Caribbean Star #68 vol. 4. November-20-2015

Vol.4 #68

Caribbean Star First Interfaith Newspaper, Serving The Community

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GUYANESE DRUG MULE ARRESTED AT US AIRPORT AFTER PASSING OVER 100 COCAINE PELLETS

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PM URGES MORE GUYANESE TO JOIN ARMY - AS GDF CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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November 20–26, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

CHARLIE SHEEN SAYS HE HAS HIV VIRUS, HAS PAID MILLIONS TO KEEP IT SECRET

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SPORT

LEEWARD ISLANDS DISPATCHED BY p.16 MOTIE’S 11 p.38

TRINIDAD

TRINIDAD

BLOODY TRAGEDY IN PENAL

Gone too soon: Sharda Bhim, centre, places flowers on her daughter Aarika’s coffin during her funeral service yesterday, in Laltoo Trace, Penal. Aarika was murdered on Monday.

A twoyear-old girl who was stabbed multiple times and her throat slit was still wrapped in her murdered mother’s arms when help arrived yesterday.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper Two Long Island Men Charged With $1 Million Government Health Care Fraud At Two Queens Health Care Centers

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efendants Allegedly Posed As Medical Technicians And Unlawfully Performed Tests On Patients Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, today announced that two Suffolk County men have been charged with posing as medical technicians at the Queens diagnostic center and cardiologist’s office where they are both employed and where they allegedly conducted hundreds of unauthorized stress tests on patients and then billed the Medicare and Medicaid Programs as if the tests were performed by a licensed physician, thereby fraudulently collecting more than $1 million during a oneyear period between 2013 and 2014.

District Attorney Brown said, “The defendants are accused of posing as medical personnel at their places of business, performing unnecessary medical testing on patients and then billing – and collecting – more than $1 million in government funds. Government money is not free money. Claims like those allegedly filed in this case take money out of the pockets of all Americans.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Jamil Siddiqui, 52, of Dix Hills, and Hassan Oufqir, 64, of East Northport, both in Long Island. The two defendants were arraigned yesterday before Queens Criminal Court Judge David Hawkins on a criminal complaint charging each of them with firstdegree insurance fraud, first-degree healthcare fraud, unauthorized practice of a profession and firstdegree falsifying business records.

The defendants, who each face up to 25 years in prison if convicted, were released on their own recognizance after surrendering their passports and ordered to return to court on December 8, 2015.

District Attorney Brown said that, according to the criminal charges, Siddiqui and Oufqir posed as medical technicians at Elmhurst Medical Diagnostics and at Rajen Maniar Cardiology, P.C., located, respectively, at 90-18 Elmhurst Avenue and 164-03 Hillside Avenue in Queens, and conducted stress tests on Medicare and Medicaid patients although they were neither licensed nor registered to practice medicine or act as medical technicians in New York State nor were the tests performed under the supervision of a licensed medical physician as required by the two government health care programs.

In a majority of cases, it is alleged that the test results were not even reviewed by a physician. As a result, Siddiqui and Oufqir are alleged to have fraudulently received in excess of $1 million from the Medicare and Medicaid Programs between May 2013 and May 2014.

The investigation was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant District Attorney Jason S. Trager, of the District Attorney’s Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Mary M. Lowenburg, Chief of the Auto Crime and Insurance Fraud Unit, Gerard A. Brave, Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau Chief, and Catherine C. Kane, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney Linda M. Cantoni.

It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

November 20–26, 2015

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Retired NYPD Officer Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter In Shooting Death Of Wife

Faces 25 Years In Prison When Sentenced ueens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a 44-year-old New York City Police Officer who retired on disability has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for fatally shooting his wife multiple times inside their Ozone Park residence in April 2014.

District Attorney Brown said, “This is a tragic story with no winners, only losers. There is a mother who senselessly lost her life, a husband who stands

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convicted of her death, and their children who must grow up without the love or comfort of either parent. While the defendant will have to live with what he did for the rest of his life, the sentence to be imposed is more than warranted.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Kevin Canty, 44, of Ozone Park, Queens. Canty, a retired transit officer, pleaded guilty today to first-degree manslaughter before Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth C. Holder who indicated that

he would sentence the defendant to a determinate term of 25 years in prison at sentencing on January 6, 2016.

District Attorney Brown said that, in pleading guilty, Canty admitted that he shot his wife, Jessica Canty, 40, multiple times inside their Ozone Park home on the morning of Saturday, April 19, 2014, in front of two of their children, aged eight and five, who were home at the time.

Canty was apprehended a short time later still in possession of the weapon used to kill

his wife.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Debra Lynn Pomodore of the District Attorney’s Homicide Trials Bureau, prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Brad A. Leventhal, Bureau Chief, and Jack Warsawsky, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.

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November 20–26, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

Boy, 6, killed by speeding car

six-year-old was struck and killed by a speeding car on the Westminster Road, at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, as he was making his way to school early yesterday morning.

Keith Adams, who succumbed before he could receive treatment at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, was the latest person killed on the country’s roads even as National Road Safety Month is being observed.

Police said the accident occurred around 6.45 am, when the driver of PRR 9325 was proceeding along the roadway at a fast rate, lost control of the vehicle and hit Adams.

The driver is in police custody.

When Stabroek News visited scene of the accident yesterday, the car was seen resting in a drain, partially under the bridge of a nearby pharmacy.

Adams, a Grade One student of La Parfaite Harmonie Primary School was making his way to school in the company of his neighbour and her two daughters, as he did every day.

According to the neighbour, Alicia (only name given), she, along with Adams and her two daughters left as they would usually do every day. “I was on the left-hand side and my two daughters and he (Adams) were on the right hand side in the grass. The car swerve out from the left hand side and go into

the right hand side and picked up Keith from behind and pitched him up. When he land, he [the driver] turn out in the same direction and ran over his body,” the woman said in between sobs.

She said Adams was still breathing when public-spirited persons picked him up and placed him in a car destined for the West Demerara Hospital. However, Adams died before receiving medical attention.

“Ow, it could’ve been all four of us because he came on the left first but then he swerved out on the right. Ow, he speed, too much speed, it was too much for him to take control of the vehicle, it was too much,” Alicia lamented. The woman further related that from her observations, none of the occupants of the car received any visible injuries.

“I ’in see no cut, I ’in see no laceration, I ’in see no blood. Ow, no parents, no guardian, no neighbour, should have to witness something like that,” she added.

Alicia described Adams as “a beautiful child” and noted that anybody would want to have him as a son. “Keith was obedient… Every Sunday, he would come over and read with my daughter in the afternoon… Wah ah gon do Sundays now? What am I going to do when he doesn’t come over?” she said.

Meanwhile, across the road from Alicia’s house, family and friends of the

Keith Adams with his older brother Tyrese and would–be adoptive mother, Nan Piggott, in happier times. little boy were overcome with grief and tears flowed continuously as details of the incident were related.

Speaking with this newspaper, Culley Caesar, the boy’s guardian at the time, explained that Adams and his older brother, Tyrese, had been staying with her at her Lot 4241 Westminster home since August of this year.

She related that they were originally from Wismar, Linden, however, they

were living with her as they awaited the completion of an adoption process.

Caesar explained that it was customary for her neighbour to take the boy to school as Keith was in the same class as one of the neighbour’s daughters.

Meanwhile, the boy’s biological mother, Althea Adams, was lost for words. She related that she travelled from Linden after she received a call about the incident. The woman said the boy’s father had died four years ago and she wanted her son to have a better life, which she could not give him. As a result, she had moved to have him adopted by her aunt. She said he was the third of her six children and described him as very honest and willing.

Keith was described as a very pleasant child who had a smile that would always “get him out of any trouble he would make,” by family and friends.

Meanwhile, residents gathered at the scene of the incident and voiced their anger at the lack of consideration shown by drivers who use the road.

One resident related that drivers habitually sped along the narrow road without consideration for the countless school children who make their daily journey to school in the morning. “He was speeding and he knock down the lil boy. Is a lil baby he kill budday,” one resident said.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

UG valedictorian urges peers to make sacrifice and stay

Think not of yourselves but of your country and the less fortunate people in it. These were the words of UG’s 2015 valedictorian Sachin Ramsuran as he encouraged his fellow graduates to “make a personal’ sacrifice and stay in Guyana to assist in creating a better life for its people.

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amsuran was delivering his address at the University of Guyana’s 49th Convocation ceremony which was held at the Turkeyen Campus on Saturday evening. The Faculty of Tech-nology Electrical Engineering graduate in congratulating his colleagues noted that regardless of whatever differences may have characterized their time at UG the fact that they all graduated “implies that [they] share several common qualities such as self-discipline dedication and unwavering adherence to a philosophy of life which guided us in our most difficult times at UG.” “Life is not deterministic, it is probabilistic, we cannot predict

the future but by making decisions which give us the highest probability of being successful we can create the future that we want,” he stressed explaining that the decision to attend UG was one such decision.

“Continue making such decisions, continue sacrificing,” he encouraged.

In his first address as chancellor of the university, Professor Eon Nigel Harris also extolled the virtues of a university education not just to the graduates but to their children and the societies in which they live.

A university degree, he noted, benefits not only graduates themselves but can extend to succeeding generations as a

Sachin Ramsuran being conferred with the President’s Medal by President David Granger university education has been shown to contribute to longer and more socially beneficial lives.

He stressed however that a degree by itself is not the sole determinant of personal advancement. According to the chancellor his personal belief is that the three ingredients of “initiative, passion and persistence” are necessary for advancement in whatever field one has chosen.

Those with initiative he explained are the “self-starters” the agents of change who are able to work beyond their specific responsibilities. Passion and persistence he said flow from initiative and together will produce graduates who aggressively seek out knowledge using

The gathering of deans and other UG dignitaries ICT modalities, journals, manuals and other sources of information to be the best at what they are doing. This attitude will also help them to keep current as new knowledge evolves in their field.

“We need a culture in which we actively seek to solve problems, to make processes easier, to seek customers who will select our organization, our country, our region over the rest… go out there and make a difference,” Harris told the graduating class.

1,558 students graduated from the seven faculties of the institution. Included in the graduates were the first ever batch of students with a Master’s of Science in Environmental Management, the Post-Graduate Diploma in Anesthesia and Inten-

The gathering on the UG tarmac sive Care and the Certificate in Industrial Engineering.

Eight of the graduates were conferred with awards for their achievements. Ramsuran was awarded the President’s Medal as the best graduating Bachelor’s Degree student.

Economics major Ashely Bankay received the Chancel-lor’s Medal for the second best graduating Bachelor’s Degree student.

Other awardees were Tiffana Ross of the Faculty of Agricul-ture and Forestry, Ajay Persaud of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Stephen Josiah of the Faculty of Education and Humanities, Saraswattie Bharrat of the Faculty of Education and Humanities, Tristana Gouveia of the Faculty of Social Services and Mark Bastian.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

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Are Hindus Idol Worshippers or Ideal Worshippers?

By PT Vikash Ramkissoon

A group of secondary school students requested me to shed some light regarding the word ‘Pagan’ which we Hindus are labeled in their history text book. I explained hegemony as a powerful tool.

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e have just concluded the celebrations of Navaratri and Diwali – the festival of lights.

These Hindu festivals provide us with very wonderful opportunities to reflect upon life and assess the ideals of our great Hindu heritage, traditions and civilization. In previous articles, I mentioned that Hindu perspective of God is a practical one and is not viewed from the prism of any defined doctrines. In Bhagwat Gita for example, Lord Krishna made it explicitly clear in the fourth chapter verse 11, “Arjuna, howsoever devotees seek me; even so do I approach them; for all men follow my path in every way.” Many times we are repeatedly dubbed as stone worshippers Hindus do not Worship a stone or metal idol as God. We worship God through the image. We invoke the presence of God from the Higher, unseen worlds, into the image so that we can commune with him and receive his blessings.

The stone or metal deity images in Hindu temples are not mere symbols of the Gods. They are the form through which their love, power and blessings flood forth into this world. We communicate with others through the telephone. Do we talk to the telephone?

We use it as a means of communication with another person. Without the tele-

phone, we could not easily converse across long distances; and without the sanctified icon in the temple, we cannot easily commune with the deity. Divinity can also be invoked and felt in a sacred fire, or in a tree, or in the enlightened person of a Satguru.

Through the practice of Yoga or meditation, we invoke God inside ourself.

The image or the icon of worship is a focus for our prayers and devotions.

When we give salutations to our national flag, do we bow to the cloth or do we bow and adore the ideals it represents?

Another school of thought explain icon worship; is to acknowledge that Hindus believe God is everywhere in all things, whether in stone, wood, crea-

tures or people. The Bhagavad Gita beautifully explains this in the sixth chapter verse 30, “He, who sees me (the Universal Self) present in all beings, and all beings existing within me, never loses sight of me, and I never lose sight of him.” So it is not surprising that we Hindus feel comfortable worshipping the Divine in his material manifestation. The Hindu can see God in stone, water, fire, air and ether and inside his own soul.

In the Hindu culture one of the ultimate attainments is when the seeker transcends the need for all form and symbol. This is the devotee’s goal. In this way Hinduism is the least idol- oriented of all the religions of the world.

There is no religion that is more aware of the transcendent, timeless, formless, causeless Truth, nor is there any religion which uses more symbols to represent Truth in preparation for that realization.

All religions have their symbols of holiness through which the sacred flows into the mundane. These icons, or graven images, are held in awe by the followers of the respective faiths.

The question is, does this make all such

worshippers and religionists idol worshippers? Can it be a yes and no? From the million years of practical Hindu experiences with our God, this method presents an intelligent, mystical practice that many faiths of the world have adopted.

The Human mind releases itself from the suffering through the use of forms and symbols that awaken reverence evoke sanctity and spiritual wisdom.

Even the greatest of critics who reject our methodology of worship and vocally denounce our images are outraged if their religious book (s) are violated or treated with disrespect. Maybe it is just a few pages? Why be worried? The simple reason is because we consider that to be very sacred. His/her Book and the Hindus’ icon are much alike in this way.

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

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November 20–26, 2015

Robert Persaud’s seat on PPP Central Committee declared vacant

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n a formal sign of his separation from the party, the opposition PPP today declared that the Central Committee seat which had been occupied by leading member and former minister Robert Persaud had been declared vacant.

Even before the end of the Ramotar administration in 2015, it had been reported that Persaud intended to withdraw from political life and possibly migrate. He had held senior portfolios in PPP/C governments including as Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources and had once been spoken of as a possible successor to former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

In a statement today, the PPP said that its Central Committee had unanimously declared vacant, the seats on the

Robert Persaud Central Committee occupied by Robert Persaud, Navin Chandarpal and Omar Sharief. Chandarpal passed away earlier this year and Sharief has retained a senior position at the Ministry of the Presidency under the APNU+AFC government.

The members filling these vacancies are: Bibi Safora Shadick, Majeed Hussain and Harrinarine Baldeo, the statement said.

The Central Committee, the statement said, reserved for consideration at a later date, the status of the seats of the Central Committee occupied by Hydar Ally, Chitrekha Das and Gurdat Shivpersaud. Ally a longtime senior member of the party has in recent letters to this newspaper taken a forthright stand on a number of matters.

Filling of two seats at the ExCo declared vacant long ago with the passing of Chandarpal and non-attendance by Persaud as well as a vacant seat on the Secretariat with the resignation of Hydar Ally will all be considered at a later date by the Central Committee, the statement said.

Caribbean Star Newspaper Charged for duck stealing: no bail

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MASON who allegedly stole half a dozen ducks for Christmas was yesterday denied bail by a magis-

trate.

In making reference to the allegation against Rohan Jailal, Magistrate Margaret Alert in the San Fernando Fourth Court told him it was not safe to have him out in society.

Jailal, 47, of La Romaine, told the San Fernando Fourth Court he was guilty on the charge of stealing six ducks, normally held in a state of confinement. The ducks were together valued $1,200.

It was alleged that the ducks were taken between November 12 and 13 at La Plaisance Road, La Romaine, after they were secured in a duck pen, located at the back of the victim's home.

Jailal was charged by Constable Mahabir after a report was made at the San Fernando Criminal Investigations Department.

Before Magistrate Alert, the police's information was given on the theft. But Jailal, who earlier said he took the ducks for Christmas, denied that he had stolen the birds but was entering a guilty plea.

This was not accepted by Alert. She said he could not be sentenced if he did not take the ducks. She entered a not guilty plea on Jailal's behalf.

Jailal said he had no children, lived alone and had no one to assist him.

The magistrate reviewed his criminal background, which showed he had 14 convictions, with five being in the last five years. It was uncertain whether any had been for larceny of livestock. Alert said he also had five matters pending.

Also, in looking at his criminal record, which showed that he had been charged over the years for possession of cocaine, Alert asked Jailal if he was a cocaine addict.

He admitted using the illegal drug, but denied that he was addicted.

Police prosecutor Sgt Chanardath Jhilmit objected to Jailal being placed on bail.

He said the accused was on bail when he allegedly committed the offence for which he was before the court on Monday.

Alert denied him bail. Jailal was advised to apply to the High Court for bail.

The matter was adjourned to December 14 for documents to be handed over from the prosecution and for a trial date to be set.

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November 20–26, 2015 Caribbean Star Newspaper US assisting Guyana to improve aviation security

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ersons travelling to and from Guyana by air could soon feel a bit more comfortable that they would be safer, while miscreants would experience greater difficulty getting past tighter security systems.

The United States and Guyana on Monday formally agreed to boost aviation security here through training, management and equipment.

