LOCAL
GUYANA DAILY NEWS PPP Concerned About Corruption Allegation Against Gecom’s DCEO PAGE 2
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has noted with deep concern recent developments at Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the attempt to enlarge the scope of the corruption investigation to involve other high level officials at that institution. According to the party there is in-fighting at GECOM’s Head Office, “If Lowenfield and his accounting staff has to go then others including Vishnu Persaud, the acting Chief Executive Officer (ag) must go too.” The party is contending that for several months Keith Lowenfield, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has been fingered in several allegations of corruption, which includes, radio sets, batteries and pliers. The party is also contending that Lowenfield is receiving instructions from the Ministry of the Presidency to divert attention away from himself and focus on the Deputy CEO, of GECOM, Vishnu Persaud. The PPP is further contending that sources close to the GECOM said that, on October 4, 2016, Surujbally, Lowenfield and Charles Corbin met for several hours at GECOM’s main office, whereby it is alleged that the trio is palnning to pin corruption charges on the DCEO. The party is contending that, Mr. Persaud is likely to become the next CEO of GECOM, however, the Granger administration is not in favour of Vishnu Persaud being GECOM’s next CEO. The party is claiming that observers are opining that Granger may be tempted to set-up another Commission of Inquiry into the charges of corruption at GECOM, with a view to taking greater control of GECOM’s machinery and to insert APNU+AFC operatives on a full-time basis in the system. The PPP is also of the view that President Granger is refusing to make public the imminent retirement of Dr. Surujbally and to
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invite in the Leader of the Opposition for consultation on the naming of a new Chairman. The PPP is reiterating its call for the immediate removal of Dr. Surujbally and Keith Lowenfield from GECOM and for the process to be initiated with respect to finding replacements for both Surujbally and Lowenfield respectively. The PPP is also calling for a full and comprehensive investigation into the allegations of corruption at GECOM and for the publication of the results of the audit.
GECOM's DCEO, Vishnu Persaud(File Photo)
Labourer Remanded For Illegal Firearms, Ammo Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan today remanded labourer, Jomane Flavius after he appeared before her in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court charged with two counts of being in possession of an illegal firearm and one count of being in possession of ammunition while not being a licensed firearm holder. Flavius is set to return before the court on October 26, 2016 for further fixture into the matter. Unrepresented in court Flavius pleaded not guilty pleas to all charges. It is alleged that on September 30, 2016 at 70 Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Flavius, 25, was in possession of one .32 Pistol, one .38 Special Revolver and 7 live rounds of .32 mm, ammunition while not being a licensed firearm holder.
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
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Government Lacks National Food Policy According to several farmers, food security seems to be a problem that needs to be addressed urgently by the current government., They opined that food security is a foundation for building social and economic development, however, the government of Guyana does not seem to have any National Food Policy in place. They further stated that without a clear vision on the way forward, people in society may not have access to enough food for an active and healthy life. They also said that Guyana has a very high level of poverty and malnutrition, with around 42% of the population living below the poverty line, the government should invest significant resources in the short-term in order to prevent food shortage. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, high rates of malnutrition can lead to a loss in gross domestic product (DGP) of as much as 4 to 5 percent, Some F Food manufacturers are of the opinion that food security not only carries significant benefits for human health, but also serves as the basis to achieve sustained economic growth. For this reason, it is important that the APNU+AFC government understand that a food security strategy needs to be seen as more than a single sector issue, it requires a combination of
coordinated actions in various sectors, “We are speaking about actions in the financial sector, agriculture, health and nutrition, infrastructure, and other sectors." They further opined that in order to also gain food security and reducing malnutrition, the government should have multi sectorial policies aimed at reducing inequalities and targeting vulnerable populations. The Ministry of Agriculture told the Guyana Daily News, that the Ministry is currently in consultation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to review the 2010-2020 National Food Policy, however, the Ministry cannot say when the consultations would be completed. The previous Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Agriculture had, in collaboration with other government agencies, and civil society groups drafted the National Food and Nutrition Security Strategy (2010-2020). The main objectives of this strategy are to: (1). Help ensure immediate access to food in emergency contexts, (11). Rebuild and enhance resilience to withstand shocks (111) Support longer term development initiatives for hunger and poverty reduction (1V) Take stock of national, regional and global initiatives directed at improving food security coordination with a view to encouraging convergence and avoiding duplication among such initiatives, (V) Improve the sharing of information on food security and nutrition policies and programmes undertaken by national and regional stakeholders by reviewing them (V1) Inform the National Assembly about successes achieved as well as the challenges and needs to reduce hunger and malnutrition in Guyana (V11) Ensure agricultural trade fosters food security (V111)Promote rural development Enhance women’s access to resources and (V1V) Ensure children and other vulnerable groups have access to food Ensure sustainable incomes of small producers.
