Guyanatimes 7 june 2016

Clinton wins Democratic nomination P13

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Issue No. 2878

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

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House Speaker brushes off Ramkarran’s “views” on speakership

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

PPP Congress for last quarter of 2016 −Rohee

– to focus on regaining office

Page 11

P9

– says he does not comment on things people say

Mahdia miner murdered, body left on roadway

Page 7

Business Minister to take over tourism portfolio Page 3

Gun, ammo unearthed P2 in Route 42 minibus Gunmen invade Berbice Chinese restaurant P7

Man arrested P2 after discharging loaded firearm at miner

Drunken P8 husband fined for verbally abusing wife

Relocated vendors temporary tents collapse Tents set up by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council for Stabroek Market vendors, who were relocated at Hadfield and Lombard Streets, where a Royal Castle outlet was previously located, collapsed as a result of heavy rainfall much to the discomfort of vendors (Dexter Ceres photo)

High crime rate?

Police swoop Police say serious crime down by 16% down on Beekham at − 58 people killed on Guyana’s roads Springlands Page 7

Facebook death threats Page 11

Linden trio remanded for raping volunteer

P8

$60M owed by E-Networks and Quark Inc

Broadcast Authority taking steps to recoup monies − P9 Chairman

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

RDC 10 Works, Finance Departments in jeopardy

they are told to check at this department and when they go there they are told to check another department.

The workers in the system, if they come to work, they need to work. They need to treat people with respect and handle people’s business with urgency”, she iterated.

According to the Regional

Chairman, these issues have been inherited by the current administration and are not new.

Morian alluded that projects are not checked on time and payments are held up unnecessarily. He said a review of the RDC’s works programme is necessary as was proposed by the Finance Committee, as well as solutions on how the payment process for contractors can be speeded up.

“Persons are encouraged to do better. There are contractors who want to stay far from this RDC… because of how fast we pay. I am looking forward to see the impact that we would have made in terms of payment for contractors”, he said.

Morian said underhand issues, shortage of staff and the way the system is run are all contributory factors.

ing on information intercepted the minibus along the Providence Public Road, East Bank Demerara, and conducted a search.

During the search, one occupant was found with a .32 pistol along with eight

matching rounds of ammunition in his possession. The illegal gun and ammo were found tucked in his pants waist.

He was taken into Police custody and is expected to be charged shortly.

BY UTAMU BELLE

S

everal issues plaguing the Works and Finance Departments of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in Linden continue to hamper the smooth execution of projects in the Region.

The issues were once again brought to the fore by Regional Chairman Renis Morian as the Council hosted its monthly statutory meeting.

A shortage of staff in the Works Department has resulted in numerous set-

A section of the RDC at the statutory meeting

backs, outlined Morian, as he stressed that Regional Executive Officer (REO) Gavin Clarke has made several requests to the relevant government ministries to have vacancies filled, but those efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

This is coupled with the fact that several staff in the department were sent on leave months ago, pending investigations into a fraud probe. Clarke just recently contended that months later, the Works Department, which now has a staffing of three persons continue to be significantly understaffed.

He said it appears as if the complaints are falling on deaf ears as he continues to call and write for changes to be made. He had stated his intention to hire consultants to assist, but frowned at the thought, noting that it may come with additional costs.

Meanwhile, over in the Finance Department, Councillor Charles Sampson re-iterated the need to monitor what is happening there.

According to him, compliant contractors are still complaining of not being paid on time, with some even refusing to do work for the council owing to this recurring problem.

“Why would a contractor’s pay be held up at any stage of the process? Is it that people are looking for perks to speed-up the payment of contractors? And the thing get so bad that some contractors does get their payments and say they ain’t get their payments… We need to monitor what is happening in the Finance…” he noted.

Additionally, councillor Sandra Adams pointed to RDC employees, which she noted is contributing to the

payment issue of contractors. She said the attitude of some is not in the interest of the execution on their duties, and that it reflects negatively on the council.

“There are a lot of contractors who have been complaining in terms of the whole, long process - when they go to one department

Gun, ammo unearthed in Route 42 minibus

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passenger in a Route 42 minibus was on Sunday arrested following the discovery of pistol and several matching rounds of ammunition on his person.

According to reports, at about 14:10h, Police act-

Man arrested after discharging loaded firearm at miner

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miner was on Sunday arrested after he reportedly discharged several rounds at another man with whom he had a fight at Kanaruk, Mahdia, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni). The shooter has been identified as Gary Boucher.

According to information reaching Guyana Times Boucher and the other man, Festus Benn had an argument which led to a scuffle.

Boucher retaliated by whipping out a .38 Snub-nosed revolver and discharged two rounds in the direction of Benn.

Benn however managed to successfully relieve the armed man of his weapon.

Boucher was apprehended by persons in the area and handed over to police along with the weapon.

Boucher is expected to make court appearance shortly.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, June 7 – 05:00h-06:30h and Wednesday, June 8 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, June 7 – 05:25h-06:55h and Wednesday, June 8 – 06:10h-07:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Cloudy conditions followed by light rain showers and sunshine can be expected during the day. Light rain showers are also expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-easterly to East North-easterly between 1.79 metres per second and 4.02metres per second.

High Tide: 05:48h and 18:18h reaching maximum heights of 2.77 metres and 2.59 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:50h reaching a minimum height of 0.46 metre.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

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Business Minister to take over Tourism portfolio

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usiness Minister Dominic Gaskin will now be responsible for the Tourism industry, following the A Partnership for National Unit/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) government’s decision to relieve Minister of Public Telecommunications Cathy Hughes of these duties.

In a move to focus more on Public Telecommunications, Minister Hughes who serves as Minister of Public Telecommunications and Tourism, will now relinquish her responsibly of the tourism sector.

This newspaper understands that the rationale behind this move is based on the need for a

Business Minister who will now add tourism to his portfolio, Dominic Gaskin

greater focus on Public Telecommunications, even after Minister Hughes has managed both sectors ef-

fectively.

Minister Hughes had amassed a vast knowledge of the Telecommunications sector having graduated from University of the West Indies, with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in Mass Communications in addition to her 20 years of onfield knowledge.

Minister Hughes will serve as Minister of Tourism until end of June, as Gaskin, the sonin-law of President David Granger, will take over effective July 1, 2016.

Hughes has also previously served as Director of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG).

The responsibility of

Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes

Public Telecommunications was moved from Ministry of Public Infrastructure in January, to the Ministry of Tourism.

KN grenade attack

Pressure mounts on Police to expedite probe

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ressure is mounting on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to intensify its probe into the hurling of a live hand grenade, which was reportedly found near the vehicle of the Publisher of the Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall.

The Guyana Press Association (GPA) is the latest body to mount calls for the Police to execute an indepth investigation into the presence of the explosive near Lall’s vehicle on Saturday evening.

“Regardless of the motive, the act alone has a chilling effect on press freedom,” the GPA said in a statement Monday, as it called on the intellectual authors or perpetrators to desist from such dastardly acts.

“All stakeholders in the international community, Opposition, Government and civil society must speak out against what seems like a calculated act to intimidate the work of Kaieteur News. The media in Guyana must be allowed to carry out its crucial work of being society’s watchdog, ensuring transparency and efficacy in State and the Private Sector, without frightening distractions like these,” the GPA said .

The Press Association said it took note of the Government’s “prompt” statement condemning the attack and of its full support for the Police in probing the matter.

“We stand in solidari-

ty with the staff of Kaieteur News and the wider media community in this period,” the Association said.

Meanwhile, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) in a statement on Monday also condemned the act.

“If this is a heinous attempt to muzzle the media, such actions have no place in our democratic society and we urge the Guyana Police Force to expedite their investigation so as to bring the perpetrators to justice in the shortest possible time,” the PSC said.

The Commission said that it stood with Kaieteur News and the rest of the media fraternity on this issue.

On Sunday, the Times Media Group, comprising Guyana Times, TVG Ch 28 and RGI 89.5, also condemned in the strongest possible language the attack.

“The press and, by extension, the media, is regarded as the ‘fourth estate’ because of the role it plays in securing the freedom of all the other estates – especially the ordinary citizens. Any act that can be construed as acting to intimidate the media constitutes an attack on the foundations of democracy. That the act was done while the personnel of the newspaper were mourning the passing of a respected Journalist makes the action even more reprehensible,” the statement said.

The Times Media Group said it expected the Police to

“respond with the highest level of professionalism and diligence so that the perpetrators of the dastardly act will be brought to justice”.

Shortly after the attack, the Government of Guyana issued a statement condemning the incident.

The Government said it was alarmed by the attempted “act of domestic terrorism” against Kaieteur News which has been in the forefront “of aggressively and relentlessly reporting on the findings of the many audits of state agencies, the revelations that have oftentimes been explosive”.

“The coalition Government stands resolutely in defence of press freedom in Guyana and condemns, in the strongest possible manner, this heinous and dastardly act of cowardice against Kaieteur News.

The coalition Government is thankful, as are all rightthinking Guyanese, that no lives or limbs were lost and there was no damage to property,” the Government said in

the statement.

The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) also condemned the act and called for an impartial investigation into the incident.

However, a Party official said the PPP/C was taking note of the ill-informed and unfounded conclusion of the APNU/AFC Government that the attack stemmed from the Kaieteur News reporting on the recent audits, seeking to somehow pin this dastardly act on the PPP. The official remained that the PPP/C when it took office in 1992 was the Party that restored press freedom in Guyana and, as such, would not seek to undermine this sacred right.

The official also reminded that the local media was allowed, unhindered for 23 years, to criticise the work of the PPP/C while in office.

The Party official reissued a call for the Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

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Editorial

US democracy and superdelegates

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ver since the US became the first colony of an Empire to win its independence in order to establish a “democratic” Government, the rest of the world has observed their innovations as they strove to fulfil “government for the people, by the people and of the people”. There was the introduction of a written constitution demarcating the powers of the State especially as they related to the rights of citizens in whom all residual sovereignty resided. The “separation of powers” both horizontally and vertically was another consequence.

But there have also been changes at the more practical level to ensure those who would represent “the people” in governance are actually chosen by the citizenry. The “primaries” by the US’ Democratic and Republican Parties choose their presidential candidates, and those which are presently drawing to a close for their General Election of November 8, 2016 are particularly interesting.

One criticism of “democracy” in its modern incarnation, as exemplified by the US Government, has been its supposed “elitist” bias which presents candidates to the mass of electors who are actually self-selected by party “power brokers” in backroom deals. From the 19th to the mid-20th Century this was the reality as exemplified by the corrupt “Tammany Hall” establishment in New York City that exchanged votes of poor neighbourhoods for political patronage.

In the “primaries”, registered voters from each party separately vote for delegates that are “pledged” to the several contestants that would represent their parties at their national conventions. There are also “caucuses” in some locales where party members are physically present to perform the same task. The signal democratic feature is “the people” actually choose their delegates and, by extension, also their presidential candidates.

At present, however, while this is the state of affairs in the Republican Party, which is supposed to be “elitist”, the Democratic Party introduced the innovation of “superdelegates” that undermines the thrust for greater democracy in the selection of their party’s presidential candidate. These 719 superdelegates are not chosen by the ordinary party members but are ex officio comprising the elected members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC); “distinguished party leaders”, consisting of current and former Presidents, Vice Presidents, congressional leaders, and DNC chairs and sitting Democratic Governors and members of Congress.

As matters presently stand with California’s massive 475 delegates to be chosen today and 2383 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, Hillary Clinton has 1812 pledged delegates as apposed to 1521 for Bernie Sanders. From actual support from grassroots democratic members, Clinton, therefore, leads Sanders by 291 delegates, which is not insurmountable. However, at this point, Clinton had received the nominal support of 548 superdelegates compared to Sanders’ minuscule 46 and technically needs only 23 more overall delegates. This she is sure to get even though polls indicate she will lose California overall to Sanders.

But this state of affairs raises the issue as to whether the whole notion of “superdelegates” is not bringing back “Tammany Hall” through the backdoor. Clinton is clearly favoured by the “establishment” Democratic Party, but how “democratic” is this? The Republicans have a more democratic system where while each state has three delegates from the party structure, these delegates have to vote in line with what the popular vote in the primaries or caucuses indicated.

In this way, they are not distorting “the peoples’ choice” as does the Democratic Party’s superdelegates.

While not directly making this point, Bernie Sanders has pointed out that “superdelegates” can switch their support so that technically the democratic nominee will not be chosen until the actual vote at the Democratic National Convention July 25-28 in Philadelphia. Sanders has support for his position on the undemocratic nature of superdelegates.

On Saturday, at a state party gathering, the very powerful Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts declared: “I’m a superdelegate, and I don’t believe in superdelegates.”Maybe democracy may still prevail to produce a nominee for the Democratic Party.

Practice makes perfect: the South Africa team had an intense session in the nets ahead of their crucial One-Day International against Australia at Providence today

Referendums should decide political status

Dear Editor, Reference is made to a letter from Oscar Ramjeet in which he makes mention of an Act by St Vincent Government mandating no longer swearing to the Queen (GT June 3). Mr Ramjeet has been advocating for Caribbean regional governments and dependent territories to make a complete break with England – including removing the Queen as Head of State and the Privy Council as the final court of appeal.

It is not clear what gains will be made by such a complete or even a partial break when former colonies are struggling to stay afloat economically and dependencies are begging the Mother countries to remain under their apron.

The latter are saying they are better off with the umbilical cord tied to the mother rather than go on their own.

Can Mr Ramjeet please tell us what will St Vincent gain by stop making reference to the Queen? By how much will the economy and standard of living grow?

How much more freedom will Vincentians have? Would they be allowed to freely criticise Gonsalves and his ruling party without having to worry about political or economic victimisation? Isn’t it better to call the Queen’s name and be a wealthy country (receiving large amounts of aid and visits from British people) than stop calling her name (title) and become a pauper like “Haiti” or Somalia or Mali?

Studies have shown that country after country that severed ties with the UK has seen regression rather than progress; standard of living has declined precipitously for most former colonies.

Analogously, standard of living in dependent territories has risen and is much higher than independent colonies (countries).

How many independent countries in the Region or in Africa or anywhere in

the world has a higher standard of living than Bermuda or Anguilla or Turks, all of which still honour “Her Majesty” and make reference to the Queen? With regard to standard of living, just looking at Guyana, Guyana’s standard of living in 1992 was a mere fifth of what it was before the break from England in 1966.

During the 1980s, Professor Clive Thomas penned, in a study, that slaves were better off than people in independent Guyana in terms of their quality of life. Guyanese who experienced colonial rule said they were far better off under the “White man” than today or under nationalist rule (independence) or what passes for governance. The standard of living in dependent Anguilla is higher than Guyana.

Every country that retains ties (dependency status) with England has been receiving tens of millions of dollars in aid annually from Mother England enjoying a standard of living almost at par with the UK. Same is true of those territories that retain ties with France, America and Holland. Those that still retain the Queen as Head of State also receive substantial aid from Her Majesty’s Government. In addition, English tourists vacation in these former colonies (now independent countries) or current colonies (like St Martin and Aruba), benefiting the economy enormously.

If the leaders of these countries want a complete break with the UK or Holland or France or the US, it should be done by a referendum and not by some self-serving corrupt politicians who seek to strengthen their powers at the expense of the people.

Ralph Gonsalves is violating the verdict of the population in a referendum he called a few years ago. The voters completely rejected his plan to break with the Queen.

Since he now feels so strongly about it (not mentioning the Queen in the Constitution or in governance), why not put it to a vote. If he believes in democracy and people’s empowerment, let the people decide the issue.

It is public knowledge that none of the former colonies (now independent countries) have given their population a vote to determine their political status. The dominant elite (of the colonial authority and the political parties and would-be rulers who wanted to replace the privileged British class) arrogated unto themselves to decide what would be best for the population – independence.

In places (British territories) where the population was given the vote to decide on their political status, they rejected independence outright. They preferred an associated status with Mother England as is the same with all of the remaining UK dependencies. The same holds true for Dutch and French territories. The people of dependent territories (Turks, Caicos, Anguilla, Virgin Islands, Aruba, Martinique, French Guiana, Saba, Bermuda, Bonaire, Tahiti, Bora Bora, etc) absolutely do not want independence.

Voters consistently rejected independence in referendums. Even Puerto Rico, Guam US Virgin islands, etc. do not want to be freed from US rule. One should not forget that Scotland was given the vote to decide on its status (independence) two years ago and they rejected it.