Inked by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and American Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, the agreement will be executed by the US Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to modernise Guyana’s civil aviation infrastructure.

“Our joint efforts will enhance security capacity for passengers, employees and other stakeholders involved in the airport transportation industry,” said Holloway. He explained that the accord would provide for improved

employee and passenger inspection and possibly the provision of X-ray and other specialised equipment to search cargo and aircraft.

The accord see the US providing technical and managerial expertise to assist the GCAA in developing, improving, and operating its civil aviation security infrastructure, standards, procedures, policies, training and equipment. Holloway added that the US would provide resources, logistical support and equipment for facilities.

“The signing of this very important document today signifies the strong commitment that our two governments have to keeping the skies safe not only in Guyana but in the United States but in the region as well,” he added.

Junior Public Infrastructure Minister, Annette Ferguson said the agreement was signed shortly after the GCAA hired three more aviation security officers. For some time now there had

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Deneshwar Mahendranauth

United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway (third from left), and Public Infrastrucre Minister, David Patterson signed the aviation security agreement. Witnessing the signing are Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Annette Fergusuon and Acting Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Chaitrani Heeralall. been only one, some thing said Holloway had been a concern for the US. Patterson said US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Bryan Hunt had said the TSA “had expressed some reservation at the pace at which the aviation security matters were being handled by the

GCAA.” Patterson said he asked the US for help with regulatory and oversight of the aviation and maritime sectors.

The assistance, he said, would assist Guyana in meeting International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

Cop charged with sex assault on junior rank

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eneshwar Mahendranauth, the Assistant Superintendent who has been accused of sexually assaulting a female Constable, was yesterday charged and released on $100,000 bail by a city court.

Mahendranauth, who appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman, pleaded not guilty to the charge during an in-camera hearing.

Mahendranauth will be required to make his next court appearance on December 10.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper Baby suffers fracture during delivery at Suddie Hospital

November 20–26, 2015

“I’m just praying that my son will not have any permanent injuries when he gets older and that he will be able to use both of his hands.”

This was the sentiment of 29-year-old Parbatie Ramdat, the mother of baby Arveer Ashok Amarnauth who was born on October 26th at the Suddie Public Hospital and suffered a fractured shoulder after being allegedly pulled out by his shoulder during birth.

A call was made by Stabroek News to the hospital yesterday but the reporter was told that the administrator was not available for a comment on the matter.

When Stabroek News visited the home of Ramdatt yesterday, baby Arveer was sleeping peacefully while his mother recounted what transpired on the day of his birth.

“On the 19th October, I started feeling pain so I went to the Suddie Hospital and I was told by a nurse after she checked me that I had an infection. I got admitted and they give me antibiotics for the infection and it helped.

While going to clinic at Anna Regina and Suddie the health workers told me that I will have to get cut because the baby was too big so my mind was already set on that.”

The woman related that on Thursday, October 22, the pain

increased and that night when the doctor visited the ward and checked her, she was told that she still was not ready to give birth.

“I told her to cut me and all she said was that she was going to decide. The pain was going and coming but on Sunday, the pain got worse and I told the nurse at the ward. The nurse told the doctor and the doctor said that she was going to induce labour on the Monday morning.

After the pain increased, they moved me to the front of the ward and I stared hollering because of the pain. The nurse checked me and I was still not ready for labour because I was just about 6 cm but the nurse said I was approaching labour.

I was in great pain and I started begging them to cut me but still I got no positive answer from them.

Monday about 15 minutes to three, I told them that I couldn’t bear the pain no more and the nurse said I was at 8 cm.”

Ramdat recalled that she was taken into the labour room where she was told that the water bag would be cut.

“The nurse tell me that the baby mess in me and that was bad. I just kept asking them to cut me but no one seemed to be listening to me.

Arveer with both hands in casts All they said was to keep pushing that I could give birth normally. I got very weak and they gave me saline.

I was conscious all the time and I asked them if the baby head was showing and they said keep pushing. A Cuban doctor was called in and I just heard the doctor said ‘hold he by he shoulder and pull he out.’”

She added that a gynaecologist was in the room too and he said that a C-section should have been done but another doctor sad that I could do a normal birth. She said that after she realised that her baby had been delivered she started asking for him but they had already taken him away.

A doctor said to her that her baby was in a critical condition and

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that’s when she said that she started crying and praying. This was around 7pm on Monday.

The woman said that the baby was placed in an incubator and she was not able to see him until later that night when she insisted on seeing her son.

‘When I went to see him, he was crying and I tried to comfort him the best way I could.

The next morning, the doctor told me that my baby had a fractured shoulder and that he was not in a position to go home. His right hand was already in a cast and on Tuesday, I was told that they will have to loose out the cast and do it back because it wasn’t done well.

When I went to see my child, I observed that his left hand was falling back and like it wasn’t in position so I asked the doctors and they said that a nerve in his hand was damaged and that Arveer would have to do physiotherapy but he would be OK.” On November 2, Ramdat and Arveer were released from the Suddie Public Hospital.

Arveer’s right hand was still in a cast. On November 5 both of the baby’s hands were put into casts, and again according to Ramdat, she was not given a definite reason as to what caused her baby to suffer a

fractured shoulder.

The distraught mother was told to return to the hospital tomorrow to uplift a medical report for her son who weighed 4.72kgs at birth but according to her, lost a considerable amount of weight.

“My son left eye was not opening and when I enquired the doctor said it was because the nerve in his hand was damaged. Thankfully, both of his eyes are opening now and he is doing well except for the damage to his hand. I am very upset because no one from the hospital contacted me even though they are aware of the damage my child got.

“I want them to give my son proper medical attention because I do not want him to suffer any permanent injuries that could hinder his future. Right now I’m contemplating my next move and what to do. I noticed last night when I was checking Arveer’s Appointment Card that it said that he suffered from something that I did not understand so I asked one of my relatives to check what it meant in the dictionary and she told me that it meant that Arveer was shocked to his head. This is a new development and I’m even more upset because no doctor or nurse explained nothing to me”, she said.

Newborn corpse found buried in LBI yard, two held

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he corpse of what was suspected to be a newborn baby, believed to have died after delivery was yesterday afternoon discovered buried in a small grave under a La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Dem-erara (ECD) premises and police have arrested two persons.

Police officials in ‘C’ Division informed Stab-roek News that a man had rented his Lot 8 Cherry Field, LBI house to a family and on Tuesday he managed to remove them with the help of a bailiff.

Stabroek News was told that the man returned to the property yesterday to do some renovation works and while digging a section of the yard he saw what appeared to be a small grave.

Upon inquiring from neighbours, he was told that a young girl who had lived there had been pregnant and it was suspected that she had given birth but the baby had died and was possibly buried in the

The Lot 8 Cherry Field, LBI house where the discovery was made. yard. Armed with this information, the men made a report to the police.

This newspaper was reliably informed that around 1.30 pm yesterday, ranks went to the area where they found a black cloth in which blood and body parts were wrapped.

The body parts appeared to be of a newborn baby, a police rank said.

Police received no reports of a baby dying at that address. The protocol is that following any death at a house, the police ought to be notified so that foul play can be ruled out.

They later arrested the woman to whom it is suspected the baby belongs and her mother and they are currently in police custody assisting with investigations.

When Stabroek News visited the LBI community yesterday afternoon residents refused to comment on the incident and belongings that were removed from the house were packed on the roadway covered with tarpaulin.

Efforts to contact family members of the suspects proved futile.

Caribbean Star Newspaper PM urges more Guyanese to join army -as GDF celebrates 50th anniversary

President David Granger (on dais), Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams at the Square of the Revolution as Guyana Defence Officers were staging the army’s 50th anniversary route march (GINA photo)

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uyana needs every able-bodied person to defend its national security, and in this light, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is urging more Guyanese to join the army, GINA said.

Speaking with the media, at the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF’s) 50thAnniversary Route March and Medal Cere-mony on Saturday at the Square of the Revolution,

the PM said that the Force’s 50th anniversary is a good occasion to project to the world that there are Guyanese who love their country dearly, and are prepared to stand up and to join the ranks of the security and armed forces, in defence of its territorial integrity.

“Guyana needs you, Guyana at this time wants every able-bodied person to come

forward to serve,” the Prime Minister stated. “The door today is wide open, our country is facing a threat, a challenge from a greedy hungry neighbour, and it is in fact an honour to be enlisted at this time, both as part of the regular ranks or in reserve,” he noted.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon told the media at the event that young people need to see service in the army as an honour. “There is no greater honour in life for a man than to put his life on line for his country”, Harmon declared. He noted that

November 20–26, 2015

this is what the GDF soldiers do every day. “They defend the territorial integrity of the state, they assist the civil powers in the maintenance of law and order, and these are honourable duties and responsibilities, which the GDF has contributed to, over the years, they have done very well,” he said.

Harmon said that he was proud to have served in the army, and urged Guyanese to join. “It gives you that discipline, appreciation for order, and that is what we need in Guyana today,” he said.

Guyana Defence Officers on the army’s 50th anniversary route march (GINA photo)

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Historian Tota Mangar carjacked on Camp St

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istorian Tota Mangar was robbed of his SUV on Monday evening, just after he exited Moray House on Camp Street, Georgetown.

Mangar told Stabroek News that he exited Moray House around 8.40 pm, after attending the launching for two books by his colleague Roy Brummell. He said he entered his vehicle, PMM 6390, when two men, one armed with a gun and another with a knife, attacked him.

According to Mangar, he placed his belongings in the front passenger seat and was just about to start the car when one of the men placed a knife to his throat and the other pointed a gun to his face.

He said they demanded the key for the vehicle and he complied. They then made good their escape by driving up Camp Street in the vehicle.

Mangar went back into Moray House and informed others there what transpired and contacted the police, who arrived promptly on the scene.

Mangar related and he has been checking with the police regularly but up to late yesterday they were unable to locate the car.

The historian, who noted that it is common for him to attend such events at Moray House, said the attack has left him traumatised.

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November 20–26, 2015

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Wikileaks revelations…Burnham defended Cuba ties in Belfield chat with US ambassador –cable

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1973 US diplomatic cable recounts how then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham summoned the US Ambassador to his Belfield, East Coast Demerara residence for a chat during which he defended plans to journey to a non-aligned conference with Cuban President Fidel Castro and argued that this would also help him to undercut opposition leader Dr Cheddi Jagan.

In the September 4 cable to Washington by then Ambassador Spencer Matthews King, among a batch released by whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Burnham was also reported as siding with the Arabs over the seizure of lands by Israel in the context of concerns that Venezuela could be encouraged in the same direction.

According to King’s cable, Burnham also disparaged several East European countries

as tools of the Soviets. Both the US and the Soviet Union had jockeyed during this period of the Cold War for influence in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean.

Much of the discussion centred around Castro’s planned visit to Guyana after which he and Burnham would travel together to Algiers, Algeria for a Non-Aligned Conference.

Based on the text of an earlier cable, Burnham had apparently told the US in confidence of Castro’s visit to Guyana and the US agonized on whether it should pass on this information to Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and risk having Burnham know that his confidence had been violated.

In the Belfield chat, the US Ambassador related that Burnham stated that his flying to Algiers with Castro would serve both of their interests: “Castro would gain respectability

and he (Burnham) would put another nail in Cheddi Jagan’s coffin”.

The cable also hinted at the tussle between the PNC and the PPP for influence with Cuba. Burnham and three other Caribbean Prime Ministers: Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, Michael Manley of Jamaica and Errol Barrow of Barbados had made the ground-breaking decision to establish diplomatic ties with Cuba and this was done on December 8th, 1972.

The cable related that an advance party to prepare for Castro’s visit had asked to see Cheddi Jagan and the Guyana Government had agreed and arrangements were made via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Cubans apparently only saw Janet Jagan who the Ambassador said had argued unsuccessfully that Castro should not come to Guyana and “thus

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betray his true friends here”.

With the meeting coming in the aftermath of the controversy-ridden 1973 general elections, the Ambassador also related that he asked Burnham if he was worried about leaving the country “having in mind Jagan’s various efforts to promote civil strife and strangle the economy”. Burnham’s reply was that it was nothing that then Prime Minister Ptolemy Reid couldn’t take care of.

The full text of the cable follows:

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November 20–26, 2015

ISLAM Peace / submission to the will of our creator.

Salaat – prayer in the life of a Muslim.

A

bdullah bin Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that he heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying: “Islam is founded on five pillars: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is His servant and apostle; establishment of salaat; paying of Zakaat; performance of Hajj; and fasting in Ramadhaan.”

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has compared Islam to a canopy resting on five supports. The Kali-mah is the central support and the other four pillars of Islam are, so to say, the remaining four supports, one at each corner of the canopy. Without the central support, the canopy cannot possibly stand, and if any one of the corner supports is missing a collapse will result in the defective corner. Now, let us judge for ourselves how far we have kept up the canopy of Islam. Is there really any pillar that is being held in its proper place?

The five pillars of Islam mentioned in this Hadith signify the most essential duties of a Muslim. Although a Muslim cannot do without any one of them, yet Salaat in Islam occupies a position next only to Imaan. Abdullah bin Mas’ood (Radhiyallaho anho) says: “Once, I inquired of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), which act (of man) was the dearest to Allah.

The Prophet replied, ‘Salaat’. I then inquired which act came next (in order of merit) and the Prophet replied, ‘Kindness to parents’. I again asked what was next and he answered ‘Striving for Islaam’.”

Mulla Ali Qari (Rahmatullah

alaih) has quoted this Hadith in support of the belief that Salaat is the most important religious duty after Imaan. This is further corroborated by a hadith, in which the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said: “Salaat is the best of all that has been ordained by Allah.”

Abu Zar (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that once the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) came out of his house. It was autumn and the leaves were falling off the trees.

He caught hold of a branch of a tree and its leaves began to drop in large number.

At this he remarked, ‘0, Abu Zar! (Radhiyallaho anho) when a Muslim offers his Salaat to please Allah, his sins are shed away from him just as these leaves are falling off this tree.”

In autumn, usually, the leaves of the trees fall in large numbers, so much so that on some trees not a single leaf is left behind. The same is the effect of Salaat performed with sincerity and devotion. All the sins of the person offering Salaat are wiped off.

It should, however, be remembered that according to the verdict of the theologians, it is only the saghaa’ir (minor sins) that are forgiven by the performance of Salaat and other services.

The kabaa’ir (major sins) are not pardoned without repentance. We should, therefore, in addition to saying salaat, be particular about doing taubah (repentance) and istighfaar (seeking forgiveness). Allah may, however, pardon, by His bountiful Grace, even the kabaa’ir of any person because of his salaat.

Abu Uthman (Radhiyallaho anho) says: “I was once sit-

Caribbean Star Newspaper

ting under a tree with Salmaan (Radhiyallaho anho). He caught hold of a dry branch of the tree and shook it till all its leaves fell off. He then said to me, “0, Abu Uthman! (Radhiyallaho anho) Will you not ask me why I am doing this?” “Do tell me,” I entreated. He said, “The Apostle of Allah had done exactly like this before me, while I was with him under a tree.

He caught a dry branch of it and shook it, till all its leaves fell off”. At this he said: 0, Salmaan! (Radhiyallaho anho) will you not ask me why I am doing this?’ I replied: ‘Do tell me why you are doing this?’ He remarked: “Verily when a Muslim takes wudhu properly and then observes his Salaat five times a day, his sins fall off just as these leaves have fallen off.

He then recited the following verse of the Holy Qur’an: “Establish Salaat at the two ends of the day, and at the approaches of the night. Verily, good deeds annul ill deeds. This is a reminder for the mindful.

(XI: 114)” The behaviour of Salmaan (Radhiyallaho anho) in the above Hadith displays the profound love which the Sahaabah had for the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). They would often cherish the sweet memories of the time when the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was living among them. They would, while quoting him, enact exactly what they had seen him doing at a particular moment.

It is really very difficult to cover all the traditions of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), which deal with the importance of Salaat and which declare forgiveness for those who guard it. As had already been said before, the theologians restrict this declaration of forgiveness to saghaa’ir (minor sins) only, but in the text of the Hadith there is no such restriction. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it does not really become a Muslim to commit any of the kabaa’ir (major sins).

If perchance any such sins are committed by him, he cannot rest in peace (due to inherent fear of Allah in him) until he washes them with his tears of repentance in crying before Allah. Secondly, the person who

performs his Salaat with sincerity and thoroughness is very likely to do istighfaar quite a number of times daily. Look for instance at the closing prayer of Salaat itself, viz: “0, My Lord! I have wronged my soul a great wrong, and none forgiveth sins save Thou alone. Then forgive me and have mercy on me. Verily, Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.

In the above Hadith, mention is made of wudhu to be done properly. We should, therefore, be sure of the regulations about wudhu and try to observe all of these. For example, take the case of miswaak. It is sunnat of wudhu, but is very often neglected. It is said in a Hadith that the Salaat offered after doing miswaak is seventy times superior to the Salaat without miswaak. In another Hadith, use of miswaak has been enjoined very strongly, and the following benefits are attributed to it:— “It cleanses and sweetens the mouth and checks its bad smell.”

“It is a cause of Allah’s pleasure and a blow to the Devil.”

“Allah and his angels love the person doing miswaak.” “It strengthens the gums and improves eye-sight.”

“It is a purge against bile and phlegm.”

To crown all, “It is a Sunnah i.e. the practice of our beloved Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam).”

As many as seventy virtues of the miswaak have been enumerated by the theologians. It is said that a person in the habit of miswaak dies with the Kalimah on his lips. The rewards of taking wudhu properly are very many. It is mentioned in Ahadith that the parts of body washed in wudhu shall glitter on the Day of Judgment and, by this (distinction), the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) will at once recognize his followers.

