Caribbean Star #36 vol.4

Caribbean First Interfaith Newspaper, Serving The Community

April 3–9, 2015

Caribbeanstarnews@gmail.com

Vol.4 #36

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Gunmen grab

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– hijack bus with driver, police escort GUYANA

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

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Caribbean Star Newspaper In daring heist at Bourda Post Office… Gunmen grab $90M – hijack bus with driver, police escort April 3–9, 2015

A

S at late yesterday afternoon, the Police had in custody a minibus belonging to the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC), a serial robber, his girlfriend, a driver, and more importantly, two police constables.The five persons were taken into custody as investigations got underway with regard to a daring early morning robbery on Regent Street, when several bandits disarmed one of two police ranks of a G-3 rifle before forcing both ranks into the GPOC vehicle while ordering the driver to drive.

The vehicle was transporting approximately G$90M in seventeen bags which were destined for seventeen post offices to effect payment of old age pension and other forms of public assistance.

Reports are that as the vehicle pulled up at the Bourda Post Office around 8:15 hrs and one of two police ranks escorted an employee of the Central Post Office into that facility, the other police rank positioned himself outside the white Toyota ‘Pit-bull’ minibus, PSS 6641, standing guard.

But the bandits, reportedly gathered at the other side of the road observing the operation, waited until the rank escorted the GPOC employee into the Bourda Post Office before approaching

The minibus the bandits hijacked his companion, whom they disarmed and forced into the vehicle, while placing a gun to the head of the driver and ordering him to drive, an order to which he complied.

When the other rank exited the post office he discovered that the vehicle with the cash and his colleague had disappeared, and an alarm was immediately raised.

The bandits first dumped the driver and the abducted policeman — minus his weapon — out of the vehicle along the Le Repentir Cemetery Road; then they later abandoned the bus as they joined

another vehicle and made good their escape with the cash and the high-powered G-3 weapon.

Minutes after the ordeal, the police took their colleagues into custody and the search for the bandits was immediately launched.

The serial robber was picked up from the compound of the magistrates’ courts, where he was schedule to appear in relation to another matter concerning robbery-under-arms. He had also been fingered in the discovered of a gun inside a fridge some time ago.

Police investigators gave his name as Lloyd Sadloo of Albouystown, but also resident at addresses in East Ruimveldt, Georgetown and in Beterverwagting, ECD. Asked about the rationale behind picking up that man, one police source said it was mainly for questioning, even as other sources close to the investigation say that the man may have information on the robbery but thought that he would go undetected since he was at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts at the time the incident unfolded – a fact he could easily use as an alibi.

Sadloo’s girlfriend and one of her sisters were also arrested by the police for questioning in relation to the matter.

The Chronicle has learnt that the GPOC driver involved in yesterday’s brazen incident is the same driver who had been driving the same vehicle to deliver cash at the Beterverwagting Post Office last year when the cash was snatched from that facility.

Investigators decided to place their colleagues under close arrest after listening to the divergent accounts they promulgated with regard to the incident. One police source has said that the ranks being under close arrest does n ot necessarily mean that they had participated in the heist; but because of the nature of the ordeal, the missing weapon and the amount of money involved, it was necessary to place the ranks under close arrest to facilitate the investigation.

When the Chronicle visited the area yesterday, persons there were not willing to give any account of what had transpired. At one point, a woman, whose name was given as Kim Walker, even became physically and verbally abusive to the Chronicle reporter as he attempted to question someone else about the incident. A report in this regard has been lodged at the Alberttown Police Station, and the matter is currently under investigation.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

BAD APPLES

T

HE LAW Association has written Attorney General Garvin Nicholas over the possibility that corrupt police officers could exploit a new law reforming bail conditions in order to frame targets, prompting Nicholas to warn that the State may soon have to take steps to see tougher penalties imposed on “bad apple” police officers.

Piloting legislation to tighten bail conditions for persons on firearms-related offences, Nicholas told the Senate that on the night of the Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day holiday, he had been written to by the body over the provisions of the Bail (Amendment Bill), 2015.

“I have heard that these amendments allow for police officers to set up persons that they may wish to target for one reason or another,” Nicholas said. “This has been an argument put forward by the Law Association in a letter I received just last night and also from others in the other place (the House of Representatives).”

The Attorney General conceded exploitation of the law for this purpose was possible. He

said, “This may well be true as there is no doubt that in every police service around the world, bad apples exist. And unfortunately in Trinidad and Tobago we are no exception.” While police conduct is regulated by the Professionals Standards Bureau of the Police Service; the Police Complaints Authority and the Police Service Commission, Nicholas said harsher penalties may have to be introduced to tackle the problem identified by the Law Association.

“It is incumbent on the Police Commission, the Police Complaints Authority and Police Service Commission to do their part in ensuring that we have a corruption-free police service,” the Attorney General said. “It may well be that in addition to the discretion already used by judges and magistrates we may need to further prescribe harsher sanctions against all police officers who carry out their duties in a corrupt way.”

Nicholas said one measure being implemented is the introduction of videotaped interviews, a measure which would tackle the problem of claims of

police brutality at the stage of interrogation. “We are in the process of introducing electronically-recorded interviews in an effort to reduce discrepancies at that level,” the Senator said.

Newly-elected president of the Law Association Reginald Armour SC yesterday declined to disclose the Law Association’s letter to the Attorney General, saying its release would have to be considered by its Council.

In piloting the special-majority legislation – which was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives earlier this month, and was approved by the Senate with Opposition support yesterday, although three Independents voted against the bill–Nicholas said it would tighten the granting of bail under two conditions.

“Today we ask members of this honourable Senate to deny bail for 120 days for a person charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm where the person has a pending charge for (a specified offence),” Nicholas said. “And, secondly, to deny bail for 120 days to a person who is charged with (a specified offence) and used a firearm in committing the offence.” A

specified offence is one listed in the Second Part of the First Schedule of the Bail Act and ranges from trafficking in narcotics to receiving stolen goods.

Also, a person charged with any offence under the Anti-Gang Act will also get no bail. The Attorney General said the measures would have a sunset clause and would last for 16 months. Also, if the court proceedings do not begin within 120 days, a person charged could apply to the High Court for bail.

“Why do we ask for this amendment at this time?” the Attorney General questioned rhetorically. “We do understand that persons are innocent until proven guilty. But we also must be conscious of the realities of today. We cannot be naive. It may well be that we are here today in these present circumstances because we have tiptoed for far too long. It is time that we send a right message to the minority of persons in this country engaged in committing crime. The message is simple: if you want to terrorise us with illegal firearms we will put you in jail and keep you there for 120 days.”

Nicholas called on Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Minister of

Justice Prakash Ramadhar to consider afresh a long-discussed specialised gun court to expedite handling of gun-related charges.

He acknowledged that the law will increase the burden on the prison system but said this could not be an argument to stop any law that will incarcerate persons alleged to be doing activity that threatens the safety of ordinary citizens. “Government acknowledges that we are proposing to increase the restrictions on bail in a manner that moves from the requirements of a conviction to the requirement of a charge,” Nicholas said. “However, we feel that it is necessary given the statistical fact that firearms have become the weapon of choice for the criminally-minded in our society. Firearms are our weapons of mass destruction”.

He said 72 percent of murders are committed using guns.

“We feel that Government needs to send a strong warning to persons in society who may be considering carrying or using illegal firearms,” the Attorney General said. “They need to know that they could face harsh consequences for their actions.

We must strike fear in the heart of persons contemplating committing crime.”

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

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Hanuman Jayanti My name is Sunil Singh and I am a proud member of the Shaanti Bhavan Mandir. It gives me a great sense of pleasure and happiness to be writing this article about Hanuman Jayanti. I love the Ramayan dearly and feel very blessed to be writing about the greatest devotee of Shri Ram.

I

once read somewhere that “the greatest contribution a person can make to society or to the world, is by living a noble and virtuous life”. I feel that this was Hanuman Ji’s greatest gift to the world and if we can all aspire for these qualities, we will definitely make this world a better place. It is my fervent hope that my article will enlighten the readers about Hanuman Jayanti and will be of some inspiration in helping to make us better individuals, generating peace, happiness and love in our lives.

Every year Hindus all over the world celebrate Hanuman Jayanti to commemorate the birth of Hanuman Ji, a dedicated disciple of Shri Ram. According to the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated annually in the month of Chaitra, on the 15th day of the Shukla Paksha. This year Hanuman Jayanti will be celebrated on Saturday, April 4th. This is an important festival for Hindus and is celebrated in a traditional and cultural way with great enthusiasm. On this day, all the Mandirs are decorated and Hindus look forward to celebrating. Devotees start visiting the mandirs from early in the morning to offer prayers to Hanuman Ji. He is called by many names and some of the most common ones are, Bajrangabali, Pavanasuta, Pavankumar, Mahavira, Balibima, Marutsuta, Anjanisut, Sankat Mochan, Anjaneya, Maruti and many more.

Hanuman Ji was born to Kesari and Anjani and is considered as the 11th Rudra avatar of Lord Siva. He is known for his great devotion and love for Shri Ram. He is renowned for his strength, knowledge, divine power, bravery, intelligence and considered the symbol of devotion and dedication. He was an embodiment of loyalty and devoted his life to selflessly serve his Lord Rama and Sita Maa. He is worshipped for his tremendous strength and unflinching devotion to Shri Ram,

and served an epic role, with pure love and devotion, to the feet of his Lord. Not once did he misuse his power or look for any reward, and this is a great lesson we can learn from him.

It is said that when Anjani was worshiping Lord Shiva, King Dasharath of Ayodhya was also performing a ritual in order to have children. As a result, the god of fire “Agni” gave Dasharath a bowl of sacred pudding to be share among his three wives, so that they may have divine children. A bird snatched a part of the pudding and dropped it where Anjani was meditating, and Pavana, the god of wind blew the drop into her outstretched hands. After she took the divine dessert, she gave birth to Hanuman Ji. Thus Lord Shiva incarnated as a monkey, was born as Hanuman.

The devotees of Hanuman Ji always pray to him so that they will be blessed with a bright future. He is worshipped on Hanuman Jayanti by the devotees

to acquire strength and power to overcome all the difficulties in life. He is worshipped in many ways by his devotees.

Some meditate by repeating his name many times and some chant the Hanuman Chalisa throughout the day to get rid of all the evil energies that surround them. It is said that Hanuman Ji once saw Mother Sita applying sindoor on her forehead, he grew curious and asked her why she was applying the red powder on her forehead. She told him that applying sindoor will ensure long life for someone you love. Hearing this, Hanuman Ji smeared his whole body with sindoor, in an effort to ensure long life for Lord Ram. On the day of Hanuman Jayanti, people bathe the Murti of Lord Hanuman Ji and then apply sindoor on his body. Spiritual discourses are held in all the temples along with prayers, bhajans, dhoons, chalisa etc. Since Hanuman Ji loves to eat laddoos, devotees offer laddoos, fruits, and prasadam to

the murti and then the offerings are disturbed amongst all.

Hanuman Ji was mischievous in his childhood, and sometimes teased the meditating sages in the forests by snatching their personal belongings and disturbing their worship. When Hanuman Ji was young, he once looked at the Sun and thought it was a ripe mango and flew towards it to eat it. Finding his antics unbearable, but realizing that Hanuman was but a child, the sages placed a mild curse on him by which he became unable to remember his own ability unless reminded by another person. The curse is highlighted in Kishkindha Kanda of “Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas”. He was then relieved from the curse when Jambavantha reminded him of his abilities and encouraged him to go and find Mother Sita.

Hanuman Ji possessed all the divine virtues. He did what others could not do, crossing an ocean simply by uttering Ram-nam, burning the city of Lanka destroying unrighteousness and bringing the sanjeevini herb that restored Lakshmana to life again. He brought Sri Rama and Lakshmana from the nether-world after killing Ahiravana. In Ramayan, Shri Ram himself said to Hanuman Ji “O mighty hero, I am greatly indebted to you, for you do not want anything in return, Sugriva has his kingdom restored to him, Angada has been made the crown prince, Vibhishana has become king of Lanka, but you have not asked for anything at any time. How can I repay my debt of gratitude to you? I will always remain deeply indebted to you.

Since you won’t ask, I give you the boon of everlasting life. All will honor and worship you like they worship me. Your murti will be placed at the door of my temple and you will be worshipped and honored first. Whenever my stories are recited or glories sung, your glory will be sung before mine. You will be able to do anything, even that which I will not be able to”.

In Hinduism, Hanuman Ji is the perfect manifestation of devotion and he exemplifies the true meaning of humility, discipline, strength, and selfless service. He was able to conquer the senses and ego, and was never a bit elated or too proud of his power and accomplishments. He saw himself simply as a humble servant of Shri Ram. We should all become like Hamuman Ji and be servants of the Lord.

Happy Hanuman Jayanti to all. May Hanuman Ji grant you the strength and courage to overcome all obstacles and difficulties in life!

Jai Ho!

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

Three more die on the roads

T

he lethal combination of alcohol and speed is being blamed for deaths of Barrackpore grandfathers Ronald Ramtahal, 55, and Michael Titus, 56, who on Monday while the nation celebrated Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day, perished in a vehicular accident in their village.

Both men had been liming and drinking all day, Newsday was told. Also killed on the same day, in a separate accident, when his vehicle reportedly spun out of control on the Uriah Butler Highway, Chaguanas, and crashed into a median was firefighter Basil Raphael.

Relatives recalled seven years ago, while on duty and responding to an emergency call, Raphael survived a similar crash when

the fire truck in which he was a passenger, slammed into a wall and overturned. Raphael suffered severe internal injuries that had him hospitalised for several weeks. Raphael who worked at the Couva Fire Station, was reportedly on sick leave.

According to a police report, at about 4.45 pm on Monday, Ramtahal, a truck driver of Papourie Road, Lower Barrackpore, was driving his gold Mazda 929 car on Sookhan Trace, Rochard Douglas Road, Barrackpore.

His neighbour, Titus, a welder, was a front-seat passenger in the vehicle when Ramtahal attempted to overtake a long line of traffic, and failed to do so. The report stated that the car veered off the road and slammed into a wall bringing down a shed

and killing both men instantly.

In the second incident, it was reported that at about 9.10 pm, Raphael was driving his white Lancer car along the Uriah Butler Highway heading north when, in the vicinity of the John Peter walkover in Charlieville, the car spun out of control, and crashed into the median before landing on the southbound lane. Relatives believe Raphael was heading into Port-of-Spain to board a boat for a fun ride.

Yesterday, the families of the three victims struggled to come to terms with their deaths.

In Barrackpore Titus’s grieving daughter Shelly-Ann Titus-Victor, 33, said her father and Ramtahal were childhood friends, who

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grew up together, went to school together and always limed together. “Where you see one, you see the other,” Shelly Ann told Newsday. She believes her father had taken to the bottle even more over the last few days, as he grieved over the death of a close friend, Kent Nicholas, who was shot and killed on Thursday, while on his way to work. Both Nicholas and Titus beat iron in the rhythm section of the Barrackpore Police Youth Club.

A distraught Shelly-Ann went on to say, “He and Kenty were good friends, and used to beat iron. In Kenty’s wake he tell everyone that he is the last iron man in Barrackpore. He even left his iron in the wake and tell them he coming back for it.”

She told Newsday, on Monday they were liming and drinking as usual, and had planned a “big cook”.

“The lime for the two men started early Monday. She continued, “We heard the two of them were at a bar drinking when the bar owner told them they “overdo” and should go home. Instead of heading home the lime continued elsewhere, and it was while coming home, we were told the driver overtook a line of vehicles.”

The car slammed into a wall, killing them.

Shelly-Ann who lives in Penal said when she and her mother, who was visiting her at the time got the news they were told that it was only an accident. She said her father was looking forward to the christening ceremony of his seven-month-old granddaughter, Genesis Victor, on Easter Sunday. The father of two and grandfather of five, also leaves to mourn his wife of 34 years, Cheryl-Ann, 52 .

Just a few houses away, Ramtahal’s grieving wife, Sita, 48, was being consoled by relatives and friends as she sat under the tent in the yard.

Yesterday, speaking on behalf of the family, his brother Glen Ramtahal, 50, said the father of three and grandfather of one, had gone to lime with his friend when tragedy struck. He said, “They were very good friends, everybody in the village know they are one — they were two of the best guys in the area.”

And at the St Cyr Avenue, Freeport home of Raphael, his mother Theresa Raphael, 74, was inconsolable as she cried out her son’s name several times. Between her sobs, she remembered the watermelon and oranges he had brought for her earlier that day. Family friend, Vanessa Boodram, said Raphael was an outgoing person who enjoyed the outdoors. He loved football, but was forced to stop playing the sport after the accident which left him severely injured.

“He was a real nice and friendly person who always gave good advice, Boodram told Newsday. “He was on his way to a boat ride when the accident happened.

Anastasia Raphael, 17, recalled it was just minutes after her uncle had dropped her off home on Monday night, that family members received a call of his death.

She recalled, “In the car he was all jolly playing with his nephew and promising to go to the beach.”

Autopsies were expected to be performed yesterday in San Fernando and Mt Hope on the three bodies.

Investigations are continuing

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

Mutilated woman believed to be vendor

The dismembered body found on the Annandale foreshore last Thursday is strongly believed to be that of Samantha Benjamin, 40, of Buxton.

A

man who was seen in her yard and behaving suspiciously has been taken into custody.

Her estranged husband, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Stabroek News last night that the last time he spoke to her was last Wednesday. He said that the two of them had made plans to pick up a car which Benjamin had purchased, but she did not show up. The man said he had tried calling her phone but it kept going to voicemail.

He said he thought the woman had changed her mind and did not think much of it. He did not hear from his estranged wife over the weekend and he found

it odd since she would always make contact with him. He said it was only yesterday he started to worry. He said the car dealer called him and enquired about his wife. He said he then had a funny feeling about her fate.

What was even more worrying to him was the fact that a friend visited him and told him that Benjamin occupies a home at Buxton, Middle Walk and the woman had not been seen for days. He said this prompted him and a cousin to investigate the house where his wife was staying.

The man said the bedroom had all of her nail polish scattered, along with her hair exten-

Samantha Benjamin sions and other cosmetic items.

He also said that the house also smelled rank.

