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Times Sunday January 1, 2017

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2016

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Times Sunday Magazine

Head of CIOG's Women's arm Aleema Nasir (right) presents a certificate to one of the centre's students

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he Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) recently awarded students for their applauded successes from various academic programmes facilitated by the organisation.

CIOG established ten computer centres and two sewing centres around Guyana to “enhance the capacity of women”. This was made possible through the kind courtesy of the Al Sanad Company in Kuwait.

Two such centres are

the Diamond Computer and Sewing Centres, which held their annual graduation and prize giving in one ceremony in late 2016, in which Shaikh Moeenul Hack, Director of Education at CIOG, made his remarks.

Head of the Women’s arm of the CIOG, Aleema Nasir, also spoke at the ceremony and presented the students with certificates of their achievements.

Making a presentation also was Sister Zahirah Mohamed of the UK High

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JANUARY 1, 2017

Commission, as well as other representatives of the relevant associations.

Shanaz Baksh emerged the top performer from the Sewing Centre. Attina Khan and Mileshwaree Gorakh were awarded as the top performers from the Computer Centre.

In total, eight persons graduated from the Computer Centre.

These students are Bibi Farida Bacchus, Babita Henry, Shaline Singh, Safeyah Rahaman, Asefeyah Rahaman, Radha Mahadeo, Attina Khan and Mileshwaree Gorakh.

Notably, 15 persons graduated from the Sewing Centre. These students are Yasmin Alli, Afeena Haniff, Waheeda Khan, Zabeda Ally, Alishaw Singh, Malisa Ramotar, Shanaz Baksh, Bibi Rafeena Ibrahim, Cammela Bisram, Sabreeno Manjoor, Babita Henry, Natasha Beharry, Zainab Thomes and Bibi S. Nazirali.

All of the graduates were awarded for their outstanding performance throughout the year.

CIOG extended congratulations to the teach-

Shaikh Moeenul Hack, CIOG's Director of Education, making his presentation at the Sewing and Computer Centres' graduation

ers who are volunteers at the Computer and Sewing Centres: Miss Cammela Bisram and Miss Subrina of the Diamond Computer Centre, and Miss Radha Mahadeo of the Sewing Centre. Students were tutored free of cost.

In addition to the success of the centres, the Al Ghazali Islamic Academy, affiliated to CIOG and located at the CIOG Secretariat, Georgetown, which has a school population of more than 200 students, has recorded an 80 per cent pass

at the recent CSEC examinations.

The Al Ghazali Islamic Academy held its annual graduation and prize giving ceremony on December 17, 2016, where graduates were awarded.

Moses Ally of Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, emerged as the top performer with 11 subjects. A total of nine students graduated and seven students passed more than five subjects.

The following students received awards: Saleem Arif Samad for the Most

Disciplined Student, Shoaib Sheik Halim for Outstanding Performance in Science, Noel Akthar Resaul-Maraj for Outstanding Performance in Religious Education and Abdool Afridi Samad for the Most Improved Student.

CIOG congratulates the principal, Miss Bibi Young, the hardworking staff in the secondary department and the students who excelled.

For more information, visit www.ciog.org.gy (Cover photo: Fireworks in Georgetown. Photo - Fidal Bassier of 55 Photography)

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JANUARY 1, 2017

Times Sunday Magazine

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New Year usually brings hope and resolve for the new one, and gratitude for seeing the passing of the old. Around Guyana, persons shared their New Year’s resolutions with Sunday Times Magazine: Nelisha Ramdeo(Essequibo Coast) “My New Year’s dream is to get a home, live a better life and provide for my three daughters; 2016 has really been a trying year for my family, I really want a land so I can make a house and live a happy life, so I will use 2017 to make ways of working along with the regional housing to get my land.”

Cherry Ragubeer (Essequibo Coast) “I really don't have much plans, ‘cause right now things are bad; I am however, thankful I have a job to survive on; 2017 I am hoping will be a brighter year for me and my family.

I also want to be more prayerful and close to my family for the new year.”

Alesia Mohammed (West Coast of Demerara) “I would like to get out more and to see that world and what it has to offer. I am outgoing and so I feel that just packing up and going on adventures would suit my personality. I want when I get older to be able to say I did it all (good things). So hopefully for the year 2017 I get to fulfil my heart’s desires.”

Leslyn Thompson (West Coast of Demerara) “My new year’s resolution is simple; all that I want is to have a simple and very peaceful year with my family around me. There are a lot of things that I would like to change but for once, I’d like to just show appreciation for what I already have. I want to spend the year bettering the way I show appreciation for the things that surround me.”

Urmilla Ramdeo (Essequibo Coast) “I would love for a house and my own land.Presently I am living with my mother who has three other families; it's so uncomfortable, so I will love for my life to change in 2017 and also to get a job so we can have a bright future.”

Arthur Gordon (Linden) “I don't really make New Year's resolutions because sometimes three months into the year you forget about them. What I normally do is thank the Almighty for health and strength to see another year and to keep me going. So, as I go on, different plans will fall into place and I'll keep going. That is mostly it for me.”

Eon Kingston (Linden) “My plans for the new year is to live long and for my job to continue to prosper in terms of getting more customers. In terms of changes, I would to see more work being acquired for the Linden people. I already have a job but I would wish to see Lindeners get more work. Apart from that, everything else is alright with me. For the new year I pray that God continues to bless me with life, health and strength. As long as I have those things, everything else will fall into place.”

Orika Alleyne (Linden) “My New Year's resolutions are to achieve a better job and to go back to school to acquire like,three more subjects. I would also like to accomplish all the things that I have planned, like getting things pertaining to my life back in order.

One of the major things I would like to do is to start going back to church, because it's been a long time and I believe that it is time that I start going back to church. So, from Old Year's night throughout the entire next year, I hope to be attending church more often and go back into fellowship. That's about it for me.”

Jereme Ramrattan (Georgetown) “Work hard, add to my achievements, then probably have some fun year end with the money that I work so hard to get.”

Calvin Roberts (West Coast of Demerara) “There are a lot of things that I would like to achieve for the year 2017 but I believe in focusing on one thing at a time, so my resolution for next year is to work even harder academically to obtain better grades in medical school and in the long term, my degree in medicine.”

Ryan Munroe (West Bank Demerara) “I intend to work harder at my job and try to get a promotion and try to build my own house. It's very hard to find a job that would pay you according to your qualifications or skills. That's why I’m trying to be the best at what I do at the company where I'm working.”

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The Walt Disney connection

By Ann Wood

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uyana and several countries have issued many stamps depicting Disney characters in scenes from animated Walt Disney films, celebrating Christmas or Easter, marking important anniversaries, commemorating the Olympic Games, visiting other countries, and saluting famous people.

Disney themed stamps are appealing to children

and to the millions of Mickey Mouse and other Disney character enthusiasts. There are tens of thousands of Disney stamps collectors as it is one of the most popular themes in stamp collecting. In addition, no matter what other topic you may collect, there are probably Disney stamps within it.

Disney themes on stamps started in 1968 (U.S.), 1970 (San Marino), 1972 (Fujeira and Sharjah) and 1991 (Guyana).

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1901, Walt Disney created some of the most famous cartoon characters in history and received many honours during his life and after his death.

One of these honours was a United States commemorative postage stamp issued on September 11, 1968. It was Americas’ first Disney stamp and commemorated Walt's contributions to America and the world. The stamp depicted his portrait with designs in the background of children

Mickey Mouse Guyana stamp

'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' collection

of the world emerging from Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

The “First Day of Issue” ceremony was held in Marceline, Missouri, as Walt grew up on a farm in that rural town. The Main Street of Disneyland was re-created

by Walt to memorialize Main Street, Marceline, Missouri, a town Walt viewed as the ideal community.

Almost a million first day covers were cancelled in Marceline and over 150 million Disney stamps were purchased at U.S. post offices during the next ten days.

In August 23, 2004, the post office in Marceline, where Walt’s 1968 postal tribute was first issued, was re-

named “The Walt Disney Post Office”.

Topical collecting, such as Disney stamps, stimulates the interest in the hobby of stamp collecting. They inspire both the young and old with the variety of topics and bright colours. However, general collectors continue to seek stamps which depict their interest.

To order the special Walt Disney Post Office Postmark, affix a US$1.15 stamp to envelopes of your choice, address the envelopes to yourself or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: Walt Disney Post Office Postmark

Postmaster 120 E. Ritchie Ave. Marceline, MO 646589998 Ann Wood is president of the Guyana Philatelic Society.

The members of the Guyana Philatelic Society are people from all walks of life who collect new issues from Guyana to those who have only very limited stamp budgets.

But above all, the stamp club offers the friendship, knowledge and experience of its members who are there to help stamp collectors with advice on all aspects of collecting. Visit www.guyanastamps.com for more information on stamp collection.

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JANUARY 1, 2017

ust 8 per cent of people achieve their New Year's resolutions …” declares one headline; “Why 80 per cent of New Year's resolutions fail”, informs another. By the time Valentine’s Day arrives in Feb., another article cites a new study: “more than a third of people have already traded in their New Year’s resolutions for a big box of chocolates…”

Why do New Year’s resolutions fail – and why do we make them to begin with?

The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago.

During a 12-day religious festival known as Akitu, where the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king, they also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed.

These promises could be considered the forerunners of our New Year’s resolutions.

If they kept to their word,

Their New Year fell in mid-March (of our calendar today), when they would plant their crops.

In ancient Rome, after Emperor Julius Caesar adjusted the calendar and established January 1 as the beginning of the new year circa 46 B.C., Romans offered sacrifices to the deity and made promises of good conduct for the coming year.

January had special significance for the Romans.

The first month of the year was named after Janus the Roman two-faced god, whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches, in the belief that he symbolically looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future.

The early Christians saw the first day of the new year become the traditional occasion for thinking about one’s past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future.

In 1740, English clergyman John Wesley, founder of Methodism, created the Covenant Renewal Service, also known as watch night services, which was usually

their gods would bestow favour on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favour – not something anyone looked forward to.

held on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. The service, which involved reading from the Bible and singing hymns, was created to encourage a

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uthor Beverly D. Flaxington suggests that by following these five simple steps of the S.H.I.F.T Model™, you will be able to fulfil your New Year’s resolutions successfully and with greater ease: Specify the desired outcome. What are your goals for this year? What does success mean to you?

Maintain focus and be specific…

Highlight and categorize the obstacles. Be prepared for the stumbling blocks along your way.

Remember that they can be both external (changes in the environment) and internal (changes in your attitude).

Identify the human factor. Who can you rely on to hold you accountable

to your resolutions? Whose company should you seek, and who might you want to keep away from, to ensure that you don’t stray away from your goals?

Find the alternatives. Things don’t always turn out as planned, so it’s a good idea to have a Plan B handy, just in case.

Think of these things beforehand so that you don’t make rash decisions under the influence of your emotions later on.

Take disciplined action. And discipline is the salient part of this last step. You are the one who is first and foremost responsible for your success.

Conversely, making excuses and not holding yourself accountable for your actions is a sure path to failure.

more spiritual celebration of the New Year, as opposed to the raucous secular New Year’s celebrations of the

time.

It has since become the traditional Old Year’s Night/ New Year’s Eve mass, where congregations pray and make resolutions for the coming year.

Secular New Year’s celebrations also remain a tradition among many who may make non-spiritual resolutions, especially toward selfimprovement. Losing weight and getting fit are some of the most popular resolutions – and the ones most likely to fail as well.

Other popular resolutions that don’t fare well include giving up alcohol, quitting smoking, and saving more money. They are usually all broken by the end of January.

Psychologists suggest that many of our resolutions fail for several reasons, including our unrealistic goals and our lack of will to permanently change bad habits.

According to Ray Williams, author of several books as well as president of his own firm that provides executive coaching and professional speaking services, scientists have identified what they call the "false hope syndrome", which means a person’s resolution is significantly unrealistic and out of alignment with their internal view of themselves.

Times Sunday Magazine

Writing for Psychologytoday, Williams notes that Timothy Pychyl, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Canada, says that resolutions are a form of “cultural procrastination”, an effort to reinvent oneself. Pychyl argues that people aren't ready to change their habits, particularly bad habits, and that accounts for the high failure rate.

The other aspect of failed resolutions, Williams says, lies in the cause and effect relationship. You may think

that if you lose weight, or reduce your debts, or exercise more, your entire life will change, and when it doesn't, you may get discouraged and then you revert to old behaviours.

Author Beverly D. Flaxington, adjunct professor at Suffolk University who is also a corporate consultant, notes that time management skills may be lacking in those whose resolutions aren’t kept.

You have a goal, a plan and the best of intentions.

But then life gets busy, she

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points out, and with so much to do, you lose time, and sight of your goals. Managing your time effectively, she notes, is not about crossing all the entries off your todo list; it is about knowing what your priorities are and getting the right things done first.

Williams recommends if you're going to make New Year's resolutions, focus on one resolution, rather than several, and set realistic, specific goals. Losing weight is not a specific goal.

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The Shaping of Guyanese Literature Part I

By Petamber Persaud

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017 marks the centennial end to indentureship in Guyana. Tomes and tonnes of information are now available on the events leading up to the beginning of indentureship in 1838; its hiccups, highs and lows during its 75-odd-years dispensation, and its eventual end in 1917.

(1838 to 1917 is one part of the story; the other part of the story: 1917 to 2017 is still unfolding and is still being written. The writers in the diaspora are making optimum use of this area of our story especially focusing on the post-Independence period.)

Part of the information on indentureship was made available because the scheme spawned writers who had experienced the tail end and aftermath, giving voice to the voiceless – weeping with them in times of tribulation and celebrating with them in times of triumph; and those writers in turn giving birth to succeeding generations of writers who were influenced and affected by indentureship.

And there is a wide range of writers – even contemporary writers – who were blessed with firsthand accounts entrusted to them by immigrants who were departing Guyana for India on the return ships; some immigrants leaving as late as 1955 on the last return ship, The

By Everard F. IM Thurn

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erhaps the most extraordinary practice ever found very widely spread among men is that known by the name of 'couvade'; yet this has been observed, either in full operation or still discernible in faint traces, among innumerable races and in almost every part of the world.

Many... among others our Guianese Indians, still regularly practise couvade; and among [the many], as for instance... the Germans, traces of the former existence of the practise may still be detected. In all probability indeed, it has been a universal custom, observed in every race during a certain stage in the development of its civilization.

Couvade, in its best known form, consists in the father of a new-born child retiring to his bed or hammock, treating himself carefully, and being carefully treated, by others, in a way which at first sight appears as though he were regarded as weakened by the effects of the

Resurgent.

Only a handful of IndoGuyanese writers actually experienced the system of indentureship: Bechu, Joseph Ruhomon, Peter Ruhomon, Ayube M. Edun, Dwarka Nauth, Charles Ebenezer Joseph Ramcharitar-Lalla, J.W. Chinapen, and Randall

Butisingh, among others.

These writers were faced with an identity crisis about themselves and about the people of whom they were writing: who were they writing about – an Indian from India, a person of a certain religion, a certain class, a certain caste.

birth.

Generally too, though this is not an essential part of couvade, the mother of the child, hardly suffering, as is ever the case with women accustomed to hard work, from child-birth, resumes her ordinary tasks almost simultaneously with the lying-down of her husband.

Many attempts have been made to explain this most curious custom. It is, writes Mr. Rushton Dorman, [“The Origins of Primitive Superstitions”; 1881 (p.58)] “a superstition that has come through fear of attacks of evil spirits. In the couvade the man takes to his bed..., and kills no animals. This fear of killing animals and of carrying on their ordinary avocations arises from the supposition that the spirits of the animals will take advantage of the helplessness of the child and avenge themselves upon it... Among the Arawaks the father can kill little birds and fish, but no large game".

In short, according to Mr. Dorman, the essence of the matter is that the father avoids enraging any animals which

might have power to avenge themselves on his child.

But, if this is the full explanation, why should the father take to his hammock and be nursed; why should he abstain from such of his ordinary occupations as cannot be supposed to enrage other beings? Mere abstention from the killing of animals would be sufficient.

Moreover, for the statement that the Arawaks during couvade kill small, powerless animals but not such as are large and dangerous, Mr. Dorman gives no authority, nor can I find any, or any ground whatever.

Again, writing with more especial reference to the Indians of Guiana, the Reverend C. D. Dance [Chapters from a Guianese Log-Book”; 1881 (p.148)] gives another, and in some ways more probable, explanation.

