Caribbean Star #66 vol. 4 / October-30-2015

Vol.4 #66

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October 30– November 5, 2015

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HO’S VICTORY HAILED

THERESE HO HAS MOVED WOMEN’S RIGHTS UP A NOTCH WITH HER REFUSAL TO BE A VICTIM OR HAVE HER PRIVACY VIOLATED.

TWO WOMEN TRINIDAD REMANDED p.11 OVER CHURCH’S COPS ADMIT GANGS SENDING `MESSAGES` ROBBERY

p.6

p.10

DRUGS WAR GUYANA SEEKS WORLD COURT

CAL CEO QUITS

RULING ON BORDER ISSUE! p.4

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GUYANA WAS NEVER

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October 30–November 5, 2015 Caribbean Star Newspaper What We Learned From the Third GOP Debate

B

OULDER, Colo. — CNBC hosted the third Republican debate here on Wednesday amid new polling that shows the GOP race more volatile than ever before. Here is what he learned: 1. Ben Carson and Marco Rubio were ready for their close-ups Retired surgeon Ben Carson and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the candidates considered on the rise before Wednesday's GOP debate, largely survived a session in which both the moderators and their opponents were scrutinizing them more than in the previous debates.

Carson, over the last week, has moved past Donald Trump in some polls, both nationally and in the key early state of Iowa. Meanwhile, Rubio, while not surging much in polls, has benefited from the struggles of Jeb Bush, with many more moderate Republicans saying the young Florida senator now looks like the most logical candidate to unite the GOP and win the general election.

Carson was questioned on some of his policy ideas, both by the CNBC moderators and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has suggested that Carson and Trump lack the experience to be president. Carson was repeatedly pressed on his tax plan, which he has explained before as calling for a flat 10 percent tax for all Americans. One of the moderators suggested that idea would balloon the federal budget deficit.

Carson explained that he backs a flat tax, but was flexible on the number and suggested he really supported a rate of 15 percent. That number, unless accompanied by huge spending cuts, would still likely cause vast increases in the deficit. But Carson was largely able to escape tough questions on his ideas with his usual manner of giving vague answers about reducing the role of government in Americans' lives.

Rubio meanwhile was pushed on two of his vulnerabilities: the large number of Senate votes he has missed since the start of his presidential campaign and his own personal debt problems. Bush, wary of the rising Rubio, bluntly suggested the Florida senator was working equivalent to a "French work week" and that he should "campaign, or just resign and let someone else take the job."

"I don't remember you ever complaining about John McCain's vote record. The only reason why you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you," Rubio responded, noting that Bush had praised the 2008 campaign of John McCain, who also ran while serving in the Senate.

It's not clear that Carson or Rubio had some huge moment in the debates that will lift their poll numbers. But they handled the increased scrutiny without committing gaffes.

2. For struggling candidates, it was not a night to remember Before the debate, Bush and Kasich had been signaling they would use this session to blast their rivals.

Early in the debate, the two did attack. But Rubio dismissed and largely silenced Bush by suggesting he was a desperate, losing candidate on the attack. Trump did the same to Kasich.

"He was such a nice guy. And he said, 'Oh, I'm never going to attack.' But then his poll numbers tanked. He has got -- that is why he is on the end," Trump said of Kasich. "And he got nasty. And he got nasty. So you know what?

You can have him."

Rand Paul, another candidate at the bottom of recent polls, was at times complaining moderators were not giving him enough time to talk.

3. The Trump Show was a bit dull In the days before the debate, Trump, wary of Carson's rise, had started questioning the doctor's faith and suggesting he was dull and

boring. But the moderators didn't really push Trump to attack Carson, and the two did not engage in much of the debate.

4. The media was the real target The Republicans perceived some of the questions asked by the CNBC moderators as attempts to embarrass them or create controversy. And so much of two-hour debate turned into a media-bashing session. Rubio said the press was too easy on Hillary Clinton in the wake of her testimony on Benghazi, while Trump complained about the questions directed at him.

"The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don't trust the media," said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

He added, "This is not a cage match. And, you look at the questions: Donald Trump, are you

a comic-book villain? Ben Carson, can you do math? John Kasich, will you insult two people over here? Marco Rubio, why don't you resign?

Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?"

"How about talking about the substantive issues the people care about?" he concluded to loud applause.

Republicans often criticize the press for being too liberal and aligned against conservatives. But it's not clear what any of the candidates gained by these attacks, since nearly all 10 of them at one point took a jab at CNBC. After the debate, Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus released a statement calling the questions "deeply unfortunate."

"The performance by the CNBC moderators was extremely disappointing and did a disservice to their network, our candidates, and

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voters... CNBC should be ashamed of how this debate was handled," Priebus said in the statement.

"People who want to be President of the United States should be able to answer tough questions," CNBC spokesman Brian Steel said.

5. Ben Carson's rivals are not that worried about him Bush attacked Rubio, and Kasich did take jabs at both Carson and Trump. But the Republican candidates largely laid off Carson, despite his rise in the polls. Their behavior suggests the candidates view Carson's rise as temporary and are wary of attacking the doctor, who is popular with evangelical Christians.

They are likely hoping the inexperienced Carson collapses on his own, and they can inherit his supporters without attacking Republican's only black candidate.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

Guyana seeks World Court ruling on border issue!

W

hile Guyana ultimately wants a juridical settlement of the decades-old border controversy with Venezuela, Georgetown also believes that a legal opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Arbitral Tribunal Award of 1899 would be beneficial.

“The thing about an opinion in those circumstances is that it is only advisory.

(However), the value of it to Guyana is the world will see that legal exercise, having being conducted on Venezuela’s claim, (the claim) is not supported,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge said. He was at the time briefing reporters on the border controversy with Venezuela as government awaits proposals from the United Nations (UN) on a resolution to the matter.

Guyana is insisting that the controversy be settled juridically, while Venezuela wants the Good Offi-cer process to continue. President David Granger and other government spokesmen have noted that the Good Officer process had run its course without yielding results.

Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge speaking at the press conference (GINA photo) Earlier this month, UN Secretary General (SG) Ban Ki-moon sent a follow-up investigative team to Georgetown and Caracas after which they will report to him and he will make a decision as to whether he will grant Guyana’s petition to take the

matter to the court, located in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Greenidge explained that while consensus was needed for the UN SG to send the matter to the ICJ for a juridical settlement, it was not needed if the SG requested a legal opinion.

“If, for example, as we are suggesting the SG puts to the court- ‘give us an opinion on this matter’ – the court could do so without the agreement of Venezuela. If it is, however, that you are asking them to deal with a matter of substance…as I understand, Venezuela’s concurrence will be required,” the Foreign Affairs Minister explained.

He informed that the UN fact finding delegation met with teams from Guyana on September 27th and October 12 and are given periodic updates. Greenidge affirmed that only a juridical decision can put Venezuela’s “baseless assertions” to a stop and said that the UN SG has said that a decision made by him, will have to answer Venezuela’s question.

“Venezuela has been arguing that the 1899 award is null and void, an award which is legal or quasi-legal, to be deemed null and void, requires a judicial decision…I believe that our discussions with the SG at the UN and also in passing, he acknowledged that any solution to this problem would have to involve answering the question ‘Is this award null and

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void?’ otherwise there is no place to go and the problem will never be resolved,” Greenidge stated.

“Venezuela has never indicated an interest in withdrawing this assertion…unless that contention is withdrawn all things the UN might do are not going to help one iota and that has been the case over the last 50 years,” he declared.

Greenidge also made reference to former President Bharat Jagdeo’s statements last week on the controversy when Jagdeo said that his PPP/C government had explored the option of granting Venezuela a channel through Guyana’s Atlantic waters.

Jagdeo said that the view was explored as a means of settling the long-running border controversy, which escalated in May this year.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said that Jagdeo should have explained to the public why the proposal on the maritime initiative, which had been spoken about in diplomatic circles for a number of years, never got off the ground. He said that it was because Venezuela was never satisfied.

“Whatever the Government of Guyana or the past governments of Guyana have reflected on as it regards concessions to the Venezuelans, one thing is clear and comes out of the comments Mr Jagdeo made…at the end of that exercise they never offered any such concession to Venezuela and the question is ‘Why? Why?’ The answer is very simple…if you have an agreement signed in good faith with a partner and the partner choose…after 63

years of accepting the agreement to overturn it, do you have any guarantee that any such agreement with that partner will be honoured in the future?” he questioned.

“Guyana has lived with this dispute for 50 odd years not because it can’t be resolved (but) because one party has no intention of facilitating a resolution unless they get what they want, and whether or not they are able to argue a case for it, (it) seems we are destined to relive 1899 and 1966 many times over unless the matter is resolved by a judicial decision,” Greenidge emphasised.

He said that Jagdeo “may well be right” that other governments looked at giving Venezuela concessions but what he did not say was that the implication of that was, having considered it, those governments analyzed Venezuela’s past behaviour and know that they cannot be trusted to keep their promises.

“They will accept it as they accepted the mouth of the Orinoco and then come back to you for more,” he posited. The minister also pointed out that Venezuela had promised after the seizure of the Anadarko vessel in 2014, that diplomatic teams from both countries would meet in four months to discuss demarcation of maritime boundaries but to date, this was never done as they never sent a team.

Jagdeo had also questioned if the UN will still be involved if the decision was made to send the matter to the ICJ. Greenidge’s response to the former president was “The court is a definitive legal body in its own right, it pronounces on what it’s asked and that should be the end of the process as regards the SG and the court but the decision itself may require action afterwards by the two sides or by one side.”

Greenidge said that Guyana would continue to use every forum to highlight the issue and lobby for support. Government also plans to also seek unified support for a juridical settlement from its Com-monwealth sister countries when the heads of those countries meet in Malta on the 2729th of November 2015.

Plug in a string of deyas for Divali

O

IL, wax and electricity.

These are the choices now available to the Hindu community when purcha­sing deyas (small earthen pots) for the upcoming Divali festival.

Though many are not yet aware, including store owners selling spiritual items, electric deyas can now be purchased.

These deyas come on a string and can be lit by being plugged into an electrical outlet. The product comes in a box and can be stored similar to Christmas lights when not in use.

The lights are “designed and distributed by Vashchem Ltd”, according to the information on the package. The address of the business place is Waterloo Road, Carapichaima.

At Oma’s Puja Store on Mucurapo Street, San Fernando, one can purchase a string of deyas for $130. The six-metrelong string has 15 deyas attached to it.

new trend: Marilyn Sookram, an employee at Oma’s Puja Store, on Mucurapo Street, San Fernando, displays electric deyas for sale this year.

ANOTHER OPTION: Wax deyas are also available

Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

5

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

Two women remanded over Church’s robbery

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t the Vreed-enHoop court , two women were denied their pre-trial freedom when they appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert to answer robbery charges.

Maria Davidson, 28, was charged with four counts of armed robbery while Diana Peters, 48 both of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara faced charges of conspiracy to commit a robbery.

They were not required to plead to the indictable offences and are expected to return to court on November 6 for report and fixture.

It is alleged that on Wednesday October 14 at Vreed-en-Hoop, Davidson, while in the company of others and armed with a gun, relieved Tessa Roberts of almost $167,000 property of Church’s Chicken.

She also reportedly robbed: Colleen Van-

Bus conductor accused of robbing cop remanded A bus conductor was denied bail after appearing at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court charged with robbing a police constable.

Diana Peters (left) and Maria Davidson derbelt of a cell phone valued $11,000, Shebiki Rodney of a Blackberry cell phone worth $25,000, Tessa Angus of a BLU cell phone valued $15,000 and Nadia Lo Hing of a Nokia cell phone costing $15,000.

The court also heard that between October 8 and 14, Peters conspired with Gary Beckles and others to rob Church’s Chicken.

In objecting to bail, Corporal Jairam Lukhai

prosecuting, argued that if granted bail, Davidson who worked at the Church’s branch, would interfere with witnesses.

He also submitted that bail should be refused for both defendants because of the seriousness and prevalence of the offences.

The prosecutor further argued that other charges of a similar nature are likely to be laid against Peters.

E

uchand Frank, 28, of Lot 39 Cross Street, Werk-en-Rust, was accused of robbing the constable of a cellphone valued $30,000 and $10,000 cash. The incident, during which Frank was said to be armed with a knife, occurred on October 24th at Hadfield Street.

Frank, who appeared before Magistrate Delon Bess, was unrepresented by counsel, and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

According to the prosecution’s report, on the day in question, the constable was on foot patrol and clad in plainclothes when he was approached by the accused and another man, who placed a knife to his neck. The constable later pointed Frank out to ranks on patrol and the money and phone were found in the defendant’s right pants pocket.

Frank, however, told the court that he

did not take the phone but admitted to being present with the perpetrator when the robbery occurred. The defendant related that the robber had run away and stashed the articles and he had informed the constable of his innocence. Frank alleged that the rank told him that if he did not take him to find the real thief, all the charges in the matter would be filed against him.

The prosecutor objected to bail being granted due to the penalty the charge attracts and the fact that a weapon was used in the process. It was argued also that if bail was granted to the accused, he may not return to court for trial.

Frank was denied bail by Magistrate Bess who stated that he was not convinced enough reason existed for such to be granted. The defendant will make his next court appearance on November 24th in Court 6.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

7

Hindu Goddess – Divine Femine in Action

By PT Vikash Ramkissoon

Navaratri has just concluded and we are approaching Diwali within a few days. These auspicious periods in the Hindu calendar, I gather one common theme – Female Power. In the form of Durga, she is called Shakti Ma and as Lakshmi she is the embodiment of Love and compassion.

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hakti is the manifest energy of the universe. Shakti is the divine feminine in action. In the East the feminine aspects are active and powerful as well as gentle and loving. So the divine mother has two major aspects- being a warrior and being loving and compassionate. In the West the feminine aspects are more passive and receptive in contrast to the Eastern Philosophies.

India had the first and most powerful matriarchy in the Kerala Region. The men of Kerala were often at war because of the invaders of various types. India had Muslim emperors and British colonists who were constantly vying for land and con-

trol of India. In Kerala the women established a matriarchy where women owned most of the property and made decisions in a collaborative way with the men. This society had no poverty and domestic violence. The woman was valued as Divine Shakti on Earth, She was considered as a representation of the Goddess on Earth.

Later on India became more patriarchal to its detriment. Gandhi tried to remedy this in the Indian Independence Movement. Many women were leaders in the movement and they became Governors, MPS, Cabinet Ministers and even Prime Ministers. In modern India women have lost much status. The current crisis con-

cerning the right of women for safety in walking the streets is very much in the news. Women are blamed for everything including violence against them. This is a far cry from the Vedic traditions which elevated the status of women. All nations struggle with this social problem, but for Hindus who adore females as Goddesses, Are we doing a satisfactory job? We cannot solve the problem until we acknowledge the problem. Men need to talk to other men to solve the problem. We must raise the girl child as though they are, indeed, Divine Shakti on Earth. We cannot bury our heads in the sand. We cannot beat, abuse, rape and slaughter the females in our society. They are not subordinate to us men in no way shape or form. Women are the wealth and wisdom in the household. Only when woman is respected and honored can any nation really be prosperous on all levels.

Women have been warriors for a long time. This is an aspect of the mother that we see in our own mothers. They fight for what is right in our communities. They take risks sometimes in speaking out and making people more accountable for their actions. Many women in the Independence Movement stood by the side of their husbands, brothers, sons and fathers to form an India independent of the British Empire. Some women were Leaders in the Movement and later because rulers in the new India.

The Goddess is forward thinking. She is for action. She is not passive in achieving her goals. It was the Goddess who defeated one of the nastiest demons who roamed the three worlds. Women have been warriors for social progress.

They were the first to speak out against slavery. They were treated like property in many societies; they knew and understood slavery on a personal level. They fought to save the ecology of this planet. Dr. Vandana Shiva, one of the world’s greatest environmental activists, speaks out against Monsanto and other chemical polluters. Daily women speak up against poverty. They form businesses and coops. Some feed the hungry.

Women come up with creative solutions to age old problems. To give you an example of a creative solution to an age old problem of female infanticide, I will tell you about the village of Piplantri, India. This village plants 111 trees every time a girl is born. In six years it has planted over a quarter of a million trees.

Girls are educated there until they are eighteen years of age. The community and the fathers raise money to be placed in an account for each girl with a maturity period of 20 years. This village is dedicated to the girls and the trees. This is the real tradition of Shakti in action in the

village. This is the aspect of the Mother which is so amazing. She gets around the system and creates a new, great system which is collaborative and includes everyone. Every nation needs this kind of Shakti. Replacing corruption with a better system and way of life is what Shakti is all about. So get creative in solving your own age old problems. Be a warrior just like the Mother!

The loving, compassionate aspect of the Mother is seen in everyday life. When you decide to help out in a crisis financially or volunteering your time, you are showing love and compassion. In WWII many people hid Jewish people in their homes to save them from the evils of the Nazis. This is compassion in action.

These people even risked their own lives in the process. Some did give up their lives in the camps. When a parent stays up all night nursing their child, this is loving compassion. Many new parents only know how challenging this is, but they do this for love.