While speaking to this publication, the man started to fight back tears. He told Stabroek News the woman has a tattoo of a heart on her leg. A resident of Buxton had told this newspa-

per on the day of the discovery of the body that a tattoo was on the dismembered woman’s leg.

The estranged husband said he also believed that the brassiere the body was found with was Samantha’s. “Is Samantha brassiere…I hope is not she, when I go to the parlour”.

Benjamin had moved out of her husband’s home after they were having relationship problems. He said he had not seen his wife since then but they would make contact via phone.

A relative of Benjamin told Stabroek News that when he visited the home in Buxton, dried blood looked like it had been trickling down the beams.

Blood was also between the grooves of the floorboards.

The relative said while leaving the home, he encountered a man, who had inquired what he had been doing there. The man said he was there to look after chickens.

However, the relative said there were no chickens in the yard. When he asked the man

9

where the chickens were, he replied and said, “They are not here now.” The relative also asked about the blood, and the man told him, “it was cutex.” The relative said there was cutex but none of it was open and spilled on the floor.

He said that the man was very friendly and “you would think that nothing had happened at the house.” This is the man who is now in police custody.

The relative said there were reports in the community that the man was burning items and some of the residents believe that he and some other men might have done something to Benjamin because he was not alone on the night when she went missing.

Benjamin is an entrepreneur and she owns a boutique in Vendor’s Mall. The woman is also an American citizen and a social worker.

The head and limbs of the dismembered woman were found at the foreshore after the water receded.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper Bogus cops to be charged over murder of security guard, GGMC worker April 3–9, 2015

FORMER Guyana Defence Force rank and market vendor, 26-year-old Rayon Paddy of 278 South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown, and construction worker, Orin Arthur, 25 years, of Block X Diamond, East Bank Demerara, who reportedly have been posing as police officers over the last few months, will soon be facing two separate murder charges.

T

he Guyana Chronicle has learnt that when ballistic tests were carried out on the weapon found in the possession of the men on Friday during a raid by “real police”, it was discovered that the said gun was used in the murder of Beharry Security Guard, Wilfred Stewart at Sterling Products Limited on December 08, 2014.

Further tests carried out also found that the same gun was also used in the execution style killing of Guyana Geology and Mines Commission employee Trevor Abram on February 27 this year on the East Bank Demerara as he was heading to Georgetown.

During the December 08, 2014 shooting at Sterling Products, eyewitnesses related

to police that a car load of men showed up at the facility and barged into the compound. They first turned their attention to Stewart who always carries a firearm and shot him twice, killing him in the process.

They also injured Indian national Gabriel Dass before attempting to make their way to the finance department of the company. Those efforts were, however, unsuccessful although the men were able to relieve the security guard of his firearm after killing him.

Meanwhile, on February 27 this year, Geology and Mines Commission employee Trevor Abram was shot execution style as he was in his vehicle heading to Georgetown along the East Bank carriageway.

Fake Cop, Rayon Paddy

Fake Cop, Orin Arthur

Police had taken a number of persons into custody for questioning, including a deportee and his wife as they continued their investigations into that matter.

In court on Monday where the two suspects had a total of seventeen charges read against them stemming from their illegal road blocks, being in possession of ammunition, unlicensed firearm and robberies, the prosecution had asked that bail be denied as there were more charges likely to be leveled against the men as the police continued investigations.

They were eventually remanded to prison by the magistrate who ordered that their matters be called again at the Mahaicony and Providence courts re-

spectively for their various charges.

Paddy and Arthur have been making the lives of citizens, especially along the East Bank Demerara and Upper East Coast, very uneasy with their illegal activities, particularly the roadblocks which they held while posing as police officers.

The police are also looking for another man who once served in the Guyana Police Force who is said to be the third accomplice of the two men but he managed to escape the police dragnet last Friday when the two were caught in a house.

The police were only able to get hold of the men after they had received intelligence from persons about their whereabouts.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

11

JAIL WITHOUT BAIL

Bill passed: Illegal firearms accused face 120 days in prison

T

here will be no bail for up to 120 days if a person over the age of 18 is caught with an illegal gun or accused of using a gun in the commission of a crime.

The Bail (Amendment) Bill 2015 was passed in the Senate yesterday with a majority although three Opposition Senators voted against it.

Independent Senators Elton Prescott SC, Helen Drayton and temporary Senator Dr Aysha Edwards who is acting for Independent Senator Ian Roach voted against the Bill.

The Bill, once proclaimed by the President, will become law as it was already passed in the House of Representatives on March 20, with 36 members, including the Opposition bench, voting in favour of it.

The Bill required a special majority for passage and has a sunset clause—it expires August 2016.

At the Senate sitting yesterday, Attorney General Garvin Nicholas moved that the second reading of the Bail

F

(Amendment) Bill, 2015 be taken and he kicked off the debate in the Upper House.

Both Opposition and the Independent benches raised concerns over the Bill but in the end the Opposition members all voted in favour. There were 27 votes in support of the Bill.

The Bill states that a court shall not grant bail to: (a) a person who is under the age of 18 years and charged with an offence under the Anti-Gang Act, 2011; (b) on or after the commencement of the Bail (Amendment) Act, 2015, is charged with an offence (i) under section 6 of the Firearms Act, where the person has a pending charge for an offence specified in Part II of the First Schedule; or (ii) specified in Part II of the First Schedule, except an offence under section 6 of the Firearms Act, where the prosecution informs the court that the person or any other person involved in the commission of the offence

used or had in his possession a firearm or imitation firearm during the commission of the offence.

The person can apply for bail after 120 days if the prosecution has not started a case.

In winding up the debate yesterday, Nicholas said the Bill was geared to solve the problem of gun crimes in this country.

He said at the end of the day the legislation is to solve one real issue—Trinidad and Tobago is overrun with guns, and although the Government’s policies have kept criminals at bay there was need to go further to ensure people with firearms do not continue to terrorise the innocent people of this country.

Nicholas accused the PNM of being pretensive in its care and concern for the people in its constituencies.

“The constituencies which the PNM considered to be safe seats, if you walk those areas, if you talk to those people they are the ones, Mr Vice

Pastor, teen among four Brazilians charged over ganja trafficking

our Brazilian nationals, including a man identified as a pastor and a 14-year-old, were yesterday charged with possession of cannabis for trafficking after police stated that they were intercepted with over 3 kilogrammes of the substance at Lethem last weekend.

Maby Joni Pinental De Sousa, 52, said to be a pastor, Marcio Leandro Magalhaes, 28, and Jessica Messias Pereira, 21, pleaded not guilty to the charge that was read to them by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 1. The teen was charged separately and the proceedings were held in-camera.

According to the allegations presented to the court by Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, while conducting a routine search at Lethem on March 28th, the police stopped the vehicle in which the four were travelling and proceeded to conduct a search. Mangru said the search uncovered four transparent bags, which were said to have contained seeds, leaves and stems suspected to be can-

and they were proceeding to drive back to Boa Vista when they were stopped and searched.

The lawyer said her clients claimed to have never seen the bags containing the cannabis. She insisted that De Sousa, Magalhaes and Pereira would return to court for trial as they were anxious to clear their names.

However, Mangru objected to bail on the grounds that the three adults had no ties to the country and the likelihood that if released they will not return for trial.

After hearing the arguments presented by the prosecution and defence, the Chief Magistrate refused bail and transferred the case to the Lethem Magistrate’s Court for June 1st for trial.

Nicholas said he has equal confidence in both the judiciary and law enforcement.

Who killed Dana?

“Who killed Dana Seetahal?” asked an Opposition member.

“We will find out who,” said Nicholas as he went on to say there are “gaps” in the forensic system but Government was already looking at a system to engage private forensic services to fast track matters.

Nicholas pointed out that Opposition Senator Avinash Singh made a case for the Bail Bill as he himself noted that over 75 per cent of murders committed in this country were by the use of firearms.

Temporary Government Senator Wayne Sturge said the Bill was not draconian, adding that there were safeguards in place to deal with persons who may claim they are “set up” by police.

He said there have been cases before where persons made legal challenges against the State for gun charges and were vindicated in the courts.

Man jailed for stabbing money changer during attempted $1.8M robbery

A nabis. The bags, which were wrapped with scotch tape, were allegedly found under the driver’s seat of the Brazil-registered vehicle. The contents of the bags were weighed and amounted to 3.3 kilogrammes.

Additionally, a purse containing 5,000 Real, allegedly belonging to Pereira, was also discovered in the vehicle. Mangru said the travellers were the told of the discovery and they denied having any knowledge about the drugs. They were then taken into police custody.

However, their attorney told the court that they had left the vehicle unlocked while they went about doing their weekly shopping in Lethem. When they returned, they saw nothing unusual

President, who are seriously affected by gun crimes,” said Nicholas.

He said he walked these areas and the people themselves thanked him for bringing the Bail (Amendment) Bill to deal with guns.

Opposition Senator Camille Robinson Regis asked Nicholas, “When you walk there?”

He responded that he walked in the Diego Martin areas over the past couple weeks.

“That’s why you got beaten in the last election,” said Opposition Senator Fitzgerald Hinds.

“It is not about if I got beat in the election or not, the issue, Mr Vice President, is that I am here as the Attorney General today...to ensure that whatever I can do to protect the lives of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago I shall do,” said Nicholas.

He said he was startled that Opposition members could speak of confidence in judicial officers and apparent lack of confidence when it comes to the Police Service.

l Beckles, who police say stabbed a money changer during an attempt to rob him of a bag of money, was yesterday sentenced to 12 months in his absence after being found guilty of unlawful wounding.

Magistrate Fabayo Azore handed down the decision at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 5 after finding Beckles guilty of unlawfully and maliciously wounding Orin Braithwaite, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him actual bodily harm.

The trial was conducted in Beckles’ absence and his attorney, Peter Hugh, told thecourt that his client was in Brazil since his son was sick there.

Braithwaite, who was 62 when the attack occurred on April 23, 2013, was stabbed about his body while in a car with Beckles, with whom he was travelling at D’Urban Street.

Stabroek News had been told that Braithwaite was standing on America Street when he was approached by a man who claimed to have a quantity of gold to sell. He got into the man’s vehicle and it was while they were travelling to another destination to carry out the transaction that the other man reportedly pulled out a

knife. He then began to stab Braithwaite, while attempting to take away his bag, in which he was reportedly carrying $1.8M. Braithwaite sustained several stab wounds to his hands and about his body while resisting the attack and during this time the car crashed into a drain at the corner of D’Urban and Cross streets, Werk-en-Rust. Persons in the vicinity, including a Rural Constable, rushed to Braithwaite’s aid and the suspect was arrested.

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Thursday, August 29,July 201

Up to 150 dead after gunmen attack Kenyan university

Poli Wanted Trinidad polic PITBULL KILLS GRANNY

Bloody attack oncommits 84-year-old suicide woman caus afte at Maraval home on ‘Wall of S placed

of lo

P

A Kenya Defense Forces tank drives up to Garissa University College.

B

loodthirsty Islamic terrorists raided a university in eastern Kenya on Thursday, singling out Christians and sparing those praying at a campus mosque as they slaughtered up to 150 people, authorities said.

An estimated 79 additional students were wounded in the dawn attack, for which the Somalia-based group alShabaab took responsibility.

“Sisi ni al-Shabaab!” the gunmen shouted — Swahili for “We are al-Shabaab!” — as they shot their way past armed guards and ambushed the 815-student Garissa University campus.

The same group was responsible for the deadly raid on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall in 2013.

“If you were a Christian, you were shot on the spot,” said Collins Wetangula, vice chairman of the student union, who survived by locking himself and three roommates in their dorm room.

“With each blast of the gun, I thought I was going to die.”

Campus police joined by Kenyan security forces fought throughout the day to retake the campus, freeing some 600 hostages and killing at least four of the terrorists in an intensifying rescue operation, according to the Kenyan Interior Ministry’s Twitter feed.

Terrorist snipers fired at fleeing students from the third-story roof of a dorm.

The total number of assailants was not known. All of the university staff were fine, according to Kenya National Disaster Operations’ Twitter feed.

Al-Shabaab is notorious for singling out non-Muslims for on-the-spot execution. In November, it ambushed a bus in Kenya and killed everyone who could not recite verses from the Quran.

Kenya has been at war with al-Shabaab for several years, making repeated incursions across the porous border into Somalia to wipe out the group’s key bases.

Last month, the US Embassy warned of the threat of attacks throughout Kenya after reports that a US drone strike had killed al-Shabaab leader Adan Garaar, the mastermind of the Westgate Mall massacre.

There’s a new top target now, suspected of leading this latest atrocity — Mohammed Mohamud, alias “Gamadhere.”

Kenyan officials offered a $220,000 bounty for his capture.

Ramlogan said there was An 84-year-old great edgeable when it came to incident occurred.

ORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Julytanks 9, 2014, an Wednesday undertaking grandmother was yesterday the training of dogs and Students take shelter in a vehicle after fleeing A Kenyan soldier takes cover as shots are Kenyan soldiers withwithin their outside CM A former head o the Parliament that he Dr Azizul Rahaman of mauled to death by a family disagreed with the decithe attack at Garissa University College. fired.

University mitted suicide hours afterGarissa a photo of College. his appeared on a defunct state-ow pitbull. sion of the dog’s owner to Jones Animal Clinic exam- would accommodate cerana Airwaysho C Lillian Bunsee had never carry out the training at the ined the dog and confirmed tain amendments based has blamed g it was one of the danger- on suggestions from Indeventured close to the dogs house. officials forlic th ous dogs referred to in the pendent Senators and also as she had been attacked aviation woes in the past, but yesterday “Aggression training within Dog Control Bill which was from members of the Opag country. morning one of the dogs your own environment and passed in Parliament last position. escaped from its kennel and training of dogs within your month but is yet to be pro- The Independent Senators Co Former GAC had already forwarded again attacked her, this time own household where you claimed, police said. wh Manager, Fazal killing her. have ageable people or fam- Rahaman removed some their suggestions to him, the adamant that ily members in your house of the animals and locked but he was still awaiting spite rather tha the Opposition’s before the Neighbours said the dog vic or operational Act is proclaimed by Presiwas one of approximately a q forced the dent Anthony Carmona. ten which were bred and closure ofHis being given aggression the airlinevisi “This bill is clearly needed. training in preparation for back in the I would like those persale by two of the woman’s hos late nineties, sons who argue that there relatives. and it is one should be no legislation to of the ma-The control these dangerous Never once did the resijor reasonsme dogs, I would like them to dents hear Bunsee scream G u y a n e s egra pay a visit to the relatives for help but only noticed are payingMa of victims to explain their she was being attacked as e x o r b i t a ntpro position and to offer some they walked along the roadprices tosid condolence. I am calling way close to her home on travel upous upon them to go pay them La Seiva Road, Maraval.

North. a visit and to offer them Police said it was shortly af623 The formerbey some compensation,” said ter 9 a.m. that the residents aviation ofRamlogan. saw the woman on the info ficial is conground with the dog tearvinced thatlice Section 19 of the Dog ing away at her body. They Un Guyana’s curren Control Act: tried throwing boulders at ed t affairs is one the animal in an attempt to of have been avo 19. (1) Where a class A stop it but their efforts were and the continuanc dog injures a person, unsuccessful, said officers.

FAMILY PHOTO: 84-year-old Lillian Bunsee who “prosperous an without reasonable cause was mauled to death by a pitbull yesterday in her own oping” state-ow whether in a public place Investigators said several The home. rier being pres or on private premises, the police officers who were oth prized for itsnox fu owner or keeper of the dog on patrol nearby went to and importance the scene after receiving a is a no no. Aggression is not them away at the clinic yes- commits an offence and is han nese travelers. report and was only able to the type of training to do terday evening. He told the liable on summary convica b have the dog stop biting the within that environment. Express the dogs were be- tion to a fine of $100,000 “They didn’tTrik woman after opening fire High potency dog food and ing temporarily kept at the and to imprisonment for

WE ALSO OFFER! 1) EKG Technician 2) Phlebotomy Technician 3) State Board exam on Premises

on the animal, shooting it six times.

Residents in the area said the officers had no other option but to kill the dog.

The other dogs were all locked away in their kennels, they said.

“After the first two shots the dog was still biting the woman, like the shots did nothing to it. The police had to shoot it four more times before it stopped,” said one man.

CPR

Training

The resident, who asked that his name not be published, said regardless of the type, he was always opposed to people giving aggression training to dogs within their own household which is shared with other family members.

He said he was also knowl-

aggression training in the home environment is creating a time bomb and it is just a matter of time before tragedy strikes,” he said.

animal hospital until the other owner makes a decision “on what he is going to do with them”.

Detectives from the Port of Spain Criminal Investigations Department (CID) led by ASP Ajith Persad went to the scene and detained the man who owned the dog.

“It was not for any legal reason or anything. Relatives and so on would be going to the house to give their condolences and what have you, so we are just keeping the dogs for a little while,” he said.

Up to yesterday evening he was in custody at the CID office along St Vincent Street, Port of Spain. Officers said they would be consulting with Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard SC to determine what charges could be laid against the man.

The other owner was not arrested as he did not live on the premises where the

The other owner said residents no longer wanted the dogs in the area, so he may have to “put them to sleep”.

Contacted via phone yesterday, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said the Dog Control Bill was passed on the last day of the parliamentary session in order to prevent it from being “lapsed”.

With the passing of the bill,

five years.

(2) Where a class A dog kills a person or causes the death of a person, without reasonable cause, the owner or keeper of the dog commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $200,000 and to imprisonment for ten years.

89-44 162ND STREET JAMAICA NY 11432 SIDE OF APPLEBEE`S/VERIZON ON 162ND STREET CLASS A dogs are identified in the Bill as: 1. Pitbull Terrier or any dog bred from the Pitbull Terrier.

2. Fila Brasileiro or any dog bred from the Fila Brasileiro.

3. Japanese Tosa or any dog bred from the Japanese Tosa.

were making because theyMa d at derstand aviati told KaieteurinN were totallyara clu had they know ed mistake, they w never done He it, time they realiz TT already too late der in a recent inter Queenstownthe res oug Khan believes t Pat “pushed aside” of the GACwh fo ing his reservat said one political cub app According to in realized thatapp th forward-thinkin agement woul “Th the GAC and fore gave theant th dri some eight mon sulp consider their removing him.