As Ramjeet noted, voters in St Vincent and Grenadines rejected a complete break from England via a referendum a few years ago. They have greater faith in the Queen and in the British Privy Council as their final court of arbiter and as their ruler than Ralph Gonsalves.

They felt they would get justice from England rather

than from their local judges in the Region who are owned by political interests and other corrupt figures.

Scholars have noted that Privy Council judgments are independent of political influence; many rulings in the Region were overturned by independent Judges from the Privy Council. Politicians always seek to intervene in court’s judgments in the Caribbean. Burnham did in Guyana. Eric Williams did in Trinidad. Thus, it is better to have an independent judicial institution outside of political influence.

It should also be noted that Jamaicans, Bajans, etc, all rejected a complete break from UK. Retaining ties to the UK bring certain benefits and status to colonies and independent countries; enormous aid flow in. the parties in Jamaica repeatedly promised a referendum on ties with England, only to renege on it because popular opinion has consistently been against breaking such ties. The Governments of Belize and Barbados promised a referendum on severing ties with the London Privy Council. They decided against the referendum and simply replaced the Privy Council with the CCJ. The rulers recognised the voters would reject their illconceived plan to replace the Privy Council with the CCJ. Mr Ramjeet should call for referendums if the countries want to break completely from England. That is what democracy is about.

If politicians feel retaining the Queen as Head of State or the Privy Council are too colonial, let the people decide. Politicians need to stop arrogating unto themselves what they think is best for the people. So far, they have been wrong on almost every decision they made, impoverishing their nations.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Ramadan Messages 5

guyana-times.com

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tuesDAY, june 7, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

CIOG encourages Muslim community to make the most of Ramadan

s the Muslim community begins to observe its most auspicious period, the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) is appealing to all Muslim brothers and sisters to make amends for their wrongdoings while demonstrating humanitarian acts.

As the conditions relating to the period are clearly outlined to all Muslims across Guyana, the Organisation reminded that this should be a period of reflection on the past history of the Prophet Muhammad and his teachings which will continue to guide the lives of those within the religion.

“Let us in this Month of Ramadan, the month in which the Quran was revealed, go back to the pages of the Holy Quran and reflect on the message of the Quran because it is the greatest message and the final message sent to mankind by Allah. Let us use our time in Ramadan to study the life, the mission and the achievements of the greatest benefactor of humanity, our beloved Prophet Muhammad.”

Noting that the world has evolved into a mass of

disunity, the Organisation believes that the Month of Ramadan offers the opportune time for a reformation of individuals who would then spread the message of peace, love, unity, tolerance, humanity and other factors that can positively effect change.

“If we follow it sincerely and implement it in our lives, our lives will be changed for the better and

the world will be a better place for all.”

According to its Ramadan message, the CIOG is optimistic that change will be accomplished once the Muslim community remains grounded in its dedication, prayer, charity and fasting. If this is maintained, the Organisation holds, the challenges facing mankind will be eradicated making Guyana, and the world, by extension, a more developed haven.

With the observance being known as a period where giving back to the less fortunate is listed as one of the primary objec-

tives, the Organisation reiterated the need for goodwill towards those in the community which is deemed an act of repentance.

“Fasting and charity will earn us His grace and His mercy. We need to make maximum use of the Holy Month of Ramadan by praying to Allah, by taking care of the poor and needy in our community, by seeking the forgiveness of Allah for all our sins and turning to Him in repentance.”

W h e r e family bonds and general relationships are broken as a result of disputes, the period was described as a fitting time to remove unnecessary hatred and animosity for the sake of unity and love.

If these regulations relating to the observance are upheld, the Organisation assured, the mercies and forgiveness of Allah will be showered on dedicated followers, making their lives and the rest of the world a better living environment.

Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is characterised by fasting, praying and acts of goodwill.

Opposition Leader urges social cohesion during month of Ramadan

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s the Muslim community commences its Holy Month of Ramadan, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is urging members to use the month of activities as an incentive to promote social cohesion despite social segregations evident in Guyana.

While extending his greetings to Muslims across Guyana, Jagdeo reminded that in light of the calendar of activities, they should not lose sight of what the period essentially symbolises, not only for those within the religion but every other citizen of Guyana.

Pointing specifically to cohesive gestures that would ignite national unity, he mentioned that the country’s priority should be to reunite its people.

“Guyana is in need of every sincere effort that increases the cohesion of our society, fosters the ties of love and correlation therein, highlights its noble and virtuous values, and unites us to be one hand capable of building this country which is teeming with good and loyal citizens,” Jagdeo declared.

Notably, he emphasised on the overall display of kindness and hospitality which should be practised throughout the period, and even beyond,

When will teachers receive Whitley Council emoluments?

Dear Editor, I would like to know when the Finance Ministry will be paying teachers their Whitley Council emoluments. Teachers, like myself and many others, who had their tour of Whitley Council since last year January have not been paid since and I am kindly asking those responsible to release the funds to

which we are entitled.

I was made to understand that Whitley Council is only paid twice yearly (April and November). However nonsensical that arrangement is, and the fact that April has passed and nothing was paid, it is quite a shame that entitled teachers would now have to wait until November of this year. These late pay-

ments never happened in the past. Another thing is that we are almost at the halfway mark of 2016 and teachers have not received any uniform allowance or any increases, while the Union seems to be in a never-rending bargain mode with the Government. It is also left to be seen whether we will receive the debunching monies

before the school year comes to a close in a few weeks.

The other mess facing the teaching fraternity and which has financial implications for our teachers too is the stalled 2015 promotions issue. I am one teacher who is affected.

Sincerely, Leon Suseran

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

as the Month is usually characterised by demonstrations of goodwill by all Muslim brothers and sisters.

“This period of Ramadan inspires Muslims to focus more on others and think about those who are less fortunate. The principles and actions demonstrated during this time – of empathy, sacrifice, generosity and concern for the welfare of others – can be an inspiration for our nation, irrespective of faith.”

Alluding to the contributions by the Muslim community and their impact on Guyana’s development, Jagdeo commended them for their significant role in nation building.

“We in the PPP/C have always championed reli-

gious tolerance, and we are proud of the diverse traditions in our country and we recognise and commend the contributions Muslims have made and continue to make to enrich our society.”

He took the time to express his expectations of the Month of Ramadan bringing light to the current political situation in Guyana where discrimination and exclusion continued to segregate the population.

“Ramadan, a month of quiet contemplation, will no doubt trigger our thoughts to those who have been wronged, oppressed or discriminated against. The promise of a good life is but for a selected few. Our country is in need of a future without discrimination or exclusion of anyone,” Jagdeo mentioned.

The Opposition Leader reiterated his Party’s commitment to being advocates for a better quality of life for all Guyanese.

As the month of activities brings to the front burner a reflection of Guyana, Jagdeo encouraged a renewal of unity as the country strives to move forward while celebrating the auspicious period.

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Teaching Kids to Adolescence and Be Smart About the power of

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or children and teens, social media is an essential part of their lives, much the way telephones were important to us at their age.

About 90 per cent of teens have used some form of social media and 75 per cent have a profile on a social networking site, experts say. More than half of all teens visit social networking sites every day. These numbers are way up from just a few years ago, and there’s almost no chance of them ever coming down again.

There are plenty of good things about social media – but also many potential dangers and things that you want your children to avoid.

They don’t always make the smartest choices when they post something to a site like Facebook or YouTube, and sometimes this can lead to problems.

So it’s important for parents to teach their kids how to use social media wisely.

The Good

Social media can help children: stay connected with friends and family volunteer or get involved with a campaign, nonprofit, or charity enhance their creativity through the sharing of ideas, music, and art meet and interact with others who share similar interests

The Bad

The flipside is that social media can be a hub for

things like cyberbullying and questionable activities.

Without meaning to, children can easily share more online than they should.

One study showed that 9 out of 10 teens post photos of themselves online or use their real names on their profiles; 8 out of 10 reveal their birthdates and interests; and 7 out of 10 post their school name and the town where they live.

Actions like this can make kids easy targets for online predators and others who might want to cause them harm.

These statistics about teens highlight the dangers of social media: 17 per cent of teens say they’ve been contacted online by someone they didn’t know in a way that made them feel scared or uncomfortable 30 per cent of teens say they’ve received online advertising that was inappropriate for their age 39 per cent of teens admitted to lying about their age to gain access to websites

Concerns and consequences

In addition to problems like cyberbullying and online predators, children also can face the possibility of a physical encounter with the wrong person. Many newer apps automatically reveal the poster’s location when they’re used. This can tell anyone out there exactly where to find the person using the app.

And photos, videos, and

Social Media comments made online usually can’t be taken back once they’re posted. Even after a teen thinks something has been deleted, it can be impossible to completely erase it from the Internet.

Posting an inappropriate photo can damage a child’s reputation in ways that may cause problems years later – such as when a potential employer or college admissions officer does a background check. And if a child sends a mean-spirited tweet as a joke, it could be very hurtful to someone else and even taken as a threat.

Spending too much time on social media can be a downer, too. By seeing how many “friends” others have and viewing pictures of them having fun, children may feel worse about themselves or feel they don’t measure up to their peers.

What parents can do

It’s important to be aware of what your children are doing online, but prying too much can alienate them and damage the trust you’ve built together. The key is to stay involved in a way that makes your children understand that you respect their privacy but want to make sure they’re safe.

Here are some helpful hints to share with connected children: Be nice. Mean behaviour is just as unacceptable in the virtual world as it is in the real world. Make it clear that you expect your children to treat others with respect and courtesy, and to

never post hurtful or embarrassing messages about others. And ask them to always tell you about any harassing or bullying messages that others may post.

Think twice before hitting “enter”. Remind teens that what they post can be used against them.

For example, letting the world know that you’re off on vacation or posting your home address gives would-be robbers a chance to strike. Teens also should avoid posting specific locations of parties or events, as well as phone numbers.

Follow the “WWGS?” (What Would Grandma Say?) rule. Teach children that “once it’s out there, you can’t get it back.” They shouldn’t share anything on social media that they wouldn’t want their teachers, college admissions officers, future bosses – and yes, grandma – to see.

Use privacy settings.

Privacy settings are important, and to highlight their importance, go through the settings together to make sure your children understand each one. Also, explain that passwords are there to protect them against things like identity theft and should never be shared with anyone (even a boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend).

Don’t “friend” strangers . “If you don’t know them, don’t friend them.”

This is a plain, simple – and safe – rule of thumb. (Excerpt from

Kidshealth)

personal challenge continued

– how adolescents react to and create challenges in life affect their growing up

By Carl E Pickhardt, PhD

Kinds of adolescent challenges

Of course there are innumerable kinds of challenges that adolescents can undertake, so listed below are only a common few.

BEGINNING something new, and the challenge of initiation. For example, starting a fresh interest.

ENDING something familiar, and the challenge of loss. For example, letting go an old activity and moving on.

INCREASING operating capacity, and the challenge of improvement. For example, practising to elevate performance.

DECREASING incidence

or habit, and the challenge of reduction. For example, cutting back or doing less.

MAINTAINING a routine, and the challenge of consistency. For example, keeping up a physical regimen.

WITHSTANDING hardship and the challenge of fortitude. For example, not giving up and showing grit in the face of adversity.

PROBLEM SOLVING and the challenge of resourcefulness. For example, strategising or fixing what went wrong or got broken.

COMPETING and the challenge of entering a contest. For example, pitting skills against a rival to test capacity.

TEAMWORKING and the challenge of contributing to a collective effort. For example, doing one’s part to reach a communal objective.

CREATING and the challenge of invention. For example, originating an idea or statement of self-expression.

OVERCOMING and the challenge of courage. For example, doing what is dreaded and facing what is feared.

HELPING and the challenge of service. For example, volunteering to meet a caring or community need.

What taking on these challenges have in common is that they are hard to do and can have personal payoffs in self-confidence gained

by making the effort, achieving some success if a goal is reached, or both.

It’s when adults see a young person mired in boredom or rebellion that providing or encouraging some form of constructive challenge can be helpful in getting them back on track to growth. It’s at this point that parents or other salient adults might consider this list of challenges, and others not listed, to see if the young person is willing to give one a try.

Helping a personal challenge along

In closing, consider a counselling session with a graduating loner who wants

to do high school differently than primary school. Here are some of the challenges for change that might be discussed.

What might you want to BEGIN acting like in high school? “I’d like to start joining some kind of group or team.”

What might you want to END acting like in high school? “I’d like to stop sitting alone at lunch.”

What might you want to INCREASE in high school?

“I’d like to increase the number of people I know.”

What might you want to DECREASE in high school?

“I’d like to act less withdrawn in high school.”

What might you want to MAINTAIN in high school?

“I’d like to work out and feel better about my body.”

What might you want to WITHSTAND in high school? “I’d like to treat being teased as no big deal.”

Over the years I’ve seen a number of “shy conversions” where young people who were very solitary in middle school decided to rise to the challenge of becoming more social in high school and successfully did so.

Good for them!

And good for all the young people who affirmatively challenge themselves to grow and all the adults who are unafraid to challenge them as well. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

High crime rate? Police say serious crime down by 16% – 58 people killed on Guyana’s roads

T

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Monday stated that it has recorded a 16 per cent decrease in serious crimes at the end of May this year when compared to the same period last year.

The Police also highlighted that there was a seven per cent reduction in reports of murder, a 10 per cent decrease in gun-related robberies, and a seven per cent decrease in armed robberies where other instruments were used by the perpetrators.

In addition, a 26 per cent decrease was recorded in robberies with violence, a 14 per cent decrease in robberies with aggravation, a 27 per cent combined decrease in break-and-enter-and-larceny and burglary and a 14 per cent decrease in rape.

There was also a 52 per cent decrease in larceny from the person. Robberies where guns or other instruments were not used showed an increase from 18 to 21 per cent.

Police spokesman, Superintendent Jairam

Ramlakhan highlighted that the decrease in the crime rate was no doubt as a result of the initiatives taken by the Government of Guyana, the Public Security Ministry and the Police Force to deescalate the crime situation.

He added that the Police were increasingly gaining the public’s trust thus resulting in a higher level of information sharing and the solving and prevention of serious crimes, inclusive of murder. Exposure to training, both locally and internationally, continues to be

Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan

a top priority at all levels of the Force, the Police spokesman noted.

In respect to traffic, the Police Force has recorded an increase in road fatalities. “We have recorded 58 fatalities at the end of May this year, which are 14 more than the same period last year.”

The Police in a statement noted that while there was a reduction in serious accidents, there have been again increases in minor and damage accidents.

In addition, the Police are cognisant of the fact that

speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and inattentiveness continue to be the main causes of fatal accidents.

Thus far, the Police have charged 30,788 persons with traffic offences up to May 31, 2016. This includes 11,302 for speeding and 839 for driving under the influence.

The Police Force thanked all of its ranks who have worked to the best of their abilities and in some cases beyond the call of duty during Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations.

Gunmen invade Berbice Chinese restaurant Mahdia miner murdered,

A

Chinese national, Lin Yu Qiang, proprietor of New Lucky Star Chinese Restaurant, awoke early Monday morning to the sight of four bandits invading his home at about 02:00h.

The men all masked and armed with three cutlasses and a gun climbed onto a shed in front of the Chinese Restaurant and broke louver glasses of a window to get into the house.

Qiang was asleep when he heard the sound of glass breaking and, according to him, the men approached him and immediately started beating him, while demanding his cash and jewellery. A struggle ensued and he was injured to the

The window that was broken to gain entry to the building

head with the gun.

The restaurant owner handed over the day’s sales which amounted to $50,000. The bandits also

ransacked the premises and took away two laptop computers and a cellular phone then escaped.

Lin was taken to the

New Amsterdam Hospital where he was treated and sent away.

According to one eyewitness who was awakened by screams from Qiang’s wife, by the time Police responded the men had already fled the area.

In January last year when the restaurant was under different management, armed bandits invaded the premises and injured its owner Tai Hong Fen before carting off cellular phone cards, both local and foreign currency, and other valuables.

Qiang took over the business about two months ago.

Police are investigating the matter.

body left on roadway

T

he body of a young miner was in the wee hours of Monday morning found in the vicinity of Dagagoo Shop, Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) with suspected stab wound and marks of violence.

Dead is Romel Daniels, 25, of Campbelltown, Mahdia.