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
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Small Miners Suffering Under Government’s Mining Policy. Several small scale gold miners have complained to the Guyana Daily News about the alleged rampant corruption at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Ministry of Natural Resources. They are contending that large scale miners and those with government connections are getting mining licenses to mine anywhere in the country in a moment’s notice. The miners stated that the small miners cannot get lawful permission to work on a piece of land, and the new government has closed all the avenues to lodge complaints against the GGMC where they could receive justice. The miners noted that they used to work on lands that was government reserve until the new government took over and now they are given notices to stop working on the reserve and they were told that the reserves now belong to large-scale miners only. The miners also told the Guyana Daily News that they tried many times to get mining permission for land to work, but were unsuccessful and now in a state of shock as to
how the large-scale mining operations are getting permit to land that they applied for. “We have tired many times to meet with Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman but are always being told that he is in a meeting or not in the office”. The miners are of the opinion that this government is not interested in the welfare of small miners but they continue boast about increased gold production. "What is the faith of tens of thousands of Guyanese workers who depend on the small miners for their daily survival?” The miners are calling on the government to implement relevant policies that would benefit all of Guyana. “We need prime land to work now in order to support our families and the families of our workers”. The miners further stated that there should be policies in place to address the land issue of small miners, they also stated that there hasn’t been any land lottery since the new government took office. The recent promise of land distribution by the Minister of Natural Resources to small miners in order to remedy the situation, was never done, according to them, land distribution is top secret with the government and they are now contemplating their next move in order to get a piece of land to work.
LOCAL
GUYANA DAILY NEWS Government Low Income Housing Programme Can Be Problematic PAGE 6
The government of Guyana has announced that its housing programme for 2017 will focus on providing housing for low income earners and state employees. According to Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams- Patterson, apartments will be constructed for low income earners and state employees in 2017. This new approach housing programme was taken because the Government was discontinuing the 1000 homes Turnkey housing project at Perseverance and Providence, given poor occupancy rate and the number of people still waiting for a house lot. But reportedly under the previous administration, the government started building just over 180 two (2) bedroom turnkey houses behind the providence area and the current government has gotten close to 900 applications for those 180 houses. While some people are all for the idea of the low income housing project, where people can have a sense of ownership of a home, many are concerned about the implication such a project will have. Persons are now asking why the public servants and low income workers cannot even afford to build a home in the first place. Like most urbanization project in the world, the concentration of the poor into one area has a huge social and mental impacts on the environment which can be seen in America’s Subsidized housing projects often referred to as the “Projects.” Researchers in America have found that for people residing in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty, a number of neighborhood level indicators are linked to important outcomes. Studies have illustrated that crime and delinquency, education, psychological distress, and various health problems, among many other issues, are affected by neighborhood characteristics. Given that a recent United Nations Children’s Fund (UNCEIF) situation analysis (SitAn.) report revealed that there is a high rate unemployment among the young population, which represents more than 60% of country’s
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population and stated that current estimated youth unemployment rate is to about 40%, one can only imagined what poverty in Guyana looks like. In light of the social crisis of the America, the HOPE VI program, developed by the United States Congress and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, looked to dismantle problematic projects and replace them with single and multi-family homes. Families would receive vouchers as the projects were torn down, allowing them to move to other neighborhoods, in a process that policymakers hoped would decentralize poverty. While affordable housing is necessary in Guyana, many are of the view subsidized apartment buildings is not a long term solution and will only create a problems for future generations. Instead recommendations being made are that the government in collaboration with private partners should implement a variation of a “rent to own” a housing vouchers that let families rent units in the private market until there can eventually own their own home.