"The husband, pleased that a man or woman is born into the world, and himself the honoured cause, reclines complacently in his hammock, and receives the compliments

As early as the 1890s, Joseph Ruhomon was among the first to attempt to unravel this crisis. Others after Ruhomon have tried but only succeeded in adding complexity to the picture. Capturing the essence of the essential Indian would continue to fascinate our writers, and the poetry especially of lesserknown Indo-Guyanese writers is rich in essential details.

A larger number of IndoGuyanese writers, first generation descendants of indentured workers, were privy to more intimate details, thanks to their immediate family who would have transmitted their experiences to their descendants. Some in this group include Cheddi Jagan, Sheik Sadeek, Rajkumari Singh, Basil Balgobin, Cyril Midday Kanhai, Peter Kempadoo and Reuben Lachmansingh.

Kempadoo’s “Guiana Boy”, (1960) and Jagan’s “The West on Trial” (1966) gave the first real insights into estate life from within.

However, the greater part of what we know about indentureship and its impact could be found in the ever-increasing scholarship on that history which is vigorously supported by our imaginative literature.

This new series of articles is designed to acknowledge the efforts of those imaginative writers by allowing them to speak, again; refocusing at-

and congratulations of visitors.

Nor does he leave the house until after the expiration of a certain time; for well he knows (if belief is certain knowledge) that the simple spirit of the newly born infant recognizes in him paternity and headship of the house. The infant spirit then clings to the father, gazes upon him, follows him wherever he goes, and for a time is as intimate and familiar with the father as he is with his own infant body, with which the infant spirit is only recently associated.

One would, perhaps, have thought that the mother should claim the most intimate relationship; but it appears that a priority of affinity is established with the father, as progenitor of the infant spirit.

How then can the father resign his recumbent position in the hammock, or his careful and limited walk within the precincts of the dwelling, and go out to the forest or field, to use an axe or cutlass, when the spirit of the child, which follows him as a second shadow, might be between the axe and the

tention on their voice, sharing their thoughts on the shaping of the essential Indian creating a niche in Guyana.

At this point it would be useful to bear in mind that before the written accounts there was the oral literature.

The Indians who came – brought or of their own volition – from India to Guyana arrived with their literature, both oral and written; a literature that helped to deal with the trauma and challenge of displacement and helped to shape their imagination in this new land.

Except for my book, “The Balgobin Saga” Hansib, UK (2008), little else of our oral literature has been captured in print. Some of that oral literature is still around, passed down from previous generations. So all is not lost and it is my hope that there would be other seminal additions to my effort.

The first writings attempting to explore the Indian experience were written by non-Indian nonGuyanese such as Edward Jenkins’s “The Coolie: His Rights and Wrongs” (1872), and “Lutchmee and Dilloo” (1877); A. R. F. Webber’s “Those that be in Bondage: A Tale of Indian Indentures and Sunlit Western Waters” (1917); Rev. Pearson's “The New Overseer’s Manual” (1890) and Rev. MacKay’s “Under the Southern Cross”

wood? How climb a tree, if the infant spirit is also to essay the climbing, and fall, perhaps, to the injury of the infant lying in the hammock? How hunt, when the arrow might pierce the accompanying spirit of the child, which would be death to the little mortal at home?

If, wandering through the woods, you happen to meet a tairu leaf formed very much in the shape of a corial (canoe), floating on a stream or pond, and furnished with a tiny wooden seat and paddle cut out and placed therein; or should you, on stepping over a fallen tree, discover two sticks, each placed from the ground to the trunk of the tree, disturb them not, for they are sacred to a father's affectionate anxiety for the preservation of the infant spirit of his child. When the father wades through the water, the toddling spirit of the infant must paddle across in

Joseph Ruhomon

(1904).

These early writings by non-Indians treated the immigrants as coolies before the term was reclaimed by IndoGuyanese to mean patience and perseverance, struggle and success, development and progress, achievement of the highest order in this Great Land of Guyana.

(To be continued; subsequent instalments would explore the writings on the Indian experience by non-Indian Guyanese writers and by Indo-Guyanese writers.)

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com What’s happening: Under production: a compilation of biographies of Indo-Guyanese writers.

Under production: an anthology of Indo-Caribbean poetry.

For further information, please see the aforementioned contacts.

the tairu-leaf boat; and when his sire crosses over the stump, the little temporary bridge enables the infantile spirit to climb over. Thus the spirit of the child follows its father to the fields and returns with him to the house, to gamble between father and child, until age and some mysterious increasing sympathy attaches it exclusively to the body of the child whose spirit it is.

But notwithstanding the greatest vigilance, the little spirit is sometimes lost, and then the body pines and dies if the piaidoctor, called in for the occasion, is not fortunate enough to recover the stray spirit."

This explanation by Mr. Dance, though I am not prepared to accept it, at least in its entirety, seems to me worthy of serious consideration...

(Source: Timehri Journal Dec. 1890)

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The Zika epidemic dominated headlines on major disease outbreaks in 2016 but that wasn’t the only mosquito-borne disease to worry about that year…

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ccording to WHO, to date, 48 countries and territories in the Americas have confirmed native, vector-borne transmission of Zika virus disease since 2015.In addition, five countries in the Americas have reported sexually transmitted Zika cases.

Since the last WHO Zika Epidemiological Update of December 1, 2016, no new country or territory has confirmed vector-borne native transmission of Zika virus in the Americas.

An unusual cluster of cases of congenital microcephaly and other neurological disorders such as Guillan-Barré syndrome (GBS) in the WHO Region of the Americas, led to the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 1, 2016.

Some 22 countries and territories to date in the Americas have reported confirmed cases of congenital syndrome associated with Zika virus infection. Since the December 1 Update, Nicaragua has been added to the list of countries that have reported a case of congenital syndrome associated with Zika virus infection for the first time.

Since the Update, no new country or territory has reported for the first time cases of GBS associated with Zika virus infection.

Human beings are infected by Zika virus through the bites of infected mosquitoes.The Aedes mosquito, which lives inside and around houses, transmits Zika virus.

When a mosquito feeds on the blood of an infected person and then bites other people, Zika virus,which can cause the disease, is transmitted.

According to WHO, indigenous circulation of Zika virus has been detected in the Americas since 2014. Chile had confirmed the first case of indigenous transmission of Zika virus infection.

In 2015, 17 countries, including Brazil and Suriname, began experiencing cases of Zika virus infection. Many countries began to notify PAHO/WHO of the cases by January 2016.The disease then quickly spread to new territories in 2016.

Zika and microcephaly

On Jan. 4, 2016, the Brazil Ministry of Health provided PAHO/WHO with an epidemiological report regarding the increase of microcephaly cases in the country. Microcephaly is a condition where a baby is

New detection of mosquito-borne Zika virus infections 2013-2016. (PAHO/WHO)

born with a small head or the head stops growing after birth.

As of Jan. 2, some 3,174 suspected cases of microcephaly, including 38 deaths, had been identified at the national level.

It was in May 2015 that Brazilian public health authorities had confirmed native transmission of Zika virus in the northeastern part of the country. On Oct.8, 2015 the National 1HR Focal Point (NFP) of Brazil had notified PAHO/WHO of its cases of Zika virus infection.

WHO in Jan 2016, had stated that investigations were ongoing to characterize the relation between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and the observed increase of microcephaly.

The United States of America on Jan. 16, 2016, notified PAHO/WHO of a male infant with microcephaly born in the state of Hawaii in December.

The mother of the child experienced symptoms compatible with Zika virus infection during her second month of pregnancy, while residing in Brazil; however, at the time, testing for the infection was not performed.

Zika and GBS

In January too, El Salvador had notified PAHO/WHO of an unusual increase of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in the country.

From an annual average number of 169 GBS cases, Dec. 1, 2015 to Jan, 6, 2016 saw 46 GBS recorded, including two deaths.

Since the confirmation of the first case of Zika virus infection in November 2015 until December 31, 2015, Salvadoran health authorities reported 3,836 suspected cases of Zika virus infection.

WHO stated then that possible associations between GBS and Zika virus infection were being investigated. GBS is a rare condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the outlying nerves.

February also saw more tropical countries reporting

increasing cases of GBS and/ or microcephaly, including Columbia and Venezuela.

WHO stated then that although evidence concerning a potential association between Zika virus and congenital neurological disorders among new-borns was mounting, the information available at that time was not yet sufficient to establish such a causative link.

By Jan. 20, 2016, WHO reported that the NFP for Guyana, Barbados and Ecuador notified PAHO/ WHO of cases of Zika virus infection.

Guyana

According to WHO, on Jan 14, 2016 the NFP for Guyana reported the first laboratory-confirmed case of locally-acquired Zika virus infection in the country.

The case was a 27-yearold female from Berbice, Region Six, with onset of symptoms on Jan. 1.

Samples of the patient were collected on Jan. 4 and sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) laboratory in Trinidad and Tobago for testing, where it was confirmed.

The regions with the highest incidence rate of confirmed Zika virus in Guyana were Region One (Barima/Waini) with 11 cases per 100,000 population, followed by Region Two Pomeroon/Supenaam) with 10 cases per100,000 population. A total of 34 confirmed Zika cases have been reported by the Guyana NFP. No information on Zika cases in pregnant women, Zika complications or Zika deaths have been reported.

Also according to a PAHO/WHO report, Guyana health authorities in 2016 detected 303 laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue, with an incidence rate of 38 cases per 100,000 population, while a total of 149 suspected chikungunya cases were reported in Guyana for 2016.

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, including Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

Dengue is a vector-borne

disease transmitted by the bite of an infected female mosquito (Aedes aegypti).

Zika spreads

By the end of January, as more territories began notifying PAHO/WHO of Zika virus infection, WHO reported that this detection of locally-acquired cases of Zika virus infection indicated that the virus was spreading geographically to previously unaffected areas.

It added too that despite reports of a potential association between Zika virus, microcephaly and other neurological disorders, a causal relationship between these events had not yet been confirmed.

It was on Feb. 5, 2016 that the NFP for the U.S.A notified PAHO/WHO of a probable case of sexual transmission of Zika virus.

February also saw more tropical countries reporting increasing cases of GBS and/or microcephaly;

as well as Zika virus infection, including Trinidad and Tobago.

WHO stated then that although evidence concerning a potential association between Zika virus and congenital neurological disorders among new-borns is mounting, the information available at that time was not yet sufficient to establish such a causative link.

In March, Panama reported the world’s first case of Zika virus infection detected in a new-born with microcephaly.

However, WHO stated then that it was not possible to establish a link between the detected Zika virus infection and the observed microcephaly.

Panama also confirmed its first case of GBS with confirmed Zika virus infection on March 15. WHO noted that other countries in the Region of the Americas had reported cases of Zika virus infection among GBS patients.

In May, while countries infected with Zika virus continued to deal with the disease, several more countries began reporting cases of yellow fever, especially in Africa. Angola had reported its outbreak since January of 2016, while China reported several cases of imported yellow fever that same month.

Yellow fever is transmitted by infected aedes and haemogogus mosquitoes.

In May also, Kenya notified WHO of an outbreak

of Chikungunya in a part of the country. On June 2, 2016, the U.S.A. reported the first laboratory-confirmed case of locally-acquired Chikungunya virus in the state of Texas.

Argentina had notified of its the first chikungunya outbreak in the country earlier in March.

A decline in reported Zika virus infection

Fewer country cases of Zika virus were reported

by WHO in June, though in July, the U.S.A and several Caribbean islands had notified PAHO/WHO of their confirmed cases.

In August, BVI, St Kitts and Nevis and Singapore notified WHO of their cases, while in September Montserrat was the lone report, followed by Palau in November.

In August also, Burkina Faso began reporting cases of dengue fever. Uruguay had reported its outbreak since February.There have since been no reports of chikungunya virus, dengue or yellow fever outbreaks.

There have been no reports also, according to WHO, since November of new outbreaks of Zika virus infection nor new Zika complications.

WHO notes that although a decline in cases of Zika infection has been reported in some countries, or in some parts of countries, vigilance needs to remain high.

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Year in Review - News January Jan 12 Wales Estate closure The jarring announcement of the shutting down of sugar operations at the Wales Sugar Estate was arguably the biggest continuous news story of the year that was 2016. Worthy of note is that government only confirmed the decision was made after Guyana Times broke the story on January 17, 2016.

The administration noted that Wales would have incurred losses amounting to some $ 1.7 billion and that some workers would be transferred to Uitvlugt Estate while others would received severance packages.

Jan 12 Police crack British filmmaker’s murder One of the biggest

achievements in fighting crime for 2016 occurred in January when five persons were charged in connection with the murder of young British filmmaker Dominic Bernard, 18, who vanished shortly after arriving in Guyana back in October 2015.

The Epsom in Surrey native’s badly decomposed body was found in a shallow grave in Berbice on January 8. Two men were charged with the murder, while three alleged accomplices – two women and one man – were charged for assisting in burying the teen’s body as well as his camera equipment.

Jan 18 Berbice man kills girlfriend/self Among the first cases of reported suicide for the year was that of Deeraj Persaud,

20 of Lonsdale and his alleged pregnant teenage girlfriend, Sherry Ann Ally, 14, of Brother’s Village, East Bank Berbice on January 6. Meanwhile, the first recorded murder victim was 24-year old Asif Hafeez, of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice, who was stabbed to his neck on New Year’s Day following an argument with another man after they engaged in heavy alcohol consumption.

Jan 18 Budget 2016 presented A $230 billion budget for 2016 was unveiled to the National Assembly yesterday

by Finance Minister Winston Jordan. However, throughout the year, there was significant underspending of the budget, which prompted government

with a fake license plate.

Jan 24

Mon Repos Bank of Baroda Inc branch, which is located in the Mon Repos Mall

to establish planning units in each ministry to help with the spending on the monies allotted.

Jan 22 Bank of Baroda robbed The Bank of Baroda, Mon Repos Branch was robbed by armed men. The five-minute incident occurred at about 12:50

PM. It was revealed that the RK Security Guard, who was on duty at the time, was relieved of her .32 service firearm.

Police said one of the armed robbers snatched the gun from the guard, jumped the counter and took away an undisclosed amount of cash before making their escape in a Toyota Premio

Trade Unions make historic decision The Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) began hinting at a joint rally for Labour Day. After much contention on the issue throughout the year, the Unions finally in a historic move put their differences aside and marched in unity for workers’ rights.

Jan 25

Lands and Surveys robbed Armed robbers carried out a brazen mid-morning heist at the Lands and Surveys Commission in Durban Backlands, Georgetown, carting off close to $1.7M in cash.

February Feb 3

sky illuminated by lights from mobile phones all around the stadium as the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted.

Government employs measures to reclaim CLICO investment The Government of Guyana moved to reclaim some USD $26M that was invested in the defunct CLICO. Over $5 Billion from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) was invested into CLICO.

Feb 28

Feb 3 National cyclist jailed for drug trafficking Former national cyclist Kwame Cumberbatch, 26, of Lot 54 Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown has been charged for drug trafficking.

Cumberbatch pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that between January 28 and 29, 2016, he had in his possession 194 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Magistrate McLennan fined the defendant $873,000, which is the street value of the drug, and sentenced him to three years in prison.

Feb 6 SOCU unearths over $16M, two arrested during raids The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) seized more than $16 million in foreign and local currencies as it steps up operations to address money laundering in Guyana.

According to information, the unit conducted operations at four locations on the East Bank and East Coast Demerara but the money was unearthed at two houses at ECD. Guyana Times understands that close to US$80,000, G$1 million and a quantity of $TT were seized in two separate homes belonging to prominent businesspeople.

March March 3 Rape accused commits suicide before jury returns with verdict Hours before receiving the verdict from the Jury at the High Court in a pending rape trial, accused rapist William Bassant ingested a poisonous substance and succumbed at the Diamond Diagnostics Centre.

Bassant was before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and a mixed jury on two counts of rape.

According to the particulars of the case, in 2013 Bassant had engaged in sexual activities with a female under the age of 16.

March 3 Father of 8 commits suicide following domestic dispute A father of eight was found hanging from the rafter of his Foulis, East Coast Demerara home. Vishal Babooram, 33, was a bus conductor formerly of Montrose, East Coast Demerara.

According to reports, Babooram reportedly went home drunk and an argument erupted with his wife, resulting

From left, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway, and DEA’s Regional Director Matthew Donahue at the opening of the DEA office

Feb 6 El Niño conditions The prolonged dry weather conditions that started late 2015 continued well into January and February and threatened the lives and livelihoods of residents and farmers across the country. Hundreds of rice acreages as well as other crops on the coastland were destroyed while many animals in the interior locations were grappling for scarce water sources which caused significant economic burden to farmers, especially in the Rupununi communities. Regions One, Three, Six and Nine faced the brunt of the weather crisis.