14

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

ISLAM Peace / submission to the will of our creator.

Read!

Read in the name of your lord!.

When society indulges in disobedience and dark deeds, a Muslim turns to his creator and gains closeness by performing acts of obedience. He seeks out guidance and direction to the straight path. Allah (S.W.T) has informed us that the highest form of guidance is found in the Quraan, for those who will be fearful of their lord.

he has shown disrespect to the blessings of Allah bestowed on him on account of his learning the Qur’an.” It is evident that since the Qur’an, being the Word of Allah, is superior to all other discourses as mentioned in some of the Ahadith quoted later, its reading and teaching must be superior to everything else.

Here are some of the many virtues of acquiring knowledge of the Quraan:

Mulla Alt Qari quotes from another hadith that whoever acquires the knowledge of Holy Qur’an stores the knowledge of Prophet Hood in his forehead.

Uthman (Radhiyallaho anha] narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: “The best amongst you is he who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.” In most of the books, this hadith is quoted with the word ‘and’ between ‘learns’ and ‘teaches’ as above. Thus the greatest reward would be for him who learns the Holy Qur’an and thereafter teaches it to others. But in some of the books this ‘hadith’s is narrated with the word ‘or’, in which case the meaning would be: “The best amongst you is he who learns the Qur’an or-teaches it.”

According to this version, the reward is general, i.e., equally great whether one learns himself or teaches to others.

Thus there would be equal virtue for both.

The Qur’an is the basis of the religion of Islam, and on the preservation and propagation of the Qur’an depends the very existence of this faith. Hence the virtue of learning and teaching the Qur’an is self-evident and does not need further elucidation.

There are, however, various degrees of excellence. The highest is to learn the Qur’an along with its meanings and purport, and the least is to learn its words only.

The hadith mentioned above is supported also by another saying of Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) as reported by Sa’eed ibn Saleem (Radhiyallaho anho): “If a person who has acquired knowledge of the Holy Qur’an considers another person who has been gifted with something else to be more fortunate than himself,

Sahl Tastari (Rahmatullah alaih) says that the proof of love for Allah is the existence of love for the Word of Allah in one’s heart. In ‘Sharhul Ihya, the list of people who will be given shelter in the shade of the Arsh (Throne of Allah) on the fearful Day of Judgment includes those persons who teach the Qur’an to the children of Muslims and also those who learn the Holy Qur’an in their childhood and are devoted to its recitation when grown up.

Abu Sa’eed (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: “Almighty Allah says; “If anybody finds no time for My remembrance and for begging favours of Me, because of his remaining busy with the Holy Qur’an, I shall give him more than what I give to all those who beg favors of Me. The superiority of the Word of Allah over all other words is like the superiority of Allah over the entire creation.”

In other words, compared to those who are begging favors of Allah, He will surely confer some better reward on a person who remains so occupied with committing the Qur’an to memory or learning and understanding it that he hardly gets time for du’a (prayer).

‘Aa’ishah (Radhiyallaho anha) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) once said, “One who is well versed in the Qur’an will be in the company of those angels who are scribes, noble and righteous; and one who falters in reading the

Qur’an, and has to exert hard for learning, gets double the reward.”

“One who is well versed in the Qur’an” means one who is proficient in memorizing as well as in reciting it. It is highly praiseworthy if one masters its meaning and significance as well. “To be with the angels” means that, like the angels who transferred the Qur’an from the, Lowhul Mahfooz’ (Protected Tablet in the Heavens), he also conveys it to others through its recitation and, therefore, both have the same occupation; or that he will join the company of such angels on the Day of Judgment. One who falters will get double reward—one for his reading and the other for his effort in reading the Qur’an, in spite of faltering again and again.

It does not mean that his reward will exceed that of a well-versed person. The reward that is mentioned for a well-versed person is far greater, so much so that he will be in the company of special angels.

The explanation is that the labor involved in faltering and the difficulties in the reading of the Qur’an carry an independent reward. As such, reading of the Qur’an should not be given up, even though faltering may be an excuse.

Mulla ‘Ali Qari has reproduced from the riwayat of Ta-brani and Baihaqi that one who cannot memorize the Qur’an well and yet persists in learning it by heart gets double reward. Similarly, one who cherishes a longing for memorizing it and does not possess the ability to do so, but does not give up his efforts, will be reckoned by Almighty Allah among the huffaaz (Plural of hafiz—one who has learnt the whole Qur’an by heart) on the Day of Resurrection.

Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬saying, “Read the Qur’an, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection.”

An-Nawwas bin Sam’an (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬saying, “The Qur’an and its people who applied it, will be brought on the Day of Resurrection preceded with Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al-’Imran arguing on behalf of those who applied them.”

[Muslim].

‘Uthman bin ‘Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.”

[Al-Bukhari].

Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur’an will be with the honourable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “The believer who recites the Qur’an is like a citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is delicious. A believer who does not recite the Qur’an is like a date-fruit which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste. The hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like basil whose fragrance is so sweet, but its taste is bitter. The hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an is like a colocynth which has no fragrance and its taste is bitter.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

‘Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “Verily, Allah elevates some people with this Qur’an and abases others.”

[Muslim].

Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “Envy is justified in regard to two types of persons only: a man whom Allah has given knowledge of the Qur’an, and so he recites it during the night and during the day; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and so he spends from it during the night and during the day.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

With such great virtues there for the taking, what is keeping us from taking part in these rewards and blessing except our own weakness of faith compounded by laziness and love of material gain.

It is time we wake up and realize the true reason for our existence; to worship our creator and prepare for the life hereafter.

It is time we start making the time for the word of Allah and stop waiting to find the suitable time. Let us put aside our comforts and desires and dedicate a portion of our day to reading and learning something of this great book.

Shayk Abdullah Khan Al-Ihsan Academy Abdullah.khan@ihsanacademy.org

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

15

Digicel Sportsmax Nets Five-Year NBA Deal

D

igicel SportsMax landed a fiveyear partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to deliver live games and extensive NBA programming to more than 30 Caribbean territories, which would make Digicel the official wireless partner of the NBA in the region.

It will see Digicel SportsMax broadcast up to 48 NBA regular season, and as many as eight, play-off games.

The sports channel will also offer

fans content-rich programming, including the highlights show, NBA Action, NBA TV - the league's 24-hour channel and select classic games.

The partnership will include NBA broadcasts in Spanish on the CDN SportsMax channel in the Dominican Republic.

Extensive Editorial In the 2015-16 NBA season, Digicel will launch NBA.com/Caribbean, the

first official NBA online destination for Caribbean fans, which will offer extensive and localised NBA editorial and video content, with NBA.com/Caribbean the league's 19th international web destination.

"It's been a great road heading here.

The NBA is committed to growing the league in a global market," Phillippe Maggio, NBA senior vice-president, Latin America, told the gathering at a media/press launch at The Jamaica Team players of the Caribbean’s historic NBA partnership stand centre court (from left): Kelvin Paulino, NBA promotions, senior manager, John Suranyi, Digicel Play CEO, Tanya Lee, Digicel SportsMax marketing manager, Oliver McIntosh Digicel SportsMax president and CEO, Philippe Moggio, NBA senior vice president for Latin America and Kieran Foley, Digicel group marketing director.

Pegasus hotel in New Kingston yesterday.

"We are excited to bring our passionate fans in the Caribbean more live games and content through the new strategic partnership with Digicel," Maggio said. "We are thrilled to be here to celebrate this five-year deal," he added.

Oliver McIntosh, Digicel SportsMax president and CEO, spoke of the long road that led to this new venture.

"It's been 13 years since our humble beginnings. Then, seven months ago, we became part of the Digicel family.

We have grown and worked with sporting organisations all around the Caribbean. We have positioned ourselves in the market," McIntosh said.

"Today, we welcome NBA to the broadcast on Digicel SportsMax. It is a five-year deal. This marks up for one of the deepest partnerships," he noted.

John Suranyl, Digicel Play CEO, Caribbean and Central America, was also excited about the deal.

"This is a momentous occasion for Digicel SportsMax. Since our launch in Jamaica in 2001, we are committed to sports. This is a landmark partnership, and we are proud to be a partner with the NBA and looking forward to exciting days," Suranyl said.

The historic deal was expected to kick in last night, with Digicel SportsMax's broadcast of a regular season NBA game.

The territories included in the NBA partnership are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Martin, St Maarten, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos.

16

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

Judge us by what we have done... PPP/C’s Indranie Chanderpal at New Hope

T

HE A Partnership of National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC)coalition can only come through the back door and that’s the way they do things.

This was the message stressed at the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) public meeting at New Hope on the East Bank of Demerara, last evening.

Speaking to the gathering of persons at New Hope, Ragunandan Singh related that he brings a simple message that over the years, the PPP/C Government has worked tirelessly to develop the country. He said, “Look at your own community at New Hope; they have created the en-

vironment for businesses and by doing so, have created job opportunities for your fellow residents.”

Dr. Prem Misir, another speaker at the meeting, noted that, “this is the mother of all elections and we will return the PPP/C to office, we need to always go forward never backwards. “ He said that presidential candidate for APNU+AFC, David Granger, needs to answer some pending questions, being a Senior military officer when ballot boxes were removed illegally from polling places by Guyana Defence Force personnel.

He has also refused to partici-

pate in the Rodney Commission of Inquiry, Dr Misir said. “Don’t let him get away with it, he must answer.”

Indranie Chanderpal, Chairman of the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO), related it is time she shared some of the reasons why “you need to vote for the PPP/C in the upcoming Regional and General Elections on May 11”. She explained that the people’s right to vote and participate in the development was always paramount to the PPP/C. She spoke about the debts inherited when the PPP/C Government took office in1992, and because of strategic planning

and execution of those plans, “we came out of the debt.”

Chanderpal mentioned projects that will benefit the Guyanese people tremendously, but which were all voted down in the National Assembly by the Opposition, and now they are saying that those projects are good for the Guyanese people.

The Chairman spoke on the achievements the Government has made, especially in education, providing much assistance to parents.

“Judge us by what we have done; we are not coming to you with empty rhetoric. This is why, come May 11, I urge you to vote PPP/C,” Chanderpal stressed.

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Cocaine found in charcoal bound for US

A

Linden businessman is in custody following the seizure of a quantity of cocaine packed among several hundred bags of charcoal in a 40-ft container at Silver Hill, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) James Singh said yesterday.

Singh said there are hundreds of bags in the container and agents are still going through them to ascertain just how much of the illicit drug the man was attempting to ship out of Guyana.

A statement last night from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) said that officers of its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) and the Port Control Unit (PCU) of the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC) were late yesterday afternoon seeking to ascertain the quantity, weight and estimated value of the cocaine.

The GRA said that based on information received from the PCU, a joint examination was conducted on the shipment which was scheduled to be exported to the United States after it was flagged for 100% examination on March 11, 2015.

The shipment was scheduled for examination on March 13, at Silver Hill, in the presence of the GRA’s Goods Examination Unit (GEU) and the PCU. However, the statement said that the exporter did not present the consignment for examination on the scheduled date, saying that he was experiencing “unforeseen difficulties”.

As a result, the examination was rescheduled for March 30. The GRA said that on that day, a team consisting of Officers from LEID and the PCU went to Silver Hill to conduct the examination.

“During the examination, Officers observed four strange objects in one of the bags which did not (conform) with the description of the charcoals that were declared for export.

As the objects were probed, a white powdery substance emanated. A field test was carried out on the substance in the presence of the exporter and tested positive for cocaine”, the GRA said.

The statement added that the examination process was immediately halted and the exporter was cautioned and detained.

CANU was contacted and told of the discovery. Upon arrival at Silver Hill CANU Officers secured the goods and proceeded to investigate further, the statement said.

The GRA said that around 2,900 bags were secured in two 40ft containers to be inspected due to the volume of goods and security concerns raised.

Investigations are ongoing and the GRA will provide additional details as they unfold, the statement added.

17 US$30M Power Company comes online in Berbice - as GuySuCo gets US$30M to pay off NIS, owed creditors

Caribbean Star Newspaper

C

ABINET, Government’s Counsel of Ministers, have approved the creation a new power company, Skeldon Energy Inc (SEI), which, using the generation facilities previously owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), will be servicing primarily the Berbice area under the management of Wartsila. GuySuCo, in turn, will be paid US$30M which will immediately be used to settle a number of owed creditors including the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

Wartsila in the Management Agreement has also committed to investing an additional US$3M in rehabilitation works on the generation end.

EFFECTIVELY IMMEDIATELY The announcement was made

by Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Winston Brassington, who along with Raj Singh, GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), during a live press conference aired on State television yesterday announced that the agreements are effective immediately (April 1, 2015).

GuySuCo staff previously attached to the generation facilities it once owned, have since been seconded to SEI, to work along with the Wartsila management team.

Brassington, in making the ‘Live’ announcement, pointed to inherent benefits as a result of the agreements/transactions and includes the enhancement of the

generation capacity of the Skeldon Wartsila and Bagasse Co-Generation plant.

The three Wartsilla plants in the equation have an installed generating capacity of 10MW, in addition to the 30MW installed capacity of the Co-Generation plant.

It was explained that total generation from the Skeldon facilities – expected to be phased upward in the coming years – “by 2016 will be over 20 per cent of the generating capacity of the entire Demerara/Berbice system.”

According to Brassington, in addition to the US$30M in capital resources that will be going directly to GuySuCo, the new arrangements will lend to a more stable and reliable source of power while at the same time relieving the sugar company of the responsibility to manage the power plant.

GPL/NICIL OWNED SEI, according to Brassington, is jointly owned by GPL and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

The financing, he explained, will be in the form of debt and equity and comes from GPL and NICIL in addition to local and international financial institutions.

Brassington said Skeldon Energy Inc., will be funded using equity financing of US$9M and debt financing to the tune of US$21M which has been secured from the local and international financial institutions.

He explained that on the eq-

April 3–9, 2015

uity side, US$5M will be coming directly from NICIL with an additional US$4M coming from GPL. Repayment for the US$21M debt financing will be made using earnings from the sale of power to GPL and GuySuCo. POWER PURCHASE Brassington explained that Skeldon Energy Inc, will operate with two Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for the provision of electricity to GPL and GuySuCo. According to Brassington, “in addition to the existing PPA between GuySuCo and GPL which is being transferred to Skeldon Energy Inc., a similar one will be entered into between SEI and GuySuCo.” Pressed to expand on the US$21M being sourced as part of the debt financing, Brassington told media operatives that GPL has agreed to loan SEI, US$11M but declined he could not at this time name the institutions supplying the additional US$10M. “The remaining US$10M will come from local and international institutions. At this time I can’t speak to the names but in due course we will,” the GPL Chairman assured.

Brassington also explained where GPL managed to find the US$15M to put into SEI as debt and equity.

He told media operatives, “the drop in fuel prices has had a positive impact on GPL and so we’re doing this out of available cash-

flows.”

According to Brassington, had the Skeldon facilities not been available, the power company would have had to be looking at installing additional generational capacity in Berbice to keep up with increasing demands.

“What we are doing here is seeking to not only maintain but to expand the power generation facilities at Skeldon,” according to Brassington.

The Chairman of the GPL Board of Directors explained to media operatives that “by next year we expect the total power generated out of that plant to increase by 50 per cent, by 2019 the total power should double…this is relative to what we have gotten from that plant.”

He said it is an investment the power company would have had to make sooner or later, “to meet the demands we are expecting.”

MORE THAN ENOUGH Meanwhile, GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Raj Singh, who was also on hand for the historic announcement immediately sought to allay fears in relation to the supply of bagasse for the co-generation plant.

“For 2015, we are projecting to crush at Skeldon Estate, about 650,000 tonnes of cane and out of that we are projecting that we will generate about 275,000 tonnes of bagasse,” according to Singh.

He explained too that, “outside of Skeldon, we have an excess of

Dr. Ravideen Ramsamooj. Ph.D. Trained music teacher.

bagasse.”

Singh pointed to the operations at Albion Estate as an example and pointed out that this facility is also used to supply bagasse for the cogeneration plant at Skeldon.

“We will have more than enough bagasse to run the co-gen(eration).”

He added also that GuySuCo is in the process of procuring a briquetting machine.

This, he said, would briquette bagasse from other estates so that it can be stockpiled for use in out of crop periods.

“So we are projecting we will have more than sufficient bagasse to run the co-gen(eneration) plant.” NIS As it relates to the US$30M secured for its power generation facilities, Singh told reporters bluntly, “clearly, this is clearly going to our creditors, our suppliers, our contractors, companies and entities that we owe monies to and we have begun payment already to those creditors.”

He listed among those owed, NIS, “the credit unions, we have a list of contractors and suppliers both internationally and locally.”

Singh explained that what GuySuCo is also looking to do with the US$30M, “is to rebuild confidence with our creditors so that we can continue to have business relationships with them that would serve both of us well…we are working hard to do that.”

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April 3–9, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

Call 347-759-3934 OR 347-661-9930

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

19

THE CROSS AND THE EMPTY TOMB The high points of the Christian calendar must include the Virgin Birth of Jesus, His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, the Crucifixion and His glorious Resurrection to reign as the King forever and bring God’s children into eternal life. The Cross is a meeting place of God and man. The Empty Tomb is a declaration of God’s power and His great love for lost mankind.

The Cross was a meeting place.

Isaac Watts wrote a great hymn that says, “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light; and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day.” This wonderful old song describes a place where his dark mind was enlightened when the load of sin and guilt was dealt with. The Cross was a meeting place of the Innocent and the guilty, Holy God and sinful man, the great High Priest and the Lamb, love and hate, grace and truth.

But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 1:17 says, “For the law was given

by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” The meeting of Truth and Grace can be understood in the picture of water thrown on fire, pardon where condemnation is proper, payment of a debt in full and release of the debtor, justice served for a crime and the offender goes free. The Law merely declared we have sinned and condemns us. The Law did not have any power to save, forgive, heal or restore. Galatians 3:24-25 says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” It taught us our need of a Savior.

What is truth?

Jesus spoke the immortal words “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32. Let’s face it.

The truth is we do not deserve God’s love nor even to appear before His holy presence. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. Ezekiel 18:4, 20 says, “The soul that sinneth, it

shall die.”