Being a warrior for progress and a loving, compassionate human being are two of the most important aspects of developing Shakti within yourself and the world.

Go within and see your own personal Goddess given power to be a warrior for progress. If you only pray and meditate, it is not enough to effect progress in the world. You start with yourself, but you must go beyond just yourself to be a truly spiritual person. Be compassionate and loving with yourself first, and then be that way with others. You must expand your horizons to your neighborhood, city, country and even the whole Earth. This I think is the removal of Darkness.

Shub Deepwali….

Please send your queries and comments at vikash1925queries@gmail.com

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October 30–November 5, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

Mexico keen on Guyana’s rice …PM secures commitment during hour-long meeting

A

mid concerns by farmers over the loss of the Venezuelan rice market, the Guyana Government on Tuesday made some headway in securing commitments by the Mexican government to buy some of this country’s rice.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo who is attending the Open Governance Global Summit in Mexico City met with Mexico’s Agriculture Minister Jose Calzada during which the commitment was made, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office has said. Calzada advised PM Nagamootoo after representation was made that Mexico is keen on buying Guyana’s rice.

During the meeting late Tuesday tonight, Minister Caldaza assured that steps will be fast tracked to open market for Guyana’s rice in Mexico. Mexico imports some one million tons of rice annually. Nagamootoo was accompanied by Governance Minister Raphael Trotman.

Since their arrival in Mexico Prime Minister Nagamootoo and Minister Trotman have been on a round the clock schedule of meetings with Mexican government officials. Prime Minister, Nagamootoo is expected to hold talks with President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto.

Only on Sunday President David

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and Mexico’s Minister of Agriculture, Jose Calzada following their meeting Granger assured Berbice rice farmers that their problems have not gone unnoticed and that his government has already started seeking viable solutions where reducing operational costs and creating new market opportunities are concerned. President Granger even raised the issue of finding new markets with colleague Heads of Government at

both the regional and international levels, and has promised to discuss their plight with Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder.

The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Agriculture, continues to search for international markets for Guyana’s rice, in the wake of the closure of the Venezuelan market. Agriculture

Minister Noel Holder also recently advised that Guyana currently sells rice to 50 countries around the world, and too much of an issue is now being made out of the collapse of the Venezuelan market.

“As a matter of fact, currently, the Portugal market is as big as the Venezuelan market, about 30 percent or so, I think too much of a big thing is being made out of the lapse in the Venezuelan market,” the Minister commented. Currently, the Government is pursuing the Panama market, as “I have even had discussions with the Minister, during the Mexico meeting, so we are pursuing that; we are looking at new markets, it is an ongoing situation, we are even discussing with the Bahamas, they have an interest as well, and Haiti, we are looking at it as well.”

Minister Holder had also stated at a press conference he held to address the issue in early October that Guyana was successful in securing an increased market arrangement with Panama, for which shipment has begun. The shipment has been increased from 4000 to 7,200 tonnes. The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) continues to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in securing additional international markets for Guyana’s rice.

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October 30–November 5, 2015 Caribbean Star Newspaper Mother of five beaten to death at Kaituma Aussie

A 28-year-old mother of five was beaten to death on Friday allegedly by her partner of six years.

D

ead is Arlene Persaud called `Nanny’, of Port Kaituma, Region One. Persaud bled to death at her home where she resided with her five children, who are between the ages of two months and nine years. The suspect, who has been identified as Gregory Hercules has since gone into hiding.

According to reports reaching Stabroek News, around 11:00 PM on Friday, Hercules, who works at Eight Miles Backdam, Port Kaituma as a miner was informed by one of his relatives that Persaud was in a relationship with another male while he was away from home.

As a result, he immediately

left for home where he saw Persaud consuming alcohol with neighbours while the children were alone at home.

In a fit of rage, he armed himself with a cutlass and piece of wood and allegedly dealt her several blows about her body including to the head. She fell unconscious and was dragged from the neighbour’s house to her home where she eventually succumbed.

Relatives denied that Persaud was having another relationship.

Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, Arlene Boyce, a cousin of Persaud said she was informed of the tragic news after one of Persaud’s sons visited their home and

Arlene Persaud informed them. She said although she was not present at the time of the incident, based on information she received, Persaud was consuming alcohol, something which is not usual for her.

She also added that apart from Friday’s incident she recently learnt that Persaud was in an abusive relationship with her partner. Her killing has sent shock waves throughout the family circle and community and raised concerns as to why neigh-

bours did not intervene at the time of the incident or even assist in taking Persaud to the hospital after the suspect fled the scene.

According to Boyce, it was the dead woman’s sevenyear-old son who saw his mother bleeding and rushed to inform the neighbours who encouraged him to visit the police station. Boyce said, the child did as was instructed on foot. However, before he could return with the police officers she had already died. Persaud was found lying on her bed lifeless. Her children are currently in the care of various family members.

The police have launched a murder investigation into the matter and a search is on for Hercules.

Her body is currently at the Port Kaituma mortuary and a post- mortem examination performed yesterday revealed that she died as a result of multiple injuries.

company to open second major gold mine here

T

roy Resources Limited says it plans to open a large gold mine in western Guyana.The Australian company says production is scheduled to start in upcoming weeks at the mine in the Puruni region near neighbouring Venezuela. Mines Commission Director Rickford Vieira said Wednesday the mine could produce up to 100,000 troy ounces of gold a year.

It would be the South American country’s second major gold mine. Toronto-based Guyana Goldfields opened a mine last month that employs 500 workers and is expected to produce 3 million ounces of gold in about 17 years.

Gold is Guyana’s main export and generated nearly $1 billion in revenue in 2013. But earnings have dropped recently because of weaker gold prices.

(Canadian Business)

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October 30–November 5, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper Coast Guard gets new naval ship

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Survived 2009 attack: Peter and Murium Green

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Greens to write book on 'Caribbean Ripper'*

eter and Murium Green, the British couple who survived a brutal cutlass attack in Tobago in 2009, plan to write a book about their experience with the “Caribbean Ripper”.

This was confirmed in an e-mail exchange with the Express yesterday.

The Greens suffered horrific injuries when they were attacked in their Bacolet

villa on the afternoon of August 1, 2009, by a cutlass-wielding intruder.

Peter Green, 71, lost sight in one eye as a result, while severe facial scars serve as a permanent reminder to Murium of the attack.

Since then, the couple say several inaccurate reports have appeared in local media, some accusing them of racism.

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uesday was labelled an historic day in T&T with the docking of the TTS Nelson II, a large operational naval ship of T&T Defence Force.

Under the captaincy of Commander Jason Kelshall, who is the son of retired Rear Admiral Richard Kelshall, and Executive Officer, Lt Commander Akenton Isaac, the ship departed China for T&T on September 10. The elder Kelshall had captained the TTS Nelson in 2000 from England to T&T. That vessel is to be decommissioned.

From China the new vessel crossed three oceans, three seas, visited three continents and five countries in a 12,476 nautical mile journey that took 35 days and nine hours.

The vessel, which was constructed by the China Ship Building Company Ltd was commissioned in China on September 6, 2015.

Speaking afterwards, Capt Kelshall said he was proud he was chosen to bring the ship home.

“It was an honour just to be the face of my crew.

My crew is brilliant, some of the best ever, my crew. I was just the face,” Kelshall said.

National Security Minister, Edmund Dillon described the vessel’s arrival as a defining moment in the life of the Defence Force (assigned to the T&T Coast Guard).

He confirmed the vessel was one that was ordered by the previous government and assured that his administration would continue to rebuild T&T's national security apparatus

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The TTS Nelson arrives at Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas, yesterday, following its 37-day voyage from China to Trinidad and Tobago. PhotoS: ABRAHAM DIAZ and fill in the gaps in the current security architecture.

“We will not simply abandon the capacity that has been put in place in the past. We will not act hastily in our review of our country’s national security assets and capacity.

This will not be our modus operandi. We are a responsible Government,” Dillon said.

He, however, could not say whether additional vessels for the T&T Coast Guard would be acquired.

“We are going to use the vessels that we have right now. To say whether we can expect more has to be based on threat analysis and therefore that will determine to a large extent if we require more and what type of vessels we may require,” he said.

In his address, at the official ceremony for the crew’s arrival, Dillon said Government’s intent was to upgrade and re-build efficient and effective defence and law enforcement agencies.

“That is why securing

our maritime boundaries, as part of our overall border security strategy, is of such great importance to us as a people. Our porous borders are a major source of the proliferation of illegal guns and drugs, which are primary drivers of crime in T&T,” Dillon added.

To neutralise that challenge, Dillon said Government would move to establish a joint border protection agency that would manage the security and integrity of T&T’s borders; ensure appropriate military assets were acquired, deployed and maintained and utilise information, integration and rapid response of all agencies to meet all external threats.

“The Coast Guard must therefore continue to develop into a modern and forward-looking organisation which will be able to defend T&T’s maritime interests, as well as meet our regional commitments, obligations and responsibilities,” he said.

Ho's victory hailed*

herese Ho has moved women's rights up a notch with her refusal to be a victim or have her privacy violated.

This is the view of executive director of the Women's Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) Folade Mutota, who on Monday hailed the woman who won a case of “revenge porn” against star cricketer Lendl Simmons for bravery.

Ho was granted damages in the sum of $150,000 by Justice Frank Seepersad after she took Simmons to court over his distribution of pictures showing her nude and engaged in oral sex.

The pictures were taken while Ho and Simmons were having an affair.

In giving his ruling yesterday, Seepersad reprimanded Simmons for treating Ho like an object.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

Beheaded man found in city

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olice say they are bracing for an all-out war in the underworld after a man was found decapitated in the heart of Portof-Spain yesterday in what they say was a mafia-styled killing.

The unidentified man’s head was found in a garbage heap along Pall Mall Street, East Dry River, around 5 am while the rest of him was found stuffed in the trunk of a damaged white BMW 1 series about seven hours after. The style of killing is similar to that of Mexican drug cartels who behead their victims and dismember their bodies to warn others that they are not to be messed with.

Yesterday’s incident also came a day after officials at Trinmar found a man’s body trapped in an offshore platform. Southern police also linked that killing to the drug trade. Late yesterday police said they believed the man was a known Las Lomas drug dealer but they would await confirmation today when relatives turn up to identify the body at the Forensic Science Centre, St James.

At the scene of the discovery at upper Duncan Street, East Dry River, head of the Port-of-Spain Division, Snr Supt Johnny Abraham, said the decapitation was clearly

11

Cops brace for underworld war

a message sent to the individuals in the underworld. “I believe it is a strong message. Whoever did the killing sent this to some underworld group telling them that they could lose their men and so on, I believe so,” Abraham said.

According to the police, the man’s head was found by Port of Spain City Corporation workers disposing of garbage yesterday morning. Residents said they did not know the identity of the man.

Speaking to the T&T Guardian yesterday, a corporation worker, who did not want to be identified, said his colleagues were stunned when the head rolled out onto coconut branches as they were picking up bags of trash. He said when he was told of the discovery he cursed his co-workers telling them it was no joke to make. He said when he was shown the head he was in disbelief that it was a human head initially.

He, however, thanked God he did not have breakfast, noting he was sure to have regurgitated any meal after a closer examination proved it was a human head, which was “cut cleanly.” As the sirens of police vehicles blared, escorting the funeral agency transporting the head, children from the near-

by St Hilda’s Government Primary School were heard screaming and playing.

Police subsequently went in search of the man’s body at the Beetham landfill but came up empty handed. Just after noon, however, officers were called out again after the man’s body was found, wrapped in a blue tarpaulin and shoved in the trunk of the car parked outside the Supa Hardware at the corner of Duncan and Prince Streets. The body, with the hands tied behind the back, was already badly decomposed.

Missed opportunity A nearby businessman said the car had been there since Tuesday morning and police were called to investigate but when they came they merely peered inside and left, he said. Officers returned later that day with a woman of East Indian descent. Again they looked through the car, opening the doors before leaving. The car, which was blocking the entrance to another business place, was then pushed aside by residents, but no one checked inside the trunk.

Yesterday, however, the stench of the man’s rotting flesh brought the realisation that something was amiss and again police were called

Crime Scene Investigators prepare to remove a headless body from the trunk of a BMW Hatchback at the corner of Duncan and Prince Streets, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. The body is still to be identified. again. This time the trunk of the car was searched and the headless body was found. Residents of the nearby “Plannings” flocked to the area. Some accused international terrorist group ISIS of the killing. Others wondered what type of man would chop off another’s head and remove it.

Abraham later criticised the removal of the car from in front the business and called on citizens to work closer with police. “What I am saying is if everyone does their part we can help T&T be a better place. If a strange vehicle is blocking your entrance, why would you call someone to push it away before you call the police?” he asked.

“I am clamouring for cameras for the longest while. I don’t want a camera where if something happen you have to beg someone to get the footage, I want cameras that you can monitor it to get the video anytime and that someone is monitoring it all the time so you can get the action live as it is taking place. What I want too is better cameras.”

He said for the year the Portof-Spain Division had recorded 72 murders, including the decapitated man. He said police had received some information about the beheading but said he could not divulge it. The murder toll for the year stood at 357 up to yesterday.

12

October 30–November 5, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

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October 30–November 5, 2015

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Plane catches fire during takeoff at Florida airport, several injured

(Updates with passenger quote, relative of passenger, child treated in hospital)

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By Zachary Fagenson

ct 29 (Reuters) - An engine on a passenger jet bound for Caracas, Venezuela, burst into flames while taxiing for takeoff at a Florida airport on Thursday, officials said, and several people were injured as they exited the plane using emergency slides.

Television images showed the Dynamic International Airways’ Boeing 767200ER surrounded by white foam and firefighters’ trucks in Fort Lauderdale, its inflatable evacuation chutes deployed.

The aircraft was leaking fuel before departure, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

In video shot by a passenger on another plane, thick gray smoke could be seen pouring from the flight before the blaze was extinguished. (Video: reut.rs/1P8bvzk) Fifteen people were taken to the hospital, one with serious burn wounds and two with less serious injuries, Michael Jachles, a spokesman for Broward Sheriff’s Office, told reporters.

The other injuries appeared to be bumps and bruises, he said, adding that 101 people, including crew, had been on board.

One child was among those being treated at Broward Health Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Luis Campana, a 71-year-old rancher, was traveling to Venezuela’s Guarico state with his wife and sister from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

“It was a real scare,” Campana told

Reuters, adding that he had been sitting near the front of the plane as the pilot put the thrust on to taxi up the runway.

“The engine exploded. As we were getting out of the plane down the chute, the smoke was beginning to enter and the engine was in flames,” he said.

Campana said he did not see any injured people.

Officials got a call at 12:34 p.m. EDT (1634 GMT) that Dynamic Airways flight 405 experienced a left engine fire while taxiing on one of the airport’s two runways.

Passengers had been completely evacuated by 12:37 p.m., Jachles told a news conference.

The airport reopened about three hours later.

‘A LOT OF SMOKE’

Natalia Vargas, 50, said her 75-yearold mother phoned her from the plane and said there had been two strong explosions.

“There was a lot of smoke,” said Vargas, who lives in Miami and is originally from Venezuela. “Everyone was very nervous, but everyone was off the plane quickly,” she said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending four people to Fort Lauderdale to investigate the fire, the agency said on Twitter.

Greensboro, North Carolina-based Dynamic said in a statement that the crew became aware of an engine problem while taxiing for departure.

The carrier said on its website that it has operated wide-body aircraft since 2009 and would investigate the fire.

The plane was powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines, said Sara Banda, a spokeswoman from Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp.

Boeing Co said in a statement it is providing technical assistance to the NTSB investigation.

Dynamic’s 767-200ER was built in 1986, and only seven such planes of that age or older remain in service out of 65 built, according to Collateral Verifications, an aircraft appraisal firm. (Additional reporting by David Adams in Miami; Susan Heavey and Tim Ahmann in Washington; Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida; Suzannah Gonzales and Jeffrey Dastin in New York; Colleen Jenkins in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Alwyn Scott in Seattle; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by G Crosse and Lisa Shumaker)

Trinidadian ordered extradited to Canada CARIBBEAN: Couple in Trinidad charged with cruelty after P child abuse video goes viral ORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – A 52-year-old Trinidad and Tobago national, who was deported from Canada in 2010 having been convicted for manslaughter and other offences, has been ordered extradited to Canada to face 54 charges including murder and kidnapping.

Chief Magistrate Marcia Caesar-Ayers ruled that Septimus Neverson also known as Christopher David Munroe, Richard Murphy and Septimus Samuel, be returned to Canada to answer the charges.

A statement from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) said that Neverson is charged with murder, three counts of attempted murder; four counts of kidnapping; six counts of attempted robbery, 13 counts of breaking and entering a dwelling house for unlawful purposes and 27 counts of robbery.

The offences are alleged to have occurred over the period May 4 to July 20th, 2006, in Canada.

The accused has been remanded in custody without bail and advised of his rights to appeal the order within 15 days.

C Police said that in November 2014 an extradition request was received from the Canadian authorities for the provisional arrest of Neverson.