According to reports, Police in the area responded to a report of a body on the roadway. Upon arrival the Police found Daniels with a single stab wound to his abdomen and other marks of violence about his

body.

Upon the discovery, homicide detectives and crime scene officials visited the scene and collected several pieces of evidence.

They also questioned several persons in respect of the stabbing incident.

The body was taken to the Mahdia Mortuary, awaiting post mortem.

The police are continuing their investigations into the murder and are pleading with possible eyewitnesses to come forward.

They have not established a motive nor has anyone been arrested yet.

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

IN THE COURTS Linden trio remanded for raping volunteer

T

he three Lindeners accused of raping an overseas volunteer were on Monday remanded to prison by City Magistrate Judy Latchman when they appeared before her jointly charged with rape.

Anthony VanDembury of Wismar Housing Scheme, Seon Alexander of Blueberry

Hill, Linden, and a 16-yearold juvenile were not required to plea to the indictable charge.

The men were refused bail and the matter adjourned and transferred to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for June 7.

According to reports, the incident occurred on May

6 at Kwakwani, Linden.

The young volunteer who is in Guyana to teach children in Leguan, Essequibo River area, had ventured to Kwakwani to visit other volunteers, when the rape occurred.

Reports are the young woman went to a bar with some friends where she was

accosted by the men who took her into a house and raped her.

The volunteer had told investigators that she had a few drinks and the men took advantage of her. The woman also noted she saw her attackers’ faces during the incident.

Mandir showdown leads to multiple charges

A

dispute between members of two families in Patentia, West Bank Demerara, which escalated on April 14 at the Patentia Mandir has led to multiple charges over threatening behavior.

At the Wales Magistrate’s Court on

Monday, Danmattie Sooknauth, 58, of Patentia Housing Scheme was placed on self-bail after she entered a not guilty plea on the charge of abusive language to Vindawattie Sookram.

The married housewife who has three children, will return to court on July 29.

Meanwhile, Sugnauth Sookram, 31, son of Vindawattie pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on April 14 he unlawfully assaulted Roopnand Sooknauth [husband of Vindawattie] at the Patentia Mandir. The defendant who is a taxi driver was placed on $10,000 bail and will make his next court appearance on July 23.

According the Prosecution’s case, the altercations between the two families exploded after a young man attached to the Sooknauths reportedly confiscated a quantity of Parsad [Hindu sweetmeat] during a Navratri observance at the Patentia Mandir. This caused a row between the two families where abusive language was hurled and some individuals assaulted.

Vidawattie Sookram was previously accused of physically assault-

ing Danmattie Sooknauth while Roopchand Sugnauth was charged on April 25 for assault and bodily harm.

Drunken husband fined for verbally abusing wife

A

s the debate over the prevalence of alcohol consumption continues, a husband was fined for using abusive language to his wife when he appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court.

Mohabir Ramrattan on Monday appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse to answer to the charge which alleged that on June 4, in an intoxicated state, he verbally abused Deomattie Ramlakhan, his wife, after she refused to give him money, which he demanded to finance his ‘regular habit” of rum drinking.

According to the Prosecution’s case, Ramrattan’s wife was very annoyed with her husband’s behaviour and after she denied him the money, he retaliated by using a barrage of expletives. Ramlakhan reported the matter to the La Grange Police Station and Ramrattan was cautioned and taken into custody before his arraignment on Monday.

When asked to respond to the allegations by the court, the defendant admitted that he was indeed under the influence and further claimed that under normal circumstances he would not exhibit such behaviour. Ramrattan laid blame on his intoxicated state as being responsible for the indecent language assault uttered at his spouse.

On this basis, he appealed to Magistrate Nurse for leniency, stating that he is very sorry for what transpired and noted that he would not repeat this action.

After listening to his explanation Magistrate Nurse slapped the defendant with a $5000 fine and warned him that should there be another occurrence the court would not be as lenient.

Eyew tness

Getting real...

W

...with diabetes

ith us being a part of a globalised world, we shouldn’t be surprised that we Mudlanders are affected by global trends. And diabetes is a global trend. But in that fact alone, our authorities ought to be wary of claims that diabetes is declining here without us doing anything radically different.

Seems the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reported that cases of diabetes made a Kamikaze plunge from 61,800 in 2014 to 49,800 last year. Can you believe this? The good Minister, not surprisingly, accepted the “good news” which he thought might be due to the “massive education programme” the PPP had to’ve conducted. But such a drop in one year??

While diabetes has no “cure,” it can be controlled ...but only after massive changes in lifestyle, diet and exercise regimens. Where exactly were these changes inculcated in our country? This would make medical history and Guyana might become famous for something medical apart from having the highest suicide rate in the world. But upon reflection, it seems our Minister – being a doctor long in practice – realised all of this. He conceded the drop might be due to “migration or death”.

Well, those are two ways to cure an epidemic! And with the rate the US Embassy’s giving out visas, the good doctor might just be right. But that’s merely just transferring the problem to another jurisdiction, nuh? The afflicted persons would still be living with the “silent killer”. But your Eyewitness still thinks we need a coordinated approach to this epidemic which also reduces our national output and productivity.

For instance...on this diet business. We know it’s the massive modern shift to consuming processed foods that’s a big contributor to the worldwide epidemic in diabetes. So why can’t a poor country like Guyana insist we eat “more local”? Our lack of a manufacturing base might finally stand us in good stead! For instance, sweet potato grows and produces like rabbits! And sweet potato is a super source of carbohydrates – which we need for energy – but not in a form that’s quickly absorbed in the blood to give us that organ-destroying “sugar spike”. Why doesn’t the Government push sweet potatoes?

And at the other end, who do we encourage as “development” the influx of greasy “chicken and French fries” joints? We know being fat is highly correlated with diabetes..why then facilitate obesity? Then there’s exercise.

Exercise has to be a habit –- and habits are only formed when we do something regularly.

Why don’t we follow up with Education Minister Rupert Roopnaraine’s suggestion to focus more on sports in our schools?

More to the point, why doesn’t Minister Roopnaraine?

...with the Diaspora

Your Eyewitness noticed the Diaspora just launched their weeklong celebration of “Independence Jubilee” in the New York area. But have they learnt anything from what went down in Guyana?

The elephant in the room down here was the meagre participation from all the ethnic groups comprising our society. And for an administration that’s committed to “social cohesion”, this is potentially fatal. No one in the Government wanted to talk about it, but it’s to the credit that some of their supporters from the Diaspora who came down for the Big Bash told the Emperor he had no clothes.

But there’s no use crying over spilt milk...we just have to do better going forward...and this Eyewitness hopes the change will start from our “more enlightened” sisters and brothers in Region 11.

There was also the suggestion that a more inclusive “social conversation” be launched on how to ensure the next 50 years doesn’t repeat as “farce”, the tragedy of the first 50 years.

Can we talk?

...about crime

The diasporans who came down also reminded us we can’t fight crime through playing with numbers. And crime must be reduced to attract overseas investment.

“Prevention is better than cure” in health as well as crime fighting.

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

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

$60M owed by E-Networks and Quark Inc

Broadcast Authority taking steps to recoup monies − Chairman

T

he Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Chairman Leonard Craig has outlined that plans are afoot to ensure all defaulters clear off their outstanding debts to the entity and noted that the Authority has already begun taking these steps.

A forensic audit, conducted by the accounting firm Ram and McRae had found that the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) and the GNBA are owed millions from broadcasters, the most glaring of the defaulters being E-Networks and Quark (Movie Star) Inc. These two cable service providers reportedly owe $60 million in broadcasting fees.

The published audit report highlighted that E-Networks owes $31 million while Quark Inc owes $29 million. In light of the revelations, it was recommended that immediate steps be taken to determine and recover the full amount owed.

According to Craig, while the NFMU is autonomous from the GNBA, they are sister organisations and he will be speaking to the Managing Director of the NFMU, who also sits on the Broadcast Authority Board to persuade him to “collect all outstanding fees before moving forward because we cannot move forward when all of these outstanding payments are still owed.”

As it pertains to the GNBA, which umbrellas Radio, Television and Cable, he said: “All fees however, which are owed to the Broadcast Authority, we will and we have already begun to take steps to collect the outstanding monies from all those who owe the Broadcast Authority from 2013 to this date.”

Craig had already stat-

ed in the media that every licenced holder will have to reapply to the GNBA and NFMU, and had also cautioned broadcasters that their payment history can affect the decision of the GNBA to grant licences in the future: “That will be something we will have to take into consideration.”

He posited in a telephone interview with Guyana Times: “In the issuance of licences we must consider a person’s payment history, because in any case they require both licences to operate, they require an NFMU licence and a Broadcast Authority licence.”

Monitoring and compliance

Craig also spoke of preventing a recurrence of the breaches, and illegalities that were unearthed by the audit, which highlighted that both E-Networks and Quark Communications did not comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The audit report outlined that since its establishment in April 2004 to provide wireless Internet service, the NFMU had to issue warnings four times to E-Networks during the period April 4, 2004 to February 18, 2007, for operating telecommunications equipment to provide Internet and television service without ownership of the relevant licences.

“Throughout the period…E-Networks ignored the requests for compliance from the NFMU and did not properly apply for a Post and Telegraph Licence until December 2007,” the report stated, while adding: “No action was taken to ensure compliance and no payments were made to the NFMU until December 4, 2007.”

It was further highlighted that the company provid-

GNBA Chairman Leonard Craig

ed wireless Internet services to their customers without being licensed to do so during 2004-2007 and was broadcasting cable TV without ownership of a broadcasting licence during 2006-2012.

As it relates to Quark Inc, Ram and McRae disclosed that they discovered the company has outstanding debts to the NFMU dating back to 2004 for spectrum used to provide broadband Internet services, however at the same time it was found that the unit failed to issue any invoice to the company for spectrum usage since May 23, 2007.

According to the GNBA Chairman in order to prevent a reoccurrence of what transpired, the Broadcast Authority is putting several measures in place. One of those measures includes an expanded monitoring and compliance department.

That department, he noted, would be responsible for ensuring persons comply with the rules and it will also be recommending sanctions to the board, “so all those who do not comply…we will not hesitate to take all necessary action that is within our remit” said Craig.

PPP Congress for last quarter of 2016 – Rohee … to focus on regaining office

T

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will be holding its Congress in the last quarter of this year, according to its General Secretary, Clement Rohee, ending weeks of speculation over when the highest decision-making caucus of the main Opposition political party will meet for the first time since it lost political power in May 2015.

Rohee told his Party’s weekly news conference on Monday that the Congress would focus primarily on regaining office.

The Party’s Central Committee met last weekend and made the decision, which according to Rohee now paved the way for the establishment of the Congress Committee.

“The Central Committee resolved unanimously to hold its 31st Congress in the last quarter of 2016 in keeping with the Party’s constitution. Now that Central Committee has agreed that we will proceed with the

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

Congress in the last quarter of this year, the Executive now has to meet and agree on the establishment of the Congress Committee, and the Congress Committee will then begin its work in terms of the venue, the date and the theme for the Congress,” the General

Secretary explained.

He reflected on past Congresses where the political atmosphere and progression were the focal point, noting that now that the PPP/C was in Opposition, its perspective would be on regaining political power.

“At this Congress, now that we are in the Opposition, a new perspective will obviously be formulated and we have to take into consideration that our Executive Committee has been meeting every week to assess the situation, so has our Central Committee which has been meeting quarterly to assess the political situation in the country. This is what you call a political work-in-progress. The perspective now that we are in Opposition is the regaining of political power…that is the fundamental task ahead of us,” he stated.

TURN TO PAGE 11

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guyana-times.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

News

Police hunt Guyhoc man for mechanic’s murder

D

etectives are hunting a Guyhoc, Greater Georgetown man in connection with the murder of Orrette West, 29, of Tucville Terrace, East La Penitence, who was stabbed to death at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara on Friday morning.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Guyana Times that the Police received information about the suspect and were currently pursuing him.

He also confirmed that the stabbing might have stemmed from a December 2015 incident involving the two men. The Police in a release stated that the father of one was stabbed during an argument with another man over an old grievance.

However, persons who witnessed the stabbing told this publication that the

now dead man was dancing with a woman when the suspect walked towards him, hugged him and inflicted the fatal wound.

The man was reportedly stabbed to the chest after which he collapsed and died almost immediately. He was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Relatives of the dead man have confirmed that he died as a result of a single stab wound to his chest. The post-mortem on his body was performed on Monday by Dr Nehaul Singh. The relatives are calling on the Police to arrest the suspect who is known to the family.

On the day of the stabbing incident, the dead man’s mother told this newspaper, her son did not

My new book: Indian Indenture in the Danish West Indies

P Orrette West

have any issue with anyone, and she refuted the claims that he was involved in a fight with the suspect in late part December.

The man leaves to

mourn his four-year-old daughter, parents and other relatives. The Police are continuing their hunt for the suspect, who is suspected to have absconded.

algrave MacMillan will publish the above book next month (July 2016). The idea of writing this book on Denmark’s solitary experiment with Indian indenture on St Croix from 1863 to 1873 emerged from a number of evolving interests.

The first interest occurred in the 1990s when I was conducting research for my doctoral dissertation on Indian resistance and accommodation in the Caribbean at the Indian Record Office in the British Library, London.

There, I came across some unusual information on Denmark’s involvement with Indian indenture on St Croix.

I was struck by what I found because I was unfamiliar with the fact that the British Government allowed the Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine Danish planters on St Croix to import Indian indentured servants to substitute the loss of slave labour. I was also struck by what I found because the literature on Indian indenture in the Caribbean has not seriously addressed this labour experiment on St Croix.

The second interest occurred when I was asked to teach the history of the United States Virgin Islands and the Caribbean.

Within my first year, I realised that even though Indians were brought to St Croix, the experience of these labourers was marginalised to footnotes in many major textbooks on the Caribbean. However, the work of the Indian researcher Kalyan Kumar Sircar should be recognised as the first person to write on Indian indenture on St Croix. Nonetheless, Sircar was writing from Europe and did not demonstrate a thorough understanding of the local realities of St Croix.

The third interest occurred when I presented a paper at the conference on the 150th anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery and Indenture in Suriname in 2013. On the programme, there were topics on every island in the Caribbean that experimented with Indian indenture except for St Croix. I was convinced that there is a need to put the St Croix experiment in a book form.

The final interest occurred in March 2014 when I presented a paper on 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indian indentured labourers on St Croix at the Landmarks Society of that island.

I was shocked and stunned at the size of the audience as well as at the interests of many who wanted to find their indentured roots. I left St Croix thinking that only a comprehensive book would solve this need.

Space does not allow me to provide full details of the book but two analyses will suffice. The first is that in other Caribbean islands, continuous importation of fresh emigrants from India brought with it the culture, customs and conversations about India that facilitated and reinforced bonds amongst the immigrants.

This inter-ethnic exchange amongst new arrivals and Caribbean-based indentured was not one way. Arriving immigrants generally received information about the pros and cons of indenture from the resident indentured that eventually helped them to adjust to an ever conflict habituated plantation world. None of this happened on St Croix.

Indentured Indians were not only isolated on the plantations but St Croix never received a second wave of indentured Indian immigrants which meant that the first batch of indentured Indians never saw people like themselves until their contracts of five years expired.

To people known for their home-loving character, the loss of and nostalgia for things about India certainly contributed to some social ills, including depression, on the plantations. Indians were left to imagine their homeland, although they wrote and received some letters from their spouses and relatives in India.

The second analysis is that there were many disappointments with Indian indenture on St Croix but one worth sharing here.

It is expected that nineteenth century indenture would not be free of problems but attempts to improve it once put in place was not a priority even with the well-minded plantation owners. The latter might have even been jeered at for their pains to ensure a decent indenture system.

For many Indians, the indenture system had the better of them as evidenced by flight to their homeland when their contracts expired. But what is more disappointing is that the indentured never had their day and we know this because they left no traces of themselves, no Hindu Temples, no Muslim Mosques, no architecture, no sculpture, no monument and no writing, as noticed elsewhere in the Caribbean where Indians were indentured.

This book is dedicated to indentured Indians on St Croix and my hope is that the Government of the United Virgin Islands will put in place a small monument to recognise the sacrifice and contributions these labourers made to the island. I am working on it.

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

guyana-times.com

News

Facebook death threats

Police swoop down on Beekham at Springlands

P

olice have arrested Tameshwar Beekham, wanted in connection with his recent Facebook ranting of “assassinating” the former President and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, along with People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) parliamentarians.