Sin deceives people. It causes forbidden or detestable things to appear attractive. Satan enticed Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. He did not declare the utter sorrow sin will bring on herself, her husband and future generations. Sin corrupts the pure mind. We lose soundness and clear thinking resulting in wrong choices. Sin drains physical life. Read Lamentations 3:1-8. You feel trapped in a prison. The body becomes weak and tired, sickness and disease easily penetrate your physical and mental systems.

Sin destroys good relationships. People lose trust, feel betrayed, and lose confidence in your influence. Your children are likely to follow your example.

Sin bothers your conscience. The conscience is an alarm God installed within the mind that tells right from wrong. If unchecked, the alarm will lose the power of its tone. Without conscience, anything goes, but sadly there is no longer conviction of the Holy Spirit that would lead to repentance. Sin kills all hope of Heaven. No sin will enter into Heaven. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8. That is the truth!

What is grace?

It is the unmerited favor of God. He offers forgiveness for all our sins. Nothing can repay or erase the record of sins.

God did something wonderful to reconcile us to Himself. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Isaiah told us about 700 BC, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6. This is grace!

“For by grace are ye saved through faith;

and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

Grace can be illustrated by a story that Snopes lists as “undetermined, yet the story was around whilst the Mayor LaGuardia was still alive.”

On a bitterly cold night in January of 1935, New York City mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia turned up at a night court, dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him, charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told the mayor that her daughter’s husband had left, her daughter was sick, and her two grandchildren were starving. LaGuardia said to the woman, “I’ve got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions. Ten dollars or ten days in jail.” As he pronounced sentence, he extracted a bill from his pocket and tossed it into his famous hat, saying, “Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit.” He ordered everyone in the room to contribute fifty cents each, including the grocery store owner. $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered woman. Everyone gave the mayor a standing ovation.

Grace that forgives and blesses even the offender! You can be forgiven, too,

by His grace. Grace and truth meet on the Cross like water dowsing the fire of condemnation.

The Empty Tomb is God’s declaration of victory for mankind.

The Resurrection of Jesus was never seriously contested. The religious leaders of the day never investigated the case of the missing body. The Roman government never made any demands regarding it. The disciples paid with their lives to tell their story and never recanted even at the risk of their lives. Over the centuries, countless millions have experienced

the presence and power of the Risen One. You can too if you open your heart to Him. The Resurrection confirms Jesus is the Son of God. Romans 1:3-5 “Concerning his Son Jesus … declared to be the Son of God with power … by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace.” The Resurrection means Jesus will judge the world. Acts 17:31 “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom … he hath raised him from the dead.” In John 6:40 Jesus declared our victory in Him: “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Trust in Jesus; in Him we have eternal life.

Take your family to church this weekend.

At Calvary Assembly of God, special services on Friday are 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday Resurrection services are 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and the Easter Drama Presentation is 5:30 p.m.

Pastor Haniff Bacchus Calvary Assembly

of God

102-07 Rockaway Blvd, Ozone Park, NY 11417 Tel. 718-659-4500 www.calvaryozone.org

20

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

Industry ministry admits shortcomings in implementing gov't policies THE frontline ministry in the State's programme to induce growth and promote investments has admitted that it has not been effectively monitoring and evaluating the implementation of Government policies.

I

n a submission to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives yesterday, in response to concerns raised by Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis in her 2013/14 report, the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) said it agreed with the concerns, but felt that they were "too sweeping".

"The ministry does not have resources to carry out monitoring and evaluation in a structured way and, in that sense, the

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auditor general's finding is true," permanent secretary in the ministry Dr Vivian Brown said in his response. He claimed that the ministry has developed a monitoring and evaluation plan, which has been included in its 2015/16 - 2016/17 strategic business plan.

"The MIIC is hopeful that there will be human resource reinforcement to facilitate the requisite monitoring and evaluation," Dr Brown submitted. "Simultaneously, however, special responsibilities have been assigned to the chief technical officer and specific divisional directors to assist in this area in the immediate term in order to meet the requirements."

He said that the ministry has also sought assistance from the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Group (PSTMG) of the Cabinet Office, as well as the corporate management and development branch of the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

"The fact is that the MIIC has not been sufficiently vigorous and insistent in having its departments and agencies submit not only annual performance reports, but also quarterly performance reports. This has been part of the weakness of the corporate planning and monitoring and evaluation capacity and will be addressed going forward," Brown submitted.

He said that the ministry has also developed a rigorous plan to address the matter, and will be working with the Cabinet Office to ensure that its agencies and departments use a standard format for reports, and an annual timetable will be issued in keeping with the requirements of the Cabinet Office.

Additionally, he said that a division director, aligned to specific agencies and departments, will be charged with these responsibilities.

In her report to Parliament for the last fiscal year, Monroe Ellis had noted that: "Our review of the policy documents developed, wholly or partially, by the ministry indicated that the ministry had not been faithfully monitoring the implementation of the policies.

"We also found that policy implementation is done by the agencies under MIIC's purview. Monitoring and evaluation of the policies should take place at the ministry level, through the provision of oversight to the agencies. However, we found that the ministry did not carry out any significant amount of monitoring, neither did they evaluate policies after implementation," Monroe Ellis stated.

The report also indicated that monitoring of the policies took place only at the drafting stage.

The Auditor General's Department said that it was unable to ascertain the number of policies monitored over the period 2011-2014, as no report was produced.

"Without this evaluation process, MIIC would not be able to determine the extent to which the policies were impacting the respective sectors, in accordance with the stated objectives," she added.

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April 3–9, 2015

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25

TUF to go it alone at May 11 polls - eyes two parliamentary seats for ‘Voice of Youth’

T

ARGETING primarily the youth support base in Regions One, Eight and Nine, The United Force (TUF) is preparing to launch its 2015 Elections Campaign with Party Leader, Marissa Nadir at the helm as Presidential Candidate.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle Tuesday, Nadir, who had contested the 2011 General and Regional Elections as Prime Ministerial Candidate of the party, said she is not naive to think that the TUF at this election could win and is instead aiming at a minimum of two seats.

YOUTH The young politician and practicing attorney-at-law, told the Guyana Chronicle that come May 11, the TUF is looking to secure a voice for the Guyanese youth in the National Assembly.

The time, Nadir said, has come for the youth to become more involved in the decision-making affairs of the country and as such TUF will primarily focus its campaign among the youth of the nation.

The TUF suffered a major setback in 2011 after the party’s then leader, Manzoor Nadir, left to throw his weight behind the incumbent administration.

This led to an internal leadership fight that eventually saw the TUF

securing its lowest votes at the polls in its recent political history.

The TUF had secured one seat in the ninth Parliament which had been held by Manzoor Nadir, but this was lost at the 2011 polls.

Following the fiasco ahead of the last election, Nadir told the Guyana Chronicle she was asked to spearhead the party but opted to firstly take some time off, in order to complete her law studies.

This, she said, was in order for her to position herself to be able to more competently lead the TUF. INDEPENDENTLY An unperturbed younger Nadir, during her interview with this publication Tuesday, declared also that TUF will not, ahead of Nomination Day, enter into any coalition with any of the other major political forces contesting the May 11 polls.

She was making direct reference to the recently coalesced A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC) and the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).

Instead, Nadir said she is looking to begin a wave of transition, where youth can begin to take part more in the decision-making process of the country.

According to Nadir, her party has always had the vision, principles and

plans, many of which were copied and poorly implemented over the years.

The young politician told the Guyana Chronicle that following the 2011 General and Regional Elections, the Executive of the TUF took a conscious decision, “to see the younger persons take a stand and wanted to start encouraging the younger persons to be more active in leadership positions.”

TWO SEATS With her eventually securing the party’s top post ahead of the 2015 General and Regional Elections, to be held on May 11, Nadir bluntly told this publication, “our target is two seats, while we know we would not win (Executive Power), we know we are the younger ones and the change that Guyana really needs lies with us.”

According to Nadir, “having our minimum of two seats in Parliament, we will remain committed and we will be the change.”

Reacting to the numerous negative perceptions that have overshadowed the party since the previous election, Nadir said she is cognisant of those intent on continuing to “spew rumours about us.”

She was adamant, however, that the party is no faction of another, nor is it looking to coalesce with anyone to aid any other party in

securing any kind of majority in the House.

“We’ve discussed this already extensively at the Executive level…

We are not joining even after,” said Nadir.

She explained, making it clear, that even after securing at least its initially desired seats in Parliament, the TUF would not be automatically throwing its weight behind any of the other political parties that would make up the National Assembly.

GUYANESE PEOPLE The parliamentary seats, according to Nadir, “would give the young leadership of the United Force the opportunity to prove to the Guyanese people what we are capable of doing.”

According to Nadir, whatever is proposed by whoever forms the next government of the day will only find support with TUF if their proposals are in the best interest of the Guyanese people.

Her advice to any of the lobbyists that would be looking to prey ahead of Nomination Day, “we are staying alone, we are going into this independently, we are contesting independently, we have no affiliations of no sorts or connections to any of the other parties and we wish to keep it that way.”

Contesting her first election as

the TUF’s Presidential Candidate, Nadir is firm in her conviction that the party will face the polls independently and use its voting strength, as would be determined by the electorate at the May 11 polls.

“The United Force will cooperate in the best interest of the people and only them.”

BETTERMENT OVER BITTERNESS She was adamant that the young people of the TUF are in no way bitter with the traditional establishment in the vanguards: PNC/APNU/AFC and PPP. In fact, she told the Guyana Chronicle, “We are not bitter; it is more betterment over bitterness for us.”

According to Nadir, the party has already completed its Manifesto and will in the coming weeks be sharing in detail, aspects of the party’s plans, policies and other proposals.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that TUF will be looking to lower taxes, provide for more effective and efficient government services, place citizen security as a priority and create a highly educated, highly trained and properly rewarded workforce powered by cutting-edge information and communication technology, so as to realise the highest standard of living for all Guyanese.

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26

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

Booker Tate wins $204m case against GuySuCo The High Court has ruled in favour of the UK-based sugar management firm Booker Tate, ordering the Guyana Sugar Corporation to pay £664,750.91 ($204 million) for fees owed during the period it managed the industry.

I

n a ruling by Justice Rishi Persaud on February 20, 2015, GuySuCo lost two cases and the judge also dismissed the corporation’s counterclaim for damages due to insufficient evidence.

The legal battle has been ongoing since October 2010 when Booker Tate through its attorney Nigel Hughes took legal action, suing GuySuCo for millions owed for services rendered. Booker Tate had managed the sugar industry for around 20 years from 1990 but relations between it and the government soured around 2009 amid the construction woes surrounding the troubled Skeldon sugar factory and the contract was terminated.

In the first order entered on March 17th, 2015, Justice Persaud after reading the witness statement of Booker Tate’s Roger Speddy and the witness statement of then GuySuCo Chairman Dr Nanda

Gopaul ordered that the plaintiff recover from GuySuCo the sum of £224,349 together with interest at 6% per annum from the 1st of October, 2010 to the 20th of February, 2015 and thereafter at the rate of 4% until fully paid together with costs of $150,000.

In the second order entered on March 19th, 2015 after reading the affidavit of defence of Aretha Adams, Assistant GuySuCo Company Secretary, the affidavit in reply of Speddy and other documents, the judge ordered that Booker Tate recover the sum of £345,589 together with interest at the rate of 2% per month from the date for payment of the invoice. The judge also ordered that Booker Tate recover from GuySuCo the sum of £94,811 together with interest at the rate of 1% per month from and including the due date of actual receipt of payment by

the defendants together with costs of $150,000.

There is a stay of execution of six months on both orders.

GuySuCo has encountered severe financial difficulties and the judgment will add to its woes.

Booker Tate filed two claims in September 2010; one over the controversial Skeldon project and another for corporate management services it provided to the sugar corporation for an agreed period.

In the first statement of claim, Booker Tate had said that it entered into an agreement in March 2004 with the corporation for corporate management services which would continue until December 31, 2005, but in accordance with the agreement it was expected to continue for six months after the formal takeover and integration of the new Skeldon factory.

Booker Tate said that the services were provided, but the corporation failed to pay the £224,349 which was agreed on.

Additionally Booker Tate said that it was owed £94,811 pounds on the technical services agreement contract in addition to £345,589 pounds on the project management agreement.

Booker Tate stated that the services were provided as agreed and GuySuCo was issued with 29 invoices for the period 27/01/09 to 28/02/10 in the sum

of £345,589. However, the corporation made no payments to the firm.

GuySuCo’s Chairman at the time, Dr Gopaul had blamed the firm for the ongoing problems at the factory, saying that Booker Tate was “incompetent” and had mismanaged the project. He added that Booker Tate also failed to address the concerns of the Chinese contracting firm for the Skeldon factory, CNTIC. Booker Tate had for its part accused GuySuCo of prematurely terminating agreements which were entered into, including a project management service contract for the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project.

The litigation between GuySuCo and Booker Tate was recently reintroduced to the public by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who last week confused the firm with the sugar corporation’s European sugar purchaser Tate and Lyle during a press conference at Freedom House.

Jagdeo noted that “maybe I should have intervened a bit more. Let me make it clear that sugar is a challenge. Clearly Skeldon has problems and Skeldon needs to be fixed, the board, the board, at that time made a decision to go with a particular contractor we hired Tate and Lyle to be the project manager…Tate and Lyle so we hired a top notch company to be the project manager to ensure the quality of the work because Jagdeo could not decide on design spec and all of that.”

Woman commits suicide at church

D

epressed and pained over ing that she had that (gramoxnumerous ailments, houseone) in her bag,” Roach told the wife Gloria Lalchan-Roach T&T Guardian. decided to end her sorrows when “She went into the washroom she drank gramoxone at the San and drank it. All this time I was Fernando Church of Christ on not aware of this. I don’t know Tuesday. Lalchan, 48, who lived what store she bought the tabwith her husband Kelvin Roach, lets from, I don’t know what 58, at Vistabella Road, Springvale, hardware she got the gramoxsurvived for two hours at the San Gloria Lalchan one from. I just don’t know,” he Fernando General Hospital but added. Asked why he felt his wife doctors said she drank too much of the chose to end her life, he said: “Lately she herbicide and her organs eventually shut had been suffering with depression. She down. was down because things in life affect There had been no sign before that people. “When she went for the tablets I Lalchan-Roach had suicidal thoughts as did not know she had other ideas. I did not they planned to spend their eighth wed- know what she would have done,” he said. ding anniversary on April 14 with a lunch Lalchan-Roach’s sister, Ena Lalfor two. Speaking to the T&T Guardian at chan-Sookdeo, said she suffered with his home yesterday, Roach said he had no heart and thyroid problems and when idea why she took her life.Roach, a janitor she began to experience menopause she at the church on Panco Lane, said his wife could not cope. Lalchan-Sookdeo said her wanted painkillers for her knees on Tues- sister also recently began to seeing things day but he told her he would get it for her. and people who were not there. “She was Eventually he gave her money to go to the disturbed and that is what she was saypharmacy and when she returned to the ing. She was seeing things that were not church, she showed him the tablets and happening and she was seeing people that went into the washroom. were not there.

Minutes later, two men called out to him, “We had an appointment this month to telling him his wife was vomiting green. He take her to a psychiatrist but she drank immediately called for help and an am- this. Depression is what led her to this,” bulance arrived and took her to the hos- Lalchan-Sookdeo said. She said Roach pital. “I was disturbed and I was shocked spent long hours at her sister’s bedside because I was not expecting that. I don’t during frequent stays at the hospital and know the minds of people, I couldn’t see supported her all the way. Another relative her heart. “I could not see through her said they did not want to commit her to a because when she bought the tablets she mental hospital as she complained that came back and showed it to me, not know- they wanted to put her in a “mad house.”

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

27

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April 3–9, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

World News Highlights

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - A joint statement to be issued at negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program will say enough progress has been reached to continue talks until the final deadline of June 30, Western and Iranian officials at the talks said.

BERLIN - The Germanwings co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing an airliner in the French Alps allegedly lied to doctors, telling them he was on sick leave rather than flying commercial planes, German daily Bild reported on Thursday.

PARIS/DUESSELDORF, Germany - German prosecutors said on Thursday they believed the co-pilot who crashed a Ger-

manwings plane in the French Alps last week had searched on a computer for ways to commit suicide shortly before the crash which killed 150 people.

GARISSA, Kenya - At least 14 people were killed on Thursday when Islamist militant group al Shabaab stormed a Kenyan university campus, taking Christians hostage and engaging security forces in an extended shootout.

GARISSA, Kenya - The death toll in a university attack in northeastern Kenya rose to at least 70 on Thursday, with another 79 wounded, but the siege was almost over, Kenya’s Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery said.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - A joint statement was being finalised on Thursday at talks between Iran and world powers over Tehran’s nuclear program, but offi-

cials stopped short of suggesting that a deal had been reached.

ADEN - Yemen’s Houthi fighters and their allies seized a central Aden district on Thursday striking a heavy blow against the Saudi-led coalition which has waged a week of air strikes to try to stem advances by the Iran-allied Shi’ite group.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - A joint statement to be issued at talks on Iran’s nuclear program will say enough progress has been reached to continue the negotiations until a final deadline of June 30, according to a text seen

by Reuters.

WASHINGTON - Saudi Arabia does not have “formal” troops on the ground in Aden, Yemen, but sending them remains a possibility, the Saudi ambassador to the United States said on Thursday.

VILNIUS/WARSAW - Lithuanian prosecutors said on Thursday they had restarted an investigation into allegations that state security officials helped the CIA run a secret jail in the Baltic state as part of the agency’s global program to interrogate al Qaeda suspects.

VILNIUS/WARSAW - Lithuanian prosecutors said on Thursday they had restarted an investigation into allegations that state security officials helped the CIA run a secret jail in the Baltic state as part of the agency’s global program to interrogate al Qaeda suspects.

VALENCIA/MERIDA, Venezuela - Housewives stash bottles and fuel for Molotov cocktails.

Activists run a network of safe houses. Masked youths block roads. A rifle-wielding dissident general makes a call to arms.

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Aid groups tackling the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria said they were disappointed that only $3.8 billion of a requested $8.4 billion had been pledged at a U.N. summit in Kuwait.

RIYADH - The specter of an atomic arms race in the world’s most volatile region has heightened the stakes in Iran’s nuclear talks after Saudi Arabia’s repeated hints it would seek its own atomic weapons if Tehran ever did the same.

NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Indian politicians who make bigoted comments should be punished by their parties, activists said on Thursday, after a government minister became the latest parliamentarian to be accused of racism and sexism.

New energy start-up to raise $450m on JSE THE Caribbean Energy Finance Company Ltd (CEFC) is set to become the first renewable energy finance company to hit the stock market, not just in Jamaica but anywhere in the Caribbean, and it is aiming to attract as many small investors as possible.

The company already has $50 million on its balance sheet from private investors, but is looking to raise another $450 million via the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange. Its IPO was published on Monday night.

"The company is seeking to raise $452 million by inviting applications for up to 64.7 million ordinary shares in the invitation," stated the prospectus.

"We will be the only renewable energy company on the market anywhere in the Caribbean," Chairman Leo Williams told the Jamaica Observer in a recent interview.

The company will specialise in providing renewable energy solutions through affordable finance options. Its main target will be companies around the Caribbean.

As a result, companies -- including manufacturers -- should be able to more easily cut themselves off from the grid and produce their own electricity

via various renewable sources, including solar, wind, co-generation, hydro, biomass, geothermal, and potentially even new green methods as yet unknown.

The company projects to earn some US$401,000 net profit from US$1.7 million in revenues in 2015 and US$474,000 net profit from US$1.9 million in revenues in 2016.

Investors can buy shares in the new company for $7.30 each, with a minimum buy of 1,000 shares, Williams said.

The company will be "starting very lean", Williams said, with a small staff of CEO Byron Ward and a handful of others.

Damian Lyn, who along with Williams is a co-founding director of the company, brings knowledge and potential business from his other company, Alternative Power Sources, which sells and installs renewable energy equipment. As a result, new business is likely to include projects from The Bahamas, where Lyn has a branch of his company, and elsewhere.

Noting that electricity is too expensive in Jamaica, Lyn brought a nationalist element to the company's launch. "We have to do what is good for Jamaica and to build this economy," he said.

The listing has a number of brokers, including one that is linked with the credit unions, to maximise access for small investors. "It is the first time ever a credit union has participated in an IPO," Williams said. "We don't want to lock out the small investor in any way."

Lyn agreed: "We wanted to make sure the public could invest in a social good for the country and help build the economy."

Tech-savvy investors will even be able to access the offer via their cellphones. "So we aren't joking. We want to open this up to the average investor," Williams said.

Williams, who previously worked at Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) and is a graduate of Princeton University and Wharton Business School in the USA, said the business concept is a multiple win-win.

Currently, companies that want to adopt renewable energy have to take a big bite out of their cash flow, Williams said, but leasing via CEFC will allow them to break that cost into affordable "little bites".

The lease agreement allows the client company to reduce its capital expenditure costs and treat the changeover to renew-

able energy as an operational expense, Williams said.

Other accounting benefits include the ability for the leasing companies to treat the equipment as a depreciating expense.

In addition, investors in CEFC can benefit from the five-year corporate tax break given to new companies on the Junior Stock Exchange, Williams said.

But the biggest benefit of all might be reducing their energy spend, Williams added.

The company is looking at projects throughout the Caribbean -- not just the English-speaking islands, but countries like Haiti and the Dominican Republic as well.

It already has a number of clients lined up, including the University of the West Indies with a US$1.5-million project for the Chancellor's office at Mona.

UWI in Cave Hill, Barbados, is another likely client.

The incentive for renewable energy can be even higher in some of the smaller Caribbean islands, Williams said, as they can have rates as high as US$0.45 and even US$0.55 per kilowatt hour, as against $0.42 in Jamaica.

"So it's even more salient in some of those other markets," Williams said.

The offer opens on April 13 and closes on May 4. The invitation will offer 24 per cent of the company to the general public.

Upon full subscription the founding directors -- Williams and Lyn -- will dilute ownership from equal shareholding at 46.4 per cent each to 29.10 per cent for each founder. Other directors include company secretary Fayval Williams, Andrew Adams, Karlene Bailey, and Robert Jones. MV/L Stockbrokers are the lead broker to the deal.

"The board intends to use the proceeds of the invitation for the following purposes [of] establishing the business premises of the company in Kingston, payment of start-up expenses inclusive of salaries for three executives initially, including the chief executive, purchase of solar photovoltaic (solar PV), and other renewable energy-generation equipment for onward leasing to commercial and other customers in Jamaica, marketing, and development of opportunities to originate lease solar and other renewable energy generation equipment to commercial and other customers in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean [and] payment of the expenses of the invitation," stated the prospectus.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

29

Women, Leadership, Islam By: Afeefah Siddique

Grade 11 Al-Ihsan Academy.

W

hen you think about leadership, you think of someone going up against a huge crowd and getting people to follow them, you think of a single person with numerous followers. You think of the great men of Islam, spreading their knowledge far and wide.

But yet, when you look back to the time of RasulUllah, you see that women were also major leadership figures. Although they might not have waged wars or led the people in the ways the men did, they were nonetheless leaders in many other ways.

Let us take examples from four of Islam’s greatest women. First we look at Asiyah, wife of Firaun. Yes, Asiyah lived in comfort and luxury, a Queen of Egypt.

However, she discarded this worldly life. She wanted nothing to do with Fir’aun and his evil ways. She was the one who took in Prophet Musa when he was a baby, floating down the river to her. Allah chose to fill her heart with the light of belief. She therefore sets an example for all women. If a woman of such a status could give up everything for the

true religion, then the rest of us can do the same. In this, it can be said that Asiyah was a leader and is a role model for the up and coming Muslim youth.

Next we have Maryam, mother of Esa. Maryam was a single mother, who faced many hardships in her life. But, Allah chose her to be the mother of one of the greatest prophets ever to walk this Earth. Maryam shows us what modesty, purity, and chastity in Islam really means. In surah Imran, ayat 42, Allah says, “And [mention] when the angels said, “O Maryam, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen

CSEC top student disappointed over promised gov’t scholarship

C

aribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) top performer Elisa Hamilton says students should be alerted about any change in scholarships promised to top students by President Donald Ramotar.

Hamilton’s call follows her own disappointment at not being awarded a government scholarship to attend an institution of her choice as she had expected after a commitment was previously announced by Ramotar.

In 2012, at the Education Ministry’s National Award Ceremony for Outstanding Performances, President Ramotar had announced that the top two performers at the CSEC and CAPE examinations would be given automatic scholarships to study in any field of their choice in Guyana or abroad.

“President Donald Ramotar informed that the two top performers at CSEC and the two top performers at CAPE would be beneficiaries of government scholarships to pursue studies at universities of their choice in any field,” Education Minister Priya Manickchand was later quoted as saying in a Kaieteur News report from a news conference in May, 2013. Hamilton, the top CSEC performer for 2014, took that promise to heart. She worked towards the scholarship with the hope that she “could attend an Ivy League college.”

However, she was disappointed earlier this month when she received a letter from Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Ministry Hydar Ally, who

Elisa Hamilton informed that she can apply to study in Guyana, China and Cuba in the fields of engineering, dentistry and medicine.

For the student, who had previously expressed hope of studying medicine at Yale, this was a devastating blow.

“I’m very disappointed and believe students should be made aware of any change in the promise made to top performers by the president. I’m sure that there are students right now working towards this scholarship,” she said.

Stabroek News reached out to the Public Service Minstry for comment but was unsuccessful.

Hamilton, a Queen’s College student, secured 19 Grade One passes and a Grade Two pass at the CSEC examinations last year. She was also recognised as the most outstanding candidate in the region.

you above the women of the worlds.” If Allah says it, then it is for sure the truth.

Maryam is obviously a role model and leader in Islam.

The third woman I want to draw attention to is Khadijah RA. She was known as the mother of the believers. She was the wife of RasulUllah, and earned such a high status which no other woman of her time was able to achieve. Ali RA narrated: I heard the Prophet SAW saying, “Maryam, the daughter of Imran, was the best among the women (of the world of her time) and Khadijah is the best amongst the women (of this nation).” Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 58 Hadith 164. Khadijah was not only the first woman to embrace Islam, but also the first person. It is she whom the prophet (SAW) sought support from, and she who set the example for other women.

Because of her integrity and support for Islam, she is also considered a leader.

And who better to have as a role model but the first Ummul-mu’mineen.

Finally, we come to Fatima RA, daughter of RasulUllah. Fatima was said to be the closest in resemblance to the prophet SAW, and suffered through many hardships. She was subjected to

seeing her father hurt by the disbelievers, even though she fought courageously to defend and protect him.

If Fatima RA was one of the prophet’s most beloved for the strength of her faith, then that shows us a very important quality that all leaders should have: firm Iman.

Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas narrated that one day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew four lines on the earth and asked his Companions if they understood what these lines stood for.

They respectfully replied that he knew better. He then told them that these lines stood for the four foremost ladies of the universe. They were Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint Imran, the mother of the Prophet Esa and ‘Asia bint Muzahim (the wife of the Pharaoh).

With this, I conclude. These four women were some of Islam’s greatest leaders. Mostly left in the background, they should be who the Muslim youth look up to and try to be like. As future leaders of Islam, we should pattern our lives after these women, for they were promised what we are striving for: Jannah (paradise).

30

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

You start learning from your mistakes when you stop denying you’ve made them — Vp Premier

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

The week begins with a bang.

Well, more like a big kiss. Romance and/or adventure figure strongly -- whatever it is, it’ll have your heart pounding around inside your chest. The excitement of Monday and Tuesday will dull by midweek, when a bunch of deadlines (on some relatively mundane responsibilities) zap your energy.

On Thursday, do something to blow off steam and help yourself stay fit, and on Friday, if you’re feeling some friction between you and someone else, regard their feelings. You are charming. All will be fine. This weekend, you turn over a new leaf.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22)

Your theory at the beginning of the week is ‘the bigger, the better.’

You’re out for extravagance. Make sure you can afford whatever it is you’re drooling over -- if you can, then go for it. You only live once, right? On Wednesday and Thursday, materialism is far from your mind: A friend needs your help working out a small but meaningful problem, and a few of your goals need tidying up in light of some recent events. Literal tidying up -- scrubbing, vacuuming -- figures into your life on Friday and Saturday. The key to Sunday is staying active.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The weekly horoscopes are updated on every week to gives you an in-depth insight into your family, your love life, any career opportunities, friends and money issues.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

If you sense that your ties to your friends are fraying, take care of those relationships. Monday and Tuesday, tolerance is your best tool. No sense in letting a fight erupt over something that doesn’t matter. On Wednesday, if you have an extra ticket to a concert, invite someone who wouldn’t expect you to invite them; you will have a far better time than you would anticipate. Thursday is an easy day and Friday is a flat-out cakewalk. Saturday is a good day to take in some culture (via a trip to the mall) and Sunday is a big day for gifts -- both literal and figurative.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22)

(May 21-June 20)

An off-the-cuff comment from you on Monday or Tuesday may be taken a bit too seriously by one of your friends. If you have a hunch there may be some confusion, clear the air. Explain what you meant (or didn’t mean). Midweek, communication is difficult, too -- especially with your family, who are not the mind readers they think they are.

Again, spell it out, and don’t let people jump to wacky conclusions. Spend Friday with someone who knows you better than anyone. If this is a person you have a romantic connection to, bonus.

The holiday weekend holds good things for you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

A celebrity sighting at the start of the week sets your heart aflutter. The controversy that ensues among your friends -- about whether the person in question was indeed a certain celebrity -- is actually beside the point. Popularity and power are major themes in your life right now. Certain days you like to retreat from the spotlight (as you’ll do on Wednesday and Thursday) but on other days (such as Friday) the spotlight on you never seems bright enough. You moody human being, you! This weekend, surround yourself with people -- family, friends, romantic partners, anyone.

That person who’s making big demands on your time? They need a wake-up call. Be nice about it, and make sure they understand that you love and adore them, but be direct. All week you’ll be getting things done this way -with polish, but not a lot of fuss. Such are the tactics a busy person like you must adopt. Make sure your desk (or car, or house) is clean and tidy on Thursday (or you won’t be able to think straight) and then, on Friday and through the weekend, brace yourself for a series of deep and meaningful adventures with your greatest pal (or lover). This is quite a week for you.

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Everyone is puzzled by something at the outset of the week, and for whatever reason they think you have the answer. Even if you don’t, it’s flattering to be the person to whom everyone else defers. (You feel like shouting: ‘I’m really not as smart as I look!’) The truth is, you are smart, and on Wednesday and Thursday, you’re meticulous and perceptive, too -- these are key qualities this week. Expect the fates to reward you with romance on Friday (some light flirtation becomes heavy flirtation) and energy and beauty and glorious attention from others all weekend long.

You’d love more money, of course, but Monday isn’t the time to ask for a raise. Nor is Tuesday. Timing is everything in life -- as the stars could tell you -- and you’re so much better off flying under the radar this week. (Everyone else is off-the-charts stressed. The energy is just off. It has nothing to do with you.) Wednesday and Thursday are good, quiet days, but Friday finds you stuck trying to make a big decision.

Saturday and Sunday, low-key is your pitch.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

On Monday, you may think you have a handle on what’s going on, but you don’t. Life is full of misinformation, and rather than proceed with the intelligence you have, you may want to wait until new intelligence comes your way. Wednesday and Thursday are perfect days for fact-finding -- you’ll be in the mood to ask questions, dig through papers, hide in bushes -- and Friday brings tons of energy for striking out into the world to prove or disprove your new theories. This weekend you will see a lot of people, but you’ll struggle to make deep connectionst.

An extraordinary discovery about the most ordinary person you know rocks your world on Monday. All your fixed ideas? Out the window they go! It’s exciting when these things happen, and also a bit unnerving. It’s a cliche, but it’s true: You never know whom you’re dealing with.

It’s especially true on Wednesday and Thursday, in reference to a business deal. (If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.) On Friday, a chance encounter with someone you barely know totally delights you.

The world is crammed with wonderful people. Pay attention to some of them this weekend.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

GEMINI

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

A cheerful face delivers some terrific news on Monday or Tuesday. If only every week could start like this! You are happy, you have money coming your way, you are finding things to laugh about. Ah, life. Wednesday takes you out of this idyllic mode for a while -- an authority figure will rub you the wrong way -- and Thursday a close pal may unintentionally drive you up a wall, but

by Friday you’re laughing nonstop again and Saturday is filled to the brim with love. Spend Saturday evening preparing yourself for your big day on Sunday.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20)

There is too much going on in your own head for you to be worrying about what’s going on in someone else’s. In blunter terms, mind your own business. It’s a good policy. It’s freeing. Along those same lines, if you feel the urge to be critical of others on Wednesday and Thursday -- rather than just helping out however you can -- consider that you might not have all the relevant facts. By Friday, you’re in full-fledged self-improvement mode (never a bad mode to be in) and on Saturday you’re in an out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new mood.

You have good things coming to you on Sunday.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

31

Entertainment News

Salman's defence of not driving car unacceptable: Prosecution

Salman’s defence of not driving car unacceptable: Prosecution

P

rosecution today rejected Bollywood star Salman Khan's defence that it was his driver Ashok Singh who was driving his vehicle at the time of the 2002 mishap, saying it appears to be a "brought up" witness whose contention was belated and introduced at the fag end of the trial.

Khan had submitted for the first time on Monday that Singh was at the wheel and not him, while giving his statement after evidence was closed in the case, said special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat today while making final arguments in the sessions court. Khan has been charged with killing one person and injuring four others by ramming his vehicle into a bakery shop in suburban Bandra in the wee hours of September 28, 2002.

In his arguments, Gharat said none of the witnesses examined in the court was given this suggestion or confronted with this new piece of evidence claimed by

Khan. Gharat argued that Khan had not mentioned about his driver Ashok Singh at any stage of the trial earlier and had disclosed this only when his statement was being recorded. At that time, the actor was also asked by the judge if he wished to examine himself. To this, he had replied in the negative.

"If he (Khan) had chosen to examine himself he would have been exposed in cross-examination, Gharat further argued. The accused had in the beginning of the trial accepted that the vehicle was owned by him and was in his possession when the mishap occurred. Even at that stage he did not disclose that his driver Ashok Singh was driving the car at the relevant time, said Gharat. Singh had told the sessions court last month that it was he was behind the wheel, and not the actor, at the time of the accident. The prosecution has alleged that Khan did not have driving licence and was under the influence of liquor at the time of the accident. Khan had denied both charges.

"It appears that he (Ashok Singh) is a 'brought up' witness and as such his evidence cannot be accepted", Gharat contended. The prosecutor said police constable Ravindra Ptil, a complainant in the case and also bodyguard of Khan, had said in his statement about three persons occupying the car—he (himself), accused Salman and his friend Kamaal. Even Patil had not mentioned about the fourth person, i.e Ashok Singh, as claimed by the actor, the prosecutor said.

I love my stretch marks: Alyssa Milano

I love my stretch marks: Alyssa Milano ctress Alyssa Milano has no inhibitions about admitting that she has stretch marks on her body and says she loves them. She was reacting to

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her post-baby bikini photograph going viral on social media.

The 42-year-old addressed the matter while guest hosting in a chat show "The Talk", reports aceshowbiz.com.

"I love my stretch marks. I have them on my b**bs, my ass, and on my belly," she said.

In further discussion with hosts Sheryl Underwood, Aisha Tyler, Sharon Osbourne, and Julie Chen, Milano even referred to the stretch marks as "beauty marks".

"In my backyard I feel pretty good in my bikini. I will say though - because of paparazzi - I probably would not wear a bikini on the beach for fear that the press would just eat it up and rip apart every part of my body," she revealed.

The "My Girlfirend's Boyfriend" actress is a mother of two children -- son Milo Thomas and daughter Elizabella Dylan.

The children's father is an agent David Bugliari in Creative Artists Agency, whom Milano has been married to since August 2009.

Suki Waterhouse was not supportiveof Cooper's career?

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radley Cooper may take mother to OscarsBradley Cooper bares it all for magazineBradley Cooper joins the Broadway Hitmakers' clubRajkummar Rao thrilled to see Bradley Cooper on stageJ Law calls regular co-star Bradley Cooper 'work hubby' with 'no sex' Hollywood star Bradley Cooper split from British beauty Suki Waterhouse reportedly because she was not supportive of his acting career.