Jaabir (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that he heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying: “The likeness of five time’s daily Salaat is as the likeness of a deep brook running in front of the door of a person who bathes therein five times a day.”

Running water is generally

free from dirt, and the deeper it runs the cleaner and purer it is. A bath in such water surely removes dirt from the body and makes it clean. Salaat offered with due regard for its essentials likewise cleanses the soul of all sins. There are several Ahadith of the same meaning, though with slight variations in expression, narrated by different companions of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam).

Abu Sa’eed Khudri (Radhiyallaho anho] narrates that he heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying: ‘Each of the five Salaat expiates the sins committed since the Salaat preceding it. To explain, let us take the case of a person working in a factory. His job is such that his body gets covered with dust. But there are five streams of running water in between the factory and his house and, on his return from the job, he takes a bath in each stream. The effect of five time’s daily Salaat is quite similar. Any sins of omission and commission between two Salaat are forgiven on account of ‘istighfaar and taubah in each Salaat.’

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) through such parables, aims at impressing that salaah has the wonderful power of removing the sins. If we fail to avail of Allah’s mercy, surely we ourselves are the losers.

To err is human. We are likely to commit innumerable acts of displeasing Allah and deserve thereby. His wrath and punishment, but look how relenting our dear Allah is! He has most graciously shown us the way to earn His mercy and forgiveness. It is a great pity if we do not avail of this great favor. Our Allah is always eager to show us His mercy on very small grounds. It is said in a Hadith, that if a person goes to bed with the intention of getting up for Ta-hajjud and perchance does not wake up, he receives the full reward for Tahajjud, although he has been enjoying his sleep at the time of Tahajjud. How boundless is the grace of Allah and what a tremendous loss and deprivation if we do not receive blessings from such a Giver.

Abdullah.khan@ihsanacademy.org

Caribbean Star Newspaper

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November 20–26, 2015

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Truck driver dies in Itaballi crash

ermin Khan had to be cut out of the truck he was driving along the Itaballi Road, Region Seven on Saturday afternoon only to be pronounced dead hours later at the Bartica Hospital.

Khan’s wife told Stabroek News yesterday that she received a phone call at around 15:30hrs notifying her that her husband had passed away after being involved in an accident and her nephew had been seriously injured.

The dead man’s wife relayed that she was told by her nephew, who was up to

yesterday being treated at a private hospital in Georgetown for broken bones and a swollen spleen, that the truck that the two men and two other passengers were in was transporting fuel and rations to a mining camp.

She said that she was told that an ATV with two men approached along a bend in the road and as the ATV passed the truck her husband was driving, Khan swerved to avoid it. She said that the movement along the road caused one of the truck’s wheels to become stuck in a ditch. Khan lost control

of the vehicle and it flipped thrice, pitching two men out and pinning two others including her husband.

She said that one of the men from the ATV rode back to the toll station at the Mekdeci Crossing where he alerted an officer to what had happened. The two men then returned to the scene but upon realising the seriousness of the accident had to once again turn back to get additional help as well as tools to free the driver.

Her nephew reported that his uncle had called out to him and the calls brought him Jermin Khan out of unconsciousness but due to his broken bones he was unable to do anything and he drifted in and out of consciousness.

She stated that when her nephew finally came to he could no longer hear his uncle calling for help.

The traumatized widow said that she met her husband’s body at the wharf where she helped to carry him off the boat. She said that doctors worked on him but it was too late and he was pronounced dead. “I lie down pun the bed and I call for he, I shake he, but he done dead,” the woman said between tears.

She was in disbelief as she spoke with Stabroek News recalling that when she was told by one of the persons on site that her husband had passed, “I asked did you call he? Did you touch he?”

Khan’s widow said that her husband has driven this same road for some 10 years and he was an experienced driver working for multiple companies over the years bringing in rations and fuel. A post mortem examination will be performed on Wednesday.

The emotional woman said that Khan’s 23-month-old son was calling for his father all night. She said that Khan had three other children from a previous relationship.

The woman said that she was still worried for her nephew stating that the young man’s mother had him transferred to a private facility after he was discharged from the George-town Public Hospital Cor-poration yesterday morning. She said that her sister, the young man’s mother, noticed that her son was still very sick and his chest and abdomen seemed to be swelling so they rushed him to a private facility where the extent of his injuries became known.

Moonilal’s slate member resigns: backs Kamla instead

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member of Dr Roodal Moonilal’s slate has resigned saying that she has had a change of heart and believes that Kamla Persad-Bissessar should be re-elected as the political leader of the United National Congress (UNC).

Joanne Leacock was presented as the South regional coordinator on Moonilal’s “Loyalists” slate at the official launch last Thursday at the Rienzi Complex, Couva.

Mere days later, Leacock resigned and she told the Express yesterday that this was as a result of two factors- a death in her family and concerns from people on the ground about her allegiance to Moonilal and not Persad-Bissessar.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper FBI, New York police aware of Islamic State video, say no specific threat

November 20–26, 2015

here is no “specific and credible threat” against New York City, despite a newly released Islamic State video suggesting America’s most populous city is a potential target of attacks such as those in Paris, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday.

Police Commissioner William Bratton agreed with the mayor during an evening news conference by both men outside a police precinct in Times Square, adding that there was nothing new about the video, which he called “hastily produced.”

“There is no credible and specific threat against New York City,” de Blasio said, encouraging New Yorkers to “go about their business” as normal, while remaining watchful.

Islamic State has claimed credit for Friday’s attacks in Paris that killed 129 people in shootings and suicide bombings at a concert hall, restaurants and a soccer stadium in Paris.

The assault on the French capital stirred memories in New York of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks that felled the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, killing more than 2,600 people.

The Islamic State video, which runs for nearly six minutes, includes a scene that appears to show a suicide bomber making preparations and zipping

up a jacket, according to a description provided by SITE Intelligence Group, a Bethesda, Maryland, organization that tracks militant groups.

The clip briefly shows Times Square and Herald Square, two Midtown Manhattan crossroads popular with tourists, and a suicide bomber holding what appears to be a trigger. Most of the footage is scenes of Paris and French President Francois Hollande.

“Footage of New York shown in the ISIS video was taken from a video released by the group in April of this year. So while NYC is, and has been, a target for ISIS, today’s video does not warrant any kind of panic,” SITE director Rita Katz said in an email to Reuters.

De Blasio said New York City’s police force of 35,000, the country’s largest, was working tirelessly to keep the city safe from another attack.

“Just in this last week, we’ve initiated the first wave of our new Critical Response Command, which will grow to 500 officers specifically dedicated to anti-terrorism activities,” he said.

The new unit will supplement an existing 1,000-officer counterterrorism program, police said.

The FBI said through a spokeswoman it was aware of news reports about the video and “ongoing terrorist threats to

New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton (C) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (R) deliver remarks at a news conference in Times Square in the Manhattan borough in New York, November 18, 2015.

REUTERS/STEPHANIE KEITH NYC,” and would fully investigate.

(Reporting by Frank McGurty in New York and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Additional reporting by Sha-

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November 20–26, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

19

BIBLE PREDICTION OF WORLD EMPIRES Bible prophecies are always a fascinating subject. It is amazing how accurately the Bible predicts events of the last days. There is no other book like the Bible. When the Word of God is studied systematically and properly interpreted, we can be better informed about what is happening in our world and better prepared to respond to events.

W

e can actually be ready for what comes next even if we can’t control it. We are warned, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” 2 Timothy 3:1. Most importantly, we must get ready for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Readers would benefit from reading Daniel chapters 2, 7 and 8 in their Bibles.

The Book of Daniel was very important in prophecy.

The Book of Daniel is probably the most outstanding of all the prophetic passages in the Bible in laying out God’s scheme of things regarding the history and future of mankind. The prophet Daniel particularly revealed what should come to pass with respect to his own people, the nation of Israel. There are visions and dreams recorded that give us a grasp on how history rolls out. Bear in mind that these dreams and visions originate with God and therefore He is in control.

Nothing happens without His permission and nothing takes Him by surprise. This means we must trust Him for our help in all circumstances.

God revealed history to a heathen king.

Daniel chapter 2 describes the dream of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

The dream was interpreted by Daniel.

The image is of a man with the head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, and legs and toes of iron and clay. It portrays the Babylonian kingdom followed by the Medo-Persian kingdom, then the Grecian Empire and the Roman Empire, and culminating with the Kingdom of Jesus at His Second Coming.

God gives us a glimpse of this chronology and notice once the period of the Roman Empire is over, the final kingdom will begin – the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.

This brief overview would not provide thorough details, but serves the purpose of an awareness of how near we are to

the soon coming of Jesus Christ.

God gave revelations to the prophet Daniel.

We see this series of prophecies again recorded in Daniel chapters 7 and 8.

This time it is the prophet Daniel who has visions with angelic interpretations.

It is necessary to repeat features of Nebuchadnezzar’s image because God was reminding Daniel of this important revelation. In Chapter 7, Daniel saw four beasts arising out of a rough sea. These are four kings and their kingdoms arising in the midst of the nations of the world in chaos. In Chapter 8, Daniel saw in his vision a ram with two horns representing Medo-Persia and a he goat with one powerful horn representing Greece. This interpretation is within the chapter itself.

The latter gives way to four divisions, one of which is a great oppressor of God’s people, but he shall be destroyed. This last portion refers to the Antichrist of the last days.

The four beasts represent world empires.

The first beast was a lion with eagle’s wings, signifying a kingdom majestic, strong and swift – the Babylonian kingdom – matching the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s image. The second beast was like a bear rising on one side with three ribs in its mouth. This was the Medo-Persian Empire, the Persians being the stronger partner. The three ribs are likely Lydia, Babylon and Egypt. This beast matched the chest and arms of silver. It also matches the ram with two horns in Chapter 8. Notice the two arms – the Medes and Persians. Although this was a weaker empire, it spread further than the reaches of the first. The third beast was like a leopard with four wings and four heads. Definitely, this referred to the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great, and clearly stated in Chapter 8 as the he goat. He was swift to conquer and

spread his empire rapidly from Eastern Europe to North Africa and Eastward to India. Alexander so dominated the world that Greek language and culture influenced the world for a long time. After his death at age 33, his kingdom was divided among his four generals: Lysimachus in Asia Minor (Turkey), Seleucus in Syria and Eastward, Ptolemy in Egypt, and Cassander in Greece and Macedonia. It was one of these four generals, Antiochus Epiphanes 175 - 164 BC, who ravished Palestine and sacrificed a pig on the altar in the Holy Temple. He fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel chapter 8, but not entirely. How do we know? Jesus predicted this is yet to come in the last days (see Matthew 24:15). The fourth beast was not compared to animals, only described as dreadful, terrible, and strong. This was the Roman Empire. They were cruel, and influenced the world for a long time.

This sets the stage for the revelation of the man of sin, the little horn, the Willful King of Daniel 11:36-39, and “the man of lawlessness” of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” This world ruler is known as “the Antichrist.” At the Second Coming of Jesus, the Antichrist will be defeated and Christ will set up His magnificent Millennial Kingdom which flows into eternity with Jesus forever. What a day that will be!

The Word of God is accurate.

These prophecies of Daniel were given around 541 BC which about 400 years before Rome came to prominence. This gave rise to debate as to the authentici-

ty of Daniel. Skeptics feel the book was written in the 2nd century BC instead of the 6th century BC. They say it was recorded after events happened because they could not have been so accurately predicted. How do we know this prophecy was authentic in the 6th century BC? Jesus referred to Daniel the prophet and He warns Israel to expect in the last days “the abomination of desolation, spoken

by Daniel the prophet.” The spirit of Antichrist is already in the world: deceiving many of God’s people, working through counterfeit spiritual gifts, and criticizing the work of the Holy Spirit to discourage people. Because of the accuracy of these prophecies, we can trust the Word of God. We are forewarned how to conduct our lives. We celebrate God’s mercies because salvation is extended to both Jews and Gentiles. We believe God is working for us even when we cannot see Him. We must prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Are you ready?

Take Christ as your Savior so you will be ready, and 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

November 20–26, 2015

Two T&T men die in sea mishap

F

or three hours Sita Phillip sat in a vehicle near the Ortoire River, waiting for her husband Larry Phillip to return from a fishing trip on Monday.

Little did she know at the time that his lifeless body was floating out to sea.

Phillip and his friend Wayne Samaroo had hours before suffered a tragic demise when raging sea conditions capsized their pirogue, causing both of them to drown in the river.

It is believed that Phillip, 30, of Libertville Road, Rio Claro, was knocked unconscious when the 27-foot long pirogue struck him on the head. After searching for the whole night, his father-inlaw Rajesh Seecharan found his body stuck between some rocks along the beach around 7 am yesterday.

Fidel Bayne, who witnessed the accident, said Samaroo, 52, of the Manzanilla/Mayaro Road, Ortoire Village, was wearing boots that became entangled in the net.

He said when villagers got him out of the water a short time later, they performed CPR but he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mayaro District Health Facility.

According to Sita, 18, Phillip

left her parent’s Cascadoux Trace home around 4.30 pm to retrieve a fishing net with pirogue owner Samaroo.

The T&T Guardian was told that Samaroo’s son Kowayne, 23, and nephew Rendell Jack, 23, were in the pirogue with the men when the incident that led to their deaths occurred.

The men were returning from sea with the net and catch when the pirogue stalled in the river mouth. When the engine stopped they pulled to the side, but with the rough waters the pirogue rocked violently. As the boat began to capsize the men jumped into the water, but only Kowayne and Jack were able to swim away alive.

“When he left to go, he told me to come back for him in an hour.

They usually take an hour, so I went down there about 5.30 pm and I waited until 8.30 pm until I saw someone running and saying that the boat flipped over,” Sita recalled in speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday.

It was only in September that Sita and Phillip celebrated their two-year anniversary and just six months ago they celebrated the birth of their daughter Sofia.

Sita said Phillip, a quality assurance/quality control officer,

Caribbean Star Newspaper Murder, suicide in Penal

was laid off by British Gas last February but was expected to resume work in December. To continue to provide for his family, she said, he bought a pirogue recently and started to fish.

He would sometimes fish with Samaroo.

With his death, she said, she had now lost a loving, honest and hardworking husband.

Neither Kowayne nor Jack was at home yesterday, but Samaroo’s wife of 28 years, Lydia Samaroo, 53, said she was yet to learn what really happened.

She said Samaroo, a father of 15, was a boat maker, boat owner and fisherman who worked tirelessly every day. She said her family had planned to celebrate Divali and two weeks later go Christmas shopping.

“We were going to cook roti but we were not lighting any deyas.

My husband really wasn’t a man to make plans. He lived today for tomorrow,” Lydia said.

However, she believed her son was wearing a life jacket as she said he could use only one of his feet.

She said because Kowayne walked with crutches and could not work, he loved going to sea and on other adventures with his father.

A

Penal man murdered his wife, slit his two-yearold daughter's throat and then committed suicide on Monday.

Premnath Ramkhelawan, 25, was found hanging at the back of his father-in-law's home at Laltoo Trace in Penal, where he had lived with his common-law wife, Aarika Bhim, for almost five years.

Bhim and the couple's daughter, Artie, were found lying in the back seat of a green Nissan B-13 car in a bushy track near the home.

Bhim's father, Purnanand Bhim, said he discovered his son-in-law's body at around 5.50am.

He said, ?I was going to feed the animals in the back when I saw his body hanging. I walk to the front of the house to tell my daughter, but she was not there. A neighbour was passing at the same time and told me he saw the green car in the track?

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Bhim said he walked over to the car and saw the mother and child in the back seat.

Aarika Bhim was dead, bleeding from wounds to the chest and throat. The little girl suffered wounds to the throat and arms.

Little Artie was taken to the Siparia Health Centre and transferred to San Fernando General Hospital, where she remains in serious condition.

Homicide detectives visited the scene and are continuing investigations.

She has uttered a few words since regaining consciousness on Tuesday—the first word was “mommy”, one of her aunts said.

Doctors did not allow relatives to take her out of the health facility to attend her mother’s funeral yesterday.

Relatives said she would undergo a series of tests before being released in the care of her grandparents.

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CDs and Fixed Deferred Annuities: Which is Right for You?

I

n today’s low interest rate environment, many conservative investors are finding it hard to identify investment options that are attractive yet safe.

Two popular options are certificates of deposit (CDs) and fixed deferred annuities. Both are considered low-risk vehicles for building wealth; yet they differ in important ways.

Which choice is better? The answer depends on your goals and priorities. The following information will help you determine which of these two products is best suited for your needs at this time.

• Safety of Principal: Both CDs and fixed deferred annuities are considered low-risk investments. CDs are generally issued by banks and, in most cases, are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for up to $250,000 per depositor. Should the bank fail, the FDIC guarantees CDs up to this amount.

Fixed deferred annuities are

issued by insurance companies and are not insured by the U.S. government. They are backed by the financial strength of the issuing insurance company, regardless of the amount. Therefore, before purchasing an annuity, you should make sure the issuing insurance company is financially sound. You can determine financial strength by requesting the findings of independent rating companies such as Moody’s, A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch. These companies evaluate the financial strength of insurance companies and publish ratings that give their assessments of each company.

• Short Term vs. Long: If you’re saving toward a specific near-term objective — say a down payment on a car or home — a CD may be the way to go.

CDs offer a guaranteed interest rate over a maturity period that could range from a month to a few years.