On February, 25 this year, Neverson who is known to have previous charges and convictions dating back to 1985, was arrested in Port of Spain In 2010, police said he had been deported to his homeland after being convicted for manslaughter and other offences in Canada.

ARIBBEAN 360 – A 32 yearold Trinidadian male and his 21 year-old common-law Jamaican born wife have been arrested and are facing cruelty charges under the new Children’s Act in connection with the abuse of an infant girl which was recorded and went viral on social media.

The suspects, who are not the child’s parents, were held yesterday afternoon in a room on the second floor of a two-storey apartment building in Vistabella, San Fernando.

Police said they had been conducting under surveillance after receiving a tip-off.

The video, in which the young child was slapped repeatedly by a man as he fed her milk from a bottle, was circulated on social media and aired on local television earlier

this week.

While not on camera, a woman who spoke with a Jamaican accent could be heard telling the child to drink the milk and saying “yuh look for that” when she was being slapped.

In a statement issued after the 2 min 12 sec video went viral, the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago condemned the actions of the man seen on camera.

It said while the Child Protection Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is investigating the incident, it is working with the mother and the child to provide the necessary support, which includes medical treatment and counselling.

The authority appealed to parents and guardians to be vigilant in ensuring the safety of their children.

14

October 30–November 5, 2015

ISLAM Peace / submission to the will of our creator.

Beloved Mother “Paradise lies at the feet of the Mothers” “Your Lord has decreed that you shall worship none except Him; and show kindness to your parents. If one of them or both reach old age, never say to them ‘uf’, nor scold them. Rather speak to them graciously and lower for them your wing of mercy, and say, ‘My Lord, have mercy on them as they raised me mercifully when I was small.” (17:23) In this verse Allah (S.W.T) states that He has prescribed affection, kindness and obedience towards parents and has forbidden ill-treatment, abuse and neglect towards them. Paradise and divine blessings will be for those who are kind to their parents, as the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) very eloquently states; “Paradise lies at the feet of the Mothers”

A man asked the prophet (S.A.W) who is most deserving of my kind companionship O messenger of Allah? The prophet (S.A.W) replied: your mother.

He asked: then who? And the prophet replied: your mother. Even when he asked for a third time, the prophet (S.A.W) said: your mother. When he asked again the prophet (S.A.W) said: your father.

Among the great blessings of Allah to humankind, one is the blessing of parents. It is very unfortunate that for many this reality dawns upon them very late and for some only after their parent’s death. Very often, we take our parents for granted and sadly, some children even go beyond that causing them emotional and sometimes even physical pain.

Our parents, especially our mothers are our doorways to paradise and with their death, That door closes. Very often in pursuit of worldly success we neglect our parents, this could not be a more misguided act. When we ignore our parents, we ignore our paradise thus we are only selling the happiness of our everlasting life for the temporary life of this world.

Ibn Abbas (ra) said “Allah opens two doors (to Paradise) for every Muslim who is dutiful to his (or her) two Muslim parents, awaiting the reward with Allah alone, and one door if he or she had one surviving parent (to whom he or she is dutiful). Furthermore, if one makes one

of his parents angry, then Allah will not be pleased with him until his parent forgives him.” He was asked, “Even if they were unjust to their child?” He said, “Even if they were unjust”. [Al Baihaqi] Allah brings to our realization the obligation upon us towards our parents in this verse of the Holy Quraan: And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months.

Kindness to parents in general is compulsory, however here Allah wants to remind us the great hardship our mothers experienced to give birth to us and to take care of us as we grew.

Next to Allah’s love for his creation, there is the love of a mother for her child.

How many of us move in mighty executive circles today, holding positions of esteem, but we neglect and abandon our beloved parents? How many parents lonely in old-age homes? Why don’t we realize that our mothers painfully bore and brought us into this world? Remember, when our beloved Prophet was asked who is the most deserving of our affectionate company, he replied thrice, Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother and then your Father. Therefore, let us understand! That our worship of Allah is incomplete if we abandon or abuse our parents.

Why do mothers get three degrees of preference over the father?

“Your mother carried you for nine months in her blessed womb, and then she painfully gave birth to you. After that, she gave up her sleep for you, suckled you, carried you in her arms and cleaned up your mess. When you were forty, fifty, sixty, she still followed your progress with great interest.

The Shari’ah has obliged us to show love, kindness and warmth to our parents. In the Noble Book it is written, “We have enjoined upon mankind to be dutiful and kind to his parents…” [Qur’an Al-Ahqaf: 15] As-Sabooni wrote in explanation of the above ayat, “Allah is pleased when the parents are pleased and displeased when the parents are displeased. This is why Allah (swt) entrusted and urges the slave and orders them a definite order (‘amr jazim) to be kind to parents.”

Caribbean Star Newspaper

Abdullah ibn Masood (ra) said, “I asked the Prophet “Which deed is the dearest to Allah?” He replied, “To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times.” I asked, “What is the next (in goodness)?” He replied, “To be good and dutiful to our parents” I again asked, “What is the next (in goodness)?” He replied, “To participate in the struggle for Allah’s cause.” ‘Abdullah added, “I asked only that much and if I had asked more, the Prophet would have told me more.”

Allah (swt) has made even the slightest raising of voice to the parents a crime. He has ordered the man to refer to their parents with the best of words, to look after them when they are old, to serve them and to not deny them any of their rights.

And in the Qur’an we find, “And do good to our parents. Should one of them, or both attain old age in our care, never say ‘oof’ (sound of displeasure) to them or scold them, but always speak to them with reverent speech and spread over them humbly the wings of our tenderness and say, ‘O my Sustainer, bestow Our grace upon them, even as they cherished and raised me as a child’.” [Qur’an Bani Israa’il: 23-24] As-Sabooni, in reference to this ayat, said that, “Allah (swt) has ordered kindness to parents and that He (swt) linked worship to Him (swt) with kindness to parents and the rights that parents have over their children.

Allah (swt) has entrusted we to look after them especially when one or both of them become old. Here old age is specified because this is the time when they are in the greatest need for help, kindness, and support and to carry out their rights because they are weak. Likewise, do not say to our parents any word that shows we are either angry or annoyed, like the word ‘oof’.

And do not say or make them hear bad talk from us or shout at them with harshness on that which we do not like of them.”

One day, the great wali, Imam Hasan Al-Basri (ra) was making Tawaf around the Ka’bah, and saw a young man carrying a basket on his back. The young man explained. We are poor folk. For years, my mother had this deep yearning to visit the Ka’bah, but we could never afford it. She had grown old, but always spoke so lovingly of the Ka’bah, with eyes filled with tears. I could not bear to see my mother in such a state, so I placed her in this basket and brought her all the way from our house in Syria. Oh Imam, did I repay my Mother’s due by what I have done for her? The pious Imam replied:

Even if you carry your mother on your back and perform tawaaf seventy times around the Ka’bah, you will never compensate her for one kick you gave her when you were in her blessed womb.”

Allah (swt) also linked the kindness to parents to the ease at the time of death, Jabir reported that Muhammad (saw) said, “Whosoever has got three things in him, Allah will make his death easy and will admit him in Paradise: mercy to the weak, kindness to parents and doing good to the slave” [Tirmidhi].

Also even the look of kindness has been linked to much reward. Ibn Abbas (ra) reported that Muhammad (saw) said, “No obedient son looks to his parents with a look of kindness but Allah writes for him one accepted pilgrimage for every look.” They enquired, “And if he looks a hundred times every day?”

“Yes”, said Muhammad (saw), “Allah is the most Great and most Beneficent”.

Ibn Taimiyyah said, “Abu Bakr (ra) said in his book, Zad ul Musafir, “Whoever made his parents angry and brought tears to them, is required to go back and make them laugh.”

The rights that belong to our parents extend into the grave. It is narrated that whilst the Sahabah were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (saw) when a person from the tribe of Banu Salamah came and said to him (saw), “O Messenger of Allah, are there any rights of my parents on me which I have to fulfil even after they have died?” “Yes”, replied Muhammad (saw), “To pray for mercy and forgiveness on their behalf, to fulfil the promises they may have, to pay due regard to the bonds of relationship that are from their side and to be respectful to their friends”. [Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah] Prophet Muhammad (saw) expressed clearly the fruits of our kindness to our parents, indeed he has linked it to our child’s kindness to us. Abdullah ibn Umar narrated that Muhammad (saw) said, “Obey our parents and treat them with kindness. You children will be kind and obedient to you and live with purity.

Your wives will stay pure”.

“Be obedient and loving to your parents and earn Allah’s good pleasure.

Your mother and father are your honored guests. You will lose them one day, and be left all alone in this world.

You will never find a friend and helper like your mother. For of all those who seem to be your friends, the most loyal is your mother. She is your true friend, all the rest are friends of your money, rank, beauty etc. Should you become bankrupt, ugly, old or sick, or be put into prison, your one real friend will be your MOTHER.”

October 30–November 5, 2015 Caribbean Star Newspaper Eleven- year-old among girls rescued from bar in Baramita - GINA

A

n 11-year-old child was among several girls that were picked up from a bar in Baramita, north west district on Saturday night following a visit by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Simona Broomes and other high-level government officials, GINA said today.

Subsequently, the child was brought to Georgetown and an investigation is being launched into the matter. Broomes told GINA that the child is fully cooperating with Police, however; because it is a highly sensitive issue, the findings will not be publicised.

The child was seen in school on Friday when Minister Broomes along with Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams visited the community and engaged the students of the Baramita Primary School on education and Trafficking in Persons (TIP).

According to Broomes, the child is being kept in a safe home and the parents were contacted and are also aiding with investigations.

In responding to a call to sweep the

community of Baramita, Broomes proceeded to conduct house to house visits, and met with parents who expressed concern about their teenage daughters being exploited.

Broomes, GINA said, explained that Cabinet has approved for her to work along with the Minister of Governance to address some of the issues in mining areas of which Baramita is one. It is for this reason; she will be on the ground tackling the issues of health and safety, child labour, and TIP. GINA said that Broomes visited the

15

bars in Baramita, and educated the owners about the laws that speak to the age of persons consuming alcohol. She said that if shop owners are caught selling alcohol to children then the law must take its course. The illegal shops located along Golden City (the backdam) have been served notices to remove by November 1.

Broomes disclosed that there was a five-year-old disabled child lying on the floor in a house clothes-less. She cannot walk or speak.

“The previous Government has failed the people of Baramita. They talk so much of the development of Amerindians, yet the people are suffering… Not even the Toshao himself knew that there is a child with disability in the village…I want to encourage families that if you have a child with a disability do not be ashamed, they are human beings and let us love them, see how best you can assist them and ensure they get the right medical attention,” Broomes said. She instructed the Toshao to provide a mattress for the child.

She said that the Coalition government will be placing a lot of emphasis on persons with disabilities. She added that the Minister of Public Health will be engaged on the matter to ensure that the child is properly examined and is provided with a wheel chair. She will also be reporting the matter to Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence to ensure that the child receives public assistance, and is provided with a hamper, GINA added.

Hike in teachers’ salaries a priority - says Roopnaraine as GTU demands 25 % increase

E

DUCATION Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine said improving teachers’ pay is a high priority amid calls from the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) for a 25 per cent increase in their new multi-year agreement with the Ministry of Education.Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Dr Roopnaraine said the Ministry of Education will have to sit with the GTU to work things out, declining to say definitively if the government will honour the proposal by the teachers’ union.

Annually, as outlined in the current agreement, teachers receive a five per cent salary increase.

GTU President Mark Lyte on countless occasions has asserted that the current salaries for teachers are not sufficient, and has been advocating an increase since assuming office.

Lyte pointed out that the salaries, as they stand presently, have contributed to the shortage of male teachers in the school system.

“There are more female teachers than male teachers. This is mainly because of the insufficient remuneration that is being offered to teachers.

“It would not attract males because they are the breadwinners at home. So I think this is what has contributed to the shortage of male teachers in schools,” said Lyte.

Against this backdrop, he said that the new proposal is opting for a 25% increase in salaries for teachers, which will ideally attract more males into the profession.

But while this sounds good, Dr Roopnaraine was quite content on waiting for the negotiations to begin.

See Hike in teachers on pg. 16

16

Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

GUYANA WAS NEVER BLACKLISTED -

U.S. says …slams Guyana Times misrepresentation

T

HE United States Government(USG) has affirmed that Guyana was never placed on the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) black and gray lists and has slammed a Guyana Times report as a “wilful mischaracterisation of Washington’s position, created through an out-of-context use of one of its officials’ quotations.” Under a screaming headline, “Guyana remains on FATF blacklist,” the Guyana Times reported earlier this week that the country remains non-compliant despite “premature assurances from Attorney General Basil Williams and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Bryan Hunt.” However, in an invited comment the U.S. Embassy here said the report contained in the Guyana Times of October 27, 2015, begins from a factually incorrect premise. The embassy affirmed that “the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) did not include Guyana on its list of “jurisdictions subject to a FATF call to apply counter-measures to protect the international financial system” – the commonly referred to blacklist – in its October 2015 meeting. Nor was Guyana included in the FATF list of “jurisdictions not making sufficient progress” – the commonly referred to dark-grey list.

Guyana has never appeared on either list at the FATF level.”

According to the U.S., the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) last formally reviewed and issued a public statement on Guyana on May 30, 2014, prior to the passage of its revised Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation. “In its public statement, FATF specifically noted that Guyana’s AML/ CFT Amendment Act of 2015 had been an important step towards improving its AML/CFT regime. The passage of the AML/CFT Amendment Act of 2015 was a key component of the action plan that Guyana and FATF agreed to in the 2014 review.” The United States said that it was for this reason that a number of U.S. Government officials, including former Ambassador Brendt Hardt and Deputy Chief of Mission Bryan Hunt, joined other international partners and the Guyanese private sector in strongly backing passage of this critical legislation – which did, in fact, address the legislative deficiencies previously identified by FATF and CFATF. “To suggest, as the Guyana Times has, that our backing for passage of such FATF/ CFATF-compliant legislation meant that the USG believed no further action on AML/CFT was required by the Government of Guyana is a wilful mischaracterisation of the USG po-

U.S. Ambassador Perry Holloway sition, created through an out-of-context use of USG officials’ quotations. At no time did USG officials suggest or imply that legislation alone would address all FATF and CFATF recommendations.”

According to the United States, the 2014 action plan agreed to by Guyana and FATF included a number of non-legislative implementation actions that needed to be taken. “As FATF recognised in its October, 2015 report, some of those non-legislative actions such as effective implementation of asset-tracking and freezing; strengthening of the Financial Intelligence Unit; and creation of an

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

19

I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST Have you ever wondered how appropriate are some Biblical statements as used by Biblical writers?

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the churches in the region of Galatia saying he was crucified with Jesus Christ.

N

ow, that is quite a statement to make. Jesus was already crucified, risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven. In fact, the crucifixion and resurrection happened before Paul’s conversion to following Christ. Let us try to understand what he meant as well as let us see how this could apply to our own lives. Paul’s statement in Galatians 2:20 is: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

This confession identifies us with Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul, prior to his conversion, was a hater of the street preacher, Jesus, who died a criminal’s death on a cruel Roman cross. He hated the followers of Jesus who claimed the crucified one was risen from the dead. One day, the risen Jesus Christ appeared to Paul and showed him love and forgiveness. He came to the realization that when Jesus died for the sins of the world, he was included and his sins were atoned for. He (the old sinful person) is considered dead with Jesus on the cross. The moment he received Christ’s forgiveness, he knew all sins were paid for, all guilt was gone, the old way of life finished, and a new life began for him. From that time onwards, Paul spent his life preaching the salvation of sinful mankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was appropriate for him to declare he was crucified with Christ and yet he found a new life in Christ.

When we come to Christ, we, too, understand He died for our sins and we were forgiven on the basis of His accomplishments on the Cross and the power of His resurrection. As we continue living for Him, we desire to add glory to His wonderful name and we want Him to use our lives for His kingdom. Which Christian doesn’t want to be used of God? You want to bring others to Him. You want to get involved in some form of ministry.

Living for Christ calls for true discipleship.

A disciple wants to imitate his or her teacher’s life and mission. Consider the words of Christ in Matthew 16:24 “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” The gospel writer Luke recorded it this way in Luke 9:23 “Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” So we understand this is a personal cross, and it’s a daily cross. In the first century, the disciples understood a cross as dying a cruel death. It must have been scary for Jesus to say that to them. Not until they were filled with the Holy Spirit would they understand what it meant to die and yet live. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:31 “Paul said, I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” In the midst of the joys of living for Christ and the pains of suffering for Him, Paul daily surrendered his personal comforts and desires to follow the will of God. Jesus did not promise an easy life here, but the eternal rewards are more than worth it. In Luke 14:27, Jesus said, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

Bearing the cross is more than conversion.

This is more than giving up outward sin as we usually describe sins. It speaks to more than drinking, gambling, lust, illicit sex, stealing, lying, violence, etc, etc.

The text assumes we have gone past that place of transformation and deliverance.

We are in the growing and maturing stage where we seek to be used by God, yet we struggle with the self-life that resists God’s will. This is about the inner things that drive us into wrong thinking and eventually wrong doing. This will hinder what God wants to do through us. It is about surrendering your will to the Divine will.

