Guyana Times December 2, 2018

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Countdown to Christmas

December

2, 2018

g Always tryinlf to put myse tin uncomfor able posi hka tion: Anus Page 14 Sharma IBUTION

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THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 3764 guyanatimesgy.com

Sunday, December 2, 2018

PRICE

Evaluators falsify records to cover up delayed project Page 3

– results in millions in overpayments to contractor

Supply Health Deadly Saturday: Centre contract 2 die in separate terminated …efforts being made to recoup money from contractor accidents Page 9

$120 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Hydromet Office fully equipped, but understaffed – senior official P11 M&CC CoI report

Mae’s Schools to remove fence, clear debris from public playground P12

Page 16

$2M missing from Charity Post Office safe Page 2

Law books fiasco

Nandlall asks High Court to quash P13 Magistrate’s ruling

ECD traffic diversion P16 turned chaotic

Police burn ganja farms in Berbice P7 River Building stonger ties: Deputy Commander Superintendent Dion Moore (2nd from right standing); Inspector Matthew Craig; Inspector Chandradat Kooldeep and other ranks from the Number 2 Sub-Division, on behalf of Divisional Commander Edmond Cooper, distributed food hampers in the spirit of giving to the needy at this of the year. In photo, Natasha Robinson and her son of Retch Door Zee, West Bank Demerara, share a photo moment with the ranks

Withdrawal of garbage service

“From a Garden City to a Garbage City” – citizens

Page 2

…as unemptied bins left on Georgetown streets

Emergency TB drug supplies procured P14 – Govt

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news

SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

Withdrawal of garbage service

“From a Garden City to a Garbage City” – citizens …as unemptied bins left on city streets

R

Piles of garbage bags in Alexander Village

esidential and commercial areas across the capital city have been piled high with garbage, creating a disturbing scene, just days after City Hall’s two major solid waste collectors withdrew their services.

A check by Guyana Times around Georgetown revealed bags of garbage at the corners of the roadway next to stacked bins and boxes, awaiting removal.

In Alexander Village, residents decried that their garbage bins were not emptied since the two collectors – Puran Brothers Disposal Services and Cevons Waste Management – pulled their services last Monday. At present, they are asking when will the refuse be removed, as it is distasteful to look at.

Furthermore, they have nowhere else to place to bags but to leave them on the cor-

This was waiting to be collected on Water Street, Georgetown

ner of the streets.

Shanaz Ally told this publication, “We were waiting for them to come since the beginning of this week. As you saw, the bins running over and we have to put the garbage in bags now and line them up until they come.”

Ally explained that since her community is on the out-

skirts of Georgetown, they have been neglected by the Council when it comes to the provision of garbage disposal services.

Additionally, in Central Georgetown, key enterprises and prominent locations also faced the brunt of City Hall’s incapability to meet these demands. Water Street was

lined with black garbage bags filled with unwanted waste at almost every business.

With the obvious possibility of rodents and vermin being attracted by the garbage pile up, customers also found it difficult to conduct their transactions, as they were forced to manoeuvre between the bags to access the stores during the busy Christmas season. Many persons with large shopping bags complained about this build-up of waste.

At Orange Walk and Bourda – streets within the capital city – a similar scenario was observed where one consumer said, “We moving from a Garden City to a Garbage City. The garbage piling up, we have no garbage trucks to pick it up and it growing more and more.”

Guyana Times was informed by the Solid Waste Management Director of City Hall, Walter Narine that small contractors would take up the mantle of the routine collection. For this, many have voiced their concerns that maybe this process is not moving effectively to eradicate waste from Georgetown.

Earlier this week, vendors at Bourda also complained about a slow collection process, as they are forced to wait prolonged intervals be-

No collection on the outskirts of the city

fore the garbage is removed from their immediate surroundings.

While speaking to this publication on Wednesday, cries were heard about the time which they have to wait before the refuse is being removed from the Orange Walk, Bourda, dumping area.

“In this rain we got garbage piling up and nobody to pick it up. It frustrating cause the thing creating a scene and going over to the roadside,” said Shelley (only name provided).

It was indicated that the slow garbage collection has left a stench in the area which is even worse during the rainy days. Later on Wednesday, some of the garbage was placed in large disposal bins but the vendors are contending that there will be no collection for several days.

“They just collect it today cause we keep raising the issue so like we got to keep doing this until they come. I live in Georgetown and they supposed to collect garbage but some days I got to bring it here in garbage bags for them cause they don’t even come to my house.”

Last Monday, both collectors withdrew their services after being owed over $160 million. City Hall had assured that garbage collection services would be provided by five smaller agencies; namely Granderson, Trash Tech, Tri Star, C&S Services and Garbage Eaters.

In a statement last week, City Hall officials admitted that they remain cashstrapped and therefore cannot dispense the money owed to the garbage collectors.

(Rupadai Seenaraine)

news

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SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, December 2 – a night retraction at 01:00h and a day retraction from 13:30h-15:00h and Monday, December 3 – a night retraction at 01:30h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, December 2 – 13:05h-14:35h and Monday, December 3 – 14:00-15:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, with clear skies expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly and North North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 00:18h and 12:52h reaching maximum heights of 2.31 metres and 2.38 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 06:18h and 18:52h reaching minimum heights of 0.86 metre and 0.84 metre respectively.

saturDAY, december 1, 2018

LOTTERY NUMBERS M

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DAILY MILLIONS

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

Evaluators falsify records to cover up delayed project – results in millions in overpayments to contractor

T

he Audit Office of Guyana has uncovered discrepancies whereby a contractor carrying out a project for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was overpaid after the project’s evaluators inflated certification documents to cover for the slow pace of work.

This is contained in Auditor General Deodat Sharma’s 2017 report.

The contract in question was awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the construction of a timber wharf approach and a floating raft at the GDF’s Coastal Battalion in New Amsterdam.

According to the report, the contract sum was $52.6 million, against an engineer’s estimate of $54.5 million. Signed on November 3, 2017, the works were supposed to be completed within six months of the contract signing.

However, when the Audit Office carried out a physical inspection of the project on August 29, 2018 (over nine months later), it was discovered that the GDF certified and paid a total of $17.8 million to the contractor for works that hadn’t even started.

“Valuation number one was grossly inflated to reflect that the works under the contract were in an advanced stage of completion, resulting in the contractor receiving a total of $32.351 million or 61 per cent of the contract sum at the time of the physical verification,” the Auditor General stated.

According to the Auditor General, the contractor had already been given an advance payment of $15.4 million, 30 per cent of the contract sum, on November 30, 2017.

The contractor then received another payment of $16.8 million on May 8, 2018.

The defects liability period of the contract, in which a contractor must

The project at the time State auditors visited the site

rectify any mistakes out of his own pocket, is for three months. However, the Auditor General could not determine from payment vouchers exactly who certified the works and thus, was responsible for the overpayments.

“It is unclear if the advance payment was recovered at the time of reporting. In addition, it could not be determined from payment voucher examined who certified the works,” the audit report states.

The Auditor General found that the contract was paid to supply, pitch, point and then drive greenheart timber piles 65 feet long. They were also paid to provide and install greenheart capping beams, supply and compact white sand, install a galvanised metal gate to the entrance of the wharf and install solar lamps, among other things.

The report noted that none of these things were in place. But State Auditors did find the contractor on site. According to the Audit Office, the contractor was on site but only the clearing and earthworks on the ap-

proach to the wharf had commenced.

According to the Auditor General, this is contrary to what was paid for in valuation number one, which certified payments for the wharf, plumbing and electrical installations. To make matters worse, the Auditor General could find no trace of a performance bond or advance payment bond; crucial elements for ensuring contractors do not deviate from their contracts.

“The GDF engineer will monitor the ongoing works more closely to ensure the pace of work is increased,

in keeping with the payments made,” the Audit Report stated as the GDF’s response to the findings.

In its recommendations, the audit office urged the GDF to recover the overpayments and put systems in place to prevent reoccurrences.

Overpayments on contracts have long been a sore issue. It was found in the previous Auditor General’s report that overpayments on 98 contracts administered by various Ministries, departments and regions in 2016 amounted to $82.6 million.

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SUnDAY, december 2, 2018

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

Editorial

PNC Realpolitik

N

ow that the dust of the Local Government Elections (LGE) is finally settling down, the new political landscape is beginning to be discerned. The combination of a lower-than-normally-low turnout and a massive victory of the PPPC in the popular vote and in newer Municipalities appeared to have persuaded the PNC – the largest party in the coalition Government – to intensify its practice of “realpolitik”.

As explained by Encyclopedia Britannica, “Realpolitik (is) politics based on practical objectives, rather than on ideals. The word does not mean “real” in the English sense, but rather connotes “things”—hence a politics of adaptation to things as they are. Realpolitik thus suggests a pragmatic, no-nonsense view and a disregard for ethical considerations.”

The PNC was always grounded in realpolitik through its founder’s admiration of the philosophy of Machiavelli, who is seen as the father of realpolitik. Burnham’s decision to split the nationalist movement in 1955 -- in spite of its perverse ethnic consequences that bedevil us into the present -- just to become leader under the CIA-hatched plan to oust the PPP Government, is an example of his realpolitik approach. Another was buying-off PPP and UF MPs in the wake of his decision to rig elections from 1968.

The decision to subsume the PNC’s name for “APNU” as a “coalition” with 4 “paper parties in 2011 was another move dictated by realpolitik. But even moreso was the concession in 2015 that it was not really a “multiracial” party, but needed the putative Indian-Guyanese supporters of the AFC to form a “multiracial” Government.

By 2018, however, the AFC’s support base – especially in the Indian-Guyanese community -- had evaporated in the cold light of the actions of the coalition Government over the last three years. Before the LGE, the reassertion of realpolitik was signalled by the decision of the PNC to go to the polls without its coalition partner. This would be a litmus test of the latter’s real electoral worth going forward into the general elections of 2020. Suspicions that the AFC had not really delivered its promised 10 per cent support from the Indian-Guyanese constituency in 2015 had made their 40 per cent allocation of the Cabinet untenable from a realpolitik perspective.

The LGE confirmed the suspicions and proved that the AFC had dwindled into an inconsequential 4 per cent party.

The PNC had also conceded that the fig leaf of the APNU paper parties without any support on the ground might have proved useful in 2015, but had outlived its usefulness against the background of the reconsolidation of the PNC’s traditional support in the African- Guyanese community.

While the PNC used the APNU brand during the LGE, the participation of its erstwhile partners was noticeable for their absence on the hustings.

But the implosion of the AFC raised, once again, the problematic of the need for the PNC to gain legitimacy by forming a truly multiracial Government. The action that had caused the implosion of the AFC was the peripheralisation of the Indian-Guyanese interests from the Government’s programme – epitomised by the shutdown of half of the sugar industry and sacking of 7000 of its dominantly IndianGuyanese workforce.

It was these circumstances that drove newly elected Chairman of the PNC, Volda Lawrence, to utter the paradigmatic realpolitik statement to a PNC audience: that the PNC had to recruit “people who look like Jagdeo”. This is a frank admission that with the implosion of the AFC, they needed to increase the numbers of Indian-Guyanese in their membership. But how to accomplish that? This was clarified in her other statement, which attracted attention: “The only friends I got is PNC, so the only people I gon give wuk to is PNC; and right now I looking for a doctor who can talk Spanish or Portuguese, and ah want one that is PNC.” Lawrence is merely restating Burnham’s realpolitik policy that a PNC party membership card was necessary for obtaining jobs. The PNC today expects hope of participating in the coming “oil economy” will bring in Indian-Guyanese.

A sandstorm hits the city of Zhangye in Gansu province, China, November 25, 2018

(Reuters)

Khashoggi murder: Pompeo says 'no direct evidence' implicates Saudi prince - US Secretary of State says investigation of journalist’s death continues and those responsible will be held accountable

T

he US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisted on Saturday that “no direct evidence” linked the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to the death of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Pompeo is a former Director of the CIA, which has reportedly concluded that Prince Mohammed ordered the murder. On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported that according to the CIA, Prince Mohammed “sent at least 11 messages to his closest adviser, who oversaw the team that killed…

Khashoggi, in the hours before and after the journalist’s death”.

Pompeo’s boss, Donald Trump, has disputed that the CIA has said Prince Mohammed is to blame. Khashoggi was a Saudi national resident in the US who wrote for the Washington Post.

He was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018. His body is believed to have been dismembered.

It has not been found.

The Saudi Government has given contradictory explanations for the death and denied that Prince

Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Mohammed knew of it.

Pompeo spoke to CNN on Saturday, on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Buenos Aires beset by diplomatic embarrassment over the presence of the prince.

Asked if he believed the Saudis, he said: “I’ve spoken about this a lot. I continue to work on this issue.

President Trump and this Administration sanctioned 17 people that we came to learn were connected to the murder – heinous murder – of Jamal Khashoggi.

“All across the United States Government we continue to investigate, to try and learn, to make determinations about what

happened, and we’ll continue to hold those responsible accountable. We’ve been very clear, very clear about that since literally the very beginning.”

Pompeo said he would not comment on “intelligence matters or CIA conclusions” and said “reports in the media … often are untrue”.

But he added: “I have read every piece of intelligence that is in the possession of the United States Government, and when it is done, when you complete that analysis, there’s no direct evidence linking [Prince Mohammed] to the murder of Jamal

Khashoggi. That is an accurate statement, it is an important statement, and it is the statement that we are making publicly today.”

Pompeo said “the strategic relationship” with Saudi Arabia remained of paramount importance to the US. Asked about rising opposition in Congress to US support for Saudi Arabia’s military effort in the civil war in Yemen, he said the US was working to end hostilities but “the programme that we’re involved in today we intend to continue”.

In Buenos Aires, French president Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May were among leaders who said they had confronted Prince Mohammed.

The Turkish President, Recip Tayep Erdogan, said the Khashoggi murder was not formally mentioned by any leader except Justin Trudeau of Canada. He also said Turkey has evidence Khashoggi was killed in seven and a half minutes, and has shared that evidence with countries including the US, Britain, Germany and Saudi Arabia. (The Guardian)

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SunDAY, december 2, 2018

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Value for money is lost M&CC will never learn from its mistakes with poor governance Dear Editor, Our National Budget continues to grow, and each year the masses embrace great expectations only to be disappointed as the Finance Minister rambles on to the end of his budget speech. The 2019 Budget is humongous-$300.7 billion! However, the vulnerable citizenry-the youths, the pensioners, the impoverished in need of public assistance, the horde of dismissed sugar workers-saw no light at the end of that five-hour long speech filled with repetitions, a plethora of dream selling statements and an overabundance of platitudes!

We heard about huge increases of budgetary allocations in various ministries and Government agencies, but the old age pensioners could only be rewarded $1,000 increase as they near the end of their earthly existence! However, they must thank their masters since in 2018 they were given the princely sum of $500 and now it’s a 100 per cent increase! The impoverished and the disabled met the same fate. Public assistance was given a paltry increase of $1,000, which will burden the Coalition Government by an additional $800 million. Can you imagine the callous, unconscionable and uncaring nature of this Government?

And yet they have the temerity to brag and boast about ‘Transforming the Economy, Empowering People, Building Sustainable Communities for Good Life’! This is absurdity to the extreme when we look at the massive squandering, mismanagement and outright thievery of public funds by the various Government agencies.

This government needs to give the ‘significant’ increases as promised and restore the water and electricity rates to the old age pensioners and those who deserve public assistance should be ‘assisted’ in a more significant manner!

Moreover, the education budgetary allocation has jumped to $52.6 billion and yet this Government was unable to reinstate the cash

grant given to students, especially with the rise in cost of living making it increasingly burdensome for some people to send their children to school. Under the previous administration this grant would have been around $40,000 per student by now! The five B initiative alone cannot ensure that students are going to school to receive the benefits of the $52.6 billion!

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), unemployment among youths in Guyana is around 26.33 per cent. Yet the programs for youths only target certain areas. The allocation of $1.7 billion will be administrated and disbursed through the Government Ministries such as the Ministry of Social Cohesion and the Ministry of Business and it is only known too well who will be the beneficiaries to the loans, grants and subsidies.

Furthermore, an allocation of $176 million on the HEYS program is inadequate. Can the Finance Minister say how many of these young ‘entrepreneurs’ trained are actually making a living off it? Are we getting value for money?

Unfortunately, the huge 2019 Budget will only provide fodder for greater corruption, mismanagement and thievery since the Minister of Finance has done nothing to ensure that the financial laws of this Nation are adhered to.

Moreover, it is clear from the Auditor General’s Report of 2017 that value for money is seriously compromised. An analysis of the Auditor’s Report of 2017 will show that a huge chunk of the budgetary allocations, probably conservatively estimated at 25 per cent does not benefit the recipients intended.

The Audit Act 2004 Section 24(3) states that, ‘…a public entity is applying its resources and carrying out its activities economically, efficiently, and effectively and with due regard to ensuring effective internal management control’. Mr Deodat Sharma has bemoaned the fact that there is a lack of internal

auditing units at the various budget agencies. This law is seriously breached!

The Finance Minister, Mr Winston Jordan had agreed that even though the Financial Laws of Guyana impose on every budget agency to have strong auditing systems, only a few budget agencies, if any at all, can boast a proper system of internal auditing that meets the test of competence. He admitted that there was an immediate and urgent need to improve transparency and accountability. He said that, ‘a project will be launched to review the needs and capacity of each budget agency or cluster of budget agencies, so as to implement a proper system of internal auditing’. He also acknowledged that the Audit Office needs more human and technological resources since the lack thereof has greatly hindered the work of this statutory body and had promised to rectify this.

It is clear then that the budgetary allocations for the various government agencies are not accurate, since a huge percentage of the monies ‘spent’ were for goods and services never received or provided.

Therefore, what is there to stop a repeat of the same in 2019? With proper control measures in place more monies would have been available for the old age pensioners, the poor and disabled and the students and youths of this country.

In conclusion, I wish to exhort the Honorable Minister of Finance, Mr Winston Jordan to implement the measures he spoke about so that we can finally get value for our money and he needs to seriously review his 2019 Budget to ensure that those who deserve the ‘good life’ are adequately addressed. A huge budget without transparency, accountability and good governance is money wasted!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf Region 6 RDC Councillor

Dear Editor, Well it is ‘belly wuk’ time at the Georgetown Municipality as they say here in Guyana.

With the headlines screaming in one newspaper ‘Criminal charges recommended against top city officials’, couple well persons there ‘ginching’ and ‘deh pon plimpla’. People no longer doing things ‘braddar’. Some officers have stopped driving their fancy SUV’s to work and are catching a bus instead.

The big question is ‘What does Santa Kennard have in his bag of goodies for them?’

Will they be reporting shortly to SOCU headquarters rather than to the grand old fairytale building as old and dilapidated as it is?

There have been quite a few scandals at City Hall before, but this is the Grand Daddy of them all. Never before has there been so much greed, vice, corruption, arrogance and venality. There had to be a day of reckoning

coming there.

It is the hope of the citizenry that a full audit of the finances of the Council for the years gone by, will be ordered by the Commission, as it is clear that what was uncovered by the Inquiry is merely the tip of the iceberg. ‘Hint to Baniba mek Quashiba tek notice’. And will the investigation be widened to outside of Guyana, to where large sums of money have been transferred, properties acquired, and businesses invested in?

Will there be a proper investigation into the parking meter scandal?

But one wonders if only the intractable officers will be dealt with for their misdeeds, or whether the reprobate Councillors who were the policymakers, who knowingly condoned the many wrongdoings, who served on the Finance Committee and signed approving vouchers totaling billions of dollars for contractors who were unfit, for excessive travel, for

goods that did not go through the tender process, and who personally added to the nepotism, cronyism and favouritism at City Hall will also be dealt with? To add insult to injury, some of these very persons have been re-elected to serve in the new Finance Committee. How could this be? Do we want a continuation of the financial malfeasance that has existed over the last three years? It will be the same persons holding the purse strings of the city.

So sad!

Everyone had been hoping that when rotten apples are removed from the barrel, there would have been a new day at City Hall but it seems as though the Council will never learn from its mistakes. Making the same mistakes over and over again is a source of unremitting pleasure for the fathers and mothers of our capital city.

Regards, Kwasi Sanderson

Paradigm shift in political thinking

Dear Editor, Please permit me the space in your column to highlight a disease that has agonised the Guyanese political cognition for far too long. This disease is that of political biasness which has pervaded the political landscape. It is positioned above state development, that is, the majority of the citizenry would rather argue about which political party is the ‘’lesser of two evils,’’ instead of what are the more progressive policies for social and economic transformation.

The question to be asked is, why are most Guyanese so politically biased to the extent of not seeing further than their biases would allow them to? It has to do with the political psychology which is deeply embedded in the Guyanese psyche from the 1960s to the present day.

Ever since Independence, there is a perception which reigns in our politics. This perception is that if a political party comprises of the majority who look like you and if its leader looks like you, then, naturally they would look out for your needs and be aware of your pleas. But, hasn’t this theory been disproved? I

think so!

But, yet, most Guyanese continue to live in political oblivion. Politicians, however, are very cognizant of this psychology and they play on it. They go out in numbers to every depressed community and campaign in every nook and cranny, but when they obtain power, those very communities would be neglected. This has always been the game of politics.

This is not a personal attack on any politician or political party. It is simply an illumination of the obvious, with intent of inspiring a paradigm shift in the political attitude of Guyanese.