Fixed deferred annuities, also

offer a guaranteed interest rate over a period of time that could range from 1 to 8 years, but they are generally designed for accumulating or protecting assets for retirement. They can also offer flexibility if you need to access your money, however, there may be charges, taxes or IRS penalties if you withdraw your money too soon. Fixed deferred annuities can even be used to provide a legacy for your heirs.

• Distribution Options: When a CD reaches its maturity, you can take the CD’s lump sum value in cash, renew the CD for the same or different maturity period or examine other investment alternatives (such as a fixed deferred annuity).

After the surrender period on a fixed deferred annuity (the amount of time an investor must wait until he or she can withdraw funds from an annuity without facing a penalty), you may elect to withdraw your money in a lump sum or you may want to select a lifetime income option.

The lifetime income option provides you with a flow of income that you cannot outlive. You can also elect to let your funds continue to accumulate until a need arises.

• Taxes: Federal law treats these two savings options quite differently. If taxes are a concern, a fixed deferred annuity may be the more attractive choice. CD earnings are taxable the year the interest is earned, even if you don’t withdraw the money at that time. In contrast, earnings from fixed deferred annuities are not taxed until they’re withdrawn, giving you some control over when and how much tax you’ll pay. For specific tax advice, you should consult your tax professional or advisor.

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November 20–26, 2015

'Light will always prevail over darkness' Rowley hosts Divali function at Diplomatic Centre “Even in the face of the horrific events that had recently taken place in Paris, and other parts of the world, light will always prevail over the darkness of the worst of human behaviour.”

So said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as he delivered remarks at the Divali function which he and his wife Sharon hosted at the Diplomatic Centre, St

Ann's, on Saturday night.

On Friday, Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists launched gun attacks at cafes in the French capital, detonated suicide bombs near the Stade de France and killed hostages inside a hall during a rock concert, claiming more than 120 victims.

The Prime Minister also expressed pleasure at celebrating Divali, a national festival. He thanked guests for their presence at his first official Divali function.

Divali greetings: Sharon Rowley, left, wife of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, greets Parvati Gupta, wife of Indian High Commissioner Gauri Shankar Gupta at a Divali celebration hosted by the PM at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, on Saturday night.

Looking on are Indian High Commissioner Gauri Shankar Gupta, partly hidden, and Ravindranath “Ravi Ji” Maharaj.

Caribbean Star Newspaper Shopkeeper killed, gold stolen at Omai

A

shopkeeper was shot dead on Sunday night at Bone Yard Backdam, Omai during an apparent robbery and the perpetrators are still on the run.

Dead is Errol Bowen, 38, of Lot 97 South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara.

A police statement said Bowen’s body was found with gunshot wounds to the back of his left ear around 11.30 pm. It was subsequently discovered that the shop was ransacked and 2 ounces and 6 pennyweights of gold was missing from the shop, the statement added.

Up to late last evening, arrangements were being made to transport Bowen’s corpse to Georgetown.

At the Better Hope home of the dead man yesterday afternoon, a number of relatives and friends gathered as the news of his death spread.

His distraught sister, Melissa Edghill, told Stabroek News that it was only on Saturday that she spoke with her brother after last seeing him some three weeks ago when he visited Georgetown.

According to Edghill, she was informed by the police at Eve Leary yesterday that from all indications Bowen was shot and killed was during a robbery.

She said she learned of his death around 2 am yesterday, when a man who resides in Better Hope and is known to the family visited her home.

The man also works in Omai but was

Errol Bowen at the time visiting his family in Georgetown.

Edghill said information from the area indicates that her brother was the only person present at the time of the attack, which is suspected to have occurred after the day’s sales, when he went to the back of the shop to switch off the generator.

She said it was customary for him to do so and it may be a case where he was targeted by individuals who knew his schedule.

The woman added that since her brother was shot once to the palm of his hand, it was also suspected that he may have tried to fight with his attacker/s prior to his death.

Stabroek News understands that after Bowen was shot, he crawled some 100 feet away but subsequently succumbed.

Bowen was described as a very quiet and friendly person by his relatives. He is survived by five siblings.

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T

Foreign exchange squeeze continues in T&T

he half-a-billion United States dollars injected into the system by the Central Bank to ease the currency crisis in the country has already been used up by the business community.

On October 29, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert mandated that some US$500 million be immediately injected into the banking system.

The massive injection was expected to clear existing trade credit and also ease some of the currency crunch being experienced by private citizens and small businesses; hardship which many argued was caused by the new foreign exchange system which was introduced last year.

The injection was also meant to clear the way for the smooth return to the old system of purchasing currency, which Imbert mandated Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambaran to reimplement last month due to the issues with the new system.

However, the Sunday Guardian has been reliably informed that the majority of that money has already been soaked up by the big business sector, leaving private citizens and small business owners still scrambling to access US dollars.

Visits by the Sunday Guardian to several banks throughout T&T last week revealed that customers and small business were only being afforded US$200 per day. Upset customers who called the Central Bank about

T

Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

their woes were merely directed back to commercial bank branch managers if they hoped to be allowed to buy more US. One bank executive, speaking under the condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, explained that “trade creditors” were responsible for the quick absorption of the US$500 million injected into the system last month. She said the concern for currency now stemmed from the fact that the quick absorption meant little ease to the daily hassle faced by the banks’ clientele.

“The money is gone,” she said.

“If you go to stores, high-end stores, you would see where the money is.

“It has been used by business owners to stock stores, but the US injected into the system is just not coming back into the country. We are just not earning enough of it.”

Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) president, former senator Rolph Balgobin, agreed that the money was already utilised to pay off existing debts incurred by the business community. He said, however, that the TTMA was not concerned about the shortage affecting businesses.

“The US$500 million injection was to clear the existing overhang in the system. Once that was cleared up, even with the implementation of the old system of allocation, it would still take some time before it would ease the need for the US curren-

cy,” he told the Sunday Guardian.

Apart from the fact that buyers can now only access US$200 per day through the legitimate banking system, they are also doing so at an increased exchange rate of US$1 to TT$6.43.

The currency crisis has, however, also now facilitated the growth of a black market exchange trade, with purchasers being offered the now scarce US currency at a TT$7 rate.

According to RBC’s October 2015 Caribbean Economic Report, local business owners and private citizens accessed some US$695 million in October 2015 alone, meaning that the total amount of US injected into the local banking system had reached unprecedented figures by the end of October.

The RBC report stated that the year-to-date total was now just under US$2.5 billion, which signalled “an increase of just over US$1.0 billion or 73 per cent over the same period last year.”

When it released the US$500 million on October 29, the Central Bank was reported as saying that T&T’s net official reserves remained at US$10.1 billion, which it said was equivalent to almost one year’s worth of imports.

DOMA boss concerned Head of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) Gregory Aboud said he too understood the business absorption took the majority of the

Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambaran latest injection, leaving private citizens in difficulty.

“It helped dissolve the existing backlog, queued among commercial interests and the business community,” Aboud said.

“But it seems now that another queue has developed and indeed that private citizens are still experiencing tremendous difficulty in accessing foreign exchange.”

Aboud said, however, that only rational and frank national discussions would help the country better understand the currency crisis facing the country.

“Now it seems for some reason that the exchange rate has come to be known as a sort of economic barometer for measuring the performance of regional governments. We do not know if that phenomena is at work in T&T, but we do know that any shortage and scarcity points to a discussion regard-

89 T&T nationals with ISIS – report

here are now 89 T&T nationals—including families—known to Government who have joined the Islamic State of Iraq (Isis) in the last three plus years, T&T Guardian has confirmed.

That is the most up to date figure on the situation which was given by Government early last Saturday morning, shortly after deadly terrorist attacks on Paris claimed 129 victims, left 350 wounded and the world reeling in shock and anger. Isis has claimed responsibility.

Former National Security Minister Gary Griffith and former National Operations Centre head Garvin Heerah were among experts who yesterday came out in support of laws to block T&T-born Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFS) returnees on their way back, well before they reach T&T. Muslim community leader attorney Nafeesa Mohammed also urges rapport between state apparatus and the fragmented leadership of the Muslim community to ascertain who’s gone to Isis and why so “innocent” people in

the scenario wouldn’t suffer.

National Security Minister Edmund Dillon was quoted yesterday as saying Isis poses “no threat to T&T right now” and there’s no law to stop them returning. He said if they’d committed international crime, T&T could work with foreign partners to bring them to justice, but “for now they’re still T&T citizens.”

Dillon yesterday subsequently assured, authorities are monitoring returnees. On the 89 persons with Isis, which T&T Guardian learned about on Saturday, Dillon said there are 80-plus, including about 35 men and other persons who are family members. He said several of the T&T fighters have been killed.

On assessments earlier in the year from intelligence sources that a number of those who had gone were from T&T’s criminal fringe element, rather than conservative Muslim basis, Dillon said that assessment was still on par and those persons were believed to be intelligent.

Dillon assured that he was aware of

laws that block returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) in other countries before they reach T&T. He said that is done with international allies.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi who had been Paris two weeks ago for a conference, told T&T Guardian yesterday, T&T has met with international agencies to track people who leave T&T and head to Syria and Turkey to join FTFs. He added, “We’re also looking at Section 22b of the Anti Terrorism Act dealing with terrorist financing and operationalising in fuller form.

We’ll apply existing anti-terrorism laws in tracking and monitoring of alleged Foreign Terrorist Fighters from T&T, and specifically cases concerning potential returns. We also have a unit looking at strengthening of the package of laws to deal with terrorism and if it may be relevance to T&T’s context.”

“We assure T&T we’re sparing no effort in co-ordinating multiple resources in dealing with this so there can be efficient and confident positive outcome for T&T’s peace of mind and security.”

ing the price of the commodity,” Aboud said.

The Central Bank, which has now fully reverted to the original allocation method, is expected to provide a full analysis on the operations of the FX market early next month.

The Sunday Guardian texted Imbert seeking clarification on where the injection went and if the currency crisis could be rectified before the very busy Christmas season but was unable to get an explanation from him.

But the Central Bank said it has been receiving reports from the commercial banking sector on the daily movement of the foreign exchange (FX) in the system since its injection.

“The US$500m intervention was mainly to settle trade related transactions,” communications manger Charlene Ramdhanie explained in an email exchange.

She said that the free market system governing banking in T&T means that commercial banks can use their own discretion on who and how much to sell when approached by a would-be buyer.

“Central Bank does not determine what FX amount customers receive, when they receive FX/who gets FX…Apart from our intervention, commercial banks receive FX from the energy companies, other companies and the public which can be used to meet demand,” she said.

Trinidad-born author wins top Canada fiction prize with dog tale

T

ORONTO, (Reuters) – Trinidad-born author Andre Alexis on Tuesday won Canada’s Giller Prize, the country’s richest fiction award, for his novel “Fifteen Dogs”, about a group of animals at a Toronto veterinary clinic who gain human Andre Alexis consciousness and language.

The C$100,000 ($75,540.11) prize was awarded by a jury that included Irish author John Boyne, Canadian writers Cecil Foster, Alexander MacLeod and Alison Pick, and British author Helen Oyeyemi.

The jury said the novel is “a wonderful and original piece of writing that challenges the reader to examine their own existence and recall the age old question, what’s the meaning of life?”

Alexis was previously shortlisted for the Giller for his novel “Childhood”. His other books include “Asylum”, “Ingrid & the Wolf” and “Pastoral”.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

29

World News Highlights

ter said, following the attacks in Paris that killed 129 people.

BAGHDAD Iraqi paramilitaries seen as essential in fighting Islamic State are resisting moves to rein in their budget, highlighting the challenge of imposing government authority on one of the country’s most powerful forces.

BEIRUT A powerful Syrian rebel group said on Thursday it was studying a local ceasefire proposal put forward by an international mediator aimed at halting fighting with government forces near Damascus.

BRUSSELS/AMSTERDAM The European Union will tighten checks at external borders of the passport-free Schengen area, including for its own citizens who enjoy free movement within the bloc, to boost security after the attacks in Paris by armed militants.

PARIS The suspected Islamic State mastermind of the Paris attacks was among those killed in a police raid north of the capital, France confirmed on Thursday, bringing an end to the hunt for Europe’s most wanted man.

STOCKHOLM Sweden will propose at an EU meeting on Friday the introduction of biometric passport controls at the external borders of Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone, the prime minis-

I

BERLIN The suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks was questioned by German police at Cologne-Bonn airport early last year before he boarded a plane to Istanbul, Spiegel magazine reported on Thursday, quoting security officials.

TEL AVIV Around 55 Iranian military personnel have been killed in Syria’s civil war, Israeli intelligence believes, and a thinktank close to Israel’s spy services said the toll is undermining support among Iranians for Iran’s actions in Syria.

PARIS France received no information from other countries to signal that Abdelhamid Abaaoud had entered Europe until after 129 people were killed in the French capital, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Thursday.

ROME/STOCKHOLM Police in Italy and Sweden tried to track down suspected militants and increased security around public buildings on Thursday after receiving reports that attacks might be planned on their soil following last week’s mass killings in Paris.

BERLIN/MAINZ, Germany After years of feeling insulated from militant Islamist threats, Germans are worrying that they too could be subject to attacks like those suffered last week in Paris.

VILNIUS European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, suggesting closer trade ties between the 28-nation EU and a Russian-led economic bloc once a ceasefire is implemented in Ukraine.

KIEV,The West should not ease pressure on Russia over its role in Ukraine’s conflict even if it cooperates with the Kremlin to fight terrorism, a senior Ukrainian diplomat said on Thursday.

TEGUCIGALPA Honduras on Thursday identified five Syrians detained this week traveling on

Islamic State threatens attack on Washington, other countries

slamic State warned in a new video on Monday that countries taking part in air strikes against Syria would suffer the same fate as France, and threatened to attack in Washington.

The video, which appeared on a website used

by Islamic State to post its messages, begins with news footage of the aftermath of Friday's Paris shootings in which at least 129 people were killed.

The message to countries involved in what it called the "crusader campaign" was delivered by a man dressed in fatigues and a turban, and identified in subtitles as Al Ghareeb the Algerian.

"We say to the states that take part in the crusader campaign that, by God, you will have a day, God willing, like France's and by God, as we struck France in the center of its abode in Paris, then we swear that we will strike America at its center in Washington," the man said.

It was not immediate-

A man (C) identified in the subtitiles as Al Karar the Iraqi gestures as he speaks at an undisclosed location in this image taken from undated video footage released by Islamic State. Islamic State warned in the new video on November 16, 2015 that countries taking part in... ly possible to verify the authenticity of the video, which purports to be the work of Islamic State fighters in the Iraqi province of Salahuddine, north of Baghdad.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security would not comment on the video but said it has not received information indicating a potential attack.

"While we take all threats seriously, we do not have specific credible information of an attack on the U.S. homeland," a DHS of-

ficial said on condition of anonymity.

The French government has called the Paris attacks an act of war and said it would not end its air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

French fighter jets launched their biggest raids in Syria to date on Sunday, targeting the Islamic State's stronghold in the city of Raqqa, in coordination with U.S. forces.

Police raided homes of suspected Islamist militants across France over-

night following the Paris attacks.

"Al Ghareeb the Algerian" also warned Europe in the video that more attacks were coming.

"I say to the European countries that we are coming, coming with booby traps and explosives, coming with explosive belts and (gun) silencers and you will be unable to stop us because today we are much stronger than before," he said.

Apparently referring to international talks to end the Syrian war, another man identified in the video as Al Karrar the Iraqi tells French President Francois Hollande "we have decided to negotiate with you in the trenches and not in the hotels."

(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba and Lin Noueihed; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Ahmed Aboulenein, Michael Georgy, David Stamp and Jonathan Oatis) REUTERS/SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE

doctored Greek passports, saying they were from the Syrian cities of Homs and Hasaka, and were aged between 19 and 30.

CAIRO Moscow and Cairo signed an agreement on Thursday for Russia to build a nuclear power plant in Egypt, with Russia extending a loan to Egypt to cover the cost of construction.

SOFIA/WARSAW A bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax, made by a “joking” Polish passenger, forced an airliner flying from Warsaw to Egypt to make an emergency landing in Bulgaria on Thursday.

BRUSSELS Belgian police carried out a series of raids in Brussels on Thursday to find information related to one of the Paris suicide bombers and detained a total of nine people, federal prosecutors said.

Knowing Who You Are

By Isabella Wahi

S

ita Ram. My name is Isabella Wahi and I am a proud member of the Naujavaan Mandalee Youth Group of the Shaanti Bhavan mandir.

Being exposed to many different cultures and religions in the world have caused me to wonder about certain things and questions in my life. By going to school I meet people of different backgrounds that come from many different countries and believe in a different religion which got me thinking, Who are you? Where do we come from? These are daily questions that come to my head and can only be answered by looking at my family’s background, traditions and religion while separating them.

Like many people in the world, I have parents that come from different countries. My mom from Guyana, and my dad from India. Even though both of my parents are Hindus, they each have different views on how things should be. For instance, my mom cooks the same curry as my dad but in a different way which makes it have a different taste, but it’s still the same type of food.

It’s the same thing with tradition in my family. My dad being from India is stricter on practicing and praying while my mom is more open to new ideas and thoughts.

This makes a pretty big point in separating tradition from religion because people pass down the wrong information to the next generation.

Traditions are something that you and your family practice in your home but not something that has been cemented as religious. In today’s society, people either make the mistake of saying we have to do something as a tradition because it is stated as such in our holy books but that’s not true. Religion is only a brick that you choose to use however you want while building your house. A stepping stone in forming our beliefs. Many people are not well informed and pass down the wrong information which we all should help stop by taking the time to learn about our religion.