Discipleship has a cost.

Discipleship means following Jesus to the Cross. Before going to the Cross, Jesus surrendered to the Father’s will. “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” Matthew 26:39-42. It was total obedience whatever the cost. It is the ultimate prayer all of us must pray – “not my will, but Thine be done.” This is understanding God’s redemptive purposes and being willing to die to self so others can live. Jesus called us to live for Him and accomplish the redemptive mission of bringing lost people to Him. It is a mission that could cost us a lot.

Why should I put Christ first?

The “self-life” wants to be recognized, to find the best comforts for itself, and to secure a future for itself. It will magnify itself in pride above everyone else and even above God in its efforts to survive.

It leads us into a life of wanting to satisfy the cravings and lusts of the flesh. Living for the fleshly desires will not bring pleasant rewards. Galatians 6:7-8 states, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” The man who lives following the Spirit will hear from the

Lord, be empowered by the Holy Spirit and find joy in seeing redemption played out in people’s lives.

What do I gain by giving up all that?

What do I gain by giving up sin? What do I gain by a life of prayer and service to Christ? 1 Peter 1:3-4 reminds us of “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” Yes, it is worth living for Jesus. In dying to self, you will find abundant and eternal life. Jim Elliot left Wheaton Bible College to take the gospel to the Indians of Ecuador. He was speared to death by their tribesmen. His death at age 28 inspired thousands of young missionaries. His young wife followed him and won that same tribe for Christ.

Jim wrote in his diary, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

God will ask us to make sacrifices for Him. Our answer must be “yes.”

Take your family to church this weekend.

Pastor Haniff Bacchus Calvary Assembly

of God

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

20

A

Caribbean Star Newspaper Awaiting township status, Bartica applies for more land October 30–November 5, 2015

s the time creeps closer to when Bartica is to be proclaimed a town, Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford has disclosed that an application has been made to extend the community’s borders to almost three times the current size as they want to be “as independent as possible.”

Township orders for the upgrading of Bartica to a town were laid in the National Assembly on Thursday and President David Granger has said that Bartica will be a town on April 23rd next year.

Speaking on Sunday afternoon to reporters after Guyana Defence Force ranks parachuted onto the community’s playground, Bradford said that while Bartica’s borders currently encompass about five square miles, a proposal has been made to extend it to about 14 square miles. “So the township now will take in all the quarries we have in the Mazaruni and in the Essequibo Rivers and so we look as we develop, to extend the boundaries,” Bradford said. He added that if the extension is approved, then the town will look into collecting royalties.

The chairman disclosed that a proposal will be made for at least a percentage of the royalties collected, whether from mining, logging, or other activities in the township, to go to the town.

These funds would be used for the development of Bartica.

“Only rates and taxes and fees from the markets are currently collected and we wish, just as if any economic activity is taking place in an Amerindian com-

Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford (fourth from left) flanked by paratroopers and a large crowd of Barticians on Sunday.

Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford (fourth from left) flanked by paratroopers and a large crowd of Barticians on Sunday. munity, a percent of whatever is earned is given back to them, to have the same,” Bradford asserted. He added that if the town is able to obtain at least 2-3% of the royalties, he is positive that it will go a far way in assisting in the development of Bartica.

According to Bradford, the main priority would be tourism and there are already investments in this sector. “You’ll see a lot of Barticians coming back home and the Regatta will be bigger, better, and brighter. So definitely you will see Bartica on the move next year and we hope to have a Miss Bartica Township,” the chairman said.

He added that he wishes to have a week of activities to commemorate Bartica’s township status.

The first phase of action is to improve the community’s infrastructure and educate residents in order to make a smooth transition from village to town. “We have to look at every aspect of development from village status to township status and of course

it won’t be done in the given time frame but we have Phase 1. We are looking to get as many people on board and people to understand and we can only do that by educating them. They need to know that there are responsibilities when we become a town and I believe things will certainly change,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the chairman highlighted that currently, residents have to cope with scheduled power outages. He commended the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) staff for “going the extra mile and working to ensure that there isn’t too much discomfort.” However, he said, as a result of the sporadic power outages, people living in the higher areas in Bartica are currently out of water because of a malfunction with one of the pumps. “But again I wish to commend the staff for working very hard…whilst we crave for the 24-hour a day water supply, which we pray will soon come on stream,” he said.

According to the chairman, he was interested in moving away from fossil fuels and making Bartica the first green town. “We understand the situation and definitely moving now from fossil fuel and, as His Excellency has pointed out…Bartica will be the first green town and we know that studies, feasibility studies, are being done to look at wind and hydro energy,” he said. He expressed hope that in the not so distant future, power outages will be a thing of the past.

Bradford said that he shares the same vision with President David Granger in making Bartica the first green town. He recalled that there have been several tree planting activities around the community. “We will do some more planting and I don’t think we need much more of that. If you look around we are green all over,” the chairman joked.

He said that there will be more tree planting, especially around schools. He recalled the period when he was in school and was able to stop at the trees while going to and from school, to pick various fruits. He said that he wants the younger generation to experience such days.

Meanwhile, the chairman identified the unemployment rate for young people, teenage pregnancies and dropouts, as three of the most pressing issues plaguing the community.

He suggested that the only way to deal with the ongoing problems facing Bartica’s youth is to focus on educating the youths and their parents.

“I gave a lecture last Friday and I…bemoaned…the fact that

not many of the problems we see in today’s society began with the children, but with us, the adults. We are asking parents and we are encouraging them to be more involved in their children’s future. They have to be more involved in everything they do,” Gordon declared.

He said that many times, teachers are expected to cope with the issues in school but most of the problems start in the home. “We have situations where in dorms, we have children who turn up pregnant and what have you but when you do investigate, it didn’t happen in the dorms but rather where they came from,” the chairman added.

Bradford also said that while there are petty crimes in Bartica, the major ones are committed in the interior where there is minimal police presence. “The big ones happen in the interior because of the lack of equipment and what’s not and I know the government is taking a serious look at that,” he added.

According to the chairman, the key to lowering the crime rate in the interior is to have more outposts placed at strategic areas. However, he said, he understands the difficulty in implementing such a plan as the population in the interior is largely transient. “In mining, nothing is permanent, today you find a large concentration (of persons) in a given area and then tomorrow, they have moved to another place and it’s the same with educational and health facilities in those areas,” he added.

Ministry to hold breast cancer Ministry to host mental health conference for schools awareness walk T

O

ctober has been designated Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Ministry of Social Protection has scheduled a walk and a candle light vigil tomorrow to raise awareness of and in memory of persons who died as a result the disease.

According to a press release from the ministry, the walk which is a collaborative effort amongst the Ministry of Social Protection, Ministry of Health and other non-governmental organisations, will commence at 5 pm from the St George’s Cathedral and conclude at the Public Buildings compound.

In addition to the walk, the ministry has planned a series of information, education and communication sessions with key groups countrywide. Statistics released from the Ministry of Health recorded 1,090 reported cases of breast cancer during the period 2003 and 2012 which represents 16.7% of

all cancer cases in the country. Additionally, during that same period, there were 6,518 new cases of cancer, 60% of which were detected in women.

Some men were also recorded among those who have suffered from breast cancer. Further, the statistics suggest one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Due to the information gathered, the ministry said, it has become imperative that efforts be made to continue the sensitisation process, provide counselling and identifying the symptoms and preventative techniques.

The ministry said, it expects to educate women on how to identify the signs and symptoms of breast cancer inclusive of conducting effective self-examinations.

An invitation is extended to members of the public to join the walk and vigil, the release said.

he Ministry of Health will host a mental health conference for seven schools at Queen’s College on October 29 with assistance from clinical psychologist Dr Nathilee Caldeira and team.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, the conference will take the form of a workshop to educate students on the illness and to pave the way for practical activities to allow students to be able to recognise the signs and behavioural patterns.

It is the second year for the collaborative effort between the ministry and Dr Caldeira’s team, the release said. In addition to being the founder and director of clinical services of “Let’s talk psychological wellness,” Caldeira has in excess of 15 years of providing consultation, training, psychological assessment, individual, couples and group therapy services. She also has expertise in using relatively short-term treatment to address anxiety, depression, trauma and post-traumatic stress, alcohol and other substances.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings (left) along with Dr. Nathilee Caldeira (centre) and a member of her team (GINA photo) Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings expressed gratitude for the offer of assistance as she noted Guyana only has one clinical psychologist.

Currently, Caldeira serves as a staff psychologist at Columbia University Medical Center/Student Mental Health Center in providing assessments and psychotherapy services to clinical students (medical, nursing, physical therapy and public health) on the campus.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

25

Getting back to basics:

Why a financial strategy is so important.

Many of us are familiar with the expression, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” As an Agent with New York Life, I can assure you that— when it comes to financial goals and objectives—this old adage still rings true.

I

n fact, it may be more relevant than ever. As the last few years have shown, it isn’t easy for most Americans to make financial headway.

With pensions in decline, interest rates near historic lows, and household incomes yet to bounce back to pre-recession levels, it takes persistence and sound planning in order to get

ahead.

Not sure how to begin?

That’s okay— it’s easy to become overwhelmed if you think about all your needs at once.

Instead, try taking it one step at a time, starting with the basics: Build an emergency fund—No matter where you are in life, it’s important to set aside 8-10

months of living expenses.

You don’t have to do it all at once, but every dollar you save today is a dollar you won’t have to borrow if something unexpected happens.

Protect your home and family—Most of us have people who depend on us to keep a roof over their heads and food on their plates. That’s a big responsibility, but it’s one life insurance can help you meet— even if something tragic takes you away.

You can start with an affordable term life plan at first, and then add more coverage as your needs and budget grow.

Prepare for major expenses like college—As a parent or grandparent, you naturally want the best for your loved ones. Now’s the time to start a college or wedding fund so they won’t have to go into debt to make their dreams for the future come true.

Get ready for retirement— There are plenty of ways to set aside money for retirement: 401(k)s, IRAs, and fixed deferred annuities* just to name a few.

But they all have one thing in common—the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Try to increase your contributions over time—perhaps 1% with each raise—or, if you are age 50 or older, look into some of the ‘catchup’ provisions that may allow you to contribute even more.

While the recession forced many of us to take a step back financially, it also helped refocus our attention on the things that really matter. A sound financial startegy can help us accomplish many things—but perhaps the most important is making sure we never lose sight of them again.

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October 30–November 5, 2015

CAL CEO quits

Caribbean Airlines (CAL)

C

hief Executive Officer of Caribbean Airlines (CAL) Michael DiLollo has quit after just 17 months on the job. The 48-year-old Canadian national, citing personal reasons, resigned with immediate effect. His resignation has been accepted by the state-owned airline's board of directors.

CAL staff were informed of the resignation via a memo from the airline's chairman Phillip Marshall who also announced that chief financial officer Tyrone Tang will act as CEO until a permanent replacement is found. DiLollo was appointed CAL CEO in May 2014 following the sudden resignation of Robert Corbie in September 2013.

In an interview with T&T Guardian earlier this month, DiLollo said CAL did not need a bailout just yet. He said the airline had benefited from extremely patient shareholders

for years and he believed the airline was strategically positioned to break even in three years. In early February, then finance minister Larry Howai told Parliament that unaudited accounts for 2014 showed the airline made a loss of US$60 million, inclusive of its Air Jamaica operations, and the airline planned to break even by 2017.

Howai had also told the Parliament that a five-year strategic plan had been completed and was in the process of being approved for implementation. It outlined the transformation of the business model through reassessment of the product, including fleet and network planning, revenue management, pricing and customer service.

Speaking to members of the media, in early October, DiLollo was confident, giving no hint of any issues affecting his term of employment, saying: “When I look at the investment that has been afforded to the airline and compare that with my experience in the private sector, it is absolutely astounding.

‘“All of the shareholders, whatever the political affiliation, have been extremely patient and extremely committed to this airline over the years.”

DiLollo, a pilot, said then he was ready to land the airline in a break-even financial position and that the airline was “well on our way, very well on our way to achieving that target.”

In November 2014, Parliament was informed that DiLollo was being paid a US$33,000 (TT$211,000) monthly compensation package. Then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar defended the sum saying this was in keeping with salaries paid to former CEOs and was necessary to acquire that level of expertise.

Persad-Bissessar said then that DiLollo received a salary of US$28,000 and a housing allowance of US$5,000. He also received a travelling allowance of US$1,600. Former government ministers Vasant Bharath and Howai had also defended DiLollo’s salary, saying it was comparable to salaries paid to former CAL CEOs.

Caribbean Star Newspaper Trinidadian ophthalmologists complete successful surgeries at GPHC

A

TEAM of Trinidadian ophthalmologists over the weekend conducted a total of ten successful surgeries at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The team of four persons (two ophthalmologists, one nurse and one assistant) hail from “World Class Eye Surgeons” based in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Dr. Ronnie Bhola, Trinidadian vitreo-retinal specialist and head of World Class Eye Surgeons, willingly accepted an invitation from Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton to come on this mission. Vitreo-retinal surgery is not available in Guyana and for many years, Dr. Bhola has been operating on numerous Guyanese patients with retinal diseases of the eye (especially diabetic patients). During this visit, Dr. Bhola was able to perform surgeries on patients who had already undergone retinal surgeries in Trinidad and needed follow-up surgery. A total of 10 surgeries were done by the team.

Dr. Norton paid a visit to the hospital last Friday when the surgeries were in progress, and was deeply appreciative of the team’s visit. He noted that this saved the Guyanese patients the effort of having to travel to Trinidad to have these surgeries done.

Dr. Adesh Maharaj, an orbit and oculoplasty specialist in the team, operated

on four children who had strabismus (or squint). The aim of strabismus surgery is to correct the misalignment of the eyes. These children were operated under general anesthesia at GPHC. On Saturday morning, the children were excited to be able to have their eyes correctly aligned. Dr. Lamy Badette, ophthalmologist working in the Department of Ophthalmology at GPHC worked with Dr. Mahabir on these paediatric cases.

The team performed the surgeries last Friday at the GPHC with the cooperation of the ophthalmology theatre and the anaesthesia staff.

Later in the evening, the ophthalmologists were involved in a Continuing Medical Education (CME) session organized by Alcon Trinidad/Ansa McAl Group and GPHC. They delivered lectures on various eye conditions to ophthalmologists, optometrists, general physicians and students.

The visiting specialists said that they were happy with this mission and hope to continue doing such charitable missions here in the future, while the patients were extremely grateful for their timely visit.

The GPHC, Department of Ophthalmology, was very pleased to have been able to host the visiting team and to learn from the specialists.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

The managment and staff of Caribbean Star Newspaper & Kevin Kleens Powerwashing

May the glow of joy, prosperity, and happiness... ....Illuminate your days in the year ahead!

27

28

October 30–November 5, 2015

O

NE WEEK before challenges to the United National Congress’ (UNC) elections petitions are expected to be heard in the Appeal Court, the judge who granted leave to the Opposition Party has provided her reasons for doing so, in which she concluded there was evidence the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) acted illegally and contrary to the Representation of the People Act. The judge also noted that based on the evidence and submissions presented to the court, the case advanced before her, could not have possibly been classified as ‘frivolous or vexatious or having no chance of success.’ Justice Mira Dean-Armorer, on Monday last, gave her 17-page long reasons for granting leave to the UNC to file the petitions.

The appellate court will next Monday hear the appeals filed by the EBC as well as six successful People’s National Movement (PNM) members of Parliament who are seeking to have the petitions against them dismissed.

The PNM parliamentarians who each won their respective seats in six disputed marginal constituencies of San Fernando West, La Horquetta/Talparo, Toco/Sangre Grande, Tunapuna, St Joseph and Moruga/Tableland, are appealing the petitions filed against them by the UNC.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

EBC acted illegally The election petitions, presented on September 22 by the UNC, seek to have the results in the six constituencies declared null and void by the courts. The Opposition party, on September 18, received the permission of High Court judge, Justice Dean-Armorer, to file the petitions on an argument that the EBC had no power to extend September 7 general election voting by one hour, due to inclement weather.

Listing her reasons, the judge said she considered the affidavit of UNC St Joseph candidate Vasant Bharath, as well as additional evidence presented to the court, that the EBC was motivated to extend time by a request from the then opposition party - now ruling party, the People’s National Movement (PNM).

The UNC’s attorneys presented a newspaper report to bolster their allegation of unfairness and possible collusion between the PNM and the EBC. Bharath claimed in his affidavit, that it was only at approximately 5.40 pm on September 7 (General Election day), that the UNC party was informed of the extension of the polling time, when it appeared that the PNM knew at 5.15 pm (30 minutes earlier) of the decision to extend the voting to 7 pm, based on a post on its official Facebook Page.

“The undisputed affidavit evidence painted a picture of the

members of the UNC and its election machinery becoming aware of rumours of the extended time, at the metaphorical eleventh hour.

“According to the evidence, their awareness of the rumours led them to a virtual scrambling for information with the consequence of being unable to inform their faithful of the change.

When the information was finally obtained they were faced with polling booths being closed because the presiding officers were apparently unaware of the extension,” Dean-Armorer held.