It was reported that Beekham was arrested, and detained at the Springlands Police Station following Police searches in the area.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed these reports when he told this newspaper: “Beekham was arrested today (Monday) at the Springlands Police Station and will be transported to Georgetown where he will be

Tameshwar Beekham

questioned in connection to his Facebook threats against former President Bharrat

Jagdeo and other members of the PPP/C.” Beekham took to his Facebook page and ranted over the idealisation of the APNU/AFC government’s accomplishments and visions of Former President, LFS Burnham, and openly stated his intention to target Freedom House and kill Jagdeo and several PPP/C members.

According to the man’s Facebook page, his encounters with the Police relating to the same issue did not prevent him from continuing to his ranting.

B Division Commander and Assistant Commissioner Ian Amsterdam had indicated that ranks in Berbice

were searching for Beekham but Beekham even posted on Sunday, repeating his death threats.

Just recently Police had detained a 52-yearold woman who allegedly posted racially-inciting social media comments about African-Guyanese, and what appeared to be threats to President Granger.

The woman has since been charged for attempting to excite hostility on the grounds of race contrary to Section 2 (1) (C) of the Racial Hostility Act, Chapter 23:01 of the Criminal Offences Act. Her Facebook post stated: “Granger want a bullet in head…I am out of a job now because of them.”

House Speaker brushes off Ramkarran’s “views” on speakership – says he does not comment on things people say

S

peaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland on Monday refused to respond to comments made by former House Speaker Ralph Ramkarran on his decision to disallow questions raised by the parliamentary Opposition on pardoned prisoners.

Dr Scotland is currently facing criticism from both the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and, more recently, Ramkarran on the decision he took last week, to disallow questions raised by PPP Executive Member Anil Nandall.

Last week, the Speaker, through the Clerk of the National Assembly, informed Nandlall that his question regarding details on prisoners President David Granger has or intends to release, could not be allowed as those questions were “an abuse of the right of questioning”.

The Speaker came under fire from the parliamentary Opposition, particularly its leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Nandlall. Jagdeo said the Speaker was operating in favour of the Government.

Dr Scotland on Monday, however, made it plain to Guyana Times that while he was Speaker and has the right to speak, he would not respond to the comments

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland

and views of anyone.

“You know, you should not ask me that here. I would not comment on anyone’s view on anything. I did not read it, I did not read it and even if I did, I would not comment. I do not comment on things anyone says.

I don’t comment on political party or anything anyone says,” he told Guyana Times.

Former Speaker Ramkarran in his online blog Conversation Tree over the weekend said that while the Speaker was not required to, and did not give any reasons for his ruling, it is customary that they give explanation for their rulings, in order to demonstrate that their decisions were based on rational considerations. This effort

was intended to limit allegations of bias.

He explained that the Standing Orders did not define what an abuse of the right to question is, but among the 15 rules stated, he singled out Standing Order 20(2) which states that, “ If the Speaker is of the opinion that any Question of which a Member has given notice to the Clerk or which a Member has sought permission to ask without notice, is an abuse of the right of questioning or infringes any of the provisions of this or any other Standing Order, he or she may direct that it be printed or asked with such alterations as he or she may direct; or that the Member concerned be informed that the Question is inadmissible.

“The Speaker is, therefore, clearly seeing something that we are not. And the fact that he did not direct any alterations means that he felt that the questions were inadmissible in their entirety,” Ramkarran opined.

The Senior Counsel, who served as House Speaker for more than 10 years, said that these issues would never have arisen had President Granger released the names and other particulars of the persons whom he had par-

PPP Congress for...

Rohee added that the urgency of the Party to retake political power within the shortest possible time was emphasised “in order to arrest the downward trajectory in which the country is now heading”.

Other areas that the Party would be focusing on are seeking electoral reforms, including lobbying for e-registration, a new voters’ list, electronic voting and e-tabulation of results.

Rohee also noted that the Executive Committee

11

was currently “discussing strengthening the Party both organisationally and ideologically in order to deliver on its mandate to ensure a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Guyana with the PPP/C back in office”.

He explained that in accordance with this, the PPP/C was working on broadening the appeal and reach of the Party with respect to stakeholders and the society at large.

The General Secretary also condemned attempts by

FROM PAGE 9

external elements at “sowing the seeds of discord within the leadership of the Party”, saying “the Party reiterated its resolve to counter any such attempts to divide the Party”.

The Congress will also elect a new Central Committee.

The PPP’s 30th Congress was held August 2-4, 2013, at JC Chandisingh Secondary School at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice under the theme – “Strengthen the Party, Build Unity and Advance Democracy”.

doned in response to questions rightly posed to him. leader Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, addressing a news conference last Wednesday, said his Party, through the National Assembly, has been trying to get the list of names for those persons who were released by President Granger last year. This has not been forthcoming.

Some 71 persons, male and female, are said to have been released by the President, since he took office.

Jagdeo said while the Head of State has the power to make such decisions, it is still the right of the public to be in the know.

NCN forensic audit

PPP/C awaits State broadcaster’s invoices for ‘political advertisements’ – Rohee

S

ubsequent to the report of the forensic audit conducted on the state broadcaster, National Communications Network (NCN) which revealed that the company failed to bill the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for advertisements it aired, totalling some $18,204,750, the party’s General Secretary Clemet Rohee has alleged that the PPP never received the invoices for these advertisements from the company.

The summary of PPP/ C’s advertisements aired by NCN includes $4,704,000 for 100.1 Fresh FM; $5,667,500 for 98.1 Hot FM; 3,878,250 for Channel 11 and $3,955,000 for the Voice of Guyana 102.5.

Also included in the PPP/ C’s debt is $12,988,500, which was recorded as Public Service Announcements (PSA). The auditor pointed out that NCN could not have presented a documented policy on PSAs, but noted that political advertisements are not approved as PSAs. Meanwhile as it relates to 2015, PPP/C was not invoiced for advertisements aired by NCN to the tune of $3,708,200.

In relation to the PPP/C advertisements during the 2015 Elections Campaign, $39,200 was for 100.1 Fresh FM; $1,453,750 for 98.1 Hot FM; $492,000 for Channel 11 and $1,723,250 for Voice of Guyana 102.5.

The General Secretary stated that the Party had requested the relevant invoices and documents from

the NCN some time ago, but they are yet to receive such.

“We have asked for the data, we have asked for the invoices… we have also asked for the materials to be attached as proof and evidence of these debts and we haven’t received anything as yet,” he stated.

When asked whether the Party would pay the outstanding monies, Rohee responded in the affirmative, saying “the Party pays for whatever services it purchases or solicits or procures or it outsources”.

However, he added that they will not be issuing any new calls for this document as “they [NCN] have correspondence from us that remains unanswered”.

In relation to the audit reports that were submitted, the General Secretary related that he is yet to analyse them, however; he is of the opinion that the past chairpersons of the companies being audited should have played a part in reviewing the reports.

“We have not seen those audit reports, I understand that they are on the Ministry of Finance’s website but I haven’t accessed them as yet. And we have always maintained that the Audit reports should be shared with the former chairmen of these boards and with those members of the boards who served so that they could give their assessments of what is in these audit reports. I don’t think those who are serving now can do that as it’s early,” Rohee stated.

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TUESDay, june 7, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Consultation hosted to assist non- No excuse not to preserve national and cultural heritage – Roopnaraine compliant Linden businesses

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Kevin De Jonge, President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce speaking to Linden shop owners in the presence of GRA officials and the LM&TC

I

n an effort to assist non-compliant proprietors of Linden businesses, Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland recently held consultation with business stakeholders and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The Mayor indicated that the aim was to address issues relating to businesses in the community receiving the requisite licence in order to become compliant.

Prior to the meeting, Holland had urged the GRA to pause on a “crackdown” exercise in the community, which had resulted in several businesses being closed.

The owners of several delinquent businesses had raised concerns following the crackdown process which they indicated was done without due warning.

Holland, while acknowledging the need for timely dispatch of notices, had stated that business owners had acknowledged their error of

not being compliant and expressed willingness to do so.

He said the campaign had affected the community’s economy as many had closed their doors in fear of their good being taken away as was the case with some.

The GRA in its mandate had moved to have all businesses regularised in order to rectify a trend of delinquent business practices. As such, business owners were urged to comply with requirements and obtain the necessary documentation from the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) in order to facilitate the compliance.

Also present at the consultation were GRA Commissioner General (ag) Ingrid Griffith, President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Development, and ouncillors of the LM&TC. Holland said many businesses have since commenced getting the nec-

essary assistance from LM&TC. Meanwhile, the GRA in a statement said shops and other business owners along with Kevin De Jonge, President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, at the meeting, provided plausible explanations for the prevailing non-complaint situation, citing a lack of knowledge and apathy on the part of businesses as some of the main contributing factors.

In response, GRA’s representatives urged that the Linden Mayor and Town Council take corrective action as regularisation of businesses/shops in the Town is its responsibility.

However, it was noted that though businesses within the Municipal Market are under the purview of the Town Council, butcher shops, tobacco traders and drugstores operating in the Market are required to apply to the GRA for licences.

ducation Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine on Monday charged the National Trust of Guyana (NTG) and Guyanese, on a whole, to make every effort to preserve the country’s tangible and intangible heritage.

The Education Minister, who also has responsibility for culture, youth and sport, was part of a group of officials who delivered remarks at the opening of the Georgetown International Heritage Conference at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

According to Dr Roopnaraine, the organisation has no excuse and needs to come up with comprehensive systems of preserving both the tangible and intangible heritage.

“Even as I applaud the heroic efforts…valuable work, must admit that the State mechanisms for identifying and observing our built heritage have been far from ideal over the years,” Dr Roopnaraine told the audience.

He said the absence of protocols to preserve the most historical building in the capital reflected the gaps in cultural heritage policy that should not occur in a “sculptor rich society as ours”.

Dr Roopnaraine said one of his commitments, as a projected outcome of a completed policy, was the creation of a mechanism or the expansion of the remit of the National Trust, with a focus on preserving cultural heritage.

He said over the next two years and beyond, culture would occupy centre stage in Government’s sustainable developmental plan. He said there would be an examination of the implication of cultural practices in the era of

Officials at the opening of the conference at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre on Monday

climate change.

“We live in an era when cultural conflict, manifesting itself in the extreme as open warfare, resulting in the destruction of valuable built heritage and artefacts, much of it, hundreds of years old.”

Chief Executive Officer of the National Trust of Guyana, Nirvana Persaud said the organisation was established in 1979 following the passage of the National Trust Act. She said the vision of the Trust has surrounded the ideal that heritage should be valued. The National Trust has been doing this for the last 44 years, she said.

Also speaking at the event, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said Government hoped that one day Georgetown would be counted among the heritage capitals of the world. He said cultural heritage remained an undocumented casualty of war.

The Government hopes to revitalise the scope of work to be undertaken by the National Trust and to ensure that it reaches out to the newly elected Town and District Councils to take responsibility in their respective areas for heritage resources, the PM noted.

Meanwhile, United

States Ambassador Perry Holloway, who was also present at the event, said the Embassy was doing a lot for the preservation of Guyana’s cultural heritage. He is hoping that in the next month or so, two projects – the repairing of the Stabroek tower and clock and the Georgetown lighthouse, which has been standing tall since the mid 1800s – could get the necessary funding.

According to him, Guyana and the US are also this year celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations, as the Americans were one of the first countries to recognise Guyana.

The three-day conference, a collaboration between the National Trust and the World Monuments Fund, was organised to boost the heritage sector, particularly the tangible cultural heritage and to preserve, promote and protect Guyana’s heritage resources.

During the course of the sessions, seven important areas are expected to be covered including management and policy, history and theory, documentation and conservation, heritage sustainability, heritage and community, and world cultural and natural heritage and economics of preservation.

news

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TUESDay, june 7, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Agriculture Month Literacy, numeracy classes for 100 2016 plans underway students – Benab Foundation

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lans have commenced to make this year’s Agriculture Month a memorable one.

This is according to Agriculture Minister Noel Holder who on Monday met with a number of heads of the agriculture sector agencies and held discussions relating to the upcoming month of activities in October.

This event will see the Agriculture Ministry showcasing the grandness of all aspects of the agriculture sector.

One event already in the pipelines is National Tree Day. National Tree Day, which was launched in 2015, focuses on greening the economy with the aim of winning the battle against environmen-

Agriculture Holder

Minister

Noel

tal degradation and economic decline through the planting of trees.

This event is to be held this year in the newly-established town of Lethem.

Some of the events that Guyanese can hope to en-

joy in Agriculture Month are the World Food Day Fair, inter-faith services, school awareness competitions, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) open day, and Agriculture Ministry Healthy Cook-Off. The main aim of the Month is to sensitise citizens on the importance of the agriculture sector to an economy as a whole, considering the needs of all citizens.

The activities are also held to attract tourists from all walks of life and are conducted in all regions of Guyana.

This event held every year has been a major success in terms of promoting Guyana as a tourism destination.

T

he Benab Foundation, a volunteer group of young people that aims to ultimately improve the lives of Guyanese, is targeting 100 students this summer to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.

In the months of July and August, the group will be hosting its annual summer programme that will be focusing on the core subjects in schools. The group has formed a special project called the Cognitive Initiative to deal specifically with the classes to better serve the participants.

The Cognitive Initiative is a non-profit programme designed to offer struggling students remedial tutoring during the August vacation.

The Benab Foundation volunteers

being core subjects.”

The group noted that its initiative is to improve reading and writing skills, as well as enhance the thinking and reasoning capabilities, of 100 students from junior secondary schools. Candidates se-

Clinton wins Democratic nomination

H

illary Clinton has clinched the Democratic Party nomination for US president after reaching the required number of delegates, according to AP. The news agency’s tally puts Mrs Clinton on 2,383 - the number needed to make her the presumptive nominee.

Mrs Clinton will become the first female nominee for a major US political party.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, her rival for the nomination, said he intended to stay in the race until the party’s convention in July.

Mrs Clinton reached the threshold with a big win in

Hillary Clinton

Puerto Rico and a burst of last-minute support from

party insiders called superdelegates, AP said.

At an appearance in Long Beach, California, shortly after the news broke, she said: “We are on the brink of a historic and unprecedented moment but we still have work to do.

“We have six elections tomorrow and we’re gonna fight hard for every single vote, especially right here in California.”

Delegates pledge their support for a candidate ahead of the convention but do not vote for them until the convention itself.

The nominee for either party is not officially named until the parties’ respective conventions.(BBC)

Assisting students

According to the group, “The areas of focus will be Mathematics and English A, as statistical research shows that Guyanese students have poorly performed in these disciplines at CSEC [the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations], despite them

lected will be transitioning from second to third form.

Students will be required to attend classes for three days per week, four hours each day. The group will also be offering snacks to the students.

“Twenty-five volunteers will be involved in the tutoring programme, all of whom

are currently undertaking advanced studies or have completed these studies. The high volunteer to student ratio will allow for more tailored learning based on each student’s weaknesses, as identified in the initial test,” the group added.

To date, the Initiative has reached over 200 students from New Campbellville Secondary, Dolphin Secondary, Tutorial High School, St John’s College, St Winifried’s Secondary and St George’s High School among others.

The Benab Foundation comprises mostly students, often still in high school (at the A-level) or continuing study at the University of Guyana, and thus cannot afford the transportation and lunch costs associated with the Initiative independently.

The group was formed in the year 2012 whereby a small group of young people met to discuss the birth of an organisation that aims to ultimately improve the lives of Guyanese, particularly the nation’s youth. Its main objective is to assist in the development of Guyana and themselves.

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guyana-times.com

tuesday, june 7, 2016

Regional

Peru’s Kuczynski has thin lead Rio Olympics: New Sport Minister over Fujimori in presidential vote dismisses Olympics concerns

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ormer Wall Street executive Pedro Pablo Kuczynski held a razor-thin lead over Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of an imprisoned former authoritarian leader in a vote that may be Peru’s closest presidential election in half a century.

With 91 per cent of all votes counted on Monday, Kuczynski had 50.32 per cent support while Fujimori trailed with 49.68 per cent.

The gap had narrowed from a previous tally.

Ballots of Peruvians living abroad will only begin to arrive on Monday night and the count may not be finished until Thursday or Friday, Mariano Cucho, the head of the electoral office ONPE, said.