Feb 11

US launches DEA office On February 10, Minister of Public Security

Outside Camp Street Prison on that fateful day

in her leaving the home. He was found hanging from the rafter the following day.

March 4 Barry Dataram accuses CANU of aiding drug shipments Controversial selfconfessed drug lord, Barry Dataram accused a Customs Anti-Narcotics (CANU) rank of facilitating the shipment of cocaine out of Guyana.

In a bombshell interview with a local television reporter, Dataram, who was once wanted by United States of American authorities for conspiracy to traffic cocaine

and cocaine trafficking, said that the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) may also be interested in the officer but refused to reveal his identity.

He also alleged that the CANU officer has a payment plan in place to allow the illicit drug to pass; a payment plan of $10 M. March 4 Chain snatcher killed after robbing off-duty policeman A licensed off-duty policeman shot and killed a man who snatched a goldchain from the officer’s neck.

The dead man was identified as

Khemraj Ramjattan and U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway officially opened the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Office to assist local authorities to fight the narco trade in Guyana.

Feb 23 Jubilee celebrations underway As celebrations for the 2016 Golden Jubilee celebrations got underway, many sections of Guyanese were left fuming after the annual float parade at Mashramani was shifted to May 26, Independence Day. However, following the February 18 unveiling of the tallest pole in Guyana, standing at some 200 feet, thousands of Guyanese gathered at D’urban Park for the Republic Day 2016 flag raising ceremony that saw the night

Three more Zika cases confirmed in Guyana Three more cases of Zika have been confirmed in Guyana by the Public Health Ministry which confirmed the cases after samples were tested positive by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).

Speaking with this publication, Public Health Minister Dr George Norton said the three persons all live along the East Bank Demerara (EBD) and further explained that two of the individuals are Cuban doctors who reside in Guyana, while the third is a woman from Timehri.

Feb 28 Guyana moves closer to EITI membership Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman and a small delegation recently travelled to Lima, Peru, to attend the seventh World Summit of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in an effort to propel the process of Guyana becoming a member of the body.

Presently, Guyana is recruiting its MultiStakeholder Group (MSG) and making preparations for establishing a fully functioning secretariat to advance the work. Guyana has also been receiving guidance and support from the EITI'S Norway-based secretariat and the Trinidad & Tobago Chapter (TTEITI) as to the standards in the regulation of the extractive industries used by the body.

Sherwin Monka called “Yankee” of Albouystown, Georgetown.

According to police, the officer was walking along Robb Street, Georgetown, when he was attacked and relieved of his gold chain. During the robbery, the Police rank drew his firearm and shot the thief to his abdomen. He later succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

McKenzie, Kirk Clarke, Latchman Pratap, Chaitram Dharamdat, Aaron Eastman, Andrew Philander, Randolph Marks, Rohan Teekaran, Hilary Amos, Ashraf Ali, Delroy Williams, Clifton Joseph and Richard Hubbard.

The injured were Oswald Yaw, Collis Collison, Samuel Beaton, Ignatius France, Andel Forde and Marcellus Verbeke.

March 4 17 dead, several injured in fiery prison riot Several hours of unrest within the Georgetown Prisons on Camp Street, left 17 inmates dead and five others injured.

According to reports, the bodies of 15 prisoners were found in the ‘Capital A’ section of the Prison on the morning of the incident. This section, located on the eastern side of the compound on John Street, holds serious crime prisoners, who are on remand and those committed.

Those dead were Randy Paddy, Anthony Primo, Sherwayne Trotman, Jermiane Otto, Rayon Paddy, Shaka

March 13 El Nino cripples rice industry across Guyana The El Nino weather phenomenon has ravaged rice lands across Guyana. Many rice farmers had plunged into fear of bankruptcy for failure of meeting commitments with financial institutions.

The merciless dry spell compounded by high costs of production meshed against record-low prices per bag of paddy, rice farmers were crippled as their crops continued to perish, resulting in massive losses.

March 14 Pensioner found dead in Soesdyke home

The partially decomposed body of pensioner Anthony Breedy, 60, was found in his Lot 76-78 First Hill Soesdyke/ Linden Highway home.

According to reports the dead man’s body bore several marks of violence and his SUV was reported missing.

Guyana Times understands that the man lived alone and was not seen for several days.

It was after a foul stench was detected by neighbours, that the gruesome discovery was made.

March 29 PPP records sweeping victory at LGE Voters turned out in their numbers as Guyana held its first Local Government Elections after 22 years. The Peoples Progressive Party captured 25, 000 more votes than the governing APNU/AFC under the proportional representation (PR) component of the polls.

The PPP gained 123, 564 votes under the PR component of the elections compared to 98,670 for APNU/AFC government.

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April April 5

April 7

Daughters confess to killing father

Court quashes Bulkan selection of Mabaruma Mayor

The biological and adopted daughters of 64-year-old Roger Manikam of Section ‘B’, Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara, whose gagged body was found along the Coldingen Railway Embankment road, confessed to murdering their father because he was a “nuisance” to them.

April 5

Bosai accepts responsibility for Linden oil spill

Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI) has accepted responsibility for a recent oil spill in the Demerara River surrounding its operations in Linden.

April 5

GRA seizes BaiShanLin’s luxury vehicles

The Guyana Revenue Authority seized two luxury vehicles from controversial Chinese logging company BaiShanLin Forest Development Inc, over millions of dollars in duties owed to the Authority.

The vehicles, a Lexus SUV with registration number PRR 2888 and a Nissan minivan with licence plate number PRR 3888, were taken to GRA’s storage bond at Eccles, East Bank Demerara following the seizure executed by officials from GRA’s Customs Department.

The High Court on April 6 quashed the appointment by Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan of a mayor for the new town of Mabaruma, and ordered the holding of fresh elections in those local authority areas.

April 9

Nawbatt sues Govt

Luxury vehicles seized by GRA

Former Guyanese High Commissioner to Canada, Harry Narine Nawbatt, has filed a lawsuit against the Guyana Government seeking damages in excess of $50million over the premature termination of his one-year contract.

the air.

As he attempted to escape, he was confronted by a police patrol. He reportedly opened fire in their direction and then escaped by running through a cross street.

April 10

April 12

Guyanese accepted into eight Ivy League Colleges

Nigel Hughes resigns as chairman of AFC

Guyanese-born Kelly Hyles, 17, achieved a remarkable accomplishment: getting accepted into all eight Ivy League Colleges as well as thirteen other schools.

April 11

Bandits, police in shootout

There was a massive shootout between suspected bandits and police in Albouystown on April 10. Three men were involved in a heated argument along Hunter Street when one of the individuals pulled out a firearm and discharged several rounds in

Attorney Nigel Hughes resigned from his post as Chairman of the Alliance for Change (AFC) after the party released a cutting edge statement calling for State Minister Joseph Harmon’s powers to be reduced.

DDL launches 50-year-old rum

The Demerara Distillers Limited launched their 50-yearold rum in commemoration of Guyana’s 50 independence anniversary.

Another prison riot averted

Another prison riot was averted after members of the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Fire Service were called in to assist in what appeared to be a standoff between prison officers and prisoners at the Camp Street Prison.

April 17

Carifesta Avenue to be renamed Avenue of the Caribbean

Government disclosed that it will be renaming Carifesta Avenue to Avenue of the Caribbean in commemoration of Guyana co-hosting the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government Summit.

April 18

DDL gets whopping $3.8 billion tax write-off

Beverage giant Demerara Distillers Limited’s whopping

$3.8 billion Consumption Tax write-off from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has opened avenues for other companies to seek refunds on taxes paid, ultimately depriving the state of billions of dollars.

Condemning in the strongest possible sense the controversial out-of-court settlement, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed that already there are reports in the private sector of other major companies consulting lawyers about this possibility.

April 21

Govt probes missing US$5M GTT payment

Government announced that it is probing the missing US$5M for owed by a Chinese firm for the sale of Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company. Much contention have arisen over the issue with State Minister Joseph Harmon claiming to have evidence that the payment was made and the PPP holding out that the money is still owed.

April 22

Cocaine found in USbound plywood

Three persons were taken into custody following the discovery of a huge quantity of cocaine stashed in a consignment of 5/8- inch plywood destined for Florida, USA.

April 27

EBD woman charged for threatening President Granger

An East Bank Essequibo woman who allegedly used Facebook to issue threatening and derogatory statements against President David Granger was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Bibi Safoora Salim pleaded not guilty to the charge and was placed on $200,000 bail. The 52-year-old mother of three from Vergenoegen, East Bank, Essequibo, was taken into police custody for questioning following her Facebook post about shooting the president.

April 30

Gunmen invade casino

Five persons were shot after gunmen invaded the Ramada Princess Casino at Providence on the East Bank of Demerara.

According to reports, pandemonium broke out at the gambling facility after four gunmen stormed the casino at about 03:45h and discharged several rounds as they relieved patrons and staff of cash and other valuables.

During the shooting, Eon Garraway was shot to his left hand; James Gregory was hit to the left foot; Orlando Knights received injuries to the left hand, and Udairan Sookraj was shot to his right hand. They were all admitted to a city hospital.

May May 1 Guyana major land transit point for Cubans heading to US Guyana along with other South American countries are major transit ports for Cubans refuges seeking access to the United States overland, as opposed to the more severe water route they traditionally use.

This is according to NBC Nightly News where an investigative piece highlighted that there is a new migrant crisis unfolding in America where thousands of undocumented Cubans are now stranded on a gruelling journey they hope would end in the US. May 2 Stabroek Square Restoration Vendors accuse APNU/AFC of abandoning elections promise Despite opposition from vendors, who ply their trade in the historic Stabroek Market Square, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) moved in and dismantled some 130 stalls, some of which were at that location for almost 30 years.

The council had informed the vendors that they would be required to move and even set up a “temporary” location south of Parliament Buildings on Hadfield Street.

Some vendors reluctantly moved their merchandise prior to the exercise, while a few refused to move, expressing that the move by the M&CC shows that the government has abandon its elections promised of creating a better life for them.

May 2 Harmon urges Guyanese in the diaspora to return home State Minister Joseph Harmon sounded a call for Guyanese in the diaspora to return home to play a major

part in the development of the country.

He was at the time delivering the feature address to a large gathering on Saturday at the Signature Grand in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, during Guyana’s 50th Independence Gala.

Harmon urged those in the diaspora to return home to take part in the festivities and contribute to the country’s development under A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) rule.

May 4 Private Sector shoots down renaming of Ogle Int’l Airport The Private Sector Commission (PSC) joined the condemnation against President David Granger over his recommendation that the Ogle International Airport be renamed, and hopes that it reconsiders the proposal in face of competition concerns raised by most operators.

A proposal by the Head of State to rename the airport after Guyana’s first Public Transport Minister, Eugene Correia, faced resistance, with the PSC being the latest to speak on the issue.

May 5 AML/CFT Bill passed in Parliament Govt ignores Opposition’s “rushing” concerns After nearly two hours of exchanges in the National Assembly, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition rejected the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition’s request to “reason” and went ahead to pass the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT) (Amendment) Bill 2016.

The passage of the Bill came in light of a motion put forward by Opposition Chief

Whip Gail Teixeira to have the piece of legislation reviewed by a Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) before passage. However, government used its parliamentary oneseat majority to turn down the motion, thus, allowing the Bill to be read for the second and third time before being passed as printed.

May 8 High crime rate President says govt “doing its best” to tackle situation In light of the recent spate of crimes in Guyana, President David Granger said crime is actually on the decline but the media frenzy is making it appear

fighters to contain the blaze, the fire quickly engulfed the building as the glass shutters shattered.

Employees broke down in tears as fire fighters’ efforts were overpowered by the flames.

May 12 New UG Chancellor installed The University of Guyana (UG) is set to achieve a greater level of resonance following the installation of its ninth Chancellor, renowned educator, Dr Eon Nigel Harris.

The George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT), of the Turkeyen Campus, was home to pomp and ceremony when President David Granger, ministers of

the government, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of other local, regional and international institutions gathered to witness the inauguration of Professor Harris, whom colleagues said has a remarkable record of service as a researcher, administrator and an accomplished university leader.

May 16 One year on The highs, lows of the APNU/AFC in office On May 11, 2015, Guyanese went to the polls to elect a new government for the next five years. The elections were seen as historic as, for the first time in 23 years, there was a change of government. The change of government brought with it high expectations, since the coalition on the campaign trail promised, “A better life for all”.

One year after David Granger was sworn in as President Guyana Times takes a look at the coalition’s performance during its first year in office.

The government, mere days after it was elected, in partnership with “private contractors”, commenced a massive clean-up and restoration of Georgetown.

While the clean-up at that time was ahead of the planned inauguration of the President and his Cabinet, it was extended and is continuing.

The government fulfilled several of the 21 promises made for completion within 100 days.

May 14 Lazy public servants to receive lazy person’s salary – Granger President David Granger warned persons working in the

May 20 UG staff threatens industrial action over salary increase Just a few days after the installation of its ninth

The Gafoors Complex at Houston on fire

otherwise.

The Guyanese Head of State pointed out that contrary to the media frenzy, the country’s current crime situation is not in such a bad state as is being portrayed.

May 10 Fire guts Gafoors Houston Shopping complex The popular Gafoors Shopping Complex located at Houston, East Bank Demerara went up in flames about 15:00h in Bond Number Three, which contained fishing equipment.

Despite attempts by fire

public sector against developing traits and practices that could prevent them from rising to the challenge and performing exceptionally, maintaining that “if they want to be lazy, they will get a lazy person’s remuneration.”

It was after the Head of State received the long awaited final report of the investigation into the public service at the Ministry of the Presidency (MoP), that he made the comments. He referred to the inquiry as a “landmark study”.

chancellor, the University of Guyana (UG) is again facing challenges, as the university’s academic and non-academic staff have threatened a series of industrial action if the administration does not concede to their demands for a salary increase.

May 23 Babita Sarjou disappearance Police believe skeletal remains could be missing Sarjou’s More than five years after her disappearance, police say they have made a quantum leap and may finally be able to solve the mysterious case of former BK International employee Babita Sarjou, as they unearthed skeletal remains, believed to be that of the woman, at the residence of her former husband.

May 27 Thousands thrilled at patriotic Flag Raising Ceremony Thousands of Guyanese showed their patriotism as they turned out to witness a once in lifetime moment as the national flag, the Golden Arrowhead, was hoisted at Durban Park to commemorate Guyana’s 50th Independence.

May 31 Venezuelan soldiers open fire on GGMC officials Three mining officers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) came under fire from the National Bolivarian Armed Forces while travelling in a boat in the Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), Guyana Defence Force Chief of Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips confirmed.

Brigadier Phillips said the incident occurred while his troops stationed at Eteringbang were conducting investigations.

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June June 1 UG student loan audit Former PNCR Leader Corbin, magistrates, prominent lawyers among defaulters Former leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and once Deputy Prime Minister, Robert Corbin is among a sample list of some 488 persons who are said to be “delinquent”, having failed to repay their Student Loan taken from the University of Guyana (UG), a recent Forensic Audit into the Finance Ministry’s UG Student Loan Agency has revealed.

The audit, which covered the period December 2011 to May 2015, stated that Robert Herman Orlando Corbin, whose student ID was 94/0850/7845, still owe the agency $1,048,201 as at May 11, 2015.

Former A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) and prominent Attorney James Anthony Bond is also listed as delinquent, still having an outstanding balance of $400,191 for the agency.

June 2 US-based Guyanese killed in New York A 16-year-old girl was shot dead by her boyfriend while babysitting her cousin at their Brooklyn, New York apartment.

Dead is Shemel Mercurius who moved to the United States four years ago and stayed at the family’s East Flatbush apartment.

The teen was watching over her three-year-old cousin when gunfire rang out, hitting her several times.

Persons who heard the gunshots rushed to the scene only to find the teenager in a semi-conscious state. She was picked up and rushed to the Kings County Hospital where she died while receiving medical attention. The threeyear-old was unharmed, Police stated.

Police also confirmed that the teenager was shot by her 19-year-old boyfriend to the back and leg.

June 3 CPG member hacks wife to death, injures her cousin A 13 year abusive marriage ended tragically after a member of a Community Policing Group hacked his wife to death

June 19 Father of two electrocuted A poultry farmer was on Saturday morning electrocuted a short distance from his Garden of Eden home while pumping water into several tanks leading to his chicken pens.