If you continue to justify every outrageous action, or every carefree utterance made by Government Ministers, justifying it with,

“but, they are not as bad as the PPP,” then you are exactly why the country continues to be in disarray. This mentality thickens at every General Election. If Guyanese can’t set aside political biases, party politics and race politics, Guyana and its future will be doomed. When it boils down to what is best for the country, choose that. If the government has done something wrong, it should be accepted and highlighted, not justified. In 20 years from now, it would be disheartening to reflect on a Guyana that could have been but never became, and truly sad if the political conversation is still concentrated on PPP vs PNC or PPP vs APNU. Sincerely, Althea Hoodith

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Foundation

Dealing with crushes in your child’s life

By Wayne Parker

I

t wasn’t that long ago (or was it?) when we were young and thought for the first time that we were “in love” And now, in one of fate’s most cruel twists, our son or daughter is in the same place, feeling those feelings for someone else.

For us, it was just “puppy love.” For them, through our eyes, it may be innocent or it may be a real threat.

What dads need to know about crushes

Growing up today is totally different than it was just a few years ago. Popular culture and media emphasise romance and “love” in much different ways.

Teens today also develop crushes in ways that sound foreign to many dads.

Internet chat rooms, instant messaging, social networking sites, and cell phone messaging can be the source of budding relationships.

Facebook even offers an app called Secret Crush where your Facebooking teen can let someone know anonymously that they have a crush on them.

So what’s a dad to do?

What do fathers need to know about the modern world of crushing and what should they do when their child is in the height of a crush? First, some things have changed and some have not.

Crushes are not usually acted on

Just as when we were teens or tweens, there is still a tendency on the part of girls and boys to engage in some simple fantasy about their intended crush.

Teens are still, for the most part, too shy and insecure to even approach their crush. A recent online survey asks teens to indicate how often they act on a crush, and the answers indicated that it wasn’t very often. Some representative comments from responding teens are: * “I don’t really act on them. I just tell one of my friends. It eventually get over it!” * “I take crushes seriously but I’m too shy to step up to the plate and actually have a conversation with them.” * “I generally don’t act on them because of fear of rejection.” * “I act on them, but not to him, I just discuss them with my friends. The biggest problem from me is that I am scared of being rejected.” * “I take my crushes really seriously, but I have a hard time telling them I like them because I am scared that they don’t like me.” * “Lately, I’ve been majorly crushing on one guy.

Talking is my greatest problem. I mean, I can’t even have real conversations. I start to loose my mind and every thinng gets blocked out of my mind. It’s like my mind is a big wipe board freshly washed clean, a clean slate.” * “Some crushes just last for a few days and I don’t really take them seriously, but sometimes I get completely lovesick and they are all I ever think about. I don’t act on crushes b/c I am a really shy person and I don’t want them to think I’m a major dork.”

There are gender differences

Boys and girls usually re-

he secretly hoped his mom or I would see it even though he acted surprised that we discovered his secret. But it led to some interesting and meaningful conversations.

Other signs might include seeing a certain name being doodled over and over on school papers or folders, or seeing hearts appear in strange places like on bedroom mirrors or under pillows.

Another sign that may prompt concern can come from monitoring your teens email, social networking and instant messaging communications. If you are not either filtering access or having some monitoring on email, chat, social networking or IM activity, you need to do so.

Keep communication flowing

act very differently to their feelings of affection for an intended crush. Girls will tend to be more vocal about their crush, generally with their friends and occasionally with a parent. Boys, if they are aware of their feelings at all, will generally not vocalise them. The boys feel a little awkward about the feelings and generally won’t talk to their friends unless the crush results in an eventual physical relationship.

Girls also tend to have more intensive but shorter term crushes. Boys on the other hand will keep the fantasy alive longer.

Kids who do act on their crushes are often pretty forward

One of the things I hear from lots of dads is the concern about their daughters

being pretty direct in flirting with a crush. This is a pretty big change from our teen days.

I recall one mother telling me a few months ago about her seventh grade son arriving at junior high school registration and the “roving bands of bare midriff young women” scoping him out and approaching him with “corny pickup lines.”

And boys are often similarly assertive once they get up the nerve to approach an intended crush.

Don’t panic immediately

Recognize that a child with a crush is a pretty normal thing-a part of growing up and learning to deal with this new hormonal surge. Expect there to be a little uncertainty as your child enters the realm

of adolescence.

Be worried about big age differences

If there is a serious crush involving an adult, be cautious. Sure, didn’t we all fantasize about a young teacher or a friend’s older sister?

But if the crush seems to be getting serious or is reciprocated in any way, this is a danger sign and it’s time to intervene.

Beware of going one-on-one too young

As your child reaches the conclusion to act on a crush, or as they begin to be an object of a crush, understand the dangers in pairing off too early. Some parents, especially some moms, think it’s cute when pre-teen or early teen children have dates or begin dating exclusively. Study after study shows that early dating leads to early sexual activity. Waiting to pair off until age 16 or older tends to slow down the rush to sex. So encourage your children to be involved in group social interaction. Even consider hosting some mixed gender activities at your home or under your sponsorship. And make sure these are supervised by responsible adults.

Watch for the signs

In our case, our son’s first sign of a crush was a “sign.”

It was on the back of his bedroom door and it said, “I love R G” I suspect that

The most important thing a dad can do with his adolescent child is keep the lines of communication open. And not just about the opposite sex, but about everything that is important to them. School, friends, siblings, church and other areas of interest will be important as well. And if you have established a communicative relationship in other areas, talking about young love will be a natural extension. A couple of useful tools for encouraging communication are: * Give them openings.

Look for opportunities to bring up issues in a natural way. For example, watching a movie together can allow some conversation about crushes. Even popular television shows like can lead to similar discussions. * Some kids.” Many parents have found success in initiating a difficult conversation by using the “some kids” approach. Start a comment with the phrase “some kids” and see if your child responds. For example, “Some kids worry about being rejected if they let on that they like someone.” This can be a good conversation starter. * Actively listen. When a child raises an issue or concern, use the active listening technique. Active listening involves listening for meaning, not just for content.

Conclusion

Dealing with crushes and the first signs of teen love can be a little traumatic for a father. Dads who deal successfully with these issues do a lot of listening, watch for signs, and find ways to give gentle reminders about proper ways for their teens and pre-teens to handle these new feelings that come with adolescence.

(Excerpt from www.liveabout.com)

news

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SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Police burn ganja farms in Berbice River for 11 hours, during which approximately five acres of cannabis cultivation and three camps were destroyed.

This includes some 3300 plants ranging from six inches to six feet in height with an average weight of 1660 kilograms.

Meanwhile, one of the

One of the ganja farms that was found in the Berbice River

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force on Saturday discovered a shotgun during an opera-

tion that saw them destroying several acres of marijuana plants and makeshift camps.

This was done as the ranks conducted several eradication exercises in the Berbice River that lasted

$2M missing from Charity Post Office safe

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olice in G Division (Essequibo CoastIslands) are investigating the theft of some $2 million from the Charity Post Office, Essequibo Coast, after the safe in which it was being kept was torched sometime Saturday morning.

Based on information reaching Guyana Times, the matter was reported by the post mistress.

She told the Police that on Friday, she counted and secured $2.3 million in the safe which was secured by a combination lock.

The money was to be paid to pensioners and according to the post mistress, only three staff at the Post Office had knowledge that the cash was there.

This publication was told that sometime during the early hours of Saturday, the post office was broken into by persons unknown.

The perpetrators gained entry through a window on

The Charity Post Office

the side of the building, after which they torched the combination lock on the safe.

The Charity Post Office is in a very deplorable state and lacking any proper security. The doors are reportedly secured by bolts and padlocks, while some of the old wooden framed win-

dows are secured by internal grill.

Further reports reaching Guyana Times indicates that at the time of the alleged break-in, there was reportedly no security guard stationed at the building.

Nevertheless, the Police are investigating.

One of the camps being burnt

camps which was used to dry the prohibited plants, was found with about 200 kilograms of processed cannabis.

Additionally, the ranks found a 12-gauge shotgun and a matching cartridge in one of the camps.

The cultivation, dried

cannabis and camps were all photographed, and samples obtained before being destroyed by fire.

According to the Police, no one was arrested but efforts are being made to trace the owner of the land. The investigation continues.

8 news

SUnDAY, december 2, 2018

| guyanatimesGY.com

Knife-wielding youths rob security guard

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thirty-one-year-old security guard was pounced on by two youths on Saturday morning at Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown. He was held at knifepoint and relieved of his belongings, but one of the suspects was arrested shortly afterwards by an off-duty Police rank.

Based on reports received, the incident occurred at about 10:15h. The victim explained that he was walking along the Industrial Site road when he noticed two suspects trailing him.

“When I was walking in, two guys was behind me, and I observe they was mov-

The 17-year-old who was arrested following the robbery

ing suspicious. They was coming out [the street] and I was going in. One of them signal the guy that he was with, and they circle back,” the distraught man explained.

He said the two suspects attacked him with what he described as a “long” knife that one of the suspects had, and he was relieved of his bag and two phones valued at $25,000.

“They attack me, choke me, take everything that I had, and start running. One of them had a knife…a long black knife. They take my bag and my two phones,” the victim explained.

The security guard said he started to scream, and an off-duty Policeman who was nearby arrested one of the suspects, who is a 17-yearold resident of Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

“I start yelling, ‘Thief!’

This guy (the Police officer) charged towards the two of them.

Realizing that they were being chased, the teen threw the bag and the phones on the ground as they ran away. The Constable called for backup, and ranks on a patrol subsequently arrived and took the teen into custody,” he detailed.

Body of farmer found afloat at Leguan foreshore

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he body of 69-yearold farmer George Dove of La Bagatelle, Leguan was discovered on Saturday at about 06:45h stuck between rocks in the estuary of the Essequibo River in the vicinity of La Bagatelle, Leguan.

When Dove’s body was

retrieved, there were abrasions on its head and on the left side, suspected to have occurred while the body was washed up between the rocks.

According to Police reports, Dove left home at about 10:00h on November 20 for his farm at Parika Backdam, where he would

normally spend two to three weeks before returning home.

On Friday, however, at 18:30h, a woman saw the pensioner lying on the Leguan wharf apparently under the influence of alcohol. The woman offered to take him home, since they are from the same

community, but he refused the offer.

His body was subsequently found the following morning.

Guyana Times was told that the late George Dove had been in the habit of regularly consuming alcohol and falling into trenches.

The verdict…

J

…on City Hall

ustice (rtd) Cecil Kennard has handed in the report of his one-man CoI into the runnings at City Hall in general, and the Town Clerk in particular. If nothing else, his conducting of the inquiry over the last few months irrefutably proves that Granger was grossly unfair to him to pull him off the Police Complaints Authority on account of “age”!

We all knew that putative “reason” offered was just blowing smoke up the collective Guyanese nether regions, since Granger at the same time appointed the older, 84-year-old James Patterson to head the much more demanding position of GECOM Chair. But it’s now been officially confirmed: the policy of this Government is to only hire “PNC friends”. As a distinguished jurist who served this country with distinction all the way to being Chancellor, Justice Kennard, of course, didn’t qualify!

It would come as no surprise, of course, that the report recommends that Town Clerk Royston King be immediately fired, and CRIMINAL charges of misfeasance be instituted against him for the hundreds of actions he took that were clearly not only ultra vires, but criminal in nature. Justice Kennard said this was the “easiest” conclusion for him to reach; in the language of young people, it was a “no brainer”!!

Notwithstanding the old Mayor, Chase Green, recently attempting to throw him under the bus, it is also a no-brainer that King wasn’t alone in raping the City’s assets. The Mayor and a wide cross section of City Hall officials were also fingered for dismissal and investigation. The report recommended that SARA be called in to trace the origins of the funds for the assets of these officials – especially Green and King – and immediately freezing those assets, pending seizure when forensic evidence is secured.

But your Eyewitness must confess he doesn’t think anything will come out of the Kennard CoI, for the simple reason that the scoundrels at City Hall were acting with the connivance of those at the very highest levels of the Government. How else would Green and King have been allowed to thumb their noses at all and sundry who pointed out the litany of their transgressions in the press for years? It’s not that the big ones didn’t know!!

In light of the re-election of many of the transgressors to City Hall in the LGE, even the people whose trust they betrayed have chosen to turn a blind eye at their venality. And that’s the tragedy of Guyana: politics trumps all!!

The stepping down of Chase Green from the Mayorship and the selection of the green (pun intended) Pandit is all mamaguy!

It’ll be the same ole, same ole.

…on PNC employment policy

PPP MP Harry Gill wrote a pithy letter summarising the disgust of right- thinking Guyanese at the statement made by the Chair of the PNC, Volda Lawrence, articulating her Government’s racist hiring policy: “The only friends I got is PNC, so the only people I gon give wuk to is PNC; and right now I looking for a doctor who can talk Spanish or Portuguese, and ah want one that is PNC.” The Muckraker, however, appended this note to the letter: “A preference for PNC people is not an ethnic preference, since people of every race group belong to the PNC. One cannot understand the need for the intervention of the Ethnic Relations Commission”.

But this is unctuously ingenuous. Earlier in the week, Lawrence had looked at a room full of African-Guyanese and talked about the PPP fielding as candidate for the Georgetown LGE “people like us” rather than “people looking like Jagdeo”. The PNC sees African- Guyanese as “born PNC”.

Their hiring policy prioritises African- Guyanese, and this is racist!!

…on President Granger’s health

Following President Granger’s diagnosis of nonHodgson lymphoma and treatment in Cuba, there were reports the chemotherapy regimen is available in Guyana.

Your Eyewitness hopes the President’s return to Cuba for further treatment doesn’t signal a relapse.

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

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SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Supply Health Centre contract terminated …efforts being made to recoup money from contractor

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he Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) administration has moved against a contractor who undertook the construction of the Supply, East Bank Demerara (EBD) Health Centre, but against whom sanctions have since been recommended over alleged shoddy work.

This was revealed by Regional Executive Officer Pauline Lucas, who was at the time addressing a statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) held earlier this week.

According to Lucas, she has not only terminated the contract but has also ordered the contractor, Navin and Son’s, to repay the region monies for the foundation and columns.

“I wrote to him outlining the results of the recent tests that were done and indicated to him that he would have to redo the foundation at his own cost.

However, he indicated to me that in his view nothing was wrong with the foundation and therefore he saw no need for the foundation having to be redone,” she said.

“I have therefore written to the Ministry of Communities outlining the issues and thereby seeking the advice in the way forward. As such, the Ministry wrote me and accepted my recommendation of terminating the contractor with the contractor tasked with

repaying the region,” the REO continued.

Lucas stressed that the decision to terminate the contract is based on recommendations made by the senior engineer for the region and the Auditor General’s office, both of whom conducted tests on the works done. Both tests lead to similar findings.

However, Region Four Councillor Mazarool Majeed questioned what would become of the foundation in having it redone. According to Lucas, this will be part of the region’s letter to the contractor. She noted that he will have to shoulder the cost of dismantling the columns and foundation.

She also addressed other concerns regarding the re-advertisement of the same contract.

Councillor Amarnauth Chickan questioned whether the previous blueprints and even the current site would be used again. The Councillor was against the same site being used to construct the health centre and called for a detailed assessment of the area by regional engineers to guide further construction.

The Supply Health Centre has for some time been at the heart of a struggle between regional officials seeking value for money and the contractor. A few months ago, an investigation was ordered into the issue by Regional Chairperson

The foundation of the health centre at the centre of the controversy

Genevieve Allen.

The move was sparked after Councillors on the RDC recommended sanctions against the contractor.

At the time, it was pointed out that the contractor has multiple contracts in the region and thus, those projects could also have issues.

There have been long standing concerns over the quality of the work and the actions of the contractor; all of which had caused the Region Four authorities to seek to halt the construction of the health centre.

According to a report that was submitted by the Clerk of Works, the contrac-

tor had failed to comply with a number of requirements for the project. Among the requirements reportedly ignored by the contractor was one for the complete removal of tree roots and debris from the site.

Regional officials have complained that contrary to the specifications of the project, the casting of the health centre flooring was found to have been done without removing a major tree stump. Lucas had previously expressed concern that this raised serious questions about the strength and quality of the building.

The contractor was ordered by the Clerk of Works to not proceed with casting the foundation of the health centre. This cease work order was reportedly ignored.

10 news Lawrence urges PNCR General Council to expand support base T SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

he recently elected Chairwoman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, during her inaugural address to that party’s General Council, called on party members to expand the support base of the party as they gear into campaign mode for the 2020 General Elections.

According to a statement from that Party following its last General Council for 2018, Lawrence said the time was now for the PNCR to recharge and retool its base, “…no one must be left behind. Now is not the time for armchair service; now is the time to work the ground tirelessly and dutifully.”

The PNCR General Council was held on Saturday at the party’s headquarters at Congress Place, Sophia, and was chaired by Lawrence, who also extended best wishes to its Leader, President David Granger, who is currently suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is expected to return to Cuba on Tuesday for follow-up treatment.

Lawrence called on party leaders to re-engage and talk to party members and supporters, even if it means

PNCR Chairwoman, Volda Lawrence

that the ministers and party leaders must get out of their offices and work within the communities. She called for programmes to be put in place to ensure this happens, since their services should be people- centred.

The Chairwoman called on the party to embark on a massive membership drive to broaden and strengthen its base. She said, “We must be ready to fortify grassroots democracy by playing a greater role in local government countrywide, and by providing solutions to rural and agrarian problems.

With this, the party must be totally committed to enduring equality for all, and to protecting our citizens’ fun-

damental rights.”

The Party Chairman iterated that the PNCR remains committed to achieving national unity and improving relations with all communities and groups, the statement related.

Lawrence called on all ministers of the Government and party leaders to recommit themselves to service to the people, and promised that the Coalition Government would continue to work towards delivering a good life to all Guyanese.

Meanwhile, PNCR General Secretary, Social Protection Minister Amna Ally, presented her report on the scope of work the party conducted over the last

quarter. The focus of her report was mainly on membership, achievements, local government elections, projections, and other related party affairs.

A panel discussion was also held on Budget 2019, and included Finance Minister Winston Jordan, Lawrence, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton, and Education Minister Dr Nicolette Henry.

The General Council, the second highest decision-making forum of the PNCR, meets once every quarter.

While Lawrence called for unity and service to all during her maiden General Council address, she made a different comment just recently, when she told a PNCR Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) meeting that “…the only friends I got is PNC, so the only people I could give work to is PNC.” She has since received flack for her comment from all sections of society, and is yet to issue an apology or to defend the said statements.

In fact, the PNCR issued a statement in which they indicated that Lawrence is committed to national unity.

All skin teeth na laff

S

atiricus was quite upbeat as he ambled towards the Back Street Bar. Ever since he quit the KFC party, he’d noticed they’d practically disappeared from the public’s eye. He didn’t mind, since he didn’t want to be blamed for jumping a sinking ship. He’d cut ties much earlier, when Nagga Man boasted he’d whup the PPCEE in Whimsey. He’d concluded the man had become delusional.

“Hey, Sato!” yelled Cappo, as Satiricus sidled into the seat next to him. “Wha’ yuh t’ink ‘bout de new May-ya?”

“What’s to think?” answered Satiricus. “We don’t know anything about him.”

“Da na true!” interjected Bungi. “Abee know ‘e a wan Maha Soopa pandit. Dem bin seh Burnt Ham a dem Gaad!”

“Bungi’s right,” said Hari. “The bannah come from a long line of PNC soup drinkers!”

“Well, he’ll get his soup,” smiled Satiricus. “But it’ll be served from his predecessor’s ladle!”

“Suh yuh mean who feed de, daag can den call aff de daag?” asked Cappo with a cynical smile.

“Budday the lady said it openly before they SELECTED the Pandit,” said Satiricus. “She said she was looking for someone young, who she could GUIDE!” “Guide?” asked Bungi. “Yuh mean like how dem does ‘guide’ dem dankey fuh pull dem cyart wid wan 2 by 4!!”

“But when the Old Mayor advise the Pandit, I thought it was you fellas,” said Hari.

“Really?” said Cappo. “Wha’ she seh?”

“Not every smile, not every skin teeth, is a laugh; not every shut-eye is sleep, and there are many wolves in sheep’s clothing,” reported Hari.

“That’s all very true,” agreed Satiricus. “But there are also wolves in wolves’ clothing he has to look out for – like the old Mayor!!”

“If de guvment evah tek de Kennard CoI advice,” Bungi pointed out. “All dem wolf guh get jail!”

“Well, Rum Jaat is building a new jail at Camp Street,” said Hari. “But that’s only for those who break his 2am bar curfew!”

11 Hydromet Office fully equipped, but understaffed – senior official A news

SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

PNC ethnic politics

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olda Lawrence, Chairwoman of the PNCR, has created quite a firestorm over her comments to her party faithful at a Region 4 conclave to conduct a post mortem on the LGE and to chart a way forward to 2020. Throwing the usual politically correct political platitudes we usually hear in the public pronouncements of politicians, Ms Lawrence bluntly told her audience that when it comes to jobs, “The only friends I got is PNC, so the only people I gon give wuk to is PNC; and right now I looking for a doctor who can talk Spanish or Portuguese, and ah want one that is PNC!” This is remarkable for a host of reasons, not the least for what it portends for the unemployed in the country who are not members of the PNC or friends of Ms Lawrence.