Making up 3.86 per cent of the electorate, foreignbased voters mostly live in the United States where Kuczynski stumped for votes.

But Fujimori, 41, re-

B

Former Wall Street executive Pedro Pablo Kuczynski

ceived strong support from abroad in her first bid for the presidency in 2011, which she narrowly lost to outgoing President Ollanta Humala.

The campaign pitted the Fujimori family’s brand of right-wing populism against Kuczynski’s elite background and stiff technocratic style.

Fujimori had long been the favourite to win the election, but Kuczynski caught up with her in the final days of the campaign as

Peruvians weighed the legacy of her father former president Alberto Fujimori and scandals involving her close advisers.

Many Peruvians credit Alberto Fujimori with defeating the Shining Path far-left guerrilla group and building schools and hospitals in rural areas when he was president in 1990-2000.

But his authoritarian style divided the country and he is now serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and human rights abuses. (Excerpt

from Reuters)

Venezuelan woman shot dead during latest looting

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Venezuelan woman died on Monday after being shot in the face when looters raided State food warehouses in the latest unrest in the crisis-hit nation, her family said.

Relatives of hotel worker Jenny Ortiz, 42, said she died in hospital after being shot during the melee late on Sunday in San Cristobal, a town near the border of Colombia, where looting and anti-Government protests have been occurring in recent months.

Family including her mother-in-law Carmen Rosa, 58, who said she saw the incident, alleged that a

Policeman shot Ortiz.

Authorities did not comment on that accusation, though local Police said armed criminals had fired on Police and an investigation was underway.

“The warehouses were supposedly full of food and the people need food,” Rosa told Reuters at the morgue where her daughter-in-law’s corpse was taken, saying about 500 local residents had descended on the premises.

When security forces chased some of the crowd after they broke in, “they jumped down a bank to protect themselves, and a

Policeman who was pursuing them shot her. They shot her in the face,” she added.

Venezuela has seen a rise in looting, lynchings and violent protests this year during a deepening economic crisis. There are shortages of food and other basics across the nation of 30 million people, and inflation is the highest in the world.

While the Opposition coalition blames socialist President Nicolas Maduro and is seeking a referendum to recall him, the Government says political foes are fanning the crisis with an “economic war” and seeking a coup against him.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

St Lucians go to the polls

razil’s Sport Minister Leonardo Picciani has told the BBC Rio de Janeiro is ready for the Olympic Games.

He dismissed concerns over unfinished building work, the outbreak of the Zika Virus and political uncertainty following the suspension of President Dilma Rousseff.

Everyone going to the Games would “have a great experience”, Picciani said.

His remarks come a week after more than 200 scientists asked for the Games to be moved or postponed over Zika.

In an open letter to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the scientists argued that the WHO declaration of Zika as a public health emergency coupled with new scientific findings underscoring the seriousness of Zika made it “unethical” for the Games to go ahead in Rio as planned.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for August 5.

The WHO initially joined the International

Leonardo Picciani was appointed as Sport Minister less than three months before the Olympics

Olympic Committee in dismissing calls for the Games to be postponed or moved.

But in a letter dated June 1, WHO head Dr Margaret Chan wrote that “given the current level of international concern, I have decided to ask members of the Zika Emergency Committee to examine the risks of holding the Olympic Summer Games as currently scheduled”.

Picciani told the BBC that “all the precautions” had been taken to prevent

the spread of Zika.

The 36-year-old Minister took up the post less than a month ago.

He was appointed by Michel Temer, who took over as interim president after Rousseff was suspended pending an impeachment trial.

Picciani said that despite the political upheaval created by Rousseff’s trial, the team behind the Olympics was running “seamlessly”.

(Excerpt from BBC

News)

Jamaican National Security Minister calls for greater cooperation on port security

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amaican National Security Minister Robert Montague said there needed to be increased cooperation between Jamaica and the United States in order to improve maritime and port security.

Speaking at a port security seminar, the Minister said this was necessary to improve economic growth and exploit the enormous possibilities which exist for expanding maritime trade.

Montague said Jamaica was cognisant of its vulnerability to various threats that originate from the international environment and the countermeasures which were relevant would

require the strengthening of efforts between the relevant maritime and port entities of both countries.

“The Ministry of National Security has directly taken the lead on several initiatives to promote port and maritime security, thereby ensuring adequate presence and requisite deployment of maritime law enforcement bodies that fall under the remit of the Ministry,” he noted.

Other Ministry-led initiatives include: improving the capacity of port screeners to screen for, detect and identify firearm and component parts, and maintaining oversight for

security systems that protect port environments.

Amendments to the Maritime Drug Trafficking Suppression Act, which seek to further reduce maritime drug trafficking, were also passed in both Houses of Parliament.

“We can all agree that more needs to be done

by Government to provide greater funding to the operational entities, but there is no doubt that their efforts over the years have been heroic, given the resources available to them, and deserve our respect and commendations,” Montague said. (Excerpt from

Jamaica Observer)

Rowley in ‘peace’ talks with Holness

T The battle for votes is between the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) and the United Workers Party (UWP)

B

y today, St Lucians will have an idea of whether the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) or the United Workers Party (UWP) will govern the country for the next five years.

Voters had until 18:00h to cast their ballots, 11 and a half hours after polling stations opened across the island.

Election Day began with heavy rains, but Opposition

Leader Allen Chastanet urged St Lucians not to let the weather keep them away from the polls.

“The weather is not the best today and maybe it will not improve much today.

However, I am still urging all St Lucians to go out, get an umbrella, get a raincoat or get something to protect you from the weather and go out to vote,” he said.

“Don’t let the weather or

anything thing prevent you from exercising your democratic right – a right that many of our forefathers died for…”

In his last appeal to the electorate in a televised message last night, Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony reminded citizens of the progress his SLP has made and the promises of more to come if it is returned to Government. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

rinidad Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has intervened in the ongoing immigration and manufacturing dispute between Jamaica and T&T, and plans to pay an official visit there “in the not-too-distant future” to address the issue.

The issue stemmed from an immigration matter in March, where T&T immigration authorities debarred several Jamaicans from entering the country because they couldn’t show proof of sustaining themselves there.

The issue prompted

some Jamaicans to call for a boycott of T&T products and at least one T&T manufacturer eventually had his goods pulled by a supermarket owner in Jamaica.

But at a news conference at the VIP lounge at Piarco International Airport Sunday, upon return from the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Summit in Cuba, Rowley, noting that there was a sentiment being fuelled in Jamaica that their nationals were not welcome in T&T and that was not true, said he addressed the matter directly with Jamaican

Prime Minister Andrew Holness while in Cuba.

“The Jamaican Prime Minister and I agreed that the time has come that this matter be put to bed by the voice of T&T speaking directly to the people of Jamaica. I propose to do so myself,” Rowley said. He confirmed that before he left for the ACS, Holness had asked for a meeting in Havana to discuss the dispute. He said while in Cuba, he had an extensive meeting with Holness, his Foreign Minister and the Attorney General. (Excerpt from

Trinidad Guardian)

tuesday, june 7, 2016

guyana-times.com

15

Around the World

Protests in Kenya as Opposition Maldives jails ex-Vice marks “Day of Rage” President for 10 years

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t least two demonstrators were killed

by Police on Monday, as Opposition supporters in Kenya blocked key roads and set fire to tyres in a “Day of Rage” protests aimed at overhauling the country’s election commission.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) alliance, which alleges that the electoral body is biased towards the President, has been staging weekly protests every Monday.

Protests took place in several towns, but in Kisumu, an Opposition stronghold in western Kenya, Police opened fire before using tear gas and water cannon to quell the protests.

Word of the shootings fuelled heavy clashes in the centre of Kisumu and the working class district of Kondele. There were widespread scenes of looting and two supermarkets were destroyed.

A bullet wound was vis-

A

There were widespread scenes of looting and two supermarkets were destroyed [The Associated Press]

ible on one corpse, laid outside a hospital morgue by protesters who said he was hit by Police fire.

Six protesters were taken to Kisumu’s main hospital suffering from gunshot wounds, the Red Cross said.

Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga led peaceful demonstrations in the capital, Nairobi.

At least three people died in similar protests in west-

ern Kenya on May 23, two of them when anti-riot Police opened fire in Siaya, while a third fatality, according to Police, resulted from a fall while fleeing from tear gas in Kisumu.

The protesters, many of them supporters of Odinga, had blocked roads in Migori early on Monday, setting the scene for potential confrontation with Government forces. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

collection office, a mosque, a synagogue and public areas to be used for the football championship, the statement said.

The security services said the unidentified man wanted to carry out 15 attacks in total.

“The Frenchman expressed opposition towards his Government allowing mass immigration into France, as well as the spread of Islam,” the statement said.

Attacks are a major concern for French authorities as they prepare to host the month-long tournament at stadiums in the Paris area and eight other cities from

Friday through July 10.

Armed groups have threatened France during the tournament, but authorities have not confirmed specific dangers.

France is deploying 90,000 security forces for the tournament, and French President Francois Hollande said on Sunday night that the threat of attacks will not stop it from being successful.

Three suicide bombers tried to enter the Stade de France, the country’s national stadium, in November last year during the Paris attacks. The country has since been under a state of emergency. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Ukraine detains Frenchman over “Euro 2016 attack plot”

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kraine has detained a Frenchman suspected of planning a series of attacks across France during the forthcoming European 2016 football championship, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said.

The man came to Ukraine under the guise of volunteering to fight in the conflict in the country’s east and managed to obtain 125kg of TNT, five assault rifles, two anti-tank grenade launchers and ammunition, the SBU said on Monday.

The man planned to blow up bridges and highway infrastructure in various parts of France, as well as a tax

Record showing for China on ‘power women’ list

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hinese women have made their strongest showing on Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s most powerful women.

The survey also included a record number of women from the UK, though German Chancellor Angela Merkel remains in the top spot.

Hillary Clinton, the US presidential candidate, and Janet Yellen, chair of the Federal Reserve, were second and third.

The US dominated the list with 51 women represented, while China was second.

There are a record nine women from the world’s most populous nation on the 2016 Power Women list. Lucy Peng, a senior executive at e-commerce giant Alibaba, and Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organisation, are the high-

World Health Organisation Director, Dr Margaret Chan is the second highest-ranking Chinese woman on the Forbes list

est-ranked. Also on the list are Pollyanna Chu, chief executive of Hong Kong financial services firm Kingston Securities, and China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan.

The survey features 100 women from 29 countries who represent sectors such as poli-

tics, business, technology and philanthropy.

Forbes said the women on the list control US$1 trillion in revenue and influence more than 3.6 billion people around the world.

There are 32 chief executives on the list, 12 world leaders and 11 billionaires, including nine who have built billion-dollar companies from scratch. The average age is 57, with Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer the youngest at 41 and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II the oldest at 90.

This is the sixth consecutive year Mrs Merkel has topped the list and the 10th time in total.

Moira Forbes, President and Publisher of Forbes Woman, said it was “extraordinary” that Mrs Merkel had been able to maintain power for so long. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Maldives court has convicted the country’s former Vice President on a terrorism charge for possession of firearms and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

The decision by the Criminal Court on Sunday made Ahmed Adeeb the fourth high-profile politician to be jailed on a terrorism charge since President Yameen Abdul Gayoom was elected in 2013.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed, the former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and the head of a leading political party, Sheikh Imran Abdulla, are the others to get lengthy prison terms.

Nasheed has since been granted asylum in Britain.

The cases have been criticised for a lack of due process.

Adeeb still faces charges of trying to assassinate Gayoom, after an explosion hit the presidential speedboat last year.

Gayoom made his trusted protégé Adeeb Vice President last July after sacking his running mate in the 2013 election.

However, Adeeb was arrested only days after the September blast on Gayoom’s speedboat. The president’s wife, an aide and a bodyguard were injured in the explosion.

Later, authorities

charged Adeeb with possessing firearms prohibited under the country’s terrorism law, and with corruption.

The Government says the mysterious blast was an assassination attempt, even though FBI investigators said that they found no evidence of a bomb explosion.

Human rights groups have criticised Gayoom for jailing opponents and potential challengers in order to tighten his grip on power.

Maldives has a long history of being ruled by autocratic leaders. (Excerpt from Al

Jazeera)

US sex attacker’s father sparks anger

T

he father of a Stanford University student convicted of sexual assault has sparked outrage on social media by saying his son should not have been jailed for “20 minutes of action”.

Brock Turner, 20, was sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman last year.

The victim’s impact statement, which was read out in court, was also widely shared on social media.

The Judge expressed concern about the impact of prison on Turner.

Prosecutors said that in January 2015, Turner had been seen by two witnesses sexually assaulting the woman, who was lying on the ground, unconscious, on the Stanford campus.

They said Turner had tried to run away when challenged by the witnesses, but the pair had tack-

Brock Turner, 20, was sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman last year

led him and held him until Police Officers arrived.

A former top swimmer at the university, Turner was found guilty in March of three felony charges.

Prosecutors wanted a sentence of six years in state

prison for him, the Mercury News reported.

His sentencing, to six months and probation, also required him to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

In an excerpt of a statement to the court before the sentencing, Brock’s father, Dan, said his son’s life had been “deeply altered forever”.

“His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve,” he said.

“That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life.”

Many Twitter users reacted angrily, both to the sentence and the tone of the father’s letter.

Some 28,000 people have also signed a petition to recall the sentencing judge, Aaron Persky, for passing what they called a “lenient sentence”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Malaysia sex abuse Briton gets 22 life terms A

British man has been given 22 life sentences after admitting to 71 charges of sex abuse against children in Malaysia aged from six months to 12 years old.

Police believe Richard Huckle, 30, from Ashford, Kent, abused up to 200 children from mainly poor communities.

The Old Bailey judge described a 60-page paedophile manual Huckle wrote as a “truly evil document” and said he must serve at least 23 years in jail.

A woman in the public gallery shouted: “1000 deaths is too good for you”.

In online posts, Huckle had bragged:

“Impoverished kids are definitely much easier to seduce than middle-class Western kids.”

He presented himself as a practising Christian and first visited Malaysia on a teaching gap year when he was 18 or 19. He then went on to groom children while doing voluntary work.

The BBC has learned that the National Crime Agency (NCA) only contacted two churches Huckle attended in Kent and London – which cannot be identified for legal reasons – last week, almost 18 months after Huckle was first arrested.

It says it has now referred that aspect of

its investigation to the Independent Police Complaints Commission to see if it could have improved its response.

Investigators found more than 20,000 indecent pictures and videos of his assaults on children, which were shared with paedophiles worldwide through a website hidden in the socalled dark web.

He even tried to make a business out of his abuse by crowd-funding the release of the images and was compiling a paedophile’s manual at the time of his arrest by the NCA in December 2014. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

16 news

tuesday, june 7, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Art exhibition on display at IDF lauds reduction of Anna Regina Police Station diabetic cases in Guyana T to stop sexual abuse

Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt along with Police Officers viewing the paintings BY: INDRAWATTIE NATRAM

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ine pieces of art drawn by sexually abused children from several communities across Guyana expressing their feelings are currently on display at the Anna Regina Police Station in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam).

The art works will be on display until June 10 and is a partnership between the Delegation of the European Union in collaboration with UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Fund) and Blossom Inc. The exhibition comes under the project “The Traveling Exhibition” and is held under the theme, “Break the silence, stop child sexual abuse”.

The exhibition was officially launched last week at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court. The launched attracted stakeholders from the Guyana Police Force, Suddie Magistrate’s Court, Region Two Administration, Ministry of Social Protection, Essequibo Chambers of Commerce, and the five NDCs along the Coast.

According to Tiffany Griffith of Blossom Inc, the exhibition is at its final leg and aims at highlighting the devastating effects sexual abuse have on children.

Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt said at the launch sexual abuse among children is the worst form of criminal activity and a mutistakeholder approach is need to tackle the issue.

He said the population needs to change the way it thinks about young people and reminded that young people are assets to be developed and not problems to solve. He commended the efforts of Blossom Inc and other stakeholders in fighting to raise awareness.

He however said he feel that Region Two should be equipped with more child protection officers since the nine Amerindian communities also require much attention.

He called on the municipality and the NDCs to lend support towards human development in an effort to restore community alliances and called for the sexual offenses act to he highlighted more in the public so that

persons can become aware of the dreadful act.

To do this he said there needs to be user-friendly approaches and partnership where training can be done to inform the public.

