which includes such characteristics as hostility and depression. Personality traits can shape our friendships in other ways. “People who have high openness to experience move around more and have a much wider selection of experiences,” says Finnish cognitive scientist Michael Laakasuo. A recent study that he and others conducted indicates that such people are more likely to have close friends who live farther away and whom they see less frequently, while those low on the trait of openness are more likely to list relatives as friends.

Overthinking it

Striving to land on the best choice, or maximizing, has been linked to dissatisfaction in romantic relationships as well as in other contexts –including friendship. In choosing people to hang out with, recent studies found, those who struggled with their decisions and dwelled on alternatives also tended to report higher levels of negative feelings.

Though it’s not clear whether these behaviours cause adverse outcomes or coincide with them for another reason, the results show that “if you maximize when selecting your friends, you are also more likely to regret those decisions, and we think that lowers well-being,” says University of Southern California’s David Newman. Every friendship has pluses and minuses, and we may overthink them at our own risk. (psychologytoday.com)

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tuesDAY, August 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

UG Medical School re-accreditation

2015/2016 graduating classes have nothing to fear

S

tudents of the School of Medicine of the University of Guyana (UGSM) who completed their programmes during the period the school had lost its accreditation have nothing to fear, as their certificates are valid.

UG Registrar Dr Nigel Gravesande told Guyana Times on Monday that students -- including those graduating with the Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine over the last couple of years -- were being tested to see if they satisfy the requirements to graduate.

“Students who graduated from the School of Medicine would have satisfied the academic requirement to be awarded the Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine, and that has not changed,” he told Guyana Times in an invited comment.

When the school had lost its accreditation in 2015, both local and international students had become concerned that their certificates would not be recognised outside the country.

The University reported last week that it was recently accorded Accreditation for four years, from 20172021, by the Jamaica-based Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health

UG Registrar, Dr Nigel Gravesande

Professions (CAAM-HP).

The decision to grant re-accreditation was made during the July 2017 meeting of CAAM-HP. According to the University of Guyana, re-accreditation of the Medical School, located in the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Turkeyen campus, followed a site visit to UG in November 2016 by a team of evaluators from CAAMHP, who conducted a comprehensive re-evaluation of the teaching/learning facilities available at the School.

The team also met with the various administrative sections of the University, and with medical students.

UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, has congratulated the faculty, students and staff of

the School of Medicine. He said the School’s re-accreditation was a “signally important decision”, and expressed appreciation to personnel and students of the School.

“This investment of time and resources by the University in the re-accreditation of the School of Medicine is a tribute to the entire University, and it strengthens our brand overall as we pursue ‘Project Renaissance’,” he said.

He added that a substantial amount of time and money would be required to complete the needed enhancement of the flagship programme.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Director of the School, Dr Ronald Aaron, who emphasised that the accreditation was a result of “community effort” and said, “Now the real work begins.”

President of the University of Guyana Medical Students’ Association, Shafali Milton, expressed pride at the role played by the students in the eventual outcome.

“The road to regain our status as a regionally accredited medical school was filled with countless challenges. However, we in the student body were undaunted, and did everything in our power to assist.

UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith

We are elated at the result of hard work from both the administration and the student body…”

Milton said the UGSM has regained its position as a prestigious institution in the Caribbean, one with which the current students as well as its alumni can be proud to be associated.

“We look forward to new endeavours, as the journey continues,” she said.

The Medical School was established as a Medical Practitioners programme in 1985 in the Faculty of Health Sciences. It entailed four years of medical training and two years of internship.

This was upgraded in 1990 to a five-year programme followed by a oneyear internship.

Cop charged for shooting man in abdomen J

ust over a month after he allegedly pulled the trigger on a civilian because the civilian had refused to hand over his backpack, Police rank James Bowman was on Monday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to a charge alleging that on June 25, 2017 at Omai Landing in the Essequibo Magisterial District, he discharged a loaded firearm at Glen McCurdy with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or cause grievous bodily harm to McCurdy’s person.

The unrepresented Bowman told the court he is 29 years old, hails from Mocha, East Bank Demerara, and is a constable of the Guyana Police Force, stationed at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) in Eve Leary, Georgetown.

He also denied the allegation, and was released on his own recognizance.

The case will continue on October 17 at the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court.

Reports are that on the day of the incident, Police patrolling the Omai area saw VC McCurdy with a haversack on his back acting in a suspicious manner.

He was reportedly ac-

James Bowman

costed, but whipped out a chopper from his bag and advanced on the Police. He fired several chops at the officers, and ignored orders to drop the weapon.

According to the Prosecution’s case, McCurdy was subsequently shot to the abdomen; and he dropped his bag, which was searched by Police and found to contain a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

McCurdy has since been charged with trafficking 320 grams of cannabis, and has been remanded to prison.

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tuesDAY, august 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS 2009 “Buck Man” murder

Suspected terror gang member freed Means, ends…

B

asil Morgan, believed to have been part of a gang that perpetrated several terror-related crimes almost nine years ago, was on Monday acquitted of murdering Woddet Roberts, called “Buck Man”, who was killed during a robbery committed between November 3 and 4, 2009.

Justice James BovellDrakes, presiding at the hearing of the case, upheld Defence Attorney Lyndon Amsterdam’s no-case submission. The attorney contended in his closing address that the post mortem examination performed on Roberts was inconclusive, and he also noted that police never stated the exact location where Roberts had

Basil Morgan

died.

Police had accused Morgan of being part of the gang that robbed the now deceased man and others,

before they stole a Toyota Tacoma vehicle along the Linden-Soesdyke highway.

However, in Justice BovellDrakes’s view, the prosecution did not provide enough evidence to make out a case against the accused.

Though he was acquitted of murder, Morgan remains incarcerated, as he has other matters pending before the court.

The accused held out that he was not responsible for Woddet’s murder, but other members of the alleged gang had admitted to their terror-related crimes. These included David Anthony Watson, called “Tupac”; Randy Mars, known as “Ratty”; and Jafar Simpson, who in April were

all sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to manslaughter for killing Roberts. They were additionally sentenced for other terror-related crimes.

Gang leader Colin Jones had also admitted guilt for the 2009 terror acts, and was sentenced to 80 years’ imprisonment for the offences he had committed between 2009 and 2010.

Reports suggest that on the night of the rampage which followed the death of Roberts, the gang had allegedly set fire to a public building - Registry department of the Supreme Court of Judicature.

The State’s case was led by Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy.

Conductor fined for overloading …claims Police targeting him

S

erial offender Shemar Lewis was on Monday fined $10,000 for carrying in excess of the amount of passengers allowed to travel in a minibus.

Lewis appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court to an-

swer allegations that, on July 22, minibus BWW 1096 carried seven more passengers that what was permitted.

The accused pleaded guilty to his latest offence, and presiding Magistrate Chirstel Lambert warned him that his conductor’s li-

cence would be suspended for one year if he were to be arraigned again before her.

In his defence, Lewis claimed he had picked up just “some little kids” moments after passing a police station, but Magistrate Lambert maintained that his action was against the law.

The court also heard that the police rank who charged the accused had done so on many prior occasions. This spurred Lewis to suggest that his multiple

charges and court appearances have come as a result of being targeted.

“My Worship, this is a personal problem…police always hiding under shed, trying to get me,” the minibus conductor told the court.

The accused was advised to make a formal complaint against those whom he feels are targeting him.

The conductor was order to pay his fine or spend two weeks in jail on default of payment.

P

…and Burnham ressie, in his role as Leader of the PNC, along with his General Secretary, Basil Williams; other stalwarts of the party; and, most interestingly, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, vowed to continue the legacy of the Founder-Leader of the PNC, Forbes Burnham. It was the 32nd anniversary of the death of the man.

So, the question arises as to what exactly is that “legacy” that’s gonna be unfolding. Well, politically, there’s the “Declaration of Sophia” by Burnham in 1974.

This created a political system in which the PNC was declared “paramount” over the state. If there are some today who’re quibbling about the Executive favouring its “perceptions” of the Constitution over the opinion of the Judiciary, they should ponder this: under the “paramountcy of the party”, the PNC flag flew over the Court of Appeal!!

On the legacy of “democracy”, there was also the routine rigging of elections in 1968, 1973, 1980 and 1985 -- so the other political parties, like PPP and WPA -- were so much window dressing. Is this what we’re to expect in 2010?

On the economy, about which the speakers all extolled Burnham’s moves to “remove poverty”, what are the facts?

In 1989 the McIntyre Report announced that, from being one of the more developed countries in the Caribbean, we were now just above Haiti in the rankings.

The entire country was living in general poverty, with Guyana classified as a “Highly Indebted Poor Country”.

By 1992 the UN-conducted Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) showed 43.2% of the populace living below “moderate” poverty, and 28.7% were in “extreme” poverty! And this was AFTER Desmond Hoyte worked for FIVE YEARS to undo Burnham’s economic follies!

With the way the present lot’s handling the economy, they’re already well on their way to fulfil the legacy of Burnham in this area!

But what was most troubling about the speeches extolling Burnham’s “greatness” was that no one even mentioned the circumstance under which he’d assumed office. It was described (most kindly) as a “coup on the cheap” executed by the CIA for just US$3.5M. But its cost to the Guyanese nation was much more expensive -- a virtual civil war between the two major ethnic groups that left 176 dead, communities split, and a massive ethnic cleansing from the Bauxite mining villages that were soon designated as a “town” and named after Burnham - Linden.

Hey! What the heck?

But one thing your Eyewitness won’t disagree with is the claim that Burnham removed “inequality” from Guyana. He certainly did THAT by the time he died in 1985. He made all of us EQUALLY poverty stricken!!

…and GuySuCo’s employment costs The Government’s complaining about GuySuCo’s employment’s costs outstripping revenues. Well, Duh!!

What’d they expect when they officially close Wales Estate, produce NO sugar, and then have to pay 1,700 workers severance pay?? And simultaneously shut down Skeldon factory, because they didn’t fix some boilers and obviously don’t produce any sugar - but have to pay the workers. But that’s not all. They go out and hire ten geriatrics -- average age 80 years!! -- and pay each of them over $1million a month to be “Interim Managers” in their Central Staff at Head Office! The mega salaries of the latter, such as marketing etc, are lumped in “employments costs”. When GuySuCo complains about this, it pretends it’s all for the 17,000 field and factory workers.

They don’t let on: some 300 Central Staff rake in about 1/3 of what 17,000 estate workers earn!!

But we all know what this narrative is all about, don’t we? Sugar workers must learn that the wages of not supporting the PNC is being on the breadlines!! …Broadcasting Licenses The Muckraker complained their boss wasn’t “given” a broadcasting licence because Jagdeo didn’t follow the law in his allocation of the spectrum. But it’s OK now for Nagamootoo to break the law to now take away licences and award one to him!

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

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tuesDAY, august 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mid-year report

Minister defends Govt’s $2.1B D&I investment G

overnment has expended $2.1 billion in the first half of the year on the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of drainage and irrigation (D&I) systems and structures, but despite these efforts, there still continues to be massive amounts of flooding, both in coastal and interior regions.

However, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder told Guyana Times on Monday that the monies expended are being properly utilised, as the Government has managed to erect more pumps along the coastal region to assist with the country’s overall flood risk management system.

Holder said this continues to be a top priority for Government in order to maintain a resilient agriculture sector which would be able to withstand the effects of climate change. He said this move is also in keeping with Guyana’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals to combat climate change.

In addition to these initiatives, US$4 million was committed for the procurement and installation of fixed and mobile pumps.

The procurement of nine fixed pumps, to be placed in the coastal regions, and five mobile pumps, to be deployed within Georgetown, will commence in the second

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

half of this year.

The Minister said this

Pedestrian killed by speeding cop at Mahaicony

A

pedestrian has become the latest road fatality after he was struck by a speeding Police Constable along the Catherine Village Public Road, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.

Dead is 51-year-old Winston Small of Lot 2 Catherine Village.

Based on reports received, the Police Officer was proceeding along the Catherine Public Road on Sunday, alleged at a fast rate, and in an attempt to avoid an uneven patch on the road, he swerved and lost control of the vehicle, which collided with a 13-year-old cyclist.

The motorcar went on to hit two other pedestrians, including the now dead man, and 43-year-

Dead: Winston Small

old Lawrence Semple, after which it came to a stop in a nearby yard. The teenager along with Semple and Small were picked up and taken to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital.

Small was pronounced dead on arrival while the

teenager and Semple were treated and referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC). The driver is also hospitalised. In addition, three other occupants of the car; Delroy Hutson, 35; and Odari Reynolds, 23, both of Eldorado Village, West Coast Berbice, were treated and sent away while a third Fitzroy Goodridge, 23, was admitted for observation.

According to persons at the scene, it seems as though the Tactical Service Unit rank was under the influence of alcohol and was driving in a dangerous manner at the time of the accident.

The 13-year-old reportedly suffered lacerations to the hand and legs.

The Police have launched an investigation into the fatal accident.

Festival City man remanded – for armed robbery at E-Networks CI branch

A

27-year-old was on Monday remanded to prison on allegations that he participated in an armed robbery on the E-Networks store at Cornelia Ida (CI), West Coast Demerara. The suspect, Orande Gordon, of Nutmeg Street, Festival City, Georgetown, was arraigned before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.