Dead is Majayid Muhammed of Lot 50 Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara (EBD). He was found dead by his father-in-law. This newspaper was told that the 30-year-old man was found in a trench with the electrical cable in his hands.

while injuring her cousin at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

Candacy Pitt, 31, also called “Cindy” of Chelsea Park, Mahaica, ECD, was chopped several times to the body by her husband, Althone Pitt, 41, who subsequently surrendered to police at the Mahaica Police Station with the murder weapon in his possession.

Pitt died on the spot while her cousin, Brenda Thomas, 54, who was also chopped twice by the attacker, was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

June 8 Ramayya chased out of NA Hospital compound Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Dr Veerasammy Ramayya was ordered out of the compound of the New Amsterdam Hospital, by the institution’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Colin Bynoe.

Ramayya reportedly went to the hospital to investigate reports that one of the operating theatres was out of order.

He was seen entering the office of the CEO for a closed-door meeting.

However, moments later, staff reported seeing the REO exiting the office with Bynoe behind him shouting that he, Bynoe, was the CEO of the hospital.

June 9 Cocaine in frozen fish found at CJIA Ten persons were taken into police custody after a quantity of cocaine was unearthed in frozen fish at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

According to reports, members of the police narcotic branch intercepted more than six kilograms of cocaine in several boxes. The boxes were found among other cargo during a routine check by police.

June 10 Ten year-old collapses, dies at school An Industry, East Coast Demerara (ECD) family was plunged into mourning after their 10-year-old son mysteriously collapsed in school and died.

Dead is Yogindra Persaud, called “Shawn”, a Grade Four student of Grahams Hall Primary School, in

Cocaine in frozen fish found at CJIA

Cummings Lodge, ECD. According to reports the lad was in his classroom eating a snack when he collapsed.

June 15 More than one thousand pounds of marijuana unearthed in container at wharf A routine check by local law enforcement agents on a container on the John Fernandes Limited Wharf resulted in the discovering of over one thousand pounds of compressed marijuana.

This was confirmed by Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unity (CANU) James Singh, who said that the narcotic amounted to 1,276 pounds and was found in a container that arrived in Guyana since mid-May on the vessel MV Fouma.

June 17 CJIA threatens to ban CAL flights over breach of duty free pact Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has been given an ultimatum of 21 days to restore an agreement it had entered with the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) regarding passengers who purchase at the Duty Free Shop in Guyana, or have its flights to the airport discontinued.

This decision was made by management of CJIA after the Trinidadbased airline failed to honour an agreement made at a previous meeting, which stated that airline passengers would be allowed to travel to their final destinations with their purchases from the Timehri airport’s Duty Free shop.

June 23 Soesdyke triple murder Father to spend life in prison Five years after John Blanchard hacked three children to death in their Ivan Street, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara home, he pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the chance of parole after serving 30 years.

The sentence was handed down by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow in the High Court.

A tearful Blanchard told the Court that “he didn’t know what got into him” when he committed the murders.

June 24 Parking meter project President calls for greater transparency Ahead of his address to the councillors of the Georgetown municipality, President David Granger has called for greater transparency to prevail in relation to the highly-controversial parking meter project which, according to some city councillors, is shrouded in secrecy.

The president also expressed concerns with the proposed rates for parking being too burdensome on citizens.

State Minister Joseph Harmon disclosed that in light of mounting concerns over the initiative, Cabinet ordered that the contract between the Town Council and National Parking Systems/Smart City Solutions (NPS/SCS) Inc be reviewed by the Finance Ministry and Attorney General’s Chambers.

June 25 Sisters killed by falling tree in Region 7 Two sisters were killed after they

were crushed by a falling tree at Kamarang Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Dead are Sylva Thomas, 16, and three-year-old Kerryana Williams.

Based on reports, a miner was cutting trees in the area for materials for the village council for a football tournament when the tree crashed on the teenager, who was carrying her sister on her back.

Both girls died on the spot.

June 27 Teen burnt to death in De Willem fire A fire of unknown origin claimed the life for a young man who was sleeping as it ravaged his uncle's home, burning it to the ground.

Satesh Jagmohan, 19, aka James, of area 'J' De Willem, West Coast Demerara, had been out drinking with friends at a nightspot a few villages from his residence.

He returned to his parent's home just before 23:00h, had dinner, and then went to his uncle's residence two yards away to spend the night.

According to a relative, the young man's uncle was "away" and Satesh was tasked with sleeping at the residence to "care take" it until his uncle returned home.

June 30 Dog escapes with dead infant from Diamond Hospital Abandoned moments after his unfortunate death, the body of a premature baby was tragically dragged out of a public hospital and dismembered by a stray dog.

The day was supposed to be a special moment for the expecting mother who was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) to deliver her baby.

The woman gave birth to a feeble infant, severely underweight at just 22 weeks.

Due to the premature birth, the baby succumbed to organ failure just minutes after being born. Health authorities who spoke to Guyana Times alleged that the distraught mother wanted nothing to do with the dead child and told hospital staff to take care of his disposal.

July July 1

ExxonMobil confirms “world-class” oil discovery

Oil giant ExxonMobil announced a “world-class discovery” of between the equivalent of 800 million and 1.4 billion barrels of oil, following the drilling of the Liza-2 well in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. The discovery is the company’s second exploration offshore Guyana; the first was made in May 2015.

SOCU probes PS for alleged financial crimes Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP), Omar Shariff, has been sent on leave by Minister of State Joseph Harmon after he was arrested by ranks from the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

Reports also indicated that SOCU also visited the permanent secretary’s home and removed documents and a safe. Government officials said that from initial reports, Shariff allegedly had billions of dollars in a number of accounts at local banks.

Guyana off TIP watch list After years of being accused of not doing enough in the fight against Trafficking in Persons, Guyana was moved from a Tier 2 Watch List to just Tier Two in the United States latest TIP

report.

Linden Highway communities to get potable water for first time About 1,000 residents residing on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway will receive potable water, under a programme being executed by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

This is the first time that these communities would receive potable water.

July 2 Alleged drug-crazed man hacks wife, son to death A Best Squatting Area man ran amok around 04.00 hrs, butchering his wife and twoyear-old son, and hacking off his own mother’s arm at the family’s West Coast Demerara home.

Suresh Ganesh attacked his wife, Vanessa Sookram, 34, almost severing her neck and reportedly chopping off some of her fingers. He also turned his cutlass on his two-year-old son, Joel Ganesh. The child died from wounds to the stomach and hands.

Suresh Ganesh also did not spare his own mother, chopping off her arm.

Days later, Ganesh was charged with murder.

July 2 Guyana welcomes Canada’s support on Venezuela border controversy

President David Granger extended Guyana’s gratitude to the government and people of Canada for the firm support that country has shown in the face of the ongoing Guyana/Venezuela border controversy; even as he committed to ensuring the bilateral ties between the two countries remain strong.

July 3 Animation network launched in Guyana The Guyana Animation Network (GAN) was officially launched locally.

GAN is a network established to use it resources to create and provide access to opportunities for persons within Guyana’s artistic, creative and technological communities; to develop the requisite skills, with their talents and to service the Caribbean Animation Industry.

July 4 Global Fund fraud under police investigation – Health Minister Police have now taken over the investigation into the multimillion-dollar fraud in its malaria programme in Guyana discovered by international organisation Global Fund.

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton said that given the gravity of the situation, the matter was handed over to the police to conduct a deeper investigation, with the aim

of finding those culpable and bringing charges before them.

July 4 Caricom HoG Summit opens A number of issues have been placed high on the agenda for the Caricom Heads of Government (HoG) meeting.

The regional body will meet for its 37th Regular Meeting on July 4-6, 2016, in Georgetown, Guyana, at the Guyana Pegasus Hotel.

Among the issues to be discussed are the threats posed by international banks limiting or terminating their relationships with regional financial institutions, and the yet-to-be-determined implications of the British decision to leave the European Union (EU), a key partner in the Community’s development.

July 5 Guyanese man shoots girlfriend, turns gun on self in Brooklyn A father of four and his 23-year-old girlfriend were found dead with gunshot wounds to their bodies in their Brooklyn, New York home. The police are treating the incident as a murder-suicide.

US law enforcement officers believe that Christopher Pickering, 37, shot Elizabeth Thompkins in the head, in their Central Avenue home near Hancock Street in Bushwick, and then turned the gun on himself.

City Council has no financial accountability – Goolsarran With a decade-long gap of no public presentation of its financial position, the City Council has proven to have no financial accountability, former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran stated as he called for an immediate in-depth audit into the Council.

Essequibo Coast.

Attending the launch was General Secretary of the Party, Clement Rohee, along with the Party’s Regional Executive Committee members.

Participants in the training were drawn from various Party groups: the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) and the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) across the Region.

Shooting at GGMC officers Matter will not be brushed under carpet – Greenidge With Venezuela steadfastly denying the shooting incident in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge has made it clear that the government of Guyana would not allow the issue to be brushed under the carpet.

During an interview with Guyana Times, Greenidge disclosed that though the situation was seemingly at a deadlock, with both sides maintaining a different position, the Guyana government would ensure that the matter gained as much international attention as possible.

July 6 PPP launches Accabre College of Political and Social Sciences The People’s Progressive Party has launched its Accabre College of Political and Social Sciences in Anna Regina,

July 6 Private schools dominate NGSA top spots After a long delay, the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results were finally revealed during a news conference where the top one per cent of performers was announced.

The results were read live at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) by Chief Education Officer (CEO) Olato Sam who pointed out that private schools dominated the top five spots. The top position was shared by Anthony Ferreira of Mae’s Under 12 and Aryan Singh of Dharmic Rama Krishna, both private schools, with a score of 568 marks.

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school, gained the fourth spot with 563 marks. Arun Sooknarine of Dharmic Rama Krishna rounded out the top five with 562 marks.

July 7 Bank of America severs ties with Guyana The Bank of America has ended its relationship with “indigenous banks” in Guyana.

Foreign banks, particularly those in the United States, continue to sever ties with financial institutions in the Caribbean over money laundering concerns.

Guyana Times understands that the Bank of America sent a notice indicating that it was severing its corresponding relationship with “indigenous banks” in Guyana.

Jagdeo condemns removal of tax waiver on manufacturing inputs Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo criticised the government’s move to remove the tax waiver on inputs previously enjoyed by the local manufacturing sector.

“The government has gone completely insane,” Jagdeo declared in a statement. He suggested that this was a desperate measure to bolster dwindling tax revenues.

The former president asserted that the government appeared to be ill-advised on policy matters.

Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territory Caricom supports juridical settlement Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government have again taken a tough position as it stands in support of a juridical settlement for a peaceful resolution of Venezuela’s claim on Guyana’s territory. Caricom in supporting a juridical settlement via the office of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, acknowledged in its communiqué, which was issued at the close of the Heads of Government meeting, that a resolution would not only serve the interests of Guyana but also Caricom, as this is a regional issue.

July 8 Gunman killed, several arrested after Alpha Hotel shootout One man suspected to be a known criminal was fatally shot during an exchange of gunfire between police and criminals at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

Dead is 51-year-old Nigel Joseph of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

Caricom to lobby US govt over banks withdrawal A decision coming out of the 37th Caricom Heads of Government Meeting held in Guyana, regional Leaders was made to lobby the United States government to intervene and stop its country’s banks, which have been ending corresponding relations with indigenous banks in the Caribbean over money laundering concerns.

GuySuCo restructuring LBI operations to shut down – CEO The remaining operations at the La Bonne Intention (LBI) sugar estate, on the East Coast of Demerara, will grind to a halt, possibly putting hundreds of

employees on the breadline.

Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Errol Hanoman told Guyana Times during an interview that the LBI Estate will be fully closed and the relevant operations merged with that at the Enmore Estate, also on the East Coast of Demerara.

July 9 Thieves cart off GuySuCo payroll Thieves carried out a brazen robbery on a female employee attached to GuySuCo, relieving her of $1.5 million. The incident took place near the Ruimveldt, Georgetown public road.

According to information the employee was being escorted by a security guard in a vehicle which was intercepted by the armed men.

July 10 Police to reopen cases of 3 highprofile murders – Crime Chief Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum announced that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will be reopening the cases of three high-profile killings that occurred in Guyana, one dating as far back as 1993.

The unsolved murders of Monica Reece, 23, in 1993, Sheema Mangar, 21, in 2010 and Trevor Rose, 32, in 2014 have been added to a list of soon to be reopened investigations.

Blanhum told the media that there are several cases which will be revisited but the Sheema Mangar murder will be placed on the front burner.

July 11 16-year-old commits suicide Merissa Singh, 16, of Number 2 Village, East Canje, Berbice, allegedly took her life by overdosing on pressure pills. The lifeless body of the young student of JC Chandisingh Secondary School, Port Mourant, East Berbice, Corentyne, was discovered by a family friend who was asked to open the teen’s bedroom door at the behest of the girl’s grandmother after she noticed the girl missing for a long time.

July 11 Britain’s biggest drug bust Men found guilty of smuggling £512M worth cocaine into Scotland CANU, GPF praised by British High Commissioner The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the Guyana Police Force have come in for much praise from the British High Commissioner to Guyana, for their efforts in the successful investigation into the United Kingdom’s biggest cocaine drug bust.

July 12 Veteran engineer Walter Willis dies Technical Engineer for the Public Infrastructure Ministry Walter Willis died at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital. Willis was admitted to the hospital following a reported heart attack and was placed on lifesupport but later succumbed.

July 13 Guyana’s retail electricity prices among highest in the Region – IMF Citing that Guyana depends heavily on imported oil for its power needs, a country report on Guyana produced by the International Monetary fund (IMF) proposed that an oildependent power generation is

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Exxon drilling ship Stena Carron

not the best way to go.

Pouderoyen businessman shot during robbery Police investigators have managed to arrest one person while the hunt is one for another, following the shooting of a West Bank Demerara (WBD) businessman during a robbery. According to reports two armed men barged into the businessman’s Pouderoyen, WBD home and terrorised the family. During the ordeal, Prakash Seegobin, also known as “Jai”, was shot to his leg.

New HIV infections in Caribbean rise by 9 per cent The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is now warning that after a major reduction of the Human Immunodeficiency V i r u s / A c q u i r e d Immunodeficiency Syndrome worldwide (HIV/AIDS), the HIV infection in adults is on the rise.

According to a UNAIDS report, “after years of steady decline, the Caribbean saw a nine per cent rise in annual new HIV infections among adults between 2010 and 2015”. This is as a result of the medical drug for the disease not working as effectively as in the past. The report reveals that in some regions globally, the infection is currently on the rise.

July 14 Government sidelines local contractors Hundreds of Guyanese will be denied job opportunities if government seals the deal with a group of Surinamesebased investors to construct low income and medium-income houses at the Perseverance Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara (ECD), according to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. Jagdeo accused A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change of sidelining local contractors for a group of Chinese investors for the undertaking; a move he said they would have complained bitterly against if they were not in government.

Armed men nabbed after robbing Bourda Market vendors Police in A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) have arrested two men who were nabbed near Bourda Market in Lacytown, Georgetown, after robbing two vendors of some $500,000 cash.

Petroleum engineering programme to be introduced at UG In wake of a massive oil find in Guyana, the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, will soon UG be offering a Petroleum Engineering course in collaboration with the University of Guyana, Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine has disclosed.

July 15

48-year-old takes his life after marriage fails The body of Mohanlall Udairaj, 48, was found hanging inside his bedroom by his sister-in-law and nephew who had visited the home. The neighbours had become worried after the man’s wife of 16 years allegedly ended the relationship with him some four months ago, taking away his two daughters and her daughter whom he had also raised.

July 16 GPSU lashes out at GRA Chairman for staff dismissals Chairman of the governing board of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rawle Lucas has come under fire from the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), for his decision to fire two senior officers of the tax body.

July 17 Rule of law under threat in Guyana – Jagdeo Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo’s said that the rule of law in Guyana was under threat, and has urged

the international community to pay close attention to recent developments.

In a strongly-worded statement, Jagdeo’s office singled out declarations made and actions taken by the Head of the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU), Dr Clive Thomas, whom, it said, is openly hostile to the PPP, and who “politically directed” interference in the operations of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), both of which are aimed at witch-hunting members of the parliamentary opposition and the leaders of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Police promote 187 ranks As part of its 177th Anniversary celebrations, the Guyana Police Force has promoted some 187 policemen and women to a higher rank.