By asking questions to our parents and grandparents as well as our teachers, we can correct the mistakes and wrong information that has been passed down.

Then from there, our families can all begin to create new and insightful traditions. Jai Ho!

30

Caribbean Star Newspaper the true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. – samuel johnson WEEKLY HOROSCOPE November 20–26, 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) Don’t over think things. On Monday, introspection could leave you frustrated and conflicted -- so consider taking a breather as the week begins. Wait to take action until later, when you can be sure that assertiveness guides your impulses. Tuesday and Wednesday find you back on top of things, meeting up with new people and exploring with confidence. Later in the week, that boisterous spontaneity finds a focus, and you’ll discover overachieving opportunities to impress others and get ahead (especially in your career).

This weekend, take time to socialize.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22) No one has sharper intuition than you as the week begins. Use that incredible insight to dig deep on Monday, looking beneath the surface to get a grasp on the big picture. On Tuesday and Wednesday, don’t be surprised if romance comes knocking. You’re full of fire and passion right now, and that dramatic energy will command attention -- and not just from flirtatious admirers. By Thursday and Friday, you’re still the energetic, enthusiastic leader of the pack, but you’ll be content to focus on the needs of your loyal followers. This weekend, choose creativity over conflict.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Feeling moody? You might be lost in thought as the week begins, and maybe a little emotional. Take time for yourself on Monday to rest and reflect -- you’ve got a busy week ahead.

Tuesday and Wednesday see you at your outgoing, overachieving best. The time is right for new relationships and pioneering ideas. Embrace the unexpected with confidence. Thursday and Friday, tend to your finances. Even if your wallet is fat right now, it’s a good time to reassess your priorities -- and save accordingly. This weekend, you can’t help but impress. New acquaintances will ooh and ahh over your creativity and wit.

P

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20) Your strong emotions can sometimes get you into trouble -- and Monday is one of those times. Try to rein in those passions as the week begins (or, if that doesn’t work, at least channel them into something productive, like connecting more closely with a loved one). As the week wears on, that emotional intensity will metamorphose into pure and simple charm. Expect to attract the attention and affection of anyone you’d consider exotic. On Thursday and Friday, enjoy solid, feet-on-the-ground confidence and an unusually insightful take on things. Get ready to show some restraint this weekend, though.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You’re not known for your strong emotions, but as the week begins, your heart will insist on sharing center stage with your head. Use this killer combination (intense passion teamed up with intellectual prowess, that is) to make close connections and solve seemingly impossible problems. As the week wears on, you’ll need to switch up and go with the flow. On Tuesday and Wednesday, let solutions bubble up by themselves. Later in the week, all your hard work will finally pay off. This weekend, don’t bang your head against the wall.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You’re more careful than most people when it comes to making decisions, and that goes double for this Monday. Expect opportunities to display your famed detachment and superior deliberation skills. Your command of the details will guide you to wise choices. You’ll continue that preoccupation with plans and strategies through Tuesday and Wednesday, and there’s no need to let up -- be ambitious and make decisions with daring.

Later in the week, plans will pay off in an excellent, expansive way. You’ll achieve your formidable goals, and others will be impressed. This weekend, think twice before starting something new.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20) You just keep getting smarter, don’t you? As the week begins, your powers of observation kick into high gear, and that calculating curiosity will grant you unusual insights on Monday. You’ll carry that new perspective well into the middle of the week, so use it to form closer relationships (with friends and more-than-friends) and alliances (at work). Unfortunately, your gift of perception and clarity will start to give out come Thursday and Friday -- expect some hesitancy and confusion when interacting with others. This weekend gets much better, though, bringing big changes and exciting new ideas.

LIBRA

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) It’s a tough question: How much should you give and how much should you take? If you apply yourself, though, you’ll find you’ve got plenty of insight to strike that balance as the week begins. Forget about awkward compromises in the middle of the week, because you’ll be such a charismatic communicator that others will fall all over themselves to agree with you. Use this supportive environment to explore high-minded ideas and figure out your feelings. Thursday and Friday could find you constrained and struggling to break free -- from your past, and from authority figures, too. This weekend, try something new.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Feeling shy? As the week begins, you’ve got a lot on your mind, and the need for privacy is paramount. Lay low on Monday to sort things out on your own. By Tuesday and Wednesday, you’ll be back to your old expansive, outgoing self -- get friends together for something fun. Any outing you organize will be a success, especially if you invite some new and friendly faces. Later in the week, display some discipline and self-restraint if you’re hoping to get anything done. Cut loose this weekend, though -- you’re full of charm, and others will clamor to bask in your energy and enthusiasm.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22) Expect indecision on Monday. Your emotions will get the better of you as the week begins, and your heart will pick a fight with your head. Rather than force a compromise, just put off big decisions until later in the week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, dare to be selfish -- even if it creates friction with friends and coworkers. Most of the time, no one is kinder or more compassionate than you, but right now you need to take care of yourself. On Thursday and Friday, you’ll need to juggle conflicting priorities and people.

Try to maintain that good-humored flexibility throughout the weekend.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Your confidence and charisma have everyone dazzled to distraction as the week begins, so don’t be bashful. Take center stage and command the crowd. Even your own magnificence, though, isn’t enough to hold your attention toward the middle of the week -- you’ll be too caught up trying to decide whether you should take a big risk. In this case, trust your instincts. If something appears too good to be true, it probably is. Toward the end of the week, your shrewd savvy will get you ahead in business dealings -- or anything involving your ambition and your communication skills.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20) Stand up for yourself! Others might try to walk all over you as the week begins, so prepare to put up a fight. (Either that or prepare to make yourself scarce.) By Tuesday and Wednesday, the danger will pass and luck is back on your side. Use your good fortune for a good cause (like helping somebody out maybe?), but don’t expect that luck to help you win over your cranky boss (or any other authority figure). Take the lead on Thursday and Friday and help others in groups. This weekend, get lost in your imagination. Now’s a great time to daydream about the future.

Obama rules out U.S. troops on ground to fight Islamic State

resident Barack Obama ruled out a shift in strategy in the fight against Islamic State on Monday despite the deadly attacks in Paris, saying putting more U.S. troops on the ground as sought by his political critics "would be a mistake."

Speaking after a G20 summit in Turkey, Obama described the attacks in France that killed 129 people as "a terrible and sickening setback" and vowed to redouble efforts to destroy Islamic State, even as the group threatened to strike Washington.

Mindful of the difficulties that the United States had in controlling Iraq after its invasion in 2003, Obama is very reluctant to commit American ground forces to Middle East conflict zones.

"We are going to continue the strategy that has the best chance of working," he told a news conference, adding that there would be "an intensification" of the ef-

fort against Islamic State.

Obama has been criticized for his administration's handling of the current turmoil in Syria and Iraq, with some Republicans calling for a more aggressive approach that would include more U.S. troops on the ground in the region.

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush called on Monday for more U.S. troops in leadership positions and as advisers to Iraqi and Kurdish units. He also sought a no-fly zone in Syria, a move Obama has resisted, in part because Islamic State has no air force.

Billionaire businessman Donald Trump, another Republican White House contender, supported sending as many as 10,000 U.S. troops in the region, while South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham spoke of creating a ground force of U.S., French and other NATO forces to fight Islamic State.

Obama pushed back against the Republicans and said some were only recommending what the administration had already done against Islamic State while others seemed to think if he were "just more bellicose ... that would make a difference."

"This is not a traditional mil-

itary opponent. We can retake territory and as long as we keep our troops there we can hold it.

But that does not solve the underlying problem of eliminating the dynamics that are producing these kinds of violent, extremist groups," Obama said.

A majority of Americans want

the United States to intensify its assault on Islamic State following the Paris attacks, but most remain opposed to sending troops to Iraq or Syria, where the militant group is based, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Obama told reporters that U.S. intelligence agencies had been concerned about a potential attack on the West by Islamic State for more than a year, but he said none of the warnings they had received were specific enough to have prevented Friday's attacks in Paris.

Even so, the United States is streamlining the process by which it shares intelligence and operational military information with France.

Obama criticized as "shameful" the idea that Christian refugees should be given preference by the United States in decisions over admitting people fleeing violence in Syria.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

Entertainment News

31

Charlie Sheen says he has HIV virus, Bollywood condemns Paris terror attacks has paid millions to keep it secret

O

H

ollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen revealed on Tuesday he is HIV positive.

In an interview Tuesday on NBC’s “Today,” the 50-year-old Sheen says he tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS about four years ago.

“It’s a hard three letters to absorb. It’s a turning point in one’s life,” the former “Two and a Half Men” actor said.

Sheen said he had already paid “upwards of $10 million” to keep the information secret.

“We’re talking shakedowns,” he said.

Sheen said that he did have unprotected sex since being diagnosed, but also claimed he had told every partner since being diagnosed that he was HIV positive.

His personal physician sat by his side during part of the interview and detailed the star’s treatment. He said after the actor was diagnosed he was “immediately put on treatment, strong anti-viral drugs, which have suppressed the virus.”

Sheen and his doctor declared the star has an undetectable level of the virus in his blood.

“Charlie does not have AIDS,” his physician declared. “Charlie is healthy.”

Sheen said he takes four pills every day and he has never missed a dose.

“I still drink a little bit,” he admitted.

His physician said Sheen’s substance abuse issues have concerned his doctors.

“We’re so so anxious that if he was overly depressed or abusing substances he would forget these pills,” the physician said. “He’s managed to continue to take this medication.”

Sheen said his symptoms began with “crushing headaches.”

“I thought I had a brain tumor,” he recalled. “I thought it was over.”

The star said he was coming forward with the truth because of the rumors surrounding his health.

“I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths and very harmful and mercurial stories that are about me, that threaten the health of so many others that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Sheen said the most hurtful rumor he read claimed he intentionally transmitted HIV to his partners.

“That’s as far from the truth as anything can be,” he said.

Drug and alcohol use have marred Sheen’s personal and professional life in recent years.

He was kicked off CBS’ “Two and a Half Men” in 2011 after an explosive meltdown that included calling the show’s producer “a contaminated little maggot.”

His escapades have also included the revelation that he spent more than $50,000 as a client of “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss’ prostitution ring.

“You can only hear ‘winning’ in the streets so many times,” he said of his meltdown. “I am approaching a time of more of a philanthropic culture in my life.”

Sheen said he wants to try and help people now that he has come forward with his condition.

“I’m not going to be to poster-man for this, but I will not shun away from responsibilities and opportunities that drive me to helping others,” he said. “I will pick my spots [for speaking out about HIV] carefully and respectfully.”

“Two and a Half Men” debuted in 2003 and starred Sheen as womanizing bachelor Charlie Harper. It made Sheen one of TV’s highest-paid actors and at its peak was TV’s most-watched sitcom.

“My financial situation is not great,” Sheen admitted. “I’ve been up; I’ve been down; I’ve been rich; I’ve been poor. It’s another chapter of my life.”

The actor said he does not expect his admission to affect his career opportunities.

“I mean as we speak… I have a couple of films lined up that I can put start dates on... Thus far there has been no resistance [in hiring me].”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

n Friday evening Paris was hit with a series of coordinated terror attacks, and according to CNN, at least 150 people have died. Haven't we evolved at all? Prayers to the families who lost their loved ones.so sad.

Actor Sidharth Malhotra tweeted, "Shocked at the news of #ParisAttacks strength and prayers to the victims and their families".

The news of second terror attack on France, hardly a year after terrorists stormed the Charlie Hebdo office, has shocked the entire world.

"Paris inspires me as an actor and it will take a long time to get over this horrific incident".

Sri Lanka's north shuts down demanding release of prisoners The LTTE was defeated in 2009 after a 26-year civil war in which they were fighting for an independent state. They later continued their hunger strike alleging government had failed to fulfil its pledge.

Manoj Bajpayee: Dastardly barbaric act of terrorism in Paris.

American celebrities like Katy Perry and Demi Lovato have flooded Twitter asking their followers and fans to keep the people of Paris in their thoughts.

Ex-Pat: Belichick 'wants to kick the Giants' butt' Tight end Rob Gronkowski's 76-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter is the longest of his six-year career....

Odell Beckham Jr.'s season has followed a pattern this year of one bad game followed by two good ones.

Varun Dhawan: Heartbreaking to hear about the #ParisAttacks.can only pray for peace. Bad news about terrorist attacks in Paris! Hoping all friends are safe. When will this senseless violence end? This should give you the impetus to

breed humanity. #ParisAttack - Shocking and disturbing.

"Our heartfelt condolences to the families of victims of the attacks in Paris and our total solidarity with the French people", Spanish top division La Liga team Atletico Madrid said.

Polish minister says accepting refugees now impossible This was in addition to the 2,000 it had already taken. "People's empathy for the fate of the refugees will increase", Mr. Germany's vice-chancellor has warned against a crackdown on migrants coming to Europe because of the Paris attacks.

Bella Thorne posted a graphic on Instagram that incorporated a silhouette of the Eiffel Tower into the words, "Pray for Paris", and wrote that her heart is with everyone affected by the tragedy. the caption included the pray for paris hashtag and a heart emoticon.

Nick Jonas: "Thoughts and prayers are with you Paris". But now this is happening so very often globally that the only reaction is numbness. Tonight's horrific attacks are a tragic reminder that there are those who want to see America, Europe, and our allies across the globe fail.

Holly Holm takes Ronda Rousey’s crown, but not the Hollywood lifestyle

M

ELBOURNE, Australia—Holly Holm might have taken Ronda Rousey’s crown as the queen of mixed martial arts (MMA) but she has no plans to follow in her beaten rival’s celebrity footsteps.

While the focus on Holm will inevitably skyrocket following her spectacular knockout of the previously undefeated Rousey in UFC 193 at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night, her husband Jeff Kirkpatrick said the 35-year-old from Albuquerque has no desire to forgo her hometown comforts in search of a Hollywood lifestyle.

“The spotlight and all that is not what Holly is about,” Kirkpatrick told USA TODAY Sports. “She loves the media when it is around but she would prefer to be at home in our house and hanging out with

friends.

“The requirements of the day-to-day travel and so on might change a little bit, but as a person, Holly will never change and I will never change. We are normal people and we just do our jobs. She just happens to do her job very well.”

So well, in fact, that she achieved what no other UFC fighter has managed—making Rousey look ordinary before finishing the fight with a dramatic kick to the side of the head and neck less than a minute into the second round.

And thus, in an instant, she became perhaps the hottest new commodity in MMA, instead of a former world boxing champion who was supposed to be just one more piece of fodder for Rousey to beat up and cast aside.

Opportunities will now beckon that could significantly boost her earning power and profile. The talk-show circuit is likely to be among Holm’s first stops after she and Kirkpatrick take a few days off to enjoy Australia before receiving a hero’s welcome back in Albuquerque, where a civic reception is already in the planning stages.

“I have heard that things are going crazy in Albuquerque already and I can’t wait to get back there,” Holm said. “I love my home so much, the people have shown me so much love and I can’t wait to celebrate with them and thank them for their support.”

Holm’s commercial appeal also took a leap, while she now has leverage to lean on Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White for a greatly improved

contract with the organization.

Rousey turned her success in the octagon into a lucrative second career in acting and was rarely out of the public eye in the buildup to the weekend’s event.

However, while the Holm camp was content to quietly go about its business in comparative peace, there was one publicity appearance that irked certain members of her camp.

Manager Lenny Fresquez was annoyed when Rousey, who has never boxed competitively, was chosen to appear on the front cover of RING magazine.

“That really pissed me off,” Fresquez said. “Holly was a multiple time world champion in boxing and she never got the cover. I didn’t agree with it or the principle of it.”

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November 20–26, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

11 Bollywood Actresses' Pay Packages Revealed, But It's The Men Who Are Raking In The Moolah!

ow much Bollywood actresses get paid has remained a mystery ever since Kangana Ranaut came out strongly against the disparity in the paychecks compared to their male counterparts in the industry. While the debate did push their salaries up by some crores, the difference still remains quite apparent. Kangana recently became the highest paid actress in Bollywood when she signed a movie for Rs 11 crores. Her revised remuneration was well justified in her post Queen phase. She won a National Award for the same. But have you thought about the figure Salman Khan, the highest paid actor in Bollywood, commands? It's more than five times - Rs 60 crores!

According to IANS, superstars Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar were a part of Forbes first global list of actors. The trio ranked among the world's top ten highest-paid actors, which included Hollywood to Hong Kong and Bollywood. While the fee of Indian actors keeps on increasing with each film, indicating that there is no recession in our industry, it has remained static for the actresses until recently.

With a surge in female-centric films and their successful outing at the box office, our female leads have begun questioning the long-standing disparity and sought equality. Apart from Kangana, Vidya Balan and Katrina Kaif have also been vocal about it.

"Remuneration has changed but if you compare it with what the men get it is still very different. But I would say let's not compare it because just five per cent of these films are being made. I think we will get our due. We are slowly moving towards that." – Vidya Balan "Indian cinema has come a long way.

But one thing which has not changed is the remuneration for women. There is still a huge disparity. Let's see what happens with that." – Katrina Kaif While Salman had recently called this debate "bullshit", we would like to remind you that Madhuri Dixit has been the only actress till date, who was paid more than her male counterparts, both Salman and Shah Rukh Khan when she ruled the screens in the 1990s.

Keeping in view the current statistics, here is a list of the highest paid Bollywood actress and their remuneration.

Read on.