When the armed robbery allegation was put before him on Monday, he entered a not guilty plea but the Police Prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence. As Magistrate

Liverpool obliged, bail was refused and Gordon was escorted by Police ranks to a holding area. He will remain in prison until his next hearing on August 23.

It was in the morning hours of Thursday last that two males with handguns stormed the E-Networks store at CI, where they robbed two cashiers and seven customers of their valuables before fleeing in a waiting motorcar. The victims were ordered to lie on the floor and were then bound with plastic hand ties.

Hours before, two bandits at around 15:00h on Wednesday, had entered the Mon Repos branch of the

E-Networks Store – housed in the lower flat of the Mon Repos Mall, East Coast Demerara – where they forced three customers and two staff to the ground, stole cash, mobile phones, and other valuables including i-pads and the store’s revenue for the day.

These bandits also fled in a waiting motorcar; similar to the West Coast Demerara attack. However, it is yet to be confirmed if the CI remanded robbery suspect, Orande Gordon, was involved in the Mon Repos robbery on the E-networks store. Police investigations to nab other possible accomplices are continuing.

will in a large way assist with reducing floods in the country’s capital city, while pointing out that Guyana’s coastal plain some six feet below sea level. “This issue will not end overnight. It is something that we are working on and it’s a long-term plan. We hope to address this,” he added.

Holder said in an effort to improve the management of D&I systems, Government has completed mapping 10 per cent of the D&I systems maintained by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority. This will help to guide the process of responding more efficiently and promptly to cases of flooding.

While persistent flooding has taken place in the interior, with the most recent case occurring in Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo), the Minister has not taken blame for it.

Holder maintained that the

recent flooding in the interior was caused by the continued “backing up” of the rivers bordering Guyana and Brazil.

He pointed to that fact that close to 80 per cent of Guyana's population is living along the low-lying coastal region. And sea level rise linked to global warming is dramatically increasing the likelihood that homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools along coastal areas of Guyana will flood.

Guyana's coastal plains are home to some three quarters of the country's economic activities, including almost all the country's agricultural production; critical for both food and export, Holder reminded. But sea level rise could devastate agricultural production if saltwater inundates fields.

It has long been argued that without improved sea and river defences and drainage systems, the coast-

al plains could face serious flooding, if not complete inundation owing to higher sea levels under worst case scenarios. Such flooding would devastate most of the population and have other consequences.

Two of the 17 contracts to construct and rehabilitate sea and river defence infrastructures in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) have already been completed in the first half of this year, with the remainder slated to be undertaken in the second half. Additional sea defence initiatives are slated for completion in the second half of the year, to protect its citizens, environment, economy, and infrastructure according to the Finance Ministry Mid-Year 2017 Report.

10 news

tuesdAY, august 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Venezuelan crisis could lead to regional instability – FITUG ... declares support for Venezuela’s constituent assembly

W

hile stating its full support for the recently held election in neighbouring Venezuela, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has noted its concerns regarding the deteriorating situation in Venezuela which can lead to regional instability, and possibly spill over to the Caribbean region.

FITUG has therefore called on all democratic countries across the Region and beyond, to urge those who have taken a destructive path in that Latin American country to know that their actions will have far-reaching repercussions outside of Venezuela also, if they continue along that path.

“We urge those external forces to behave responsibly, to respect democracy and the people’s wisdom as expressed in the elections, to desist from stoking the fire and avoid – in words and deeds, that which can only promote the desta-

bilisation of the country,” a statement from FITUG said.

Although there is much controversy surrounding the outcome of the elections there, FITUG said the resort to a constituent assembly in neighbouring Venezuela was a democratic effort by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at resolving the prolonged violence and living difficulties that have beset the country.

The trade union body saw the election there as a complimentary feat, considering that the coalition of Opposition parties – Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mesa de la Unidad Democrática) (MUD) – called for a boycott and the day itself saw several intermittent eruptions of violence in some states.

It was recognised that the election process also continued in spite of the strange call by the United States Administration not to proceed with the elections and

even threatening sanctions.

“The threat that the existing situation, instigated by extremists locally and financed by certain external forces, can deteriorate and lead to a civil war is ever-present,” FITUG asserted.

The trade union body said it is therefore important that countries of influence within the Region and which subscribe to democracy, show support for such efforts taken

by Maduro.

In fact, FITUG pointed out that the election result has shown that over 8,000,000 Venezuelans voted for the constituent assembly, more than those who voted for Maduro in the 2013 elections which he won.

“This massive turnout by the Venezuelans is a strong manifestation by the people for an end to the ongoing unrest in their country and which is resulting in havoc with their lives and their future. Clearly, they braved the

violence, were not influenced by the virulent media campaign, and defied the boycott call and disregarded the external threats and sanctions to let their stand be known,” FITUG said.

In light of the Opposition concerns regarding alleged fraud, FITUG said it awaits further evidence on this matter. The organisation stated that it is dismayed too by the US negative response to the election, particularly its additional sanctions against Maduro. “We note too, the similar negative sanctions from some countries which are known to be close allies of the US,” the statement added.

The elections for the constituent assembly proposed

by Maduro, and which is provided for by the Venezuelan Constitution, were held on Sunday, July 30, 2017. The election in Venezuela was conducted by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council.

My upcoming book: The Indian Caribbean: migration and identity

M

y book seeks to address the under-researched theme of Indian migration and identity formation in the Caribbean.

The reason for this declaration is that Caribbean migration studies tend to focus on the larger and more visible ethnic groups, as well as on a few specific islands.

The result is that we know very little of Indian migration since settlement in the Caribbean, and how this migration has shaped Indian identity. We also know very little of the challenges Indians face in order to migrate their respective communities, and their migratory experience in their new environment.

This scholarly omission of Indian migration is rather unfortunate, and it has arguably led to a poor understanding of who Indians are in the region.

For instance, some sections of the Caribbean believe that Indians are non-migratory people who stick to their families and locations, primarily rural; and Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine that when Indian migration occurs between destinations in and out of the Caribbean, the movement is fluid.

I argue that a study is surely needed to investigate these claims, among others. Moreover, although their movement is not as large as other ethnic groups in the region, Indian migration is important, because they are the product of the same global forces that have helped to shape the Caribbean and further afield.

Do not under-rate or underestimate the contributions of Indian entrepreneurship in the Caribbean and in Europe and North America. My book shows that Indians in the Caribbean have always been on the move in an attempt to improve their lives.

They are not non-migratory people who are content with a static rural lifestyle. After all, the mere fact that they left their homeland to work far away in the Caribbean testifies to their willingness to migrate. It would seem logical that they would continue this lifestyle in the Caribbean, even if the odds were stacked against them.

I wrote this: “For the majority of Indian Caribbean people, especially the large working class, migration is really a product of the interplay between constraints and thought, will, and eventual action. Migration has always been dictated by occupation, education, income, and religion, which gives the movement across boundaries a distinct and divisive character. Yet, amid aspirations toward modernity, Indians do not necessarily dismiss their pre-existing values — education, gender relations, and family cohesion and connection — when they migrate. Migration is also associated with ridicule…”

Moreover, I argue that migration has led to the formation of new Indian identities in the Caribbean which separate them from other ethnic groups; it can be conceptualized into six broad overlapping time periods. The first is the migration from India to the Caribbean. This movement occurred between 1838 and 1917, and revolved around the imperial indentured contract. The second occurred during the restrictive indentured period, when Indian challenged their indentured contracts and escaped from the plantations to urban areas and nearby Caribbean countries.

Others waited until their contracts expired to migrate legally from the plantations to village settlement, a plan encouraged by the colonial Government to have Indians swap their return passages for small parcels of land.

The third movement occurred when some Indians returned to their homeland when their contracts expired, taking large sums of money with them. Some, however, went back penniless. This movement coincided with the influx of Indians from India.

The fourth movement was from one Caribbean island to another. Although it started during indenture, it was most noticeable from the post-indenture (1920) to the modern period.

The movement has created Indian communities where Indians were not seen before in substantial numbers. Antigua and St. Maarten are two places that have large Indian populations because of the intra-regional movement.

The fifth has been the continuous movement of Caribbean Indians to Europe and North America, from the Second World War onwards to the present period. The sixth is the movement of non-indentured from India to the Caribbean since the Second World War. I have also argued that Indian identity cannot be analyzed in the binary opposite of cultural retention and cultural loss; and propose that Indian identity can be conceptualized into the multipartite structure of local, national, trans-Caribbean and universal.

I argue that this multipartite structure approach is convincing because Indian identity has been shaped by geography, history, politics, migration, leadership, technology and globalization.

The following is a paragraph from the conclusion: “Caribbean Indians will continue to migrate, because of inequities in the global system as well as political, economic, and social instabilities and tensions within each nation-state where Indians have migrated and settled—Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, and in the European and North American Diasporas. Migration will also continue, because a culture of migration has now formed among Indians that is predicated on the belief that in order to grow and develop one has to migrate, despite how temporally. Half of the Indian population in Guyana and Suriname live outside of these countries.

What will also happen in the future is that certain patterns of migration will dominate. The preferred destination will be to developed countries, and less so within the Caribbean, reflecting a hierarchy of migration. Vertical rather than horizontal forms of migration will be the preferences. The latter will occur when the first preference is denied, particularly among economically deprived Indo-Guyanese who tend to migrate almost anywhere in the Caribbean. Some trends of migration will continue….”

The book will be published by University Press of Mississippi in January 2018. (lomarsh.roopnarine@jsums.edu).

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tuesDAY, august 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Teens nabbed with 9kg cocaine in gas cylinder A

youth cricketer and his girlfriend were on Sunday arrested after more than nine kilograms of cocaine were discovered in a house at Delph Avenue, Campbellville, Georgetown.

Based on reports received, ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) swooped down on the house and conducted a search of the premises, unearthing nine well wrapped rectangular packages hidden in a cooking gas cylinder that had a false bottom.

The house, Guyana Times understands, belongs to a well-known drug dealer with whom the cricketer is presently employed.

According to well-placed source, the businessman

The cocaine blocks concealed in the gas cylinder

had previous brushes with the law.

However, after the discovery of the cocaine was made, the teenag-

ers were taken to CANU Headquarters where the illegal drug was weighed and amounted to more than 20 pounds. The teens are re-

‘Jealous lover’ who shot at competitor has pending matters in US – prosecution discloses

By Paula Gomes

A

rraigned before City Magistrate Judy Latchman on Monday, Jermaine Phillips was described as “a jealous lover”; and as his lawyer sought to have him released on bail pending the outcome of his trial, the prosecution countered by disclosing that matters of a similar nature are pending against the accused in the United States.

Jermaine Phillips was last month arraigned before City Magistrate Leron Daly, charged with discharging a loaded firearm at virtual complainant (VC) Troy Grant with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or cause Grant grievous bodily harm; and for illegal possession of seventeen rounds of live .40 ammunition and one .40 Glock pistol.

The accused was, at first instance, granted bail for the shooting offence; but as the latter charges were initiated against him, the Magistrate denied him bail and remanded him to prison for the offences, which allegedly occurred at Hardina and Norton Streets, Georgetown in early June.

The defence lawyer argued that, based on his in-

Jermaine Phillips

structions, his client did not know the VC, and had no knowledge of the charge, which he deemed “trumped up” by a vindictive party.

Several minutes after being granted bail of $400,000 for the above charge, a shackled Phillips was escorted back to the prisoner’s dock by Police ranks, where two other charges were read to him.

However, the prosecution sought to dispute the defence’s case by maintaining that when Police swooped down on the said residence, the defendant was spotted with the bag around his neck, and they apprehended him as he attempted to escape. The Prosecutor also

sought to establish that the two parties are known to each other, and the alleged shooting had taken place in June.

It is reported that a jealous Phillips fired shots in the direction of Grant, allegedly because he felt threatened that the VC might poach his lover. The court further heard from the prosecution that there was no evidence that anybody else was charged in relation to the last two charges, in response to Thompson’s claim that his client was one of three persons arrested.

The matter had since been transferred to Magistrate Judy Latchman’s court, and as Attorney Adrian Thompson sought to renew his application for bail on Monday, the Prosecution revealed to the court that Phillips has pending matters of a similar nature before the courts in the United States (US).

Even as he admitted residing in the U.S for some time, the accused denied any knowledge of such charges instigated against him.

Bail was once again refused, and Phillips will return to court on August 21, 2017, for statements to be disclosed.

portedly cooperating with members of the drug enforcement unit.

Only a few months ago, race car driver, Nazim Gafoor; ace rider, Steven Vieira; and two others were charged in connection with the recent discovery of $550 million worth of cocaine in dressed lumber at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo.

On May 12, 2017, members of CANU swooped down on a lumber yard at Lot 227 Zeelugt, where they conducted a search on a truck that was laden with several pallets of 1×6 dressed lumber that was being prepared for export to the United States.