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud promoted ranks of the Regular Force, Special Constabulary, Guystac and Rural Constabulary in recognition of their hard work and dedication to the job and the people of Guyana. The promotions will take effect from July 16.

July 18 Mocha access road gets long-awaited street lights The Mocha/Arcadia community and frequent commuters are happy that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has fulfilled its promise to install street lights along the Mocha Access Road, East Bank Demerara.

July 19 GRA gets new Commissioner General The Board of the Guyana

Revenue Authority (GRA) confirmed that public accountant and Attorney-atLaw Godfrey Statia is the new Commissioner General of the tax body. Chairman of the Board, Rawle Lucas told Guyana Times that the Board had decided on the appointment.

Lucas replaces longstanding Commissioner Khurshid Sattaur, who was sacked from the position in January 2016.

July 19 Guyana’s population stands at 746,955 − census report The Bureau of Statistics announced its publications of compendiums one and two of a four-part compendium series detailing the findings of the 2012 Census. According to the Bureau, the findings of the 2012 Census highlighted a continued proportionate decline in the populations of the main ethnic groups and a compensatory increase among the mixed-races and indigenous populations.

The final population count stands at “746,955”.

July 20 Guyana’s telecoms sector liberalized …Minister gets ‘sweeping’ power – Ali After hours of heated debate, the government passed the Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill 2016, despite pleas from the Opposition that certain sections of the Bill needed to be reviewed.

Opposition Member of Parliament Irfaan Ali argued that the Bill was moving the monopoly from a company straight into the hands of the minister.

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The policemen on robbery charges

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September Sept 2 GPSU rejects 10 per cent ‘final offer’ The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) had rejected government’s final offer of a 10 per cent – one per cent differentiated salary increase for public servants – and called on the administration to return to the bargaining table.

The decision came by way of a resolution of the GPSU’s General Council Meeting.

However, President Granger, at a different forum, had said that government’s offer to pay a 10 per cent salary increase to public servants earning less than $99,000 is all his administration could afford at the time.

Sept 3 Toshao Council calls for increased subvention Chairman of the National Toshao Council (NTC) Joel Fredericks has called on the government to increase the budget of the council so that it will be in a better position to fulfil its mandate to the indigenous people.

Fredericks stated that the council has been receiving a subvention but it is insufficient and it would like to see an increase in its budget so that they can function effectively.

Sept 4 Stop pestering public, asking for bribes – Ramnarine warns … urges ranks to have better relations with media Ranks of the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department and Anti-crime Patrols got a rude awakening from Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine as he addressed the no-nonsensical approach the force has adopted in treating with corrupt practices.

Speaking to a gathering of mainly junior officers at the Officer’s Mess Annex, Eve Leary, Ramnarine pointed out that a true Police officer is one who enjoys his work, interacts with the public, and understands his law enforcement role as well as

social service.

He reminded that the role of a Police officer is to serve but not serve at a price; hence, he finds it ridiculous and embarrassing that corruption is widespread among junior officers.

Sept 5 Cash-strapped GuySuCo sells more land The cash-strapped Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is gearing up to dispose of more of its transported lands, in a bid to secure cash for its operations.

The Sugar Corporation has advertised for sale several acres of land, inclusive of vacant properties at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where the entity houses its headquarters.

In inviting bids, GuySuCo said it was looking to sell portions of its transported freehold lands situated at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, Liliendaal and Ogle ECD. Sept 6 CEO removes NCN anchor for “pregnant” image The National Communications Network (NCN) has rejected outright media reports that it has been meddling in the personal affairs of two of its female staff that have recently been making headlines at the Staterun entity.

The organisation came under fire after word got out that it had removed Natasha Smith, one of its longstanding anchors, from reading the news because she was pregnant out of wedlock; a claim the entity has since denied.

Sept 8 Govt seizes BaiShanLin forestry concessions The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has repossessed concessions currently being held by BaiShanLin International Forest Development Inc (BIFDI), since it has continued

to fail to produce its proposed investor or a clear plan on how it intended to pay off an $80 million debt owed to the State.

Sept 17 NIS gets $5.6B ‘lifeline’ as govt pays off CLICO debt The cash-strapped National Insurance Scheme (NIS) was handed a 20-year ‘lifeline’ when government inked an agreement to hand over

payable in January 2017.

Sept 21 Jagdeo addresses global issues at Clinton initiative’s annual meeting Upon the invitation of former US President Bill Clinton, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo travelled to the United States to deliver a keynote address at the 12th Clinton Global Initiative’s

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo shares a light moment with former US President Bill Clinton at the 12th Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting

almost $6 billion; monies NIS would have invested in the Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited (CLICO) – an investment that became impaired when CLICO (Guyana) was ordered liquidated back in 2009.

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan inked the Debenture agreement in the presence of NIS General Manager, Doreen Nelson, CLICO Liquidator, Bank of Guyana Governor Dr Gobin Ganga and the Finance Ministry’s Debt Management Director Donna Yearwood, among a host of other stakeholders.

The ceremony was held at the Finance Ministry, Main Street, Georgetown and would see the monies being repaid to NIS over a 20-year period, with the first tranche of just over $317 million to be made

Annual Meeting.

The event addresses a series of global issues, including how the international community can build from last year’s historic Paris Climate Agreement.

President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation have been highly supportive of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), with a team from the Clinton Foundation working with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Office of the President during Jagdeo’s presidency.

striking oil here recently, has been fined a whopping US$74 billion for underpaying royalties in the central African nation of Chad, where the company has been drilling for 15 years.

According to international reports on the mega fine by Chad courts, the amount is about five times more than that country’s Gross Domestic

Oct 15 Lotto Funds used on D’Urban Park without Parliament approval The Ministry of the Presidency utilised millions of dollars in revenues it earned from the Guyana Lottery Fund for the building the D’Urban Park, Georgetown, without Parliamentary approval; and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) collected $2 billion on behalf of Government but only turned over half that amount to the Treasury.

These were among some of the pertinent findings of the Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, as he audited the accounts for the first year of the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government.

Sept 25 Van West-Charles powers subservient to Board Managing Director of the Guyana Water Incorporated Inc (GWI), Dr Richard Van WestCharles, has been informed in no uncertain terms that

his powers are subservient to that of the collective Board of Directors led by its Chairman.

The position was made clear in a legal opinion sought by the GWI Managing Director, as he attempted to usurp the powers of the Board of Directors.

Sept 26 Investor incentives should be reviewed – Gaskin Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin is of the view that incentives offered to investors in Guyana should be reviewed at least annually.

The minister was responding to questions from journalists when he appeared at the Alliance for Change (AFC) biweekly press conference.

When questioned about government’s real plan on incentives for investors bringing their businesses here, especially in light of recent pronouncements by Finance Minister Winston Jordan that those incentives would be reduced, Minister Gaskins said it was his opinion that the incentives should be reviewed.

Sept 28 Dataram jailed for 5 years, fined $1614M Barry Dataram was on Tuesday September 28, 2016 sentenced to 60 months (five years) in jail and fined $164,268,000 after he was found guilty in absentia for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

His five co-accused, including his reputed wife, were all freed of the charges.

The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Judy Latchman in Dataram’s absence, since he and his wife had reportedly fled the jurisdiction to neighbouring Suriname.

Initially, Dataram, of Lot 13 Vriesland, West Bank Demerara, his reputed wife, Anjanie Boodnarine, 19, of 79 Patentia, Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara; Komal

Charran, 20, of 265 Belle West, West Bank Demerara; and Trevor Gouveia of Best Village, West Coast Demerara, had all pleaded not guilty to the drug trafficking charge.

Sept 29 Govt gears for massive housing project for State employees The Government of Guyana, through the Communities Ministry, is gearing to develop several hundred acres of land for housing, including the building of homes and apartment buildings for State employees.

The slated developmental works are scheduled to be undertaken through a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.

According to an advertisement in the Stateowned newspaper, the government will be embarking on several projects emanating from its strategic objectives as it relates to housing for lowincome and State employees.

Sept 30

2015 Auditor General’s Report

APNU/AFC govt continues abuse of Contingency Fund The 2015 Auditor General’s Report highlighted continued abuse of the Contingency Fund by the APNU/AFC coalition which took office in May 2015.

The APNU/AFC while in Opposition, had complained bitterly about similar acts by the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration.

A senior functionary within the Audit Office, who has access to the audit information, told Guyana Times that there are a series of abuses of the Contingency Fund by the APNU/AFC administration during 2015, the Fiscal year under review. The source said the abuse continued into 2016, pointing to the single-sourcing of the controversial Sussex Street Drug Bond as a prime example.

October Oct 1 UG increases tuition by 5 per cent The University Of Guyana (UG) announced that it has increased tuition fees for the academic year 2016/2017 by some five per cent, a move that it said will also continue the following academic year.

The announcement, which was made to students via emails, has created some frenzy, particularly on social media.

Oct 5 Local companies should be given priority – former PSC President Local contractors and companies should be given priority when contracts are being awarded, instead of being stymied by foreign investors, former Private Sector Commission (PSC) President Ramesh Dookhoo says.

Dookhoo stated that the PSC was concerned that contracts were being awarded to foreign companies,

while local investors were being sidelined and so the Commission was lobbying for more local content to be placed in contracts of foreign contractors.

Oct 9 ExxonMobil fined US$74B for underpaying royalties in Africa ExxonMobil Corp, the

Barry Dataram and his reputed wife Anjanie Boodnarine

company which is currently intensifying exploration activities in Guyana after

Product, which the World Bank estimates at US$13 billion.

Oct 16 Dataram, wife extradited to Guyana One day after self-confessed

drug lord Barry Dataram and his reputed wife Anjanie Boodnarine were arrested in Suriname, they were handed over to Guyana’s premiere drug enforcement unit, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and members of the Guyana Police Force.

Head of CANU, James Singh and ranks of the SWAT team travelled to Moleson Creek, Berbice, where the duo was handed over by Surinamese officials. Upon his arrival in Georgetown, Dataram was immediately thrown into the Camp Street penitentiary while his reputed wife remains in Police custody.

Oct 29 Special prosecution team to go after defaulters – Govt Government has announced that it will be moving to establish a team of prosecutors that will lead a case against members of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) who were found to be culpable in two forensic audits.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the reports of the audits, on the operations of the Guyana Cricket World Cup Inc and the Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara, Housing Project also known as “Pradoville 2” were recently presented to Cabinet by Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

Oct 30 Norton wants independent probe into country’s procurement system Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton wants Government to establish as soon as possible a team of competent persons to launch a full-fledged investigation into the country’s procurement system in light of a number malpractices and corruption allegations surrounding the process.

The minister submitted the proposal at the last Cabinet meeting and the matter is now with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.

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November Nov 3 Fraud charges against Carvil Duncan dismissed A city Magistrate dismissed a fraud charge against Carvil Duncan, a trade unionist and former member of the Board of Directors of the State-run Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. Duncan was facing a charge which stated that on March 31, 2015 at Georgetown, he stole $984,900, property of GPL. Nov 3 Man decapitates neighbour A man was arrested after he almost decapitating his neighbour at Belvedere, Corentyne.

Dead is Bhumattie Delall, 53, of 351 Fifth Street, South Belvedere.

Reports are that Delall was in her yard, when her neighbour, a cane harvester, armed with a cutlass, went into the yard and dealt her several chops to her neck, almost severing it.

Nov 4 Govt claims licensed firearm holders renting guns to criminals Government is worried that private firearm holders may be renting weapons to criminals and will therefore be clamping down on the issuance of gun licences to civilians. This is according to President David Granger, who indicated that private citizens should depend on the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for protection. Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud subsequently disclosed that investigations have been launched into an incident where a popular security firm has been renting firearms to criminals.

Nov 9 PPP General Secretary home robbed Three gunmen executed a daring robbery on the home of former Home Affairs Minister, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee at his Eccles, East Bank Demerara residence. A woman was arrested in connection with the robbery.

It was reported that the woman rented her motorcar to the three suspects who carried out the brazen daylight robbery. One week after she was charged, a second suspect surrendered to the police.

A man was subsequently charged for the robbery. Dellon Wills, 28, of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

Nov 5 Govt hijacks PPP day in Parliament Government on hijacked the business of the political opposition when it opted to instead move a motion to debate the contents of the speech given by Head of State, David Granger when he addressed the House on October 13, 2016. The session of the House was slated to deal with three motions tabled by the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) in relation to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the Public Service and the Parking Meter and Durban Park Projects but this did not obtain since Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, agreed to allow Government to move its motion.

Nov 12 Govt deploys joint services over “security threat” One day after Head of State, President David Granger sounded an alarm that the recent uptick in criminal activities is in fact a part of a coordinated effort to embarrass the Government and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the administration says it has received credible information related to a potential domestic security threat and responded with a massive security crackdown by deploying the joint services on the streets for a few days. Government claimed there was a domestic security threat.

Nov 6 Speaker evicts Nandlall from House Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland evicted former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, from the Chambers of the House, bringing an end to the Opposition participation in a rancorous, marathon debate related to the President’s speech to Parliament in October last. But nandlall has since asserted that the House Speaker’s role is to maintain order in the proceedings of the National Assembly with a view to facilitate and encourage debate, not curtail and frustrate such discussions. He accused the speaker of abusing his powers and violating the constitution.

Nov 14 Police in high speed chase After almost an hour of chasing a suspicious car with fake registration plates, the Police took three men, including an ex-Guyana Police Force (GPF) officer, into custody on November 14. Reports are Police ranks observed a heavily tinted motorcar with a suspected fake number plate on Regent Street, Georgetown and approached it.

However, upon recognising the Police, the occupants of the motor car drove away and the ranks gave chase. After driving through several streets in Georgetown, the driver of the tinted vehicle lost control and ended up in a ditch.

Nov 6 GWI Chief Internal Auditor sacked The Chief Internal Auditor of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has been fired three months after he was appointed to the post, and the decision was presumably taken after the Chief Internal Auditor attempted to investigate a senior official at the entity.

held from 1985 to 1992.

Both Green and the Government defended that Bill, saying nothing is extravagant about it.

Nov 8 Nizam Hassan faces fraud charges The plethora of forensic audits that had been ordered by Head of State, President David Granger, has claimed its first victim, Nizam Hassan, former General Manager of the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) who was slapped with fraudrelated charges.

Hassan, who currently holds the portfolio of General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board, and a female co-accused, Felicia De’Souza-Madramootoo, 34, were charged with intent to defraud together with three others by continuously approving payments for substandard and faulty works during the rehabilitation of the Guyana Marketing Corporation building at Robb and Alexander Streets, Georgetown.

Nov 15 Lovers hack each other to death A rocky relationship ended bloody after a wife stabbed her reputed husband about his body and he in retaliation hacked her to death. He subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

Nov 22 Norton sent to privileges committee Public Health Minister Dr George Norton has been committed to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges for misleading the National Assembly in August when he was grilled by Opposition members over a contract that had been inked with Linden Holding Inc for the storage of drugs and medical supplies.

Nov 23 Durban Park scandal

Celbert 'Chi-Chi' Reece was sentenced to 460 years in prison

Nov 16 Jagdeo raps Dharamlall over attacks on president Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo reprimanded People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Nigel Dharamlall over his derisive attacks on President David Granger and issued a call to all Party supporters to desist from making hateful comments about the government.

Nov 19 Bartica Massacre accused jailed for 420 years Two weeks after pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, one of the accused in the Bartica massacre was sentenced to 420 years imprisonment.

Celbert “Chi-Chi” Reece, was indicted along with four others for executing an attack where 12 persons, including three Policemen were brutally murdered in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), in February 2008.

Nov 20 Single mother wins Core Home case against Govt Chief Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards has ruled in favour of a single-mother who challenged the State’s repossession of her home at Lot 902 Plantation Westminster, Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara. CHPA had threatened and attempted to confiscate dozens of core homes which were allocated under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government to singleparents. Several lawsuits have been filed challenging the State’s decision to repossess homes.

Nov 21 Eccles love triangle ends bloody An Eccles, East Bank Demerara, man has been arrested after he fatally stabbed another villager, who attempted to run him over with a car, in an apparent love triangle. Dead is Intiaz Ally, 22, an excavator operator of Lot 121 ‘BB’ Eccles. Ally shared a dwelling with his girlfriend of 15 months, Nicola Indal.