1. Kangana Ranaut – 11 crores The powerhouse performer hiked her

fees after Queen and Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Reportedly she is getting Rs 11 crores for her next movie, which makes her the highest paid Bollywood actress. She prefers doing movies centered around her character and has four big upcoming projects including Vishal Bhardwaj's Rangoon, Hansal Mehta's Simran and Ketan Mehta's Rani Laxmi Bai.

2. Kareena Kapoor – 9 crores Kareena is in her own comfortable space and has become quite choosy about signing films. While she wrapped R. Balki's upcoming Ki And Ka, she is also shooting for Udta Punjab… and all for 9 crores. She is the senior most actress in our list and currently at the second spot.

3. Deepika Padukone – 9 crores Deepika has her hands full with big ticket films. And with back to back hits, even filmmakers are ready to pay her 9 crores. One of the most talented among the younger lot, she is ready to bargain for small budget films, if she likes the script. Deeps will close 2015 with Tamasha and Bajirao Mastani.

7. Anushka Sharma – 6 crores Anushka is the dark horse in this list. She has slowly established herself as a bankable actress and one of the highest paid ones.

If she continues to do films like NH10, her remuneration will only grow. One advice to the versatile actress - stay away from films like Bombay Velvet please!

8. Sonakshi Sinha – 6 crores She has a big fan base not just among the masses but inside the industry too.

The outspoken and talented actress, whose calendar remains blocked with 3-4 movies every year, demands 5 to 6 crores each film. Her co-actors love her.

No wonder she keeps appearing in item songs with them too!

9. Shraddha Kapoor – 5 crores Shraddha is fast gaining a stronghold in the industry. After a love story (Aashiqui 2), a thriller (Ek Villain), a drama (Haider) and a dance film (ABCD 2) she has showed her talent, enough to be able to demand between 4-5 crores.

Her next film Rock On!! 2 is a musical.

Such variety!

4. Priyanka Chopra – 9 crores Priyanka has been hopping between U.S. and Mumbai, to maintain equilibrium between her American show and Bollywood films. And she has been doing it with quite a finesse. She is paid 9 crores, which is quite low compared to the actresses in Hollywood, where PC has her eyes fixed.

10. Alia Bhatt – 3 crores With a 100 percent success rate at the box office (leaving aside Shaandaar), Alia has proved her mettle early in her career. She might be a girl-next-door off-camera but turns into a strong performer onscreen.

Just in the third year of her career and she comfortably gets 3 crores for every film.

5. Vidya Balan – 7 crores She is usually the first choice of producers making female-centric movies.

However, all she gets is 6 to 7 crores per film. We personally feel she deserves more, considering her filmography includes The Dirty Picture, Kahaani and Ishqiya.

11.

Parineeti Chopra – 3 crores She has been missing from the screens for a while now. But whenever she makes an appearance, filmmakers are happy to sign Parineeti for 3 crores. For someone who never wished to take up acting, she is slowly emerging as a natural actress, much like her elder sister Priyanka.

6. Katrina Kaif – 7 crores Kat has set her fees at an average range, making her an affordable actress for filmmakers. No wonder she ends up grabbing more projects that her counterparts.

While she might still be struggling with her Hindi, her pretty face and glam quotient covers up for the loopholes.

However, the men get more than three times on an average. Both Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan received 50 crores for their upcoming films Dangal and Mohenjo Daro respectively. While Akshay Kumar gets 45 crores, filmmakers sign SRK for 40 crores. That's not all. Even John Abraham (15 crores) and Arjun Rampal (14 crores) get more than the highest paid actress. Do you remember their last hit film? Well, we don't!

November 20–26, 2015 Caribbean Star Newspaper I have no interest in doing Hollywood film: Salman Khan

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have no interest in doing Hollywood film: Salman Khan Mumbai: Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan is not keen on doing Hollywood films and wants the Indian Film Industry to grow to an extent that no comparisons are made with West.

"I am happy being here. I have earned respect here and it has taken time for me to achieve it. I will have to work again to earn that respect and love there (Hollywood)," Salman told reporters here at the event of his newly released film "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo".

"If the film is related to us (India/Indians) then we will see. But I have no interest in doing Hollywood film. Our Hindi film industry should increase (grow) so

Hollywood Gossip: Baby? George Clooney ready

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eorge and Amal Clooney are reportedly ready to have a baby and have been preparing "matching baby wings" at their homes in America and the United Kingdom.

The 'Monuments Men' star and the human rights lawyer are said to be preparing "matching baby wings" at their homes in America and the United Kingdom.

A source said: "George and Amal are trying for a family. They've already started preparing and told pals how they've built matching baby wings in both homes, complete with a nursery, a baby spa, a playroom, children's library and quarters for their nanny."

The 54-year-old actor is also considering adoption like his close friends Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and has been asking them for tips.

The insider told Closer magazine: "George never expected to find the happiness he has with Amal so is now open to the possibility of becoming a family man.

"He and Amal have both said they love the idea of adopting a child in need in the future and have spoken to Brad and Angelina about this. George sees the bond Brad shares with his children and he wants that too."

Meanwhile, an insider previously claimed Amal is "more than ready to be a mother".

They said: "Amal is proud not only to be the women that caught George after all these years, but also the only one he's considered having kids with ... [She] is more than ready to be a mother."

much that there should be no comparison. We are happy with our record (box office record) of 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' abroad," he added.

The Sooraj Bharjatya-directed film has earned Rs 250 crore worldwide.

Salman who played a double role is happy with the response the film has got.

"I think this (double role of 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo')was better than 'Judwaa'.

To break our own record is better and I believe in it as it means one is growing. I hope the record of each film (irrespective of actor) breaks as it is good for the industry," the "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" star said.

Even though the movie is doing well commercially, s the critics have given

mixed response.

"It happens as everyone has different opinions and we respect it. Today people are reserved about emotions... It takes time for them to accept anything. It's all complicated today. People think do such families exits today... We have mellowed down violence..We just kept all simple," the 49-year-old actor added.

While for the leading lady Sonam Kapoor, the biggest compliment is of Sooraj Bharjatya.

"I don't understand numbers. People have praised me in the film it is overwhelming. He (Sooraj Bharjatya) said I have done quite well and it's a big compliment for me as the director has liked my work," she said.

33

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Caribbean Connections

Jamaica signs agreement with US to share info on deportees

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he government has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the United States (US) Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) which will allow the US to share information on deportees.

The Criminal History Information Sharing (CHIS) memorandum of cooperation was signed on Tuesday by National Security Minister, Peter Bunting and Assistant Director of ICE Matthew Albence.

The memorandum will enhance the US Government’s ability to share records containing the immigration and criminal histories of Jamaican nationals, being re-

patriated from the United States.

US Ambassador Luis Moreno says the information sharing programme enhances the strong bilateral relationship between the US and Jamaica and “represents a milestone in the US-JA law enforcement partnership”.

Bunting said he looks forward to the technical support the programme will provide to the government.

The US Government has signed similar agreements with the Governments of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

Guyana’s rice exports go up, but earnings go down because of Venezuela pull-out

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

EORGETOWN, Guyana, Friday November 13, 2015 – Guyana’s rice exports increased by six per cent during up to October this year, compared with the same period in 2014, but a significant drop in the world market price for the product has resulted in reduced export earnings.

Acting General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB,) Nizam Hassan, said Guyana exported 437,448 metric tonnes of milled rice in the last 10 months, and 412,228 metric tonnes for that period in 2014.

But with Guyana not getting the higher than above market prices that it was getting with Venezuela – which has decided to stop buying rice from Georgetown – the dollar figures are not looking as good.

“In 2014, almost 30 per cent of the market that we exported to was Venezuela, for which the country and the farmers were receiving higher than above world market prices for the rice and paddy they exported there,” he said.

In 2014, Guyana received from Venezuela, US$480 per metric tonne of paddy. White rice, being traded now, ranges between US$390 and US$398 per metric tonne. This is compared to US$780 that

was received by Guyanese exporters and millers for export of the same commodity to Venezuela last year.

Since 2014, Venezuela had notified the then Guyana Government that it would no longer be taking rice from Guyana.

The loss of this market was only made public when the government changed in May of this year. Since then, efforts to secure new and expanded markets for Guyana’s rice have intensified.

However, with the loss of the market, Guyana has now seen an increase in exports to CARICOM countries – Antigua, Barbados and Belize – and to the European Union (EU).

With an aggressive marketing strategy spearheaded by the GRDB and the private sector, and with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, the country is set to soon secure other new markets for the country’s rice and paddy.

Hassan said that for its part, the GRDB is actively involved and has been discussing potential buyers for Guyana’s rice and paddy.

The country is on the verge of securing the Mexico market. Mexico is a large importer of rice, taking in about one million tonnes on an annual basis.

Venezuela president’s relatives indicted in U.S. over cocaine

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wo of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s relatives have been indicted in the United States for cocaine smuggling, according to court papers yesterday, following an international sting that Venezuela cast as an “imperialist” attack.

The charge against the nephews of Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, follows announcements earlier this year of other U.S. investigations into alleged drugs and money-laundering crimes linked to Venezue-lan officials and state institutions.

The suspects, Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas, 30, and Efrain Antonio Campo Flores, 29, were charged in a onecount indictment filed in federal court in Manhattan.

They were arrested in Haiti and flown to New York on Tuesday, people familiar with the matter said. They were expected to appear in court later on Thursday.

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have long been fraught.

However, a U.S. official said in Washington that a senior U.S official had contacted the Vene-zuelan government on Wednesday to inform it of the arrests and to convey that this was an independent move by U.S. law enforcement rather than a politicized effort to attack Maduro.

Three U.S. officials said the arrests were not an effort to go after Maduro’s government but a case of U.S. law enforcement seeking to prosecute suspected wrongdoing.

The charge against the two men alleged that from October, the pair participated in meetings in Venezuela regard-

ing a shipment of cocaine that was to be sent to the United States via Honduras.

“The controlled substance that (they) conspired to import … was five kilograms and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of cocaine,” it said.

The accusations are an embarrassment for Maduro, the 52-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez, as his ruling party heads towards a tough-looking parliamentary election in December.

Maduro’s Socialist Party faces the possibility of losing the National Assembly for the first time in the “Chavismo” movement’s 16-year rule due to voter anger over the country’s economic crisis. A major oil exporter, Venezuela has been hit hard by falling oil prices.

Maduro and other senior officials have long said accusations of collusion with traffickers by the United States are part of an international campaign to discredit socialism in Venezuela.

Flores, who was in Geneva on Thursday with Maduro as he addressed the United Nations human rights body, declined to speak to reporters seeking comment on her nephews.

NEW YORK/CARACAS, (Reuters)

Guyanese among 53 illegal immigrants held in police raid

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total of 53 illegal immigrants were detained on Friday as a joint task force swooped down on known hideouts along the East/West corridor.

According to a release from the T&T Police Service, the two-hour exercise, which was held at varying points along the Priority Bus Route, from the Aranguez Savannah to Morvant Junction, began at 6 am, and initially led to the detention of 107 foreign nationals.

They included the following nationalities: 39 Jamaicans, 25 Guyanese, 18 Chinese, five Ghanaians, six Colombians, five Nigerians, two Cubans, one Filipino, two Dominican Republic nationals, one Vincentian and five Grenadians. A total of 16 women were among the detainees.

The task force stopped passenger vehicles travelling along the PBR and foreign nationals suspected of being illegal

immigrants were detained after being unable to verify their immigration status at the time.

The detainees were taken to the Immigration Investigation Depart-ment, Port-of-Spain, where further enquiries were conducted leading to the release of 54 foreign nationals whose status in the country was verified and found to be legal.

The remaining foreign nationals were taken to the Immigration Deten-tion Centre, Aripo, pending further investigations as preliminary enquiries suggest they are in the country illegally.

The raid targeting illegal immigrants was carried out by officers of the Criminal Investigations Department, Inter-Agency Task Force, Immigration Investiga-tion Depart-ment, transit police and traffic wardens

November 20–26, 2015 35 Caribbean Star Newspaper Brazil mining flood could devastate environment for years

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IO DOCE, Brazil, (Reuters) – The collapse of two dams at a Brazilian mine has cut off drinking water for quarter of a million people and saturated waterways downstream with dense orange sediment that could wreck the ecosystem for years to come.

Nine people were killed, 19 are still listed as missing and 500 people were displaced from their homes when the dams burst at an iron ore mine in southeastern Brazil on Nov. 5.

The sheer volume of water disgorged by the dams and laden with mineral waste across nearly 500 km is staggering: 60 million cubic meters, the equivalent of 25,000 Olympic swimming pools or the volume carried by about 187 oil tankers.

President Dilma Rousseff compared the damage to the 2010 oil spill by BP PLC in the Gulf of Mexico and Environ-ment Minister Izabella Teixeira called it an “environmental catastrophe.”

Scientists say the sediment, which may contain chemicals used by the mine to reduce iron ore impurities, could alter the course of streams as they harden, reduce oxygen levels in the water and diminish the fertility of riverbanks and farmland where flood-

water passed.

Samarco Mineracao SA, a joint venture between mining giants Vale SA and BHP Billiton and owner of the mine, has repeatedly said the mud is not toxic.

But biologists and environmental experts disagree. Local authorities have ordered families rescued from the flood to wash thoroughly and dispose of clothes that came in contact with the mud.

“It’s already clear wildlife is being killed by this mud,” said Klemens Laschesfki, professor of geosciences at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. “To say the mud is not a health risk is overly simplistic.”

As the heavy mud hardens, Laschesfki says, it will make farming difficult. And so much silt will settle along the bottom of the Rio Doce and the tributaries that carried the mud there that the very course of watershed could change.

“Many regions will never be the same,” he says.

Researchers are testing the river water and results should be published over the coming weeks, giving a better idea of the contents of the mining waste.

One cause for concern is that

Dilma Rousseff compounds known as ether amines could have been used at the mine to separate silica from the iron ore, in order to produce a better quality product.

According to mining industry research and scientific literature published in recent years, the compounds are commonly used at Brazilian mines, including Samarco’s.

At least some of the compounds, according to the website of Air Products, a company that produces them, “are not readily biodegradable and have high toxicity to aquatic organisms.” They can also raise PH levels to a point that is environmentally harmful.

“There will be serious problems using the water from the river now,” says Pedro Antonio Molinas, a water resources engineer

Costa Rica re-opens border, issuing visas to Cuban migrants

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ASO CANOAS, Costa Rica (Reuters) – To cheers from a large crowd of Cuban migrants, Costa Rica yesterday re-opened its border with Panama after a sudden tightening in its immigration policy had left more than 1,200 of them stranded there.

Like other countries in the region, Costa Rica has seen a surge in the number of Cubans entering as the process of detente between Washington and Havana announced in December stirs fears that longstanding US asylum rights may soon be lost.

Costa Rica surprised the migrants on Friday by detaining them at the border, prompting some Cubans to block the Inter-American Highway for a few hours in protest until the government began issuing them with seven-day transit visas.

However, it is unclear how the migrants will fare in neighbouring Nicaragua, which refused 100 Cubans deported from a holding centre in Costa Rica on Friday.

“The situation we’re facing is extraordinary – we’ve never dealt with this before,” said Costa Rica’s Assistant Director of Immigration Gladys Jimenez. “We hope Nicaragua will accept them with their documents so they can continue on.”

Cuban migrants receive special treatment in the United States from Cold

War-era arrangements, and have long travelled through Mexico and Central America to reach the US border.

If successful, they can take advantage of the so-called “wet-foot, dryfoot” policy under which Cubans who set foot on US soil can stay, while those captured at sea are sent back.

It is a policy many Cubans feel may be running out of time.

“The situation between the United States and Cuba is an issue because they’re talking, and could possibly deny us the support of the Cuban Adjustment Act and the ability to request asylum,” said Alain Penton, 38, a Cuban migrant at the border.

Penton said he left Cuba on a route taken by many: flying legally to Ecuador, then crossing illegally into Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. The overland route was safer and less heavily policed than the Straits of Florida, he said.

As of September, 12,166 Cuban migrants had been identified this year

by Costa Rican authorities, more than double the figure for last year and over five times the 2013 total.

According to US Customs and Border Patrol data requested by the Pew Research Center, 27,296 Cubans entered the United States in the first nine months of the 2015 fiscal year, a 78 per cent increase from 2014.

and mining industry consultant familiar with the region.

Samarco did not respond to questions about whether it used the compounds or whether they were in the so-called tailings pond whose contents burst through the broken dams.

‘SWEET RIVER’ The disaster is the latest assault on the Rio Doce, or “Sweet River”, one of the main routes connecting mineral-rich Minas Gerais state with the Atlantic Ocean.

Once lined with thick rainforest and populated by indigenous tribes, the waterway has long suffered because of ravenous demand for the minerals nearby.

So synonymous is it with the mining industry that Vale, which means “valley” in Portuguese, refers to the land through which the river runs. Before a name change in 2007, the miner was formally known as the Vale of the Rio Doce Company.

Its banks now barren, and bed full of silt, the river grew prone to flooding with heavy rains that over the years devastated communities along its more than 800 km course.

More recently it was plagued by drought.

On Thursday, the river running a reddish brown, farmhands moved livestock away from its banks, afraid to let cattle drink the water. At a picnic table, Nilo Candido da Silva, 74, said he never saw devastation on this scale during a life spent by the river.

“I don’t think I’ll ever see it go back to normal,” said Silva, gazing at thick mud and shredded trees where last week the river rose but now just a brown trickle flows. A fish lay dead in the mud.

As the mud flows toward the ocean, environmentalists fear its impact on the coast too.

“Who had the brilliant idea of opening the dams along the river?” asked marine biologist Andre Ruschi in a Facebook post, referring to the decision by authorities to open dams along the Rio Doce to allow the surge to dissipate and proceed toward the ocean.