Some 85 kilos (187 pounds) of cocaine, with a street value of $550 million, was found concealed in some of the lumber. During the search, several boards were reportedly drilled randomly, and a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine was detected. The truck was escorted to CANU headquarters, where the lumber was further examined, and it was discovered that each of the compromised boards had a dugout cavity that held

The well wrapped rectangular blocks of cocaine found at the Delph Avenue home

vacuum-sealed plastic packets containing cocaine paste.

However, Nazim Gafoor and Stephen Vieira were initially remanded to pris-

on but were subsequently granted bail by the High Court, while Sherwayne De Abreu and Tazim Gafoor remain in the lockups.

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tuesDAY, august 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt to honour all past Presidents ‒ to become State function

T

he APNU/AFC Administration will be taking on the responsibility of honouring the lives of past Presidents who served the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, said last Friday at his post-Cabinet press briefing that, irrespective of which party those past presidents have come from, their death anniversaries are State activities because they had served the State.

“It is the intention of the administration to elevate all of these observances to the level of State functions, and so we can expect that. The one for Burnham has been elevated to the level of State function, and all the other former Presidents who passed (will have theirs so elevated),” he disclosed.

He said the observanc-

Arthur Chung

Forbes Burnham

Cheddi Jagan

es are no longer left for a particular party and their resources. “…so the State is taking on this responsibility, and this is how it will be in the future,” he assured.

Last Sunday, Government celebrated the death anniversary of Guyana’s first Prime Minister and Executive

President, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. Born on February 20th, 1923, Burnham led Guyana for some 21 years before his death on August 6, 1985, at the age of 62.

President Arthur Chung, born on January 10, 1912, was the first President of Guyana. He occupied that

post from 1970 to 1980, and died on June 23, 2008.

Mr Hugh Desmond Hoyte, born on March 9, 1929, succeeded President Burnham in 1985. He died on December 22, 2002.

Dr Cheddi Jagan, born on 22 March 1918, took office on October 5, 1992 under the People’s

Desmond Hoyte

Janet Jagan

Progressive Party (PPP), which he had founded. He died on March 6, 1997.

Mrs Janet Jagan, wife of President Dr Cheddi Jagan, was the first female President of Guyana. Born in the United States of America

on October 20, 1920, she served for almost two years following her husband’s death in March 1997. She campaigned for the Presidency in December 1997 and won.

She died in March 2009.

Macorp to open new Linden Hospital upgraded, branch in Lethem

elevator to be refurbished

T

he Linden Hospital Complex was originally constructed to carry two elevators but only one was installed.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon said Cabinet has approved $18 million for rehabilitative works to the

one elevator that was installed.

Chief Executive Officer of the Linden Hospital, Dr Mohamed F Riyasat, said that upon the commemoration of the Hospital in 2009, only one elevator was installed.

The Linden Hospital Complex

Dr Kay Shako, Director of Regional Health Services, noted that despite regular servicing and maintenance, the elevator would periodically malfunction, causing inconveniences to porters transporting persons admitted to the wards on the second floor; pregnant women who were forced to use the stairs to get to the Maternity Ward; meals would have to be carried to wards on the second level and the deceased carried physically to the lower floor via the stairs.

Under the Public Infrastructure Ministry, the sum of $25 million was allocated in the 2017 Budget for rehabilitative works – $18 million for the

elevator and $7 million for housing. The Department of Public Information stated that the contract for the rehabilitative works on the elevator was awarded to K P Thomas and Sons Contracting.

It said the project to purchase, install and construct housing was tendered under the Public Infrastructure Ministry but the contract has not been awarded to date.

In late 2016, works began on the old Linden Hospital Complex building. It was refurbished to facilitate consultation rooms, a 10-bed surgical ward, a patients’ waiting room and a canteen, at an estimated cost of $20 million.

T

he Machinery Corporation of Guyana Limited (Macorp) has indicated that it will now be seeking to open a new branch in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo).

The proposal was made following a recent visit paid to the region by the company which saw great potential there.

Product Support Manager, Guillermo Escarraga, after making the revelation noted that the ultimate goal is to develop the communities through Macorp’s services.

Escarraga said the company is looking to establish a demonstration centre as well as a training centre in Lethem.

“We want to get our partnership relation there but ultimately the goal will be to establish a demonstration centre, also a training centre and some other facilities that will help the development of the communities over there,” the Product Support Manager revealed.

However, the proposal for the branch is now in the pipeline and its success depends on a number of factors, according to Escarraga.

Even so, works to have the branch established will commence early next year.

“This is a long run, it depends on many factors, it depends on the development of the region but we hope to start earlier next year,” he disclosed.

Machinery training will now be provided to resi-

Product Support Manager, Guillermo Escarraga

dents in Region Nine, in order for those persons to be employed when the branch is completed. “Training will be done for excavator operators; we have the machines so people can come here and learn the basics, then they go to the simulators and finally they come to operate the machine.

This is open to the public,” he said.

Training for technicians will also be provided by the company which selects the trainees from across Guyana. “We also have training for technicians and what we do is we go around the country and we select people from different technical institutes and we bring them here and we train them for one year so that if we have the need for them we can have them join the company or let other companies know that we have trained these people and that they are available and have the skills to perform the duties that the industry requires,” the product Manager disclosed.

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Pay close attention to Antiguan film to be diminishing reserves screened in Guyana – former Junior Finance Minister advises O

By Samuel Sukhnandan

I

nternational reserves held by the Bank of Guyana (BoG) declined in the first half of 2017 to US$578.4 million, a decline of US$18.3 million from the US$596.7 million that had been collected during the same period in 2016, and a representation of 3.4 months of import coverage.

This, according to former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill, is something that must not be overlooked.

Rather, close attention must be paid to this issue, because if this trend continues, in a few years from now, it will have significant ramifications for Guyana’s financial sector.

The information contained in the Government’s Mid-Year Financial Report for 2017 pointed to the fact that, even with increased domestic earnings -- which resulted from the revised tax regime introduced by the APNU+AFC Coalition Administration -- this did not change the situation.

Edghill reminded that the internationally accepted standard is 3.5 months of import coverage, but he said that if this figure continues to decline, Guyana could be heading into a major foreign reserve issue.

“You may end up with restrictions and controls on foreign currency. The mar-

Former Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Juan Edghill

ket may no longer be a free market. You might end up with restrictions on what money could be made available for imports, because that could put a demand on foreign currency,” the former minister explained.

But equally important, a diminishing reserve is an indication that the country is spending more than it is earning, something that is not novel. However, Edghill said that because Guyana is not earning less in terms of foreign currency, the country would not be able to match the local demand for foreign currency.

He said, “One may suspect that you have to be putting (sums of money) from the reserve into the market for the demand…That is a signal of the underperformance of a number of sectors that contribute to Gross

Domestic Product and bring in foreign reserve. We are earning less.”

Despite these arguments, the former Finance Minister told Guyana Times, he would not make “too much noise” about the issue, since the situation is a bit manageable. However, he noted that the figure on foreign reserves has sent a signal that things could worsen if prudent management is not practised.

Earlier this year, officials at the BoG revealed that US dollars in the system had increased by an excess of between US$10M and US$20M. The selling rate then was between Gy$208 and Gy$210 for US$1 at most financial institutions, since the US dollar was not in abundance.

Overseas-based financial analyst Sasenarine Singh

had claimed that Guyana’s foreign currency reserves decline was started under former President Ramotar, but the pace of the decline accelerated multiple folds since the election of President David Granger.

Singh said that both of these Presidents have failed to stimulate value-added ventures in the agriculture sector, especially in the local sugar industry. However, he said evidence supports the position that the economy is being bungled under Granger. And unless Finance Minister Winston Jordan rolls out some urgent progressive policies to stimulate investments, the run on the Guyana dollar can possibly hit Gy$250 to one US dollar by Christmas 2017, Singh had predicated.

He said the Granger Administration must rebuild the international reserves, stabilise the exchange rate, and stimulate investment in the Guyanese economy. If these strategies are successfully implemented, confidence can be restored in the Guyanese economy, and this would attract foreign direct investments.

Following the unease in the local economy about the availability of foreign currency, the BoG had instituted stricter monitoring measures. Government has never admitted to a shortage.

Electricity restored to normalcy in Mabaruma – new generator to be installed shortly

rienced for more than two months after bearings within the generator were damaged beyond repair.

ne year after a full length movie has been produced in Antigua, the filmmaker has turned his attention to Guyana, with the hope of promoting his creation, “Cry Cry”, at various forums throughout the country.

The film’s director, New York-based Antiguan medical doctor Noel Howell, has arrived in Guyana carrying his most recent production, set to be screened at high schools and other institutions within the coming weeks.

Dr Howell returns to his homeland on a yearly basis, to exercise his love for the arts by hosting seminars to facilitate the creation of short films through the Antiguan Film Academy.

In 2016, his team went above and beyond its annual creations by producing this full length feature film, “Cry Cry”. Reportedly written by 10-year-old Destiny Simon, and directed by Dr Noel Howell, “Cry Cry” features Guyanese actress Vanessa Howell alongside a number of actors hailing from the Antiguan Film Academy. According to the trailer, “It is all about politics, education, the law, and what happens when you follow the wrong company…”

During an interview following his arrival in Guyana, Dr Howell explained the basis of the movie, highlighting xenophobia as the main underlying theme.

He outlined, “Whenever we migrate, we get blamed for everything that goes wrong in the community.

So, in this particular story, we are following some characters who migrated to Antigua, and the stereotype that they have to deal with.”

This producer has posited that this theme is par-

Antiguan filmmaker, Dr Noel Howell

ticularly relevant, given the many talks about immigration, especially on the American news wave.

However, Dr Howell has noted that prejudice against immigrants exists even in the Caribbean, and “Cry Cry” seeks to address the discrimination directed at foreigners within the region.

He has also made public his intention to impact Guyanese audiences through the screening of this movie. He has said: “Guyanese, especially the young people, will benefit a lot from this movie.”

Moreover, Dr Howell pointed out that in addition to inspiring young Guyanese to pursue the arts, the screening of ‘Cry Cry’ throughout the country will make way for similar projects to be executed in Guyana.

Accordingly, this Antiguan film is set to be shown at a number of high schools across Guyana, targeting the youth, while special screenings will be hosted for the general public.

Screening of this Caribbean production in Guyana is as a result of a partnership between the Antiguan Film Academy and the Ministry of Education.

Nigel Dudson’s statements admitted into evidence … trial into Kaneville arson continues

I

An engineer examining the generator

E

ngineers have rectified minor issues that were affecting the standby generator powering the community of Mabaruma in Region One. The township is now receiving up to nine hours of electricity.

Region One Electrical Engineer Frederick Kirk has said a representative from Doosan, the generator’s manufacturers, recently visited the region and dealt with the issues.

Kirk explained: “We had a few minor technical difficulties, but the rep is in here from Doosan and he rectified the issue. We did

a few trial runs and we haven’t gotten any occurrence of the issue since.” He added, “The generator (is) presently powering the community for nine hours a day, (and there are) future plans of expansion of additional hours”.

Prior to that, Kirk noted, the community was receiving only five hours of electricity per day. He said a new generator was procured, and has arrived in Mabaruma. However, its installation is being stalled because it arrived with a part missing.

“The new generator came in, but we are await-

ing some additional parts as well, mainly the radiator.

The radiator should be here tomorrow, and the supplier will come in and install it.

So, by the end of the week, the next generator should be up and running,” Kirk explained.

The Department of Public Information has recorded Kirk as said that once the new generator has been installed, it is expected to provide Mabaruma with more than nine hours of electricity on a daily basis.

The supply of electricity to the sub-district comes as relief to residents, as power outage had been expe-

nvestigating Officer Keith Conway on Monday testified before Magistrate Judy Latchman, as the trial into the death of eight-month-old Romain Seth – who lost his life when his family’s property was set on fire earlier this year – continued at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The witness walked the court through the investigation process and relayed that Dudson had, under caution, admitted to throwing the gun into the yard of Michelle Menezes, the baby’s grandmother, when Police conducted a raid on his premises and arrested him.

After the owner of the house refused to return the gun, Dudson reportedly threatened to kill them all and was sent to stay with an

Dead: Eight-month-old Romain Seth

aunt in Timehri, East Bank Demerara by his mother after this incident.

According to Conway, Dudson claimed that he became fearful after hearing of the fire incident and fled into the interior; however, he continues to proclaim his innocence.

As the witness wrapped up his testimony, Magistrate Latchman ruled that the court finds that all statements made by Dudson to the Police during investigation were made freely and voluntarily, thereby exercising her discretion to permit same to be used as evidence during the course of the trial.

A fire razed the Lot 462 Third Field, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, residence of the deceased toddler on January 23, 2017, and left 10 other persons homeless.

Dudson, an ex-soldier and miner, along with two others – Keon Ashby and “Waynie”, have since been implicated in the arson.

The matter continues before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. (Paula Gomes)

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Govt launches ‘Youth in Natural Resources’ programme

T

he Natural Resources Ministry (MNRE) on Monday kick-started its first ever Youth Mentorship Programme, which emanated from its Corporate Social Responsibility agenda established in 2016.

The three-week initiative is aimed at exposing young Guyanese to the works of the MNRE while engaging them in the operations of the natural resources and extractive industries.