Unemployment is a major Ravi Dev challenge to achieving the promised “good life” that Ms Lawrence’s Government promised in 2015, with 12.2 per cent of the working age population out of work, according to a survey conducted in the third quarter of 2017. A good chunk of that unemployed population if from the sugar belt, where some 7000 persons were unilaterally fired by the PNC Government when they closed four of the seven sugar estates of GuySuCo. Most of those workers are PPP supporters.

The Chairperson of the PNC – who not so incidentally is also the Minister of Health – is therefore telling those unemployed that unless they pick up a PNC party card, there is no hope of them getting employed by the Government or in Government-funded projects.

From “Produce or Perish”, the new Government slogan is evidently “Be PNC or Perish”, since the policies of the PNC Government have stifled private sector expansion and public investment, and are holding up growth right now. Apart from such a policy being discriminatory on its face, it implicitly violates the constitutionally protected right of “freedom of association” by placing supporters of the PPP or other parties than the PNC in an invidiously untenable position to act on their freedom of conscience.

It appears, however, that Ms. Lawrence is waiving the old standard from the 1970s, that one had to be a “born PNC” -- read “African-Guyanese” -- to collect the PNC card, to one where, if individuals of other ethnicities, especially Indian-Guyanese, hold their noses and join the PNC, their origins will be “forgiven”.

At the engagement with the PNC activists, referring to "people who look like us and people who look like Jagdeo", she exhorted then to imitate the PPP, which evidently had fielded 28 African- Guyanese candidates out of 30 candidates for the Georgetown Municipal Elections, and recruit more members who “look like Jagdeo”.

But this position calls into question the PNC’s relationship with the AFC in the APNU/AFC coalition that now governs the country, and which was supposed to bring in the Indian-Guyanese based on their performance at the 2011 polls.

During the LGE campaign, Ms Lawrence had in fact been rather sharp in her criticism of the AFC, which had been forced to fly solo. Is she now signalling that the PNC would be using its clout in the Government to buy IndianGuyanese votes and dump the AFC? From a purely political perspective, this may make sense, since the PNC would not have to comply with the terms of the Cummingsburg Accord and allocate 40 per cent of the Cabinet to the AFC. If the AFC wants to remain relevant under this scenario, its leaders will have to join the PNC, as did several Members of Parliament from the PNC coalition partner, the UF, before the 1968 elections.

It would now appear that with the oil revenues in sight, Volda Lawrence is dangling the prospects of jobs and employment, which would be under the control of the PNC, to re-articulate the 1970s PNC policy to create an effective single-party state. Parties would be allowed to exist, but would effectively be shut out from having any input in Government policies. But that implies the PNC would win the 2020 elections on its own.

Do they also have a technique from the 1970s to deal with that contingency?

senior official of the Hydrometeorological Office of Guyana has disclosed that although the entity is fully equipped with the necessary tools, it is understaffed.

According to the senior official, “We have enough of the instruments that we require to produce these forecasts, as we know the increase in climate variability and change we have to enhance your forecast, you have to enhance your model so at this particular time we are fine with what is happening because it doesn’t make sense that we have lots of models and we do not have the capacity to operate these models.”

The official noted that the entity is understaffed, adding that the lack of employees is a major concern. According to the official, climate science and meteorology is generally not a course that is fully offered in Guyana or around

the Caribbean, thus making it difficult for persons to pursue or even be interested in t h e field.

“The particular area in climate science and meteorology is not a course that is fully offered in Guyana or around the Caribbean, so you find that it is a difficult career and you would find that people are less interested in that, so it’s not a career or a profession that you

could pick somebody out of the street.

You really have to train this person, so training a person it involves over five years in this particular field,” he asserted.

It is because of this that the officer called for more training and sensitisation methods be introduced for the career.

“It’s an interesting career, it’s an interesting field of study and we know that we all talk about climate change and weather is everybody’s business so again we at this

particular time we are much more better in weather and agriculture, but we would want to build more capacity in weather and tourism, climate and tourism, weather and infrastructure, weather and water, weather and energy we would like to do that,” he said.

In the past, the Hydrometeorological Office was accused of being unreliable as they failed to provide the warnings that were necessary. It is was also accused of providing inaccurate information as its forecasts varied from the actual weather or climate.

12 news

SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

M&CC CoI report

Mae’s Schools to remove fence, clear debris from public playground

Sheriff Street

the fence. The fence had gone three-quarters way,” the CoI Chairman explained.

“What was happening all the time? It may very well be that someone at City Hall orally told Mae’s, ‘You can go erect a fence’. Farnum playground, according to the City Engineer, is an open space, and it’s restricted to recreational purposes,” the CoI Chairman stated.

A public outcry by residents of Subryanville ensued after a portion of the Farnum Community Ground was barricaded and used by the Mae’s School students only.

Administrator of the Mae’s Schools, Stacy French, had been banning persons from utilising the public amenity by padlocking the gate erected on the ground.

Along with building

M

of the fence, workers doing construction at Mae’s Schools had dumped waste materials, including wooden boards and large chunks of cement, on the fenced playground.

Subryanville resident Damian Fernandes had told the Commission, “If you check, you will see that the metal rods are still sticking out of the ground. The form boards that were used to cast the base were thrown with nails, and you can see the nails sticking up; and that’s how it is left for many months. The construction crew from the school (has been) dumping builder’s waste on the ground,” Fernandes explained to the Commission.

He noted that it was very difficult to weed vegetation

An overhead photo of the Farnum playground in Subryanville, Georgetown

ae’s Schools in Subryanville, Georgetown will have to remove the fence it has unlawfully erected around the Farnum playground, by which it has cordoned off a public facility for private activities.

This was one of the recommendations inked on the final report of the Justice (retd) Cecil Kennard Commission of Inquiry presented to the Local Government Commission

(LGC) on Friday. The recommendation is that the ground should be returned to residents of the community. “[I recommend] that the City Engineer takes the necessary steps to have the fence, which was unlawfully erected at the Farnum playground by the Mae’s Primary School, be completely removed, as well as the builders’ waste,” retired Justice Cecil Kennard declared during his presenta-

tion of the CoI report.

He added that there were claims of senior City Hall officials assuming that permission was not given to construct the 12-foot fence.

“The mayor is denying giving permission to the proprietor of Mae’s Primary School to erect a fence; but lo and behold, a fence was almost completed. It was only when the residents of Subryanville raised a hue and cry that the City Engineer went and stopped

Debris thrown across the field by construction workers

on the playground, since machinery is being damaged by materials that were dumped in the ground, which had recently been resurfaced to the tune of $2.7 million.

During his testimony before the CoI, City Engineer Colvern Venture was recorded as saying, “I can’t recall seeing any application for a fence coming to me…It’s considered a public open space which is basically used as a recreational facility for the community.”

Venture was asked to make contact with the administrator and proprietor of Mae’s Schools, Stacy French, to have the fence and debris removed from the ground, and have the playground returned to the residents of the community.

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SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Law books fiasco

Nandlall asks High Court to quash Magistrate’s ruling F ormer Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall through his lawyers has filed a motion in the High Court asking that the November 23, 2018, ruling by Magistrate Fabayo Azore be quashed and the charge of “Larceny by a Bailee contrary to Section 165 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01” be thrown out.

Magistrate Azore ordered that Nandlall lead a defence on December 6 after overruling the nocase submission made by his lawyers in relation to the charge, which alleges that he stole some 14 Commonwealth Law Books worth $2.3 million.

However, following the ruling, Nandlall immediately indicated that he would be appealing such which resulted in the filing of the High Court proceedings. Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George is scheduled to hear Nandlall’s ap-

plication on December 13.

In court documents seen by Guyana Times, Nandlall is asking the court to declare that the charge for the offence of “Larceny by a Bailee contrary to Section 165 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01”, is an unknown offence therefore it is in violation of Articles 40, 144(4) and 149(d) of the Constitution.

His lawyers are contending that the ruling is contrary to, and in violation of, Articles 40, 144(4) and 149(d) of the Constitution of Guyana. Therefore it should be quashed since it is unlawful, illegal, without and in excess of jurisdiction, erroneous in law, unreasonable, null, void and of no effect. Additionally, his lawyers are contending that unless restrained Magistrate Azore will proceed to hear and determine the matter thereby defeating and rendering futile the Fixed Date Application.

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

The application added that if the Magistrate proceeds to hear and determine this matter before the determination of the Fixed Date Application, there is every likelihood that there will be a miscarriage of justice. He is also seeking costs from the court.

Nandlall’s application was made on the grounds that Magistrate Azore erred in law when she overruled the no-case submission and when she failed/refused to any sufficient reason for her judgement as required by the Judicial Review Act Chapter 3:06.

The former Attorney General was on April 27, 2017, released on self-bail after he was charged for fraudulently acquiring and converting Commonwealth law books to his own use and benefits, property of the State.

On April 24, 2017, Nandlall was called in to SOCU headquarters for questioning in relation to the Commonwealth Law Books. The day after his detainment, the attorney took to the High Court and filed legal proceedings against Attorney General

Basil Williams, SC, to prove that the 14 law books are his property.

Following the legal arguments in court, the Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George had granted the Conservatory Order, restraining officers of SOCU and the Guyana Police Force from seizing or detaining the said books.

Nandlall had explained to the media that when he was appointed Attorney General, he requested as part of his contract of service for the Government of Guyana to stand the expense for his subscriptions for the Commonwealth Law Books. He had subscribed to Lexis Nexis, the publishers of the Law reports. Insisting that nothing was abnormal about the practice, the former AG had argued that it was done by other Government Ministries such as Finance

and Health.

He had expressed awareness that for decades prior, the Government had paid for professional and technical publications, journals, periodicals, magazines. This, he said, had been done for Ministers as well as professional and technical personnel.

His contentions were corroborated publicly by then President Donald Ramotar. However, two days later on April 27, 2017, Nandlall was arraigned before Georgetown Magistrate Fabayo Azore on a charge instituted by members of SOCU. Nandlall continues to maintain that the accusation laid against him by SOCU was instigated by current Attorney General Basil Williams because he [Nandlall] continues to criticise his [Willams’] performance.

14 news

SUnDAY, december 2, 2018| guyanatimesgy.com

Emergency TB drug supplies procured – Govt

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he Public Health Ministry is providing assurances that everything will be under control, following the shortage and interruptions in supply of drugs to treat drug resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB).

These assurances were given by Director of Pharmacy, Oneil Atkins and Manager of the National TB programme, Dr Jeetendra Mohanlall. The Ministry confirmed that there was a recent shortage of the drug Ethionamide. According to Mohanlall, however, emergency supplies of this drug arrived in Guyana last week and were distributed.

Explaining the recent shortage, Dr Mohanlall said the National TB Programme is pushing for quality second line medication for Guyana’s drug resistant TB drug resistant patients. It is understood that due to some global challenges, the delivery was delayed.

The programme had to resort to emergency supplies

A display of the type of medication that was procured

which arrived beyond the expected time of delivery.

According to the Ministry in a statement, the four second line drugs used to treat these drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patients are sourced from South Korea, Japan India and Cyprus, through the Global Drug Facility (GDF).

According to Mohanlall, the medicines will be enough to treat “all drug-resistant TB patients for another year”. This is the first time in four years that we “had a brief interruption” of one of the medications for patients,

the National TB Programme Manager added.

Mohanlall also related that while there were 150 screenings in 2014, this figure jumped to 1540 in 2017.

He also noted that of the 2015 cohort of drug-resistant TB patients, 40 per cent successfully completed the two-year treatment. This figure climbed to 60 per cent in 2016. The 2017 cohort of DR-TB patients are continuing treatment.

He said TB patients generally have socio-economic challenges and they

need psycho-social support in their management. To strengthen his position, the National TB Programme Manager is strongly advocating boosting the social protection of these patients which he said, “is in line with the END TB Strategy”.

Although Guyana has a 90 per cent coverage of Direct Observation Therapy Strategy (DOTS), there are still many challenges presented by defaulting patients such as drug addicts, the homeless and the internal migrant population such as miners and loggers.

In 2017 it was observed that a fifth (20 per cent) of the TB patients also habitually abuse drugs and alcohol.

“These can be difficult to manage under the DOTS strategy and there are some who need to be in specialised care facilities such as TB Step Down Care Unit set to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2019,” Mohanlall said.

GTA, Visit Rupununi sign MoU …aimed at strengthening linkages with international communities

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he Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and tourism destination, Visit Rupununi, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which aims to strengthen ties and linkages between Region Nine (Upper Essequibo-Upper Takutu) and the local and

international markets to showcase tourism products produced in the Rupununi.

According to President of Visit Rupununi, Melani McTurk, tourism development is seen across the region as a preferred development pathway that can contribute to sustainable

EPA and the Ministry of Public Security join forces to monitor and control noise pollution; the big buzz!

Participants and facilitators at the Training Workshop.

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credit, Guyana Police Force

Photo

n Thursday, November 22, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Security, facilitated a one day capacity-building session with officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). This session focused on noise as an environmental pollutant, and how it can be monitored and controlled to achieve a safe environment for all. Additionally, this exercise was part of efforts to strengthen relations between the two institutions, in order to improve efficiency to better serve the Guyanese populace. You may have heard by now the buzz around town that a major simulation exercise was carried out at a few popular night spots, including the “Plaisance Line Top.” This was only a practical demonstration to help officers of the GPF become familiar with the use of the data recording instruments and procedures.

Is Noise Pollution really a “Thing?”

Noise has always been an important environmental problem all over the world. In comparison to other pollutants, the control of environmental noise has been hindered by inadequate knowledge of its effects on humans, given the limited availability of research on the subject. While it has been suggested that noise pollution is primarily a “luxury”problem for developed countries, one cannot ignore that the exposure is often higher in developing countries (like Guyana), due to unsuitable -- or absence of -- land-use planning; poor construction of buildings; and the lack of enforcement capacity in regard to human resources.

Existing research has shown that exposure to excessive noise can result in acute effects, such as annoyance, sleep disturbance, and interruption of tasks. More severe chronic effects include hearing impairment, mental health effects, and even cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and ischemic heart disease.

Why now?

Data analysis by the EPA indicates that noise continues to be one of the major environmental complaints received from the public. In 2017, a total of seventy-six (76) new noise complaints was received, and the first half of 2018 has seen 30 new complaints engaging the Agency’s attention.

Further, the country has seen an increase in open-air/outdoor sporting facilities in housing schemes. Notwithstanding that business development, including that in the entertainment industry, is an indicator of economic development, preventing, monitoring and controlling all forms of environmental pollution is necessary for the sustainable development of this sector.

Given noise pollution’s serious implications for human health and the environment, this issue is one that necessitates immediate collaboration for the institution of monitoring and enforcement systems by the relevant authorities.

How loud is too loud?

GTA Director Brian Mullis and President of Visit Rupununi, Melani McTurk as they concrete the agreement during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding

socio-economic and cultural development and greater regional cohesion by providing livelihoods for local communities and private entrepreneurs, while demonstrating the value of the maintenance of local traditions and culture.

McTurk underscored that when Visit Rupununi was formed, the body decided to market the services of its members, provides support through training and capacity building and represent stakeholders interests at the regional, national and international levels.

“Over the past three years Visit Rupununi has worked with a mixture of community-based enterprises, private operators, regional organisations and the GTA to provide access to various training opportunities, representation at exhibitions, technical advice and as a forum of information and stakeholder input on a range of issues relevant to the development and enhancement of the sector”. turn to page 17

The Environmental Protection (Noise Management) Regulations 2000 set out that: • No person is allowed to operate any sound-making device or equipment in a public place between 23:00h and 7:00h, except with the prior written permission of the EPA • Any person or business must apply for approval from the EPA before operating any sound-making device in a public place; e.g. anyone holding a barbecue or open air party; hotels utilising generators to supply energy, etc; • Construction activities, except public works, may be stopped during certain hours of the day on the complaint of neighbours; • Operators of entertainment businesses such as night clubs are required to sound proof their buildings if operating beyond midnight • Anyone affected by noise has the right to file a complaint with the EPA; and • Activities from any business, vehicle or private premises should not exceed the following decibel levels:

The Legal Powers

In Guyana, the Environmental Protection Act of 1996 gives the legal authority to the EPA to: • Establish, monitor and enforce environmental regulations, such as the Noise Management Regulations; • Prevent or control environmental pollution; and • Support education and awareness by providing information to the public regarding the protection and improvement of the environment, where altered directly or indirectly by human activity.

What to expect

The EPA wishes to make it clear to the general public that it is not the intention of the Agency to obstruct or hinder development in any way.

However, activities -- whether related to supporting livelihoods, or even recreation -- should not be done to the detriment of others.

As the partnership between the Ministry of Public Security and the EPA is fully laid out, the public would experience stronger support for business planning and development, swifter response and resolution of noise complaints, and more stringent but fair enforcement action against defaulters.

If you plan to, or currently operate, any device or promote any event that requires amplified sound systems, please make contact with our office to get the necessary information and permission needed. This would not only secure your investment, but would ensure the safety of human health and the environment.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit. epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Culture of tolerance of violence must change through education – Help and Shelter The implications of the Scotiabank and Republic Bank acquisition deal: Major regional financial markets’ development

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t could perhaps be safely described as the biggest acquisition deal of this era, or in recent times in the Caribbean region -the recently announced deal by Republic Financial Holdings to acquire Scotiabank’s operations in nine Caribbean countries, including Guyana. Soon after this announcement was made, the Prime Minister of one of the said islands announced that that Government would not approve the takeover in light of regulatory and other macroeconomic concerns as regards the financial sector of that country. In Guyana, the Ministry of Finance and the regulatory authority did not hesitate to announce their concerns in this regard as well, and expressed that they would have to undertake careful due diligence and assessment before any approval is given, so that the deal can go forward. It should be mentioned, too, that the Opposition Leader expressed his concerns on this matter by stating that it would be unhealthy for Guyana to have one bank controlling just over 50 per cent of the assets; he even cited that the deal might perhaps be illegal.

The legality of the transaction shall now firstly be examined within the legislative and regulatory framework that governs the sector, and which speaks specifically to the acquisition and control of financial institutions; that is, the Financial Institutions Act 1995 (FIA). This is the framework by which the Central Bank would have to be guided. Now, the Act does not explicitly state whether one financial institution’s acquisition of another’s assets, leading to having a dominant control of the sector, is restricted per se; but the Act does empower the Central Bank to approve such deals, given the implications to the financial sector. This means that, before this deal was finalised, Republic Bank Financial Holdings and Scotiabank ought to have sought written approval, as mandated by the FIA for such transactions.

This obviously did not happen, but it is not a case in which the banks were unaware of the legal ramifications. It can be safely deduced, therefore, that this was a carefully thought out strategic move by the parties involved, given the magnitude and size of the deal. However, it would be very difficult for the Central Bank not to approve the deal; because, given that these are two powerful regional and international institutions, any disapproval would very likely turn into an unprecedented legal challenge by the parties involved – Republic & Scotiabank -- against the authorities. And the reason for this is because the manner in which the deal was done, if one reads into the numbers well, it was done in a very strategically shrewd manner; and, again, was well thought out.

The aforementioned inference is drawn from the fact that, when you look at the purchase price of this very huge acquisition deal -- based on information that is publicly announced, the purchase price is US$123 million, which represents US$25 million consideration for total shareholding in Anguilla Limited, and a premium of US$98 million over net asset value for operations in the other eight countries -- Republic Bank is not buying over all of the assets of Scotia; rather, it is only buying over Scotia’s portfolio – that is, its loan and deposit portfolio alone. As such, the financial laws and regulations of none of these countries can pre-empt another institution from buying out the portfolio of another; and it is this that makes this development so very interesting.

This also, unfortunately, means that all the employees of Scotia are now in a sea of uncertainty in regard to their future careers, because there is really no guarantee that they would be offered employment with the new owner. It is very likely that the new owner may not be in a position to accommodate these employees, given it is only a takeover of the bank’s customer portfolio.

Turning to Guyana, for example, Republic Bank has a wider branch coverage throughout Guyana than Scotiabank Guyana has.

This means that Republic would absolutely have neither need nor space to take over the employees of Scotiabank. To this end, the Government needs to intervene in order to protect the rights of Scotia’s employees, and Government should push for Scotia to offer them severance payment up to this point in time, and they should re-offer themselves for employment with Republic. If this route is not activated in the interest of the employees, they would all be in serious jeopardy.

So this is one major issue of concern in regard to this acquisition deal. Of course the dominance and control of the market is another important factor. This would mean one institution controlling pricing in the market, and largely controlling the allocation of financial resources in the economy. It is this that is not healthy for the well-being of an economy, especially Guyana’s.

However, there are some opportunities. The opportunity that the Ministry of Finance and the regulator now need to start opening up to is to be accommodative of another international bank entering the market. With this takeover by Republic and exit of Scotia from the market, it means that the sector would become more contestable to accommodate new international players; because, with the exit of international players from the region, and against the background of de-risking, financial transactions would inevitably become more costly, particularly cross-border transactions.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

H

elp and Shelter has called for national sensitisation programmes to be held on gender issues as the body believes it can play a major role in addressing gender equality and gender discrimination.

The lobbying efforts were made by representative from the organisation, Danuta Radzik at a recent European Union Forum to tackle domestic violence against women and girls.