Nov 22 Hamilton Green’s $20M pension package laid in House Despite mounting criticism, Government officially introduced a legislative package aimed at giving former Prime Minister Hamilton Green a $20M pension package in keeping with that office which he

Education Minister a director of Homestretch Investments The Durban Park scandal blew up in the National Assembly when it was eventually disclosed that Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnarine is a Director of a Private Company, Homestretch Investments Inc, which was only established in January to collect donations for the Durban Park Project.

Nov 24 Public Service Training College opens A training college for aspiring public servants was officially opened with the first batch of 60 students receiving free laptops to aid in their studies to become workers of the Government.

Named after an individual who was instrumental in the postindependence public service reform process, the Bertram Collins Public Service College is designed to train young professionals desirous of commencing a career in the modern public service.

Nov 24 Twenty-six per cent minimum wage increase in private sector Private Sector workers can look forward to at least a 26 per cent increase in the minimum wage this year. A national labour tripartite committee had recommended increasing the minimum wage in the Private Sector from $35,000 to just over $44,000 and Cabinet has granted its approval.

Nov 25 Four charged for Berbice carpenter murder Four men were given a murder charge for allegedly beating a Berbice carpenter to death. In a packed court room, excavator operator Radesh Motie, 39; Harripaul Parsram, a labourer, 49; hire car driver Nirone Yacoob, 37; and Diodat Datt, 18, were all not allowed to enter a plea for the murder of 27-year-old Faiyaz Narinedatt since the matter is deemed indictable.

Nov 26 Arrest warrant issued for overseas based Guyanese The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar AliHack is expected to formally write the judicial office in New York, United States to have murder accused Marcus Brian Bisram extradited to Guyana to face trial here. Bisram was the sixth person charged with the murder of the carpenter. He was charged along with his 39-year-old bodyguard Orlando Dickie of Stevedore Housing Scheme, Georgetown. He is the alleged mastermind behind

the murder and an arrest warrant was issued for him.

Nov 26 Guyana joins world to mourn Fidel Castro’s death Guyana has joined the rest of the world in remembrance of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, the Cuban revolutionary leader, who died aged 90 on November 25. Castro is known for his defiance of the United States, and survived half a century of assassination attempts by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

It was under his leadership that Guyana-Cuba friendly and fraternal relationship had been placed on a solid and unbreakable footing.

Nov 28 Jordon snubs unpaid D’Urban Park contractors Finance Minister Winston Jordan said the contractors can “take it or leave”, suggesting that those contractors who will be underpaid can take the Company to Court. The entire project has been shrouded in secrecy since its inception.

Nov 29 Budget 2017 presented -VAT to be charged on water, electricity Budget 2017 was presented in the National Assembly by Finance Minister Winston Jordan. The Budget however, is to be financed through the imposition of a range of new taxes, penalties and fees increases in addition to competing with the local private sector for scarcely available resources.

On the matter of the range of tax reforms to be implemented the Finance Minister announced that Government has decided to reduce the VAT rate from 16 per cent to 14 per cent. VAT now be charged on electricity and water and the band of zero rated items has been disbanded.

Speaking to his revamped taxation system, Jordan announced several new measures to be implemented by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), including empowering that body to access any taxpayers’ bank account in order to ‘garnish’ monies it claims to be owed.

Old Age Pensioners can look forward to a ‘whopping’ $800 (US$4) increase from this year, while workers across the spectrum will also benefit from an increase in the income tax threshold, which has been moved from its current limit of $55,000 monthly to $60,000.

Guyana’s economic performance in 2016 was “dismal”, according to Finance Minister Winston Jordan, and the country has even failed to meet the projected targets that were already revised downwards at mid-year. The budget for 2016 projected an overall real growth rate of 4.4 per cent. At mid-year, a real economic growth rate of two per cent was achieved.

Nov 30 CAL, Fly Jamaica crash The Caribbean Airlines (CAL) Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating from JFK International Airport, New York to Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Guyana was involved in a crash with a Fly Jamaica aircraft on November 29. The CAL aircraft clipped the tail of the Fly Jamaica aircraft. The exhaust of the auxiliary power unit to the CAL aircraft was damaged as a result of the collision.

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Times Sunday Magazine

15

December Dec. 2 VAT on Internet The new Budget measures that were announced by Finance Minister Winston Jordan will now mean that Value Added Tax (VAT) will be charged on Internet service.

This means that consumers will now be taxed for using Facebook, Whatsapp and other digital services. This was announced by GTT CEO Justin Nedd.

Dec. 2 NEW GPC wins GCCI’s innovation awards NEW GPC INC received the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) award for innovation at its 127th Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony. NEW GPC was presented with the award for innovation for its breakthrough achievements in technology, processes, marketing campaigns and development.

Dec. 2 Trotman tells private sector to stop complaining about budget and “get busy” Government spokesperson Raphael Trotman chastised the private sector and the nation for complaining about the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity and water as revealed in the 2017 National Budget presentation and invited them to “get busy”. Trotman stated that Government would prefer to live in a country where there are no complaints since Guyana has a lot to be grateful for.

Dec. 3 Prince Harry visits Guyana British Prince Harry of Wales on December arrived in Guyana for his three day tour where he first met with President David Granger and other government officials then laid a wreath at Independence Arch. The Prince also visited Surama village and Kaieteur Falls. On his final day, he visited the Joshua Children’s Home, followed by a visit to the First Lady, Sandra Granger.

Dec. 6 EU, City Hall sign restoration contract The European Union and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council have signed a contract that will facilitate a study for a comprehensive Restoration and Sustainable Conservation Management Plan for City Hall.

Dec 6 Twenty-one deportees arrive in Guyana Local law enforcement officials on December 6 received some 21 Guyaneseborn nationals who were deported from the United States after having served jail time for a range of offences.

The US Government chartered a special flight to transport a group of convicts to Guyana and other Caribbean destinations.

Dec. 7 Minister tells Guyanese they can afford new VAT charges Government has roundly rejected the avalanche of criticism against the proposed 2017 Budget measure to impose the Value Added Tax (VAT) on health services and medicines, saying that persons

that opt to use private facilities and outlets have money to pay. Minister within the Communities Ministry, Valerie Sharpe-Patterson dropped that bombshell as she delivered her contribution to the debate over the 2017 expenditures.

Dec. 9 Bartica/Lusignan Massacre accused jailed for 105 years A co-accused in the Bartica and Lusignan massacres was sentenced to 105 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to 20 counts of manslaughter in both massacres. Caesar was sentenced to 45 years in each of the eight counts of the Lusignan indictment while he was sentenced to 60 years in each of the 12 counts of indictment in the Bartica massacre. Caesar will have to spend at least 40 calendar years in jail before he parole becomes an option.

Dec. 10 $25, 000 bonus for public servants After receiving mounting criticisms for not offering public servants a dime in Budget 2017, Finance Minister Winston Jordan announced that they will receive $25,000 bonus, provided that they worked for less than $500,000 annually.

expending millions of dollars for several of its ministers to benefit from full-scholarship programmes. Junior Education Mi nister Nicolette Henry and Junior Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson are among those who received millions of dollars to pursue their studies in the United States and the United Kingdom respectively.

Dec. 16 Patricia Green returns as Mayor In a twist of events, the Deputy Mayor withdrew from contesting the mayoral elections after initially announcing that he would challenge Mayor Patricia Chase-Green for the position. His withdrawal paved the way for incumbent Mayor Patricia Chase Green to return to her post for 2017, after she was unopposed by other council members. Duncan claimed to withdraw from the contest owing to ministerial interventions.

GRA investigates PPP members Some Members of Parliament of the PPP/C are under the Guyana Revenue Authority’s radar regarding defaults in their payment of

the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy, announcing that it will be extending the Good Offices Process for another year to have the matter settled.

The Secretary-General said it has reached the conclusion that the Good Offices Process will continue for one final year, with a new personal representative of the SecretaryGeneral.

If however by the end of 2017, the SG concludes that significant progress has not been made toward arriving at a full agreement for the solution of the controversy, he will choose the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement, unless both parties jointly request that he refrain from doing so.

Dec. 17 Drug Master Plan launched A four-year master plan aimed at tackling the rising use and transport of licit and illicit drugs was launched by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan. Following a review and modification of the 20142018 master plan, a need was found for it to be brought in line with the most recent national and internal dynamics of the

Dec. 12 No pardoned criminals for 2016 After pardoning some 60 criminals on two occasions in 2015, President David Granger has stated that no convicts were pardoned during the Independence celebration for 2016 since none of them fully met the criteria set out.

Dec. 13 Gunmen rob Berbice Cambio dealer AK-47-brandishing gunmen stormed the home of a Corentyne, Berbice Cambio dealer, Devendra Churaman, 48, also called “Katax”, by hammering their way into the premises. The robbers took about 30 minutes to gain entry to the house during which time he called the police, but they arrived one and half hour after the initial call was made.

Dec. 14 “To Sir With Love” author dies E R Braithwaite, the Guyanese author, educator and diplomat, whose years teaching in the slums of London’s East End inspired the international bestseller “To Sir, With Love” and the popular Sidney Poitier movie of the same name, died at age 104.

Dec. 15 DHB tolls increase Junior Public Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson disclosed that Demerara Harbour Bridge tolls would be increased from next year, a move the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has condemned, calling for its withdrawal.

Dec. 15 Ministers benefit from multimillion dollar Govt scholarships Government has been

Prince Harry at Kaieteur Falls

property taxes and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo believes Government had a sinister role in this development.

Parliamentarians Frank Anthony, Irfaan Ali, Bishop Juan Edghill, Indra Chandarpaul, and Joe Hamilton were served with letters by the GRA concerning their default in paying their property taxes.

Surinamese president visits Guyana President of the Republic of Suriname, Desi Bouterse, arrived in Guyana for a oneday State visit to meet with his Guyanese counterpart, President David Granger.

Bouterese disclosed to media operatives following his engagement with President Granger, that the Brazilians, Europeans and Chinese are interested in financing the bridge across the Corentyne River.

Dec. 17 Guyana/Venezuela border controversy One more year for Good Offices Process -UN After months of waiting the office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations has finally pronounced on its decision over

drug problem.

Dec. 18 PPP hosts 31st Congress Opposition Leader and Central Executive Committee member of Guyana’s longest serving political force, Bharrat Jagdeo, opened the 31st Congress of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on December 17 with much vigour as he charged each member to join the efforts to rebuild the Party as they pave the journey for a resounding victory in 2020.

Jagdeo, who served as Head of State for 12 consecutive years, noted that the aim of the Congress is to identify and examine all weaknesses and then make recommendations to improve the deficiencies.

Dec. 19 Hundreds stranded as Dynamics cancels flight Dynamic Airways cancelled at least two flights – one out of Guyana and the other from the John F Kennedy Airport – leaving hundreds of passengers stranded for the holidays. The cancellation even resulted in a Guyanese bride missing her own wedding.

Local representative Captain Gerald Gouviea apologised for the incident and offered the bride a honeymoon package

to Arrowpoint and Kaieteur Falls. The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority has since launched an investigation into the matter with the aim of reviewing Dynamics Operations in Guyana.

parking meters are being rolled out and will come into effect on January 9. The parking meters will be charging a fee of $50 plus Value Added Tax (VAT) every 15 minutes of parking along the streets of Georgetown.

Dec. 19 Guyana to go plastic The Bank of Guyana (BoG), through a project with the World Bank, will begin the process of modernising the country’s National Payments System to advance the use of electronic payments which could see Guyana saving up to $266 million annually.

Dec. 28 Jealous man severs ex-lover arm, chops mother Police are on the hunt for a former Tapir driver after he severed the hand of a woman who he claimed to have loved and chopped her mother several times. The incident took place on Christmas Eve at Number 70 Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne).

Dec. 20 Jagdeo gets most votes at PPP Congress Former President Bharrat Jagdeo has emerged with the most votes at the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) internal elections for its new Central Committee.

Dec. 21 Four charged with burning Essequibo couple to death The four men who were arrested and charged with the burning to death of Good Hope, East Bank Essequibo couple Mohammed and Bibi Jamila Munir were made to stand before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Sanjay George, called “Coolie Boy”; Jason Howard, called “Smelly”; Joel Blair called “Joey” and Shabadeen Mohammed called “Milo”, had the murder charge read to them which stated that on April 17, 2016 at Good Hope, they murdered Mohammed and Bibi Jamila Munir during the course of arson.

Dec. 21 Five per cent salary increase for GPL workers Following a meeting between the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) it was decided that workers will be given a five per cent across the board increase and other benefits.

The meeting between the Power Company and the Workers Union came a day after employees attached to the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) unit downed tools, protesting a decision by the company to offer them a mere two per cent increase, blanking the eight per cent proposed by the representative body.

Dec. 22 Jagdeo announces nominees for GECOM Chairmanship Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo submitted the names of the six nominees for the President David Granger’s consideration to fill the post of the GECOM Chairman. The nominees include Lawrence Latchmansingh, Ramesh Dookhoo, Norman Mc Lean, Christopher Ram, Rhyaan Shaw and Professor James Rose.

Dec. 22 Parking meters roll out Despite countless protests against its implementation,

Dec. 29 AFHP only realistic path for Guyana – Norway report The independent assessment of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) has revealed that the only realistic path for Guyana moving towards an emissionfree electricity sector is by developing its hydropower potential and the fastest way forward is to maintain the AFHP. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo says this stance vindicates the PPP and called on the government to quickly restart the project.

Dec. 29 President revokes Red House lease … Committee to challenge decision – Jagdeo President David Granger has ordered that the lease for Red House, which houses the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Incorporated (CJRCI) on High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, be revoked and gave the occupants up to December 31, 2016 to vacate the property.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo has since labelled the President’s decision as “unconscionable and vindictive”. The Opposition Leader said that he has advised the committee that manages Red House to challenge the order passed down by the Head of State.

Dec. 29 Elisabeth Harper rehired at Foreign Affairs Ministry The coalition Government has rehired former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Prime Ministerial Candidate, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper to assist the Foreign Affairs Ministry with her “unique skills”.

Dec. 29 Rice Sector declines by 12.7 per cent in 2016 – Agri Minister The financial challenges in the rice industry have continued as Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has announced a projected near 13 per cent decline in earnings for the sector in 2016. The collapse of the Petro-Caribe (rice-foroil) Venezuela rice deal coupled with the dry weather patterns earlier this year were major challenges that gripped the industry last year. He further explained that prices on the world market are also seeing decreases.

16 Times Sunday Magazine

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Year in Review - Sports January January 1 Federal Winners Connection wins third success UDFA/ GT Beer knockout c/ships Federal Winners Connection completed an astonishing

January 31 National Beach Soccer League launched national Beach Soccer Championship got underway on January

A

February

31 in Linden, featuring ten teams – six from Linden, two from Georgetown, while the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara had one representative each.

January 20 Bravo’s 95 dumps Guyana out of Nagico Super50 West Indies top-order batsman Darren Bravo stroked a brilliant 95 to guide Trinidad and Tobago Red Force into the 2016 NAGICO Super50 final after beating Guyana Jaguars by 54 runs in the semi-final at Queen’s Park Oval.

Left-hander Bravo top-scored for the Red Force and played superbly, although he fell five runs short of his sixth regional one-day hundred.

His 95 effort came off 108 balls, and he hit 5 sixes and 4 fours to help Trinidad and Tobago reached a score of 259 for nine off their 50 overs en route to advancing to their third straight Nagico Super50 final.

after earlier undergoing some early pressure from a returning Andrew King, who looked impressive compared to his November outing.

But there was no competition for the two-time Caribbean Champion, who eased his way to a perfect day of action in the absence of his father Kevin and Mark Vieira.

Due to lack of subscription by drivers in the 4WD group, King opted to run with the big

boys, posing an early threat for the young Jeffrey, but later fell out in the last race of the day due to mechanical troubles.

On the two-wheel end of things, Mohan Rangasammy led the pack from start to finish in all three races, putting himself in a prime position for the remaining season and showing the pack that he is a force to be reckoned with.

March 20 Guyana Jaguars win second successive PCL tournament The Guyana Jaguars roared to back-to-back titles with an emphatic innings and 54-run victory against the Jamaica Scorpions with over day to spare in their final round PLC First-Class cricket contest at Providence.

The Guyana Jaguars entered the final round facing a must-win situation and

trifecta, defeating Silver Shattas 1-0 to seal their third consecutive triumph in the third annual Upper Demerara Football Association/GT Beer knockout championships on January 1 at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground.