During the programme, the students will benefit from first-hand exposure to the natural resources sector throughout Guyana, while partaking in activities geared at enhancing the environment.

Present at the opening ceremony was the corporate Liaison Officer of the Natural Resources Ministry, Lourianne Pluck, who was integral in the planning and execution of the mentorship programme. While addressing the incoming participants, Pluck explained the objectives of this pilot project. She expressed, “What we are trying to accomplish is to engage youths, to have you experience and have the exposure of what it is that takes place in the Ministry of Natural Resources, in the sector with our partners.”

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman received the participants on Monday and welcomed them to this pioneering journey.

He took the opportunity to pinpoint the contributions of the extractive industry, and

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, along with representatives of the MNRE, welcomed the participants to the programme

urged the students to take full advantage of this opportunity.

“The Youth in Natural Resources Programme is to let you see that there is virtue in the extractive industries. We want you to see that the two (the industry and their practices) are not working against each other,” Trotman relayed while stating that the operations not only allow for the generation of income, but attract foreign exchange while creating learning opportunity for those who work within the sector.

Moreover Trotman, in his address to the students, outlined the works of this Ministry, indicating that its operation is often viewed in a negative light.

He noted that this programme would help to highlight the efforts taken by the mining and extractive industries to protect and preserve the environment.

The minister conveyed, “People tend to look at us and the work that we do in a neg-

ative light: You dig up the ground, you pollute the rivers, you pollute the air sometimes. But what we are working to do here is to bring a healthy balance between the extractive industries and the environment.”

He extended best wishes to the participants as they embark on this impacting journey, and encouraged them to fall in love with their country the way he was able to do as a result of his travels to the various regions.

The Youth Mentorship Programme is the brainchild of Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, and will see participation of 16 students between the ages of 15 and 18.

This first phase of the mentorship and engagement opportunity is expected to come to an end on August 28, and will pave the way for similar programmes to follow, eventually establishing the initiative as an annual undertaking.

Public Infrastructure Ministry completes 91% work programme at mid-year

T

he Public Infrastructure Ministry has completed 91 per cent of its work programme up to July 31, 2017. Providing a midyear performance update to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister David Patterson said his Ministry has tendered 91 per cent of its contracts from which 83 per cent has been awarded. There are 28 projects yet to be tendered.

Minister Patterson explained that some of the projects are foreign funded and the Ministry was required to make the requisite specifications before going to tender. Some of the 28 projects that were not tendered are being redefined.

According to the Public Infrastructure Minister, the overall expenditure up to July 31, 2017 is $10.1 billion which represents approximately 40 per cent of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).

The locally funded PSIP is approximately $9.8 billion from which $3.9 billion was spent, while the foreign funded PISP was $15.6 billion from which $6.2 billion was expended. These represent 40 per cent in expenditures.

“I would have preferred to be over 50 per cent by mid-year but my projects are capital in nature and during the May/June rainy season, some of our perfor-

The Public Infrastructure Ministry’s Wight Lane building

mances dipped. We do expect now that the rains have somewhat subsided that we will be able to push through with the roads, particularly in the hinterlands and Georgetown. The hinterland roads were suspended during the rainy season, the contracts have been awarded, and the contractors are on standby,” Minister Patterson explained.

The Minister noted that several supplementary budget allocations were given to the Ministry recently which the public may question. However, the Minister explained that those funds were used for the East Bank Berbice road, Guyana Power and Light’s Power Upgrade Utility Programme, the Cheddi Jagan International

Airport’s terminal building and runway as well as work on the Georgetown Prison.

Works in these areas continue to move apace.

Further, Minister Patterson highlighted that the Ministry has been experiencing some challenges with its capacity in terms of contractors. However, most of the contractors have been engaged and they have since hired more persons and mobilised more equipment.

“It’s a slow process but they are making progress, next year the Ministry will be in a better position to execute several projects simultaneously. By the end of December, we should complete our work programme,” he declared.

Hinterland youths urged to First Lady pledges support to keep their environment clean children’s Bereavement Camp

First Lady Sandra Granger (centre) along with PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr William Adu-Krow and Public Health Ministry representative, Dr Ruth Williams

T

he Giving Hope Foundation on Monday inaugurated its first ever Bereavement Camp for children who have lost their parents or other family members as a result of cancer or suicide.

The seven-day camp, which caters for children between the ages of five to 18, was opened with a simple ceremony held at 15 Ketley and Drysdale Street, Charlestown.

Attending the opening was First Lady Sandra Granger, who expressed her great appreciation for the camp which she

deems “supportive” toward Guyanese children who experience unfortunate circumstances in their lives. While offering words of encouragement to the children, Mrs Granger told them “this is a hard time when many of you cannot understand why someone you love has been taken from you. You may feel sad. You may ask yourself why this has happened to you. Some of you may even blame yourselves. These are difficult feelings for anyone, more so for a child or teenager. And this is why the Giving Hope Foundation has organ-

ised this Bereavement Camp to help you cope with these feelings.”

According to the First Lady, the Camp provides the opportunity for the children to forge new relationships and widen their circle of support. Also in attendance at the opening was the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Representative, Dr William Adu-Krow, who said the Camp is an applausive initiative as it provides children the opportunity to deal with unaddressed grief. turn to page 16

– Minister Hastings-Williams

P

resident David Granger and Minister within the Ministry of Communities Dawn Hastings-Williams were on Sunday in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) for the opening of the Upper Mazaruni Games 2017, where they distributed a quantity of school bags and books to primary school students of the Kamarang village. Social Cohesion Minister, of Dr George Norton and Minister within the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry, Valerie Garrio-Lowe also distributed exercise books to the youths of the Kamarang/ Warawatta district.

Minister HastingsWilliams also took the opportunity to explain to children gathered in sports ground the importance of having a clean environment. She urged the youngsters that they too can make a difference to Guyana, by keeping their surroundings clean through the Green Generation Guyana Project.

According to the Department of Public Information, the Green

President David Granger and Minister within the Communities Ministry Dawn Hastings-Williams distributing books and bookbags to children

Generation Guyana Project is an awareness project launched in August 2016 by Minister Hastings-Williams.

It was developed with the aim of encouraging school aged children to adopt safe waste management practices.

Over 200 students from 20 primary schools across Guyana have benefited from the project since its beginning at three summer camps along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway in 2016. Some 60 students from four schools

in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) will be targeted when the camp commences from August 14 to the 25, 2017.

“I hope that you would take what you have learned back to your homes and schools and churches to share with those who were not here,” she urged the children.

The next phase of the project begins in October and will target students in Mabaruma and Anna Regina.

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tuesDAY, august 8, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt to develop drug Emergency works procurement manual for Leguan Stelling underway I S

n an effort to improve the management of the supply chain, government will be moving to develop a Procurement Manual for the provision of drugs and medical supplies.

Government will be seeking to have the guide available at least by the end of the third quarter of this year, according to information coming out of the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-year report.

According to the report, the procurement of drugs and medical supplies continue to be an issue of concern for Government. It stated that of the budgeted $6.5 billion allocated for this, only $1 billion has been expended in the first half of the year. It is with this in mind that government will carry out the initiative.

Meanwhile, the report stated that some $10.8 billion of the $31.2 billion budgeted for the sector was expended in the first half of 2017. Of this amount, more than 95 percent were recurrent ex-

penses. Capital expenditure at the half year was very low, the report stated, with a mere 12 percent of the $3.1 billion budgeted for 2017.

In an effort to improve the delivery of healthcare across the administrative regions, government said it has already completed the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and will re-engage Regional Administrations, through the Ministry of Communities. Once enacted, service delivery quality across the country will be standardised and will set a platform for the collection and analysis of data to support evidence-based decision making in the health sector.

Government also expended some $100 million on medical evacuation (medevac) services, an increase of over 100 percent of the amount spent in 2016.

It also partnered with the Cuban Medical Brigade to deploy a total of 67 specialists to multiple regional and district hospitals in the first half

of 2017, in addition to the 63 deployed in 2016.

And as medical facilities continue to be upgraded, it is hoped that there will be reduced referrals to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

In order to ensure that efforts are coordinated and consolidated under the umbrella of the Health Vision 2020, and to maximise efficiency gains, Government has also launched the National System of Health Accounts (SHA).

The SHA will allow for the financial linking of programme plans to a health system platform and standardising costing approach programme.

SHA will also allow for projections regarding the extent of population coverage and available services and their impact on the overall health of the population.

In completing the outstanding commitment to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Goal 5 Improving Maternal Health –, a targeted in-

tervention to support improved maternal child health, which will involve an assessment of emergency neonatal and obstetric care, will commence later this year the report stated.

In addition, improvements to the maternal waiting homes are expected in the second half as well.

Mental health According to the Ministry of Public Health, mental health issues continue to affect society and at the half year, there have been 59 reported cases of suicide. Training of health professionals on mental health is on-going, and 106 of the 300 targeted individuals have already been trained this year.

The Mental Health Institute is being renovated and is expected to be completed in the second half of the year. In addition, a sum of $312.2 million was expended at the half year of the budgeted $2 billion for the improvement and maintenance of health infrastructure across the country.

tructural emergency works” conducted with emergency funding will soon commence on the Leguan Stelling in Region Two (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara), while “full rehabilitation” of the structure will be budgeted for in the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s 2018 budget.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has made this disclosure to the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Reports had, two months ago, surfaced in the media that several piles supporting the Leguan Stelling had substantially rotted, and boat operators and motorists were calling on the authorities to fix them.

According to Minister Patterson, some of the findings in the preliminary report submitted had revealed that, indeed, some of the piles had deteriorated, though not to an extent that would jeopardise the structural integrity of the stelling. What has been re-

vealed, however, is that the metal strips of the stelling had substantially eroded, and there is need for some braces to be installed there.

“While (Leguan Ferry Stelling) is not structurally unsafe, (the deterioration there) gives the impression that the stelling is swaying under the weight (of traffic), so we have decided that we will put in some braces. We are looking at all of those, and a lot of the boards at the stelling are loose; those we will do this year,” the Department of Public Information has quoted Minister Patterson as having said.

Minister Patterson has also noted that some remedial works to the breakwaters (structures constructed along coastlines as part of coastal defence, or to protect an anchorage from the effects of both weather and longshore drift) and other rehabilitation works will be undertaken in the region in 2018.

to advance these fundamental matters in the interest of all Guyanese for a modern society, the AFC said in its statement on Sunday.

The missive went on to outline that the NEC reaffirmed the united strength of the coalition Government as a comprehensive report was presented on the Cummingsburg Accord. The NEC further urged implementation of inter-coalition mechanisms for regular and routine dialogue among parties.

Chairman Ramjattan, Vice Chairperson Cathy Hughes and General Secretary Marlon Williams all noted the significant successes made by the party in 2017 and urged the NEC members to continue the work at the grassroots level.

The Regional Management Committees of Regions Five (MahaicaBerbice) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) were specifically lauded for their work at the community level.

AFC confident in Ramjattan’s ministerial role – youth arm calls for reform of marijuana laws at 3rd NEC

D

espite criticisms and calls for his resignation following last month’s jailbreak and fire which flattened the Camp Street Prison, the Alliance For Change (AFC) remains confident in its Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan’s role as Public Security Minister.

This support was expressed on Saturday when the party held its third National Executive Committee meeting at the Georgetown Club.

The meeting was attended by representatives from all administrative regions, the Diaspora, Youth For Change (YFC), Women For Change (WFC), the elected leadership and national executives.

The party said on Sunday that a motion was unanimously approved that the party reposes its full and complete confidence in Ramjattan.

“The motion followed events of July 9th and subsequently, which brought national focus and attention on the public security sector.

It was noted that despite the challenges, public order has been maintained and that the recapture of most of the escaped prisoners was done in a relatively short period of time and largely without incident. The motion specifically noted the decades long historical and systemic difficulties relating to the public security sector,” the AFC outlined in its statement.

Moreover, during Saturday’s meeting, the

AFC Chairman and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan

party’s youth arm made a robust and vigorous representation to the NEC and the party’s leadership for review of the laws relating to marijuana possession.

The case was presented

by YFC President, Tiziana Rutherford, who pressed the party’s leadership to lobby for reform of the laws on this matter.

“During extensive discussions, it was noted that the current laws result in many young people, particularly young men and numerous mothers of young children being imprisoned for possession of small quantities of marijuana, at maximum detention facilities alongside hardened criminals,” the party noted.

To this end, the NEC agreed that modification of the existing laws will, among

other benefits, lend to reduction of the overcrowded prison population. Specifically, YFC urged changes to the law as it relates to mandatory imprisonment for possession of small quantities of marijuana, an overhaul of existing guidelines for sentencing and the granting of bail for narcotics offences.

This issue has been championed for a number of years by party veteran, community activist and Executive member Michael Carrington, Member of Parliament.

On the other hand, the NEC also unanimously reaffirmed its publicly known position that the party was and is against the Parking Meter Contract in its current form. According to the AFC, until otherwise advised, the party will remain in vehement disagreement with the controversial contract.