“The evidence was also buttressed by further evidence that the then opposition party, in contrast to the party of the Applicant, was aware of the extension of time, and that its supporters were so informed through a post on a Facebook page.

From this evidence, the Court inferred that there was evidence that the EBC had acted illegally and in particular, contrary to Section 3 of the Representation of the People Act which requires it to enforce, on the part of the Election Officers, fairness, impartiality and compliance with the Act,” the judge said. She also ruled that it was in her view that based on the affidavit evidence and the written and oral submissions mounted by the UNC’s attorney Anand Ramlogan SC, that it was ‘not possible to classify this

case as frivolous, or vexatious, or having no chance whatever of success.’ Judge: Voters turned away Just ice Dean-Armorer also noted that it was clear from the evidence presented that at 6 pm voters were being turned away from at least two polling stations in the St Joseph constituency.

“The affidavit evidence therefore painted a picture not of a simple breach of the Election Rules, but of a decision which was taken by the EBC which created confusion in the relevant constituency, and elicited varying reactions by different polling stations according to, whether or not, they were aware of the extension,” she said.

She also said the evidence painted a second picture of the aftermath of the election as Bharath’s supporters complained and protested that had they known of an extension they would have voted.

“From this evidence it appeared to the Court that there were many persons who would have voted for the Applicant (UNC’s Bharath) had they known of the extension,” she said.

According to the judge, it was clear to her that Bharath had not given exact numbers, but said that alone was, “not a good reason for withholding leave.”

“It was my view that despite the lack of particulars as to the exact numbers of persons who would have voted for the UNC, had they

Sugar industry already benefiting from reforms, Thomas says

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hairman of the Guyana Sugar Cor-poration (GuySuCo), Dr Clive Thomas says that the sugar industry is already benefitting from recommendations that were made prior to and during the Commis-sion of Inquiry (CoI) into the sector.

He said the weekly production values have seen significant increases and strides being made to realise the various estates’ full potential. The CoI report has been submitted to the government and its findings are being awaited.

Speaking to Stabroek News on Sunday, Thomas stated that the US$200 million Skeldon Estate inclusive of the US$110 million Skeldon factory have seen more gains this year than ever before.

For the second week in a row Skeldon surpassed its highest weekly and daily productions, according to the sugar corporation. The company reported that for the week ending October 23 “Skeldon Factory recorded its highest weekly and daily pro-

Clive Thomas duction, 2,980 tonnes and 550 tonnes of sugar respectively, since its commissioning.”

In a press statement on Sunday, GuySuCo stated, “In addition, the factory crushed an average 6,010 tonnes of canes daily, versus 8,400 tonnes, representing 72% of the design capacity of the plant.”

The Skeldon factory has for years been a major drag on the finances of GuySuCo. It has been responsible for pushing up the average cost of produc-

tion. Its original rated crushing capacity when launched in 2008 was 350 tonnes of cane per hour and annual output from this factory alone was expected to be 100,000+ tonnes. It has operated far below these benchmarks.

The corporation’s statement said that in addition to Skeldon, the Albion, Blairmont and Wales estates all surpassed their weekly production targets while Rose Hall and Enmore achieved 94% and 97% respectively.

The current production for the second crop sits at 104,461 tonnes which is 71.4% of the estimate for the crop. This brings the annual figure so far for 2015 to 185,604 tonnes which GuySuCo says is 81.6% of the estimate for sugar for the entire year. This figure is modest compared to GuySuCo’s production in its peak years.

Due to the performance by the estates, the weekly target of 10,000 tonnes was surpassed by 76 tonnes.

The statement by GuySuCo also said that Skeldon’s cogen-

eration plant exported to the Guyana Power and Light Inc 1,606,000 KWh of electricity, bringing the year-to-date value to 31,858,000 KWh. The weekly output has increased significantly from the week prior which was 1,213,000 KWh of electricity using bagasse fuel.

The corporation is still in talks to buy back the cogeneration plant from the special interest company Skeldon Energy Inc (SEI) that purchased the plant earlier this year under the PPP/C administration. Thomas had previously told Stabroek News that by taking the plant “… out of the equation, you are reducing, significantly, the income that can be generated out of Skeldon.”

He had noted that a request was sent to the Minister of Agriculture to halt the sale and the full transfer to SEI, but that this process was likely to take time.

Six estates continue to grind as Uitvlugt competed its crop as of October 17 due to a lack of canes.

known of the extension, there was evidence that there were many such complaints. Moreover, it was my view that exact numbers would become available when the matter became inter partes and the Court had the benefit of full evidence not only from the Applicant, but also from the EBC,” the judge held.

In applying the law, Dean-Armorer said while the EBC, under Section 71 (8) of the Constitution is vested with power to regulate its own procedure, “it was however questionable whether an alteration in polling times was a matter of procedure or whether the times were established, so as to ensure certainty as to voting times.” “I also considered whether the allegation that the EBC had omitted to alert the Applicant’s party of the extension in a timely manner may have further exacerbated the illegality. In my view, it was arguable that this factor may have taken the extension of time beyond a mere breach of Election Rules 46,” she said, adding that they were issues which ought to be ventilated at a full hearing.

See Hike in teachers from pg. 15 “I said it before and I will say it again. We have been undervaluing our teachers, underpaying our teachers and this is something we have to address. Getting teachers better pay is a high priority,” he told this publication.

Meanwhile, the GTU’s proposal will be handed over to the Education Ministry soon, given that the current agreement will end in December.

The agreement also sought to address an anomaly that has been existing for years: teachers who have been in the system for years receiving the same salary as that of a teacher of the same status, who has recently joined the profession.

While the attention is on increasing salaries for teachers, Minister Roopnaraine was not oblivious to the fact that many teachers in the school system do not perform as they should.

“We have not been doing enough to hold negligent teachers to book.

I will admit that at once. I don’t think that we have been robust in getting teachers to deliver the curriculum and performing. This is something we will have to sit and discuss with the union and other stakeholders,” he said.

And on that note, he said that the ministry is willing to consider licensing teachers as part of a wide effort to ensure they undergo continuous professional development.

By Tajeram Mohabir

Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

29

World News Highlights

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON The European Union and United States said on Thursday they would temporarily ease some sanctions on Belarus after its release of political prisoners and what some regard as an easing of repression in the close Russian ally.

NEW YORK - An assistant to a Macau billionaire facing U.S. charges that he helped bribe a former United Nations General Assembly president may be released on a $2 million bond, despite prosecutors’ concerns he might flee, a U.S. judge ruled Thursday.

MEXICO CITY - Cuban President Raul Castro will meet his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto during a three-day

state visit early next month, Mexico’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.

reflecting his stronger position since Russia joined the war on his side.

nist Party said on Thursday, a move aimed at alleviating demographic strains on the economy.

ISTANBUL - Turkey’s ruling AK Party has increased its support by six percentage points ahead of a snap election on Sunday, pollster Adil Gur said on Thursday, enough to form a single-party majority after falling short in a June poll.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of precision bomb kits valued at $70 million to Turkey, a member of NATO and a key part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Syria, the Pentagon said Thursday.

BAMAKO - Mali’s army has killed five Islamist fighters believed to have been behind a series of attacks along the border with Burkina Faso, a spokesman said on Thursday.

LIMA - The government of Peru President Ollanta Humala said Thursday that it was lifting a state of emergency to start talks with local leaders over MMG Ltd’s $7.4 billion Las Bambas copper project.

YANGON - An opposition lawmaker and two other people were attacked with machetes and injured on Thursday, in the first serious violent incident in campaigning for Myanmar’s historic Nov.8 election, his campaign manager said.

VIENNA - Washington stuck to its demand on Thursday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leave power, ahead of peace talks which will include Assad’s main ally Iran for the first time,

BEIJING - China will ease family planning restrictions to allow all couples to have two children after decades of a strict onechild policy, the ruling Commu-

Cops find suicide notes of rights activist

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RIME Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the police are in possession of several suicide notes which were reportedly written by now dead social and human rights activist Zenita Temall Nicholson.Nicholson, who worked with the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) and also partnered with other rights and social groups, died on Monday morning at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where she was rushed after complaining of feeling unwell and later confirming that she had ingested several carbon tablets.

The Crime Chief said the woman had asked her reputed husband to pass the letters out to her relatives, but, for some reason, this was not done. This publication is unclear as to how long the letters were written since there has been no immediate confirmation whether or not those letters were dated.

The Crime Chief told the Guyana Chronicle that the police will continue treating the case as a suicide, given the statement provided to them by the woman’s best friend, who said that moments before she passed away, Ms Nicholson had admitted to him that she had ingested

the carbon tablets.

Blanhum was, however, careful to state that the woman’s post-mortem will be conducted, and if it is found that the woman had died as a result of something other than suicide, the focus of the investigation would have to be shifted.

Zenita Nicholson has gone down in history as the first Guyanese to be awarded an International Woman of Courage Award from the United States Embassy here last year, she was described as a leading rights activist.

The police facts reveal that, on Monday morning her husband telephoned a male friend of the woman’s requesting that he show up at their home to take her to the hospital, since she was not feeling well. The woman, however, had in the past informed the friend that anytime a call should come to his phone from hers, he should ask to speak with her.

When the male friend answered the call on Monday morning, the woman’s reputed husband was on the line, and the friend asked to speak with the woman, who came on the phone and confirmed that she indeed was not feeling well, and requested that he show up to take her to the hospital. Once at

MADRID - Four African migrants drowned and up to 35 were missing after their boat sank in the Mediterranean in the early hours of Thursday around 40 miles (65 km) north of the Moroccan coast, Spanish sea rescue services said.

BENGHAZI, Libya - Unidentified warplanes have carried out air strikes on Libya’s Sirte city, targeting areas controlled by Islamic State militants in the south and west, an eyewitness said on Thursday.

ROME - Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino, tainted by an expenses scandal, on Thursday withdrew the resignation he had tendered three weeks ago under pressure from Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, causing ructions in their Democratic Party (PD).

BAGHDAD - Around 15 rockets landed on Thursday near a camp next to Baghdad International Airport holding members of an exiled Iranian opposition group, an Iraqi military spokesman said.

B E I J I N G / WA S H I N G T O N - The Chinese and U.S. navies held high-level talks on Thursday after a U.S. warship challenged China’s territorial assertions in the South China Sea, and a U.S. official said both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and follow protocols to avoid clashes.

Gov’t in talks with PPP for return of Red House land

- being considered as research centre for all presidents

T Zenita Nicholson when she accepted the Woman of Courage Award last year the woman’s residence, her reputed husband joined the vehicle, and the woman confided in the friend that she had ingested ten carbon tablets.

She had recently shared this post on Facebook regarding suicide: “Many people think that a suicide attempt is a selfish move because the person just does not care about the people left behind. I can tell you that when a person gets to that point, they truly believe that their loved ones will be much better off with them gone. This is mental illness, not selfishness.” Many of her friends and colleagues were shocked at the news of her demise, remembering her jovial personality and her ability to inspire them.

hough saying the “Red House” deal was a criminal one, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams today disclosed that the Government through his Office has been engaged in discussion with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for the return of the property.

Given the fact, that the Red House property was one of the State he said it should not be used as a research centre for one president but all presidents, an issue that will be addressed

during the ongoing discussions.

Although being a property of the State, the Red house land was transferred under the guise of a lease which was grossly undervalued.

The Red House was restored using public funds amounting to millions of dollars but was transferred on a lease agreement for 99 years for $1000 a month to what was established as the Cheddi Jagan Research Inc., the company set up to run the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.

30

Caribbean Star Newspaper Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. — Willie Nelson WEEKLY HOROSCOPE October 30–November 5, 2015

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.

ARIES

(March 21-April 19) You’re never going to get everything done that you’d like to get done if you don’t call on the help of a couple of your pals. This project is bigger than you are. And besides, they’d all love an excuse to put their heads together. One of the things you’re going to learn this week is that, even though you’re often the one to initiate group activities, your friends aren’t slouches. And they know how to have fun. This weekend, a few of you are going to go on an adventure together, and it’s totally going to pay off.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22) The week is going to begin with a bang. Well, with a clash. A power struggle, to be exact. Not exactly the best Monday you’ve ever had, but you’ll get through it relatively unscathed. (The secret? Let this person have their way. No big deal.) This whole week is going to be an exercise in letting things slide right off your back. You have way too many great things going on in your life to be weighed down by the weird dramas everyone wants to involve you in. This weekend, you’re going to have a great time in a social situation -- you’re going to be the life of a party.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You are a talented conversationalist. Today you’re going to meet a perfect stranger and you’re going to have a terrific conversation about work, the world, whatever. People take quickly to you. It’s no wonder you have so many friends. This week is about expanding your horizons on several levels. Pick up a book you’ve been meaning to read for a while. Or book a faraway trip. Or do something crazy with this new romantic interest in your life. Thursday and Friday promise to be particularly romantic.

You’re going to spend the weekend figuring out exactly where this relationship is heading.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20) Today you’re in a funk. But don’t worry. As soon as you get what’s bugging you off your chest, you’ll feel so much better. Tuesday you still might be feeling a little sluggish, but by Wednesday or Thursday your mood will start to really change for the better. What’s more, romance is going to figure strongly into your weekend, particularly on Saturday. And who doesn’t love a little love? If you’re single, expect to meet someone, and if you’re already with someone, expect to have a great night out together. Don’t be afraid to spend a luxurious Sunday relaxing in bed.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) More and more you’re realizing there are lots of ways to get things done, and maybe some of your old ways were better suited to a younger, more reckless you. Now that you have your eye on the future -- a big, bright future -- you’re finding that you no longer have patience for systems that don’t work. Just like you don’t have any room for clutter. And that goes for people, too. Friends who take and take and never give back? Cross them off the list. It’s a drastic move, but it has to be done. Spend your energy on the friends you love and adore.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) It’s true that sometimes the best plans fall apart, but that doesn’t mean you should never make plans. How are you going to get where you want to go if you don’t have a couple goals in mind?

The trick is simply to always have a backup plan. Although, frankly, you’re probably not going to need one -- not this week at least. You’re going to make more advances on your short-term goals this week than you ever thought possible. This weekend, indulge yourself with some fun and relaxation. Let yourself unwind a little.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20) You have strong ideas, but that doesn’t mean you’re not open to learning new things. The smartest person in the world is the person who knows they don’t know everything. Still, you’re not shy intellectually, and when someone wants to get into it with you on Monday, you’re going to be game. You like a friendly debate now and again. As for the rest of the week, well, you still haven’t figured out what to do about this career issue that’s been bugging you, and by Wednesday or Thursday you’re probably going to want to spend some time getting advice from friends who’ve made decisions like this one before.

LIBRA

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Ah, romance. You’ve been waiting for a day like this Monday for a long time. Certainly you’ve been in the mood for love lately.

But your career, your family and your home life have been conspiring against you for a while.

So, as the week begins, let yourself get totally lost in this person’s affections. Even though Tuesday, by comparison, is going to be tough -with love on the brain, it’s really hard to focus on work stuff -- the rest of the week you’ll be able to devote yourself almost exclusively to you-know-who. Maybe even consider calling in sick a day or two. Why not? You deserve it.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18) The moment you want something done, it’s practically taken care of. That’s how effective you are these days. This, of course, puts the burden on you: What is it you really want? Where are you going? And who do you want to be by your side when you get there?

Share these questions with a great pal or a romantic partner. Just talking these things through can really help you define your feelings. The more you figure out about yourself, the more you realize you still have to learn. That’s the big learning this week. The weekend is going to yield its share of discoveries as well.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22) You’d love to buy a new car and a new house and four new pairs of jeans, but that might not be the wisest thing to do right now. You’re going to have to prioritize. And why the sudden interest in material stuff anyway?

By Tuesday or Wednesday you’re going to have a change of heart. You might find yourself thinking more philosophically than usual. Let yourself daydream and don’t be afraid to take an unusual path home. Who knows what you’ll discover along the way. Don’t let anyone put the pressure on you to move faster this week. You’re the driver of this car. You choose the speed.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Everything was just fine at home for a while there. Now the whole house seems to be about ready to collapse. What happened?

And what can you do to fix it? If the problem is interpersonal, the direct approach is always best. If the problem is actually structural, call someone who can help. You want to get everything squared away by Wednesday, because Wednesday you’re going to be preoccupied by a certain you-know-who. (A love interest.

Hubba, hubba.) Thursday and Friday are going to be consumed with work matters, but the weekend is all about matters of the heart.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20) You would like to teach the world to sing, but you don’t really have any way of doing that. And besides, some people just aren’t born singers. Your constant quest to help everyone around you is admirable, but sometimes it’s just not realistic -- especially on weeks like this, when you have so much going on in your own life. On Thursday and Friday, you’re going to feel a little lost in your own head. You thought you knew what you wanted but now everything seems to be up in the air again. Don’t rush this. Take it easy.

Plan for a mellow weekend.

Barbados minister calls for reassessment of concessional financing criteria

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MINISTER OF FINANCE CHRISTOPHER SINCKLER

RIDGETOWN, Barbados, Tuesday October 27, 2015 – Minister of Finance Christopher Sinckler has added his voice to the calls for international financial institutions to reassess and remove the statistical measure of per capita GDP in determining which countries receive access to concessional financing.