According to her, between November 1995 and September 2018, some 11,768 clients were counselled of which 9710 were women and girls. In addition, about 1600 adult women, children and Trafficking in Persons survivors were housed from 2006 to 2018.

Radzik noted, “Help and Shelter believes that the culture of tolerance of

violence must and can be changed through education.

Needed is a nationwide sensitisation and awareness programme on gender and root causes of sexual and gender-based violence which challenges gender stereotypes, addresses gender inequality and gender discrimination and builds skills for equality, equity, respectful relationships and peaceful conflict resolution,” the representative explained.

She further went to on say that the programme should not be a “one size fits all” but rather include creative and multimedia approaches which are pretested, diverse, modern, culturally sensitive, appropriate and effective for different target groups such as women, youths, men and even the Lesbian, Gays, Bisexual and Transgender

Help and Shelter representative, Danuta Radzik

(LGBT) community, faithbased organisations as well as the urban, rural and hinterland populations.

The Private Sector, according to her, must play a role in the sensitisation process as they too can assist with billboard messages among others.

It was on that note that Radzik said the education system must not be excluded in the process. “The education/school system emphasis must be shifted from a preoccupation with just academics to expand the teaching of life skills preparing children to be productive, responsible citizens with the skills and knowledge to live healthy, violence-free lives, free from exploitation and abuse”.

The lobbyist alluded to the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) programme which is taught in schools. She said that the programme needs to be re-evaluated and revised for maximum effectiveness.

In addition, she asserted that the National Gender Policy when finalised may be another alternative for Government and civil-society engagements.

Critical need exists for improved HIV labs – PANCAP

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n its message on World AIDS Day observed on December 1, 2018, the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS said there is a critical need for laboratory improvements.

The organisation pointed out, “We must bring into the spotlight the critical need for laboratory improvements and increased coverage in our Region. We need more laboratory facilities, including those led by the communities themselves, to know our status. We need laboratories to confirm community-led HIV screening tests. We need laboratories and point-of-care diagnostic systems to monitor our viral loads and healthcare providers who are trained to provide clinical management for HIV-related illnesses”.

It added that while testing for the disease is important, it is impossible to get persons tested without the necessary kits, diagnostic equipment and the right human resources.

“When we talk about placing 90 per cent of people who are HIV positive on treatment and retaining them on treatment we must also ensure that we do not have stock-outs of key drugs.

How can we be taken seriously when we encourage people to be tested and then fail to provide uninterrupted treatment? How can we fail to respond to people living with HIV when sometimes drugs are not available and people become anxious because their healthcare provider had stressed the importance of adherence to treatment and the impact of non-adherence on their health, including the potential for drug resistance?”

The body further stated that it is fully aware of the fact that if it is serious about getting people to know their status, it must move beyond the rhetoric to decisive actions to demonstrate that it understands the full im-

plication of what it means to move someone who tests HIV positive to sustained viral suppression.

“We must guarantee good quality laboratory testing and laboratory services, uninterrupted treatment and monitoring within our healthcare system,” the Health agency noted.

On another note, it was acknowledged that the justice system needs to be reformed to enable persons who suffer discrimination

to obtain redress in a timely manner. This initiative, PANCAP said, would require the engagement and involvement of various Ministries as well as Attorney Generals among others.

“I call upon our governments and all who can make this happen to take the necessary actions to create an enabling environment in which people who want to know their status can come forward with the knowledge

that they will not be treated differently, and that if they test positive they will be provided with the treatment, care and support they need to enjoy good quality lives and achieve viral suppression. Only then can we get them to know their status and begin the journey towards ending AIDS as a public health threat in the Caribbean,” it added.

This year World AIDS Day was held under the theme ‘Know your status’.

16 news Deadly Saturday: 2 die in separate accidents A SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

man and a woman are the country’s latest road fatalities following two separate accidents on Saturday. Dead are Muneshwar Narine of 15 Supply Mahaica, East Coast Demerara and Shandel Sparrock of Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara.

Narine, a 65-year-old security guard, was killed at about 14:00h when pickup truck PNN 8778 driven by a 36-year-old resident of Number 53 Village Corentyne, Berbice collided with him. The accident occurred on the Danzie Public Road in Mahaicony.

Police investigations have so far revealed that the pickup was proceeding east along the northern carriageway, and according to the driver, Narine, who was on a bicycle, suddenly swerved into his path, and the two collided. The man was immediately rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver of the pickup truck reportedly passed a breathalyzer test, and is in Police custody assisting with the investigation.

A few hours later, 44-year-old Sparrock was crushed by a truck while attempting to cross the road at Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara. According to re-

Dead: Shandel Sparrock

ports, Sparrock, a cleaner employed at National Hardware Limited, left her Nandy Park home at about 18:00h to visit a nearby shop, and as she was attempting to cross the road, a truck which had just come off the Demerara Harbour Bridge and was making a left turn on to the Bagotstown Public Road ran her over.

Eyewitnesses have since said that Sparrock could not have seen the truck coming. They also told Guyana Times that the driver of the truck said he did not see Sparrock and did not even know he had hit someone until after he felt a bump and saw people running to-

wards the vehicle.

Sparrock’s brother, Terrance Sparrock, told this publication that he received a call informing him that his sister had met with an accident, and he immediately rushed to the scene. He said when he arrived at the scene he saw his sister lying face down in a pool of blood.

“People say that she was coming across and the truck was turning and the truck man didn’t see she and she didn’t see and he, and he hit her. She died right on the spot. She was the youngest child, and wasn’t married.

She live with she mother and sisters, and nieces and so on,” he related.

“When I reach here, I see she lying down on the eggs and so, and her spectacles was broken and so. One of she eye was on the ground.

She died right there, man.

I don’t know, man; I really don’t know,” he added.

Over at Shondell’s home, her elderly mother could not bear the shock of losing her youngest child. The woman was inconsolable, and her screams could be heard from afar in the usually quiet neighbourhood. Shondell was described as a quiet, caring, and always helpful person.

Police investigations are still ongoing, and the driver is in custody.

Climate forecasting critical to sectoral decisions – CIMH scientist

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ocial Scientist at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), Dr Roche’ Mahon has said climate forecasting is a critical element in sectoral decisions.

She was speaking at the launch of the fifth National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF) hosted by the Guyana Hydrometeorological Service at the Herdmanston Lodge this morning.

According to Dr Mahon, Guyana is among a few Caribbean countries that convenes a national climate outlook forum. Even in the face of limited resources, she said the commitment of the Guyana Hydromet Office has consistently engaged sectoral stakeholders in this way.

The National Climate Outlook Forum was introduced to the hydrometeorological service through the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) back in 2016. It is a United Nations (UN)-led initiative by the World Meteorological Organisation that guides the development and application of science-based climate information services in support of decision in cli-

Social Scientist of CIHM, Dr Roche’ Mahon

mate-sensitive sectors, agriculture, being one of them.

Dr Mahon noted climate information provided as a service to climate-sensitive sectors, in years or decades in advance, often need to improve decisions, reduce loss and reduce and improve productivity.

“It is also the tailored advice, provided by the hydromet service that will become critical in sectoral decision-making in the coming months, with more climate models forecasting a week to moderate El Niño evolv-

ing in the next period, what does this mean for deviation in Guyana’s seasonal climate? What does it mean for the sectors that have to adjust to potential variations?” she is quoted by the Department of Public Information as enquiring.

Dr Roche’ said the Guyana Hydromet Office is a key agent in the country’s sustainable development agenda, whose role supports socioeconomic productivity.

Representing the office of the Guyana Hydrometeorological Service, Komalchand Dhiram said the hydrometeorological office falls within the purview of the agriculture sector, the hydromet service found it easier to collaborate with the Agriculture Ministry.

The successful feedback from the initiative has pushed the hydro office to explore other climate-sensitive sectors.

The GFCS currently has as priority, sectors including agriculture, food security, water, health and energy.

GFCS assists countries and communities to better cope with natural climate variabilities and human-induced climate change.

ECD traffic diversion turned chaotic …as road closes to facilitate expansion project

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Vehicles at a standstill as the traffic built up on the East Coast Railway Embankment

large buildup of traffic on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) turned chaotic after hundreds of passengers heading to the capital city were stranded for over three hours.

The woefully inconvenienced snail-paced traffic was due to the ongoing road expansion project, which caused a section of the public road to be temporarily closed. The closure to vehicular traffic began on Saturday, December 1, 2018 from 08:00h, and is expected to end on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 22:00h.

One commuter expressed frustration during the heavy traffic build-up, which he said worsens extensively during peak hours.

The ECD resident further noted that taxi services along Agriculture Road, Mon Repos to Estate Road and LBI have closed, while minibuses have also stopped working along that particular route. This, he noted, will only add to the traffic woes already being ex-

perienced.

It was noted that even though the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s actions are well intended and are welcome, failure to adequately and timely inform of closures and alternative routes would always lead to chaos in an already-heavily congested area.

“The traffic situation on the East Coast is a total mess, and the traffic Police are not making it any easier. I’ve been sitting in traffic for the past two hours, and I have not moved,” another commuter noted.

Another commuter said a woman who was in labour had to endure the traffic with no assistance from the traffic Police to rush her to the hospital. The commuter claimed that the woman gave birth in the midst of the confusion.

However, Guyana Times has been unable to locate the family of the pregnant woman.

Earlier this week, the Public Infrastructure Ministry, in a statement to

the general public, stated that the road stretching from Vryheid’s Lust to Chimney Road, Chateau Margot will be closed to facilitate bridge/ culvert works under the East Coast Demerara Public Road Widening and Improvement Project.

It noted that as a result, traffic detours would occur in this proximity.

It was advised that persons residing in the vicinity of Vryheid’s Lust Road to the Montrose Bridge and Montrose Bridge to Chimney Road would be permitted to use the road to access their properties.

Motorists and pedestrians were asked to exercise caution and observe all safety and directional signs, particularly in the vicinity of the road works.

In an initial report, it was noted that the contractor and the Police are to meet soon to discuss possible remedies to the congestion on the East Coast with the hope of bringing much-needed relief to commuters.

Year of Indigenous Languages to be observed in 2019

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ome $36 million has been reserved in the 2019 Budget for celebrating the United Nations-designated Year of Indigenous Languages.

Minister within the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, Valerie GarridoLowe, has taken the lead in ensuring there is outlined a detailed plan of action which provides for a re-awakening of the need to resuscitate the use of Indigenous Languages.

According to the Department of Public Information, the minister has commenced discussions with representatives from the Guyanese Language Unit (GLU), Department of Language and Cultural Studies – Faculty of Education and Humanities, and the Amerindian Research Unit, University of Guyana.

Linguistics Professors Ian Robertson, University of the West Indies (St. Augustine Campus) and Hubert Devonish, University of the West Indies (Mona Campus) also

joined the discussions via Skype.

Minister Garrido-Lowe acknowledged that “the Indigenous languages are being diminished by the day, across the country and perhaps even further afield. This is a worrying situation, and is therefore one that is in need of urgent inter-governmental intervention; hence the United Nations’ declaration of 2019 being The Year of Indigenous Languages”.

Speaking from an international perspective, Minister Garrido-Lowe noted that “our concept is one that is perfectly on par with the wider United Nations Framework. According to the UNESCO Action Plan, the International Year of Indigenous Languages will take the form of action-oriented activities in following three thematic areas – Support, Access, and Promotion” One of the key principles of the UN’s Action Plan is, “Nothing for us without us”.

Locally, statistics were

obtained based on informed data from studies conducted in indigenous communities in regard to the most effective means of transmission of the respective languages, and the barriers associated with same.

Among activities proposed to be held throughout the year are: a Language Revival Programme; Village Welcome Signboards to be erected at the entrance of each village in their respective language; Radio and Television programmes; a Children’s Book; a Tourist Hand Book; a Short Story Competition; debates in four languages (Patamona, Akawaio, Wapishana and Makushi) at the Umana Yana; an Indigenous Food festival; a Calendar of Nations 2019; and establishing an Indigenous Summer School.

Additionally, persons who are skilled and knowledgeable of the languages will benefit from support while they impart such skills to students. continuied on page 17

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SUnDAY, december 2, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

bodies Over $1M in school supplies Regional benefiting from training donated to Corentyne students in restorative justice

Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development, Caricom Secretariat, Dr Douglas Slater

R Volunteers distributing the school supplies on Saturday

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orty children from the Upper Corentyne on Saturday benefited from more than $1 million in school clothing and supplies from a non-governmental organisation.

Abraham’s Tent, situated at Number 74 Villager, Corentyne, on Saturday donated to children of that community school uniforms, books and bags with other school essentials.

President of Abraham’s Tent, Shamim Ibrahim, explained that the organisation is trying to reach out to the community.

Most of the children are preparing for the 2019 National Grade Six Examinations. A few are in reading classes.

Ibrahim comes from a family of 12 siblings who

have all pooled their recourses to assist the community. He said the initial idea was to have an open space so that persons can come for whatever their needs may be.

According to the organisation’s President, one of the initial concepts was to help women and children who may have social issues affecting them; however, because of the lack of the relevant human resources, there was a shift to providing assistance in the field of education.

He said this is also what his parents wanted since they ensured that all of the children received an education although they were poor.

“As such, we are trying to give back to the community

by identifying those that are underprivileged and those who might be in need with some extra help with their regular curriculum at no cost,” he said, while noting that the organisation has realised that many children do not attend school regularly.

“Because the parents themselves may not have had a higher education, they may not realise of getting their children an education and granted that many of them might be in dire financial stains right now, so we want to let them know that they should not be keeping their children home because of that reason; not as long as Abraham’s Tent is in existence.”

The Tent has been in existence or the past decade.

Ibrahim further ex-

plained that what was done is just the tip of the iceberg of what they would like to do to encourage children to attend school regularly.

The overall programme also involves parents who should not be thinking of depriving their children of an education because of their circumstances.

Noting that it is a known fact that not all will be academically inclined, Ibrahim says future plans include the teaching of a trade to children.

“Such as plumbing, basic electrical, carpentry and so on… In addition to that one of the first projects we are going to undertake at the beginning of next year is sustainable chemical free agriculture,” he added.

Year of Indigenous Languages...

The Ministry has welcomed the University of Guyana on board, and Tuesday’s discussion saw both activity calendars (MoIPA and UG) being compared, in order to derive the most suitable group of activities to be executed through the year.

The University will also play an integral role in ensuring resource persons are on board.

Meanwhile, the ministry will hold discussions with the National Toshaos Council, NCERD and Indigenous Organisations.

More importantly, Minister Garrido-Lowe has assured that every effort will be made to engage key stakeholders to have a Language Policy Framework developed in 2019 and presented to the Government.

Guyana does not have a Language Policy Framework, and once this is developed, it would put the country on par with other Caribbean countries, such as Jamaica.

To this end, the University of Guyana has begun research on a Framework, and the GLU, led by Coordinator

Charlene Wilkinson, has indicated the Unit’s desire to see this included in the Calendar of Activities for the 2019 celebrations.

Meanwhile, an ongoing Bilingual pilot programme which was integrated into the Ministry of Education’s curriculum in 2017 and is being tested in three nursery schools across the South Rupununi, came in for commendations from Minister Garrido-Lowe for commitment towards re-vitalizing the Wapishana language in that Region.

GTA, Visit Rupununi...

Further, by strengthening the linkages between the region’s population, local and international non-government organisations, regional and nation actors – especially the formalising of strategic partnerships with national tourism bodies such as GTA and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana – will play a critical role in achieving the vision.

During the signing at the Tourism Authority’s head office, Exhibition

Site, Sophia on Friday last, in finalising the action plan ,the goal of the event is “to increase the quality, competitiveness and visibility of the Rupununi Tourism Product in both local and international markets, by promoting the Rupununi as a single destination with a variety of distinct products; propagating sustainable business practices, increasing community participation, prioritising conservation and preservation of

from page 16

The programme will ensure that students from various villages and communities with little fluency in English are taught in both their traditional language and English.

It is expected that, by the end of the project, indigenous languages will be prominently featured across the respective communities.

This project is being implemented by the NCERD in partnership with the Jesuits in St. Ignatius, and in Karaudarnau, Sawariwau and Mururanau Primary Schools.

from page 14

the region’s unique natural and cultural resources while working in collaboration with relevant agencies and groups to increasing the role of tourism stakeholders in regional development”.

GTA’s Director Brian Mullis welcomed the organisation on board as he noted that he is looking forward to many more partnerships of this nature and greater alignment across the sector.

epresentatives of justice reform, faithbased and non-governmental organisations on Friday commenced a fiveday regional “train-thetrainer” workshop on restorative justice, a programme sponsored by Caricom and the European Union, along with the Sycamore Tree Project.

The train-the-trainer workshop, which is being hosted at the Grand Costal Inn at Le Ressouvenir, ECD, is an activity of the 10th European Development Crime and Violence Prevention and Social Project under the Caribbean

Forum/European Crime and Security Programme.

Caricom’s Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, Dr Douglas Slater, in his remarks, said the workshop is one of several aimed at promoting social inclusion and reintegration of offenders into society. According to him, as the region endeavours to embrace alternatives to incarceration, adopting restorative justice programmes has become a critical priority.

“Restorative justice is a response to crime that emphasises healing the wounds of victims, offenders and communities caused or revealed by criminal behaviour,” he is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.

In this regard, he said, the workshop, aimed at building the capacity of persons to implement the Sycamore Tree Project, is “opportune.”

The Sycamore Tree Project is an in-prison restorative justice programme bringing together unrelated victims and offenders to discuss crime and its impact, while presenting opportunities for understanding and healing.

Gay 'trend' influencing the Catholic clergy – Pope

P

ope Francis is "concerned" about what he described as the "serious issue" of homosexuality, saying in an interview published Saturday that being gay was a "fashion" to which the clergy is susceptible.

"The issue of homosexuality is a very serious issue that must be adequately discerned from the beginning with the candidates," the pontiff said with regards to would-be priests.

"In our societies it even seems that homosexuality is fashionable and that mentality, in some way, also influences the life of the church," he says in the book 'The Strength of a Vocation', released in Italy on Saturday.

"This is something I am concerned about, because perhaps at one time it did not receive much attention," he said in the book, a transcript of an interview which will be released in ten languages.

The Roman Catholic Church's position is that homosexual acts are sinful and the pontiff's stance on homosexuality in the clergy is not new.

A decree on training for Roman Catholic priests in 2016 stressed the obligation of sexual abstinence, as well as barring gays and those who support "gay culture" from holy orders.

The barring of people who present homosexual tendencies was first stipu-

lated by the Catholic Church in 2005.

"It can happen that at the time perhaps they didn't exhibit [that tendency], but later on it comes out," Francis said.

"In consecrated and priestly life, there's no room for that kind of affection.

Therefore, the Church recommends that people with that kind of ingrained tendency should not be accepted into the ministry or consecrated life.

"The ministry or the consecrated life is not his place," the Argentine added.

Gay clergy were urged to be "impeccably responsible" in a warning over bad behaviour that was notable for its silence on heterosexual clergy who break their vow of celibacy.

We "have to urge homosexual priests, and men and women religious, to live celibacy with integrity, and above all, that they be impeccably responsible, trying to never scandalise either their communities or the faithful holy people of God. "It's better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life rather than to live a double life," Francis said.

In 2013, just months after assuming the papacy, Francis said: "If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?", signifying a softer tone on homosexuality. (AFP)

18

sunday, December 2, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

George HW Bush to lie in Mexico’s López Obrador pledges State in the US Capitol

T

he body of former US President George HW Bush is to lie in state next week ahead of a day of national mourning. An arrival ceremony will be held for Bush Snr on Monday evening at the US Capitol.

The public will be invited to pay their respects.

Bush served as the 41st US President between 1989 and 1993, and died late on Friday. A funeral service will be held at a later date at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. The former President had been receiving treatment for a form of Parkinson’s disease and had been admitted to hospital with a blood infection in April.

He died aged 94 in Houston, Texas. The presidential plane will be flown

Bush served as the 41st US President between 1989 and 1993

to Houston to bring the former President’s body to Washington, DC. His body will lie in state in the US Capitol until 07:00 EST (12:00 GMT) on Wednesday, where the public will be able to pay trib-

ute. He will be buried at the presidential library in Texas, alongside his wife, Barbara Bush, who died seven months ago.

The Bush family said they would announce additional details about funeral

arrangements “as soon as is practical”. A statement from a joint military task force supporting events around the State funeral promised a “nothing less than a firstclass tribute”.

The White House said President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump would attend, despite not being at the funeral of former First Lady Barbara Bush. Dozens of other world leaders are also expected to be in attendance.

Although US President Donald Trump has had difficult relations with the Bush family, he has declared Wednesday, December 5, a national day of mourning. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will also be closed on Wednesday in his honour. (Excerpt from BBC News)

India’s economic growth slows as Modi prepares for re-election

I

ndia’s economic growth fell to a worse-than-expected 7.1 percent in the July-September quarter, dragged down by a slower consumer spending and farm growth, in a setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who faces a national election by May. India’s growth is still faster than China’s 6.5 per cent in the same quarter, but the figures were a comedown from the more than two-year high of 8.2 per cent set in the June quarter.

Having swept to power in 2014 promising to galvanise the economy, Modi has been criticised for failing to create enough jobs for the more than 12 million young Indians entering the labour force each year.