Meanwhile, the Party’s Leader, Raphael Trotman, detailed the countrywide outreaches executed by the party over the past three months, along with one major outreach to the New York Chapter of the party.

He also used the opportunity to urge the NEC members, particularly parliamentarians, to utilise the period of parliamentary recess to conduct more outreaches on coastland and in hinterland communities to strengthen and expand the party’s membership.

Additionally, Political Advisor and elder states-

man, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, presented an extensive report to the NEC on three major advances on governance matters at the national level; namely Constitutional Reform, Code of Conduct for public officials, and the passing of the Broadcasting Amendment Bill 2017.

The Prime Minister emphasised that these successes formed collective evidence that the AFC was keeping its covenant with, and promise to, the people

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News

HERO team urged to promote renewed primary healthcare

A

medical team from Health and Education Relief Organisation (HERO) on Sunday was urged by Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings to promote renewed primary healthcare

Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings

in Guyana during their oneweek medical outreach.

In brief remarks at Project Dawn, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, Minister Cummings expressed gratitude to the team for their support, es-

pecially since government would like to reintroduce primary healthcare.

“We are very happy for your (presence) and we hope that you continue to lend your expertise and help us identify our gaps, as we brainstorm on how we could find solutions to these problems, but our mantra remains the same of having healthy people and healthy communities and of course when it is all said and done, we really want to renew our primary healthcare because we want to strive for the preventative aspect instead of the curative aspect,” the Minister explained.

Minister Cummings noted that the recommendations that will be provided by the team will also help to improve the country’s healthcare services. “The people of Guyana, whether from Corentyne to Georgetown to West Demerara will benefit from your services and they will say indeed we are very privileged to have HERO team with us,” the Minister posited.

It was also highlighted that the team will be split into five groups which will focus on various areas during their stay, which in-

A section of the HERO team

cludes the Linden team, which will be tasked with handling basic medical outreaches.

A team will be sent to the Georgetown Public Hospital and is expected to complete 44 surgeries for patients with “club foot” and other lower extremity problems.

The remaining teams will focus on children from Mocha Primary School between the ages of five and 12 for the literacy programme, in addition to assisting the children living at Joshua House Children Centre.

Ieshia King-O’loughlin, a Board member of HERO who is also in charge of the literacy programme, thanked the Minister for her support and

words of wisdom. She noted that though the programme she has undertaken is not her profession, it has proven to be beneficial to the children.

King said the initiative focuses on supporting children performing below grade level in reading, writing and Mathematics.

HERO is a non-profit organisation, which is registered in the United States and has been providing health care and other services to Guyana and other developing countries since 2000. This is the 11th time HERO has visited Guyana to assist in the delivery of healthcare services and educational programmes.

5 arrested for robbing, terrorising Corentyne couple

– eyewitnesses say 10 heavily armed men were involved

F

ive men, including the driver of the suspected getaway car, are now in police custody following the recent armed robbery committed on an Upper Corentyne couple.

Reports are that at about 22:20h on Saturday, 10 heavily armed men stormed a residence situated at Second Street, South Number 69 Village, Corentyne, where 27-year-old fisherman Sachin Ramrattan, also called ‘Kemmy’; his 24-yearold wife Vidya Gopaul, also called ‘Polly’, who is nine months pregnant; and the couple’s 4-year-old son reside.

Guyana Times understands that this family was fortunately able to escape before the bandits entered the building, getting out through a window and crawling onto their roof, before jumping onto the neighbour's roof; then reportedly crossing three houses by running across the roofs before jumping into an ally and making it into the next street, where Ramrattan’s relatives live.

This pregnant woman, who had to jump some eight feet to the ground, suffered a few bruises, but her pregnancy was reportedly not affected, this publication was told.

Villagers report that dogs in the area were barking for about twenty minutes before the bandits attacked this home.

One eyewitness related that he heard six gunshots.

“Two single shots come from a different gun. You know because you hear the sound different. And the other (shots) like is from a machine gun,” this publication was told.

In explaining that all the home invaders were masked and heavily armed, one eyewitness said they were all dressed in black outfits. “All of them had strap-up shoes, and some of them had on gloves and (masks) over their faces. The street had light, and some of them were

walking up and down the street, so we peep out and see them…,” one neighbour said. According to this neighbour, three of the men went into the house while the others stayed on the street.

The men reportedly entered the two-storey building at about 22:30h. They smashed a window and then hammered out the iron grill, and they remained there until 0:45h, some neighbours say.

“When they go in the house is just after I check the time on my phone; and they were inside all the time till almost 1’ O’clock. All the time we calling. We call some people at the front street for them to call the police.

We call Springlands Police

Station. We call 51 [Number 51 Police Station], and we call New Amsterdam. These men were in the house for like two hours, and no police can’t come; and is everybody calling all the police stations…” one resident said.

Another resident reported that intruders remained in the house for more than two hours.

Ramrattan’s mother, his sister and his brother-in-law left the country last month, leaving the family of three alone in the house. $1.7 million in jewellery, $100,000 in cash, and an assortment of other items were reportedly confiscated.

This family has since moved to another location out of fear.

Meanwhile, police in a release said that, following the armed robbery, five suspects have been taken into custody, including a 33-yearold driver of Number 72 Village, Corentyne, who was found in his vehicle within close proximity to the crime scene. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of a small quantity of cannabis, and a search of his premises unearthed an unlicensed shotgun, two spent shells and one live cartridge, the release said.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Asylum applications double as foreigners turn to T&T

As turmoil continues to plague countries globally, including neighbouring Venezuela, more people are turning to Trinidad and Tobago as a haven from pain and persecution, as is evident in a drastic increase in the numbers of those seeking refuge.

This is according to data provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Human trafficking is also an issue, with cases of trafficked women being referred to the Counter Trafficking Unit of this country’s National Security Ministry.

Ruben Barbado, protection officer with the UNHCR, and Nikita Mohammed, assistant co-ordinator at the Living Water Community, sat down with the Sunday Express at the United Nations’ Port of Spain office last Friday and shared statistics.

They expressed hope that Government would move forward to enact legislation to help with the refugee crisis gripping the world.

Barbado said there has been a “substantive” increase in people seeking asylum in Trinidad.

In 2016, there was a total of 163 asylum applications. In 2017, in just the first three months, the figures have more than doubled, with some 336 asylum applications being made, with 60 per cent of this figure being men.

Barbado said Cubans remain the largest numbers of asylum seekers, but there have also been increases from Venezuela and from over 19 nationalities, such as Syria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, etc. There are currently 640 refugees, asylum seekers and other persons of concern in Trinidad and Tobago.

Barbado said Trinidad and Tobago is one of the largest refugee-receiving countries in the Caribbean, but is third in the region, next to Belize and the Dominican Republic. Those two countries have legislation in place to deal with refugees.

In response to the growing number of asylum seekers in T&T, Government adopted a refugee policy in 2016, and UNHCR established an office in January 2016.

Asylum applications in Trinidad and Tobago over a five-year period are as follows: 2013……………………………………8 2014…………………………………..40 2015…………………………………..83 2016………………………………...163 As of May 2017…….336, with 60 per cent being men.

Refugees are people outside their country of origin because of feared persecution, conflict, violence, or other circumstances that have seriously disturbed public order; and who, as a result, require “international protection”.

Barbado pointed out that, globally, millions of people are fleeing their homes, with the UNHCR figures at the end of 2016 showing 65.6 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide; and of this number, some 22.5 million are refugees.

He noted ten million are stateless; and of this lot, only a mere 189,300 refugees have been resettled.

Refugee policy

The UNHCR has been collaborating with the Living Water Community since 1989, and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) identifies and refers persons of concern to the UNHCR. The UNHCR also works closely with the Immigration Division of the National Security Ministry.

Barbado said Trinidad and Tobago does not have legislation to legally help refugees, but a refugee policy adopted in 2014 by the Cabinet envisions the Government providing recognised refugees a permit of stay, work authorization, and access to public assistance. (Excerpt form Trinidad Express)

First Lady pledges ...

from page 14

The PAHO/WHO representative noted that “unaddressed grief can cause youth to feel isolated and alone; both in their family and from other children,” adding that children who are grieving are at greater risk for depression, suicide, poverty and for substance and other related abuses.

Hence, Dr Adu-Krow reiterated that there is a need for a collaborative effort to provide support and care for children in these situations.

As such, he pledged his continued support to the Giving Hope Foundation.

President of the Foundation, Dr Latoya Gooding, said the organisation will continue to work towards improving the quality of life for adults and chil-

dren diagnosed with various forms of cancer.

However, needed attention will also be directed towards suicide in Guyana as the rate is currently alarmingly high.

The Camp will provide an avenue for the grieving children to create memory frames of their loved ones, express their feelings through words and art, develop family trees, design Bereavement Camp T-shirts and go on field trips, among other activities.

Representative of the Public Health Ministry, Dr Ruth Williams and other members of both Government and NonGovernmental organisations were also present at the event.

tuesDAY, August 8, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

North Korea vows to Tillerson warns of US-Russian retaliate against US ‘serious mistrust’

N

orth Korea has vowed to retaliate and make “the US pay a price” for drafting fresh UN sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons programme.

The sanctions, which were unanimously passed by the UN on Saturday, were a “violent violation of our sovereignty,” the official KCNA news agency said.

Separately, South Korea says the North has rejected an offer to restart talks, dismissing it as insincere.

The sanctions will aim to reduce North Korea’s export revenues by a third.

The UN Security Council decision followed repeated missile tests by the North which have escalated tensions on the peninsula.

In its first major response on Monday, North Korea insisted that it would continue to develop its controversial nuclear weapons programme.

The state-run KCNA news agency said Pyongyang would “not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table” while it faces threats from the US. It threatened to make the US “pay the price for its crime... thousands of times,”

referring to America’s role in drafting the UN sanctions resolution.

Speaking to reporters at a regional forum in the Philippine capital, Manila, North Korean spokesman Bang Kwang Hyuk said: “The worsening situation on the Korean peninsula, as well as the nuclear issues, were caused by the United States.

“We affirm that we’ll never place our nuclear and ballistic missiles programme on the negotiating table, and won’t budge an inch on strengthening nuclear armament.” (BBC)

South Africa MPs to vote in secret on no-confidence motion

S

outh African MPs will vote in secret on a motion of no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday, the parliament’s speaker has announced.

Baleka Mbete made the ruling after opposition parties took the case to the Constitutional Court.

They believe that in a secret ballot, MPs from the governing African National Congress (ANC) would be more likely to vote against the president.

Mr Zuma has survived several previous votes of no-confidence.

The ANC has governed South Africa since the end of white-minority rule in 1994,

T

he US secretary of state has warned Russia’s foreign minister of “serious mistrust” between the two nations due to Moscow’s US election interference.

Rex Tillerson said Russia’s actions had damaged the relationship, but added it’s not “useful to just cut everything off over one single issue”.

The US will respond by 1 September to Russia’s expulsion of 755 staff from the US embassy in Moscow, he said.

US intelligence agencies believe the Kremlin tried to help Donald Trump.

Moscow vehemently denies any efforts to influence the US election, and retaliatory sanctions passed

by Congress last month against President Trump’s wishes - have sparked a titfor-tat.

Tillerson told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov there was now “serious mistrust between our

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson

two countries and that we simply have to find some way to deal with that”.

After speaking to Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in the Philippines, he said: “We have our differences, we’re going to have to continue to find a way to address those.”

He said he met Lavrov to “help them understand how serious this incident had been and how seriously it damaged the relationship.”

Tillerson also indicated that the two countries may be able to come together to begin discussions on violence in Eastern Ukraine.

The comments by the former CEO of ExxonMobil come less than a week after US President Donald Trump signed into law the new legislation that imposes sanctions on Russia for both election meddling and military actions in Crimea and Ukraine. (BBC)

At least 22 wounded in Pakistani bomb blast

A

Protesters gathered near Parliament before the Speaker announced her decision

and has a huge majority in parliament. Mbete’s decision took many by surprise and injects a new element of uncertainty into the proceedings against the president, reports

the BBC’s Nomsa Maseko in Cape Town.

The question now is whether enough ANC MPs are prepared to make a stand against the president, she adds. (BBC)

bomb blast on Monday wounded at least 22 people in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, a government official said, with no one immediately claiming responsibility.

Attacks in the Punjab provincial capital have become less frequent over the past couple of years but Islamist militant groups

are still active there and periodically carry out major attacks.

“It was a bomb blast in a fruit truck that wounded 22 persons,” provincial Punjabi government spokesman Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said.

Haider Ashraf, deputy inspector general of police, said the truck was loaded

with explosives and experts were combing through the wreckage.

“Allah has saved Lahore from big destruction,” Ashraf told local ARY television channel.

Last month a suicide bomber from the militant group Pakistani Taliban killed at least 25 people in Lahore, many of them police. (Reuters)

4-year-old boy shot in head in apparent road rage War crimes prosecutor quits A four-year-old boy is in serious condition after he was shot in the head in an apparent road rage incident overnight in Cleveland, the Cleveland Police Department said.

Police said the shooting happened while a mother was driving her four-year-old son

and seven-year-old daughter.