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LOCAL
GUYANA DAILY NEWS PPP Sends Warning To Government That It Will Protect Democracy PAGE 8
According to a press release from the People’s Progressive Party, the month of October is of special significance for the party, since it is this month that democracy in Guyana was finally restored after twenty-eight years of undemocratic and authoritarian rule by the PNC regime. It is also the month in which the Constitution of the then colony of British Guiana was suspended by the British government in 1953 and the PPP overthrown after a mere six months in office. October 5, 1992 could be seen as a watershed year in the political, economic and social life of Guyana. At the political level, it represented a break from a dark period of repressive rule in which all basic and fundamental rights of the Guyanese people were trampled upon including the right to elect a government of one's choice in free and fair elections. At the economic level, the country saw a reversal of fortunes as one of the more prosperous countries in the region during the early 1960's to the poorest in the entire western hemisphere. Guyana was declared 'uncredit worthy' by the international financial institutions due to its inability to repay its overseas debts, which in per capita terms was one of the highest in the hemisphere. Production levels in all the major sectors plummeted which led to severe balance of payments problems. The response by the regime was to ban essential food items as a means to conserve on foreign exchange spending and there was the draconian imposition of trade and currency restrictions which led to a flourishing underground economy. The economic crisis resulted in a social crisis which manifested itself in falling standards in education, health, housing, water and a dilapidated physical infrastructure. Guyanese students found themselves at the bottom of the performance ladder both at regional and local examinations and the quality of health care had reached catastrophic levels. Housing was completely ignored and the supply of water reduced to a mere trickle if at all. The release further stated that, it took the return of the PPP/C to the reigns of power before the economic and social decline was eventually arrested. It would be an understatement to say that the PPP returned the
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country to normalcy. Indeed, through good governance and prudent management of the economy, Guyana was able to shed its image as a pariah state and graduated from low income to middle income status with rising levels of prosperity for Guyanese. Who can deny that under the PPP/C government Guyanese by the thousands became the proud owners of their own homes and other consumer durables which under the previous PNC administration was but a distant dream? The PPP is proud of the role it has played in the struggle for a democratic Guyana and in the creation of a cohesive and prosperous Guyana. The PPP remains optimistic that despite the fact that it was cheated out of office it will sooner than later return to power as past experience had demonstrated. On October 9, 1953 the democratically elected PPP under the then leadership of the indomitable Dr. Cheddi Jagan was overthrown from power in what could be described as a constitutional coup but returned at the next election held in 1957, again with a resounding victory as in the previous election. It re-emerged out of the political wilderness after being engineered out of office in 1964 and led the struggle for democratic renewal which culminated in the overwhelming victory of the Party on October 5, 1992. The PPP, as always, continue to draw inspiration from its founder leader, Dr. Cheddi Jagan who always reminded Guyanese that time is on the side of the PPP and even though the struggle may be long and hard, victory is inevitable. The PPP takes this occasion to serve notice on the Granger-led APNU-AFC administration that it will aggressively defend the democratic, economic and social gains set in motion by the PPP/C since the return to democracy on October 5, 1992.