March March 20 Jeffrey, Rangasammy run rampant at National Race of Champions Kristian Jeffrey and Mohan Rangasammy dominated race day when the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club hosted the first National Race of Champions at the South Dakota Circuit. Jeffrey’s car ran untouched and troublefree in the four-wheel drive 4WD group four class

April

He was joined by West Indies internationals Lendl Simmons (St Kitts & Nevis Patriots), Chris Gayle (Jamaica Tallawahs), Dwayne Bravo (Trinbago Knight Riders), Kieron Pollard (Barbados Tridents) and South Africa’s David Miller

(Zouks) for the top category.

South Africa skipper AB de Villiers and teammate Faf du Plessis lined up for the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots alongside Australian international Brad Hodge.

February 14 West Indies beat India to win first Under-19 Cricket World Cup The West Indies won the Under-19 World Cup for the

first time in their history after beating India by five wickets – with only three balls to spare – in Dhaka.

India, whose had not lost a youth ODI in the two years since the last tournament, were

put in to bat on a green surface by the West Indies captain, Shimron Hetmyer.

Under relentless pressure from sharp, accurate bowling, the home side crawled to a meagre 145 all out in just over 45 overs.

February 21 Lowe and Bryan prove too strong for competition at NSC Table Tennis Tournament Trenace Lowe and Nigel Bryan made their presence felt in

this year’s annual National Sports Commission (NSC) sponsored Mashramani table tennis tournament making a clean sweep of their respective categories when the event continued at the Cliff Anderson

Sports Hall Bryan won the boys’ 18-years-and-under category making light work of Samuel Fraser in the final. Bryan won in three straight sets (11-3, 11-5 and 11-9).

successfully defend their title.

The Jaguars were able to extend their unbeaten streak

in PCL cricket to 17 with their record eighth win of the season.

Tanvir was picked up by CPL franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors for $160,000.

May

April 3

West Indies win World T20 final as Carlos Brathwaite sinks England Carlos Brathwaite broke the hearts of an England side, which for the first time in a wonderful, fluctuating game of cricket, had sensed that the World Twenty20 title was in their grasp.

When Ben Stokes was tossed the ball for the final over the match West Indies needed 19 runs for victory. Marlon Samuels, 85 not out, was still there but at the non-striker’s end.

Perhaps England felt this was a good thing. It too much notice of that. transpired that this was not the case.

The mighty right-hander stood tall in the In the previous two matches Stokes had crease and swung. Poor Stokes sought the yorker been so effective when bowling the death but he could never find it. overs; it is unlikely that Brathwaite had taken April 3 West Indies Women chase down 149 for maiden WT20 title West Indies converted their maiden appearance in a World Twenty20 final into a historic victory in Kolkata, beating threetime defending champions Australia for the first time in a T20 international by pulling

February 11 Sohail Tanvir among elite picks at Caribbean Premier League

off the second highest chase in the tournament's history.

The heroes of the daunting pursuit were 18-year old Hayley Matthews and the captain Stafanie Taylor, whose halfcenturies and 120-partnership came at more than a run a ball.

Their effort left West Indies with two runs to get off four balls, and when Britney Cooper

June

pushed to Megan Schutt at midwicket and sprinted, what should have been a run-out at the bowler's end resulted in the overthrow that sealed the title. Their team-mates blazed a trail on to the field and the women were soon joined by the West Indies men in joyful celebrations in the middle of Eden Gardens.

July

June 3 International cricket returns to Guyana with Day/ Night Tri-Nation Series West Indies and South Africa took to the Providence outfield on June 3 for the first match of the Tri-Nation Series also involving World Champions

Australia.

It was the first international match in Guyana since 2011 when West Indies played Pakistan in a Test match at Providence.

It was also first for the Caribbean as all 10 matches were day/ night contests ending under the artificial lights.

June 18 Inaugural Aliann Pompey Invitational deemed a big success The much anticipated Inaugural Aliann Pompey Invitational Track and Field Meet took place on Saturday June 18 at the National Track

and Field Centre, Leonora, West Coast Demerara with more than 30 international athletes competing with the cream of the crop locally for supremacy and at the same time push for qualification for the Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

June 28 Zouks kick off CPL campaign with a 6-wicket win The first match of the much anticipated CPL 2016 saw

the St. Lucia Zouks defeating defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders by six wickets at Port of Spain.

July 23 Guyana capture 12th consecutive Caribbean Junior Squash team title Guyana retained the Overall Team Title for the twelfth

May 11 Tony Cozier, voice of West Indies cricket, dies at 75 Winston Anthony Lloyd “Tony” Cozier, the West Indian cricket writer, commentator and journalist, has died in his home country, Barbados, at the age of 75 after an illness.

He had been admitted to hospital on May 3 for tests related to infections in the neck and legs.

Cozier began writing on cricket as a teenager in 1958 and, despite not having played the game at a high level, he became one of its most distinguished voices.

Amazon Warriors Float May Independence Day

May 29 Hinds wins Courts 50th Independence anniversary cycle race in Berbice

Orville Hinds of Team Gillette Evolution continues to show his likeness for the roads of Berbice.

Hinds on Sunday beat off team mate Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams to beat the field as he rode away

with top honours in the Courts sponsored Independence 50 miles cycle road race on the Corentyne highway.

The event, which was organised by the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) of Berbice, saw Hinds winning from 26 other cyclists.

His winning time was 2 hrs, 12minutes and 11 seconds.

The race started from in front of the Courts Building at Main and St Ann Streets around 10:15 hrs with the riders being sent on their way by Regional Chairman, Region 6, David Armogan and proceeded to Nand Persuad Business Complex on the Corentyne before returning to finish at its point of origin

consecutive time with a hard fought three matches to two victory in the Boys Team final to help clinch the title.

Earlier in the day the Girls Team had narrowly lost to Barbados by three matches to

two, to finish second.

In the Girls final round robin playoff against Barbados, which was a virtual final, as both teams were unbeaten the crucial match would be the Girls Under-13 tie as both

teams knew that Team Guyana would most likely win the two Girls Under-19 matches and Barbados would win the Under-17 and Under-15 matches.

Amazon Warriors May Independence float

July 28 Amazon Warriors clinch playoff berth with win over Tridents in Florida A modest but boisterous crowd with a heavy contingent of Guyanese supporters cheered Guyana Amazon Warriors to a six-wicket victory over Barbados Tridents in the first CPL match in America on at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill.

With 5,000 chairback seats available at the CBRP, less than half were filled by the time the first ball was bowled by Dwayne Smith just after 7 pm, and an estimated 4,000 had made it through the gates by the time the match was ended, more than three hours later, by a single off the bat of Sohail Tanvir.

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Times Sunday Magazine 17

Year in Review - Sports August

September

August 7 Tallawahs rout Warriors to claim second CPL title A rematch from Wednesday's first Caribbean Premier League playoff qualifier between the regular season's top two teams quickly turned into an uncontested romp for Jamaica Tallawahs, who rampaged past Guyana Amazon Warriors by nine wickets to claim their second CPL title on Sunday August 5 to 21 Bolt sweep sprint titles at Rio 2016 The 2016 Summer Olympics officially known as the Games of the 31st Olympiad and commonly known as Rio 2016, was a major international multi-sport event held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 August to 21 August 2016.

night at Warner Park. For Warriors, it was a flat effort that left them runner-up for

the third time in four CPL seasons, twice to Tallawahs.

More than 11,000 athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees, including first time entrants Kosovo, South Sudan, and the Refugee Olympic Team, took part. With 306 sets of medals, the games featured 28 Olympic sports, including rugby sevens and golf, which were added to the Olympic programme in 2009. These

sporting events took place at 33 venues in the host city, and at five in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília, and Manaus.

The United States topped the medal table for the fifth time in the past six Summer Olympics, winning the most golds (46) and most medals overall (121), as well as its 1,000th Olympic gold medal overall.

as the 44th annual Central America and Caribbean. It was Guyana’s most successful year at the CAC, with them earning the most medals in its tournament history. The team

earned a total of five medals and comprised of Kerwin Clarke (Gold), Bruce Whatley (Gold and Silver), Emmerson Campbell (Silver) and Devon Davis (Bronze).

October October 1 Guyana records best showing at CAC The Guyana Bodybuilding 6-member team has lifted the Golden Arrowhead proudly

October 13 -17 Dramatic day-night Test shows there is still heart in Caribbean cricket Pakistan and West Indies played their first Day/Night Test match from October 13 to 17 in Dubai. It was the first Test of the three match series which Pakistan went on to win 2-1. Pakistan won the historic contest, but not without some drama.

Brilliant bowling from DevendraBishoo and one of the great fourth innings hundreds from Darren Bravo saw Pakistan pushed close in a match where

October 21 – 23

Guyana hosts successful IGG Guyana hosted the Good Will Inter-Guiana games against Suriname for three days across seven disciplines. Suriname

it seemed the West Indies had been batted out of.

In the end Pakistan emerged winners by 56 runs, a result that was far narrower than anyone would have thought possible for the vast majority of the five days over which this Test unfolded.

Scores; Pakistan 579/3 dec (Azhar Ali 302 not out, Sami Aslam 90, Babar Azam 69, AsadShafiq 67, Bishoo 2-152) and 123 (Sami Aslam 44, Bishoo 8-49) beat West Indies 357 (Darren Bravo 87, Marlon Samuels 76, Yasir Shah 5-121) and 289 (Darren Bravo 116, Leon Johnson 47, Mohammad Amir 3-63) by 56 runs.

won the overall title with 91 points having beaten the hosts in badminton (male and female), basketball (male and female), volleyball (female), futsal and swimming (male

October 30 John outsprints Leal to win Digicel cycling On October 30th, 19-year-old Jamal John of Team Coco’s proved that he is a force to reckon with, outsprinting Team Gillette Evolution’s Raul Leal to win the feature 30-lap race of the annual

and female).

Guyana won Athletics (Male and Female), Table Tennis (Male and Female) and Volleyball (Male) to finish second on 85 points.

Digicel Cancer Awareness cycling meet. A split second between the two proved decisive in the end. When John touched the line in two hours, 54 minutes, 11.72 seconds (2h: 54m: 11.72s), Leal was mere inches behind, as champion and runner-up were confirmed.

December

September 4 Elliot, Matthew Vieira dominate Super Stock The duo of cousins Elliot and Matthew Vieira produced separate master classes to dominate the Super Stock category at the Caribbean

Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) in Barbados on September 4th at the Bushy Park Circuit.

Elliott, who is the defending champion, entered this round in fourth place, and won two of his three races before crashing

in his final outing; Elliot recorded a best lap time of 1:05.615 with his Kawasaki ZX6R. Similarly, Matthew came up short behind his cousin on two occasions but used his Yamaha R6 to speed to first place in his final race in a time of 1:07.724.

September 12 GDF retains Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate Boxing Championship In a night ram-packed with main event fights, in the end it was the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who was the most successful boxing gym,

having retained their title as the best intermediate boxing gym in the country, holding off fierce competition from the republican boxing gym at the National Gymnasium on the final night of the Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate Boxing

Championship on Sunday.

With 13 fights were carded for the night, seven of which were won by GDF boxers as 17 of their fighters were in action.

Forgotten Youth Foundation’s Keevin Allicock was crowned the Best Youth Boxer 2016.

September 15 Sarwan Retires On September 15 at the Stella Marris Primary school in Woolford Avenue, former Guyana and West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan’s career came

full circle as it ended where it all began 26 years ago with the announcement of his retirement from all cricket. The 36-year was given a hero’s welcome when he arrived at a school where he scored his first two centuries

in the now defunct National Under-12 competition in 1991 as an 11 year-old and later ascended to the highest level of the game in which he scored 15 centuries from 87 Tests.

November 5 & 6 Agard wins National Three stage Cycling 19-year-old Linden Bauxite Flyers’ Shaquel Agard stunned his opponents as he pedalled his way to the Guyana Cycling Federation, National Sports Commission’s National Three-

Stage cycling title after finishing the third and final leg, a 30 lap race around the outer circuit of the National Park. Agard’s total time was 04:40:25, 13 seconds faster than overall second, Team Gillette Evolution’s Michael Anthony (4:40:38), while

Continental’s ‘Lone Rider’ Geron Williams finished third overall (04:40:52) and Alanzo Greaves fourth (04:41:30).

Team Cocos Hamza Eastman (04:41:32) and one handed rider, Walter Grant Stuart completed the top six in a time of 04:42:37.

November 6 Wazeer, Drakes, Smith power Speed Boat XI past Regal The curtains came down on the Guyana Softball Cup 6 in the wee hours of Monday November 7th in emphatic fashion when Wazeer Hussain and Travis Drakes put on 73 runs in just over seven overs to power Speed Boat XI past defending champions Regal All-Stars at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground

Queenstown.

Regal All-Stars were bowled out for 172 in the final over after being sent in. They were on course for a big score at the start of the 12th over at 109/3 but Kishore Smith who bowled Patrick Rooplall for 33 (3×6; 1×4), Fazal Rafeek and Roohit Dutchin (01) in the same over to leave the champs reeling at 111/6 and change the game the Speed Boat way Speed Boat set 173 to beat

Regal All-Stars they were in trouble before Hussain and Drakes joined forces in the 13th over at 100/5 after losing their entire top order Hussain, who was later named Man of the Match ending on 45 not out with five sweetly timed flick shots for maximums while the more aggressive Drakes hit two fours and two sixes in 37 not out as Speed Boat finish on 173/5 to win by five wickets with 10 deliveries to spare.

November

November 27 Pepsi Hikers take 7 D.M.W. title Pepsi Hikers, Bal Wash Ers and Toronto Toros entertained an enormous crowd at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue on November 5th to capture the titles of their respective divisions in the 13th Guyana Hockey Board/ Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Tournament. Pepsi Hikers, defeated Toronto Lions 5-3 in arguably the upset of the tournament.

December 8 Regional economies get US$90M CPL boost …according to economic impact study CASTRIES — This year’s Caribbean Premier League poured just over US$90 million into the Caribbean region, according to an Economic Impact Assessment released by organisers on Tuesday.

Guyana’s four preliminary games saw US$15.4 million (GUY$3.1 billion) pumped into the economy.

Warrior Pride on parade

Part of Amazon Warriors contingent

December 21

December 4 Digicel hosts inaugural Special Olympics On Sunday December 4th Digicel hosted the inaugural Guyana Special Olympic 5k walk, run, wheel, for persons

with disabilities. Some 43 persons participated in the event which was spread across four categoriesVisually Impaired, Amputees, and Persons with intellectual disabilities and wheelchair.

December 11

Guyana dominates Caribbean Development Boxing Championships Guyana recorded safely their most successful outing in a

regional boxing competition, bagged a total of 10 gold medals and one silver medal at the Caribbean Development Boxing Tournament from December 11-12.

Yassin elected GOA President for fifth term At the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) headquarters, Liliendaal, the association held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on December 21st, after which Kalam A. Juman Yassin was given tenure in charge of the sporting body for four more

years.

The president will have support staff in the likes of Vice-Presidents, Karen Pilgrim, Charles Corbin, Godfrey Munroe; Hector Edwards as Secretary General, Garfield Wiltshire as Treasurer, Dion Nurse as Assistant Secretary and Tricia Fietkou, who was elected in the newly installed position of Assistant Treasurer.

18 Times Sunday Magazine

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JANUARY 1, 2017

Recipe of the Week Ingredients

‘Greenery’ is Pantone’s Colour of 2017

W

orld-renown colour specialist Pantone has chosen “a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade”, which it named Greenery, as its symbolic colour snapshot for 2017.

The colour, Pantone says on its website,

reflects what it sees “taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.”

Expect to see Greenery in the new year through urban planning, architecture, lifestyle and design choices worldwide.

Peas 1 cup dried black-eyed peas 4 cups water 1/2 medium onion 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon salt

Black-eye peas and pumpkin salad

Pumpkin 1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes seeded peeled pumpkin 3 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small garlic clove, minced Salad

The fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate, says the Pantone Colour Institute

“Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate and revitalize, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose,” says Pantone executive director, Leatrice Eiseman

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber 1 plum tomato, seeded, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Method

Peas Place peas in large saucepan.

Add enough water to cover by 3 inches. Let peas soak 2 hours.

Drain peas; return to same pan.

Add 4 cups water, onion, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and simmer until peas are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard onion and bay leaf. Drain. Transfer peas to rimmed baking sheet to cool. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

pumpkin in single layer in 8x8x2inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons water and oil.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tender when pierced, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Add garlic; stir to coat. Cool.

Salad

Whisk oil and lime juice in bowl.

Season dressing with salt and pepper. Combine all remaining ingredients and peas in large bowl.