After the mother honked her horn to pass another car blocking the road, that car allegedly followed the mother onto the freeway and fired shots into the woman’s car, police said.

The mother then exited the freeway and contacted

EMS, police said.

Police said the 4-year-old underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments and preliminary information indicates the bullet fragments did not penetrate his brain.

The 7-year-old girl suffered minor scratches from shattered glass, police said.

No arrests have been made, police said.

The mother said she didn’t know the men in the other car, according to the police report.

Police say they are searching for two black men who were driving a white 4-door Pontiac with tinted windows.

(ABC news)

Australia finds crashed military aircraft

A

V

Former war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte

eteran war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte is quitting the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, the panel confirmed on Sunday.

Del Ponte was one of three members on the UNappointed panel tasked with probing human rights violations in Syria, including chemical weapons attacks, torture of prisoners, and the targeting of hospitals.

“I am quitting this

commission, which is not backed by any political will,” she told a panel discussion at the Locarno Film Festival, Reuters reported.

“I have no power as long as the Security Council does nothing,” she added.

“We are powerless, there is no justice for Syria.”

Del Ponte has served on the commission since September 2012 -- one year after the Syrian conflict started. Since it began, the Syrian civil war has left some 400,000 people dead and millions displaced. (CNN)

n Australian Navy survey ship has located a US military aircraft that crashed off the Australian northeast coast at the weekend and left three Marines missing, Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Monday.

The navy divers will conduct remotely operated underwater vehicle operations before considering sending down divers, Payne said in a statement.

The US Marine Corps had suspended a search for the three Marines missing since the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed while on regular operations on Saturday.

The Marines have described the incident as a “mishap” and said it was under investigation.

“Royal Australian Navy survey ship Melville arrived in Shoalwater

A image from the US Defence Force shows search efforts for three US Marines missing

Bay overnight,” Payne said in the statement. “Shortly after commencing survey operations in the area, the submerged aircraft was located.”

The aircraft had taken off from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)

amphibious assault ship and was on regular operations when it crashed, according to the Marine Corps.

Twenty-three other personnel aboard the aircraft were rescued.

(Reuters)

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, august 8, 2017

ARCHIE

Take part in activities that allow you to show off (March 21- your skills. A physical, menApril 19) tal and emotional challenge will help build your confidence, strength and courage.

Personal growth is featured.

ARIES

Don’t sign up for someTAURUS thing that will add to your (April 20- stress. Doing something that May 20) is creative or helpful should be your priority. Personal changes look promising.

dilbert

Stick to what you know and GEMINI do best. Don’t be led astray by (May 21someone’s compliments and maJune 20) nipulative ways. Making home improvements and being selective regarding personal acquaintances should be your priorities.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Your charm will help you convince others to do things your way. Positive changes at home will encourage family gatherings. Love and romance are in the stars.

A partnership looks promising. Look at a proposal carefully and negotiate the changes you want to see put in place. A challenge will inspire you to do more for others.

A vocational change can VIRGO (Aug. 23- be made if you pick up addiSept. 22) tional skills or do some required paperwork to follow your dream. Home improvements or a residential move will give your assets a boost.

LIBRA Learn from your mistakes (Sept. 23- and aim to do something that Oct. 23) makes a difference to you and others. Don’t let anyone bully you into something you don’t want to do.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Make a change that will SCORPIO improve your standard of liv(Oct. 24ing or occupation. Think twice Nov. 22) before you take on something that you know little about.

You can make a differSAGITTARIUS ence if you pick up addition(Nov. 23- al qualifications or experience Dec. 21) required to be in a position of control or authority. Personal growth and improvements are favored.

Use your ingenuity when CAPRICORN it comes to handling financial (Dec. 22- affairs. A diverse approach to Jan. 19) the way you use your skills will attract someone who complements your talents.

solution for Last Published Puzzle Be aware of what others

AQUARIUS want. Refuse to let anyone ma(Jan. 20- nipulate you into something Feb. 19) that could jeopardize your chance to do your own thing.

Discussions with someone close to you will be misleading.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Make physical changes to PISCES your appearance or residence.

(Feb. 20Discuss matters of concern with March 20)

someone who will be affected by your decisions. Building a brighter future with a loved one should be your priority.

tuesDAY, august 8, 2017

T

he Senior Caribbean Netball Championships that had been scheduled to run from August 19-26 has been postponed following the withdrawal of Barbados and Grenada as well as Jamaica.

Jamaica was notified of the postponement of the tournament on August 4, a day after the board of Netball Jamaica decided to withdraw from the tournament because there would be little benefit to the country’s netball programme and there would be the potential loss of ranking points for the Sunshine Girls currently ranked fourth in the world.

“The Board of Directors of Netball Jamaica voted unanimously on August 3rd, 2017 to withdraw Jamaica’s entry from the Senior Caribbean Champion. The

19

C'bean Netball Championships postponed, Jamaica withdrew over ranking fears

The Jamaican national netball team

decision was reached on the heels of a presentation from NJ’s Coaching Committee which detailed an analysis of the possible outcomes to be derived from partic-

“The tournament would ipation in the Caribbean Championships that were, involve teams that have for the first time, being classified as a ranking tournament,” a statement from Netball Jamaica said.

not yet attained rating points and teams that currently hold less than 100 points. Consultations were also held with the players, coaching staff and Technical Committee of Netball Jamaica.”

According to Netball Jamaica, the review revealed that participation would result in a loss of five rating points. Jamaica currently has a world ranking of 4th which is based on a rating of 149. The country that is ranked 3rd has a rating of 159, whilst the 5th ranked has attained a rating of 137.

The report revealed that, assuming that Jamaica wins every match played during

this tournament, on its conclusion the country could lose 5 rating points, which mathematically results in a rating of 144. This would effectively widen the gap between Jamaica and England currently holding third place in the world ranking to 15 points, while at the same time, narrow the difference in rating points between it and South Africa currently ranked at 5th from 13 to 8.

NJ said it remained committed to participating in regional friendly encounters for the purpose of regional ranking, but reserves the right to determine when and against whom it competes for the world ranking. (SportsMax)

Bolt asked to be the face of the UNWTO conference in Jamaica Gatlin’s father flays London crowd for booing son

J

ustin Gatlin’s father has asked the fans to lay off his son after the 35-year-old was booed inside the London Stadium while accepting his 100 meters World Championships gold medal.

American Gatlin, who has served two suspensions for doping offences, ruined Usain Bolt’s farewell on Saturday by beating the Jamaican sprinter in his final individual race.

“He is very strong and can deal with it. Only here. He only gets it here,” Willie Gatlin told the Times.

“The people booing need to read the reports.

He has never committed a crime. They need to go and look at what was said.”

Willie said Justin had been fully rehabilitated in the U.S. and that he could be a role model for children.

“He gets invited into schools all the time and does lots of talks,” he said.

Gatlin was banned for two years in 2001 after failing a dope test for amphetamines found in prescribed medication he had been taking since a child for Attention Deficit Disorder. This suspension

Justin Gatlin hugs Usain Bolt

was later reduced to one year on appeal.

The sprinter then tested positive for testosterone in 2006 and was suspended for eight years, avoiding a lifetime ban in exchange for his cooperation with the doping authorities.

This ban, however, was also halved by an arbitration panel in 2007.

IAAF president Sebastian Coe reiterated his support for life bans for convicted drug cheats, using Gatlin’s example to show how legal systems worldwide have made it increasingly difficult to impose severe punishments on athletes. (Reuters)

P

lacing tremendous confidence in world record holder Usain St Leo Bolt, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett says the athlete, who has taken on the moniker ‘The Legend’, is to become the face of national activities.

“Jamaica has in no way lost confidence in his ability to represent the country as an ambassador and we intend to utilise him as the face of national activities,” Bartlett told The Gleaner in London on Sunday, hours after Bolt earned a bronze medal in finals of the 100 metres race at the IAAF World Championships.

In fact, he revealed that the United Nation World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) was in discussion with Bolt,

inviting him to play the role of ambassador for the November 27-29 conference being held under the theme ‘Building Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism for Development’, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Once confirmed, Bolt, who retires from athletics after the world games, will join the ranks of a number of other special UNWTO ambassadors.

So far, more than 50 countries and 200 delegates have registered for the event, which will bring together three critical partners in tourism, air, land and sea.

According to the tourism minister, multilateral funding agencies, academics and nongovernmental organisation will focus on the future of

Amir Khan splits with wife, accuses her of cheating with boxer Anthony Joshua

A

mir Khan hasn’t fought since his sixth round knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez last May. But it appears that the former junior welterweight champion has another fight on his hands outside of the boxing ring. The 30-year-old took to Twitter to announce that he will be splitting from his wife of four years, Faryal.

There was speculation that Khan’s Twitter account was hacked, but the boxer released a video stating that everything was real and he will be leaving his wife. “It is real,” Khan said. “Obviously, me and Faryal have both decided to move on — well, I’ve decided to walk away. Nothing has been hacked.” Faryal posted a series of replies, but has since deleted those tweets. She accused Khan of being a cheater and suggested that the boxer is seeking attention because his boxing career hasn’t

Amir Khan and his wife of four years, Faryal Makhdoom, have split up

gone well the past year. “I’m not the one who’s been in the papers every month with my pants down cheater!” she posted while also suggesting that Khan is at fault for their marriage falling apart.

(YahooSports)

tourism, and its potential as an instrument of job creation and inclusive growth.

Bartlett expects tourism ministers from 157 countries, in addition to various heads of government, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and the Organisation of American States officials.

With others such as the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association and the World Tourism and Travel Council also supporting the event, Bartlett is satisfied that “this will be a conference like no one has ever seen before”. There will be significant spin-offs for local and Caribbean tourism, particularly so for Jamaica, which will be showcasing to global tourism partners a special gastronomy prototype in rural Jamaica as well as hosting a major awards ceremony honouring some of the best tourism leaders in the region.

The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development marks an important milestone in the 2030 Agenda and in the progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in which the tourism sector appears as a key tool. Special ambassadors aim to provide a global focus to the International Year, as well as to highlight the commitment of leaders and prominent personalities in the development of sustainable practices in the tourism sector.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

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tuesdAY, AUGUST 8, 2017

Moeen bags 5 as England power to 177-run victory

– clinch series 3-1

M

oeen Ali proved South Africa’s primary scourge once again as England wrapped

here on Sunday, Moeen claimed 5-69 to roll the visitors out for 202 under sunny Manchester skies.

going nicely for the fourth wicket.

Yet as tea approached, Moeen broke the back of

England won the 4th test match on day four and wrapped up the series 3-1

up a 3-1 series success with a 177-run win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

Having taken a hattrick to seal victory at The Oval last time out before his counter-attacking half-century effectively took the game away from the Proteas

His third-day knock meant South Africa were chasing an unlikely 380 to win and secure a series draw but at one stage in Monday’s middle session the tourists were looking comfortable with Hashim Amla (83) and Faf du Plessis (61)

their resistance by removing Amla, Quinton de Kock and Theunis de Bruyn in the space of two overs and suddenly England were within touching distance.

South Africa folded sharply after the interval as a gruelling tour, which saw

Zidane refuses to take Mourinho’s Bale bait

A

Gareth Bale

fter Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho indicated he wants to sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane played it cool.

Zinedine Zidane says Gareth Bale is fully concentrated on Real Madrid despite continued speculation linking the Wales international with a return to the Premier League.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho suggested on Monday that he would “fight” for Bale’s signature with other coaches if Zidane left the winger out of his team for Tuesday’s Super Cup clash between United and Madrid in Skopje.

Bale was named on the bench for the Champions League final after recovering from injury, with Isco preferred by Zidane, while Madrid’s expected move for Monaco’s teenage striker Kylian Mbappe could push the 28-year-old down the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But Zidane refused to take the bait offered

by Mourinho when he appeared in front of the press, indicating stories about Bale and teammate Cristiano Ronaldo will not affect his side’s focus.

“What’s important is the player is feeling well,” Zidane told reporters. “He has had a lot of continued training sessions with us and that is what is the most important.

“The end of last season was not easy for him because he was injured,. But now I see him very well, very concentrated.

“What’s important for us is not what Mourinho said, it is what we are going to do tomorrow. “It’s the same thing with Cristiano, we’ve also had stories there. People seem to want to blow a story out of proportion. We are concentrating on what we’re doing and that’s what’s important.

“Bale is a Madrid player. That is all I can say. What I want to talk to you about now is an important match. Him, me, all the players and the fans are here for the match. That is all I can say.”

Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett has previously hit out at transfer speculation regarding his client, telling BBC Sport: “It’s a ridiculous, stupid story.” But while Zidane would not open the door for a potential Bale departure, Madrid captain Sergio Ramos was more sanguine about the possibility of the Welshman moving on before the transfer window closes.

“We respect the opinion of any other coach,” said Ramos, who was reported to have fallen out with Mourinho during the Portuguese’s time in charge of Madrid.

“At the moment, Gareth Bale is a player of Real Madrid and we are delighted to have him on board. The future of any player is decided by that player. We as team-mates have no opinion.