“It has been and continues to be an incomplete, incorrect and wholly inconsiderate measure based on what we know constitutes development within the region. It has cut many of our countries, still in their very formative years in their march towards development status, off from concessional financing to the extent where we have been thrown aghast into the stormy waters of the international capital markets and have suffered substantially for it,” he said yesterday.

“We believe that the data which we collect on an array of issues and that constitute something as poignant and powerful as the United Nations Development

Index is a far better way of understanding who should get access to concessional financing and for what reasons.”

Sinckler made the call yesterday while delivering the feature 40th Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians, the 25th Meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee and the 8th Regional Statistical Research Seminar.

He said it was necessary to move away from the aged-old and accepted, though very dangerous practice, of believing that conjecture and anecdotal evidence would suffice for robust policy planning and appropriate interventions. Sinckler stressed, therefore, that Caribbean countries must work together to ensure their national systems were strengthened, sustainable, transparent and open.

“I am satisfied that we in the Caribbean have worked hard and made substantial strides toward producing quality data, with some gaps in between.

But when compared with some other

regions, I believe we have done exceedingly well given our resource constraints,” he argued.

“But I would be even more satisfied and elated if within our region, we can utilize the experiences we have developed over the decades to work with our developmental institutions both national, regional and international to form an appropriately-designed, properly-resourced and sustainable regional development statistical gateway, in which developmental and economic statistics can be gathered at the click of a button in a central place, to better allow us to not just plan our national agenda, but to map them with what is happening within our region and beyond.”

Underscoring the importance of the regional development statistical gateway, Sinckler said he found it disconcerting that some in the region only seemed to be able to respond “punctiliously” when statistical data was demanded by international financial institutions.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

Entertainment News

Irrfan Khan is the new face of Rajasthan Tourism

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rrfan has had a fantastic year with back-to-back successes.

The ace actor recently became the face of a special campaign for Rajasthan, called Resurgent Rajasthan.

The actor has been submerged in work commitments both Bollywood and Hollywood. However, he took some time off last week and took a 2 day trip to Jaipur.

Irrfan had previously met the chief minister, Vasundhara Raje for the cam-

paign and this time around discussed the campaign and the way forward on it.

Irrfan comes from the state and wants to help in whatever way possible. He is personally looking into the campaign and how things are shaping on ground.

He truly believes in giving his all to the projects he is associated with!

Kate Hudson's son is a 'ladies' man'

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ctress Kate Hudson believes her 11-year-old son Ryder - whom she has with ex-husband Chris Robinson - will have no trouble finding a girlfriend when he grows up because he loves female attention.

Speaking on American talk show Live! With Kelly and Michael, Hudson said: "Ryder is like a ladies' man and a bit of a fashion-forward-type-hipster and really anti-everything, too," reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"So right now, all his friends have cellphones and I'm not letting him have one and he's like, 'It's cool.' He likes to be anti-establishment, which is

also like his father," she added.

However, the 36-year-old actor says her youngest son, four-year-old Bingham, who she has with her ex-fiance Matthew Bellamy, couldn't be anymore different from Ryder as he seems to be a "little goth" and "loves hard metal music".

"I was just talking to Bingham on the phone and he wants to be a vampire (for Halloween) because he has these little vampire teeth," she said about Bingham.

"Usually, kids are scared of blood, but he's just like 'I want blood all over my face' and I'm like 'Oh my gosh!'

"I think Bing might be a little goth. He loves hard metal music and it's weird because none of us are like that in the house," she added.

Daniel Craig tips `fabulous` Niall Horan as next James Bond

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f you ask Daniel Craig, "Who will be the next James Bond?," he will suit up Niall Horan as the British agent.

The 47-year-old actor, who will be starring in the recent 007 installment, Spectre, offered his seal of approval when asked if the One Direction singer could fill the iconic secret service agent's shoes, reports E! Online.

Craig said in an interview that the 22-year-old singer is a good man and would be absolutely fabulous in the films.

Further, giving his piece of advice to the future Bond, Craig said. "Just enjoy it and make it the best you can. That's all I've ever tried with these films is to make the movies as memorable as possible."

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Lawyer: Salman Khan was falsely booked; panchnama, site map fabricated

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he lawyer of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan today argued in the Bombay High Court that the panchnama and site maps were fabricated by police to falsely book the actor under the grave charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the 2002-hit-and-run case.

The HC is hearing an appeal filed by Salman who was awarded a five-year sentence on May 6 after a sessions court found him guilty of ramming his car into a shop in 2002, killing one person and injuring four others sleeping outside.

"The panchnama and site maps are fabricated and cannot be relied upon... These were prepared to invoke section 304 II of IPC (culpable homicide) and also to add the element of 'drunkness and rashness' to make the charges graver", argued Salman's lawyer Amit Desai.

"Not just this, the police and prosecuting agency had ignored the statement of Salman Khan's family driver Ashok Singh who has claimed that he was driving the car on the ill-fated day when the mishap occurred," Desai submitted.

"Ashok Singh (Salman's driver and defence witness) came to you (Bandra police station)...You did not interrogate him, you did not record his statement, you have not cared to investigate," the lawyer said.

Moreover, crucial witnesses like Salman's actor-brother Sohail, who was with Salman at 'Rain Bar and Restaurant' and singer Kamaal Khan, who was also in the bar and in the actor's car when the mishap had occurred, were not examined in the court, Desai said.

"Besides, police constable late Ravindra Patil's claim that there was a dent in a stutter at A-1 Bakery-American Express Laundry because of the impact of the accident, does not corroborate what Samba Gowda, the panch-witness, has said in his statement," the lawyer argued.

This panch-witness was not at the spot, the lawyer alleged. To prove this, he tabled before the court the damaged portion of the car's bumper and a piece of the shop's shutter.

Desai said "there is a scratch but not a dent or a hole" as claimed

by Ravindra Patil -- Salman's then bodyguard and the first informant who lodged FIR after the mishap.

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone`s four-year romance ends

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t's official! Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have split after being in a relationship for four years.

A source confirmed that the The Amazing Spider-Man costars called it quits a couple of months ago. However, the couple still has a lot of love for one another and they are on good terms with each another and remain close, Us Magazine reports.

Earlier, Stone and Garfield took a break from each other after they had been fighting a lot as Andrew was busy shooting for Martin Scorsese's Silence' in Taiwan.

The now exes, met on the set of The Amazing Spider-Man in 2011 and always kept mum about their relationship.

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October 30–November 5, 2015

Halle Berry, husband file for divorce

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ctress Kriti Sanon is feeling emotional as the shooting of Rohit Shetty's directorial Dilwale is almost coming to an end here. But she is looking forward to "a short Goa schedule".

"The sinking feeling of a film shoot almost coming to an end. It's been amazing 50 days here in Hyderabad. Work has never been so much fun," Kriti tweeted on Wednesday. She is all sentimental, but is also happy about returning to the film's sets in Goa soon.

"But as @iamsrk says...picture abhi baaki hai mere dost. A short Goa schedule is still left. So we'll all be back super

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scar-winning actress Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez have officially filed for divorce after two years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

Both have listed their date of separation as Monday, according to court paperwork obtained, reported People magazine.

The couple announced their divorce publicly on Tuesday, saying in a joint statement, "We move forward with love and respect for one another and the shared focus of what is best for our son."

The split was in part caused by disagreements over their living situation, according to sources.

Berry, 49, had planned to raise her two children (she has a daughter, Nahla, from another relationship) in Europe, but was never able to make the move because of ongoing custody issues with Nahla's father, Gabriel Aubry.

Meanwhile, Martinez "never loved living in LA full time," according to a source. "(He) just isn't happy in LA." While Berry asks for no spousal support for either party, and for the costs of raising their child to be shared as per terms of their prenup, Martinez asks for issues of spousal support to be sorted out at a later date.

The Die Another Day actress states that all of her earnings and assets are her

Caribbean Star Newspaper 'Dilwale' team to head to Goa

property per their pre-nup.

Both are seeking joint custody of their two-year-old son, Maceo-Robert, but Berry's filing has an attached form about visitation, saying they will "share custody as is in the best interest of the child" but that Martinez should provide transportation to and from visits and need permission to take Maceo out of California.

The 49-year-old French actor is represented by Hollywood divorce guru Laura Wasser, who has previously handled divorce cases for the likes of Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum, Ryan Reynolds, and many more.

Berry and Martinez met in 2010 on the set of Dark Tide. They tied the knot on July 13, 2013 in France. Maceo-Robert was born on October 5, 2013.

This is Martinez first divorce, and the third for Berry, who wed baseball player David Justice in 1993 and singer Eric Bent in 2001.

soon!#sentiwalifeeling," she tweeted about the shooting of the film, which also stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Varun Dhawan. Varun is also experiencing the same feeling.

Drew Barrymore's emotional tribute to mother

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ctress Drew Barrymore expressed her love to her mother Jaid in a touching tribute that she posted on social media.

In the emotional post that she posted on Instagram on Tuesday, the Big Miracle actress admitted that she had a bad relationship with her mother in the past, reports aceshowbiz.com.

"Today I wrote a book. And as I thank and celebrate many women this week, I must say a huge thank you to my mother," Barrymore wrote alongside a blackand-white image of her as a little girl holding an ice cream while sitting on her mom's lap.

The 40-year-old actress then quoted what she wrote in the acknowledgements in her book Wildflower.

"As I say in the acknowledgments, 'Thank you for my life. I am ever so pleased to be here!' We have had quite a road, but it is paved with gratitude. #amazingwomenweek #wildflowerbook and thank you to the @drewseum for the photo!" she wrote.

Indian-American filmmaker wins award at New York festival

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mmy Award nominated Indian-American filmmaker Tirlok Malik won the best feature film award as also a special Outstanding Achievement in the Multicultural Arts at the International Film Festival Manhattan.

Malik received the Outstanding Achievement award in Acting, Filmmaking, and Immigrant Advocacy last week at the festival which shows films, which deal with social issues, according to a media release. The festival has the most diverse selection of world class films and a focus on social issues and advocacy as part of the programming and goals.

Many of Malik's films like Lonely In America, Khushiyaan, On Golden Years deal with the effects of migration in America.

"I am happy to be a part of this festival and I feel honoured for this award," said Malik.

Malik also received the Best Feature Film (USA) award for On Golden Years.

Luis Pedron, co-founder of the festival, said: "The film On Golden Years deals with social issues of retirement that mil-

lions of first generation immigrants face in their lives."

Films from many countries such as Israel, Australia, Philippines, Sweden, Singapore, USA were shown at IFFM. Written and directed by Malik, On Golden Years is inspired by the book Seeking Roots by Iggy Ignatius, who is also the codirector of the film.

The film starring Ranjit Chowdhry, Jyoti Singh, Reeves Lehmann, Shetal Shah, Noor Naghmi and Tirlok Malik among others has been shot at the Indian retirement community Shantiniketan in Florida.

Malik has recently launched a website www.nritvfilmclub.com which streams Indian American movies.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

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Harbhajan Singh's buddies bowl a doosra W hile Geeta Basra's mehendi ceremony on Monday night had the bride-to-be flaunting the intricate henna patterns on her hands along with secretly inscribed HS— Harbhajan Singh's initials— the ultimate excitement turned out to be Bhajji's surprise visit to the function.

However, we hear it wasn't planned — Harbhajan was taken to the venue by his friends. According to a source, who was a part of the gang that convinced the off-spinner to land up at the venue, it took them a while to execute their operation. "The buddies were at the cricketer's house and were chit chatting. One of them tossed the idea and it took almost one hour to get on with the task," said the source. Bhajji, along with 25 friends, ventured out from their home and paid a visit, besides meeting the guests there. We hear initially Bhajji was hesitant but then his friends simply did not give up.

"The action went on for quite some time as the bride's side was happy to have the mundey valey (boy's side) add to the celebrations. The boy gang stayed at the mehendi venue— on the outskirts of Jalandhar— for long. They danced for a while and also interacted with Basra. Also, there was a special shayari session along with cracking of jokes."

The fact that it was an unplanned visit can be figured out from the way Bhajji was dressed. He was spotted in a casual T-shirt. We hear Bhajji stood quiet and was a little shy, as his friends from school, childhood and the cricket field kept taking the banter to a different level.

Bhajji's wedding functions are full of surprise Cricketer Harbhajan Singh's wedding with actress Geeta Basra is constantly springing surprises. With what's being perceived as a highly secretive affair, the lavish itinerary and programme details are not even revealed to guests.

While there are restrictions on mobile phones and cameras, there are more than 150 bouncers from Mumbai and Punjab who are guarding the area and keeping a close watch on everything.

Sources said the cricketer had also asked for police security, owing to the rising tension in Punjab over the desecration of a bir of Guru Granth Sahib.

On Tuesday night, the sangeet ceremony of the couple took place at a farmhouse, located amid green fields near Phagwara— 20 km from Jalandhar. The cricketer was seen sporting white pajami teamed with a pink kurta, turban and an embroidered waist-coat.

Sources say the couple has planned to opt for traditional attire a long time back. And for all the functions, including the wedding on October 29, special emphasis is on traditional designer clothes.

Things are being planned well in advance with chefs being flown in from abroad, including the US. Bollywood singer Mika and Gurdas Maan gave a

splendid performance at the sangeet.

The mehndi for the guests at Bhajji's house was done by artists from Mumbai and Delhi.

Separate importance has been given to the sweets section. The cricketer has roped in a Jalandhar-based sweet house for the Shagun ceremony on the eve of their wedding. According to the information, 12 platters (thaal) of sweets include two thaal each of badam barfi, anjeer barfi, kaju barfi, shahi dry fruit chikki, and ladoo are being prepared along with 10 boxes of sweets, which has shahi badam pinni, chana barfi, shahi madhupak, shahi patisa and super soft milk cake. Besides the choice

of sweets, the off-spinner has ordered fruit baskets, dry fruit platters etc.

Wedding plans The wedding, which will happen on Thursday, is going to see several guests including some cricketers too. We hear Nita Ambani and her family is visiting to bless the newlyweds. Cricketers like Pragyan Ojha and Bhajji's teammates from Punjab too will attend the wedding. The ceremony of Anand Karaj will take place at a Gurdwara at Guru Nanak Mission Netarheen Birdh Ashram near Jalandhar. Also, the plume which will be affixed to cricketer's turban on the wedding has been made in Baroda.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

Caribbean Connections

Grenada PM makes plea for more Caribbean Airlines flights

CARICOM observer mission identifies deficiencies in Haiti elections

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ORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Wednesday October 28, 2015 – Despite the significantly reduced cases of violence in Sunday’s presidential and legislative polls in Haiti, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) electoral observation mission said inadequate space at polling stations, anomalies pertaining to voting norms and inadequate legislation are among the issues that need to be resolved for future voting.

And it said that unless the problems are corrected, there could be “undesirable sequels in the future”.

In a preliminary statement released by chief of the mission, Dr. Robert Surujbally yesterday, the team gave a glimpse into the matters which will be discussed in it full report.

The eight-member mission, which visited 127 polling stations, pointed to: too many anomalies pertaining to voting norms, but noted that it could not be ascertained whether those were accidental or due to deficiencies in the training of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) staff; and varying methodologies in the poll practices, on occasion, being used

by CEP officers during the course of the day; for example, different fingers were stained as a form of identification.

One of the other major issues was inadequacy of physical space in polling stations.

According to the CARICOM team, this led to the secrecy of the ballot being compromised (persons inside and outside of the Polling Stations could see for whom the voter was casting his/ her ballot), and also resulted in party agents being too close to CEP staff, “thus, on occasion, intimidating the officers”.

The areas in which CEP staff had to operate were described by the mission as being “sauna-like conditions” which occasionally led to frayed nerves, although the team never saw any altercations be between CEP officials and voters evolving into physical confrontations.

“Nevertheless it was the considered opinion of the team that five polling stations in one room would obviously not be conducive to an optimal working environment,” the mission said, noting that having several polling stations in one building led to some degree of turbulence at the entrance of the polling station complex.

“The absence of trained, qualified and experienced ushers (information clerks/ ‘orienteurs’) exacerbated this problem.”

As for the tabulation of votes, the CARICOM mission said there would be more transparency if the methodology of processing the tally sheets – not the content of the tally sheets – was shared with political parties and other important stakeholders.

“It would help matters if, prior to the elections, relevant laws were to be enacted, so as to assist any Electoral Court/Tribunal in carrying out its deliberations,” it added.

The electoral mission also suggested that the Provisional Electoral Council should be a permanent body, rather than one whose members change with every electoral cycle, to ensure that it enjoys greater autonomy and authority in handling electoral matters, particularly as it pertains to political parties.

During Sunday’s first round of presidential elections and second round of legislative elections, 53 presidential candidates vied for the support of the 5.8 million registered voters. The runoff for the second round of legislative elections, for seats for the Lower House and the Senate in Haiti’s 119 constituencies, followed the August 9 first round which about 2,000 candidates from over 100 political parties contested.