Ramdatt also called on the Child Protection Office to focus on the hinterland areas as oftentimes many cases go unreported.

Commander of G Division Kevin Adonis said the Guyana Police Force is happy to partner with Blossom Inc in hosting exhibition.

He said over the years the Force has been involved in establishing youth groups throughout Guyana to get them involved in meaningful activities, hence creating safer avenues for children.

The exhibition was first declared opened by First Lady Sandra Granger in Region 4 (DemeraraMahaica) at the Brickdam Police Station, Griffith noted.

Thus far it has travelled across the country to Regions 6 and 10 at Whim Police Station and Mackenzie Police Station, respectively.

Duo freed of robbery, gun possession charges

T

wo men accused of carrying out a string of armed robberies who were also charged for unlawful possession of a firearm in 2015 were on Monday freed of all charges by city Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

The ruling came after Magistrate Azore told the Court that the prosecution had failed to prove its case on account of insufficient evidence.

Family members and supporters of the men were ecstatic after hearing Magistrate Azore’s ruling.

They were seen leaving the courtroom in smiles with uplifted arms shouting, “Yes, yes”.

Jermaine Bailey and Adam McDonald were jointly charged for the robbery they allegedly committed on

October 2, 2015 at Parade Street, Kingston, while in the company of others and armed with guns on Troy Wong. They allegedly took a quantity of cellular phones, valued $1.2 million, while also allegedly robbing John Campayne of $60,000. It is also alleged that they robbed Derick Quaicoe of four cellular phones, valued $150,000.

Bailey was charged separately with two counts of armed robbery. He was accused of while armed with a gun, robbing Abena Abdulla of a total of $750,000 in local and foreign currency.

He was also charged with robbing Anand Persaud of $2300. Both robberies allegedly took place on September 30, 2015 at Kitty.

In addition, McDonald pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal gun and ammu-

nition possession. According to the charges, on the same day of the robberies, McDonald was found with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and two live rounds of 9mm ammunition, both without being the holder of a valid firearm licence.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had told media operatives that following the robbery, the men apparently panicked and two fled in a car and the other escaped on foot. He added that during the escape bid, the driver of the car crashed into the Seawall and lost control of the vehicle, which turned turtle in the nearby trench.

The two occupants then exited the vehicle and started running in an easterly direction. The Police gave chase and later apprehended the men.

he International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has recognized the reduction of diabetic cases in Guyana from last year to now. In 2014, the number of persons recorded with diabetes was 61,800 while in 2015, that number was drastically reduced to 49, 800, a reduction of 12,000 respectively.

According to the IDF this is the most significant decline of diabetes cases in Guyana to date, and the credit, according to Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton goes to the healthy nationwide programs provided to battle the non-infectious disease.

Norton has advised health specialists however,

that though the decrease is considered good news, they should not become too pompous or over confident as they continue to exchange fight off this lifestyle disease.

He outlined that there still stands the chance that the reduction could be due to the resettlement or death of persons. Additionally, there was an approximation of $16,800 unrecorded cases of persons living with diabetes who didn’t know they were diabetic according to the IDF. Describing the diabetes battle in Guyana as “unsettling”, Norton highlighted that the Ministry of Public Health hopes to bring about an implementation of having contents of high glucose

taxed as is done in other Caribbean countries, in an effort to discourage its use and act as some sort of preventative measure towards diabetes, since the disease is known to be one of the primary causes of deaths in Guyana.

“Diabetes is a lifestyle disease, and the kinds of food we buy at the supermarket, restaurants and home, which are too height is fat and salt, coupled with lack of exercise, contribute to diabetes. What we need to do is exercise, drink water instead of aerated drinks, and reduce intake of salt and sugar to keep diabetes away,” the Public Health Ministry said.

Jesus’s tomb in Jerusalem undergoes restoration work

A

team of experts has begun restoring the ancient tomb in Jerusalem where Christians believe Jesus was buried in the first such works for 200 years.

The renovation in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre aims to reinforce and conserve the structure.

Rivalry between the three denominations that run the church has delayed work. But clerics from the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian churches have put aside their differences, recognising the need to begin repairs.

The work will focus on the Edicule, the ancient chamber housing Jesus’s tomb which Christians say stands above the spot where Jesus’s body was anointed, wrapped in cloth and buried.

The last restoration work to take place there was in 1810 after a fire.

The Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian authorities are responsible for running different parts of the church but share responsibility for the shrine.

The last restoration work on Jesus’s tomb was in 1801 after a fire

Relations between them can be tense - in 2008, an argument between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks escalated into a brawl - but they have decided to act jointly after Israel’s antiquities authority last year said the church was unsafe and Israeli police briefly closed it.

“We equally decided the required renovation was necessary to be done, so we agreed upon it,” said Samuel Aghoyan, the top Armenian church official there.

The scientific co-ordinator for the repairs, Antonia Moropoulou, said the tomb was stable but warped and needed attention after many years of exposure to water, humidity and candle smoke.

The structure also needed to be protected from the risk of earthquake damage, she said.

Work is expected to take between eight and 12 months and during that time pilgrims will be able to continue visiting the site, church officials said.

Each denomination is contributing funds for the $3.3m (£2.3m) project. In addition, King Abdullah of Jordan has made a personal donation.

Jordan controlled Jerusalem’s Old City, where the church is located, until the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and continues to play a role in safeguarding Muslim and Christian holy sites there.

(BBC)

Police issue wanted bulletin for fraud suspects

P

olice have issued a wanted bulletin for Winston Roger Robertson and Daniel Jethro Motilall who are wanted for questioning in relation to obtaining money by false pretence and a series of fraudrelated matters.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of these two men are asked to contact the nearest Police Station.

According to a Police release, Robertson is of mixed descent with his last known address as Lot 2 “A” Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice.

Daniel Jethro Motilall

Winston Roger Robertson

Motilall is of East Indian descent and also from

Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice.

17

news

tuesDAY, june 7, 2016 | guyana-times.com

GAWU/GuySuCo High Court Drug shortage Supplies expected within case for hearing today a month – Dr Norton

T

he court case regarding the non-consultations of unions over the severance and redeployment of workers attached to Wales Sugar Estate is slated to be heard in Chambers of the High Court today.

At the previous hearing on May 25 the matter was rescheduled after attorneys for Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) were a no-show at the proceedings.

The matter, being heard

by Justice Roxanne George, is scheduled to hear arguments from plaintiffs, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) as well as defending statements from GuySuCo. These hearings follow an interim injunction that was granted on May 6 in favour of the unions, which had barred the Guyana Sugar Corporation and/ or their servants/agents, from proceeding to implement the decision to sever the employment of workers from the Wales Estate, unless consultations with the workers were held.

Using the injunction as its justification, GuySuCo said it was unable to pay the 105 Wales sugar workers their severance packages even though these workers on March 22 received letters that stated they would have been paid on May 4.

GAWU has however re-

W

The curtains will come down at Wales by yearend

jected the sugar corporation’s stance, noting that the agreement between the workers and GuySuCo was reached before the May 6 injunction was granted.

GAWU President Komal Chand had expressed that while the matter is being sorted out at court, GuySuCo should give the 105 workers employment as they have been jobless over a month.

Guyana Times has learnt that the sugar corporation has given six of these workers employment, suggesting that 99 workers remain jobless.

Meanwhile, a vigil to show solidarity against the closure of Wales Estate is planned for next week.

The court action was brought after GuySuCo began discussions with individual employees of Wales estate to negotiate severance packages, without informing or involving the unions.

At one point, workers

were given a 3-day ultimatum to make their decisions but GuySuCo backtracked after the media was made aware of the corporation’s side plan.

Unions GAWU and NAACIE are seeking damages in excess of $1 million for breach of statutory duty owing under the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, Cap. 99:08, Laws of Guyana.

The judges had granted an interim injunction, restraining GuySuCo from proceeding to implement their decision to sever the employees until the hearing and determination of a Summons returnable in Chambers.

One legal expert told this newspaper that if it is agreed that severance is the best option then negotiations on the severance package, inclusive of its calculations, will commence and this must be done between GuySuCo and the two unions.

ith the daunting fact that a number of hospitals and health centres across Guyana continue to fall short of critical drugs, the Public Health Minister has reaffirmed that the situation will be under control within a month’s time as Cabinet has given green light to a number of contracts for the procurement of medical supplies.

According to Health Minster Dr George Norton a total of 10 companies have had their bids approved by Cabinet and are expected to commence sourcing drugs and other medical supplies.

During an interview with this newspaper the Health Minister said that in the case of an emergency situation where drugs are urgently needed by the health facilities, provisions have been made to address such cases: “All the regions have funds available to buy emergency drugs,” he guaranteed.

Drug shortages have been a topical issue for the year as even the pre-

Health Minister, Dr George Norton

mier healthcare facility, the Georgetown Public

Hospital (GPH), had reported that there was a decline in the supply of critical drugs.

These reports followed others from across the country, which said drugs have been scarce as the ministry is failing to provide these.

The topic had also sparked a conflict in Parliament, as shadow health minister Dr Frank Anthony continued to lambast the government for returning money to the treasury when adequate work was not done to improve the health sector.

Thieves break into Edinburgh liquor restaurant, target rum

Diamond Access Road gets street lights

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The hole in the wall which the thieves used to enter the building

The Diamond Access Road

T

he Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) has install streetlights along the Diamond Access Road, East Bank Demerara, and works have already begun to extend lighting to the community of Mocha.

In mid-April, the MPI announced that 100 streetlights will be installed along the access roads of Mocha and Diamond on the EBD. While the initial plan had been to install 50 new

streetlights in each community, this figure was increased and instead 73 streetlights were recently installed in Diamond after two weeks of works.

At least 50 streetlights are slated for Mocha and works have begun and are expected to be completed in two weeks.

The installation works in Diamond saw MPI officials using existing poles to facilitate the new lights.

A similar approach will be

taken in Mocha but officials are also seeking to install new posts to close the gap between streetlights.

It is expected that the newly installed streetlights will heighten security in these areas as well as reduce the likelihood of road accidents.

Further, the Ministry plans to move its lighting project to the Corentyne Coast following the completion of the project in Mocha.

hieves on Sunday morning broke into a liquor restaurant on East Bank Berbice, situated 12 houses from where a Chinese national and proprietor of New Lucky Star Chinese restaurant was robbed on Monday.

At the time, no one was at home.

Manager of the restaurant Kelly Datt said they left home on Saturday evening to attend a function on West Coast Berbice. It was her father who returned home at about 15:00h Sunday and then informed her that the shop was broken into.

When she arrived she found the entire house ransacked. The thieves entered the building by removing a board from the front wall which is

visible from the road.

“We din see no goods missing only the rum missing so we went upstairs and check because the owner for the house have some expensive liquor in his room and I was afraid that they carry away all of that because we can’t afford to buy it back, but I see that rum still is there; I can’t say if they take any because I don’t know how much rum they had,” she told this publication.

An old typewriter which resembled a safe was also of interest to the thieves but they could not get it opened.

It was left alone.

According to Datt, the thieves searched the entire house including an envelope with pictures which they repacked. “They raise up all dem beds, take

away all the US that we had and the Guyana money, even the shop money that we had to buy things for the shop today, so today we can’t buy anything; everything clear.”

She said the police were called and responded promptly but asked the family not to touch anything until the fingerprint experts turned up.

Up to Monday evening, the police had not returned.

“We had to fix back the wall and the things dem in the house because they didn’t come Sunday and whole day Monday.”

According to a police source, the matter is being investigated. The source said investigators are trying to make contact with some persons in the village.

18

guyana-times.com

tuesday, june 7, 2016

ARCHIE

Keep your emotional response to a minimum, or you (March 21will end up saying something April 19) you’ll regret. Put greater emphasis on listening and being objective. Personal improvements will bring the highest reward.

ARIES

Try something new and TAURUS learn as you go. Your inter(April 20- est will give you the edge and May 20) bring you closer to the person presiding over whatever you are doing.

dilbert

Ask questions and get to GEMINI the bottom of an iffy situa(May 21June 20) tion that is taking over your life. Aim to stabilise relationships with people you depend on. Move romance to the front burner.

Start something new.

CANCER Express your ideas openly in (June 21- order to get the help required July 22) to make changes at home.

Take a close look at how you present yourself professionally.

Peanuts

Jumping from one thing LEO to another will serve you (July 23well, but it will bother peoAug. 22) ple around you. Be mindful of the way you affect others.

Romance will stabilise certain problems.

Calvin and Hobbes

Your contributions will VIRGO help you stand out in a crowd.

(Aug. 23Expect someone to be jealous Sept. 22) of your knowledge and expertise. Don’t let someone’s complaints put a damper on your momentum.

Opt to try something new LIBRA (Sept. 23- or visit a place you’ve never Oct. 23) been before. Keep your emotions tucked away when dealing with professional matters.

Strive for perfection. Love is on the rise.

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD – BUDDLEIA

SUDOKU

Requests you have to deal SAGITTARIUS with will prove taxing. Don’t (Nov. 23- lend or borrow money or posDec. 21) sessions. Someone who lacks integrity will disappoint you.

Don’t lower your expectations to fit in with a certain crowd.

(BUDDLEIA: BUD-lee-uh: A shrub, the butterfly bush.)

Average mark 28 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 44 or more words in BUDDLEIA? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD – NUMBERED need nude numb number umber under mend mender menu mere been beer bend bender berm

bred breed brume bund burden burn embed ember embrue emend endue endure enure erne reed

rend rude rued rune deem deer demur demure drub drum dumb dumber dune

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

Listen and learn. Taking SCORPIO part in educational or cultur(Oct. 24al events will give you greater Nov. 22) perspective regarding something you want to pursue.

Home and personal improvements will turn out well.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Talk about the way you CAPRICORN feel and what you would like (Dec. 22to see transpire. Whether Jan. 19) dealing with personal or professional matters, an open dialogue followed by action will make you look good.

Speak up, but don’t get AQUARIUS into a shouting match. Tend (Jan. 20Feb. 19) to your responsibilities before someone points out that you are being neglectful. Make special plans with a loved one.

The help you offer will put PISCES (Feb. 20- you in a precarious position.

March 20) Don’t let anyone take advantage of your generosity. Play fair, but don’t be a martyr. A creative pursuit looks promising.

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Warriors destroy Cavaliers to open 2-0 Finals lead T

he Golden State Warriors moved into a commanding position in the NBA Finals with a 11077 romp over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, the defending champions easing to victory in front of a delighted home crowd.

Draymond Green was the latest Warrior to shine as the team’s All-Star backcourt was afforded another quiet game, the power forward scoring a game-high 28 points as Golden State opened a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

MVP Stephen Curry recorded 18 points and nine rebounds but played just 25 minutes and spent much of the night cheering from the bench while his team ran rampant against a lethargic and outclassed opposition.

“What we’ve done the last few years, everybody, every night has an impact,” Curry told reporters. “You don’t know where it’s going to come from any given night. That’s why we’re in this position.”

Cleveland’s misery was compounded in the third quarter when forward Kevin Love was forced to leave the game feeling dizzy after taking a blow to the head in the second quarter. Love has been placed in concussion protocol, the Cavs said.

Cavaliers talisman LeBron James finished with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds but did not play in the fourth quarter once the Warriors had opened a big lead by the end of the third.

“They beat us pretty good tonight,” James said. “We understand the moment we’re in.

It’s not every year you get an opportunity to be in this situation. We have to bear down.”

The Cavs return home to Cleveland for Game Three on Wednesday when they will try to make their first telling impact in what has been a disappointing mismatch to date.

Secondary scorer Kyrie Irving managed just 10 points in Game Two as Cleveland shot only 35 percent.

The Cavaliers were supposed to be better prepared for a Finals rematch with the Warriors as they entered healthier and more talented than the hobbling team that lost 4-2 a year ago, but they have been destroyed in the opening two contests.

Golden State has now beaten Cleveland seven straight times, dating back to last season’s Finals.

The latest match-up was all but decided midway through the third, when Curry went to the bench due to foul trouble and with the Warriors

Tributes at the Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville

sports arena, the KFC Yum! Center, from 14:00 (18:00 GMT). The service will be open to the public.

California imam and scholar Zaid Shakir will preside over the service, family spokesman Bob Gunnell said.

Also expected to speak at the ceremony are: Religious representatives from multiple faiths, Ali’s wife, Lonnie, his

Frenchman ‘planned attacks during Euro 2016’ - Ukraine’s SBU

Security has been stepped up for the month-long tournament in France

Draymond Green finished with a game high 28 points

leading by 10.