India needs growth of eight per cent-plus to generate enough jobs for those workers. The unemployment rate rose to a two-year high of 6.9 per cent in October, with nearly 30 million young people looking for jobs, according to a report released

this month by Centre for Monitoring India Economy (CMIE), a Mumbai based think tank.

On Wednesday last, a Government panel announced revised growth estimates that made the Modi Administration’s record look better than the previous Congress-led Governments.

Tens of thousands of farmers and rural workers marched to the Indian Parliament in the capital, New Delhi, on Friday in a protest against soaring op-

erating costs and plunging produce prices that have brought misery to many.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

‘radical’ change

L

eft-wing politician Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has been sworn in as Mexico’s new President, has promised to bring radical change to his violence-plagued nation by eradicating corruption and ending drugs wars.

“We’re not planning to create a dictatorship, neither open nor disguised,” López Obrador said in his victory speech after winning the presidency on his third attempt on July 1.

“The changes will be profound, but these will be carried out with strict respect for the established legal framework.”

The 65-year-old, who is popularly known as AMLO after the initials of his full name, likes to cast the challenge facing him in historical terms.

He sees his task as engineering a “fourth transformation” in Mexico’s history, following its 1810 independence, the 1854-1857 liberalising reforms implement-

ed by then-President Benito Juárez, and the wars of the 1910-1920 Revolution that forged the modern Mexican nation.

With the country’s soaring murder rate set to reach a new annual record of 29,000 in 2018, much attention has been focused on López Obrador’s plans to pacify the violence inflicted

by Mexico’s feared drug cartels, whose feuds claim daily victims.

After initial promises to remove soldiers from the streets, López Obrador announced on November 14, 2018, that he too would initially rely on the armed forces to fight crime, despite appeals from human rights groups to send the troops back to the barracks and develop professional Police Forces.

He also cited high levels of corruption within the civilian federal, state and municipal Police Forces, which he said lacked proper training. (Excerpt from BBC News)

French Police arrest scores as vehicles torched in Paris clashes

G20: Trump and Xi meet amid F US-China trade tensions

Some protesters set fire to barricades and hurled projectiles at riot Police

Trump (front right) last met Xi (front left) last year

D

onald Trump is meeting China’s President Xi Jinping after the G20 summit in their first talks since a trade war erupted earlier this year. Trump said he hoped they would reach a deal during their dinner in Buenos Aires to defuse trade disagreements and said he believed Beijing wanted this.

Meanwhile G20 leaders have agreed a joint communiqué for the summit. It noted divisions over trade but did not criticise pro-

tectionist activity, AFP reported.

French leader Emmanuel Macron told reporters that the World Trade Organization, the body that regulates trade disputes, needed to be modernised.

A senior US official told Reuters that it was the first time that the G20 had recognised that the WTO was “currently falling short of meeting its objectives” and needed reform.

On Friday Trump briefly met Russian President

Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20, a Russian official told Reuters.

Earlier the US President said he had postponed a planned press conference “out of respect for the Bush family”, following the death of former President George HW Bush, at the age of 94. Earlier on in the summit, emerging economies denounced protectionism. Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera told the BBC he hoped for a deal to end what he called “this nonsense of a tariff war”.

However the US trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, said he would be surprised if Trump’s working dinner with Xi “wasn’t a success”.

Meanwhile Wang Xiaolong, director general of the foreign ministry’s department of international economic affairs, said “consensus is steadily increasing” but differences remained. (Excerpt from BBC News)

rench Police have fired tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon to disperse “yellow-vest” protesters trying to breach security cordons on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris.

The clashes on Saturday broke out soon after hun-

dreds of protesters wearing high-visibility yellow vests began gathering near the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the boulevard before a third rally against diesel tax increases and the high cost of living.

A big cloud of tear gas partially shrouded the famed

Jamaica farmers to receive increased production support

O

ver US$60 million will be injected into Jamaica’s agriculture and rural tourism sectors come 2019. Farmers and rural producers are among those to benefit from the funds, geared towards enhancing agricultural productivity, agro-processing and rural tourism.

Following the successes of the World Bank funded Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI), phase two of the project is set to begin in 2019, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization Investment Centre Division.

REDI changed the lives of over 5000 Jamaicans and created direct employment for over 1400 persons. It also contributed to the re-

corded growth in Jamaica’s agricultural output in 2016 lowering the country’s food import bill by US$6 million.

REDI2, as the second phase is being called, will strengthen linkages between Jamaica’s agriculture and tourism sectors by enhancing market access and climate resilience of micro, small and medium-sized agriculture and community tourism enterprises. Rural producers and service providers will gain increased access to climate smart technologies to improve their productivity and receive improvements to basic infrastructure and agro-logistics for enhanced market access, incorporating critical climate-resilient infrastructure to promote sustainability. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

monument as riot Police closed in to push back the crowd, some of whom were hurling barricades and other projectiles at the officers.

Other protesters erected their own barricades and set them alight in some of the streets adjacent to the Champs Elysees. A car was also set ablaze. At least 107 people were arrested during clashes by midday, said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

Meanwhile, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators were present on the avenue inside a perimeter secured by police through identity checks and bag inspections.

Al Jazeera’s David Chater, reporting from the French capital, said Police used hundreds of tear gas canisters to control the crowd.

Philippe, the Prime Minister, said 36,000 people were protesting across France, including 5500 in the capital.

The protests on Saturday come a week after violent clashes on the avenue last week, marked by burning barricades and vandalism which French President Emmanuel Macron compared with “war scenes”.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

sunDAY, december 2, 2018

19

‘I’m excited, but that T10 format could guarantees nothing’ be cricket’s –- Jofra Archer exclusive gateway into the J Olympics, says Afridi ofra Archer has hinted that he may consider pulling out of this winter’s stint with Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, in the wake of the ECB rule-change that has raised the possibility of him making England’s squad for next year’s 2019 World Cup. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in the UAE, where he has been taking part in the T10 League, Archer insisted he was taking nothing for granted about his potential fast-tracking into the England set-up, but added that he needs to take time to assess his new priorities.

“I’m a bit excited; however, that doesn’t guarantee I’ll be selected this year, or for anything upcoming as yet,” said Archer. “If it happens, it happens, but I don’t want to think too far down the line. I’ve still got lots of cricket to play even before then, so it makes no sense dwelling on that.”

Archer, who was born in Barbados and began his England qualification in 2015, had not expected to be available for international selection until 2022 at the earliest. All that has now changed with the ECB reducing their residency period from seven years to three, even though the requirement to spend 210 days a year in the UK still has the potential to undermine his World Cup prospects.

The ECB’s new rules kick in from January 1, 2019, in time for England’s tour of the Caribbean in the new year.

However, Archer’s retention by Hobart Hurricanes - the team with which he burst onto the world stage in last year’s BBL - means that he is unlikely to have completed his 210-day quota until midMarch.

With his stint with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL also coming up in the spring, he could be short of opportunities to bed into the England set-up before the provisional World Cup squad is submitted on April 23.

“It is [exciting to be available for World Cup selection] but on the other side, because I’ve done so well in the Big Bash and the IPL which are coming up, if I’m doing well at them, it’s something to argue about coming into the World Cup. As long as I look after my performances, they should look after me with selection.”

Nevertheless, in a Twitter post soon after the ECB announcement, Archer admitted that he “would love to debut in front of my family,” a reference to the England tour of the West Indies that gets underway in Barbados in January. The

only way for him to feature in that squad would be to pull out of his Hobart deal, and spend the winter at home in the UK to complete his 210 days.

“I’m not too sure [about skipping the Big Bash],” he said. “I haven’t been to Australia as of yet. I don’t know how the CEO would react. I haven’t asked yet. Obviously everything just happened only two days ago, so there’s still some time to do some thinking and to really see what takes priority.”

England’s one-day captain, Eoin Morgan - who had previously played down Archer’s hopes of featuring in the World Cup - is also taking part in the T10 League, but despite staying in the same hotel, Archer said that the two Jofra Archer have not yet spoken about his situation.

“I think [Morgan]’s the captain, I don’t think he’s the one who picks the team,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense chasing it, as it’s only been two days. There’s still lots of time before the air changes.

I’m still not fully qualified as yet, I still have to do my days. If it happens, it happens; but I probably won’t try to overthink it too much. “[England] are the No.1 team in the world, and even if I am in the squad and not the team, I think it would be a great experience to be around all those players.

“I just try not to think about it too much. England are doing really well in the Tests and ODIs, they’re doing well in everything, and I think it will be hard to squeeze my way into the team.”

Nevertheless, in Archer, England may have found the final cog in an already well-balanced bowling attack that is currently only lacking an out-and-out pace option.

He is also a more-than-capable batsman, and has already has an idea of where he’d like to bat in England’s all-rounder-laden line-ups.

“In the Tests, I’d probably just like to bat just after Sam [Curran]. Either before or after Sam. Both of us are attacking, and I think we could really do some damage if we do get together,” he said.

“In the ODIs, maybe seven or eight as well. I’m not too sure how it will go, but I think whenever I do get the chance to

bat, I can just show what I can do; and hopefully, with a lot of performances, I could squeeze my way up the order a bit.”

England’s gain is West Indies’ loss when it comes to Archer, who moved to Sussex after becoming disillusioned w i t h

Fakhar set to miss Boxing Day Test against SA with knee injury

P

akistan suffered a major blow ahead of their tour of South Africa in December, with Fakhar Zaman aggravating a knee injury he sustained last month.

According to the PCB, the 28-year-old opener is expected to be out for “three to five” weeks, which means he will almost certainly miss the first of the three Tests,which begins on Boxing Day in Centurion.

It has been learnt that Fakhar had complained about

pain in his right knee after pulling off a spectacular runout during the second T20I against Australia in October.

He had rushed in from mid-on, tumbled to the ground while collecting the ball, and despite not having a clear view of the stumps, strike them direct to dismiss Ben Mc Dermott.

The next morning, however, Fakhar told the physiotherapist that he had a problem, and together they worked to try and manage it.

F

Shahid Afridi

West Indies cricket when he was overlooked for the U19 Cricket World Cup in 2014.

And though the ECB’s announcement drew ire from Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave, who accused England of “poaching” one of the country’s players, Archer suggested that those comments have been made three years too late.

“I saw the [Grave] article yesterday. I don’t really have too much to say on it, to be honest. I left three years ago, so what he’s saying now he should have said probably three years ago,” Archer said.

“There weren’t any opportunities [with West Indies] which is why I left.

I want to say ‘no hard feelings’ but my dream is to play international cricket, and with the possibility of it happening soon, I think I made the right decision within myself.”

And even if Archer falls short of breaking into the England fold, there is another big personal positive for him, it means he can spend more time with his family in Barbados.

“Being qualified means I can spend a bit more time at home. This (are) three to four years now that I’ve only spent two or three weeks at home the whole year.

Sometimes it’s not enough not seeing your family for so long, so there’s at least some good things out of qualifying this year,” he said. (Cricinfo)

Fakhar played a further five limited-overs games with the injury, before it was decided that he needed to take time off for rehabilitation. That is why he was not picked in the squad for the ongoing Tests against New Zealand. He will join the PCB medical team at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on Tuesday, where a plan

for his recovery will be charted.

It is understood that the

ormer Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi has put his weight behind T10 cricket, saying the new format could be cricket’s gateway into the Olympics.

Afridi, playing in his second season of the T10 League with the Pakhtoons, said he has been greatly encouraged by the league’s growth, and he sees ten-over cricket as the perfect format for introducing a wider audience to the game.

“I think this is the best cricket you can introduce in the Olympic Games,” Afridi told ESPNcricinfo. “I think you can take the game there and show the world what cricket is all about. I think this is the perfect format to introduce cricket, and we are all enjoying it, which is the main thing.”

England’s Eoin Morgan had endorsed a similar view during the inaugural season of the T10 League last year, stating that T10 cricket was easiest on the eye.

“I think T10 could be something you could potentially propose to an Olympic committee,” Morgan had told ESPNcricinfo. “When you look at the T20 game, it goes on for a little bit longer, so if you are talking about playing a role in the Olympics, then you’d probably have

ten teams or more, and that would probably last five or six weeks. But a ten-over league could be done in about eight days, which could be right.”

Following shortly after ICC’s bid for a women’s cricket event at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Afridi’s comments could particularly add to ICC’s ambition for cricket to feature in the Olympics.

The one and only time cricket ever featured in the Olympics was back in 1900, when Great Britain beat France to claim gold. More than 118 years on, Afridi is of the opinion that T10 might just be the key to unlocking cricket’s participation in sport’s pinnacle global event.

In the meantime, Afridi said, cricket itself will benefit from T10’s existence.

“It’s quick-fire, a big test of bowlers. Batsmen can show their skills, and I saw myself some great innings, some great skills, some great shots,” said Afridi of T10’s greatest selling points. “I think cricket will change with [T10]. Even T20 and one-day cricket will change with this cricket. I think you can take it around the world definitely, because of the time,” Afridi said. (CRICINFO)

selectors have begun to shortlist players for the South Africa tour, where three Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is will be played. The PCB has already obtained visas for 25 of them. The Test squad is likely to be similar to the one currently playing against New Zealand, although fast bowler Mohammad Amir is expected to return in place of offspinner Bilal Asif.

Fakhar made his Test debut in October and was an instant hit, making 94 and 68 as Pakistan beat Australia by 373 runs. Pakistan have other options to use at the top of the order, such as Imam-ulHaq and Mohammad Hafeez.

Azhar Ali has also opened the batting in the past, and Shan Masood, who made a hundred in each innings against New ‘Zealand A’ recently, may also come into the mix. (CRICINFO)

20

guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, december 2, 2018

Quarter-final action in the GT Beer 8-a-Side Football Tournament starts tonight

Q

uarter final action in the Candy an equalizer had come from the Stars Boss/Antics GT Beer 8-a-side from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute.

Football tournament beMahaica had gone ahead again in ing played in New Amsterdam the 34th minute with an Ozefe starts this evening with a douHaley goal, but it was not long beble-header. fore Quacy Price had scored in Now in its second year, the 43 minute to give Golden the competition has attractStars their second goal. ed teams from Berbice, Thereafter, both teams Georgetown, East Coast had tried desperately to gain Demerara and West Coast the ascendancy, until referee Demerara. In action on Micah Erskine had blown his Friday evening, Soccer City whistle to signal the end of regand Mahaica Determinates ulation time and the start clinched the final two spots of penalty kicks. in the second round It was then that with contrasting Golden Stars had wins. faulted in their Mahaica second shot, causDeterminates got ing Goalkeeper past Golden Stars Simon Emanuel 2-1 on penalty, afto make a brilter the two sides liant save. had played to a Meanwhile, 2-2 draw at the John West scored end of regulation for Soccer City in time. the 14th minute Mahaica had of play to seal victaken the lead in tory against the the 6th minute favoured Cougars with a low pass FC. chipped into Cougars the goal, but John West scored the lone goal for Soccer City might be ex-

cused for thinking that the gods were not on their side, as they seemingly played against their eight opponents and the two uprights. They would have scored on numerous occasions in the game, but the uprights just kept getting in the way.

However, West’s loan shot at goal was enough to take Soccer City into the next round.

The teams that have survived into the second round of the knockout tournament are Soccer City, Mahaica Determinates, Paradise FC, Rosignol FC, Hopetown United, GT Police, Number 5 FC, and Monedderlust.

In tonight’s action at the All Saints Ground on Princess Elizabeth Road in New Amsterdam, Hopetown will take on Paradise in game one, and this will be followed by an encounter between Rosignol and Mahaica Determinates.

The final game in this tournament is set for January 5, 2019. At stake in the competition is $600,000 for the winner and $300,000 for the runner-up team.

The third place team would have to settle for $200,000.

Medals and trophies have also been secured for the top four teams.

Additionally $50,000 each will go to the MVP, best goal keeper, and person scoring the most goals.

UG Trojans defying the odds – eager to play in semis

A

s the preliminary stages of the 2018 Rainforest Water/Malta Supreme/Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) League concluded, many fans are awaiting the results to see if their favourite teams have qualified for the First, Second and Under-23 divisions respectively.

One such person is the UG Trojans coach, Warren Wilson, who coaches the first division and the under 23 side.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport, when asked how he rates the performance of the team, Wilson said he believes the team has finished the preliminary rounds on a high, and that in terms of qualification to the semis, it’s not a question of if the team has qualified, but more of who they will face off against.

Wilson further stated that he believes the team has improved all round, but he still wishes to work more on the offensive nature of the squad. He also believes that while there are certain players outshining others on the team, he is looking forward to next season, where he can work with the others and let them have their moment to shine.

When asked how his skills have grown throughout the league, Wilson said, “Well, I have really been able to notice my shortcomings when it comes to game management...and will work on that by the time we are ready to leave for Colombia next year, as we attend the University Games on May 20-27, 2019”.

He also said it has been a privilege to work with both first and under 23 divisions, but he needs to find balance, as the under 23 team has qualified for the semis while the first division side is at the bottom of the table. He deems their lack of chemistry due to poor practice attendance re- Trojans Coach, Warren Wilson sponsible for this level of perit would open the administration of formance.

Asked about his relationship with UG eyes to the possibilities of putting the team, Wilson said, “It’s just about more emphasis on sports, and especialkeeping a good coach/player relation- ly to show others that we aren’t a walkship, so that players trust your opin- over, as we were deemed a non-threat ion. And it would mean a lot to me to at the beginning of the competition”. win the championship, because I think (Timothy Jaikarran)

Renshaw smashes record 345 in grade cricket

M

att Renshaw, overlooked for an Australia Test place, has plundered a record 345 in grade cricket for his club, Toombul in Queensland.

Renshaw’s monumental knock, which came against Wynnum/Manly, took 273 balls and included 38 fours and 12 sixes. It eclipsed the record for Queensland Premier Cricket -- 311 set by Wade Townsend, the former Queensland batsman, in 2009-10.

Renshaw was involved in partnerships of 256 and 206 for the third and fourth wickets, as Toombul amassed 4 for 550.

It takes Renshaw’s tally of the season to 611 runs from four innings, including two other centuries. However, it’s Renshaw’s form at Sheffield

Shield level since returning from the UAE which has cost him his chance of opening against India in Adelaide next week.

Renshaw was unfortunate ahead of the series against Pakistan when he took a blow on the helmet while fielding at short leg in the warm-up match, and suffered concussion, which meant he did not have any time in the middle before the first Test.

He has made just 158 runs in eight Shield innings, including scores of 21 and 6 against Australia’s Test attack when they lined up for New South Wales against Queensland.

Australia’s grade competitions have had an additional spotlight on them this season,

MATT RENSHAW

with the regular appearances of David Warner and Steven Smith for their clubs in Sydney while they serve their oneyear bans. (CRICINFO)

UG Chess and Scrabble Competitions Conclude – defending champions retain title

T

h e University of Guyana (UG) Sports Department, having staged the first part of its annual King and Queen Scrabble and Chess competitions on November 16 in the Conference Room of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, drew the curtains down on the excitement on Friday. Their conclusion is that the tournament reaped major success.

Speaking with Chess queen Anicia Patterson alongside Guyana Times her coach Ronuel Greenidge Sport, Sports provides a platform for imOrganiser Lavern Fraser, when asked about provement, and it is her her feelings at the conclu- hope that with the intersion of the tournament said, est shown, an Inter Faculty “I must say that the tourna- Chess Competition can be inment this year, both Chess troduced.

Also speaking with and Scrabble, gave me a feelGuyana Times Sport, ing of achievement. This is the fourth year, and certain- University Chess Coach ly it was the best to date. Ronuel Greenidge, FIDE certified and ranked number 8 among national players and number 6 among active players in Guyana, said: “The competition was much better than last year’s competition... the top finishing participants played really well..

However I felt that there was not enough of the killer instinct displayed during the games”.

In the competition, Davion Mars retained his crown by defeating Joshua Gopaul in a best out of three games. Mars asserted his dominance and won two consecutive games, and Anicia Patterson defeated Britney Bovell to be crowned the Chess Queen.

In the Scrabble competition, Christina Basil retained her title of Scrabble Queen for the third consecutive year, as she defeated Crystal Scrabble King Jaffar Gibbons De Cambra; while in the male competition, Jaffar Gibbons There’s a lot more interest in defeated Marcellus Cornelius the sport of chess from stu- to be crowned Scrabble King.

Fraser has said, “On behalf dents, and as I noted before, of the University of Guyana, the fact that there’s a coach I want to extend gratitude has been a great influencing to Mr Philip Fernandes of factor.

Bryden & Fernandes, who “The Scrabble is not encame on board the first year joying as much interest at the moment, but there will defi- of the competition and sponnitely be greater effort exert- sored all the chess material, including boards and pieces. ed in that direction”.

Fraser added that com- These are continuing to serve petition at any level always well”. (Timothy Jaikarran)

CLASSIFIED Hand-in-Hand History of Cricket in Guyana 1898-1914 ADS suNdAY, december 2, 2018

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A Stubborn Mediocrity Volume 2 officially launched

A

n auspicious activity took place yesterday at the historic Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) at Bourda, where cricket enthusiasts gathered.

The activity was the launching of Clem Seecharan’s book: A stubborn Mediocrity, Volume 2.

This is a book that focuses on History of Cricket in Guyana from 1898 to 1914, and it gives readers the opportunity to relive priceless cricketing moments in Guyana.