“The month of August is very long and anything can happen. Gareth Bale is a fantastic player and we are delighted to have him on our side.” (SportsMax)

them first land on these shores in May, came to a disheartening denouement with the final seven wickets adding just 39 runs.

While they will look forward to returning home, England, meanwhile, turn their attentions to three Tests versus West Indies ahead of an Ashes trip Down Under.

After his day-three heroics, Moeen was left unbeaten on 75 as Morne Morkel (4-41) needed just seven deliveries to remove Stuart Broad and James Anderson in the morning, dismissing England for 243 in their second innings.

Rain delayed the resumption but England wasted little time in making inroads as Broad (124) induced Dean Elgar to edge behind for five before Anderson (3-16) brought an end to Heino Kuhn’s miserable series, the opener nicking to slip for 11.

And England went into lunch with a spring in their step as, from the final ball of the morning, Temba Bavuma (12) was adjudged caught behind following a review from Joe Root, despite an initial lack of appeal from bowler Toby Roland-Jones (1-52).

Amla took three fours from one Roland-Jones over to signal South Africa’s intent to fight back after the

interval and brought up his fifty by guiding Ben Stokes down to fine leg for another boundary.

It was Moeen who finally made the breakthrough, ending a stand of 123 by trapping Amla lbw with the help of another review.

Du Plessis brought up his half-century with a whip to leg for four, but in the same over Moeen ousted De Kock (2) and De Bruyn (0) courtesy of edges to slip.

The captain followed soon after tea, edging Anderson behind, and Kagiso Rabada fell to the same bowler, who was harbouring hopes of a first Test five-for on his home ground.

They were soon dashed, though, as Moeen completed a fine individual performance by removing Morkel and Duanne Olivier in successive balls to round off an ultimately resounding England victory. (HindustanTimes)

SCOREBOARD England 1st Innings 362 South Africa 1st Innings 226 England 2nd Innings AN Cook c de Bruyn b Morkel 10 KK Jennings c Amla b Rabada 18 T Westley c sub (AK Markram) b Morkel 9 JE Root (c) b Olivier 49 DJ Malan c de Bruyn b Maharaj6 BA Stokes c du Plessis b Olivier 23 JM Bairstow † c Rabada b Olivier 10 MM Ali not out 75 TS Roland-Jones c Maharaj b Rabada 11 SCJ Broad c de Bruyn b Morkel 5 JM Anderson c de Bruyn b Morkel 2 Extras: 25 (b 9, lb 13, nb 1, w 2) TOTAL 243 all out (69.1 Overs) BOWLING: M Morkel 13.141-4, K Rabada 17-50-2, KA

Maharaj 27-92-1, D Olivier 1238-3 South Africa 2nd Innings HG Kuhn c Cook b Anderson 11 D Elgar c †Bairstow b Broad 5 HM Amla lbw b Ali 83 T Bavuma c †Bairstow b RolandJones 12 F du Plessis (c) c †Bairstow b Anderson 61 Q de Kock † c Cook b Ali 1 TB de Bruyn c Stokes b Ali 0 KA Maharaj not out 21 K Rabada c Westley b Anderson 1 M Morkel c Root b Ali 0 D Olivier c Stokes b Ali 0 Extras: 7 (b 4, lb 3) TOTAL: 202 all out (62.5 Overs) BOWLING: JM Anderson 1416-3, SCJ Broad 12-24-1, TS Roland-Jones 9-52-1, MM Ali 19.5-69-5, BA Stokes 6-26-0, JE Root 2-8-0

Nadal has eyes on world number 1 ranking in Montreal

R

afa-

el Nadal will return to the top of the ATP w o r l d rankings for the first time in three years if he reaches the semi-finals at this week’s Rogers Cup in Montreal.

The 31-year-old Spaniard, top seed in Canada in the absence of current world number one Andy Murray, ended last year ranked nine after taking time off to recover from a wrist injury.

While the return of the Mallorcan to the summit would be an incredible turn-

around, the French Open champion is refusing to get carried away as he seeks a fourth Rogers Cup title.

“I don’t even think about that now. I’m trying to have the right preparation now and that’s it,” Nadal told the ATP’s website.

“I’m going to keep trying to play the way I did in the first part of the season, so if I’m able to make that happen, I hope to have a chance to do well,” said Nadal, who is preparing for his first action since losing an epic contest to Gilles Muller in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

Fifteen-times grand slam champion Nadal has spent a career total of 141 weeks as world number one -- seventh on the list.

Murray, who is missing from Montreal as he treats a hip problem, has been ranked number one since last November having claimed five successive titles.

Nadal opens in Montreal against either Croatia’s Borna Coric or Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

Second seed Roger Federer also returns to action in Montreal having won his eighth Wimbledon title last month.

The 35-year-old Swiss is also challenging to return to the world number one spot he has occupied for a record total of 302 weeks during his career. (Reuters)

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West Front Road-Gold is Money (left) and Future Stars (right) before the kick-off of the GT Beer Keep Your Five Alive final

A

n unruly and stubborn crowd ruined a memorable night of futsal at the National Gymnasium on Saturday night at the final of the GT Beer sponsored “Keep Your Five Alive” futsal tournament.

The footballing encounter between the young Future Stars and the experienced West Front RoadGold is Money in the final was one for the ages as penalty kicks was required after normal time and extra time failed to produce a winner.

The young Chase Academy captain Jeremy Garrett who plays for Future Stars and is known for his thunderous strikes

in the smaller format of the game stunned the West Front Road players when he struck from distance to give his side the lead in the 30th minute.

However Garrett was not finished as he produced another stunning strike in the 35th minute to leave the opposition in disbelief.

This however spurred West Front Road into action and it was none other than Jamal Pedro who responded with two quick goals to leave the crowd in an uproar.

Pedro nailed his brace of goals in the 37th and 42nd minute to draw his side level with the young upstarts; it was a script that could not be written nor predict-

ed.

Randolph Wagner was the next player to get his name on the score-sheet as he scored with the clock at 48 minutes to give West Front Road some breathing space.

West Front Road held on to their slender lead and seemed on course for the victory with full time mere seconds away when Future Stars’ fleet- footed forward Keiron Solomon hauled his team back into contention with a goal in the 59th minute to even the score at 3-3 just as the whistle signaling full time was blown.

As the game headed into extra time (2 equal 4 minutes halves), it was Solomon in the thick of things again

as he restored the lead to his team with his second goal of the match in the 62nd minute. As was the case with West Front Road earlier, it seemed as though Future Stars were on their way to winning the championship but Wagner for a second time fired in another goal (68th minute) to equalize and send the game to the lotto of penalty kicks.

It was at this point that the fans swarmed the playing area and refused to budge thus leaving the players and officials no choice but to walk out of the gymnasium with the penalty kicks evenly matched at 2 apiece.

However the organisers and team representatives

met on Sunday and came to the decision to split the prize money evenly as it was $500,000 and $250,000 for the winner and the runner-up. The teams negotiated with the organisers who added $50,000 more to get a grand total of $800,000 which was divided evenly between Future Stars and West Front Road-Gold is Money.

Corporate support for the tournament was provided by HJTV, 94.1 Boom FM, Trophy Stall, Star Party Rentals, A&J Carpet House, Ravi’s Carwash (Pike Street, Kitty), Cheese Please, Colours Boutique, Confidential Cabs and the title sponsor, GT Beer.

Jamaul John, Raul Leal share spoils

By M ichelangelo J acobus

J

amal John took the Reagan Rodrigues Memorial 50-mile cycling event on Sunday while Raul Leal was the winner of the 14th Annual Seven Seas 35-lap race in the National Park on Saturday. The two cyclists reversed positions on both days with John coming second behind Leal on Saturday while the former was second behind John on Sunday.

The resurgent Leal had a time of one hour 17 minutes 56 seconds to win the feature 35-lap event of the Massy Groups of Companies’ sponsored 14th annual Seven Seas 11-race cycle programme that was held in the National Park on Saturday.

Leal was among a peloton that led the race which featured 30 starters. However, after the 25th lap, Leal, along with Jamaul John, Alonzo Ambrose, Shaquile Agard and Deoraj Garbarran, broke from the pack and never looked back.

With two laps remain-

ing, Leal made his move and distanced himself from the rest of the competition. He received the bell signaling the final lap with approximately 20 metres advantage and went on to win comfortably ahead of Jamal John who outsprinted Agard across the line, while Ambrose settled for fourth, Deoraj Garbarran fifth and Paul DeNobrega sixth respectively.

Garbarran won four prime prizes while John, Ambrose and DeNobrega won one each.

Jonathan Ramsuchit was the winner of the three-lap race for BMX boys and Girls 12-14 years of age.

The veterans’ under-50 five-lap event was won by Ian Jackson with Keith Fernandes second and Jaikaran Sukhai third.

Meanwhile, Nigel Duguid took top spot in the 10-lap race for juveniles ahead of Briton John and Marcus Keiler in that order.

On Sunday John triumphed over Leal in the Regan Rodrigues Memorial 50 miles Road Race on the

West Coast of Demerara.

The grueling race started at the Wales Police Station at 08:00hrs and proceeded to Bushy Park on the East Bank of Essequibo before finishing at the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

In a replay of Saturday’s action John and Leal were among the lead pack along with Christopher Griffith, Shaquel Agard, Paul DeNobrega and Briton John.

However sensible riding and a combination of grit and determination ensured that the youthful John outlasted his competitors.

Leal finished in second while Kemuel Moses was third, Briton John fourth, Christopher Griffith fifth and Shaquel Agard sixth.

The top six riders were all presented with trophies and hampers.

Raul Leal during his victory in the 14th annual Seven Seas 35-lap event

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

tuesdAY, AUGUST 8, 2017

Major upsets at GABBFF Senior National Body Building Championships ‒ Clark, Campbell dethroned

Bruce Whatley, who won the men’s bodybuildtaged for the ing overfirst time all and u n d e r Yannick new Guyana Grimes, a Amateur runner up B o d y on several Building occasions a n d taking top Fitness spot in the physique category.

Whatley (GABBFF) who copped gold e x e c u (masters) and siltive Coel ver (middleweight) Marks at at last year’s CAC the presChampionships t i g i o u s in the M a r r i o t t Dominican Hotel on Sunday Republic, evening, the out posed Senior National and out Championships flexed the proved to be a night of matwo other jor upsets as four-time Mr. athletes in Guyana (bodybuilding) the heavyKerwin Clarke and twoweight categotime Mr. Guyana (Men’s ry, Tremel King Physique), Emmerson and Ron Loncke, Campbell both lost then clashed with their titles. the winners of the The judges faother classes includv o u r e d Mr Guyana 2017! Bruce Whatley ing Clarke U S A strikes a pose after dethroning ( m i d d l e b a s e d Kerwin Clarke

By M ichelangelo Jacobus

S

weight), Marlon Bennett (masters and lightweight), Dwayne Chung (bantamweight) and Caerus Cipriani (welterweight).

Clarke, who was also a gold medalist at CAC in 2016, then went head to head with Whatley. The two muscle men outdid themselves as they posed in all angles much to the pleasure of the sizable and very vocal audience.

The crowd was split evenly in favour the two gladiators, but Clarke was in disbelief when Whatley emerged victorious.

Yannick Grimes of Buddies Gym prevailed over Fitness 53 muscleman Campbell who in recent years has dominated the Physique class.

He (Campbell) surprisingly placed third while his gym mate, Lance Gordon copped second in the fiveman line up. Cipriani and Chung were fourth and fifth in that order.

Alisha Fortune, competing in the Body Fitness category was the lone female on stage and walked away with the trophy and

Western Tigers, GFC maintain winning streak ‒ Corona Beer Invitational tournament

O

n the second night of third round action in the Corona Beer Invitational football tournament at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground on Sunday evening, Western Tigers followed up their 13-1 demolition of Beacons FC last week by beating Camptown FC 3-0. GFC also defeated Police by a similar margin in another match.

In what was a one sided affair, Andrew Murray opened the scoring for Western Tigers in the 23rd minute. The Western players had the lion’s share of possession and kept creating chances but their forwards were guilty of not converting.

Murray got his second goal the 63rd minute while Captain Phillip Rowley got in on the act in the 65th minute with a cheeky chip over the Camptown custodian to seal the deal for the Tigers. Speaking to the media after the match, Rowley pointed out that the reason for his side’s slightly sluggish performance was due to the fact most of the Western players had participated in a futsal final on Saturday night. He was however thankful that his side aims to maintain its

winning ways.

The Georgetown Football Club also dominated their encounter with the Police FC to win 3-0 through goals from Benjamin Opara in the

tle, Eastveldt took an early lead through a Michael Charles goal in the 26th minute.

They would hold on to that lead for the remainder of the first half and up

prizes unopposed, winning perhaps the easiest contest of her life.

Meanwhile President of the GABBFF, Coel Marks labeled the event a resounding success on all fronts.

He mentioned the noteworthy attendance by patrons and the high cali-

ber quality of the athletes who competed and pointed out that it bodes well for the sport moving ahead in Guyana.