Spokesman for Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council Dumel Richardson said preliminary results could be issued in about 10 days but final results are not expected until at least late November.

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T. GEORGE’S, Grenada, Wednesday October 28, 2015 – Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has pleaded with his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart to help renew negotiations with Caribbean Airlines (CAL) to expand flights in and out of St. George’s.

He made the plea during recent talks with Dr. Keith Rowley in the twin-island republic, saying that the reduction in CAL flights was having a negative impact on the island’s economic development and it needed to be addressed urgently, even if it meant Grenada providing a small subsidy. “ . . . Not only in relation to difficulties being encountered by visitors travelling to Grenada, which impacted the tourism sector, but also by the agriculture and fisheries sectors which were being negatively impacted through the inability to access export markets,” a government statement said.

According to the Grenadian leader, the productive sectors had already experienced sharp declines in prices and there were huge build-ups in domestic stocks of both fish and agricultural products.

“Prime Minister Rowley was extremely enthusiastic in his support for an urgent

meeting among the CAL representatives and representatives from the Grenada Government and Airport Authority, in order to immediately identify the options for expanded CAL services to Grenada,” the statement said.

The general manager of the Grenada Airport Authority is scheduled to begin meetings with representatives from CAL this week.

The meeting in Port of Spain between the two Heads was the first of its kind since Rowley assumed office after the general elections in Trinidad and Tobago in early September.

During the talks, Rowley also committed the technical support of professionals from the twin-island republic, including The two leaders noted that given Trinidad and Tobago’s relatively advanced stage of development in petro-carbon development, the government would provide technical assistance to Grenada to urgently evaluate the options for rapid development of the sector.

Mitchell said he would move speedily to put a team in place to work with Trinidad and Tobago to explore all options in energy cooperation and advancement.

GRENADA’S PRIME MINISTER DR. KEITH MITCHELL (LEFT) AND TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO’S LEADER DR. KEITH ROWLEY AGREED ON SEVERAL AREAS OF COOPERATION.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

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NASA confirms water flows on Mars, raising chances life exists there

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ASHINGTON, United States, Wednesday October 28, 2015 – Recent findings from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that water flows intermittently on present-day Mars, increasing the chances of the planet being home to some form of life.

Using an imaging spectrometer on MRO, researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen on the Red Planet. These darkish streaks appear to ebb and flow over time. They darken and appear to flow down steep slopes during warm seasons, and then fade in cooler seasons. They appear in several locations on Mars when temperatures are above -10 degrees Fahrenheit (- 23 Celsius), and disappear at colder times.

“Our quest on Mars has been to ‘follow the water,’ in our search for life in the universe, and now we have convincing science that validates what we’ve long suspected,” said John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

“This is a significant development, as it appears to confirm that water — albeit briny — is flowing today on the surface of Mars.”

These downhill flows, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), often have been described as possibly related to liquid water. The new findings of hydrated salts on the slopes point to what that relationship may be to these dark features. The hydrated salts would lower the freezing point of a liquid brine, just as salt on roads here on Earth causes ice and snow to melt more rapidly. Scientists say it’s likely a shallow subsurface flow, with enough water wicking to the surface to explain the darkening.

“We found the hydrated salts only when the seasonal features were widest, which suggests that either the dark streaks themselves or a process that forms them is the source of the hydration. In either case, the detection of hydrated salts on these slopes means that water plays a vital role in the formation of these streaks,” said Lujendra Ojha of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, lead author of a report on these findings published Sept. 28 by Nature Geoscience.

Ojha first noticed these puzzling features as a University of Arizona undergraduate student in 2010, using images from the MRO’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). HiRISE observations now have documented RSL at dozens of sites on Mars. The new study pairs HiRISE observations with mineral mapping by MRO’s Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM).

The spectrometer observations show signatures of hydrated salts at multiple RSL locations, but only when the dark features were relatively wide. When the researchers looked at the same locations and RSL weren’t as extensive, they detected no hydrated salt.

Ojha and his co-authors interpret the spectral signatures as caused by hy-

drated minerals called perchlorates. The hydrated salts most consistent with the chemical signatures are likely a mixture of magnesium perchlorate, magnesium chlorate and sodium perchlorate. Some perchlorates have been shown to keep liquids from freezing even when conditions are as cold as minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 Celsius). On Earth, naturally produced perchlorates are concentrated in deserts, and some types of perchlorates can be used as rocket propellant.

Perchlorates have previously been seen on Mars. NASA’s Phoenix lander and Curiosity rover both found them in the planet’s soil, and some scientists believe that the Viking missions in the 1970s measured signatures of these salts. However, this study of RSL detected perchlorates, now in hydrated form, in different areas than those explored by the landers. This also is the first time perchlorates have been identified from orbit.

MRO has been examining Mars since 2006 with its six science instruments.

“The ability of MRO to observe for multiple Mars years with a payload able to see the fine detail of these features has enabled findings such as these: first identifying the puzzling seasonal streaks and now making a big step towards explaining what they are,” said Rich Zurek, MRO project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

For Ojha, the new findings are more proof that the mysterious lines he first saw darkening Martian slopes five years ago are, indeed, present-day water.

“When most people talk about water on Mars, they’re usually talking about ancient water or frozen water,” he said.

“Now we know there’s more to the story. This is the first spectral detection that unambiguously supports our liquid water-formation hypotheses for RSL.” The discovery is the latest of many

breakthroughs by NASA’s Mars missions.

“It took multiple spacecraft over several years to solve this mystery, and now we know there is liquid water on the surface of this cold, desert planet,” said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA’s Mars

Exploration Program at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “It seems that the more we study Mars, the more we learn how life could be supported and where there are resources to support life in the future.”

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTED FOR THE TWENTY-FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR AN END TO THE UNITED STATES ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL EMBARGO ON CUBA. A TALLY OF THE VOTE IS DISPLAYED ELECTRONICALLY ON TWO SCREENS. (UN PHOTO/CIA PAK)

Resolution for end of trade embargo against Cuba passed yet again

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EW YORK, United States, Wednesday October 28, 2015 – Countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were among the 191 nations calling for an end to the decades-old US trade embargo on Cuba, as the United Nations yesterday adopted the resolution for a 24th consecutive year.

The United States, which recently relaxed restrictions and resumed diplomatic ties, continued to cast a “no” vote.

In a near unanimous vote, the 193-member UN General Assembly adopted a resolution renewing its call for an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the US against Cuba, while also acknowledging the restoration, after nearly 50 years, of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

By a vote of 191 in favour to two

against – Israel and the United States –, the Assembly welcomed the resumption of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba, announced last July, and the willingness of American President Barack Obama to work towards the lifting of the economic, financial and trade embargo against Cuba.

Having taken up the text for the past 24 years, the Assembly reiterated its call to all states to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures not conforming with their obligations un the UN Charter and international law, which reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation.

The Assembly “once again urges States that have and continue to apply such laws and measures to take the necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible,” the text added.

Teenage pregnancy in Jamaica on the decline, says women’s centre

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INGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday October 27, 2015 – Executive Director of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) Dr. Zoe Simpson says the rate of teenage pregnancy in Jamaica is trending down, as a result of several interventions by Government.

She said the adolescent pregnancy rate in 1978 was approximately 31-32 per cent, compared to 18 per cent in 2008, following a research done by the Centre, adding that the rate of adolescent pregnancy is trending down, based on the WCJF’s recruitment patterns.

“About five years ago we had about 1,500 girls registered in the programme across the island. After that we had 1,402, then 1,400, and then 1,376. Our last count was 1,288. We do not see all the girls . . . but then we also keep a tab on the girls who do not access the programme and we are really recognizing that the numbers are trending down,” she said.

“We really don’t want to see the girls pregnant, so we are happy to see the numbers trending down, but there is a lot more work to be done,” she added.

Dr. Simpson also disclosed that girls are

getting pregnant at a later age – between 16 years and 17 years, when they are out of secondary school – and the second pregnancy rate among girls who participate in the Centre’s programme has remained below two per cent.

“The girls who come to the women’s centre are less likely to have repeat pregnancies as against those girls who do not come. That’s the reason why we encourage girls to come to this programme of intervention,” she said.

The WCJF was established in 1978 in response to the high level of adolescent pregnancies in the country at the time. It provides continuing education for adolescent mothers and the return of school age mothers to school. The executive director said the girls are equipped with skills “to be able to navigate the other issues that confront them, even beyond this pregnancy.”

“So, we help them to recognize that they must get up. We will walk beside them and we encourage the parents to do the same and we encourage the wider society to do the same,” Dr. Simpson said, adding that the majority of the girls go back to school to complete their education.

October 30–November 5, 2015 37 Caribbean Star Newspaper Another newborn dies in bacterial outbreak in Jamaica; minister criticized for saying babies not “real”

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INGSTON, Jamaica, Wednesday October 28, 2015 – Health Minister Dr. Fenton Ferguson yesterday disclosed that another baby has died in the current outbreak of bacterial infections at two public hospitals, and also ruffled feathers when he suggested that the infants were not “real” babies.

The revelation and backlash came as Ferguson was grilled in Parliament over the outbreaks of Klebsiella and Serratia bacterial infections at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and Cornwall Regional Hospital.

The latest death – which brings to 19 the number of babies that died as a result of the infections, most of them premature – occurred at Cornwall.

Ferguson said a total of 483 babies were admitted to hospitals’ special care nurseries since the crisis started in June. Of

HEALTH MINISTER DR. FENTON FERGUSON CAME UNDER FIRE YESTERDAY. those, 45 (9.3 per cent) had illnesses attributed to the bacterial infection.

He added that most of them were less than seven months old and weighed less than two pounds.

“When babies are born under seven months, their organs are

Bahamas makes bid to become first Caribbean nation on UN Human Rights Council

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ASSAU, Bahamas, Tuesday October 27, 2015 – The Bahamas will tomorrow try to make history by becoming the first English-speaking Caribbean country to sit on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

“There is the Latin American and Caribbean group but no one from the Caribbean group has ever sat on the Council. We think it is time,” Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell said ahead of the vote at the UN headquarters in New York that follows a vigorous campaign by the Bahamas.

“We think, more importantly, that we have something to contribute and, amongst other things, we believe that the world’s interest in migration at the moment is a subject to which The Bahamas can contribute. We experience thousands of economic migrants coming to our shores without leave every year and it is important from the Caribbean perspective on these issues to find their way into this world forum.”

The country’s campaign for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council was run “almost exclusively” by diplomats under the age of 40, most of them younger than 30.

And Mitchell said the campaign was intentionally “a young diplomat’s campaign”.

If The Bahamas secures the seat, the minister said, gender equality would be at the top of the agenda.

“The government stands behind the amendments to the constitution to give women full rights in this country; to allow single men to pass on their citizenship to their children. The government believes that women should enjoy equal rights, equal pay and equal pay for work of equal value,” he said.

But even without a win, he said, the experience would have given the young diplomats “the opportunity to punch above their weight, and test the global waters on the influence and impact which our small country has on the world stage”.

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not well developed . . . their immune systems are significantly compromised, so I don’t want anyone to give any impression that these are babies in the real sense,” the minister said, prompting an uproar from the Opposition benches.

“I’m talking about neonates

versus full-term babies, and that is why they end up in the nurseries because they have special issues,” Ferguson quickly added.

The comments received not only backlash in the House of Representatives but on social media as well.

Yesterday the health minister again faced calls for his resignation. But as he did before, he insisted that he had not done anything wrong and he acted as soon as he found out about the outbreaks, although he admitted that he was not made aware until a few weeks ago.

He also pointed out that two people – chief executive officer of the UHWI Dr Cecil White and the hospital’s medical chief of staff Professor Trevor McCartney – have resigned and “the matter of culpability is being pursued”.

And in her first public com-

ment on the matter, Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller expressed “hope” that all the necessary measures are put in place to prevent a repeat.

“I’m sure that all of us in this honourable House on both sides would have a feeling of sadness for what happened with the children and I hope that a system will be put in place that this will never happen again. I want to extended sympathies to members of the families and I hope that the ministry of health and the minister will look at the present system and to see what needs to be done that what happened will never ever happen again. Our children are our future and we have a responsibility to ensure the protection of our children and the future leaders of this country,” she said in a brief statement before taking her seat.

Cuba moves to protect shark population

AVANA, Cuba, Wednesday October 28, 2015 – The Cuban government, in collaboration with a US environmental group, has launched a long-term plan to protect shark populations around its shores.

The initiative, reached through two years of collaborative research with the New York-based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), will impose size and capture limits on fishermen, create closed seasons for shark-fishing, and set aside protected areas, according to officials.

Scientists believe that nearly 100 of the world’s 500 shark species swim in Cuban waters, sustained by relatively healthy coral reefs, the EDF says.

The journal Nature reports that roughly half of the 100 species of shark resident in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico have been seen in Cuban waters, moreover. Some, such as the whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus) and longfin mako (Isurus paucus), have experienced sharp declines elsewhere.

“Cuba is a kind of biodiversity epicentre for sharks,” says Robert Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida, who is one of those working with the Cuban scientists.

“The science is not at a level yet to do rigorous stock estimates, but we are moving in that direction with this plan.”

The EDF says protecting shark populations is also good business, as ecotourism is growing and a country’s marine resources are an important asset.

“Cuba is considered the crown jewel of the Caribbean, principally because of its incredible coral reef ecosystems, its mangroves, its sea grasses,” said Daniel Whittle, EDF’s Cuba program director.

“Healthy sharks mean healthy corals.

Healthy corals mean healthy sharks.”

Fishing in Cuba and overfishing and environmental degradation elsewhere in the Caribbean have taken their toll, which is why conservation needs to be international, Whittle added.

The Caribbean country already has protective measures in place such as banning “finning,” the harvesting of sharks only for their fins.

The new initiative “will empower scientists in Cuba … who will work directly with fishermen. That information will be used by managers to develop new closed areas that sharks need for nurseries, management measures to protect juveniles, rebuild populations and help sustain them,” said Whittle.

Most of what is known about Cuba’s shark populations has come from the fishing industry, which often captures sharks as by-products of its regular operations, according to Nature.

The Cuban government has already established marine protected areas along 20 percent of its coastline and is planning to expand that network within the 70,000 square kilometres of its coastal fishery. It has also begun to regulate the equipment

used in fishing.

“It’s a big step forward for Cuba and the region,” said Jorge Angulo-Valdis, head of the Marine Conservation Group at the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research and a visiting professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

“It’s time for us to get together, identify common goals in resource management and make them work.”

Both US and Cuban scientists say that the collaboration is helping to pave the way for more formal cooperation now that the two cold-war foes have re-established political relations.

In April, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sent a research vessel on a cruise around the island with Cuban scientists.

Earlier this month, US secretary of state John Kerry and Cuban officials announced at an oceans conference in Chile that the two nations were finalizing plans to cooperate on research, education and management in marine protected areas.

Cuba is now planning a regional plan for shark conservation, according to BBC News.

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October 30–November 5, 2015

CRICKET & Sports

Bancroft, Burns, Khawaja in the mix for Brisbane Test

A Amit Mishra had been asked to appear before the police in Bangalore © AFP

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Amit Mishra arrested for assault, released on bail

ndia legspinner Amit Mishra has been arrested, and subsequently released on bail, in Bangalore in connection with the case of assault filed against him by a woman on October 20. Mishra, who had been asked to report to the police within seven days, was charged with sexual harassment, criminal intimidation and causing injury, among other offences, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

“It is a bailable offence. A chargesheet will be prepared and submitted in the court,” Bangalore’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, central division, Sandeep Patil, said. He said Mishra, who had been interrogated for two hours, was free to travel outside Bangalore.

Patil had last week said the woman who had pressed charges was known to Mishra and the alleged incident occurred in end-September, when the Indian team

was in Bangalore for a training camp ahead of the South Africa tour.

Mishra is part of the India Test squad that will play South Africa in a fourmatch series beginning on November 5 in Mohali; the squad is due to assemble on November 2.

The BCCI is yet to formally react to the matter but IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said it had “taken note” of it. “We are trying to find out the details of the case,” Shukla said in New Delhi. “The moment we get details, we will look into it. We will find out whether (Mishra) is responsible for the crime or not. When we get the exact details, then only will a decision be made.”

He also said Mishra would be eligible for selection until the BCCI took a decision. “The question (of eligibility) arises only when BCCI takes a decision,” Shukla said.

Former West Indies opener Basil Williams dies at 65

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asil Williams, the former West Indies opening batsman, has died at the age of 65. Williams played seven Tests during 1978 and 1979 when the West Indies line-up was weakened by the defection of many leading players to World Series Cricket and he proved an effective replacement, scoring 469 runs at 39.08.

He also became the tenth West Indian to score a century on Test debut, when he struck 100 off 118 balls in the second innings against Australia in Georgetown in 1978. He performed well in that series and was picked for the tour of India later that year, where he scored 111 in Kolkata, but after the return of the WSC players he was dropped.

The Wisden report of Williams’ debut hundred noted that he “kept on playing his shots in spite of several narrow escapes, particularly against [Jeff] Thom-

son”, and that having scored his century he hooked the next ball and was caught at fine leg.