Cooper felt Waterhouse, 23, was not supportive after his huge success in Broadway's "Elephant Man," which started in previews on November 7 and ran till February 21, reported the New York Post.

Bradley Cooper Also Waterhouse spent Valentine's Day away from the "American Hustle" star, with friends to a billionaire's estate in Austin, Texas, a source said.

Helen Mirren reveals she's 'living like a nun' between shows

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elen Mirren wants to play villain in 'Fast and Furious 8'Maggie Smith to depart 'Downton Abbey' at end of season 6Trips and falls on the red carpetWhy do some qualified men view women as sex objects?

Helen Mirren, who has her new movie 'Woman in Gold' coming between performances of 'The Audience,' says she is living like a nun.

The 69-year-old actress said in an interview that she can't talk too much as she has to save her voice, the New York Post reported.

'The Queen' star noted that the stage takes a lot out of a person and so theater performances can be tiring, adding that she is like a nun as she never goes out.

Mirren added that she must stop play-

Helen Mirren reveals she’s ‘living like a nun’ between shows ing queens as she has done a hundred films and other things and that seems to be what everyone remembers her for She revealed that she is about to do 'Trumbo,' a movie where she plays Hedda Hopper, the old-time Hollywood gossip columnist.

Russell Brand used transgender for sex ?

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auren Harries claims she was in a relationship with Russell Brand after they met on "Celebrity Big Brother's Bit On The Side" in 2006. The Transgender TV personality however says that the comedian only "liked the bedroom department" with her.

Harries, who was once known as James,

told Star magazine that she dated Brand for six months but he used her only for sex, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The antiques expert said her new single, All Dressed Up, is inspired by Brand and the feelings of rejection he left her with.

"It's about being dressed up to go out, then being stood up by a man, feeling sh***y and crying about it. Russell Brand inspired me to write it," she said.

"He left me all dressed up with nowhere to go. I don't think Russell wanted to be seen with me, so we didn't go out. We had our moments, but he can't admit to it.

"It was going on for six months at least.

Let's just say he liked the bedroom department, but that was all! That was all I was good for," she added.

However, Brand has denied that he dated Harries in the past.

32

Caribbean Star Newspaper Shahid's fiance prefers to stay away from the virtual world?

April 3–9, 2015

N Having sex outside marriage is not empowerment, says Sonakshi Sinha

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ew Delhi: Deepika Padukone's women empowerment video directed by Homi Adajania has kicked up a storm in social media. While many B-Town celebs were seen praising the initiative, the video's content drew flak from a number of people in the virtual world.

Like many of her colleagues from Bollywood, Sonakshi too spoke about the video, but had a different perspective.

"It's a very good initiative. It's coming from a good space, but honestly I believe empowerment should be given to the women who actually need it, who are kind of far away from where

we are right now. We have been bred and brought up with luxury," she said.

The video shows Deepika talking about the freedom of choice that women must have regarding multiple issues, including having the choice to indulge in sex before marriage or out of marriage or not having sex at all.

"Women empowerment is not always about the kind of clothes you wear, not about who you want to have sex with or stuff like that. It's about employment, strength," Sonakshi said while addressing the media.

Sona sends out a strong message!

(With IANS inputs)

ew Delhi: The very talented Shahid Kapoor is in news these days for his 'marriage' rumours with Delhi-based girl Mira Rajput. Although, the girl in question had earlier denied

the news, reportedly, Shahid did confess about getting married.

The actor recently had accepted that the rumours of him settling down are kind of true, but he did maintain that he is still not engaged. Now, the latest that has been reported about the girl is that she has apparently decided to go off social media, for the time being.

Mira, who is an LSR graduate has suddenly come under the scanner and because the spotlight is now on her—reports suggest that the non-filmy girl has decided to stay away from the virtual world, for the moment.

Angelina Jolie beats Emma Watson to become top feminist icon

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ngelina Jolie has been voted as UK's top feminist icon, leaving behind Emma Watson among others in the run.

In a nationwide poll conducted by Fashion house Rose and Willard, the 39-year-old activist and actress emerged as a winner, thanks to her amazing work which includes her campaign against rape as a weapon of war through her role as UN Special Envoy, the Mirror reported.

'Harry Potter' actress and fellow UN Goodwill Ambassador, Watson, who had

recently launched her HeForShe gender equality campaign, ranked 2nd in the poll.

Heidy Rehman, founder of www.roseandwillard.com, said that they were "driven by the empowerment of women and celebration of their femininity", and Jolie Jolie symbolized it perfectly.

She added that the poll represented that brand of feminism currently being favored by the public, and Watson was another exciting example of it.

Top 10 celebrity feminist icons are: 1. Angelina Jolie 2. Emma Watson 3. Caitlin Moran 4. Jennifer Lawrence 5. Germaine Greer 6. Taylor Swift 7. Cara Delevingne 8. Patricia Arquette 9. Beyonce 10. Charlotte Church

Helen Mirren wants to play villain in 'Fast and Furious 8'

Helen Mirren wants to play villain in 'Fast and Furious 8'

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eteran actress Helen Mirren, an avid "Fast and Furious" lover, has expressed her desire to play a villainous role in the upcoming franchise.

Mirren, 69, said she wants to play a "mad driver" in the movie, reported Ace Showbiz.

"My great ambition is to be in a 'Fast

and Furious' movie. I so want to be a mad driver in a 'Fast and Furious' movie. My claim to fame is I always do my own driving - I was on 'Top Gear', and I did (my lap) in a very good time.

"I keep putting it out there, and they never ask me. I'll be in 'Fast and Furious 8'," she said.

The "Hitchcock" actress is also a fan of Vin Diesel.

"I have to say Vin Diesel is brilliant. I love Vin Diesel. He's a great guy, smart - I love him. It's partly because of him I'd like to be in one, but also the driving. I'd also love to do another 'Red'-type movie, because those are such fun to do."

The latest "Fast and Furious" installment "Furious 7", starring Vin, Paul Walker, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez and Jason Statham, is set to be released April 3.

April 3–9, 2015 33 Caribbean Star Newspaper Guess who will Revealed: Look who will play daughters to Aamir Khan in ‘Dangal’ make appearance M in Aishwarya's 'Jazbaa'!

Ritika Handoo

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ew Delhi: Touted as one of the power couples in B-Town, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan will soon be seen sharing the screen space once again. Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta took to micro-blogging site Twitter and revealed about the same.

Gupta tweeted: “Big excitement at the shoot today as Abhishek Bachchan shoots his special appearance in JAZBAA.” The film is seen as wifey Aishwarya's comeback vehicle post delivering baby Aaradhya. Ash will be seen along with veteran actress Shabana Azmi and class actor Irrfan Khan in the film.

With hubby Abhishek in tow, we are sure the film is definitely going to be a special one for Ash.

Foxx slammed for making fun of Bruce Jenner

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ctor Jamie Foxx has been criticised for making fun about Bruce Jenner's reported gender transition, while hosting the iHeartRadio Awards.

While introducing what the show would have in store, Foxx, 47, took a dig at Jenner, saying, "We've got some groundbreaking performances here, too, tonight. Bruce Jenner will be here doing some musical performances -- he's doing a his-and-her duet all by himself."

The host was called out by viewers at home, who took to Twitter to criticize his transphobic jokes, said The Hollywood Reporter.

One wrote, "Boo! Shame on you #iHeartAwards for allowing @iamjamiefoxx to be transphobic on national television! Those #BruceJenner jokes were wrong!!!"

"Jamie Foxx's transphobic jokes at the iHeartRadio about Bruce Jenner were gross, glad they didn't garner much laughs," another Twitterati said.

A viewer posted, "@iamjamiefoxx making transphobic jokes at Bruce Jenner's expense while Kylie is in the audience? Grow up & educate yourself. #iHeartAwards" Kylie is one of Bruce's daughters with reality TV star Kris Jenner.

Aamir Khan

umbai: ‘Dangal’, a film based on wrestler Mahavir Poghat, has been making headlines eve since its inception, because none other than Aamir Khan will be essaying the character.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Dangal’ will revolve round the lives of a father and his two daughters. There have been reports suggesting that Kangana Ranaut, Akshara Haasan and Taapsee Pannu are being considered for the roles.

However, what we have learnt from our sources is that ‘Dum Lagake Haisha’ girl Bhumi Pednekar and Sonakshi Sinha have been roped in to play the parts of the daughters.

Aamir is apparently impressed with Bhumi’s performance in her debut film.

Sonakshi, who had stunned one and all with her intense performance in ‘Lootera’, made the makers of ‘Dangal’ cast her.

Sona, who is currently busy with AR Murugadoss’s ‘Akira’ will start shooting for ‘Dangal’ after finishing her current project.

Aamir’s salt-n-pepper look was much appreciated by his fans and it will be interesting to see the chemistry Mr. Perfectionist will share with his onscreen daughters.

P.S. The story above is purely a work of fiction. We wish you a very happy April Fool’s Day!

34

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

Caribbean Connections

Traditional herbal remedies harnessed to treat chikungunya in Antigua

BARBADOS’ POP PRINCESS RIHANNA CONTINUES HER REIGN WITH HER STARRING ROLE IN DREAMWORKS NEW ANIMATED FILM HOME.

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T JOHN’S, Antigua, Tuesday March 31, 2015 – Last summer, 38-yearold Sira Berzas from Antigua and Barbuda was struck down with chikungunya, the mosquito-borne disease that has swept through the Caribbean infecting more than 800,000 people since it was first detected in the region in December 2013.

The debilitating virus, which originated in Africa and derives its name from a word meaning “to become contorted” in the Kimakonde language, is characterised by the abrupt onset of fever, deep joint and muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and a rash.

“I was fine when I went to bed,” Berzas told the BBC, “but when I woke up in the morning and tried to get up my ankles hurt so much I couldn’t stand. It was very scary. After that I started getting different pains all over my body. Soon my hands were so swollen I couldn’t hold anything. I knew immediately it was chikungunya.”

While most patients recover fully from the disease, the pain can persist for months or even years. Chikungunya can be deadly in older people, moreover.

World Health Organization (WHO) figures indicate that 176 fatalities across the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States were linked to the virus last year.

According to a BBC report, Berzas is one of a growing number of sufferers who turned to natural remedies to alleviate the symptoms.

“I didn’t go to the doctor as it’s expensive and everyone I knew who’d been to their GP was just told to take paracetamol and rest. I tried painkillers but nothing worked. The mornings were the worst; my joints were so stiff I could hardly move,” she said.

“When I got desperate I went to Dr Amu, the naturopath. He gave me two teas to drink and an oil to rub on my skin.

It soothed the rash and diminished the

pain a lot. It didn’t go away but at least it was manageable.”

It was four months before the aches finally abated.

“Even now, 10 months later, my ankles still hurt in the morning. I don’t know how I would have coped if it hadn’t been for Dr Amu; I recommended him to lots of people. Nothing else worked for me,” Berzas told the BBC. Self-taught naturopath Sylvester Tyrone “Amu” Motley reportedly prescribes a four-pronged approach to fighting chikungunya.

The first is a tea to be drunk three times daily on an empty stomach. It contains echinacea to boost the immune system, and chaparral and burdock root to purify the blood, ease pain and soothe the rash, he told the BBC. Second is a detox made by boiling five different plants in fresh spring water.

“Arnica, soursop and cattle tongue are wonderful cure-alls,” Motley, who scours the local countryside looking for the plants, explained.

“Then there’s neem, which is an antiseptic, and dandelion to cleanse the body. That should be drunk all day long instead of water.”

He also makes a special oil to be applied after bathing and at night on critical parts of the body.

Motley, a staunch advocate of the power of plants, said he had not had the illness and believed that was largely due to his personal intake of herbs.

“It’s tried to come a couple of times but my body fights it off,” he indicated.

In the absence of scientific evidence, conventional doctors are sceptical.

Dr Nick Fuller, whose GP practice is based in St John’s, told the BBC: “Herbalism is not proven so I couldn’t recommend it.

“But I don’t see any harm in it,” he added.

“At the end of the day, chikungunya is a virus and needs to run its course,” he explained. (BBC News)

Rihanna’s star power helps Home top weekend box office with US$54 million

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ALIFORNIA, United States, Tuesday March 31, 2015 – Barbados’ pop princess Rihanna continues her reign with her starring role in DreamWorks new animated film Home, which has soared to the top of the box office, raking in an estimated US$54 million at US and Canadian theatres over its opening weekend.

Rentrak’s estimate of ticket sales for Friday through Sunday lends blockbuster status to the tale of the friendship between an earthling girl named Tip, voiced and sung by Rihanna, and an outcast space alien named Oh, played by Jim Parsons.

Puerto Rican-born Jennifer Lopez also stars as Tip’s mother in the family-friendly adventure film, which beat Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell’s R-rated comedy Get Hard into second place.

Rihanna is no stranger to the motion picture industry, having made her debut on the big screen with a role in Peter Berg’s 2012 action adventure movie Battleship.

She is currently the subject of a feature-length documentary by filmmaker Berg, which will give fans an “unfiltered look into Rihanna’s life and how she’s ascended to become a global icon,” according to Deadline.

While there’s no word yet on when the documentary will be released, “odds are it’ll be after her upcoming album – which hopefully is on the way very soon,” according to MTV News.

Meanwhile, this weekend’s second-placed film Get Hard opened with an estimated US$34.6 million for Warner Bros, the largest premiere for the movie’s laugh out loud duo of Hart and Ferrell.

Variety reports that Get Hard ousted last weekend’s top film Insurgent, which fell 58 percent to make US$22 million

and land in third place on the charts.

The young-adult sequel to Divergent has earned a total of US$86.4 million after two weeks atop the box office.

Disney’s Cinderella, starring Lily James and Cate Blanchett, hauled in US$17.5 million to take fourth place and bring its impressive earning total so far to US$150 million.

Meanwhile, the mouse house continues to celebrate Big Hero 6 becoming the top-grossing worldwide animated release of 2014. The Oscar-winning film has earned US$633 million globally.

Disney, with its lucrative ownership of Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar, is expected to continue on a roll throughout 2015 with releases like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Inside Out. Next week Universal Pictures will debut Furious 7, starring the late Paul Walker, along with Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris.

The seventh outing in the Fast & The Furious series is predicted to bag a record $100 million-plus opening.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theatres, according to Rentrak: 1. Home, $54 million 2. Get Hard, $34.6 million 3. The Divergent Series: Insurgent, $22.1 million 4. Cinderella, $17.5 million 5. It Follows, $4 million 6. Kingsman: The Secret Service, $3.1 million 7. Run All Night, $2.2 million 8. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, $2.2 million 9. Do You Believe?, $2.2 million 10. The Gunman, $2 million

35 UST IN: US Embassy Shutdown, Investigators Probing Suspicious Incident

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

A Polish priest jailed for abusing boys in Dominican Republic

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OLOMIN, Poland, Sunday March 29, 2015 – Wojciech Gil, a former priest convicted of abusing minors in the Dominican Republic and Poland, was sentenced to seven years in jail by a Polish court on Wednesday.

The court in Wolomin found Gil guilty of abusing six minors in the Dominican Republic between 2009 and 2013, as well as two in Poland in 2000 to 2001.

Possession of child pornography and illegal possession of a firearm were also included in the charges.

Gil, 37, could have faced up to 15 years behind bars if he was convicted following full court proceedings.

Instead, after initially pleading not guilty, the former priest sought a settlement and a seven-year prison term, which avoided a full trial. That was accepted by prosecutors, who represented the Dominican and the Polish victims.

Gil was also ordered to pay a total of 155,000 zlotys (about US$41,000) in atonement to the victims.

The former priest was defrocked last month at his own request.

Gil has been in custody since February last year, and the time he has spent in prison will be deducted from the sentence under Polish law.

His trial was conducted in Poland because that country has no extradition agreement with the Dominican Republic, making a trial there impossible.

It was not immediately clear how the verdict would be received in the Dominican Republic, where prosecutors revealed the case and requested a severe punishment.

Gil’s case is reportedly related to that of former Holy See ambassador to the Dominican Republic, former Polish archbishop Jozef Wesolowski.

The Vatican has defrocked Wesolowski – the harshest punishment under canon law – and is weighing whether to indict him on allegations that he paid Dominican boys to masturbate while he recorded them with his mobile phone.

A Polish investigation into his case is said to be stalled by a lack of evidence.

Wesolowski’s case attracted international attention, given that he was a papal nuncio, had been ordained both a priest and a bishop by St John Paul II, and was the highest-ranking Vatican official ever to have been accused of sex abuse.

strong detachment of local and international law enforcement officers is now at the United States Embassy in Kingston after a man reportedly threw a bag over the perimeter wall.

The man – said to be Caucasian-looking – was held by security officers.

Footage shows the man who threw the bag over US Embassy wall trying to escape the grasp of security officers, Edmond Campbell reports. The incident has caused a shutdown of operations at the Embassy.

The police are currently moving people from the vicinity of the embassy. Police and soldiers are now taking up positions on top of the buildings. People with visa appointments for today have been asked to wait for an update.

The incident comes ahead of the April 9 visit of US President Security personel outside the United States Embassy in Barack Obama.

Kingston today

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Contact Darshan @ 917-916-3006 for more details

36

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

Security Officials Keep Eyes On Extremists Ahead Of Obama Visit

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ith just over a week to go before the arrival of United States (US) President Barack Obama, Jamaica's security forces, in collaboration with Interpol and US law-enforcement agents, have begun monitoring a watch list that includes local and international extremists.

"We (local security forces), along with our partners worldwide, have begun monitoring the movements of known extremists and their advisers, both locally and internationally," a high-ranking member of the security forces disclosed yesterday.

This was further confirmed by head of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), Assistant Commissioner Carlton Wilson, who was extremely cautious in his comments.

"We will be on the lookout for some people. Also, there will be some local folks that we will be monitoring. But in terms of our preparation, every critical area has been

activated and will be operating at the maximum level," said Wilson, who stressed that preparations for Obama's visit were well advanced. The Gleaner understands that as part of the intelligence network, the NIB will be closely monitoring the island's ports of entry during the president's visit.

Information gleaned is that, over the past week, a portion of equipment arrived in the island from the US to enhance the security strategies for Obama.