Major sponsors of the event included were: Gandhi’s Variety Store, Fitness Express, Ministry of Culture Youth & Sport, Atlantic Marine Supplies,

Chung’s Global Enterprise, World of Flowers, Aruwai Resort, Windjammer Restaurant and Bar, Star Party Rentals, Cafe Sol, IRide Guyana, L. Seepersaud Jewelry, Space Gym, Chakras Massage Parlor and Eclipse Photo Studio.

De Villiers unlikely to return to Test fold, says Du Plessis S outh Africa need to move on from harbouring hope that AB de Villiers will return to the Test side, says Captain Faf du Plessis.

Faf du Plessis says South Africa are unlikely to ever see AB de Villiers back in action for the Test side.

De Villiers has not featured in the longest form of the game since January last year, as he battles with a hectic international and franchise schedule.

He was absent for the Proteas’ 3-1 series defeat in England, sealed with a 177-run loss at Old Trafford on Monday, and his good friend Du Plessis suggested his Test days were over as South Africa seek to solve their problems at the top of the order.

South Africa host Bangladesh for two Tests starting next month before Australia and India visit in 2018, but Du Plessis believes De Villiers is no longer a viable option.

“I would love AB to play!

But we spend too much time talking about AB coming back, the hope of him coming back is something we need to move past,” he told a media conference.

“Those players you don’t just replace. If AB comes back it’s a huge bonus but I don’t expect him to come

AB de Villiers

back to the Test team.”

Du Plessis also lamented the disrupted series for Vernon Philander, who tormented England’s batsmen but was badly affected by illness and injury - the latter of which ruled him out of the fourth Test altogether.

“You need Vern, let’s be honest, you need your best players,” Du Plessis said.

“Duanne [Olivier] bowled really well here but Vern is one of the world’s best in these conditions.

“Not to have him is very frustrating. Vern needs to work on his fitness. It’s happened too often that he doesn’t play a full series.

I’ve spoken to him about

that and he knows he needs to improve that. Australia and India at home, we need Vern to play those matches.”

England bowling coach Ottis Gibson has been heavily linked with becoming South Africa’s head coach to replace Russell Domingo, and Du Plessis revealed discussions with opposition players provided an encouraging assessment.

“I have asked the England team on their thoughts and they gave positive feedback,” Du Plessis said. “If he is going to be the guy, we have to learn about each other first.” (SportsMax)

Stomach virus hits athletes at official hotel

L Western Tigers Captain Phillip Rowley

13th minute and a brace from Dwayne Reibeiro in the 23rd and 74th minutes.

Earlier in game one of the night Riddim Squad came from behind to edge Eastveldt 2-1 courtesy of two second half strikes from Dorville Stewart.

In what seemed to be an even contest that was dominated by a midfield bat-

to the 61st minute of the game when Stewart produced two brilliant goals (61st and 64th minutes) in the space of 3 minutes to hand his side a 2-1 lead and eventually the victory.

The tournament will continue this weekend at the same venue and the fixtures will be revealed in a subsequent report.

ONDON - A number of teams staying at one of the official London hotels of the World Athletics Championships have been affected by a stomach virus, the local organizing committee said on Monday.

One of the most high-profile victims was reported to be Isaac Makwala of Botswana, one of the favorite for Tuesday’s 400 meters final, who was due to race in the first round of the 200 meters on Monday but did not start.

He was withdrawn due

to “an unspecified medical condition” by an IAAF medical delegate, though it was not immediately confirmed if he was staying at the hotel in question.

The London 2017 organizers released a statement later on Monday saying that a number of team members had reported numerous cases of gastroenteritis at their hotel.

“There have been a number of cases of gastroenteritis reported by team members residing within one of the official team hotels for the World

Championships,” the statement said.

“Those affected have been supported by both team and LOC medical staff, in addition we have been working with Public Health England to ensure the situation is managed and contained.

“As a result, further advice and guidelines have been issued to team doctors and support staff standard procedure for such an occurrence where a number of teams are occupying championship accommodation.” (Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, august 8, 2017

McLeod restores

23

Jamaican sprint pride with hurdles win L

ONDON Omar McLeod brought the smile back to Jamaican sprinting as he powered to the 110 meters hurdles title at the World Athletics Championships on Monday before dedicating his triumph to Usain Bolt.

Following the shock defeats of Bolt and Elaine Thompson in the 100 meters events, McLeod, another overwhelming race favorite from the Caribbean island, made no mistake as he added the world crown to the Olympic title he won last year.

The 23-year-old dominated the race, winning in 13.04 seconds, a meter clear of the defending champion Sergey Shubenkov, the Russian who was competing as an ‘authorized neutral athlete’ with his country’s federation still banned from

Today we start a weekly column featuring Guyana’s young sportsmen and women

Shaquincy Wright

Vergenoegen’s sparkling diamond

S

Jamaica’s Omar Mcleod celebrates as he wins the gold medal

international athletics.

“He’s still legendar!

Usain, brother, this is for you!” McLeod, who had cel-

Trinbago Knight Riders ease to a 4-wicket win

(see details in Wednesday's edition of Guyana Times Newspaper)

SCOREBOARD

St Lucia Stars Innings J Charles lbw b Pierre 5 ADS Fletcher c Beaton b Shadab Khan 40 Kamran Akmal † c †Ramdin b Cooper 17 MN Samuels b Narine 9 JD Ryder b Cooper 2 DJG Sammy (c) c Pierre b DJ Bravo 25 KR Mayers b DJ Bravo 7 MJ McClenaghan run out (Munro) 0 JE Taylor b Cooper 1 S Shillingford not out 0 E Leie not out 2 Extras: 10 (b 4, lb 2, nb 1, w 3) TOTAL 118/9 (20 Overs, RR: 5.90) Bowling: K Pierre (4.0, 1,15,1), RR Beaton (1.0,0,10,0), Shadab Khan(4.0, 0, 16,1) SP Narine (4.0, 0, 17, 1), KK Cooper (4.0, 0, 21, 3), DJ Bravo (3.0, 0, 33, 2) Fall of wickets:1-10 (J Charles, 2.1 ov), 2-45 (Kamran Akmal, 7.3 ov), 3-75 (MN Samuels, 12.4 ov), 4-79 (JD Ryder, 14.2 ov), 5-81 (ADS Fletcher, 15.1 ov), 6-94 (KR Mayers, 17.4 ov),

7-96 (MJ McClenaghan, 17.5 ov), 8-106 (JE Taylor, 18.6 ov), 9-116 (DJG Sammy, 19.4 ov)

Trinbago Knight Riders Innings BB McCullum c Ryder b Shillingford 19 SP Narine c Leie b Mayers 11 C Munro lbw b Shillingford 1 D Ramdin † b Shillingford 13 DM Bravo b Shillingford 1 DJ Bravo (c) b McClenaghan 6 Shadab Khan not out 30 JPR Scantlebury-Searles not out 27 Extras 12 (lb 6, nb 2, w 4) TOTAL 120/6 (15.4 Overs, RR: 7.65) Did not bat: KK Cooper, RR Beaton, K Pierre Bowling: JE Taylor (3.0, 0, 21, 0) KR Mayers (1.0, 0, 10,1) S Shillingford (4.0 , 1, 22, 4) MN Samuels (1.0, 0, 8, 0), E Leie (3.0, 0, 22, 0) MJ McClenaghan (2.4, 0, 21, 1) ADS Fletcher (1.0, 0, 10, 0) Fall of wickets:1-12 (SP Narine, 1.3 ov), 2-33 (BB McCullum, 2.4 ov), 3-34 (C Munro, 2.6 ov), 4-42 (DM Bravo, 4.4 ov), 5-52 (D Ramdin, 6.1 ov), 6-75 (DJ Bravo, 9.3 ov)

ebrated by running across the track afterwards to hug his mother in the London Stadium, told the crowd afterwards.

Shubenkov, who clocked 13.14, was the first Russian to win a medal in London while Hungary’s Balazs Baji took a surprise bronze in 13.28.

World record holder Aries Merritt, of the U.S., who won the Olympic title in the same stadium five years ago, started strongly but faded into fifth place in 13.31 seconds.

It was a majestic triumph for McLeod, now the dominant force on the hurdles circuit, after a weekend of huge disappointment for his sprint-loving compatriots as they failed to get a 100m gold for the first time since 2005.

“I really wanted to keep the Jamaican flag flying,” he said afterwards.

“This one is so special, honestly. There was a lot of pressure coming in, but I channeled it positively. It’s totally different to last year (in Rio) when we had Usain and Elaine winning, which I used to propel me.

“I didn’t have that this time so I really wanted to come out and shine my own light.”

He did just that with a performance that left the silver medalist Shubenkov sighing afterwards: “The Jamaican is just too fast.”

Indeed, as the only topflight hurdler who has broken 10 seconds for the 100 meters as well as 13 seconds for the 110 meters hurdles, the only worry for McLeod these days is to ensure he does not go too fast between the barriers.

On this occasion, just as in Rio last year when he became the first Jamaican man to win a sprint hurdles gold, he offered speed with total control from the gun.

It was a consummate display that demonstrated why he has lost just once all summer, and only then when he suffered a bout of cramp in a Diamond League meeting in Paris.

With not a breath of wind in the stadium, McLeod was third-fastest away from the blocks but was initially matched by Shubenkov and Merritt.

Once he hurdled into overdrive, though, his pursuers could not get close to him but Shubenkov, who was not allowed to compete at last year’s Olympics because of the IAAF ban on Russia, still was not happy with silver.

“I’m so frustrated. I struggled over the last few hurdles but was leading for the first half so that’s the frustration,” he said.

“I’m just happy to be competing at the world championships and to get a medal. Last year was a disaster, not just because of the Russian ban, so I’m happy to be back winning a world medal.”

There was nothing but complete surprise from the bronze medal winner Baji, who roared through the field over the final five meters to snatch his reward with a desperate dip at the line.

It was a reward for the 28-year-old’s years of slog which had seen him win 15 Hungarian titles but never a global medal. “I can barely believe what has happened,” he said.

“A bronze is way beyond expectations. It’s a dream come true.”

For Merritt, it was also an emotional night as he momentarily threatened to complete one of sport’s great comeback stories by winning the world title two years after undergoing a kidney transplant.

“It feels great to be back in London where I won Olympic gold. The crowd greeted me very warmly. Of course, I am not happy to be in lane nine but just being in the stadium is enough for me,” said the 32-yearold.

“I am not even meant to be running, so I’m more happy to be here than not be here. I am back on the world stage, that’s the main thing.” (Reuters)

haquincy Wright has the focus and dedication that can make him a super star in the sport of boxing. The pint sized 14-year-old has been involved in the sport for half of his life is confident that he will represent Guyana at the Olympics.

He comes from a family of boxers and elder brother Shaquille is the 2017 Caribbean Juniors Best Boxer.

Known for throwing punches in bunches, young Wright has moved from relative obscurity to being the champion schoolboy boxer in Guyana and has marked up a total of 35 fights, 33 of which are victories.

“Shaquincy is an extremely good prospect. He Shaquincy Wright is very committed and I think that he will go a very far way once the necessary resources are provided. He has natural talent and aptitude for the sport. It is my belief that he is a star in the making,” his coach Clifton Moore declared.

Moore also pointed to the discipline of the young fighter, an important ingredient if a boxer is to gain success.

Since joining forces with Moore at the Vergenoegen Boxing Gym (Formerly Essequibo Boxing Gym) the quickfisted orthodox boxer who competes in the 36 KG division, has brushed aside almost all in his division. Only Jamie Kellman could boast of having a victory over him.

“I love to box and I train very hard. I would love to go to the Olympics and win a medal,” Wright, a third form student of Vergenoegen Secondary told Guyana Times recently.

The dapper attacking fighter was adjudged one of the best boxers in the first edition of the Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior tournament held in Guyana last year. His exploits during

Guyana’s Shaquincy Wright (right) and fellow Best Boxer Nathan Ferrari of St Lucia display their trophies at the conclusion of the 2016 Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors tournament

the second edition of the competition held last May at the National Gymnasium, caught the eye of president of the Trinidad Boxing Association Cecil Forde who has since planned to implement a youth programme similar to that of Guyana.

Wright has also won countless DDL Under-16 competitions.

President of the Guyana Boxing Association Steve Ninvalle is of the view that Wrights is another Keevin Allicock, Guyana’s Youth Commonwealth Games silver medalist. “The discipline and commitment is fascinating. I have watched both his skill level and confidence grow in the DDL Under-16 programme. We found a diamond and have started polishing.”

With so much going for him at such a young age Wright’s coach understands that keeping him focused remains a constant duty. “I have seen so many talented athletes who have taken their eyes off the prize and fell by the way side.

But Shaquincy has a good team behind him. He also is hungry for success and is disciplined. With those qualities the sky is the limit,” Moore reasoned.

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Major upsets at GABBFF Senior National Body Building Championships

– Clark, Campbell dethroned

Pg 22

Winners row! President Coel Marks with Mr Guyana 2017, Bruce Whatley (centre) and various category winners

Jamaul John, Raul Leal share spoils Trinbago Knight Riders ease to a 4-wicket win

Pg 23

Pg 21 Winner of the Reagan Rodrigues Memorial 50-mile race Jamaul John (centre) and other top six finishers

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