The mouth of the Rio Doce is a nesting area for endangered sea turtles, an animal sensitive to chemical changes in the water.

The beaches are expected to turn a deep red.

“It’s a huge shock for nature,” said Professor David Zee, an expert in oceanography and the environment at the State University in Rio de Janeiro.

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36

Caribbean Star Newspaper Bajan dentist pulled off US flight explores legal options

November 20–26, 2015

ARMED OFFICERS TOOK DENTIST ANTHONY MCCASKIE (INSET, PHOTO FROM WEEKEND NATION) OFF THE FLIGHT.

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RIDGETOWN, Barbados, Friday November 13, 2015 – A Barbadian dentist who was pulled off an American Airlines flight at Miami International Airport by armed officers after “suspicious item” triggered an alarm, and led to the delay as many as 50 flights, is now seeking legal advice.

That “suspicious item” turned out to be a replacement cable for a Cavitron ultrasonic scaler used during teeth cleanings and Anthony McCaskie was eventually released and allowed to continue on his

flight home.

But he told the Weekend Nation newspaper that he was shocked at what had occurred, considering his bag had been checked twice by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) scanners.

It turned out that there was a miscommunication and the bag was flagged by the TSA and was to go through a secondary checkpoint, but did not.

A TSA officer had stopped the X-ray machine at a checkpoint to conduct further screening of the carry-on bag, but “in the process of transitioning other passengers to an adjacent screening lane, standard procedures were not adhered to and the passenger was allowed to depart the checkpoint and proceed into the terminal,” said TSA spokesman Mike England.

There was then a search for the man and his bag. When McCaskie was found on the AA flight bound for Barbados, he was taken off in handcuffs.

Passengers were also ordered to put their hands on their heads and evacuate the plane.

Latin America and the Caribbean maintain high traffic accident mortality rate

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ASHINGTON, United States, Thursday November 12, 2015 – Latin American and the Caribbean’s progress on reducing road traffic accident fatalities has been slower than expected, and therefore the region should redouble its efforts to achieve the goal of halving the number of deaths stemming from these tragedies by 2020, as established by the United Nations, ECLAC said in a recently published report.

According to the FAL Bulletin N 342 of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), prepared in conjunction with the 2nd Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety that will be held in Brasilia on November 18-19, the rate of fatalities from road tragedies in the region grew 20 per cent in the first decade of the current century, rising to 17.68 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010 from 14.75 deaths in the year 2000.

These figures did not improve significantly in the first years of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, considering that according to recent statistics delivered by the World Health Organization (WHO), the road traffic fatality rate in Latin America and the Caribbean reached 15.9 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013, lower than the 16.1 deaths registered in 2010 but still far from the expected 50 per cent reduction by the end of the decade, which is in line with the sixth target of Goal 3 of the new Sustainable Development Goals.

To address this matter, ECLAC and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will hold on November 19 in

Brasilia a regional meeting on the occasion of the 2nd Global Conference, in which the current situation of Latin America and the Caribbean will be analyzed.

According to the global Plan of Action for the decade, five pillars were established that aim to promote the development and coordination of actions to reduce road accident mortality in local, national and global arenas. ECLAC’s study analyzes Latin America and the Caribbean’s performance on these five pillars during the first years of the decade of action and presents the region’s pending challenges in terms of road safety.

The five pillars are related to road safety management, road infrastructure and broader transport networks, safer vehicles, road users and post-crash response.

According to ECLAC’s report, only 57 per cent of the region’s countries have defined goals for the reduction of fatalities in road traffic accidents, while all developed countries present clear goals, whether they are national or provincial.

In the region, the countries with the most ambitious goals (a 50 per cent reduction contemplated in their national plans) are Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Uruguay and Suriname.

According to ECLAC, road safety must be part of an integrated mobility policy that combines short, medium and long term actions in areas such as road infrastructure, the design and condition of vehicles, the behavior of transportation users, education, the health system and the audit and oversight of measures.

Caribbean Star Newspaper Miss World T&T boss: I respect their decision

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anessa Sahatoo-Manoo, President and National Director of Oneness Entertainment Trinidad and Tobago Limited, said she respected the decision by arbitrator Ernest Koylass SC that Kimberly Farrah Singh should be reinstated as Miss World T&T 2015.

And she insisted that there will be no hostility towards Singh, who would be trained for the Miss World pageant in China next month.

Sahatoo-Manoo said she would work closely with Singh.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Sahatoo-Manoo said: “We have to respect the decision of the arbitrator and we are

T

working very closely to ensure that we have everything together for Miss Singh.”

Daniella Walcott, first runner-up in the local leg of the competition, was selected as the new representative after Singh was axed last month.

Guyana to set up witness protection programme

he Guyana government is moving to set up a witness protection programme that will include safe houses and new identities for people who give testimony in court in sensitive cases.

Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman said a Witness Protection Bill 2015, under which that would be made possible, will be tabled before the National Assembly soon.

He disclosed yesterday that the legislation is in draft stage and, once completed, “will ensure protection of witnesses and their families against intimidation, and/or physical harm, during and after their involvement in court proceedings.”

Trotman said the Bill would address issues such as the establishment of safe houses and providing new identities where necessary.

“It is really more of a CARICOM crime and security initiative. Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados have already started

working with each other, where they move witnesses . . . before, during and after trials, within each other’s countries, and I have no doubt that Guyana will avail itself of the opportunity to do so,” the minister added.

Trotman added that Guyana also has support from the international community in this effort.

During the post-Cabinet press conference, Trotman also indicated that another piece of “protection” legislation was in the works.

He said the Tobacco Protection Bill, which will provide for the adoption and implementation of tobacco control policies “to protect this and future generations from the use of and exposure to tobacco smoke”, will also be tabled in Parliament shortly.

Both Bills are being reviewed and will be finalized by a special sub-committee, appointed by Cabinet, before final submission to the National Assembly.

Guyanese drug mule arrested at US airport after passing over 100 cocaine pellets

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EW YORK, United States, Wednesday November 18, 2015 – A Guyanese hairdresser is facing drug charges in the United States after passing 105 pellets of cocaine at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York.

Shureen Giddings, 26, swallowed the drug-filled pellets before getting on the plane in Guyana on November 9.

On arrival in New York, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers searched her luggage and did a body patdown, but found nothing.

However, after further questioning, the mother of one confessed to the agents and asked to use the bathroom as she could no longer hold the pellets.

Giddings passed 17 of the pellets there and was then taken to a medical facility at the airport where an x-ray was done and it was discovered she had more pellets in

SHUREEN GIDDINGS IS FACING DRUG CHARGES IN THE US. (PHOTO: CAPITOL NEWS) her stomach. She subsequently passed 88 pellets.

The drugs weighed three pounds.

Giddings was charged with cocaine importation.

November 20–26, 2015

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37

St Vincent PM at centre of phone sex scandal

RIME Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves has found himself embroiled in a phone sex scandal.

Two audio clips posted on video-sharing website YouTube on November 12 claim to be a leaked telephone conversation between Gonsalves and a younger female.

The clips contain two sexually explicit conversations between a male and a female.

According to news reports from St Vincent and the Grenadines, officers from the ruling United Labour Party (ULP) have claimed although the voice bears a striking simila­rity to Gonsalves' own, it is not him.

Addressing the issue, Gonsalves told the media the release of the audio clips is nothing more than a set-up to be used as leverage in that country's December 9 general election.

The Opposition New Democratic Party has distanced itself from the recordings.

According to a report on the Dominica News Online website, Gonsalves said the audio clips in question were “contrived by

a man and a woman who left the island the next day (Sunday November 8), after relea­ sing the tape, aboard a LIAT flight not long after the announcement of the date for election”.

“You would have heard over the last couple of hours, a sex tape that is making the rounds in St Vincent and the Grenadines and it took the country by surprise, and information reaching St Vincent and the Grenadines ties in to their arri­val to St Vincent and the Grenadines with the company that represents the Economic Citize­nship Company to that office in St Kitts,” Gonsalves said.

Gonsalves said the leader of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace, said he would introduce economic citizenship to St Vincent, and it is no coincidence that that particular company which is operating out of St Kitts would be hosting the two.

Addressing a political rally, Eustace's daughter, Maia, said the NDP did not need to release a sex tape to win the upcoming elections.

FBI investigates case of woman who fell from cruise ship near Cuba

F

LORIDA, United States, Wednesday November 18, 2015 – The FBI said on Monday that it is investigating the case of a young woman who fell into the ocean near Cuba from a ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Kaylyn Rose Sommer, from Charleston, South Carolina, fell overboard last Thursday evening from the Norwegian Pearl.

The 24-year-old woman “was observed intentionally going overboard from a stateroom balcony” about 7 pm, when the ship was about 22 nautical miles off Cuba’s north coast, according to a statement from cruise line officials.

The Miami Sun Sentinel reports that Sommer was aboard for the Mad Decent Boat Party, billed as a four-day party of electronic dance music that would take place as the chartered, 965-foot liner sailed from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, and back.

Sommer is the second passenger reported to have gone overboard from a cruise ship within a week. On November 6, Bernardo Elbaz, 31, fell from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas near the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Elbaz was not found, despite an intensive search by the US Coast Guard.

Earlier this year, the fortuitous rescue of an Oasis of the Seas passenger by the crew of a passing Disney cruise ship off the coast of Mexico generated buzz on cruise-focused social media.

In the search for Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line officials said in a statement that the ship’s crew “immediately initiated rescue measures, including deploying three rescue boats and notifying the Coast Guard and other relevant authorities.”

The US Coast Guard called in the cutter

Alligator and a C-130 aircraft from Air Station Clearwater to search more than 1,300 square nautical miles before suspending the hunt on Saturday, officials said.

According to Florida media, Sommer is the mother of a 6-year-old daughter, Rylee.

Captain Todd Coggeshall, Incident Management Chief at the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, said: “Suspending search efforts is always a painful decision, particularly when it involves a young mother.”

Sommer fell from a height of about 24 meters (80 feet), the Coast Guard said.

The Norwegian Pearl sailed from Miami on November 11 and was scheduled to reach Cozumel, Mexico, four days later, but instead returned to Florida.

According to Mad Decent Boat Party’s Facebook page, those on the cruise would have visited Cozumel and “the Playa Mia Grand Beach & Water Park for an exclusive party that includes lunch on us, an open bar, admission into their water park, and shows from some of your favourite artists.”

Among those scheduled to perform were award-winning artists Skrillex and Major Lazer.

“We are deeply saddened by the news that one of our guests on our current cruise went overboard on [Thursday]” organizers said in a statement on Friday.

The promoter of Mad Decent Boat Party is Sixthman, an Atlanta-based company that has been creating music festivals since 2001, according to its website.

Special Agent Michael Leverock with the FBI’s office in Miami confirmed the bureau’s probe, but gave no further details of the investigation.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

CRICKET & Sports

Leeward Islands dispatched by Motie’s 11 Guyana 419 for 9 dec (V Singh 150, Chanderpaul 65, Jacobs 63, Joseph 5-99) beatLeeward Islands 85 (Motie 6-20) and 299 (f/o) (Bonner 89, Cruikshank 57, Motie 5-85) by an innings and 35 runs

V

ishaul Singh struck a career-best 150 to set the stage up for 20year old left-arm spinnerGudakesh Motie, who galloped to 6 for 20 in the first innings to bowl Leeward Islands out for 85 in the first innings and then come back to finish the job in the follow-on with 5 for 85. It was only Motie’s second first-class match and he led Guyana to an innings and 35-run win at Providence Stadium.

Bowlers running rampant may have turned out to the be theme of the match after Leeward Islands decided to bowl and got rid of the top three Guyana batsmen for single-figures, including captain Leon Johnson for a duck. Then came the resistance from Singh and the ever reliable Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made 65 off 210 balls. They put on 171 runs for the fourth wicket.

That partnership became the example for the lower order to rally around as No. 7 Christopher Barnwell (48 off 67), wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble (42 off 72) and No. 9 Steven Jacobs (63 off 87, with nine fours) took Guyana’s total to 419 for 9 when Johnson declared the innings.

I

Then came the wreckage. It was almost like Guyana had given away the first few runs as seamers Ronsford Beaton and Barnwell combined to take the score from 25 for 0 to 26 for 4. Then on came Motie, the fifth bowler introduced, and in 13.2 overs, he had whisked six wickets for only 20 runs to rout Leeward Islands for 85, which was 269 runs short of the follow-on target. Guyana enforced it, and although the visitors were a bit more dogged - Nkrumah 3Bonner made 89 off 168 and Daron Cruickshank added 57 off 83 - and hauled themselves to 299, the first-innings damage had been too steep. Motie snagged 5 for 85 and basically shut down the middle order before they could make the massive scores that were needed.

Barbados 300 (Brooks 111, Chase 59, Imran 4-75) and 243 for 5 dec (Brathwaite 72*, Brooks 55) drew with Trinidad & Tobago 246 (Katwaroo 64,Stoute 4-54) and 182 for 4 (Lewis 41) Scorecard Barbados and Trinidad & Tobdago played out a tight draw at Kensington Oval. Both teams had won their opening match of the season and did try to up that tally to two-in-two - Barbados set a target of 298 in 68 overs and T&T were brisk in their chase of it, until a few wickets started falling, especially Evin Lewis for 41 off 55. Narsingh Deonarine dropped anchor with 38 off 103 and had

File photo: Shivnarine Chanderpaul had to resurrect another batting wobble, and did so with 65 off 210 balls for Guyana © PA Photos Yannick Cariah was unbeaten on 37 off 114 when the match came to a close.

Barbados took eight points, two clear of their opponents on the points table, courtesySharmarh Brooks’ third firstclass century. Roston Chase (59) and Kyle Corbin (46) and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich (48) lent good support but they were still all out for 300 because the rest of the line-up could not score more than 18. T&T Legspinner Imran Khan picked up 4 for 75 and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel chipped in with 3 for 49. Their batsmen, however, could not muster any score substantial enough to challenge

Barbados’ total. Only the 22-year old wicketkeeper Steven Katwaroo, batting at No. 7, could make a half-century. He was ninth man out, bowled by Kevin Stout who took 4 for 54. Fellow seamer Miguel Cummins claimed three wickets as T&T were knocked over for 246.

Barbados’ top order was formidable again with captain Kraigg Brathwaite holding one end with a 151ball 72, then Brooks scored a brisk 55 off 84 and Dowrich hit 40 off 31 balls to provide a target of 298, which was just large enough for the hosts to be safe.

And it was.

Ian Bell dropped for South Africa tour

an Bell faces the end of his England career after being dropped for the Test series against South Africa. Nick Compton and Gary Ballance have earned recalls while the uncapped left-arm quick Mark Footitt has been included after injuries to Mark Wood and Steven Finn.

Samit Patel, who was called in as a replacement for Zafar Ansari for the Test series against Pakistan, has been retained while Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan are both in the 16-man squad but Liam Plunkett has not been able to find a spot despite being in the squad for the Pakistan series. Wood will undergo ankle surgery next week.

Adil Rashid, who played the three Tests against Pakistan, has been omitted with the selectors feeling that he would be surplus to requirements on the pitches in South Africa. Instead he is expected to get a Big Bash deal in Australia, with the Adelaide Strikers, coached by Yorkshire’s Jason Gillespie, one of his likelier destinations. Moeen Ali is likely to slip back down the order to No. 8 after his failed try at opening in the UAE. Alex Hales remains favorite to open

alongside Alastair Cook in the Boxing Day Test in Durban, but that position could yet go to Compton to revive the partnership which was the first combination used after Andrew Strauss retired.

The Cook-Compton alliance remains the most successful of the seven pairings used by England since Strauss, averaging 57.93 in 17 innings together with three century stands. Otherwise, Compton will vie with Ballance for the No. 3 berth vacated by Bell.

Bell tweeted that he was “absolutely gutted” to miss out on selection but staved off thoughts of retirement, saying he was “determined to win my place back”.

James Whitaker, the national selector, said: “Ian Bell has been an outstanding player for many years and undoubtedly still has plenty to offer England in the future. It was clearly a difficult decision but he has struggled for runs in recent series and we felt that it was the right time for him to take a break and spend time working on his game out of the spotlight.

“The inclusion of Nick Compton and Gary Ballance alongside Alex Hales, Joe

Root and James Taylor gives Trevor Bayliss and Alastair Cook plenty of options in the top order.

“Adil Rashid showed plenty of promise in the UAE but the conditions in South Africa make the likelihood of playing two spinners extremely remote. Although he would have been selected as a back up spinner we feel there is an excellent opportunity for him to spend some time developing his white ball skills in the lead up to the ICC World T20 in March. It is likely that Adil will travel to Australia to play for a Big Bash franchise.”

The selectors have had to explore the depth of the quick-bowling resources on offer after the injuries to Finn and Wood. Finn was ruled out of the Test series against Pakistan with a stress injury in his foot while Wood flew home after missing the final Test in Sharjah due to the management of his ongoing ankle problem.

The ECB statement said: “Wood will undergo ankle surgery next week and Finn will continue his recovery from a bone stress injury. Further details on their rehabilitation and back to bowl-

ing programs will be provided in due course.”

Footitt, who has recently signed for Surrey, has taken 160 first-class wickets in his previous two seasons for Derbyshire. He impressed the England management when he was used as a net bowler at the start of last summer against New Zealand and was called into the squad for the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge after James Anderson’s side injury.

Jordan was called into the squad for the Pakistan series after Finn’s injury and retains his spot while Woakes returns for the first time since the 2014 series against India.