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
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“Hype” Campaign To Roll Out As Road Accidents Continue After calls from citizens and politicians alike for the government to intensify campaign in light of the continued road accidents, the Ministry of Public Security indicated that the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) plans to intensify its education and awareness campaigns to help stem the increasing number of road accidents. According to a release, Coordinator of the GNRSC, Ramona doorgen said the Council is in the process of submitting proposals to the Minister of Public Security, the Commissioner of Police and the Traffic Chief to “see how we can use another method of enforcement for the public.” She said the Council plans to ‘hype’ its campaigns and education awareness programmes. Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Doorgen said the Council is
“very, very concerned with the out of control carnage on our roadways.” She said the soft enforcement campaign seeks to work along with the Guyana Police Force and Ministry of Public Security to change the attitudes of road users. “How we can help them to change their attitude,” Doorgen explained. According to Doorgen, past awareness building and educational campaigns have not had the desired results so, the Council will be closely monitoring and evaluating the new campaign. “We’ve been at the National Road Safety Council for almost 10 years and we’ve been using different methods to get education and attitude change in people’s home and it’s not working as we can see with the stats (statistics) so we’re going to be trying new methods this Road Safety Month. We’re in planning right now,” Doorgen
said. With Road Safety Month coming up in November Doorgen said particular emphasis will be placed on drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol. At the end of 2015, a total of 106 road deaths were recorded. For the year, Doorgen revealed the GNRSC has recorded 102 deaths as a result of accidents. That number has now risen to 103 after fatal accident on the West Bank of Demerara that left a 65-year-old woman dead after she was hit down by a car being driven by a Police Officer.
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS Campbellville Man Charged With Simple Larceny PAGE 11
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Rondell Cummings, a self employed man from Campbellville was today released on $25,000 GYD bail after being charged with committing the felony of Simple Larceny on October 4, 2016. Before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, Cummings appeared unrepresented as he pleaded not guilty to the charge. Upon a request for bail, the prosecution revealed that the defendant has several matters before the court but has no convictions and as such no objection will be made to bail but requested that if granted the amount be substantial so as to ensure the accused returns to court. It is alleged that on the mentioned day in question on Regent Street, Georgetown, Cummings stole one gold chain valued at $73,000 GYD. Cummings is slated to return before Magistrate Annette Singh in Court 11 of the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on October 26, 2016 for continuation.
Cabinet Examines Declining Performance In Mathematics At The Grade Six Level Georgetown, Guyana – (October 5, 2016) Members of the Cabinet met yesterday October 4, 2016, and deliberated as a matter of extreme urgency and grave national importance, the unsatisfactory results in mathematics nationwide, at the 2016 Grade Six Examination. Senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine were engaged by Cabinet on the declining performance of students in mathematics at this year’s Grade six assessment. For many years Guyana has consistently failed to achieve acceptable pass rates in mathematics, an important core subject. It must be noted that the previous approach to this problem has been inadequate. This year for the first time the Ministry of Education contracted the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) to conduct the examination for the Grade Six students in Guyana. The basis of assessment used by the Caribbean Examination Council was radically different from what was used previously by the Ministry of Education. This year there was an increased focus on reasoning and a decreased emphasis on retention. The new method to testing as implemented by CXC has exposed even more the weakness of the previous approach to education adopted by the Ministry of Education in previous years. Cabinet considers this situation one of national urgency requiring its focused attention and commitment to finding adequate and appropriate solutions in the shortest possible time. As part of a plan for short and medium term measures, Cabinet called on the Ministry of Education and its technical advisors to identify all appropriate steps needed to remedy this situation. Those steps would include remedial training of teachers, better and more varied text books, more teaching aids and better use of technology in the delivery of education. MOTP Press Release
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