Among cricket enthusiasts, the Guyana Jaguars Members of the head table at the official launch 4-Day Team made a spequire more self-discipline. cial effort to be present and Lance Gibbs started his cricketing career as a witness cricket icons Lancelot Richard Gibbs, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Roger Harper. leg-spinner, but later began a dream career with Social Cohesion Minister George Norton was also his off-spin bowling. He has featured in 79 test matches for the West Indies, and has taken 309 present.

As guest speaker at the event, the legendary wickets at an average of 29.09 runs. On 18 occaLancelot Richard Gibbs, well known as Lance sions he has taken five-wicket hauls. He was the Gibbs, noted how important it is for individu- first spinner to take 300 test wickets, but that reals to have historical knowledge on cricket. The cord was later eclipsed. He played most of his club iconic off-spinner noted that Guyanese and re- cricket for the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC).

Professor Clem Seecharan ‘s book was dedgional cricketers should fill their minds with good things. Referring to Seecharan’s A Stubborn icated to Mary Turner, Phyllis Knight, John Mediocrity Volume 2, Gibbs, who believes that Smoliniec, Dr Yesu Persaud and Dr Puran Singh. cricket is the greatest sport ever, remarked that The book showed vivid images of the olden days, the West Indies are far from their glorious days. with few resources being available to write the He opined that cricketers in the modern era re- book, Seecharan expressed gratitude to Hand-

in-Hand for their continued support. Seecharan, at the launching event, produced a brief outline of the book as the audience enjoyed the great insights given.

Copies of the book were formally presented to the National Archives of Guyana, University of Guyana, National Library of Guyana, and National Trust of Guyana. Individuals present at the event received copies of the book and were given opportunity to have them autographed by the author, Clem Seecharan.

Hand-in-Hand, was founded 1865, ironically the same year the first ever First Class match was played in the Caribbean, between Barbados and British Guiana (Guyana).

BCB/Berbice River 30-Over tournament

Wiruni defeat Sandhills Friendship by 4 wickets to claim championship

T NOT RECEIVING

sports

he Berbice Cricket Board on Thursday last hosted a historic final at the Albion Cricket Ground between Sandhills Friendship Cricket Club and Wiruni Cricket Club in the BCB/Berbice River 30- Over Tournament. The final was played in front of a sizeable and very vocal crowd. Wiruni Cricket Club defeated Sandhills Friendship Cricket Club by four wickets to spark wild celebration among their supporters.

Sandhills Friendship Cricket Club won the toss and elected to bat first, but was bowled out for 125 off 28.2 overs. Joshua Leacock, 29; Leon Swammy, 30; and Ryan De Nobrega 17, were the principal scorers.

Under cloudy conditions, De Nobrega and Leacock put on 40 for the first wicket, but found it difficult to find the boundaries, as the Wiruni players bowled and fielded well. Delroy Osbourne with 4 for 34, Selman King with 2 for 17, and Samuel Seegolam with 2 for 05 were the outstanding bowlers for Wiruni Cricket Club.

Needing to score 126 from 30 overs to lift the title, Wiruni Cricket Club was indebted to a well-played innings of 31 not out from Player of the Final, Melroy Da Silva. He received support from Kwesi Sinclair 28,

as Wiruni reached 127 for 6 in 18.5 overs. Medium pacer Leon Swammy, with 2 for 18, and Joshua Leacock, with 2 for 26, bowled well in a losing cause.

Three teams: Wiruni Cricket Club, Sandhills Friendship Cricket Club, and Ebini Ranchers Cricket Club, participated in the round robin tournament, with Wiruni and Sandhills Friendship going on to the Final. The tournament was the 19th to be successfully completed by the Berbice Cricket Board for 2018, while several others are slated to be completed by yearend.

BCB President, Hilbert Foster, hailed the level of cricket played by the teams and expressed pleasure at the high standard of discipline, bowling, fielding and the potential of several batsmen. Foster urged teams to always strive for success, and committed the Berbice Cricket Board to hosting four major cricket tournaments in 2019, and to assisting the clubs in developing themselves.

He also extended an invitation to the Berbice River Sub-Association to select a combined team to play a 20/20 match under lights as part of a developmental programme. Foster, in his capacity as Secretary/CEO of Guyana’s leading youth club,

the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, handed over a complete set of cricket stumps and a score book to both teams, while the BCB provided educational posters.

Captains Joshua Leacock

and Johnny Sinclair both hailed the BCB for the outstanding work it was doing to promote the game across the entire Berbice. Leacock expressed gratitude to the Berbice Cricket Board and Rose Hall Town Youth &

Sports Club, MS for the items donated to the clubs.

The Berbice Cricket Board would like to express gratitude to Azad Habibulla of West Coast Berbice for his contribution towards the tournament.

22

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, decEMber 2, 2018

Smalta Girls Pee Wee Football

West Ruimveldt, St Pius, South Ruimveldt, North Georgetown book semi-final spots

Martha Chase celebrates her successes

It was a clear shot for Denita Auden as South’s goalkeeper was nowhere in sight

F

our female teams on Saturday afternoon proved that they are among the best, advancing to the semi-final round of the Smalta Girls 11-and-Under Pee Wee tournament.

After completing three rounds of play, twelve participating teams were reduced to eight advancing to the quarterfinal round. Needless to say, these young ladies put on a show at the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue to ensure that their school teams would make it out of the round alive.

The first quarter final game featured strong contenders West Ruimveldt and St Stephen’s Primary. Playing with the same drive and determination as their highly successful boys’ team, West Ruimveldt wasted little time in getting the soring started. Ashanns Rajkumar netted the first goal in the 7th minute; then, 4 minutes later, Teneshia Persaud joined the scoring party. But they were not done yet, as Seona France chipped in to push the score to 3-0 by halftime.

St. Stephen were fumbling for a reply to West Ruimveldt, but could not manage to connect their few chances at the goal.

Rondella Anderson later scored a goal of her own to result in a

4-0 win for West Ruimveldt.

While West Ruimveldt battled St Stephen’s, St Pius Primary were inflicting similar damage on Genesis Primary.

Being another team that is driven by their male counterpart’s success, St Pius dug deep after a goalless first half to snatch the win. Christal Archer was brilliant on the field, as she netted two goals. She began in the 25th with a slip past Genesis goalkeeper. One minute later, the young lady took a chance with a long ball, which ended its journey in the goal. Ackelia Blake then added her name to the score sheet to crush the Genesis semi-final dreams with a 3-0 victory.

North Georgetown Primary continued their clean stint when they faced off with Tucville Primary. Tucville’s defence looked fierce early on, but they could not stand up to the attacking prowess of North Georgetown. Martha Chase was once again brilliant in the field, as she volleyed two goals for her team’s win. Playing with an injury, the young lady netted a goal in each half to cement her team’s place in next week’s semi-final.

The 2017 winners, South Ruimveldt, continued to show

Trinidadian teams dominate Diamond Hockey …finals to be contested today

why they are the defending champions with yet another win. For their quarterfinal encounter, they met with the threatening Enterprise Primary. The defending champs had a scare early on, as Enterprise were the first to put a goal on the board, thanks to Alecia Beaton in the third minute. However, South’s star striker Fayon Harry spared little time in replying, as she equalized the score in the 6th minute. The minutes flew by with both teams seeing near misses, until Harry returned to put South in the lead just before the half time whistle.

Shakira Barker then joined the party minutes after the half began, to push South’s tally to 3-1. However, their opponents were not going down without a fight. Denita Auden scored in the 36th to keep the Enterprise dreams alive. But this vision was quickly dulled by Fayon Harry, who was again quick with the reply. South eventually won 4-2.

The semi-final games will be contested on Saturday, December 8, at the Ministry of Education Ground. Prior to the semi-finals, placement matches between the other teams will be kicked off.

Stafford completes squash coaching career in Guyana

Cameron Stafford of the Cayman Island is all smiles after receiving his certificates from Coach Carl Ince QPCC takes a shot at the Old Fort defence of a penalty corner

W

ith the final matches looming on today’s horizon, action in the Diamond Hockey tournament continued unabated as teams drew near to being eliminated.

For the most part, it was a successful night for the foreign teams -- Queen’s Park Cricket Club and Ventures Hockey Club -- as they registered large margin wins to perfectly place themselves in contention for yet another title.

Coming off of a scintillating 5-1 victory over Bounty GCC, Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) continued in fine form, showing avid determination to retain their title.

They met with Shacar in the men’s division, and pulverised the less dominant team in a 13-0 encounter.

Jerazeno Bell was the man of the night as he breezed his way through the opponent’s defence to net 4 electric goals.

His teammates were not to be left

out of the action, as Shawn Lee Quay pitched in with a hat-trick of goals.

Doubles from Mahinder Malli and Aiden DeGannes alongside Michael Durity and Darren Cowie’s single strikes brought Queen’s Park to their enormous tally.

The Trinidad team also dominated the Over 35 division with commanding wins. Bell was back in action in this division, contributing 5 to Queen’s Park’s 9-0 win over Trinidadian counterparts Carib. The defense pitched in well to restrict their countrymen from scoring.

The other Over 35 game saw Queen’s Park cruising to victory over Fatima, despite their opponents putting up a fight. Bell could not be contained, as he netted 4 goals in this game for the second time that night. His teammate Raphael Gouveia pitched in with two to push Queen’s Park to an 8-4 win.

In the women’s division, Ventures Hockey Club saw similar luck as

Queen’s Park’s, as they also enjoyed a commanding victory. Being pitted against Guyanese club Saints.

Ventures, led from the front by their captain Arielle Williams, put up 10 goals in comparison to Saints’ two.

Williams had a hat-trick of her own, with support from Lindsay Williams, Kristin Thompson and Krizia Layne, who all netted two apiece.

The Guyanese clubs were not left out of the action, as they also thrilled wins. In the Men’s division, Pepsi Hikers had a 5-2 win over Old Fort, but Old Fort bounced back to enjoy an 8-0 win over Shacar.

In the Over 35 division, Old Fort defeated Antonio’s Hikers 3-1, and GCC Vintage overcame Fatima 5-3.

GBTI GCC showed their worth in the Women’s division with a resounding 3-0 win over Old Fort.

C

ayman Islands Professional Squash Association (PSA) member Cameron Stafford recently chose Guyana to pursue his Levels 1 and 2 England Squash Coaching Certificates, facilitated by Guyana’s National Coach, Carl Ince.

Cameron, whose father is Guyanese, recently returned to his roots as he took part in the coaching clinic facilitated by the Elite Level 4 Guyanese player/coach.

Cameron, who took some 3 flights en route to Guyana, said he wanted to work with a coach who genuinely cared and wanted to share the knowledge of the sport.

The overseas player was seemingly impressed by the achievements of local squash star Nicolette Fernandes, who was an early student of Ince, He added: “There was no hesitation in choosing to take the Levels 1 & 2 in Guyana with Coach Ince, and learn from the master of success”.

The foreigner credited the local players as well as the overall hospitality of the Guyanese for his wanting to return to Guyana. He credited the time spent training on the highway at Ince’s farm, stating that the experience allowed him to soak up the knowledge without distractions.

As a senior, he trained with Coach Mark Forster, who focused on fitness, and Coach Lucas Buit, who focused on court training, both of whom contributed greatly to his success.

Eager to take his new knowledge back to the Cayman Islands, Cameron believes that he can now be more proficient in programme planning, running tournaments, and the coaching approach of mixing beginners and intermediates.

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, december 2, 2018

23

2018/19 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships…

Persaud eager to cement spot as another season looms

By Clifton Ross

G

uyana Jaguars batsman Akshaya Persaud is rearing to solidify his place in the 4-Day team, following his selection and yet another chance to build his career, with the 2018-19 Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional 4-Day Championships bowling off in a few days.

This season gets underway from December 6, and the 4-time defending champs will wing out on Monday morning as they commence their defence campaign against the Windward IslandsVolcanoes at the Darren Sammy National Stadium in St Lucia, before returning home to play their first of five matches at Providence, commencing in January 2019.

Ahead of his departure, Persaud told Guyana Times Sport on Saturday that he was pleased with his selection, which allows him to concentrate further on building his career in the longest format. “For me personally, it was a good opportunity, because a lot of players were looking to get scores. So I’m just happy to be selected, and now I just want to score runs and cement a spot in the

team”, the batsman said.

The ex-student of the Saraswati Vidy Niketan School made his 4-Day debut last season playing just two matches, His highest score of 21 against the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in the final round was played at Providence.

Comparing last season to now, Persaud said he was playing a lot more matches while constantly working on his technique.

“I’ve been playing more cricket compared to last year, and the Hero CPL Camp helped me a lot because of the calibre of players in the Guyana Amazon Warriors team. I learnt from them, I was asking questions; and then I had a few good games playing domestic cricket, and I have a few good scores, so I have some confidence heading into the tournament”, Persaud stated.

Despite not scoring as he would have liked during the recently concluded Jaguars’ two 3-day practice games, the last of which ended on Friday, the 21-year-old has still credited the two matches for putting him back into ‘Test’ mode.

“The 3-Day games were important because I got back accustomed to the longer

format. It was also important for getting the body back moving, so I think the matches were good for all of us,” he said.

Persaud, debutant Tevin Imlach, young opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Romario Shepherd are the core of the Jaguars’ blooming bunch, all of whom have much to prove should they get the Guyana Jaguars batsman Akshaya Persaud chance this season. Persaud, plays one under the eyes during nets looking ahead, pointed out what it takes to achieve such a feat. that his main goals this sea“I have no nerves. It’s 4-day cricket, so son are areas of fundamentals within the we just have to take it session by session, game, as he plans to focus on concentration day by day and match by match, because we and maturity. still have to play good cricket to win. But we “As a batsman, I just want to spend time out in the middle, occupy the crease, put have to just go out there and play good crickaway the bad balls, and form good partner- et, and I think we can successfully defend our title,” he ended. ships with my teammates,” he said.

The champs, meanwhile, depart early on The left-hander will be entering a big Monday morning for St Lucia, as they get fold as Guyana seek to lift the title for a record 5 consecutive times; and although still themselves acclimatised and settled ahead young, he says he is without butterflies in of their clash with the Volcanoes, which the stomach, and believes that his team has bowl off Thursday.

West Indies crumble against spin after Bangladesh rack up 508 West Indies 75 for 5 (Hetmyer 32*, Mehidy 3-36) trail Bangladesh 508 (Mahmudullah 136, Shakib 80) by 433 runs

A

Shimron Hetmyer

fter keeping West Indies on the field for most of the first two days to score 508 runs in their first innings, Bangladesh didn’t allow any let-ups with the ball.

Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan took five wickets in the first 12 overs of the visitors’ reply, recording a first in Test history in the process, as the first five batsmen were all bowled by spinners.

Mehidy took three wickets, while Shakib took the other two to fall in a dominant day for the home side. From start to finish on day two, Bangladesh made all the running, culminating in a gasping last hour and 40 minutes that ended with West Indies on 75 for 5.

Kraigg Brathwaite has had a torrid time in this tour so far, this time Shakib Al Hasan’s arm-ball cutting between his bat and pad to hand him a duck. Mehidy did a similar thing to Kieran Powell, using the round-the-wicket angle to get through his bat and pad.

Things turned from bad to worse for West Indies in the ninth over when Sunil Ambris missed a full Shakib delivery with an ambitious lofted drive, but he was nowhere near the pitch of the ball. Roston Chase played down the wrong line to a Mehidy delivery that spun past his forward prod.

In Mehidy’s next over, West Indies slipped to 29 for 5, the lowest score against Bangladesh at five wickets down, when Shai Hope was completely undone by one that kept very low.

Shimron Hetmyer and Shane Dowrich, who batted well in the Chattogram Test too, salvaged the visitors in a 46-run stand for the unbroken sixth wicket. It was the only respite on a day when nothing really went their way.

For most of the day, it was Mahmudullah’s sturdy 136 that held Bangladesh together. He lasted six hours and 16 minutes at the crease, which took the home side through some crucial phases from the first to the second afternoon. Shadman Islam had earlier done the initial hard work through his impressive 76 on the first day, but after he and Mushfiqur fell in a short span, Mahmudullah dug deep.

He added 111 runs for the sixth wicket with Shakib, who went on a boundary spree early on the second morning, hitting five of his six fours. He made 80 off 139 balls, before giving gully a straightforward catch off Kemar Roach.

Liton Das followed in Shakib’s footsteps, attacking the West Indies bowlers in a first session in which Bangladesh added 128 runs in 25 overs.

Mahmudullah

Liton, who made 54 off 62 balls with eight fours and a six, fell soon after the lunch break, and was followed by Mehidy Hasan back to the dressing room.

Mahmudullah then took 30 balls to get through the nineties and into his century, but it was a crucial phase in which he and Taijul added 56 runs in 20.5 overs.

Taijul lasted 91 minutes before getting caught behind off Kraigg Brathwaite, who had earlier bowled Liton, before Nayeem Hasan and Mahmudullah frustrated West Indies for a further 9.2 overs in their tenth-wicket stand.

For the visitors, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo, Warrican and Brathwaite took two wickets each; while there was one each for Shermon Lewis and Roston Chase. (CRICINFO)

SCOREBOARD Bangladesh 1st Innings Shadman Islam lbw b Bishoo 76 Soumya Sarkar c Hope b Chase 19 Mominul Haque c Chase b Roach 29 Mohammad Mithun b Bishoo 29 Shakib Al Hasan (c) c Hope b Roach 80 Mushfiqur Rahim b Lewis Mahmudullah b Warrican 136 Liton Das † b Brathwaite 54 Mehidy Hasan Miraz c †Dowrich b Warrican 18 Taijul Islam c †Dowrich b Brathwaite 26 Nayeem Hasan not out 12 Extras 15 (b 2, lb 8, nb 4, w 1) TOTAL 508 all out (154 Overs, RR: 3.29) Fall of wickets: 1-42 (Soumya Sarkar, 15.3 ov), 2-87 (Mominul Haque, 33.5 ov), 3-151 (Mohammad Mithun, 56.1 ov), 4-161 (Shadman Islam, 58.5 ov), 5-190 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 67.3 ov), 6-301 (Shakib Al Hasan, 96.5 ov), 7-393 (Liton Das, 118.1 ov), 8-416 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 123.5 ov), 9-472 (Taijul Islam, 144.4 ov), 10508 (Mahmudullah, 153.6 ov)

BOWLING KAJ Roach SH Lewis RL Chase JA Warrican D Bishoo KC Brathwaite

O M R W 25 4 61 2 20 2 69 1 28 0 111 1 38 5 91 2 28 1 109 2 15 0 57 2

West Indies 1st Innings KC Brathwaite (c) b Shakib Al Hasan 0 KOA Powell b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4 SD Hope b Mehidy Hasan Miraz SW Ambris b Shakib Al Hasan 7 RL Chase b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 0 SO Hetmyer not out 32 SO Dowrich † not out 17 Extras 5 (b 4, lb 1) TOTAL 75/5 (24 Overs, RR: 3.12) Yet to bat: D Bishoo, KAJ Roach, JA Warrican, SH Lewis Fall of wickets: 1-0 (KC Brathwaite, 0.6 ov), 2-6 (KOA Powell, 5.3 ov), 3-17 (SW Ambris, 8.6 ov), 4-20 (RL Chase, 9.3 ov), 5-29 (SD Hope, 11.6 ov) BOWLING O M R W Shakib Al Hasan 9 3 15 2 Mehidy Hasan Miraz 10 1 36 3 Nayeem Hasan 3 0 9 0 Taijul Islam 1 0 10 0 Mahmudullah 1 1 0 0

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

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

Smalta Pee Wee Girls Football

West Ruimveldt, St Pius, South Ruimveldt, North Georgetown book semifinal spots Pg 22

North Georgetown and Tucville Primary as their battle ensued

2018/19 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships…

Pg 23

Akshaya Persaud is keen on building his 4-Day career this season

Persaud eager to cement spot as another season looms

West Indies crumble against spin after Bangladesh rack up 508 Pg 23

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

December 2, 2018

Always trying to put myself in uncomfortable position: Anushka Sharma Page 14

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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DECEMBER 2, 2018

Feature

T

he Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) targets the immune system weakening the defence system against infections and diseases. As the virus destroys and impairs the function of immune system cells, infected individuals gradually become immunodeficient.

Immunodeficiency results in increased susceptibility to a wide range of infections, cancers and other diseases that people with healthy immune systems can fight off. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which can take from 2 to 15 years to develop depending on the individual. AIDS is defined by the development of certain cancers, infections, or other severe clinical manifestations.

To raise awareness to tackle AIDS, December 1 was designated World AIDS Day since 1988. It is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the

AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and to mourning those who have died of the disease.

Government and health officials, Non-Governmental Organisations, and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.

World AIDS Day is one of the eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organisation (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunisation Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day and World Hepatitis Day. As of 2017, AIDS has killed between 28.9 million and 41.5 million people worldwide, and over 36.9 million people are living with HIV, making it one of the most important global public health issues in recorded history. Thanks to recent improved access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in many regions of the

world, the death rate from AIDS has decreased since its peak in 2005 (1 million in 2016, compared to 1.9 million in 2005).

World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS at the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland. Bunn and Netter took their idea to Dr Jonathan Mann, Director of the Global Programme on AIDS (now known as UNAIDS). Dr Mann liked the concept, approved it, and agreed with the recommendation that the first ob-

servance of World AIDS Day should be on December 1, 1988. Bunn, a former television broadcast Journalist from San Francisco, had recommended the date of December 1 believing it would maximise coverage of World AIDS Day by Western news media, as that date was sufficiently long after the US elections but before the Christmas holidays.