Head of Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime (C-TOC), Assistant Commissioner Devon Watkis, was reserved in his comments and said a statement on the president's visit would be released at a later date. In a recent comment, counsellor for public affairs at the US Embassy in Kingston, Joshua Polacheck, indicated that while the schedule for the visit has not been finalised, it has already been determined that Obama would meet with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and CARICOM leaders and attend a youth forum.

Since Simpson Miller announced Obama's visit to the island, Assistant Commissioner Danny Graham, of the Protective Services Branch of the JCF, told The Gleaner recently that local law-enforcement officials have been engaging US Secret Service agents in meetings in preparation for the visit.

LEADER OF THE MAIN OPPOSITION JAMAICA LABOUR PARTY (JLP), ANDREW HOLNESS.

Jamaica opposition leader survives attempt to oust him from office

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INGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday March 31, 2015, CMC – The leader of the main opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Andrew Holness, has survived a move to oust him from office in the wake of the controversy that followed the removal and subsequent return of two members of the Senate.

In a secret ballot on Monday, Holness received 13 of the 20 votes cast.

“He has been reaffirmed as leader of the opposition, it was a very good meeting and I’m very convinced that based on what we picked up at the meeting, we are in good stead and we will be moving together as one in the future and we expect great things,” said Derrick Smith, Leader of Opposition Business in the Lower House.

The meeting on Monday was called to discuss Holness’ stewardship of the 72-year-old party in that aftermath of the recent Senate controversy in which the Constitutional Court ruled that his request for the use of undated pre-signed resignation letters to oust Arthur Williams and Dr. Christopher Tufton from the Upper House in 2013 was unconstitutional null and void.

Holness appealed the ruling but the

Appeals Court upheld the ruling by the Constitutional Court.

Lawyers for Holness had argued in the Appeals Court that Williams used the wrong procedure to initiate the court action against the opposition leader.

However, one of the respondents in the appeal, the Attorney General’s department said it was surprised that an argument about procedure was being used.

Holness had initially said the Constitutional Court had erred on matters of law and fact.

According to media report among those voting against Holness were Daryl Vaz, James Robertson, Delroy Chuck, Marissa Dalrymple-Phillibert, Gregory Mair and Audley Shaw.

However when questioned by journalists, they refused to confirm whether or not they voted in favour of Holness.

But last week, Chuck resigned as a member of Holness-led shadow cabinet, saying that ruling by the Court of Appeal had damaged Holness’ image and that of the JLP. Chuck, who was the spokesman on justice and legal affairs, had also suggested that Holness consider resigning his post.

CEO: Kevin Mohabir Chief Editor: Rhoda Mohabir Head Of Distribution: Shevin Mohabir Director/Sales Manager: Kevin Mohabir Distribution: William Despot, Sham Mohabir, & Shevin Mohabir Sports Editor: Darshan Chikery Layout & Design: Michelle Disclaimer: Caribbean Star Newspaper Inc. & Advertisers are not responsible for typographical errors on the published Ads. We accept articles, artwork, and photography which are in accordance with our Mission. We reserve the right to accept, reject, or edit any material we receive but do our best to honor the integrity of the author/artist. We do not endorse any particular writer or advertiser. We simply offer our readers information on various subject matters. It is expected that all material is submitted in “Good Faith” with no intent to mislead or harm others.

It is the readers responsibility to make intuitive decisions that are right for themselves.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

37

Gonsalves warns “dissonance” could undermine confidence in LIAT

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INGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Tuesday March 31, 2015, CMC – St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves Monday warned against making unflattering statements about the regional airline, LIAT, saying it could undermine confidence in the business operations of cash-strapped carrier.

“Everyone who is involved with LIAT, the shareholders, the directors, the management, the workers, everybody, has to be careful what they say and what they do in relation to this matter. It is a business, and anything anybody says or does, at any of these levels, could affect the confidence of the business,” said Gonsalves, who is the chair of the regional shareholder governments.

Gonsalves comments follow statements made on Sunday by Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne that he would treat as “treason” plans for a new airline to compete with LIAT. Browne, speaking on a privately owned radio station said that he would also be seeking the resignation of the airline’s chief executive officer, David Evans, if the plans about the new carrier prove to be true.

The document, allegedly authored at LIAT senior management, proposes that a Barbados air carrier be established with its own Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and Route Licensing Authorisation.

The new company would effectively replace the majority of existing LIAT services throughout the region and would seek to develop new markets.

An approach, methodology and structure for the establishment of the new Barbados air carrier were detailed in the document.

It said a traditional approach to fleet planning in a startup airline with a projected requirement of 10 aircraft would be to launch initially with two to three aircraft and a limited route network and build thereafter incrementally over a period of 18 months to the final fleet number.

In his radio interview, Prime Minister Browne also called for a change in the chairmanship of the airline, saying he doesn’t “see why one prime minister should control the chairmanship of LIAT” and that it should be rotated.

“These are some of the issues affecting LIAT, I mean only one person has brains out of all of the shareholder governments. I am saying there ought to be changes at the level of the directorship, even in terms of the share holding positions of the various governments, I believe the shares of Barbados should be diluted because they believe because they have the majority shares that everything must move to Barbados,” he added.

LIAT is owned by the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Earlier the airline issued a one paragraph statement indicating that it had been made aware of the comments by Prime Minister Browne and that “these matters are currently under discussion amongst the major shareholders”. Gonsalves told a news conference here that

ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES PRIME MINISTER DR. RALPH GONSALVES (FILE PHOTO) statements about the airline “can be demoralizing to the workers, to the management.

“In that context, I want to say that I have not received from any shareholder any information that they do not have confidence in the CEO or the management and I myself I have confidence in the CEO. “Certainly, the chairman of the board of directors, who I spoke to, I happen to know that he has confidence in the CEO. So, I want to make those points clearly,” Gonsalves said.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Browne said that his administration would resist efforts to shift the base of the financially-strapped regional airline, to Bridgetown and Prime Minister Gonsalves again defended the decision saying

it was made based on the revenue generated and passenger load along LIAT’s routes.

“Now, it is public knowledge that the government of Antigua and Barbuda, through its prime minister, said that they want this restructuring decision to be put on hold. But until a shareholders’ meeting says that those decision must be put on hold, the board and the management are obliged to carry out the decisions of the shareholders. And as chairman of the shareholders, I have received no request from anyone for a meeting of the shareholders,” he said.

Gonsalves, however, said he has received a letter asking that the decision to move the airline’s headquarters be put on hold.

“In the same way that I respect the good governance arrangements in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, I respect the good governance arrangements in a company. That’s the only way that things can be run in a proper manner. I am not saying that these decisions can’t be amended, altered, if other views are brought to the table and they are meritorious in all the circumstances.

“But, from the stand point of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as I had explained before, if I didn’t feel that they were decisions which were in the interest of the company, I would have demurred at that point of the shareholders meeting and to see if I can convince my colleagues of a different perspective.

“But there was no attempt by anybody to convince anyone of any perspective other than around this bundle of issues on which decisions were taken,” Gonsalves said, pointing out that St. Vincent and the

Grenadine has paid its US$592,000 share of the five million dollar working capital the airline needs until a financing meeting with the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in May. “I am hopeful that all the governments will make their payments,” Gonsalves said, adding that he understands that Dominica has paid, he didn’t know if Barbados had paid, but was “pretty sure” that Antigua and Barbuda was yet to pay.

“If the analysis [says] you need this money for the working capital and that is to carry you to the month of May, hoping you can get to the CDC board, any set of dissonance, whether it is by any shareholder, or any group of workers — be they the pilot or engineers or other workers who are neither pilots nor engineers — or the management, any dissonance in words or action can create a great difficulty,” Gonsalves said.

“This is a very serious matter which affects the social and economic wellbeing in this area and I am unable, constitutionally or otherwise, to embrace recklessness on this subject.

“And I hope that by reiteration of confidence in the management and the board and in the light of the decisions which were taken by the shareholders, that any alterations required, there is a process and there is a system for which any of these challenges can be appropriately addressed.

“What is certainly not appropriate is for important discussions to be held on this matter across the Caribbean Sea, which, whether intended or not, may have an effect of undermining confidence in the operations of the airlines,” Gonsalves said.

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38

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

CRICKET & Sports

Majestic Australia wins fifth World Cup Australia 186 for 3 (Clarke 74, Smith 56*) beat New Zealand 183 (Elliott 83, Johnson 3-30, Faulkner 3-36) by 7 wickets

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t had been the World Cup of short balls. On a flat MCG deck, it had seemed bounce would be the bowlers’ major ally. But so cocksure were Australia’s pace phalanx of their quality, they left nothing to the vagaries of the surface, firing balls full, fast and straight to deliver Australia a seven-wicket win and their fifth World Cup in comprehensive fashion.

Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson shared five wickets, having sent down several spells of searing, swinging yorkers between them, and James Faulkner - slower but cannier than the other left-armers - claimed three scalps for himself. In all, eight wickets fell to full deliveries as New Zealand were felled for 183 in the 45th over.There were early nerves in the chase, particularly when Aaron Finch fell in the second over, but Michael Clarke and Steven Smith stroked fluent half-centuries to run the target down inside 34 overs. Clarke, the departing captain, had a standing ovation when he left the field after his sparkling 74 from 72. Smith, his most likely successor, stayed at the crease to hit the last ball of the World Cup through deep square leg for four.

All through the tournament batting sides have broken games open in the final 15 overs of their innings, but Australia bent history in a different direction by blowing through New Zealand’s middle order and tail during the death overs.

New Zealand might have harbored hopes

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of a score of 250, perhaps even 300, when Grant Elliott and Ross Taylor’s 111run stand had repaired early damage. But when the batting Powerplay came on at the 35th over, Faulkner claimed two scalps from three balls to send the opposition into a nosedive.

His slower ball first took Taylor’s outside edge en route to a diving Brad Haddin, before two balls later, Corey Anderson missed a straight yorker that made a mess of his stumps. Luke Ronchi was caught sharply at slip off Starc early next over, and Daniel Vettori castled by Johnson in the 41st. Elliott had played smoothly for his 82 ball 83, but was forced into a premature attack by the carnage at the other end, and was dismissed by a now-combative Faulkner, before a Glenn Maxwell direct hit found a languid Tim Southee short of his crease to end the innings.

In the end it was a final almost completely devoid of David v Goliath romance. New Zealand had captured neutral support partly because of the spirit with which they had played this World Cup, but all through the final, there were touches of arrogance from Australia to go with their overpowering skill and strength. Brad Haddin’s sniping from behind the stumps was nearly incessant, several New Zealand batsmen had words shot at them as they departed, and the David Warner blows that kick-started Australia’s chase smacked of disdain.

Luck too, favored 21st century pragmatism over the fairytale. Daniel Vettori, the final’s second oldest man, injured himself early in the second innings and could only pivot gingerly through his five overs. Brendon McCullum had attacked

relentlessly in the field right through this campaign, but the moment Warner’s assault bent his resolve out of shape, the next ball flew through second slip, where moments before a fielder had stood.

Then the final slap in the face in the 15th over: Matt Henry’s ball dribbled onto Smith’s stumps, but did not dislodge the zing bails.

McCullum’s World Cup final innings was a high-octane blur. Starc bowled fast and full, straightening the ball only a touch, but menacingly late. McCullum swung straight at the first, missed, then missed again when he advanced next ball.

The third inswinging yorker clattered into the base of off stump. Starc took off toward square leg in celebration, the MCG’s mighty roar in his ears. McCullum left his side at 1 for 1, having been comprehensively outdone.

The early wicket helped weigh the New Zealand batsmen down, but Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson were also muted by impeccable pace bowling from Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and later Johnson. They collected only two fours and a top-edged six in the first 10 overs. Having averaged more than seven an over through that period in the tournament, New Zealand were 31 for 1 when the field restrictions expired. Australia’s lively ground fielding ensured even rare loose balls were punished minimally.

Australia grew red hot with the scalps of Guptill and Williamson - the former inexplicably missing an innocuous Maxwell offbreak, the latter spooning a return catch to Johnson in the 13th over. Elliott and Taylor combined to fight the fire, poking the first few runs through the offside with hard hands be-

fore Clarke slipped in a few overs from his supporting bowlers to inadvertently ease the pair in.

Elliott eventually took another topedged six and laced a few through the covers to move to a strike rate of around 100. He was the only New Zealand batsman to appear comfortable at the crease while Taylor plodded at the other end. All through the partnership, Australia’s quicks would earn thick edges, but these flew fast and high over the infield. Third man was a productive area for the batsmen.

Trent Boult raised hopes of an upset when in a scorching spell, he caught and bowled Finch to leave Australia 2 for 1.

But Warner soon propelled Australia through the early overs, and Australia were not shaken after that. Warner was caught attempting a second pulled four for 45 off Henry, but Smith and Clarke combined to make 112 stress-free runs together to effectively close out the Cup. Clarke was composed to begin with, but a brace of late boundaries - including four consecutive fours off Tim Southee’s 31st over - he sent his side hurtling towards the trophy. He was out soon after for a 72-ball 74, but Smith capped a dream summer by completing his fifty the same over, then sealed the result soon after.

When New Zealand were all out for 183, the 1983 World Cup final was invoked. When Vettori began hobbling in what was probably his final international, comparisons with Muttiah Muralitharan’s plight in the 2011 final were made.

Australia’s 1999 annihilation of Pakistan came closest to matching the narrative of this game. In the end, the final perhaps fit a 2015 tournament that has seen precious few close contests.

CSA denies Philander semi-final selection down to quotas

controversy has arisen over South Africa’s decision to play Vernon Philander ahead of Kyle Abbott in the World Cup semi-final. Reports in South African media have suggested that Philander was included in the team on the insistence of members of the CSA board and against the wishes of both the coach and captain.

CSA president Chris Nenzani has denied the reports and both AB de Villiers and Russell Domingo have said Philander was picked on merit.

The reports said board members apparently insisted on Philander’s inclusion to ensure South Africa fielded four players of colour. Even though there is no official quota at international

level, it is the norm to field four players of colour, the number that used to make up the quota before it was scrapped in 2007.

South Africa slipped below that number for half of their eight games at the World Cup, which is believed to have become a cause for concern among the administrators.

ESPNcricinfo has asked Nenzani for his comments on the issue but has not received a reply. But Nenzani has denied the reports elsewhere. “I have not in the past interfered with the selection of the team and I do not intend to do so in the future,” he told the Sunday Times.

“We have always emphasised that national team selection must be on merit.”After start-

Was Vernon Philander one of South Africa’s best XI at the World Cup? ing the tournament fielding five players of colour - Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, Vernon Philander and Imran Tahir - for the Zimbabwe and India games, the number dipped to three for the next

three matches, largely because of injuries.

Duminy and Philander picked up side and hamstring strains respectively and were replaced for the matches against West Indies and Ireland by Rilee Rossouw

and Abbott. Duminy returned against Pakistan but Behardien was left out and although Philander was due to play that match, he had to withdraw during the warm-ups when he felt discomfort. Abbott played in his place.

“It’s been a stated objective of ours to transform. We talked about being aggressive with transforming, of providing opportunities for players that were previously disadvantaged” HAROON LORGAT, CSA CEO “Vernon is a wonderful bowler who has performed well for us over the years,” Domingo said at the time. “He has a good record in New Zealand and if there is anything in the wicket to exploit, we know he is the person to do it.”

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

39

Chance for ‘mediocre’ West Indies to show up England The incoming ECB chairman’s belittling pre-series comments could motivate the hosts to show the resolve lacking in recent months

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s the cricket world’s attention was riveted exclusive on the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and the lead-in to Sunday’s fascinating final between the co-hosts, two also-rans from the tournament were preparing for a low-key Test series on the other side of the planet relevant only to the teams themselves and a few individuals on either side.

West Indies depended on net run rate and the result of a match between others to squeeze into the quarter-final of the World Cup where they were promptly dispatched by New Zealand. They returned home to hastily get ready for three Tests against England, who didn’t make it into the top eight at the World Cup. It is an immediate opportunity for a tired West Indies, who carried eight players aged 30 or above to the World Cup, to start rebuilding under new head coach Phil Simmons. A West Indian himself, his international career as power-hitting opening batsman and useful medium-pace bowler spanned 1987 through 1999.

There is also the possibility, sooner or later, of a new Test captain, 23-year-old Jason Holder, who led the ODI team in South Africa and the World Cup. Simmons was signed on the day before West Indies’ heavy World Cup quarter-final loss. He returns to his roots after eight years in charge of Ireland, the strongest of the ICC’s Associates, where he forged an enviable reputation.

Under him, they won 11 trophies and qualified for every main ICC tournament, with World Cup wins over England in 2011 and, just five weeks before his move, ironically over West Indies. His appointment on a three-year contract has been widely welcomed, yet the first time he meets most of the players is on April 5, the first day of a preparatory camp for a squad of 20. Only three newcomers are on the list, their selection based on the expanded first-class season, now known as the Professional Cricket League (PCL).

Shai Hope, 21, is a stylish

England’s attention will centre around Alastair Cook

Can Phil Simmons coax West Indies’ seamers to deliver with more venom?

Barbados’ Shai Hope was a bright star from the West Indies first–class season No. 3 batsman whose 211 for Barbados against Windward Islands was the tournament’s only double-hundred; Shane Dowrich, 23, a diminutive wicketkeeper who averaged 51.25 batting at No. 6. That Miguel Cummins, 24, is the only new fast bowler on the list indicates weakness in an area that was traditionally West Indies’ strength.

Even the most optimistic West Indian devotee can’t expect Simmons to work the miracle of quickly turning around the decline of the once prominent position of West Indies cricket; he can expect patience to grow thin if there are no signs of a gradual improvement.

England’s objectives are more instant. The team has been set a stern, specific agenda by Colin Graves, the 62-year-old, straight-talking Yorkshireman who takes over as chairman of the ECB in May. Condescendingly describing West Indies as “a mediocre

team”, he warned: “I’d certainly be disappointed if we don’t win... if we don’t win, I can tell you now there will be some enquiries of why we haven’t.”

His view is that this short series should be a relaxed prelude to the tougher campaigns in the summer, first against New Zealand, then Australia for the Ashes, England’s eternal Holy Grail.

Yet there are those immediately under his microscope. Peter Moores, second-time head coach, was in charge of the failed World Cup campaign; he can’t afford his team to slip up against “mediocre” opponents.