Add dressing; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Add pumpkin; toss.

(Can be made two hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Pumpkin Serves 4-6 Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange

K

eep sliced turkey warm and juicy; before bringing the turkey to the table, drizzle the slices with a little hot chicken broth to warm and moisten the meat.

Many people cook stuffing inside their holiday turkey, but some don't know the proper temperature to which it should be cooked. To ensure that your stuffed bird is thoroughly cooked, use a food thermometer to check the internal temperatures of both turkey and stuffing — a whole turkey should reach the safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F deep in the thigh; stuffing should reach 165°F. For safety and uniform doneness of turkey, cook stuffing separately.

Wash ready-to-eat fruits such as pears and plums, but don’t forget to wash fruits with skin such as limes, oranges and lemons as well. This will help to eliminate harmful bacteria that can spread during peeling or cutting.

A

s you put away holiday gifts, take time to make extra room throughout the house.

For example, for every new Christmas DVD you add to the shelves, remove two older titles.

You or your kids got new clothes for gifts? Find two older outfits of yours or the outgrown sets of your kids’ and hand down to relatives or donate.

Once the New Year arrives, most families take down holiday decorations and store them for the following year, but that often adds to more clutter. So this year, sort and declutter holiday decorations, linens and specialty cooking items as you store them to avoid the clutter.

Before they can become clutter in your New Year's home, come up with a plan to manage the season's white elephant gifts: think regifting or swapping. If you have two of the same thing or similar things, regift or swap out the older one so this year’s gift giver doesn’t feel too offended. (Please remember to keep track of who gave you what in the first place to avoid the faux pas of regifting to the original gift giver…)

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JANUARY 1, 2017

Times Sunday Magazine19 STORY TIME

The little New Year

The Death of the Old Year

The guest

Full knee-deep lies the winter snow, And the winter winds are wearily sighing: Toll ye the churchbell sad and slow, And tread softly and speak low, For the old year lies a-dying.

Old year, you must not die; You came to us so readily, You lived with us so steadily, Old year, you shall not die.

Who is he?

He lieth still: he doth not move: He will not see the dawn of day.

He hath no other life above.

He gave me a friend, and a true, true-love, And the New-year will take 'em away.

Old year, you must not go; So long as you have been with us, Such joy as you have seen with us, Old year, you shall not go.

JOKES Trevor's New Year's Eve party was an annual occurrence with numerous guests arriving. During the evening, a man knocked on the door, was greeted heartily although no one knew who he was, and was led to where the drinks were, in the kitchen.

He sat there happily chatting away for a couple of hours before a strange light dawned on his face.

“You know,” he confided to Trevor, “I wasn't even invited to this party. I just came over to tell you that some of your guests' cars are blocking my drive.”

He continued, “My wife's been sitting out in the car waiting for me to get them moved, so that we can go out.”

Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, "What do you think about all this Satan stuff?"

The other boy replied, "Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your dad."

Good news, bad news

There is the story of a preacher who got up at one New Year’s Eve service and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is: we have enough money to pay for our new building program this year. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets."

New Year advice

Don’t get so excited about this ‘New Year’s’ stuff, only the calendar’s changed; the spouse, the job and everything else remains the same…

Typos

A little mistake can cause big problems: A husband sent a text from his office Christmas party to his wife whose job had her overseas for the week: “Having a great time, wish you were her”

Make an impression

I asked my trainer at the gym which machine I could use to impress the ladies; he pointed outside and said “The ATM machine.”

He froth'd his bumpers to the brim; A jollier year we shall not see.

But tho' his eyes are waxing dim, And tho' his foes speak ill of him, He was a friend to me.

Old year, you shall not die; We did so laugh and cry with you, I've half a mind to die with you, Old year, if you must die.

He was full of joke and jest, But all his merry quips are o'er.

To see him die, across the waste His son and heir doth ride post-haste, But he'll be dead before.

Every one for his own.

The night is starry and cold, my friend, And the New-year blithe and bold, my friend, Comes up to take his own.

How hard he breathes! over the snow I heard just now the crowing cock.

The shadows flicker to and fro: The cricket chirps: the light burns low: 'Tis nearly [twelve] o'clock.

Shake hands, before you die.

Old year, we'll dearly rue for you: What is it we can do for you?

Speak out before you die.

His face is growing sharp and thin.

Alack! our friend is gone.

Close up his eyes: tie up his chin: Step from the corpse, and let him in That standeth there alone, And waiteth at the door.

There's a new foot on the floor, my friend, And a new face at the door, my friend, A new face at the door.

--- Alfred Lord Tennyson

By Ellen Robena Field

O

ne cold morning Maurice awoke from his dreams and sat up in bed and listened. He thought he heard a knock at his window; but though the moon was shining brightly, Jack Frost had been so busily at work that Maurice could not see through the thickly painted panes. So he crept sleepily out of bed, and opened the window, and whispered: “Who is there?”

“I am,” replied a tinkling voice. “I am the little New Year, Ho! Ho! And I’ve promised to bring a blessing to everyone. But I am such a little fellow I need somebody to help me distribute them. Won’t you please come out and help?”

“Oh, it’s so cold!” said Maurice; “I’d rather go back to my warm bed”; and he shivered as Jack Frost, who was passing, tickled him under the chin with one of the frosty paint brushes.

“Never mind the cold,” urged the New Year; “please help me.”

So Maurice hurried into his clothes, and was soon out in the yard. There he found a rosy-cheeked boy a little smaller than himself, pulling a large cart which seemed to be loaded with good things.

On one side of this cart was painted the word “Love,” and on the other “Kindness.” As soon as the New Year saw Maurice he said, “Now please take hold and help me pull;” and down the driveway and up the hill they travelled until they came to an old shanty.

“Here is where I make my first call,” said the New Year. Maurice looked wonderingly at him. “Why, nobody lives here but an old coloured man who works for us; and he hasn’t any children!”

“He needs my help,” said the New Year; “for grown people like to be thought of just as much as children do. You shovel out a path to his door, while I unload some of my blessings…”

And the little hands went busily at work, piling up warm clothing, wood, and a new year’s dinner, the New Year singing as he worked: — “Oh, I am the little New Year; Ho! Ho! Here I come tripping it over the snow,

Shaking my bells with a merry din; So open your door and let me in.”

Old Joe, hearing some noise outside, came to the door, and when he saw all the nice gifts the tears ran down his cheeks for gladness; and as he carried them into the house, he whispered: “The dear Lord has been here to-night.”

“Where am we going now?” asked Maurice, as they ran down the hill. “To take some flowers to a poor sick girl,” answered the New Year.

Soon they came to a small white house, where the New Year stopped.

“Why, Bessie, our sewing girl lives, here,” said Maurice. “I didn’t know she was sick.”

“See,” said the New Year, “this window is open a little; let us throw this bunch of pinks into the room.

They will please her when she wakes, and will make her happy for several days.”

Then they hurried to other places, leaving some blessing behind them.

“What a wonderful cart you have,” said Maurice; “though you have taken so much out, it never seems to get empty.”

“You are right, Maurice, there is never any end to love and kindness. As long as I find people to love and be kind to, my cart is full of blessings for them; and it will never grow empty until I can no longer find people to help. If you will go with me every day and help me scatter my blessings, you will see how happy you will be all the long year.”

“A happy New Year!” called someone; and Maurice found himself in bed, and his sister standing in the doorway smiling at him. “Have you had a pleasant dream, dear?” she asked.

“Why, where is the little New Year?” said Maurice; “he was just here with me.”

“Come into Mamma’s room and see what he has brought you,” answered his sister. There in a snowy white cradle he found a tiny baby brother, the gift of the New Year. How happy Maurice was then!

But he did not forget his dream. Old Joe and Bessie had their gifts, too, and Maurice tried so hard to be helpful that he made all his friends glad because the happy New Year had come.

20 Times Sunday Magazine

JANUARY 1, 2017

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In each sentence below, two words are incomplete.

The two words end in the same three letters, so they look like they should rhyme, but they don't.

Example: One symptom of bronchitis is a ro___ co___. Answer: rough cough. Now figure these out: 1. When you g___ up, I will let you climb the ship's p___.

2. Do you want to be a ri___ swimmer or an ocean di___?

3. The strongest oarsman in the boat is a po___ ro___.

4. The cheap tickets didn't al___ them to go be___ deck. see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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JANUARY 1, 2017

Times Sunday Magazine 21

Creature Corner

W

hile the natural world undergoes many extinctions, there are also new species being discovered. Here are a few of these discoveries new to science in 2016.

The Lasiognathus dinema is a new species of anglerfish discovered in the Gulf of Mexico at some 800-1200 m depth. Just about 50 mm (about two inches) long, the new anglerfish was discovered during a Natural Resource Damage Assessment conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 but its status only now confirmed.

A new species of Giant Tortoise named Chelonoidis donfaustoi was discovered in the Galapagos. It was previously considered the same species as another on the island but careful study of genetic and morphological data revealed it as a new species. Only 250 of its kind remain. It was named in honour of park ranger Fausto Llerena Sanchez (a.k.a. "Don Fausto") who worked 43 years to conserve Galapagos' giant tortoises.

Please see solution on page 23

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

Named in honour of US president Barack Obama for his marine conservation efforts, the Tosanoides obama is a brightly coloured fish that can be found only within the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument in Hawaii. It was discovered June 5 by NOAA during their 2016 expedition to the marine region.

President Barack Obama, who is Hawaii-born, had in August 2016 expanded Papahnaumokukea, creating the largest swath of protected land or water on Earth.

22 Times Sunday Magazine

JANUARY 1, 2017

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W

ith anyone capable of putting information on the internet about anything, it is no surprise that hoaxes abound via social media and news media. Sunday Times Magazine looks back at a few that confused, panicked or generally

JANUARY 1, 2017

unsettled the world in 2016…

January 2016 had just begun when social media announced “a new killer insect” was able to spread a virus when touched, which left holes in the victim’s skin. A photo showed the culprit bug, and an unidentified person’s

Brain Teaser Answer

1. grow prow 2. river diver

3. power rower 4. allow below

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

hand containing a large number of small holes throughout the palm and fingers, which, it claimed, was caused by the insect.

The reality was however that the hand was a special effects tutorial and the bug a giant water bug with eggs being fetched on its back (gruesome to look at, perhaps; capable of leaving holes in humans, no).

In February, it was claimed that people were injecting bananas with HIV infected blood, and readers should watch out for “an ascending colour of red” in their fruit purchases. It was even claimed that the World Health Organization was aware of the situation.

In reality however, neither WHO nor any other international health organisation, or credible and reputable news media made a statement addressing the issue.

An Easter hoax appeared in March claiming Easter eggs were banned because they offended other religions.

The article containing the headline “Easter Eggs are Banned”, appeared in British tabloid newspaper The Daily Star, claiming that the Easter Eggs – namely Cadbury’s – did not have the word ‘Easter’ printed on them. It was suggested that it had something to do with political correctness regarding offending other religions.

In real life meanwhile, many chocolatiers continued to make and sell Easter themed chocolate eggs, with or without the word “Easter” on them – as a business not PC. Famous for its April Fool’s Day, pranksters were at it all during the month of April.

Times Sunday Magazine 23

One such hoax was the announcement that on April 20, because of the alignment of several planets, for 90 minutes the moon would appear green– something that only occurs once every 420 years.

It was soon discredited by several astronomy outlets.

On April 20, NBC news affiliate WKYC-TV declared: “Looking for a green moon tonight? Good luck.”

Celebrities are no strangers to hoaxes and in early May, One Direction’s singer Harry Styles was pictured with his trademark locks cut short, after he had announced that he will be donating his cut locks to charity. But the photo of a short haired Harry Styles was actually the result of digital manipulation software that “face swaps” the facial features of one person onto the head of another.

Styles had indeed cut his hair, but had not yet revealed the cut when the photo went viral. The prankster, a Yorkshire teenager, who was a former X Factor auditionee, had placed a real Harry Styles image with the photo of the faceswap on social media.

In June, a tweet claimed popular actor and singer Jack Black was dead due to “reasons unknown”. Although the social media forum went into a frenzy, many were sceptical.

Soon, another set of tweets were posted from the official Tenacious D (Black’s twoman band) Twitter account, announcing the whole thing as a “prank”.

No one knows still whether the account was hacked and the hoax created, or it was from the band themselves.

In July, a movie poster

appeared, apparently depicting the latest Disney movie featuring one of the starring characters from the Monsters Inc. movie, and rumours spread of a 2020 sequel to Monsters Inc., called Boo. In reality, the movie poster was never created by Disney, nor has Disney announced official word of any such sequel.

In August, an image appeared online that showed a historic church in the UK county of Wiltshire that was being turned into a mosque, and that the bodies buried there would be dug up and removed.

The truth was that firstly the church in the picture wasn’t in Wiltshire. Secondly, there were never any plans to turn that church into a mosque. In fact, the claim was created by fake news website The Daily Bale, to intentionally stir up religious tensions.

In September, WhatsApp was the subject of a hoax when warnings that it will start charging unless you copied and forwarded a message to a certain number of contacts began appearing across social media.

The very long message was quickly debunked and, as we all know, WhatsApp hasn’t begun charging anyone.

In October, the month of Halloween stirred up a rash of “killer clown” fake news and hoaxes. These include the stories ‘US killer clowns on killing spree in Canada’; ‘4 dead and 36 injured in US after killer clown spree’, and ‘Canadian prime minister Trudeau announces clowns will be fined $10,000’ – all of which originated from fake news website The Global

Sun, which describes itself as a “satire website”.

Clown stories were so widespread that people were arrested, both for playing pranks and for involving themselves in clown related threats. People were also warned to avoid participating in “this sort of mass hysteria”.

In early November, a warning, attributed to an employee on behalf of the Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore, resurfaced, stating that seven women died after inhaling a free perfume sample that was mailed to them that turned out to be poisonous; persons were warned to throw away any such samples they may have received. The warning also stated that terrorists were behind the poisonings.

This revived old hoax was once more debunked and persons reminded of the Gleneagles Hospital’s official denial of issuing the warning.

In December, a video claiming to show a phone – often identified as a Samsung phone – exploding when being used by “The Voice” coach CeeLo Green, spread across the Internet.

Many websites published the story as genuine; while a YouTube video also went viral, claiming it was a recalled Samsung phone that CeeLo was using. This wasn’t the case. CeeLo explained that the video was a promotional one for a project.

In light of these debunked hoaxes, some advice for the new year: The next time you’re sent a text, video or photo claiming some sensational event or the other, think twice to avoid being conned.

24

Times Sunday Magazine

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JANUARY 1, 2017

Archie

ARIES It’s time to work hard for (March 21- positive change. A producApril 19) tive plan that will send you in a favorable direction personally and professionally will set the stage for a bright future.

Plan your strategy for the TAURUS upcoming year. Preparation (April 20- will help you reach your May 20) goals quickly. Your intelligence, keen perception and imaginative mind will lead to prosperity.

Consider what is and GEMINI isn’t possible. Weed out (May 21any ideas that are likely to June 20) slow you down or cause you to miss your goal. Stay focused, and set your course.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Discuss plans and book all your arrangements for the holidays. Try something new or take a different approach to how you spend your time and money.

Put time aside for the ones you love. Share your thoughts and plans, and make any adjustments necessary. Romance is favored and will improve your No. 1 relationship.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

How you move forward at home or the ways in which you ensure having some leftover cash for things you enjoy will lead to positive progress.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Return to basics and strategize about how you are going to handle a financial or physical deficit due to past indulgence or extravagance.

Romance will help improve your life.

If you limit your expendi-

Peanuts

SCORPIO tures and live modestly, you (Oct. 24will put together a solid plan Nov. 22) that will ensure your personal and professional success. It’s a new year and a new beginning.

Lady Luck is in your corSAGITTARIUS ner.

Look at your options (Nov. 23and put your strategy to Dec. 21) work. Settlements, investments and finances will take a positive turn.

Calvin and Hobbes

Don’t let the words or acCAPRICORN tions of others confuse you.

(Dec. 22- Stick to your principles and Jan. 19) plan. Keep your life simple and focused on achieving personal success. Don’t fold under pressure.

Something good is within AQUARIUS reach. An unexpected offer(Jan. 20- ing or proposal will get you Feb. 19) thinking about new possibilities. A change will do you good. Start a new diet and exercise regimen.

An idea you have could PISCES change your life, but before (Feb. 20you jump in you should conMar. 20) sider the downside and the cost involved. The response you get from friends will be telling.