In its first two years, the theme of World AIDS Day focused on children and young people. While the choice theme was criticised at the time by some for ignoring the fact that people of all ages may become infected with HIV, the theme helped alleviate some of the stigma surrounding the disease and boost recognition of the problem as a family disease.

This year, World AIDS Day is being observed under the theme “Know your HIV status” and urges every sexually active person to know their status since knowing would determine the course of action after. According to UNAIDS, significant progress has been made in the AIDS response since 1988, and today, three in four people living with HIV know their status.

HIV testing is essential for expanding treatment and ensuring that all people living with HIV can lead healthy and productive lives. It is also crucial to achieving the 90–90–90 targets and empowering people to make choices about HIV prevention so they can protect themselves and their loved ones.

Unfortunately, many barriers to HIV testing re-

main. Stigma and discrimination still deter people from taking an HIV test.

Access to confidential HIV testing is still an issue of concern. Many people still only get tested after becoming ill and symptomatic.

Knowing your HIV status has many advantages.

It is an essential entry point to HIV treatment, prevention, care and support services. People who test positive for HIV should be linked immediately to antiretroviral therapy to keep them alive and well, and when viral load suppression is reached, prevent transmission of the virus.

In Guyana, World AIDS Day is significant since it is a time when a lot of people take the chance to get to know their status and also raise awareness about HIV/ AIDS. (WHO, UNAIDS)

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

“I

have been living with HIV for 15 years now and I am thankful for every passing day that I have here.

Some days I just sit down alone and wonder what my life would be if I had been taught how to protect myself from an early state,” Maria says.

Maria (not her real name) is a 35-yearold accountant who has been living with HIV for over 15 years and according to her, every day has been nothing short of “lifechanging”. I sat down with Maria and she related her life-changing story detailing her depression and discrimination.

Going back to her early days, Maria said she grew up in a traditional Indian family that valued boundaries. She said that her mother was always the enforcer and would teach her and her two sisters how to be “decent girls”. She said that education played an integral role in their lives, but there were certain things that were restricted.

While growing up, she explained, there were crushes along the way, but she was never taught about sex.

“The first time I heard about sex was when I was in Form Four and the teacher was teaching us about reproduction and we were learning about how babies are made.

She told us about sex and everyone in the class was silent and when she explained what it was, then we all were just giggling,” she related.

Maria said that she was 18 when she met her late husband who was six years older.

“My husband was the first man I have ever been with and after I met him, my parents were not too happy that we were courting. You know how Indian parents are and after we was courting for three months, we got married,” Maria explained.

Maria got pregnant a few months later, but eventually suffer a miscarriage after she slipped in the bathroom. She was just about three months pregnant when she suffered her miscarriage and after that her life changed for the worse. Worse in every sense,

according to her, since after that her husband went on a downward spiral.

He began drinking and eventually became abusive towards her.

“He would beat me up when he came home drunk and had sweet woman and so.

I was not happy with him, but my mother did not want us to separate, so I stayed with him. I started to get sick and one day I vomit blood so my mother-in-law rush me to the hospital. When I went there, they did a lot of tests and so on. Then they tell me that I have HIV,” she related.

Amid tears, Maria continued: “When they told me about the HIV I was surprised, because I never had sex with anyone else except my husband. My mother-in-law bring me home and tell my husband. He beat me right in front of she and telling me that I got man make I get AIDS. Them put me out and I had to go back by my mother.”

When she returned to her mother’s home, it was another scene. Her mother refused to allow her into the house because she was a “disgrace” to the family and with nowhere to go, she slept in her mother’s yard. The next morning her mother ran her out of the home and word started to quickly spread that she had the “big truck”. A cousin of hers took her in and she still lives with her to this day.

“After I moved in with my cousin, I had to get a job and I never work before. My cousin eventually get a job for me as an accounts clerk with the Ravina Store and from there I start to further my studies in accounting.

I left Ravina Store and now working with a tax consultancy firm,” she said.

Maria tells me the endless discrimination she experienced at the hands of those close to her was heartbreaking. However, she said that she has been receiving counselling and with the support of her cousin, she has been able to pull through.

“I am thankful. I am really thankful that my cousin took me in when no one wanted me. I would be forever grateful. It is hard to be HIV positive and all alone. No one should be alone.”

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

“I

remember it as though it was just yesterday when in fact it has been six years now. It was a Wednesday morning and I went to GRPA (Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association) for an HIV test and there my world shattered. I was nervous as hell and then they drew the blood and sent me upstairs to talk to the counsellor and await the results.

I think I waited like about half hour for the results, but it seemed like it was days.

When I was called into the room, the counsellor told me I was HIV positive and I was crushed. I don’t remember anything he said after that, but all I know is I got home somehow and cried for days,” James tells me.

I met James about eight years ago while working at Qualfon and we have been friends ever since. He is the father of a beautiful nine-year-old girl. Because of the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, James agreed to share his story with me but on the condition of anonym-

P

ity. Therefore, to protect his identity I changed his name but his story remains the same.

To understand James’s story, you have to go back to his “troubled” childhood. He was born and raised in the community of Albouystown.

Now at 29, James tell me when he was just about 10 years old, his mother died and he went to live with an aunt who never paid attention to him, since she had four children of her own.

She only took care of him because his father would financially support the family.

He said that although he was given the basic necessities as well as a fair chance at getting an education, he never felt a sense of belonging since no one took the time to ask how he was coping after his mother’s death. He eventually got caught up with the “wrong crew” and began using drugs at the age of 15 and from there, things began going out of control.

Tragedy would strike once again after his father died when he was 19 and

re-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP as it is referred to, is a pill that can reduce the risk of contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in persons who are HIV negative. The daily pill, under the Truvada brand, can result in 90 to 98 per cent protection against the disease and caters mainly for those whose partners are HIV positive.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pre-exposure prophylaxis is when people at very high risk for HIV take HIV medicines daily to lower their chances of getting infected. A combination of two HIV medicines (tenofovir and emtricitabine) is approved for daily use as PrEP to help prevent a HIV-negative person from getting HIV from a sexual or injection-drug-using partner who is positive. Studies have shown that PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV if it is used as prescribed. PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken consistently.

When taken every day, PrEP is safe and

he was left orphaned. He would eventually venture off on his own, but with limited passes at CXC, a proper job was hard to come by.

“When my father died, it was tough because I have nobody in my corner so I went and get a place to rent and at that time I was working at a store in town (Georgetown) and I got involved with my child mother. We move in together and sometime after she get pregnant and get my daughter. I try to be a good father to she and give she all she want,” he tells me.

However, after his daughter was born, the relationship became rocky since they were always pressed for money; there was very little he could have done. He had a friend who was working at Qualfon so he asked him to get a job there for him. Eventually, he got a job at Qualfon

as a Customer Service Representative while his common-law wife continued working at the store.

“When I start working at Qualfon, I was on the night shift so when she was at work, I was home and when I home, she at work so we grow apart. I meet this girl at Qualfon that was on my team, and me and she develop a relationship. My girl find out and then she just pack up and went by she mother. I didn’t try to bring she back, because I say is best we separate,” he explained.

Now, if he could have gone back in time, he would have taken a different course of action. What James did not know was the girl he met at Qualfon was HIV positive.

“After me girl move out and so, lil’ bit after I get sick and I wasn’t feeling right.

So I didn’t take it for any-

highly effective in preventing HIV infection.

Recently, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) advocacy organisation SASOD conducted a study on the drug and produced a report, which was submitted to the National AIDS Programme Secretariat as well as the Public Health Ministry in a move to advocate for the introduction of PrEP. The study included 47 persons from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) targeted the

thing and one day me friend was going to do an AIDS test and he tell me ‘let we go’. When I go, it was then I find out I had the truck (HIV/AIDS),” he remembered.

When I asked him what he felt after his diagnosis, James said it was all numbness for a few days.

He said he could not eat or go to work. He even contemplated suicide, since he knew very little about HIV other than it would lead to death. However, he confided in the mother of his daughter who took him to the hospital where he was put on Antiretrovirals (ARVs) and he made some lifestyle changes.

He said that now he takes care of his body by eating healthy, exercising and making sure that he takes his medication always.

“I want to be around for

a long time. I want to see my daughter married and see grandkids. I want people out there to know that they have to be careful when it comes to sex and if you are HIV positive, just know that it is not the end of the world. You can live a healthy and long life. You just need to take care of yourself,” he said.

James has since left his job at Qualfon. After leaving, he rewrote CXC and ventured into the accounting world. He is currently a CAT student and working as an accounts clerk for a private company. He does not let his HIV status define what he can and cannot do, rather he strives to achieve all he can while he has the strength just to show his daughter that no matter the obstacle, hard work and determination are the keys to gaining success.

level of knowledge, attitudes and delivery preferences in relation to PrEP. SASOD is considered a pioneer in the fight for human rights especially those of the LGBT communities. According to SASOD, during the study, it was revealed that while a majority of the respondents were interested in the benefits of the pill, they were concerned about the costs attached and the HIV stigma that follows when seeking information about PrEP. However, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud has since indicated that Government is cautious about introducing PrEP, since it may increase risky behaviour.

The advocates for PrEP say the drug is timely and its introduction could be a game changer in Guyanese society.

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

H

u m a n Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 35 million lives so far with 940,000 people dying from HIV-related causes, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In Guyana, the Public Health Ministry reported that there have been some 247 new cases of HIV recorded at the end of May 2018.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, during his 2019 Budget presentation, said that the incidence of HIV appears to be rising, with the 2029 age group showing the highest incidence – 32 per cent of all newly-reported cases in 2017.

“This disease also relies on our lifestyle choices, specifically our decision to use protection, commit to continuous testing and diligently follow treatment prescribed. The Government will contin-

It is reported that over 36.9 million people are living with HIV at the end

ue its public awareness, surveillance and followup programmes. We have committed to the international 90-90-90 Treat All Policy towards the eradication of HIV,” he said.

To combat HIV and non-communicable diseases, Government has allocated $1.6 billion for family health care services in 2019.

HIV targets the immune system and weakens the defence systems against infections and some types of cancer. As the virus destroys and impairs the function of immune system cells, infected individuals gradually become immunodeficient.

Immune function is typically measured by CD4 cell count.

of 2017, with 1.8 million people becoming newly infected in 2017 globally.

Some 59 per cent of adults and 52 per cent of children living with HIV were receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2017. Global ART coverage for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV is high at 80 per cent, the WHO said.

In Guyana, HIV accounts for over 200 deaths annually, with over 8500 people living with the infection. The records indicate that 58 per cent of the infected persons were accessing treatment. The key populations most affected by HIV in Guyana include sex workers, transgender persons and prisoners.

Government has been

making every effort to tackle the increase in HIV cases; however, there are

several issues along the way. Because of the disparity between the coast-

land and hinterland, health care is not accessible to all as was reported when it was revealed that pregnant women in the hinterland regions are not receiving HIV tests. This would have been quickly addressed, as it was explained that the lack of testing is owed to some lapses in the delivery system resulting in the late delivery of the testing kits.

The revelation was one of the official findings of the Study on Indigenous Women and Children in 12 communities, conducted by the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry in collaboration with UNICEF. The study was conducted in villages located in all the administrative regions, including Akawini, Santa Mission,

St Cuthbert Mission, Moraikobai, Orealla/ Siparuta and River View.

The global goal is to eliminate HIV by the year 2030 and achieve the 90-90-90 plan whereby 90 per cent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 per cent of the persons who are tested are treated and 90 per cent of those who are treated go into virus suppression.

Youth activists have been calling for a comprehensive sexual education curriculum to be introduced in public schools, noting that it can go a long way in educating children holistically. The Government has made very little strides in the area despite repeated calls from various sections of society.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Feature

by

Petamber Persaud

Preserving our literary heritage

O

nce again, the Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature has delivered on its mandate which is ‘to champion literacy, build language skills and foster the love and habit of reading by ensuring that young Caribbean readers have access to books that they want to read’ by gracing the region (and further afield) with three new novels that are written and designed to woo man, woman, boy and girl back to books, to the pleasure of reading and to all the glories associated with reading, reading of good literature, for these three prize-winning books are all different in style and tone and theme while sharing in common a few literary features like social realism and first person narrative falling into various literary genres of drama, action/adventure, mystery/thriller and satire. All three narrators are in their early teens and are all females which mean that the female voice is given its rightful place in our literature, even the lone male author, Kevin Jared Hosein, does not deny the female her voice, another magnanimous stride forward for Caribbean literature.

‘Home Home’ by Lisa Allen-Agostini tackles large current issues about gays and mental health, the varying approaches by different societies, demystifying them with dramatic ease using dialogues and situational/circumstantial conflicts. Home Home is about a depressed teenage girl sent from the tropical Island of Trinidad to the temperate climate of Canada to recover from a malady that is not viewed seriously by the layman. Not only is the climate different

but responses to various issues are different. However her recovery is effected by her lesbian aunt and partner, a gorgeous looking boy and her best friend back home (using the mobile phone; technology is prominent here).

The telling is engaging and educational also highly entertaining.

The beast of Kukuyo, a dark tale, by Kevin Jared Hosein is an intriguing mystery/thriller that also falls into the category of satire – taking potshots at the sordidness in a rural village while balancing it with some beautiful acts. This book is action-packed, many- layered and suspenseful, cleverly composed not unlike ‘Murder, She Wrote’ – the

reader is not sure who is the victim, the suspect or the killer until the end.

The Art of Whites Roses

by Viviana Prado-Nunez, set in 1957 in Marianao, a suburb on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, during the revolution, is a fast paced novel comprising of thirty-five chapter in 182 pages, where people disappear while the narrator also witness sincerity and an infidelity, fear and hope.

The Burt Award for Caribbean Literature was established by CODE (the Canadian Organisation for Development through Education) with ‘generous support of Canadian philanthropist William Burt and the Literary Prizes Foundation, in partnership

the ‘NGC Bocas Lit. Fest’ of Trinidad and Tobago. The mandate of CODE is profoundly captured in the following statement, ‘If you can read and write, you can learn to do, and be, anything’.

This award is designed to operate on three vital levels of a vibrant literary landscape – staging writers’ workshops, offering huge monetary prizes, transforming manuscripts into books which are printed in the thousands. The book publishing aspect will translate in providing jobs for a whole range of people including book cover designers, illustrators, copyeditors, book binders, …..

Perhaps, a fourth dimension to the Award is its ability to distribute the books (free of cost) among Caribbean countries.

The above is spelt out in the objective of the award which is ‘to champion literacy, build language skills and foster the love and habit of reading by ensuring that young Caribbean readers have access to books that they want to read’.

These three prize-winning books are now available locally; entrusted to the Guyana Book Foundation for distribution to libraries and schools.

Guyanese author, Imam Baksh, has won this award on two occasions.

What’s Happening: Sasenarine Persaud has just released his fourteenth book, Monsoon on the Fingers of God, and was honoured with HAF Award (https://www.hafsite. org/) for the Advancement of Dharmic Arts and Humanities. Part of the citation reads: ‘to recognize your significant yet humble

contributions towards enlightening and educating others through your many inspiring literary works of dharmic values and traditions’.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

There is a disease around the world The disease try to destroy all people who live in the world I want to say don’t have sex when you are young AIDS is the killer AIDS is there and AIDS is live When the man want to have sex with you Say no because if you say no you protect yourself All people don’t forget that you are HIV positive, All people hate you because they Scared to get the disease.

I want to say into all girl stop having sex When you unmarried because you get a problem With this disease And no-one want you as a wife And I want to say into the boys don’t Force a girl to have sex because we get a disease And the disease is the killer By Primary school KaNyamazane, South Africa

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

7

8 Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Feature

N

ature has the uncanny ability to transcend us from a place of worry to one where we are in tune with our inner being and at peace. Guyana is nature rich but quite often we do not take the time to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. We are too caught up in making money, which is good, but ever so often we should take a break, get barefooted and connect with the earth. Among the uncountable places, we can go connect is the Pandama Retreat.

Pandama is located along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway and offers a unique experience. There are several activities for you to do so that you can reconnect.

You can do that while sipping on some locally made wines. So grab your bathing suit and head down to Pandama where you will not regret one second. (Photos by Deopaul Somwaru)

guyanatimesgy.com

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Health

Overview

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is cancer that originates in your lymphatic system, the diseasefighting network spread throughout your body. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, tumors develop from lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common than the other general type of lymphoma — Hodgkin lymphoma. Many different subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma exist. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma are among the most common subtypes.

Advances in diagnosis and treatment of nonHodgkin's lymphoma have helped improve the prognosis for people with this disease.

Types

1. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia 2. Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma 3. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma 4. Follicular lymphoma 5. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia

Symptoms

Swollen lymph nodes Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may include: • Painless, swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin • Abdominal pain or swelling • Chest pain, coughing or trouble breathing • Persistent fatigue • Fever • Night sweats • U n e x p l a i n e d weight loss

Causes

In most cases, doctors do not know what causes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

In some cases, it is due to a weakened immune system.

But it begins when your body produces too many abnormal lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell.

Normally, lymphocytes go through a predictable life cycle. Old lymphocytes die, and your body creates new ones to replace them. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, your lymphocytes do not die, but continue to grow and divide.

This oversupply of lymphocytes crowds into your

lymph nodes, causing them to swell.

Where non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurs Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma generally involves the presence of cancerous lymphocytes in your lymph nodes. Nevertheless, the disease can also spread to other parts of your lymphatic system. These include the lymphatic vessels, tonsils, adenoids, spleen, thymus and bone marrow. Occasionally, nonHodgkin's lymphoma involves organs outside of your lymphatic system.

Risk factors

In most cases, people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma do not have any obvious risk factors. And many people who have risk factors for the disease never develop it.

Some factors that may increase the risk of nonHodgkin's lymphoma include: • Medications that suppress your immune system.

• Infection with certain viruses and bacteria.

• Chemicals. Certain chemicals, such as those used to kill insects and weeds, may increase your risk of developing nonHodgkin's lymphoma. More research is needed to understand the possible link between pesticides and the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

• Older age. NonHodgkin's lymphoma can occur at any age, but the risk increases with age. It is most common in people 60 or over.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will likely

ask you about your personal and family medical history. He or she may then have you undergo tests and procedures used to diagnose non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including: • Physical exam.

Your doctor checks for swollen lymph nodes, including in your neck, underarm and groin, as well as for a swollen spleen or liver.

• Blood and urine tests. Blood and urine tests may help rule out an infection or other disease.

• Imaging tests. Your doctor may recommend imaging tests to look for tumors in your body. Tests may include X-ray, CT, MRI and positron emission tomography (PET).

• Lymph node test.

Your doctor may recommend a lymph node biopsy procedure to remove all or part of a lymph node for laboratory testing.

Analyzing lymph node tissue in a lab may reveal whether you have non-

Hodgkin's lymphoma and, if so, which type.

• Bone marrow test.

A bone marrow biopsy and aspiration procedure involves inserting a needle into your hipbone to remove a sample of bone marrow. The sample is analyzed to look for nonHodgkin's lymphoma cells.

Other tests and procedures may be used depending on your situation.

Staging non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

After your doctor has determined the extent of your non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, your cancer will be assigned a stage. Knowing your cancer's stage helps your doctor determine your prognosis and treatment options.

Stages of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma include: • Stage I. The cancer is limited to one lymph node region or a group of nearby nodes.

• Stage II. In this stage, the cancer is in two lymph node regions, or the cancer has invaded one organ and the nearby lymph nodes. But the cancer is still limited to a section of the body either above or below the diaphragm.

• Stage III. When the cancer moves to lymph nodes both above and below the diaphragm, it is considered stage III. Cancer may also be found in the lymph nodes above the diaphragm and in the spleen.

• Stage IV. This is the most advanced stage of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Cancer cells are in several portions of one or more organs and tissues. Stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

may also affect other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs or bones.

Treatment

Which non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treatments are right for you depends on the type and stage of your disease, your overall health, and your preferences.

Treatment is not always necessary If your lymphoma appears to be slow growing (indolent), a wait-and-see approach may be an option. Indolent lymphomas that do not cause signs and symptoms may not require treatment for years.

Delaying treatment does not mean you will be on your own. Your doctor will likely schedule regular checkups every few months

to monitor your condition and ensure that your cancer is not advancing.

Treatment for lymphoma that causes signs and symptoms If your non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is aggressive or causes signs and symptoms, your doctor may recommend treatment.

Options may include: • Chemotherapy • Radiation therapy • Bone marrow transplant • Other drug therapy Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over points you want to spend more time on. (Mayo Clinic)

10 Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Feature

T

he talent in Guyana remains immeasurable but the avenues to channel them remains limited. However, that does not stop young people from forging ahead and making a name for themselves.

Last week, we focused on some of the elegant evening gowns designed by young Naomi Murray and this week are going to focus on another aspect of her talent. Not only does she go overboard to create the most elegant and stylish dresses but Naomi also creates unique accessories as depicted in the photos below.

Her eye for creativity knows no boundaries and quite often the end product is one that leaves her clients speechless. Here are a few bags and hair accessories designed by Naomi.

(Photos compliments of Naomi Murray)

guyanatimesgy.com

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 18 , 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

W

e do not often think of black as a proper shade for bathrooms because it shrinks an already small space.