The return of Jonathan Trott, so soon after his withdrawal from the Ashes series in Australia supposedly through depression, is bound to be closely monitored as much by Graves as by the media. So too the form of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the key new-ball pair.

The series will also bring the attention back on Alastair Cook, who hasn’t hidden his annoyan-

ceover being replaced as captain

by Eoin Morgan for the World Cup. At least he now knows that his incoming boss has “every confidence” in him.

“We have to make sure we protect him, look after him properly and let him concentrate on playing cricket,” Graves said.

Unknowingly, Graves might have provided Simmons with just the psychological boost a new coach welcomes.

Like the infamous remark of Tony Greig, an equally straighttalking South African, that he would make Clive Lloyd’s team “grovel” in the 1976 series in England, it is enough to provoke retaliation through performances on the field.

The 2015 West Indies bear no comparison to Lloyd’s combination of proven players and emerging superstars Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Michael Holding.

They have just returned from their chastening experiences in Tests and ODIs in South Africa and in the World Cup. The last time they faced England, in England three years ago, they lost two of the three Tests, with the other ruined by the weather, and all three completed limited-overs games.

Yet nothing is more infuriating for any sporting team than to be belittled by their rivals before the contest starts. History is replete with examples of upsets triggered by such arrogance.

It has the potential for Simmons to coax to a few extra kph from Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach and the other pace con-

tenders, and a bit more aggressive intent and steeper bounce from the towering Holder, to heighten the proven resolve of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite, to influence Marlon Samuels against repeatedly wasting his wicket, to sharpen the slack fielding, to show more intensity than was evident in Australia and New Zealand.

Richards, captain from 1985 to 1991 and himself briefly the team coach in the late 1990s, has noted the need for Simmons to have the backing of the players, the WICB and the selectors.

The reality is that several of his ten predecessors lacked all three.

Rohan Kanhai, the former captain who was the first in the post in 1992, was removed after he complained that some players were abusive to him during the World Cup of that year.

Roberts, the first of the fearsome fast bowlers of Lloyd’s team, succeeded Kanhai. He was dismissed midway through the 1996 World Cup, the last time West Indies reached the semi-final. He claimed senior players often rejected his advice and that he even had to once coerce the team to take the field during a Test.

Ottis Gibson said after he was sacked last August that the main reason given by WICB president Dave Cameron was that senior players lost confidence in his methods.

These are the sub-plots that add a little intrigue to the upcoming series even if, in the aftermath of the World Cup, they seem trivial.

40

April 3–9, 2015

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April 3–9, 2015

41

Kamal quits as ICC president

M Knicks president Phil Jackson has asked season-ticket holders to “remain optimistic” amid what has been a dismal season for the franchise

Jackson: Knicks ‘working tirelessly’

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EW YORK -- Phil Jackson has asked New York Knicks season-ticket holders to “remain optimistic” amid what has been one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

In a letter and video message sent out on Monday, Jackson tried to reassure the team’s fan base, saying he has a “clear plan” in place for the 2015 offseason.

“While I know this has been a challenging season for our team on the court, I can also tell you that everyone in the organization is working tirelessly to get our Knicks back to a place where we are once again competing at the highest level,” Jackson said in a video message obtained by ESPN New York that doubled as a pitch to season-ticket holders to renew for the 2015-16 season.

In the letter, Jackson talked about the roster moves he’s made to clear up cap space for free agency. The Knicks are expected to have at least $25 million in cap space this summer.

“We have made key roster moves to free up significant cap space that will provide us greater flexibility to acquire talent in this summer’s free agency,” Jackson said. “And for the first time in many years, we expect to have a top pick in the NBA Draft this June.

These are key steps to building a roster of players that have both the talent and character to win in New York and who, alongsideCarmelo Anthony, will become a team that can become a consistent winner.”

Jackson briefly acknowledged the failures of this season in the video and letter.

The Knicks will enter play Wednesday with a 14-60 record -- the worst in the

NBA. This is the first time in New York’s 69year franchise history that the team has lost 60 games.

“Despite the disappointing 2014-15 season, we are steadfast in our resolve to do what is necessary to deliver on our ultimate goal of bringing a championship back to New York,” Jackson said.

Jackson signed a five-year contract reportedly worth $60 million dollars to take over as Knicks president a little more than 12 months ago. He inherited a team that won 37 games in 2013-14 and entered this season hoping to make the playoffs.

But the Knicks suffered through losing streaks of 10 and 16 games in the first half of the season as Jackson’s signature trade for Jose Calderon proved to be a dud in Year 1. He blew up the roster in a January trade that sent J.R. Smith andIman Shumpert to Cleveland for two second-round picks and two trade exceptions.

Now Jackson hopes to land a top pick in June’s draft. If the Knicks finish with the worst record in the NBA, they will pick no lower than fourth in the draft.

In his message to persuade season-ticket holders to renew, Jackson focused on the months ahead rather than dissecting the missteps of the 2014-15 team.

“We have a clear plan and expect our efforts to take really take shape as we enter the 2015 draft and free agency in the months ahead,” Jackson said in the video.

“I ask that you remain optimistic and hope you will join us on our continued journey as we build a team that once again reflects the spirit of being a New York Knick.”

Pedro Martinez: Tentative Masahiro Tanaka will get hurt this year

P

edro Martinez said Masahiro Tanaka is not throwing with conviction and has been hanging way too many breaking balls. So when he says that Masahiro Tanaka doesn’t look right, it might be worth listening. After missing 10 weeks last season with a torn ligament in his elbow, Tanaka is trying to return to ace form. Martinez says he won’t make it.

“I don’t see him healthy all year,” Martinez told Adam Schein on Sirius/XM’s Mad Dog Radio. “And I don’t see him healthy right now. I’ll be brave enough to say he’s not completely healthy right now.” Martinez says Tanaka -- 1-2 with a 3.07 ERA, 13 strikeouts, one walk and a .228 batting average against in 14 2/3 spring innings -looks tentative. “Tanaka is not healthy right now because I believe Tanaka is hesitant to

let it go,” said Martinez, an analyst for TBS and MLB Network. “Tanaka is hanging all those breaking balls that he is throwing.

“The only pitch he is committing to is the split finger and his problems are actually in a place where you don’t need to put any more stress, which is the elbow. And he’s hesitant. He’s hesitating to throw his fastball and he’s hanging every breaking ball he’s throwing out there. Plus his velocity is not there yet.”

Tanaka, who is scheduled to start on Opening Day against the Blue Jays Monday, may only escape this year healthy by a “magic trick,” Martinez said.

Martinez, on a positive note, added that Michael Pineda has the “tools” to be a No. 1. But you don’t have to be a Hall of Famer to know know that.

ustafa Kamal, the ICC president, has resigned from his position, saying his decision was “in protest [against] those who worked unconstitutionally, and for the greater good of cricket.” His resignation follows a public falling out with the ICC stemming from the India-Bangladesh quarter-final at the World Cup, when he had strongly criticized the umpires - even questioning their motives - over a dubious no-ball call that went against Bangladesh.

In a statement the ICC confirmed his resignation and said it would consider the vacancy caused by it at a meeting in Dubai later this month. It said Kamal’s letter said he was stepping down on personal grounds and “offered his apologies to all associated with the ICC”, while adding that he had no complaints to make against anyone.

Kamal had hinted at his resignation in comments made to reporters in Melbourne after the World Cup final, where he was passed over for the duty of handing out the trophy to the winners. He protested that the decision went against his right as ICC president but to no avail.

On Wednesday, he announced his resignation from the largely ceremonial position after landing in Dhaka and then said henceforth his statements would be as a former ICC president.

He related the sequence of events that he said had forced his decision, including being “strong-armed” by the ICC, but clarified that he would not be taking legal action against the ICC or anyone attached to the body as he had little proof. The central issue was the comments he’d made after the India-Bangladesh match and on Wednesday Kamal expanded on his theory, saying that the absence of a spider-cam and the lack of use of technology in making some decisions irked him.

“I noticed the absence of the spider-cam from that game, which I think was a first at the MCG,” Kamal said.

“There were a number of controversial decisions in the game. The technology available wasn’t utilized properly, which resulted in the controversial umpiring decisions. I am not going to say that it was entirely the umpires’ fault. They can make mistakes in their judgment. My ob-

servation was the lack of technology that was used.”

Those initial comments were the subject of a meeting organized on March 28 by ICC chairman N Srinivasan and attended by half a dozen directors.

Kamal said he was asked to apologies for his statements, but he refused. He said he was then asked to withdraw them, to which he replied that he would not and said he was only willing to explain the reasons behind them. “(The ICC) asked me why I spoke in favor of Bangladesh. For me country comes first, before I am the ICC president. That’s why I spoke in favor of Bangladesh.”

Following that, Kamal alleged, he was told he wouldn’t be able to hand over the World Cup trophy, though it was specified in Clause 3.3B of the ICC’s constitution.

Kamal said the meeting itself was unconstitutional since, according to him, it was the president who has the power to summon such a gathering.

“They still said that I won’t be able to give the trophy. I told them you have to give a notice for a meeting first, where it has to be mentioned that it is a meeting about a constitutional amendment. There wouldn’t be any changes without a majority. They would need 8 out of 10 Full Member votes, following which it will go to the Annual General Meeting. I am the chair of that meeting. You have to wait till the AGM. You cannot remove me, I told them. The person who will give the trophy, will he go as the ICC president? They didn’t say anything to this,” he said.

The powers of the president were greatly reduced following changes to the ICC constitution that came into effect in 2014 - the year Kamal, currently a minister in Bangladesh’s federal government, assumed office. Those changes effectively turned the president into a figurehead and a bulk of the power was transferred to the chairman.

Former PCB chairman Najam Sethi, who is scheduled to take over as ICC president from July 1, 2015, had offered to step in following Kamal’s resignation. According to the ICC’s rules, however, the Bangladesh Cricket Board can nominate Kamal’s replacement to take charge of the role for the next three months.

Mustafa Kamal has had a public falling out with the ICC since the India–Bangladesh World Cup quarter–final

42

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

Living with diabetes, 7 Tips for Caregivers Contributed by Renita Nal, RPH Hollis Prescription Center A

ccording to the American Diabetes Association in an article by Lindsey Wohwiak, a diabetes diagnosis can be overwhelming. As caregivers, we want to support our loved ones and help them enjoy the healthiest lives possible. But what is the best way to do that? We talked to experts—both health care providers and people who have been there—to learn what is helpful and what to avoid.

1

Start Your Education Now Any diagnosis presents a learning curve.

Your first and best step in becoming an ally for your loved one is to arm yourself with education, says Shantanu Nundy, MD, of Mary’s Center, a Washington, D.C., health care and social services center for low-income families.

Some people believe that diabetes is “not a big deal” or, alternately, that it’s a death sentence, so it’s important to know the facts. “As physicians, we try to debunk [misconceptions], but information coming from a trusted family member or friend is really powerful,” Nundy says. “[Diabetes is] something you can live a long, healthy life with, by managing it.”

You can ask your loved one’s health care provider about where to learn more, including books, online communities, support groups, and sites such as the American Diabetes Association’s diabetes.org.

The learning curve can be steep, says Stacey Simms, whose 9-year-old son, Benny, was diagnosed with type 1 seven years ago, but she says it has been manageable for her and him. “My advice is to take a deep breath and realize that the beginning is the worst,” Simms says. “Now it’s just our routine, and it will become yours as well, eventually.”

2

Take Some Time You can learn things and make changes bit by bit, to avoid overhauling your lives based on a loved one’s diabetes.

Jessie Gruman, PhD, should know. She’s a psy-

chologist and five-time cancer survivor who wrote a book on coping with a new diagnosis: AfterShock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You—or Someone You Love—a Devastating Diagnosis. She suggests giving yourself and your loved one time to digest the information. “People are shocked, and they feel like their life has changed in these earth-shattering ways,” she says. “As we learn more, as time goes by, as we adjust, as we make decisions, the way we feel changes a lot.”

So don’t rush your loved one (or yourself) from mourning to acceptance. Instead of saying, “You’re not going to feel this way tomorrow,” it may be more helpful to say, “This is really scary. What are you most worried about?

3

Encourage Self-Care, but Don’t Be a Pest There’s a fine line between checking in on someone’s well-being and what Gerald Strauss, PhD, a psychologist with the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, calls “miscarried helping”—also known as nagging.

“Though people really do want to help their loved ones with diabetes, this backfires and just sends people running in the opposite direction,” he says.

Don’t pester: Explain what you would appreciate your loved one doing. Strauss suggests role-playing these requests with health care providers or a diabetes care team to make sure your approach will be well-received.

Of course, with children, you will have to supervise, so weigh how much they might be able to handle on their own, advises Anne Doyle, a member of the Diabetes Forecast Reader Panel. Her daughters both have type 1 diabetes. “Give them one task at a time, and give them time to be successful at it,” she suggests. “Also be ready to take some responsibilities back from your child if you see them struggling.”

Preteen and teenage children often need parental supervision to stay consistent with care.

4

Make Changes Together Your loved one’s diagnosis probably means making some lifestyle changes. Going through that alone might feel isolating, so why not make the changes together as a team or household? Start exercising together or look for diabetes-friendly recipes together—then cook and eat them together.

“A lot of the things that improve the care for someone with diabetes are actually good for everybody,” Nundy says. “It’s always better than going it alone.” Nundy knows this firsthand: He’s helped his mom care for her type 2 diabetes.

5

Set Small Goals Taking a step-by-step approach is the easiest way to make permanent lifestyle changes, says Elizabeth Koustis, RD, LD, of the VA. Doing small things, such as taking a walk after dinner, can improve blood glucose and overall diabetes management, and allow you to look at the results and reevaluate as needed. “I think that’s very motivating for the patient, and they can continue to move forward,” Koustis says.

Offer help only if you really mean it. Saying “let me do anything I can to help you” is so broad, most people won’t take you up on it. So be specific about what you’re able to help with, and offer only if you really can help, says Gruman. “There’s nothing harder than to ask for help and then have it refused,” she says. So can you give your loved one a ride to the doctor? Then offer that—it’ll be appreciated.

6

Work With the Diabetes Care Team Attend doctor’s appointments and diabetes education classes together if your loved one agrees. Nundy suggests listening to what both health care providers and the patient are saying, chiming in with what you know, and asking ques-

tions to help your loved one get the best care possible. That includes making sure the health care team is complete, including, say, a dietitian or a mental health counselor, if needed.

“Often doctors don’t know that patients are having trouble with their medications or [aren’t] able to follow a diet plan, and patients are often reluctant to share this information with the doctor or simply are too overwhelmed with their care,” Nundy says. “Caregivers can advocate for their loved ones simply by listening and sharing with the doctor, and then trusting them to make the right decisions that reflect their loved ones’ needs.”

7

Find Support for Yourself The best way to be a caregiver is to take care of yourself, too. “Not only does the patient feel stress, but I think it’s important to explain that the caregiver can feel the stress,” says Kathryn Leciejewski, PharmD, BCACP, who works with Strauss and Koustis at the VA. “Acknowledging it can help with coping with it.” If you can find a support group for caregivers, so much the better. Kara Wilson was able to meet other parents of children with diabetes after her son, Isaac, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2012. “It helps so much to meet others who are going through exactly what you are dealing with,” Wilson says. “We need to hug each other and take comfort in the support we can offer one another.”

Hollis Prescription Center 205-11 Jamaica Avenue Hollis, NY 11423 Tel: 718-776-2329 Free delivery of your medicine to your doorstep

HealthCare Marketplace Don’t trust your health to just anyone This week’s Featured Doctors & Medical Centers

DOCTOR ON THE GO: ARYEL NICOLEAU, MD, FACP, FAGS Providing High Quality Expert Medical Services to Patients directly at Home !

Eliminating the inconvenience, lengthy waits, travel time/expense, & exposure to other illnesses that may be associated with office visits !

Call today to get your loved ones the best care available!

Doctor On The Go • Aryel Nicoleau, M.D. | FACP | FAGS 218-52 99th Ave, Queens Village, NY 11429 Tel 347-952-4417 www.doctoronthego.com

Hillside Polymedic

Diagnostic & Treatment Center Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Ob/Gyn, Family Practice, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Pulmonary, Podiatry, Dentistry, Etc. Board certified doctors that provide quality health care for the entire family. Our physicians provide comprehensive health care in a friendly environment, equipped with state of the art technology so you enjoy the highest level of care right here in our private facility.

187-30 Hillside Ave, Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel: 718-264-1111 website www.hillsidepolymedic.com

sponsored by Jamaica Merchant Association & Hollis Prescription Center

Dr. Marjorie Dugue

Hillside Family Medicine Adults & Children Patient Care Focus, Healthy Outcome, and Coordination of Care with Medication Therapy Management 213-18 Hillside Ave, Queens Village, NY 11427 Hours: Morning, Evening and Saturday Tel: 718-736-9401

Dr. Noel Howell, Kingston Medical, P.C. Medical & Rehab Center Extensive experience in No Fault & Workers Compensations cases 205-20 Jamaica Ave Hollis, NY 11423 718-468-1600

Dr. Ebenezer Odoom, MD

Hollis Prescription Center

Servicing Queens, Brooklyn & Long Island Angisa Medical Supplies: Surgical, Medical Equipment & Mobility Needs Call 718-776-2329

Board Certification Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Pediatrics 215-30 Hillside Ave, Queens Village, NY 11427 Hours: Mon10:00am – 4:00pm, Tues - Thur: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm Tel: 718-740-1701 www.drodoom.com

Antoine V. Charles M.D.

Diplomate of American Board of Internal Medicine 208-09 Hillside Ave Queens Village, N.Y. 11427 Hours: Mon to Fri: 3:00 – 7.30, Sat 11:00 – 2:30 Tel: 718-776-1013 www.antoinecharlesmd.com

Schrier Dental Associates, P.C.

Where we keep you smiling 206-01 Jamaica Avenue Queens Village, N.Y. 11428 Tel 718-776-6200 www.schrierdental.com

Caribbean Star Newspaper

April 3–9, 2015

43

April 3–9, 2015

Your Faith, Our Home

R

Traditional & Non-Traditional Services Family Owned Since 1974 Offers a WIDE Variety of Services Shipping to Anywhere in the World Free Video and Newspaper Tributes Pre plan and save 130-02 Liberty Avenue, QUEENS, NY 11419

(718) 845-7408

www.ElcockFuneralHome.com

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