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Security Guard Charged With Damaging Car Security Guard, Nevil Hings today appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan charged with unlawfully and maliciously causing damage to a motor vehicle on September 30, 2016. Hings was released on $30,000 bail and is set to return before the court on October 17, 2016. He initially pleaded guilty with an explanation, however upon revealing his explanation to the court, the Magistrate entered a not guilty plea. In response to an application for bail, the Prosecution did not offer an objection but requested that bail be granted in a substantial sum. It is alleged that on the day in question at North East LaPenitence, Hings, 39, damaged motor car PVV 3625, property of Otis Khan, causing damages to the motor vehicle amounting to $107,600
Delay In Public Procurement Commission “ H i g h l y S u s p i c i o u s ” – O p p o s i t i o n The Public Procurement Commission (PPC), which was however noted that there is “no acceptable reason for further approved by the National Assembly on August 8, 2016 in a historic two-thirds majority vote is still to be implementation to date. The Office of the Leader of the Opposition in a statement on Tuesday said that delay of the swearing in of the fivemember Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is “highly suspicious”. The opposition in the statement referred to Article 212 of the Guyana Constitution which talks about the independence of the PPC, the elections and establishment of roles by PPC by its members themselves. “Therefore it appears that the President and the Prime Minister are unfamiliar with the constitutional provisions, or they are being badly advised; or that there has been a decision to not comply with these provisions,” the statement said. In a recent statement issued Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo revealed that the delay is due to the Government fixing salaries for the PPC and mentioned that a building has been identified for the office. President David Granger on the weekly televised programme, ‘The Public Interest,’had said that while a date and time for swearing in had been announced, administrative concerns about the drafting of the Terms of Reference is the reason for the delay. “The parliamentary Opposition reiterates that the setting of the Terms of Reference [ToR] is not the remit of Government but of the Commission and Commissioners itself where only the National Assembly and the Public Accounts Committee have specified roles,” the President said. The opposition
delay in the swearing in of the Commissioners”, and noted that when Parliament resumes next week, the Public Accounts Commission, which is chaired by the party, will be carrying out its functions as outlined in the Constitution. The Opposition said that it expects the PPC when sworn will investigate several corruption scandals level against the Government.
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
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Air Disaster Victims Remembered In homage to the memory of the 73 athletes who lost their lives during the Cubana air disaster, on October 6, 1976, the Government of Guyana will celebrate a commemorative act in front of the ‘Cubana 455 Monument’, located on the Turkeyen Campus of the University of Guyana on Thursday, October 6th, at 8:00hrs. The ‘Cubana 455 Monument’, was inaugurated on October 15th, 2012 on the vicinity of the pond east of the University’s library. Cubana de Aviacion ‘Flight 455 was a Cuban flight from Barbados to Jamaica that was brought down by a terrorist attack on October 6, 1976. Two bombs exploded on board killing all 73 passengers on the CU-455 Cubana de Aviacion aircraft, in what was then the most deadly terrorist airline attack in the western hemisphere. On Thursday morning, the monument will come back to life, revitalizing the memory of those who died on that fatidic date. The ceremony is expected to be hosted by his Excellency Brigadier David Arthur Granger and representatives of the Cuban delegation in Guyana. Source: https://www.ecured.cu/Crimen_de_Barbados
‘Cubana 455 Monument’, located on the Turkeyen Campus of the University of Guyana
One Laptop Per Teacher Initiative Launched On World Teachers’ Day Roopnarine said that this programme is aimed at fine tuning teachers for
Georgetown, Guyana – (October 5, 2016) President David Granger said that the future of education requires teachers to have a fuller knowledge of Information Communications Technology (ICT). He was at the time addressing teachers at the official launch of ‘One Laptop per Teacher’ (OLPT) initiative held earlier today, at the Cyril Potter College of Education. The initiative is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. “The world has entered the ‘Information Age.’ Information, information technology and innovation are transforming almost every facet of human existence. ICT is revolutionising education. It is transforming the manner in which information is assembled, organised and disseminated. It is changing the way education is delivered in the classroom,” he said. President Granger explained that the idea behind the OLPT dates back to 2011, during a visit to the Rupununi when he gave a teacher a laptop, who then used it to prepare lesson plans and ended up improving her overall efficiency as an educator in the process. “A conscious decision has been taken to reshape the remaining phase of the One Laptop Per Family initiative into what we now have as the One Laptop Per Teacher initiative,” he said. The Head of State said that ICT should not be seen as a luxury or an option but as a necessity and noted that any Government that wants an educated population must see ICT as an obligation. He informed that his Administration will continue to expand internet access across the country to ensure that even the most remote community is not left behind. As Guyana joins the rest of the world in observance of ‘World Teachers’ Day’ and President Granger reminded that teachers are at the heart of any education system. He said that through this programme, they will have greater access to ICT and its benefits, which will lead to a transformation in the education system. “The One Laptop per Teacher Initiative, which is being launched this morning, asserts the importance of education to the nation. It acknowledges the role of information in education and the value of our teachers in the delivery of that information to our students. Teachers are essential to education and must lead this process… we don’t want the teachers to be left behind,” the President said. Minister of Public Telecommunications, Ms. Catherine Hughes announced that in the last three weeks, over 100 educational institutions and organisations have been connected to the Government’s fibre optic network. “In one short year, we have been able to provide internet access to five regional development officers, both university campuses, 10 technical and vocational institutions in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six… Today’s official launching of the OLPT gives our teachers an important tool to work with and is a vital component of Government’s allencompassing programme to raise the national level of digital literacy, to improve internet connectivity and, most importantly, it is a means to introduce internet access to our unserved hinterland and interior locations… There is no doubt that higher levels of internet penetration have a direct positive impact on higher level of Gross Domestic Product,” Minister Hughes said. Advisor to the Minister of Minister of Education, Mr. Vincent Alexander, who spoke on the behalf of Education Minister, Dr. Rupert
improved delivery of education. He added that whether the laptops are used for record-keeping, lesson planning, research or a learning resource in the classroom the process of delivery and receipt of education will be greatly improved. The project is supported by the People’s Republic of China and China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Zhang Limin spoke of the strong bilateral relations between the two countries over the last 44 years at the launch. He said that making laptops available to teachers is a very wise move since education plays a major role in national development. At the launch today, several teachers from CPCE received laptops as well as a group of students, who performed exceptionally well as this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examination. MOTP Press Release
President David Granger with teachers and students, who received laptops at the launch of the One Laptop Per Teacher (OLPT) initiative
Chinese Ambassador, Mr. Zhang Limin presenting a first form Queen's College student with a laptop while Minister of Public Telecommunication, Ms. Catherine Hughes looks on
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Hurricane Matthew: Thousands Displaced In Haiti The most powerful Caribbean hurricane in nearly a decade has left thousands of people displaced in Haiti, with rescuers struggling to reach the worst-hit areas. Hurricane Matthew is said to have devastated parts of the country, where at least two people have died. The storm has now moved off the north-eastern coast of Cuba towards Florida, where warnings are in place. South Carolina is to start evacuating more than a million people. Matthew, now a category three hurricane, is predicted to hit the US east coast later in the week. The hurricane also hit Cuba, but early reports suggested it is impact was not as hard as in Haiti, where there were winds of 230km/h (145mph), heavy rain and dangerous storm surges. At least 10,000 people were in shelters and there were reports of overcrowded hospitals suffering shortages of fresh water, Mourad Wahba, the UN special representative for Haiti, said. The storm knocked down communications and blocked roads, hampering emergency efforts. The collapse of a bridge cut off the only link between the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the southern part of the country, and officials admitted it would be difficult to reach the region. Laura Sewel, an aid worker with Care Haiti, said: "The mobile network has also gone down. So what this means for us is that we're out of contact with our staff right now which is quite difficult and the bridge going down means it will be harder to move materials." In the port town of Les Cayes, the situation was "catastrophic", with streets flooded and many houses without roofs, deputy mayor Marie Claudette Regis Delerme said. She herself had to flee a meeting when a gust ripped off the building's roof. Images showed people walking in shoulder-high water, with relief workers saying that other coastal communities were also under water, including Les Anglais. A view of trees damaged by the wind during Hurricane Matthew in Les CayesFonie Pierre, director of Catholic Relief Services for Les Cayes, told AP: "Many people are now asking for help, but it's too late because there is no way to go evacuate them." Heifer International, a non-profit organisation, said farmland and businesses caught in Matthew's path had been devastated. Haiti is one of the world's poorest countries, with many residents living in flimsy housing in floodprone areas. The UN said the country was facing the "largest humanitarian event" since a huge earthquake in