Golden State barely missed a beat and pushed the lead to 20 heading to the fourth and never looked back.

Reserve Shaun Livingston was Golden State’s top scorer in the series opener and in Game Two they once again flashed a balanced arsenal of play-makers with Klay Thompson adding 17 points.

Green said the Warriors had learned to step up when Curry was injured earlier in the post-season.

“Steph can do so much by himself out there that when he goes out we really use each other,” Green said.

“It was very important to gain confidence when Steph went out. We had to do a little more.”

Foreign leaders to attend Muhammad Ali’s funeral T

he President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and King Abdullah of Jordan are among the dignitaries scheduled to speak at Muhammad Ali’s funeral on Friday, a family spokesman says.

Thousands of people are expected to join the funeral in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Former US President Bill Clinton and actor Billy Crystal are also set to speak.

Ali died last Friday at the age of 74 in hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

A spokesman said his death was from “septic shock due to unspecified natural causes”.

The three-time world heavyweight champion had been suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease.

Ali’s funeral will take place at a large concert and

19

daughter Maryum and Sports journalist Bryant Gumbel.

Before the ceremony, at 13:00 GMT, the coffin will be taken on a procession through the streets of Louisville, passing by locations historically important to Ali. “Everything that we’re doing here was blessed by Muhammad Ali, and was requested,” Mr Gunnell told journalists.

“He wanted the memorial service to reflect his life, and how he lived. He wanted everyone to be able to attend. He was the people’s champ, and he wanted the memorial service to reflect that.”

On Thursday, a traditional Muslim funeral service will be held at Freedom Hall, also open to all. This is where Ali fought and won his first professional fight in 1960. The venue has 18,000 seats.

The boxer will be buried in a private service at the city’s Cave Hill Cemetery.

A

Frenchman detained last month with a large cache of arms was planning mass attacks during the Euro 2016 football tournament, which starts on Friday, Ukrainian officials say.

The man, identified by French media as Gregoire Moutaux, 25, was arrested on the Ukrainian border with Poland.

Intelligence chief Vasyl Hrytsak said the man had planned 15 attacks and was driven by ultra-nationalist views.

He had amassed guns, detonators and 125kg of TNT, Mr Hrytsak said.

Mr Hrytsak listed bridges, motorways, a mosque and a synagogue among the suspect's potential targets.

He was being prosecuted for arms smuggling and terrorism, he said.

It was not clear if the tournament itself was being targeted and Paris police prefect Michel Cadot told reporters there was "no specific threat against any [Euro 2016] site".

'Threat exists' News of the man's arrest on 21 May first emerged in a report by French TV network M6. The suspect was described as a worker at a farming co-operative from the Lorraine area of eastern France. He had no previous criminal record, reports said.

French authorities have been on high security alert ahead of the European championships, amid fears that the tournament could be targeted by Islamist militants.

President Francois Hollande said on Sunday that "the threat exists" but that France should not be daunted.

The French police and judicial authorities are saying very little about Gregoire Moutaux. They clearly want to know more from the Ukrainians before they pronounce on any possible terrorist link.

What's significant is that so far the French investigation is not in the hands of anti-terrorist specialists, but of the unit that looks into organ-

ised crime.

This would suggest that the initial suspicion in Paris is that Mr Moutaux was engaged in arms trafficking.

His home in north-east France has been searched by police, who - according to media reports - found a T-shirt bearing far-right insignia.

The Ukrainians say he was motivated by hatred of immigration and globalisation.

Ukraine's SBU security service said it had been watching the suspect since December last year and that he had picked up five Kalashnikovs, two anti-tank grenade launchers, some 5,000 rounds of ammunition and 100 detonators, as well as a large quantity of explosives.

An SBU video was shown of the dramatic moment of the suspect's arrest along with the weapons that intelligence officials said they had found.

The arrest was said to have taken place at a border crossing close to the Ukrainian town of Yahodyn.

said he wished to stage a number of terrorist attacks in protest," Mr Hrytsak said.

A search was carried out at the suspect's home in the tiny village of Nant-le-Petit and police sources told French media that explosive material and balaclavas were recovered.

An inquiry has been launched by France's organised crime agency, OCLCO, and by regional authorities in Nancy.

However, French police sources told AFP news agency that Ukrainian officials had yet to send them any details.

There was some scepticism that the suspect could have been anything more than an arms trafficker.

Residents in Nant-le-Petit were stunned by the arrest of Gregoire Moutaux, who lives there with his grandfather and works as a cattle inseminator.

"He's a rather nice guy, who I think is actually rather well-educated. I've even

Police found a t-shirt with far-right insignia at Moutaux's home in Nant-le-Petit, reports said

The footage also revealed a second person being wrestled to the ground on the passenger side of the car.

The SBU chief said the French suspect had been in touch "with military units fighting in Donbass", a reference to the eastern areas of Luhansk and Donetsk, where pro-Russian rebels have seized large areas of Ukrainian territory.

"The Frenchman spoke negatively of the activities of his government on mass migration of foreigners to France, the spread of Islam and globalisation. He also

invited him over for a glass of wine. I just can't understand this," neighbour JeanJacques Renck told France 3 TV. Anti-terrorism specialist Alain Bauer said Ukraine had become a big source of arms because of the continuing conflict in the east of the country.

The man detained did not fit the usual profile of an attacker, he said, pointing to the arrest last year of far-right activist Claude Hermant, accused of providing weapons to a jihadist who murdered four people at a Jewish supermarket in Paris in January 2015.

20

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Copa America Centenario USA 2016

Records tumble as Northans almost chase down Notts’ 445-8

Mexico trounce Uruguay, Venezuela needle Jamaica N

Venezuela forward Josef Martinez (17) celebrates with midfielder Luis Manuel Seijas (13)

T

he Copa America continued with two more games on Sunday evening in the United States of America with victories for Mexico and Venezuela.

Jamaica V Venezuela Josef Martinez's firsthalf strike earned Venezuela a 1-0 win in their opening Copa America clash against 10-man Jamaica at Chicago's Soldier Field.

Venezuela came into the game having won just one of their previous 15 games but Martinez's goal on 15 minutes eased any early nerves.

Their cause was helped when the Reggae Boyz had captain Rodolph Austin sent off for a lunge on Tomas Rincon midway through the first half and Venezuela held on for the three points.

Jamaica, who did not start Leicester defender Wes Morgan for the Group C opener, began well and almost took the lead on 12 minutes when Je-Vaughn Watson headed against the bar.

Venezuela, though, hit Winfried Schafer's side on the break three minutes later through Martinez.

The Torino striker capitalised on good work from Arquimedes Figuera and Alejandro Guerra to fire the

fort against the post.

West Brom striker Salomon Rondon came close to ending the contest later on in the second half but was denied by Jamaica keeper Andre Blake.

Mexico trounced Uruguay

The Mexico/Uruguay encounter had set the pace for the excitement in the upcoming matches of the Copa Centenario following Mexico’s 3-1 victory over Uruguay in the group C clash on Sunday at the Phoenix Stadium.

In front of 60,000 fans, late goals from Rafa Marquez and Hector Herrera stole the game away from Uruguay in the last five minutes of the game.

An own goal from Alvaro Pereira handed Mexico the lead in the fifth minute, with Diego Godin equalizing for Uruguay in the 74th to set up a tense finish. The hardfought victory for Mexico moves it top of Group C and extends Coach Juan Carlos Osorio's winning start as El Tri coach to eight victories.

Mexico's victory was the first win for a CONCACAF side in this edition of the Copa America, and Mexico's opening goal the first a CONCACAF nation has

Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera (16) was bang on target

Vinotinto into a decisive lead.

It went from bad to worse for Jamaica when Austin was given a red card for catching Rincon's ankle.

Despite being a man light for much of the contest, Jamaica kept plugging away and were almost rewarded on 50 minutes when Michael Hector curled an ef-

scored.

El Tri's opener was started by Marquez, who launched a long pass out to Andres Guardado on the left wing. The PSV player controlled and whipped in a cross that Pereira deflected into his own net, under heavy pressure from Herrera.

It was a perfect start

from Mexico and the team grew from there, dominating the first half and almost toying with a Luis Suarez-less Uruguay at times.

El Tri recycled the ball well and at pace, hurting an unusually nervous-looking Uruguay side down the wings.

Edinson Cavani was put through on goal on the hour mark by a pass from Nicolas Lodeiro, but Mexico keeper Alfredo Talavera was out quickly and smothered the PSG forward's shot.

Javier Aquino and Jesus "Tecatito" Corona excelled down the flanks, with the latter drawing a late and high challenge from Matias Vecino on the stroke of halftime, which resulted in the Fiorentina midfielder receiving his second yellow card. Vecino had already been booked in the 27th for a late foul on Guardado.

After the break, Uruguay showed its quality and started to wrest the game back, going close from two set pieces, before Diego Rolan spawned an easy chance after he was put through on goal by Cavani in the 59th.

Mexico retracted and lost the spark of the first half, while Uruguay sensed an opportunity. It was no surprise when captain Godin rose to head in a Carlos Sanchez cross.

To make matters worse for Mexico, Guardado was sent off for the foul that led to the free kick, leveling up each team on 10 players each.

With the game 1-1 and in the balance, Atlas and Mexico captain Marquez latched onto a loose ball in front of the Uruguay goal and fired a shot into the roof of the net to send the Mexico-majority crowd wild.

As Uruguay pushed forward, Herrera headed in from close range from a Raul Jimenez cross to seal a vital victory.

Mexico tops Group C on goal difference from Venezuela, following its 1-0 victory over Jamaica earlier Sunday.

Uruguay will face Venezuela on Thursday in Philadelphia with its participation in the tournament on the line, while El Tri moves on to Pasadena, where it will play Jamaica.

ottinghamshire and Northamptonshire set a new record for most runs scored in a 50over fixture in England in a One-Day Cup thriller at Trent Bridge.

After Notts had racked up a seemingly impregnable 445-8 - the second-highest List A score ever recorded - Northants came within 21 runs of a famous win.

Notts openers Riki Wessels and Michael Lumb put on 342 - the highest-ever stand in one-day cricket in England.

But Northants made a bold bid to get the runs, falling just short on 425.

The total run aggregate in the match of 870 was enough to beat the 867 in the Surrey-Glamorgan C&G Trophy tie at The Oval in 2002 - the game in which Ali Brown hit the world record one-day score

Notts openers Riki Wessels and Michael Lumb during their 342 stand — the highest-ever stand in one-day cricket in England

of 268, yet Glamorgan got within 10 runs of winning,

losing off the penultimate ball.(BBCSport)

Serena replaces Sharapova as the world's best-paid female athlete

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are the highest paid sportswomen

S

he may have lost the French Open final, but Serena Williams can at least console herself with being the world's highest paid sportswoman.

The women's tennis' number one reached the French Open final on

Saturday, only to lose out to Garbine Muguruza at Roland Garros.

It was her second major final defeat of the year, after losing out to Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open, as her search for a record-equalling 22nd grand

slam goes on.

Williams, who won three out of four majors in 2015, has moved to the top of the list ahead of Sharapova, who has been out of action since January after she tested positive for banned substance meldonium at the Australian Open.

In the 12-month period from June 1 last year, Williams' earnings totalled $28.9million - $20m of which was endorsements.

Sharapova raked in $21.9m while UFC superstar Ronda Rousey ($14m) completes the top three.

American race driver Danica Patrick is fourth, having earned £13.9m, while the remainder of the top 10 are all tennis players, including Muguruza - seventh with $7.6m - although those earnings will not include prize money garnered from her French Open win. (Sportsmax)

Puerto Rico edge Antigua & Barbuda in Caribbean Cup

P

uerto Rico defeated Antigua and Barbuda 2-1 on Saturday in secondround action of the Caribbean Cup at the Juan Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon.

Hector Ramos scored two goals to give the Puerto Ricans the win in Group One ac-

tra-time and seemed destined for penalties when, with five minutes to go, Samuel Soto’s clever pass found Ramos in front of the visitors’ goal. He struck the ball past goalkeeper Muhammad Brenton to snatch the victory.

It was the Puerto Ricans second win of

tion.

Ramos scored the first of his two goals in the sixth minute to put the home team up early but Dexter Blackstock pulled the Benna Boys level in the 35th minute. It remained at 1-1 at the end of regulation.

The teams remained dead-locked in ex-

the round, having defeated Grenada 4-3 on penalties in their opening match.

Meanwhile, Antigua & Barbuda lost 1-0 to St Kitts in their opening match and now have to defeat Grenada in a must-win Group 1 second-round encounter at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Tuesday. (Sportsmax)

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arlos Petterson was the best lifter at the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) Annual Claude Charles Memorial Intermediate/Masters Powerlifting Competition held on Sunday June 5 at the Critchlow Labour College, Woolford Avenue Georgetown.

The 22 year old lifting in the 93kg Men’s Unequipped category squatted 235lbs, bench pressed 130lbs and dead lifted 280 lbs.

Eighteen year old Romario Gonsalves of Life Gym won the 59kg intermediates Men’s Equipped with 461.36 Wilks points after having best squats of 227.5lbs, best bench press of 87.5 lbs and best dead lift of 217.5lbs.

Orlando Charles was also very impressive in winning the Men’s Equipped Intermediates 74 kg category, his final statistics were squats – 195lbs, bench

Orlando Charles during a Bench Press Lift

press – 140lbs and dead lift - 222.5lbs.

NadinaTaharally of Interline Fitness won the Masters and Intermediates while Lisa Oudit and Melissa Tucker of RIP HIT Fitness both won their Women’s individual catergories.

Martin Webster (Masters 93kg), Joseph Stoll (Masters 105kg) Phillip Romalho (Intermediates 83kg), Jason Kellman (Intermediates 66kg) and Jayrold O’Connell (Intermediates 59kg) won their respective category in the Men’s Unequipped.

Frank Tucker won the Masters 105kg Equipped while Derran Harris of Hardcore Barbell Club won the 66kg Intermediates Men’s Equipped with club mate Mohan Parmanand finishing second followed by Arif Immamdeen of Total Fitness Gym. The event which is an annual fixture for the GAPLF was dubbed a resounding success.

Sponsors for the day were Fitness Express, Buddy’s Gym, Trophy Stoll and Sports Masseuse Kathleen Paul.

New personal best 800m record a boost for Natoya Goule

J

amaica’s Natoya Goule said running her personal best over the 800 metres at the America Track League meeting in Atlanta on the weekend has boosted her confidence as she continues to prepare for Jamaica’s national championships at the end of the month.

Jamaica’s national championships to select its team for the Olympic Games in Rio this summer will be staged at the National Stadium in Kingston from June 30-July 2.

Goule, a three-time NCAA champion at Louisiana State University (LSU), ran 1:59.38 to shave more than a half-second off her previous best and hold off a hard-charging Justine Fedronic of France (1:59.86) and Chrishuna Williams of the United States (1:59.89).

She put her hands together and raised her eyes to the sky in prayer after crossing the line in victory.

“I was super happy,” Goule told the media.

“I feel more confident go-

Natoya Goule ran her personal best 800m in 1:59.38

ing into trials but through it all, I’m staying humble and just go by what God wants me to do and looking forward to where he is taking me.”

Goule credits the race rabbit for pulling her to the fast time.

“Well, the race went out a little faster than what I was supposed to do for the first 400 and 600 but because of the way how I’m training now, I was able to finish strong although we went out at 57 and 1:27,” she said.

“I honestly did not know I would run a personal best.

I knew I had it in me to run 1:59 but not a personal. So I am really grateful that God allows me to feel the way how I did in my race and after.”

Her coach Mark Elliott was also proud of the accomplishment.

“She is on the right track, especially after not having a great indoor season. It looks like she is back on track and I am very happy and proud of her performance,” said Elliott, who coached Goule at both LSU and Clemson University.

“Our goal is to ensure that she competes well in the championships, make the team to Rio and naturally try to do our best there. So we are happy the way she is progressing.”

Meanwhile, Goule’s compatriot, Kenia Sinclair, a former national champion, finished sixth in the race in 2:00.81, her fastest time in three years following her return from injury. (Sportsmax)

NBA & Golden State star will not compete at Rio 2016

T

he NBA's most valuable player Steph Curry has announced he will not compete for the USA at August's Rio Olympics.