Black can sometimes feel a little claustrophobic, but if you are after a timeless, classic look that also makes you feel like you're entering a secret cave, black can be an excellent choice. It's difficult to pull off an all-black bathroom unless

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ingredients 3 medium beets, peeled 1 tsp olive oil ¼ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp salt Parmesan cheese Walnuts, lightly toasted Mixed salad greens Dressing 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp maple syrup 1 garlic clove, crushed ½ tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper

it's large or has lots of natural light, but black, along with white and bright colors, can be used in all sorts of interesting ways to show off your design skills.

Black never goes out of fashion, so using it ensures that your decor doesn't go stale. With a few decor tweaks once in a while, you can refresh a black bathroom at a low cost.

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut beets into wedges then toss with olive oil, salt and black pepper.

Place on a baking pan, making sure the pieces do not touch. Place in preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.

Remove for oven and cool.

2. To make the salad dressing, place white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, crushed garlic, salt and black pepper in a jar, cover and shake to combine.

3. To make the salad, place mixed green in a large bowl and top with roasted beets, walnuts, parmesan shavings. Keep salad dressing on the side until it is time to serve.

Black Bathroom With Birch Forest Wallpaper You can cut your black walls with a band of wallpaper, since it reduces the overwhelming effect of an all-black room and gives the space a characteristic ambiance.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Instructions

1. To make the Duck: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a knife, gently prick the skin of the duck. This will allow the fat to drain from the skin while cooking thus making the skin crispy. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the outside and inside of the duck then place the onion, garlic and thyme inside the cavity. Using butcher’s twine, tie the legs together then tuck the wings under the duck to prevent it from burning. Place breast side up on a rack that is on a baking pan. Place into preheated oven and bake for

Ingredients

4-5 lb duck 2 tsp salt ¾ tsp pepper 1 medium onion ½ heat of garlic A few sprigs thyme 1 cup fresh cranberries 1 cup water ½ cup red pepper jelly 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp brown sugar

2 hours or until the duck reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

2. To make the Cranberry Pepper Jelly Sauce: Cook cranberries and water in a small pot over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add pepper jelly, Dijon mustard and brown sugar and stir to combine. Cook an additional 5-7 minutes or until it thickens.

Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving. Serve warm or cold.

French-Style Black Master Bathroom - A gauzy black drape marks the entrance to this Parisian-inspired bathroom, tile marks the two sinks, and the space between them is filled with a wonderful Frenchstyle cabinet painted over with stripes.

Ingredients • 1 cup split peas • 4 cups water • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 10 sprigs thyme • ½ medium onion, finely chopped • 2 ½ cup long grained white rice • 1-14oz can Coconut Milk • 1 tsp salt • 2 chicken bouillon • ½ hot pepper with seeds removed (scotch bonnet, habanero or wiri wiri) • 2 scallion, finely chopped Instructions

Place split peas in a medium sized bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight. Strain split peas then add to a large pot with 3 cups of water.

Over high heat, bring to a boil then cook for 15 minutes until peas are just a bit soft but not mushy. You should be able to crush the peas between your fingers by applying pressure.

Next add rice, coconut milk, 1 cup of water, garlic, thyme, onion, salt, cube and hot pepper. Stir after adding the rice then bring to a boil. Stir again to loosen up any rice that may have stuck to the bottom then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 25 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid is completely absorbed. Garnish with chopped scallion.

Master Bathroom With Black Double Vanity And Cabinets This beautiful bathroom shows off its traditional style with a black double vanity and large cabinets on either side. Modern light fixtures and minimal faucets give the space a touch of contemporary style. Colorful pink accessories pop out against the monochromatic background.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Puzzles

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ACROSS 96 Phobias Cowardly Lion portrayer 97 Loose overcoat Walk-in freezer

99 Make top honors LP protector

100 Goalies' concern Decade part

101 Salon treatment Wings

102 Keep busy (2 wds.)

Magnet alloy 103 Badges Insect-eating insect

104 Cholla and nopal Sight for a psychic

105 Sundial numeral "I Won't Dance" composer 106 Wood ash product Arm decor 107 Wingspreads Fluffy quilts

109 Throws the rider London stroller

110 San Diego pro Speeds up

112 Dance studio attire Turns to slush

115 Cousin of a truffle Oolong brewers 116 Utmost (hyph.)

Swain

120 Hindu fire god Generously

121 Okra dishes Mushrooms, actually

123 Head over heels (2 wds.)

Gumshoe

125 Bring on board HMO staffers

126 Nutmeg-like spice Highland slopes

127 Fuel rating Invisible substance

128 Later, maybe (2 wds.)

Writer -- Nin

129 "Anything --?"

Tikrit natives

130 Kassel's river Downhill ski run

131 Prepares to pounce Raggedy doll

132 Shiny Large digit (2 wds.)

133 Tatum's dad Cattle stalls

DOWN Open boat

1 Trout habitat McKenna of the stage

2 Author -- Haley Poem by Keats

3 Dwell on Woolen caps 4 Avoid cancellation

Extraterrestrial

5 Metes out August meteor shower 6 Overjoys Object on radar

7 Register for See -- -- glance

8 Tries on for size Some steel beams (hyph.)

9 Environmental prefix Prickly weed

10 Dorm buddy Mr. Pim's creator

11 Needs a bath Snack bars

12 Congregation Monsieur's yes 13 Boundaries Best-seller Dog days in Dijon

14 Bad-mouthed

15 Caesar's valor Colony members

16 German industrial center To the - 17 Barking "Arabian Nights" bird

18 Belgian peso Pedestal column

19 Trapped like -- -Improves upon

20 Plows into Chinese pan

30 Day of "Pillow Talk" "Wham!"

32 Touche provoker Cool place to sit

34 From the top Sri - 36 Unnatural fire Most expansive

37 Part under the hood Laments loudly

38 Alternative to Certs NASA counterpart 39 Typos

Greedy sorts 40 Alligator Centurians' coins

42 Hops stems Thin wedges

43 Early mystic Music and dance

45 Coral islands LAX info

46 First-aid item Money pools 47 Oozed Starts a card game

49 Montana and Flutie

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- DOPIEST (DOPIEST: DOPE-ee-est: Most sluggish; most fatuous.)

Average mark 28 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 40 or more words in DOPIEST? deist deposit depot despot diet does dope dose dote opted

peso pest pesto pied poet poise pose posit post ides

edit epos estop sept side site sped spied spit spite

spot step stipe stop tepid tide tied toed tope topis

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

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Card combos Fliers' performance (2 wds.)

Dog-scolding word Lairds' households Humpback's kin Hotfoot it Is a party to Sorority letter Plains browsers "The Prisoner of --" Formal attire "Golden touch" king Aquariums Yellow ribbon site (2 wds.)

Mild expletives Tile murals "Nonsense!"

Considers "Tijuana Taxi" performer

76 Rum drink (2 wds.)

77 Mesh, as gears

78 Classifieds (2 wds.)

79 Air-pump meas.

80 Belly-dance props

81 Jump the tracks

82 In error

83 Give a hard time

85 Poodle's doc

86 Frozen Wasser

87 Army wear 90 Noise Minority groups

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92 Early U-235 regulator

94 Iota follower

95 Novice swimmer

96 Laissez- - 98 More robust 100 Tempo

101 Restless 103 Persuade

104 Puts a hex on

105 Heart parts

108 Tech talk

109 "Have Gun -- Will Travel" star

110 Clever ruses

111 Space, poetically

112 Unable to walk

113 "By Jove"!

114 Formerly

115 Execs' degrees

116 Palo --, California 117 Unctuous Bear in the sky

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119 New driver, maybe

122 Everest or K2

124 Cambodia's Lon -See Solution on Pg 14

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

P

hone cameras are an arms race of sorts, and LG might be looking to escalate things dramatically with a future phone that could feature a whopping 16 lenses, via LetsGoDigital.

Multiple lenses on cameras isn’t exactly new — over the last year, we’ve seen phones with two and three rear lenses break into the mass marketplace, along with rumors of a larger five-lens device from Nokia, and even a potential nine-camera smartphone prototype from the multi-lens startup Light. But LG’s patent would look to go far beyond even that, with a full 16-camera array.

Unlike most multiplecamera systems, though — including ones like LG’s V40 ThinQ, which offered different types of camera lenses for different effects on the same shot — the goal of the multiple cameras seems to be to offer different angles on a scene using the perspective of the different lenses.

LG’s patent also describes combining the

different camera angles to create a miniature film, sort of like a superpowered version of things like Apple’s Live Photos or Lytro’s adjustable light field images. The patent also claims that it would be able to use the different datasets from the different lenses to cut out things from the image (say, for things like portrait mode or even replacing a background entirely).

Of course, for now this is just a patent, with no indication that LG is actually planning to put this into a phone.

But with the ever-escalating battle to push phone cameras to the limit, it may only be a matter of time until the hexadecimal camera is a reality. (The Verge)

I

n India, a hub for tech support centers, a rise in scams forced Microsoft and the police to take action.

Scammers based in the suburbs of New Delhi set up fake centers, from which they sent out alerts and called people to say their computers had been infected with a nonexistent virus, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Most people ignored the efforts to contact them, but the few who did not were offered services costing between $100 and $1,000 to fix the problem. Most of the victims were American, Canadian and Australian, Microsoft noted, but the scams impacted people in at least 15 countries.

Microsoft and cops in the city traced the fake support centers' locations, resulting in 16 raids and around 36 arrests on Tuesday and Wednesday. In October, 10 similar raids brought about 24 arrests.

"The growth of unregulated call centers in India involved in such scams

I

and frauds is indicative of the scale of the issue," said Courtney Gregoire, assistant general counsel of Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, in an emailed statement. "Victim reports indicate that this is a global problem, targeting victims from most English speaking developed countries."

The company earlier this year acknowledged that such scams are a growing problem, saying its customer support services received 153,000 scam reports from customers around the world in 2017.

n the fine tradition of vapid Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Porsche Design phones made by tech companies that should know better, OnePlus has announced a launch event for its collaboration with British supercar maker McLaren. The teaser page set up for the launch, scheduled for December 11, leaves little doubt about the likely content of the announcement, with the url reading “mclaren-6t”.

OnePlus has not shied away from doing custom editions of its smartphones, having previously done a subtle Star Wars edition

The scams are helped in part by India's vibrant outsourcing industry, which has brought in call centers from countries around the world.

The legit side rakes in about $28 billion in annual revenue and employs about 1.2 million people, the Times noted, but equips some with the experience needed to set up fake centers.

Those centers do not all focus on tech support.

In October, 28 people were arrested for posing as Canadian Revenue Agency officials, according to CBC News. (C-NET)

as well as an Avengers edition of its flagship device of the time. Carrying the tagline “salute to speed,” the McLaren 6T can be rightly expected to feature all the excellent quickness and responsiveness that OnePlus’ ordinary 6T provides, though probably juiced up with some suitably increased RAM and storage numbers on the spec sheet and a fattened-up price to match. McLaren’s signature color when launching new cars is orange, so there is a high chance of that figuring on the McLaren 6T. (The Verge)

I

nstagram announced on Thursday that it is rolling out new features that will make the app easier to use for people with visual impairments. The changes will allow screen readers to describe photos, either automatically using AI or by reading custom descriptions added by users.

These descriptions, known as “alt text,” are widely used online and are now being built into Instagram. Users will be able to enter their own photo descriptions so that people using screen readers — software that describes the elements displayed on a screen — can hear it read aloud as they browse their feed, Explore page, or a profile.

If there is no description, Instagram will

P

okemon Let's Go is taking us on a nostalgic trip back to the Kanto region on Nintendo Switch, and its mobile sibling is paying tribute to the game's first two bosses.

You can now dress up your Pokemon Go avatar as Brock or Misty, the gym leaders you will encounter first in Let's Go (which is a loose remake of Game Boy's Pokemon Yellow).

"In celebration of the arrival of #PokemonLetsGo, avatar items inspired by familiar Gym Leaders from the Kanto region are now available for purchase in the Style Shop," the augmented-reality game's official

automatically identify what is in a photo using object recognition technology, then read its automated description of a photo aloud when someone scrolls by. The alt text descriptions will not be visible, and users will have to go into a photo’s “advanced settings” to include one.

While this is a first for Instagram, Facebook has been using AI to describe photos to blind users for years. This video gives a pretty good sense of what it’s been like for people with blindness and other visual impairments to use the app up until now. It is not the most seamless experience, and these new features will definitely make it easier and more useful. (The Verge)

account tweeted Wednesday.

"Do you know who these avatar items are inspired by?"

Brock's outfit consists of his jacket (300 coins), trousers (250 coins) and climbing shoes (150 coins), while Misty's includes her tank top (200 coins), shorts (200 coins) and sneakers (150 coins).

Respectively, that would be $6.50 and $5 in real money, but patient players can earn them by defending in gyms (which seems thematically appropriate). Brock's items are only available for male avatars and Misty's for females, but you can instantly change genders in game.

Pokemon Go, which came out in July 2016, recently added the Adventure Sync feature to let you accumulate movement bonuses even if the mobile app is off, after taking a jump in popularity over the summer.

It grossed almost $85 million in September, according to Sensor Tower, when it also hit $2 billion in in-app purchases. (C-NET)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Bollywood/Hollywood

A

ctor-producer Aamir Khan feels the Hindi industry needs to pay more to writers, who are a fundamental part of the moviemaking process.

Aamir attended the grand finale of Cinestaan India’s Storyteller Script Contest 2018, and said such competitions could bring out more talent. He was joined by writers Juhi Chaturvedi and Anjum Rajabali on Monday.

“I felt really happy when I came to know that Anjum (Rajabali) is very keen to organise the screenwriting competition because India is a huge country. There are people who want to tell different kind of stories but they don’t get the opportunity, so it’s a good platform where people can send their stories,” the PK actor said.

“The film industry also needs competitions like these as we need fresh writers with different perspectives so, when Anjum invited me, Juhi (Chaturvedi) and Rajuji (Hirani). We thought it is a really nice at-

H

ailey Baldwin is talking about her future with husband Justin Bieber.

The 22-year-old model graces Vogue Arabia's two December covers, looking unrecognizable on one cover thanks to her transformation into a disco diva with glittery pink eye shadow and glossy lips. In the second black-and-white cover, Baldwin shows off her stunning features with a much more natural look, rocking slicked-back hair. She also

tempt and we should support it,” the actor said.

Writers’ remuneration has always been a talking point in the film industry. Asked whether writers should be paid enough so that they can come up with good stories, Aamir said: “This script writing competition is an endeavour to encourage people to come and write and we shouldn’t stop here. In the film industry as producers, we should be paying much more to the writers. I choose my film on the basis of scripts, so I think writers are the most important aspect of filmmaking because a story is the origin of a film. When a writer writes a good script, after that we all associate with that project. In that sense, a writer is actually the fundamental person in this whole process.”

Aamir said he is trying to create a revenue model for writers in the industry, in collaboration with writers and producers. “There is no doubt that a film is a di-

shows off her massive engagement ring.

Though Baldwin has been tight-lipped about marrying Bieber this year, she does address her pop star husband in the interview, and notes that it's her dream to start a family.

“I love kids and I can’t wait to have my own," she says. "I would say now that’s a closer reality."

However, the magazine notes that Baldwin says they're not planning to expand their family "any time

Crossword Solution

rector’s medium because he becomes the narrator of the story and it’s a team work where actors and technicians are also involved. But the writer is a person from whom a story originates, so I feel a writer should get revered position and the monetary compensation for a writer should definitely be higher in the industry. On that issue, we have discussed a lot and we are trying to create a revenue model also for that,” he said.

As part of Cinestaan India’s Storytellers Script Contest, launched by Cinestaan Digital Pvt Ltd, winners were awarded cash prizes worth Rs 50 lakh.

While giving away the top award, Aamir said: “Without a good script, there can never be a good film.

There are many good and deserving writers in our country. However, not all of them have the right platform or opportunities to showcase their talent. This platform aims at achieving precisely that.” (Hindustan Times)

soon." Baldwin later explains how she copes with her intense new level of fame since marrying Bieber.

“I spend increasingly less time on social media,” she shares. “This has helped me balance everything that comes with this life.”

Of course, she already grew up in a famous family.

Her father is actor Stephen Baldwin, and she's the niece of Alec Baldwin.

Still, she says she was able to have a "normal" upbringing.

"I got to have a normal childhood and teenage years," she says. "I didn’t start getting recognition on my own until I was around 19. There are some ‘normal’ things I never did -- like go to college -but I do think I was able to learn h o w t o have a schedu l e , be on time,

J

ennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez aren't engaged quite yet!

On Thursday, the 49-year-old entertainer stops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show and is asked by the daytime talk show host about how Rodriguez said "that y'all are gonna be getting married."

"He did not say that," Lopez exclaims of her 43-year-old beau. "He did not say that."

"He did. He texted me earlier today," DeGeneres claims. "... So you'll be getting married?"

"I don't know," says Lopez, playing coy.

DeGeneres continues to throw her two cents into the conversation, telling Lopez that she and Rodriguez should marry because they seem "very happy."

"We are!" Lopez assures. "We've been together a couple years. It's nice."

"I mean it would be good to do for Christmas," DeGeneres says of a proposal and wedding, before revealing that Rodriguez said that he was going to give Lopez "something romantic, thoughtful, but inexpensive" for the holiday.

"Did he say inexpensive?" Lopez questions with a look of disbelief. "That's not gonna work... Come on. We don't work overtime for all that... Smart and thoughtful I'll

and be responsible, all because I started working at 17.”

In October, Baldwin gushed about her "incredible" husband in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, and said she was continuously "blown away" by him.

(Entertainment Tonight)

take. Romantic I'll take."

"Do you already know what you're going to get him?" DeGeneres asks.

"Actually no," Lopez reveals. "I feel like I just made it through Thanksgiving.

December 1st I start thinking about Christmas. It's not December 1st yet, right?"

(Entertainment Tonight)

D

ebuting in the Hindi film industry under the Yash Raj Films banner opposite Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is a dream for any aspiring actor. Anushka Sharma earned that opportunity and achieved more milestones in her decade-long career. As the actor gears up for the release of her upcoming film Zero, once again with SRK, she says the only way to grow as a performer is to challenge herself.

“I think as an actor, I am always trying to put myself in an uncomfortable position, taking up roles that are challenging and interesting.

I think that is the way for me to grow as an actor. In fact when I took up my role in Zero, it was an opportunity to know and get into the mind of a character with a certain physical condition that I do not know anything about, that’s what excites me, an opportunity that allows me to reinvent the actor in me, whenever I come on-screen,” Anushka told IANS in an interview here.

Directed by Aanand L. Rai, the story of Zero revolves around three characters played by Shah Rukh, Anushka and Katrina Kaif in the film.

Anushka plays a NASA

scientist with cerebral palsy in the film. “Very interestingly, Aanand Sir and our writer celebrated the character beyond her physical challenges and that is beautiful. It was a very well researched script and the projection of the character is very positive you know, she is very accomplished as a professional, she is intelligent,” Anushka said.

“My and Shah Rukh’s characters have challenges but they also have dreams and desires. On the other hand, Katrina’s character has her challenges that are not so visible to people,” shared the Band Baaja Baaraat actor.

Starting her career in 2008 with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Anushka has acted in films like Jab Tak Hai Jaan, PK, NH10, Dil Dhadakne Do, Sultan, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Pari, Sanju and Sui Dhaaga. (Hindustan Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES

Money, legal and health (March 21- issues that need to be dealt April 19) with before the end of the year should be tended to. You'll feel relieved to have such matters behind you.

Make physical changes TAURUS that will boost your morale.

(April 20- Putting together special plans May 20) with a loved one should be your objective. Romance will lead to important decisions that enhance your life.

Share information with the

GEMINI people you will be spending (MAY 28- time with during the holiday June 20) season. Getting a better understanding of your financial situation will help you gauge what you can accomplish.

Social events will motivate you to take on a new (June 21- project or explore a culturJuly 22) al tradition you know little about. Romance and personal improvements are highlighted.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO Take part in a festive (Aug. 23- event. The people you meet Sept. 22) will encourage you to get in touch with relatives who can shed light on your family lineage.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Peanuts

Make plans with someone who brings out the best in you.

Look for something inexpensive that you can share with this person. Engaging in an activity that will lead to better health is favored.

Don't make a fuss or do something that is going to upset a loved one. You can have fun without going overboard or causing someone concern.

Honesty is the best policy.

SCORPIO Don't feel that you must cov(Oct. 24- er up a situation that needs to Nov. 22) be addressed. Lay your cards on the table and let whatever situation you face unfold of its own accord.

Charm will help you get SAGITTARIUS past a hurdle you face at (Nov. 23work or regarding someone in Dec. 21) charge. Make sure your documentation is in order and that you know the rules.

Don't take what others say CAPRICORN too seriously. If there is some(Dec. 22- thing you don't agree with or Jan. 19) you don't want to do, just walk away or say no.

Calvin and Hobbes A change of plans will alAQUARIUS low you to spend more time (Jan. 20- cleaning up unfinished perFeb. 19) sonal business. A makeover or change to the way you handle your personal affairs should take priority.

Someone's words or acPISCES tions will bother you. Think (Feb. 20- twice about the best way to Mar. 20) handle a situation that could lead to a regrettable argument. Focus on personal improvements instead of trying to change others.