“We mourn the loss of another servant of the game in the Caribbean,” WICB president Dave Cameron said. “Indeed, the Jamaica Cricket Association and the Kensington Cricket Club family of which he was a part for all of his life will miss him.

“I knew ‘Shotgun’, as he was affectionately known, having been a member of Kensington for so many years. He was captain of the first team and I had the honor of playing with him. He was a tough, but fair captain and a no-nonsense guy.”

Williams made his debut for Jamaica in February 1970 and ended his first-class career in 1985. He struck five centuries in his 46-game first-class career and averaged 36.02.

ustralia’s new-look batting group will be unveiled on Friday when the squad for the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba is named.

Openers Cameron Bancroft and Joe Burns, and top-order batsman Usman Khawaja are all hoping to be part of the squad despite failing in their final chance to impress the selectors during their Sheffield Shield innings on Wednesday.

All three men, plus Shaun Marsh, were part of the 15-strong outfit named last month for the Test tour of Bangladesh, but the abandonment of that trip has left question-marks over who will be favoured for the first Test of the home summer. The Brisbane match will be Australia’s first Test since the retirements of Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers, key members of the top five over the past two years.

David Warner was set to miss the Bangladesh tour due to a fractured thumb, but he is fit to play in Brisbane and the identity of his new opening partner remains a mystery. Bancroft, 22, may get the nod as a red-ball specialist and longterm prospect, although Burns scored a century in a tour match against New Zealand at the weekend and performed well in two Tests last summer.

Khawaja appears likely to move into the No. 3 position, with captain Steven Smith considering a move down to No. 4, and Adam Voges looks set to retain his place at No. 5. That would mean the only way Burns and Bancroft could both fit into the XI would be if the selectors abandon their preference for an allrounder at No. 6, an improbable move given how keen they have been on a fifth bowling option.

It is not out of the question that Bancroft, Burns and Khawaja could all be

named in a 13-man squad, with a final decision on the XI to be made in the lead-up to the Test. All three men were comprehensively outperformed in the ongoing Sheffield Shield round by Michael Klinger, whose double-century was his 14th hundred of the past year across all formats, but his age - 35 - will go against him.

Retired captain Michael Clarke wrote in his News Ltd column on Thursday that his preference would be for Shaun Marsh to open with Warner, but that would seem a retrograde step given the opportunities he has already had. Marsh scored two centuries in the recent Matador Cup competition but managed 0 and 2 when called into the Test team during the Ashes at Trent Bridge.

Mitchell Johnson will be back in the squad after he was to be rested for the Bangladesh tour, and Josh Hazlewood may also slip back into the group after being dropped for the final Test of the Ashes series. Mitchell Starc should be a guaranteed starter given his recent form, and Peter Siddle will hope to retain his place in the squad after impressing when he replaced Hazlewood at The Oval.

Gone from the 15-man squad named for the Bangladesh tour will be fast bowler Pat Cummins, who has again suffered a back injury, and there is unlikely to be room for any of Andrew Fekete, Steve O’Keefe or Glenn Maxwell, all of whom were part of the Bangladesh squad. The squad will be named early on Friday afternoon in Adelaide.

Probable squad David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns, Steven Smith, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns are among those hoping to make the cut for the New Zealand series

Caribbean Star Newspaper BCCI to honour Virender Sehwag at a special function Sehwag will be honoured on the final day of the fourth Test at his home ground, the Feroz Shah Kotla

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ew Delhi, Oct.28 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to felicitate Virender Sehwag, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket last week, during the upcoming four-match Test series against South Africa.

India will aim to bounce back when they will take on South Africa in the first Test in Mohali on November 5 after suffering T20 and ODI series against the tourists.

According to reports, the swashbuckling batsman will be honoured on the final day of the fourth Test at his home ground Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi.

The 37-year-old explosive opener, who is popularly known as the ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’, holds multiple records including the highest score made by an Indian in Test cricket (319) and the fastest triple century in the history of international cricket (he scored 300 in 278 balls).

In a glorious international career spanning over 12 years, Sehwag has played 104 tests and scored a staggering 8,586 runs at an average of 49.34 and has amassed 8,273 runs at an average of

35.05 in 251 ODIs. Meanwhile, Sehwag has confirmed his participation in next month’s inaugural Cricket All-Stars series, co-promoted

by Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne, in the United States.

Earlier on Sunday, the BCCI had honoured former pace spearhead Zaheer Khan during the deciding ODI against South Africa at the Wankhade Stadium.

(ANI)

It is your place to add your special touch for any events that you are considering:

October 30–November 5, 2015

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Sangakkara signs up for Pakistan Super League

umar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka batsman, has enrolled for the draft of the franchise-based T20 tournament Pakistan Super League (PSL). Sangakkara has also registered for another franchise-based T20 tournament - Masters Champions League (MCL) - that is expected to run concurrently with the PSL but at different venues in the UAE. The inaugural PSL will feature five franchise-based teams from the provincial capitals - Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Islamabad - with prize money of $1 million. The tournament is scheduled to run from February 4 to 24 in Dubai and Sharjah, and will feature 24 matches.

The PCB has signed over 100 players, including big names such as Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Kevin Pietersen and Shakib Al Hasan, for the

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have signed up with the Pakistan Super League and Masters Champions League draft. The board will also hold an open auction for the five franchises and broadcast rights for the tournament in due course. The players will be picked via a draft set for December.

“Sangakkara is a worldclass sportsman and we are excited to welcome him on board,” Najam Sethi, the head of PSL, said. “He brings a wealth of experience to the PSL. His inclusion makes the player draft

even more exciting.”

While the PSL has announced the window for the event, the MCL is presently sorting its dates, which are likely to overlap with the former’s.

Mahela Jayawardene has also agreed to play in the PSL and the players’ management team said that they will prioritize the MCL, the prior commitment, over the PSL, should there be a clash.

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October 30–November 5, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

The West Indian . Oct 17, 2015 . Page 61

October 30–November 5, 2015 41 Caribbean Star Newspaper Tendulkar returns to nets, gears up for Cricket All-Stars league Sachin Tendulkar has returned to the cricket ground once again.

On Tuesday, the Little Master hit the nets ahead of the Cricket Al-Stars 2015 league that will be played in the United States.

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endulkar, in a post on his Facebook page, said that he had fun in the nets.

Brainchild of Shane Warne and Tendulkar, the T20 league will see star from the past era of cricket including Virender Sehwag, Matthew Hayden, Kumar Sangakkara, Sourav Ganguly and others.

“Had fun at the nets today.

South Africa slams 438 to flatten India in decider South Africa 438 for 4 (du Plessis 133, de Villiers 119, de Kock 109) beat India 224 (Rahane 87, Dhawan 60, Rabada 4-41) by 214 runs

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outh Africa won their first-ever bilateral series in India after Faf du Plessis’ first, Quinton de Kock’s second and AB de Villiers’ third centuries of the series helped the visitors soar to the highest total in the five matches, the highest at the Wankhede and the highest against India. They did not subject India to their biggest margin of defeat, but they did bowl them out more than 200 runs short of the target, no mean feat in batsmen-friendly conditions.

South Africa’s line-up enjoyed the track, which offered almost no bounce or turn, and applied aggression in waves reminiscent of the day nine years ago when they scored this exact number of runs against Australia at the Wanderers.

Then, South Africa were chasing, this time they were making India’s bowlers do that. India have never conceded more runs in an ODI; South Africa have scored more but only by one.

This was their sixth score over 400 and fourth in 2015 alone, and it underlined their ability to dominate opposition on their own turf.

India will be disappointed by

the way their challenge died in both departments. Their bowlers began with an over-reliance on the short ball and then just ran out of ideas while their batsmen showed the right intent upfront but lost wickets trying to sustain the scoring rate. In the end, they conceded a second series to South Africa on the tour with the main event, the Tests, still to come.

The signs of South African authority were evident from the start. They raced to fifty inside six overs during which Hashim Amla became the fastest batsmen to 6,000 ODI runs. Amla was dismissed cheaply for a fifth time in the series but that did not have an impact on South Africa’s morale.

De Kock owned the pull shot and with the seamers failing to generate anything, MS Dhoni introduced spin in the seventh over. Harbhajan Singh kept things tight at first but the tension was routinely broken at the other end. South Africa grew in confidence, brought up 100 in the 15th over and appeared unstoppable until de Kock hit Amit Mishra in the air to mid-off and presented a chance. Mohit Sharma got fingertips to the ball but

could not hold on. De Kock was on 58 at the time and Mohit’s mistake would prove costly.

He was seeing the ball well and found the rope so regularly, there was barely a need for singles. More than two-thirds of his runs came in boundaries but he reached his century, his fifth against India and eighth overall, with a single.

Du Plessis had almost been a spectator in the proceedings and allowed de Kock most of the strike but when de Kock was caught on the long-off boundary, he knew he had to take over. With de Villiers egging him on, du Plessis upped the ante, assisted by Dhoni using part-timers Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli against South Africa’s two most destructive batsmen. They pierced the gaps and hit with power as the intensity increased.

De Villiers injected impetus into the innings with his scoring rate - his fifty came off 34

balls - and du Plessis followed suit. After taking 61 balls to score fifty, he needed just 44 more deliveries to get a century, even as he battled cramps to get there.

South Africa entered the last ten overs on 294 for 2 but would have been wary of the squeeze that can strike with the new playing conditions.

This time, they were not strangled. Du Plessis plundered 24 runs off the 43rd over, bowled

by Axar Patel, even though he could barely stand up and had to retire hurt on 133.

Then, it was de Villiers’ turn.

His century came off the 57th ball he faced to chants of “ABD” from the Wankhede crowd.

South Africa were on the brink of 400 when de Villiers edged an attempted pull and was caught behind and India had finally got through the senior batsmen. Farhaan Behardien and David Miller had free reign to slog as hard as they want-

ed and they made the most of what time they had. South Africa scored 144 runs in the last ten overs. By the time India had that many, it looked as though a thriller might just play out.

India lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first eight overs of the reply but Shikhar Dhawan, who had been middling until this match, and Ajinkya Rahane kept them in it. Rahane was particularly severe on Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir but neither of them targeted South Africa’s fifth bowler, Behardien, as much as they should have. Still, they applied pressure, forced mistakes from South Africa in the field and were on track despite the length of the journey.

Then it all changed when Kagiso Rabada proved there is no substitute for pure pace. He was brought back on in the 23nd over, angled a fuller ball across Dhawan and drew the leading edge. Hashim Amla fell face first taking the catch and India were faltering. In Rabada’s next over, he dished up a leg-stump yorker than snuck past Suresh Raina and broke the back of the Indian chase.

Rahane, who batted with composure and class and scored 50 off 41 balls, was feeling the heat. He holed out to midwicket off Dale Steyn, whose veins popped. In South Africa, the corks would have been doing the same as the series was all but sealed. India lost their last five wickets for 29 runs and South Africa secured a second limited-overs series on their longest-ever visit to India.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

October 30–November 5, 2015

Herath and Siriwardana seal 2-0 series win against West Indies Sri Lanka 200 (Siriwardana 68, Warrican 4-67) and 206 (Mathews 46, Brathwaite 6-29) beat West Indies 163 (Brathwaite 47, Prasad 4-34) and 171 (Bravo 61, Herath 4-56, Siriwardana 3-25) by 72 runs

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ri Lanka had come into the series against West Indies in a state of flux, after having lost two home Test series in a year for only the second time. Kumar Sangakkara had retired after the second Test against India, and coach Marvan Atapattu had resigned. However, they rallied to sweep West Indies 2-0, after a 72-run win before tea on the final day of the second Test at the P Sara Oval, despite four sessions getting washed out.

Milinda Siriwardana, whose 68 in the first innings turned out to the top score in the match, picked up three wickets in the final innings to trigger the slide. Sri Lanka’s lead spinner Rangana Herath claimed four wickets to skittle the visitors, who began the day at 20 for 1, for 171.

West Indies’ innings followed a similar pattern with one batsman making a fifty - Darren Bravoin this case - and the others deflating like cheap party balloons.

Siriwardana struck in his first over for the third innings in a row, having Shai Hope stumped for 35. He followed that with the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood 20 minutes before the lunch. In between, offspinner Dilruwan Perera also chipped in to prolong Marlon Samuels’ lean patch against Sri Lanka.

Samuels was dismissed for his ninth single-digit score against the hosts in 17 innings, when he feebly poked and nicked to slip where Angelo Mathews completed a

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sharp, low catch. The dismissal was reviewed and Samuels was given out by third umpire Marias Erasmus, who decided Mathews had caught it cleanly even as the ball bounced out of his right hand and into his left.

Herath then engineered a double-strike in his fourth over after lunch to remove Denesh Ramdin and Bravo. Jomel Warrican, one of the few positives in an otherwise dark series for West Indies, summoned some late blows in a last-wicket partnership of 33 to only delay Sri Lanka’s victory.

West Indies had begun the day brightly amid overcast conditions, before letting the advantage slip away. Hope was sure-footed and ticked along smoothly.

He serenely drove Dhammika Prasad past mid-on, and greeted Herath with a pulled four. Bravo looked fidgety early on, playing and missing outside off to add to a few pokey drives. Soon, a Prasad half-volley provided a release and Bravo found his mojo as he drove it through the covers. He then stepped out and hit Perera on to the sightscreen before a repeat of the big hit brought up only the third fifty stand of the match.

West Indies had squeezed out 14 partnerships of more than 20 in this series but none of them had passed 50, until the last day of the second Test. Hope and Bravo addressed the issue, adding 60 together, but it was not enough to help West Indies secure their first Test win in Sri Lanka.

Tendulkar lauds `unbelievable` de Villiers

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umbai, Oct.27 (ANI): Legendary cricketerSachin Tendulkar has lavished praise on South Africa captain AB de Villiers for his blistering knock in the deciding ODI of the fivematch series against India at the Wankhede Stadium.

South Africa clinched their first oneday series win in India after crushing the hosts by a mammoth 214 runs in the final match, thanks to sizzling centuries from all of De Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock.

“I thought de Villiers batted really well,” said Tendulkar at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s BKC ground after a net session for next month’s Cricket All-Stars series.

“De Villiers is possibly at the peak of

his career. He is really, really batting unbelievably well and it seems that he has got more time than anyone else,” the cricket’s global icon said.

Tendulkar, the only cricketer to score 100 international centuries in game’s history, also praised South Africa for displaying their incredible batting prowess during the series.

“If you see the first 20 balls he faced and at no stage, I still remember I was watching a little bit and Shaun Pollock kept saying he has not shifted to sixth and seventh gear. It was rightly so, he has figured out how to pace his innings and he did it beautifully. I would give credit to the way he batted,” Tendulkar said of the South Africa ODI captain. (ANI)

Ten CSK, Royals players to go into IPL draft

ive players from each of the two suspended teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, will be allowed to be picked by the two new franchises for the next two years of the IPL, which will continue to remain an eight-team tournament until 2017. The ten players would be picked through a draft system from a pool of 50 with the remaining names going into the auction. The original retention rule of allowing the franchises to pick a maximum of four capped Indian players will be applicable to the two new teams, too.

The IPL franchises were told about the decisions on Wednesday during a meeting with the BCCI in Delhi.

The BCCI, franchises were informed, would finalise the terms and conditions for the bid document at the annual general meeting in Mumbai on November 9, and by the first

An IPL franchise official has said Chennai and Jaipur still remained firm favourites as the home for the two new teams © BCCI half of December the two new franchises would be unveiled.

At its working committee meeting on October 18, the BCCI had decided to invite bids for two new franchises after the Lodha committee, investigating the 2013 IPL corruption scandal, had suspended the owners of Super

Kings and Royals in July.

Rajiv Shukla (IPL chairman), Anurag Thakur (BCCI secretary) and Sundar Raman (IPL chief operating officer) represented the BCCI while the franchises mostly sent their chief executives with the exception of Kings XI Punjab, which was represent-

ed by Mohit Burman, one of the co-owners.

The BCCI also revealed that all major cities, barring the home cities of the six franchises, would be available for the successful bidders to choose from as their home venue.

According to a franchise official who attended the meeting, Chennai and Jaipur still remained firm favourites and that would be an advantage for the two new franchises.

“It is logical [to include Chennai and Jaipur] because this arrangement is only for two years. It is a bit of the incentive for the two new temporary teams because the fan base is already established in these two cities.”

Some of the franchises had expressed strong concerns over the league expanding into a ten-team event as that would automatically impact their valuation. “If somebody

buys the new team for $100 million then that becomes the benchmark. In IPL there has never been a benchmark. So if in 2018 the IPL decides to stick to ten teams, then the new benchmark would be $100 million around which rest of us would need to hover,” a franchise official said.

Another issue, the official pointed out, based on the experience in 2011 when the IPL was a ten-team event, was that the schedule went haywire with 74 matches including a lot of double-headers leaving not just the franchises, but also the broadcasters and the BCCI in a lot of distress.

Franchises were also told that the two new franchise owners would be picked from the reverse bidding process, which means the investor who bids for the lowest share of the IPL’s central revenue would get the ownership rights.

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