American Curry, 28, has broken individual records in helping Golden State reach the NBA Finals.

The point guard says injuries picked up in the season contributed to his decision on Monday.

"My primary basketballrelated objective this summer needs to focus on my body and getting ready for the 2016-17

NBA season," he said.

Curry's 18 points helped Golden State take a 2-0 lead over Cleveland on Sunday in the best-of-seven NBA Finals.

The Ohio-born player added: "My previous experiences with USA Basketball have been incredibly rewarding, educational and enjoyable, which made this an extremely difficult decision for me and my family.

"However, due to several factors - including recent ankle and knee injuries - I believe this is the best decision

for me at this stage of my career."

Curry helped his franchise make NBA history with a record 73 wins in the regular season.

He also also became the first player to net more than 400 three-pointers in a regular season, finishing with 402.

Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski is expected to name his 12-man squad for Rio in late June. The men's team have won five of the last six Olympic titles. (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Ballr Cup Tri-Nation Series...

Ballr Cup Tri- Nation Series...

Confident Australia meet “We just played some horrible pressured South Africa shots at crucial stages” – Holder

AB de Villiers

A

ustralia performed to expectations in their opening match with a crushing six-wicket win over West Indies; South Africa most certainly did not, as they were bundled out for 188 in their four wicket loss to the hosts.

The deflating nature of the loss to West Indies can only compound the pressure South Africa are feeling as they try to right the wrongs of their poorest domestic summer in recent memory, and in Steven Smith's team they are not likely to be gifted many opportunities to regain their equilibrium. AB de Villiers' men are going to have to lift their game substantially.

It is doubtlessly true that the Australians learned a lot from being able to watch

the opening match rather than participate in it. They bowled first as West Indies did in the first match, and found in the afternoon air a little early assistance for the pacers before the spin bowlers ripped through the hosts. Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa proved a potent slow-bowling duo with a little help from Glenn Maxwell, and a few of the shots played by West Indies' batsmen were redolent of nothing so much as those offered by South Africa when Sunil Narine spun a similar web.

While this is undoubtedly a South African side in decline, they still possess enough players of class to challenge Australia. One of these men may be Morne Morkel, curiously omitted from game one, but now fresh for the task of cutting through the Australian top order - a strength that can be undermined by exposing the less consistent operators batting beneath them.

Similarly, de Villiers and Hashim Amla are players of a standard capable of taking the fight to Lyon and Zampa, even if the pitch will be in the bowlers' favour.

The same Providence Stadium pitch as used for Sunday's match between

By Akeem Greene

C

David Warner

Australia and West Indies should only be slower and lower this time around.

Australia Squad : Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, George Bailey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.

South Africa Squad : AB de Villiers (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi.

GCUSA to commence umpires training classes

T

he Georgetown Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (GCUSA) is set to commence training sessions from Thursday at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) from 17:00 Hrs. The classes which are designed to prepare students for preliminary examination is open to the public especially to new and aspiring umpires, current and inactive umpires, players, coaches, cricket administrators and journalists who wish to ascertain themselves with

Nigel Duguid

the laws of the sport.

A special appeal is being made for females since there is a great demand for the gender of umpires.

Among the lecturers are former international umpire, Eddie Nicholls, current West Indies International umpire Nigel Duguid, Regional umpires Colin Alfred, Shannon Crawford and Nandkumar Shivsankar.

Sessions will be conducted every Tuesday and Thursday at 17:00 Hrs at DCC on Lance Gibbs street, Queenstown.

Federer back in action after injury

W

orld number three Roger Federer says his back has improved as he returns to action in Stuttgart, three weeks before the start of Wimbledon.

The Swiss, 34, withdrew from the French Open, ending a run of 65 consecutive appearances at Grand Slam tournaments.

But the seven-time Wimbledon champion says he benefitted from rest before his return to Stuttgart's grass courts.

"I feel much better again. It's been a good last three weeks. No setbacks," Federer told the ATP website.

"I feel much stronger.

Roger Federer has been beaten by Novak Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals Roger Federer has been beaten by Novak Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals

I was pretty fragile three weeks ago."

The 17-time Grand Slam champion has been riddled

with injuries this year, including an operation on a minor knee problem suffered when running a bath for his twin daughters.

"It's been a tough year," Federer, who has been beaten by newly crowned French Open champion Novak Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals, said. "But I'm super excited about playing another tournament.

"It was much better for me to look forward to the rest of the season, rest of my life, really.

"I didn't want to have setback after setback and injure myself maybe further.

In hindsight, that was definitely the right decision." (BBC Sport)

aptain of the West Indies One Day International (ODI) team, Jason Holder has posited that the side’s six wicket lost to Australia on Sunday in the Ballr Cup Tri- Nation Series at the National Stadium, Providence, was due to irresponsible batting throughout the innings.

Speaking to media at the post match press conference, Holder said, “They challenged us by building pressure well, they didn’t bowl any spectacular balls per say, we just played some horrible shots at crucial stages of the game which cost our wickets.”

The West Indies were bundled out for a paltry 116 in 32.3 overs, as opener Johnson Charles with a painstaking 22 off 40 balls top scored. At one stage the home side were 50-2 but lost their last eight wickets for 66 runs.

After the second wicket stand of 44 between Charles and Darren Bravo, the next best was 20 for the ninth wicket between Carlos Braithwaite and Sunil Narine.

In speaking of the need for partnerships, Holder posited, “We didn’t bat well, we did not put enough runs on the board, we never really got any partnerships going, just not enough runs on the board to be honest; we

Jason Holder

didn’t had anything to bowl at.”

The batting mishap, made the West Indies secure an unwanted record, as having the second lowest total in an ODI at Providence, the lowest being 98, made by the said team against Pakistan in 2013.

Questioned on what a par score would have been considering the conditions, the all-rounder said, “Anything around 210 to 220 we backed ourselves to defend, previous games we have played here, it has not been high scoring”.

Holder, who was appointed captain of the ODI team on the eve of the 2015 World Cup, was in high praise of this champion offspinner Sunil Narine, whose 6-27 in the win against the South Africans in the previous match is the best figures by a West Indian spinner.

On Sunday, Narine took 2-26 against Australia, striking twice in one over, which gave the Windies a sniff of a chance to claw their way back into the match.

In speaking of the bowling effort, the skipper said, “we tried really hard, we got four of the Australian wickets, I thought Narine did an excellent job for us at the end and we got some wickets up front.”

Now that the Guyana leg of matches for the West Indies team has been completed, the Caribbean side will now move to St. Kitts and Nevis for the next leg of matches and the captain is calling for more responsibility by the batters.

“We have bowled reasonably well for the two games, it is just important for the batsmen to build partnerships, I think it is crucial that we get some partnerships especially up front to give ourselves some cushion in the middle and be able to blast at the end with the power that we have,” the skipper explained.

After the St. Kitts leg, the matches will move to Barbados for the final leg and final at the Kensington Oval on June 26.

The West Indies would have defeated the South Africans by four wickets in their first match of the Series on June 3. (akeemg@ guyanatimesgy.com)

6 teams battle for NY warm-up Cup S

ix teams are expected do battle in the New York Cup Warm Up which commences on June 18 at the Carifesta Sports Club ground in Georgetown.

The competition is in preparation of the much anticipated Independence Cup which is slated for July 1-3 New York City, USA. The softball competition is for Males over 40 years old will be played over three days on June 18, 25 and 26.

The winning team will walk away with $100,000 cash and a trophy while the losing finalist will pocket $50,000. The tournament is sponsored by Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and Dave’s Groceries and Variety.

Double winner of the Guyana Softball Cup, Regal Masters and Berbice powerhouse Albion Masters have already registered.

Other teams desirous of entering the competition will have to hurry as there are only four slots available. To register, teams may contact organizer Samuel Kingston on telephone number 619-5103.

Davindra Gangaram (right) hands over the sponsorship cheque to Samuel Kingston for the New York Warm-up Cup

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

GFF/ NAMICLO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17....

Opening matches and march past washed out H

eavy rain on Saturday night and Sunday morning prevented the eagerly anticipated rivalry among the young footballers who were expected to participate in the triple header at the Esplanade Park, New Amsterdam Berbice on Sunday.

Corriverton Links FC were expected to take on Mahaicony Thunder Hawks FC in the opening game before the ten teams from the

The tournament is being viewed as an integral part of the development process of young footballers and will include nine associations affiliated with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

These associations are: Bartica Football Association (BFA), Berbice Football Association (BFA), East Demerara Football Association (EDFA), East Bank Football Association (EBFA), Essequibo Coast/ Pomeroon Football

Monedderlust against New Amsterdam United. The other game which was affected was the matchup between Paradise Invaders and Canefield Diamond Strikers.

The League Tournament is scheduled to continue until November 2016 at various venues across the country after which a one month break is expected after which it continues in January 2017 for a further six months period.

Bartica Football Association (BFA) which are participating in the tournament took part in the marchpast. The other teams are; Canefield Diamond Strikers, Cougars, East Bank, Hopetown United Rangers, Monedderlust, New Amsterdam United, Paradise Invaders and Rosignol United.

Association, Georgetown Football Association (GFA), Repununi Football Association (RFA), Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) and the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA).

Other matches which were scheduled for Sunday, include the clash of two of the competition’s favourites;

NAMILCO has for 47 years been Guyana’s main provider of wholesome and nutritious wheaten flour products (including Thunderbolt and Maid Marian flour) and a line of healthy and convenient value added products including Pholourie and Roti Mixes, Wheat up, Whole wheat and Harvest High Fibre flour.

GBTI Independence Golden Jubilee Open

Adelson, Dey make early statement

T

L-R: Bobby Adelson and Khawn Rodney

he Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry launched its 7th annual tennis tournament on Friday at the bank’s Recreational Centre, BelAir Park.

According to Assistant Coordinator, Daniel Lopes, 136 of the best tennis players in Guyana entered the tournament across the 11 categories. The categories listed included Boys Singles, Girls Singles, Mens Open Singles, Ladies Open Singles, Mens Oven 35 Singles, Mens Over 45 Singles, Novice Medley Singles, Mens Open Doubles, Ladies Open Doubles, Mixed Open Doubles and Novice Medley Doubles.

Guyana Lawn Tennis Association Tournament Committee Chairman, Robert Bostwick provided the attendees with the recent history of the annual tournament where astounding consecutive wins

have come from the five time defending Mens champion Anthony Downes and three time Ladies Champion Nicola Ramdyhan. The Chairman challenged the players to play with their heart and seek to earn the coveted titles.

While there were many exciting matches, the highpoint was the clash between local Khawn Rodney and Bobby Adelson of the United States. The flashy Adelson did not continue from where he lefty off in last year’s tournament as he was halted by Rodney in the first set which ended 4-6 in favour of the latter. The second set saw Rodney exemplifying class having the set 4-1 until Adelson switched up his game to level the game 7-5. However, in the third set, cramps in the wrist of Rodney saw him surrendering the set 6-1.

The full scoresheet read: Boys Open Singles Round of 32: Mark McDonald

def Adesh Khayyam 6-0, 6-0, Joshua Kalekyezi def Vadeanand Resaul 6-0, 6-0, Keenan Persaud def Malik Williams w/o, Jeevan Dalip def Michaia Andrews w/o, Vijay Sharma def Ariel Khan 6-0, 6-0, Viraj Sharma def Shimron Lewis 6-1, 6-0 Girls Open Singles Qtrs: Shivani Persaud def Margaret Subryan 6-3, 6-2, Ciara Pooran def Alana Chung w/o, Sarah Klautky def Nathalie Ramdyhan 6-0, 6-1, Kalyca Fraser def Charlese Adam w/o

23

RHTY&SC, Guyoil unveil Berbice Traffic Education Programme

Guyoil Marketing Secretary Demaley Clarke (right) hands over the sponsorship cheque to RHTYSC, MS Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster in presence of other company officials

T

he eight cricket teams of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club have joined hands with the Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) and the ‘B’ Division of the Guyana Police Force to launch a massive Traffic Education Campaign for the ancient county of Berbice.

The teams – Rose Hall Town Farfan and Mendes Under 15, Bakewell Under 17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under 19 and Intermiade, Metro Females and Gizmos and Gadgets Under 21 and First Division teams are undertaking the historic campaign as part of their personal development programme.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster noted that the main objectives of the Traffic Education Campaign are to educate youths on road safety, to reduce death on the road, to re-educate drivers on safe driving and to show that sportsmen can spearhead programmes to make a positive difference.

The programme would target all drivers in Berbice, every Secondary and Primary School and all users of the

public road. The campaign would involve the publication of a 40 pages traffic education booklet, traffic educational poster for every classroom in Berbice and stickers for vehicles promoting the Say No to Drunk driving Message. The historic campaign would also involve the publication of an educational brochure for drivers and the hosting of two separate essay competitions for Primary and Secondary School students.

Foster disclosed that the ‘B’ Division of the Guyana Police Force especially Traffic Chief Timothy Williams and Commander Ian Amsterdam would be working closely with the RHTYSC, MS and the cricket teams to ensure the massive programme is a success.

The long standing Secretary/ CEO who spearheads 300 programmes/activities every year hailed the support that the Club has received from Guyoil and make a special mention of Chairman Lance Carberry, acting General Manager Reggie Bhagwandin, Marketing Manager Eric Whaul and Demaley Clarke of the Marketing Department for

their cooperation in obtaining the $452,000.00 sponsorship deal. Foster expressed full confidence that like every other programme the RHTYSC, MS and its cricket teams has undertaken, the Traffic Campaign would be a success.

Guyoil Marketing Manager Eric Whaul stated that the state owned company was privileged to be associated with the RHTYSC, MS. Guyoil, he stated provides most of Guyana’s fuel for vehicles and as such was committed to making the country’s road safer for all its users. The Marketing Manager expressed his company’s confidence in the organising skills of the RHTYSC, MS to make the campaign successful. Guyoil, he stated fully understands its role as a responsible public entity and would support programmes such as the Traffic Education Campaign as it falls within its mandate.

He also congratulated the RHTYSC, MS and its cricket teams for the outstanding work they have been doing towards the development of Guyana.

Match officials and players of the West Indies and Australia teams observed a moment of silence before play at Providence on Sunday to pay tribute to the great journalist Tony Cozier and Guyanese umpire Gayanand Sookdeo. Cozier, who covered West Indies cricket for five decades, died in his native Barbados on May 11 while West Indies “B” Panel Umpire Sookdeo succumbed to renal failure late May (WICB Photo)

GBTI’s Marketing Manager Pamela Binda performing the ceremonial serve-off

Mens Open Singles Round of 32: Bobby Adelson def Khawn Rodney 4-6,76(7/5),6-1, Stephen Bailey def Philbert Clarke 6-4,6-0, Mark McDonald def Bishan Dalip 6-4,3-6, 6-1, Nicholas Glasgow def Martin Campbell w/o, Daniel Lopes def Leroy Chapman 6-0, 6-0, Surendra Khayyam def Harrinand Persaud w/o, Andre Erskine def Akeem Bailey 6-1, 6-0, Heimraj Resaul def Rudy Grant

6-1, 6-1, Kester Abrams def Robert Bostwick 6-2, 6-4 Ladies Open Singles Round of 16: Aretta Dey def Patricia Hope 6-0, 6-0, Fiona Bushell def Alana Chung w/o Novice Medley Singles Round of 16: Alvin Doris def Shaquille Bourne 7-6(8/6), Brian Primo def Akeem Bailey w/o. Qtrs: Devon Gonsalves def Martin Campbell 6-4, Asif Subhan def Amanda Roberts 6-4.

Present at the opening of the tournament was the bank’s Marketing Manager, Pamela Binda who expressed the bank’s commitment to the development of tennis in Guyana. Binda ceremoniously served the first ball to declare the tournament open. The tournament runs until June 19 at the Bel-Air Park court from 17:00 Hrs on week days and from 09:00 Hrs on weekends.

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

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

Ballr Cup Tri-Nation Series...

Confident Australia meet pressured South Africa

The top ranked teams in world cricket are expected to show their worth today, in conditions that will not be favourable

Pg 22

Ballr Cup Tri- Nation Series...

“We just played some horrible shots at crucial stages” – Holder

NBA & Golden State star will not compete at Rio 2016 Pg 21

Pg 22

Johnson Charles stumps being decimated. That summed up the day with the bat for the West Indies (Marceano Narine photo)

Steph Curry helped his franchise make NBA history with a record 73 wins in the regular season

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