England Test squad In Nick Compton, Gary Ballance, Chris Woakes, Mark Footitt Out Ian Bell, Mark Wood, Steven Finn, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Nick Compton, Mark Footitt, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Samit Patel, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Chris Woakes

Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

39

Clarke slams team-mates, coach in new book Former Aussie skipper likens ex-coach John Buchanan to his dog, Jerry ilar success.

F

ormer Australia skipper Michael Clarke Thursday broke his silence on the criticism he received after announcing his retirement during the recent Ashes series loss in England.

Both former team-mates Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden publicly questioned Clarke’s leadership in August and Clarke has used his “Ashes Diary 2015” to hit back.

Clarke also slammed former Australia coach John Buchanan, taunting him for never playing for his country and saying “even my dog Jerry” could have had sim-

ON SYMONDS “Andrew Symonds went on TV to criticize my leadership. I’m sorry but he is not a person to judge anyone on leadership,” Clarke wrote of his former teammate.

‘Pretty rich for a guy who turned up drunk to play for his country.’”This is a guy who turned up drunk to play for his country. It’s pretty rich for him to be throwing rocks.”

The pair were close friends at the beginning of the former Australian captain’s career, however, as Symonds’ behavior deteriorated and Clarke entered the leadership ranks, they quickly fell out.

Symonds eventually had his contract cancelled by Cricket Australia in 2009 for breaking a drinking ban while in England.

ON HAYDEN Clarke, 34, also hit back at Hayden’s assertions he refused to field at bat-pad early in his career.

Hayden claimed he heard Clarke tell Ricky Ponting he would “hand back (his) baggy green” if he was forced to put on the helmet and field in close.

However, Clarke says his record speaks for itself.

“I think I’ve shown over the past 12

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

years how much I’ve valued representing my country and how much my 389 baggy green means to me,” Clarke wrote.

“If Ricky (Ponting) had asked me to jump off the Harbor Bridge, I would have jumped. I loved playing for Australia that much.”

In August, Buchanan criticized the culture of the Australian cricket team under Clarke’s captaincy.

“Players like Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist,Ricky Ponting and others really tried to make the Baggy Green culture something special but I could sense it was under threat and under Michael’s captaincy I can sense it has disappeared a bit and that disappointed me,” he told News Corp Australia.

“There were times when I felt Michael did not understand or did not want to understand.”

ON COACH BUCHANAN According to former Aussie coach John Buchanan, ‘even my dog’ could have done what Clarke did.But Clarke saved his biggest criticism for former coach Buchanan.

“I don’t think John knows a thing about the baggy green (cap), having never worn one,” Clarke said.

“He’s still living off the fact that he coached a team that anyone, even my dog Jerry, could have coached to world domination.”

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November 20–26, 2015

Caribbean Star Newspaper

The West Indian . Oct 17, 2015 . Page 61

Caribbean Star Newspaper IPL fixing: HC sends notice to Sreesanth, 35 others

November 20–26, 2015

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Shoaib Malik completes rare ODI double

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he Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to suspended cricketer S. Sreesanth and 35 others on a police plea challenging the trial court order to drop charges against them in the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing case.

The trial court on July 25 discharged cricketers Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, and 33 others.

Justice Siddharth Mridul sought their response on the plea of police by December 16.

Delhi Police had charge sheeted the 36 for cheating and conspiracy under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Delhi Police filed a charge sheet on July 30, 2013, alleging that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel were behind the spot-fixing scandal.

In their appeal, police said the trial court erroneously interpreted the law pertaining to the MCOCA and its order was unsustainable.

Dropping all charges against the 36 accused, the trial court held that the Special Cell of Delhi Police was unable to establish any nexus or link between the accused and the crime syndicate allegedly run by Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel, who were declared proclaimed offenders in the case.

akistan’s all-rounder Shoaib Malik, playing in his 230th match, became the 7th player to reach the landmark of scoring 6000 runs and taking 150 wickets in ODIs after capturing the wicket of England captain Eoin Morgan in the 3rd ODI between England and Pakistan at Sharjah.

Malik had a good farewell Test series with the ball and a decent series with the bat, where he scored 292 runs at an average of 48.67 and took 11 wickets in the 3 test match series.

He came into the four-match ODI series against England 10 runs and 3 wickets short of reaching the milestone of having 6000 runs and 150 wickets in ODIs. Although he has not made the kind of impact he had in the Test series, he eventually achieved the landmark in the 3rd ODI. In this ODI series, he has scored 55 runs and taken 3 wickets in 3 matches.

After Younis Khan’s retirement, he is the senior member in the team alongside Mohammad Hafeez. He also became the second Pakistani player to reach this landmark of having 6000 runs and 150 wickets in ODIs after ‘Boom Boom’ Shahid Afridi.

Carmelo Anthony visits Rikers Island

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armelo Anthony is many things to many people in New York.

To some, he’s the face of their favorite basketball team. To others, he’s a player approaching the downward slope of his career who shoots too much.

But to a group of young inmates at Rikers Island, none of what Anthony does -- or doesn’t do -- on the court mattered during one afternoon in late September.

All that mattered was that Anthony wanted to listen to what they had to say.

“I just wanted to hear their stories,” Anthony said. “They’re still young -- 18, 19, 20 years old. They still have time to come home and do something and be something.”

Anthony toured Rikers Island, New York City’s main jail complex, shortly before training camp this season. His experience was documented in a Web series he’s producing with Vice Sports. During the tour, he spent time visiting with and talking to some of the younger inmates. He talked to them about their cases, their sentences and about their plans once they get out of jail.

What did he hope to provide during the chats?

“Just hope,” Anthony said. “I was sitting there talking to a bunch of those guys, and you could just see that a lot them don’t have hope. You could just hear it in their voice.

“Some of those kids don’t know what they’re going to do when they come out. For me, it was just a matter of mentally getting to them and letting them know that you still have a lot of time left in your life. You’re 18, 19, 20 years old. Don’t let the system break you. If you’re in there for eight months or eight years, you still have an opportunity to come home, so take advantage of that. Once

you get behind them walls, man, that’s the moment you become a statistic and you become forgotten about.”

Anthony knows about the impact of prison all too well. He said he used to visit family members and friends in the jails in Baltimore and that he has family members currently serving sentences.

“I know what it’s like to get that phone call [from a family member or friend] and get those four-page letters and [to have] people texting you and you put money on their books,” he said.

Anthony hopes that his visit to Rikers provided a dose of optimism to a group of young inmates in need of one.

“A lot of these kids are bright, knowledgeable,” Anthony said. “I know there’s a lot of potential behind those bars. Sometimes they get the short end of the stick. Sometimes it’s their own bad decision-making.

But there’s a lot of smart, intelligent kids behind those bars that don’t get the light that they deserve.

Melo delivers food to hundreds of Bronx families: Through his foundation, Carmelo Anthony donated 800 boxes of food and other supplies to families in an underserved Bronx neighborhood on Monday.

Why did he do it?

“I’ve been there,” Anthony said. “I have family in these boroughs and I know what it’s like. I know this seems minute, but this is big.”

Anthony hopes the boxes of food and supplies allows families “not to have to worry about how they’re going to feed themselves, their children or their grandchildren. If they have some food and supplies, hopefully it helps just to get them through the holiday.”

Shoaib Malik has found himself in an elite ODI all-rounders list In this list, barring these two Pakistani players, there are some big names including Sachin Tendulkar,Sanath Jayasuriya Jacques Kallis, Chris Gayle and Steve Waugh. From all of these seven players, two are currently playing – Chris Gayle and Shoaib Malik – while others have taken retirement from ODI cricket.

Here is a list that shows all of these seven players’ runs and wickets in ODIs till this day.

Player Sachin Tendulkar Sanath Jayasuriya Shahid Afridi Jacques Kallis Steve Waugh Chris Gayle Shoaib Malik

Matches 463 445 398 328 325 269 230

Runs 18426 13430 8064 11579 7569 9221 6045

Wickets 154 323 395 273 195 163 150

Wridddhiman Saha gets Kohli’s backing

I

ndian test team skipper Virat Kohli is all praise for wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha. The 31-year-old cricketer from Bengal has replaced former test Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the test side.

After India’s second test match against South Africa Indian skipper told reporters, “I really like his (Saha) attitude. He’s a very hardworking cricketer. He’s willing to do anything the team requires.

He’s a brilliant keeper and very gutsy with the bat.

He’s got a good first-class record where he gets a lot of runs in pressure situations. He’s still finding his feet in Test cricket.” Since MSD’s retirement from Test cricket in December 2014, Saha has been the primary choice as Indian test side’s wicketkeeper.

While talking about this “brilliant wicketkeeper” Kohli also said, “He’s confident of his keeping, I’m sure of that. But when he becomes confident of his batting, with the amount of runs he scores and the

impact he makes, he will be that sort of perfect No. 6, No. 7 at times for us. He’s someone I see can handle pressure situation well.” In the Sydney test this January, Saha had played Australian fast bowlers well and scored 35 runs in India’s first innings.

The Indian captain also expects Saha to become a better batsman. “He has the sort of belief in him.

When he gets more confident with the bat, you will see him developing into a batter (batsman) more than a batter-keeper (batsman-keeper) for the team as well in the near

future,” added Kohli.

Wriddhi has played nine Test matches so far with two half centuries against his name. His performance with the bat has not been very impressive in this ongoing series against South Africa but as per his captain, he was willing to do anything for the team.

The second match of the Freedom series resulted in a draw as four days were lost owing to rain and wet outfield. In this four match series, the host team has a lead of 1-0. The third Test begins from November 25 at Nagpur and the final match will be played in Delhi from December 3.

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Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

Pietersen sparkles again, but Cobras edge Dolphins

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evin Pietersen stroked his way to a fourth straight 50-plus score, taking his tournament tally to 364 runs, but could not prevent Dolphins’ five-wicket defeat to Cape Cobras in Centurion. With scores of 115*, 100* and 68 already under his belt this season, Pietersen helped himself to six fours and three sixes as he blasted a 35-ball 59 after Dolphins opted to bat.

Pietersen, though, received little by way of support from his team-mates, as Wayne Parnell (4 for 20) struck at regular intervals to restrict the team to 148 for 9. Besides Pietersen, only David Miller and Ryan McLaren managed double-digit scores.

Cobras’ opener Richard Levi got the chase off to a blazing start, drilling 61 off 28 balls with five fours and sixes each.

Such was Levi’s dominance on the pitch that by the time he was dismissed, in the sixth over, his opening partner Andrew Puttick had made just 2. Levi’s

A

Kevin Pietersen made 59 in his final Ram Slam appearance blitz ensured that despite a middle-order stutter - four wickets fell in five overs - the team was able to overhaul the target in 19.4 overs, with Puttick (33) and Sybrand Engelbrecht (21*) also chipping in with handy knocks.

Dwaine Pretorius’ all-round effort and legspinner Eddie Leie’s five-wicket haul helped Lionsregister a 20run win in a low-scoring encounter in Bloemfontein, and kept Knights winless.

Electing to bat, Lions’ innings

gained no momentum right from the start, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Pretorius, who came in at No. 5, scored 35 off 28 balls to take their total to 112 for 7. Seamer Shadley van Schalkwyk was the pick of Knights’ bowlers, as he registered figures of 4-1-19-4.

Knights were off to a quick start in their chase, as openers Reeza Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw put on 30 runs in 3.5 overs, before Lonwabo Tsotsobe had Rossouw caught and bowled for 11. It triggered a collapse, as Knights first slumped to 40 for 3 and then 64 for 6.

Leie and Pretorius, who finished with three wickets, ensured that Knights were bowled out with one over to spare.

Quinton de Kock’s 34-ball 60 set up Titans’ five-wicket win over Warriors in a fairly one-sided contest in Centurion.

Set 150 to win, de Kock and Henry Davids put on 71 for the first wicket in 8.5 overs before seamer Lundi Mbane removed Davids for a 35-ball 43. Off-

spinner Colin Ackermann then dismissed de Kock and captain Albie Morkel in the same over, but by then Titans were well ahead of the asking rate.

Farhaan Behardien eventually completed the chase with 17 balls to spare.

Earlier, after being put into bat, Warriors were off to a racy start, as captain Colin Ingram smashed 28 off 15 balls. But, his dismissal in the eighth over slowed things down, and Ackermann, who made 40 off 49 balls, was the fourth man out in the 16th over. Christiaan Jonker, however, played a cameo of 31 off 21 balls, and took the Warriors score past 100 and set a platform for a strong total. David Wiese finished with three wickets for Titans, while Chris Morris and Tabraiz Shamsi picked up two each.

Following their victories, Dolphins and Titans now occupy first and second position on the standings, while Lions, by virtue of the win, have moved up to fourth spot. Cobras are placed third on the points table.

Johnson retires from international cricket

s he foreshadowed before the WACA Test against New Zealand, Mitchell Johnson has had enough.

In the lead-up to the match, Johnson said he was happy to keep playing “as long as I’m performing well and doing my job in the team then mentally I’m feeling pretty good”, but this week, Johnson has been conclusively tamed by Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, returning the figures of 1 for 157, the most expensive by an Australian bowler in all Tests in Perth.

His manager Sam Halvorsen was in the Australian dressing rooms on the fourth evening, as Johnson reached the painful decision to end his Test playing days. He conceded afterwards that he was quite simply no longer enjoying the hard days in the field epitomized by this match, the fourth highest scoring Test ever to be played in Australia “I’m really happy with my decision and I just lost that hunger in the end to play out on those tough days, that’s where my decision came,” Johnson said, watched by his wife Jessica, captain Steven Smith, and teammates Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. “That’s something I used to really enjoy about Test cricket, the challenge of those really difficult days out there and I just wasn’t enjoying it out there.

“The first innings bowling was

my final decision. Spoke to Jess my wife about it and my manager Sam and Smithy and Boof and spoke to the boys and let them know last night that I was finishing up in all forms. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a year now to be honest, on and off. The World Cup I thought that was a good time to go out in one day cricket but also with young guys in the team I also felt like I could help them through. But ultimately I felt like I couldn’t compete at this level anymore and lost that hunger.”

Johnson’s retirement rounds out a sequence of six exits from the national team around this year’s unsuccessful defense of the Ashes in England. Ryan Harris, Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin all left the stage before the home summer, and Johnson had admitted to thinking about joining them, only committing fully to playing a few weeks before the season began.

He admitted he had spoken at length with his mentor Dennis Lillee about his future during that period, and while his mentor felt it was possible to keep going for several more seasons at reduced pace while concentrating on consistency and movement, the 34-year-old pushed back with the view that he had been born to bowl fast, and would not enjoy the game if he could not.

“I spoke to him in the six weeks

I had home before this series and he said I at least had another three or four more years left in me,” Johnson said. “Not bowling at 150kph but doing similar to what he did. Just bowling at that lower pace but doing something a bit more with the ball but at the back of my mind I was thinking I only want to bowl fast - that’s how I’ve bowled my whole career.

“That was something I remember Brett Lee talking about before his retirement. He said basically he just wanted to bowl fast and if he ever got to the point where he couldn’t bowl fast than he was done as well, so I felt like I was on that wave length as well, but we had a pretty good discussion about it. I sent him a message this morning and he’s been a huge part of my career.”

A shattering event in Australian cricket, the death of Phillip Hughes last year also weighed heavily on Johnson, while he also found himself bowling on pitches far less lively than those he had been helped by in previous summers. “Definitely there was a part of me that struggled after Phillip’s death and probably affected me for a long time and probably still does,” he said.

“But the final decision was more just the hunger and those tough days I didn’t want to be there.

“That’s not very fair on the team and that’s how I play cricket, I always play 100%. Really

happy and proud I was able to go out there and finish off really well and having that weight lifted off your shoulders and just go out there and have fun and cherish the moment.

“Wickets are definitely getting harder and harder and flatter but it might have played a little part day in and day out, some days you feel like a bowling machine. But I really did enjoy the challenge even though sometimes it felt like an unfair advantage to batters.

Never complained about it, and always gave it 100 per cent.”

Johnson has played 73 Tests, claiming 311 wickets for Australia, behind only Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee. He was the key figure in Australia’s 5-0 Ashes sweep in 2013-14, claiming a staggering 37 wickets across the five Tests and leaving an indelible mark with his pace and intimidation.

“That was definitely a huge moment in my career and it’s something that I guess I would have had regrets if I hadn’t come back from there,” he said.

“I spoke to my wife about it and something I really wanted to work hard on coming back into the team and I really enjoyed that challenge and it really made me excited about playing cricket and coming back from injury [in 2011-12] and working really hard and I guess testing myself.

“I felt like I hadn’t given my best

at that stage in my career and felt like I had a lot to give. The last couple of years were really exciting for me and just became really confident in my ability and in my action. Learn to become more comfortable in myself. Wasn’t content but just knew what I needed to do and what it took to be your best. It was an exciting time throughout my career and something I will always cherish and always have those memories.”

A follow-up performance in South Africa further enhanced Johnson’s reputation as one of the most frightening fast bowlers to have played the game, but his returns have trailed off gradually since, and after struggling for impact in the two Tests of this series against New Zealand he has decided to finish - doing so before the inaugural day/night Test in Adelaide, a concept he has been notably skeptical about.

His decision has also coincided with the maturing of Mitchell Starc, who has developed consistency to go with his pace and swing and has notably outdone his more senior left-arm paceman at the WACA Ground. The dual use of Starc and Johnson in the same attack has been a source of considerable selection angst for several years, no more so than against England when they struggled for role definition as two strike bowlers in a fourman attack.

Caribbean Star Newspaper

November 20–26, 2015

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