2010. More than four million children could be exposed to hurricane damage, Unicef said, warning of the spread of waterborne disease. Interim President Jocelerme Privert said earlier that some people at sea or who had not "respected alerts" had died, but he gave no more details. In the neighbouring Dominican Republic, at least four people were killed by collapsing walls and mudslides. A hurricane alert was in place for five provinces of Cuba, with residents moved from lowlying areas. There were no immediate reports of serious damage. Matthew is likely to remain a powerful hurricane until at least Thursday night as it sweeps through the Bahamas towards Florida and the Atlantic coast of the southern US, the National Hurricane Center said. South-eastern Florida was under hurricane and tropical storm warnings, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley declared a state of emergency. Hurricane Matthew is the region's most powerful since Felix in 2007. Hurricane scales Category one: sustained winds of 74-95mph (119-153 km/h); some damage and power cuts Category two: winds of 96-110mph (154-177 km/h); extensive damage Category three: winds of 111129mph (178-208 km/h); well-built homes suffer major damage Category four: winds of 130-156mph (209-251 km/h); severe damage to well-built homes, most trees snapped or uprooted Category five: winds of 157 mph (252 km/h) or higher; high percentage of homes destroyed, area uninhabitable for weeks or months (BBC)
Damage in Les Cayes was said to be significant, but the extent of losses is still unclear(REUTERS)
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Bahamas Expects Direct Hit For Nassau From Hurricane Matthew making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Tropical storm
By Caribbean News Now contributor MIAMI, USA -- For the first time since 1929, Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas, is expected to suffer a direct hit from a major hurricane. Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Captain Stephen Russell said residents on the Family Islands should prepare to be self sufficient for at least three days. Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade urged coastline dwelling residents and those in low-lying communities to evacuate immediately. NEMA coordinated charters on Monday to evacuate willing residents on several of the southern islands such as Long Island, Acklins and Crooked Island. Schools throughout the country are expected to be closed before the storm makes landfall. Prime Minister Perry Christie warned that airports throughout the country will be closed imminently, heightening the need to move and evacuate “vulnerable” residents as soon as possible, The Nassau Guardian reported. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, at 5:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, the eye of Hurricane Matthew was located about 65 miles (105 km) eastsoutheast of Guantanamo, Cuba, and about 30 miles (45 km) southsouthwest of the eastern tip of Cuba, with the northern eyewall already pounding the eastern tip of the island. Matthew was moving toward the north near 9 mph (15 km/h) as the eye moved over the extreme portion of eastern Cuba. A turn toward the northnorthwest is expected by Wednesday, followed by a northwest turn Wednesday night. Matthew is expected to move near or over portions of the southeastern and central Bahamas on Tuesday night and Wednesday, and approach the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday night. Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph (220 km/h) with higher gusts. Matthew is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible during the next couple of days, but Matthew is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through at least Thursday night. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km). A hurricane warning is in effect for Haiti, the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Granma, and Las Tunas, the southeastern Bahamas, including the Inaguas, Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, and Ragged Island, the central Bahamas, including Long Island, Exuma, Rum Cay, San Salvador, and Cat Island, the northwestern Bahamas, including the Abacos, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and New Providence A hurricane watch is in effect for the Cuban province of Camaguey. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Dominican Republic from Barahona westward to the border with Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the Dominican Republic from Puerto Plata westward to the border with Haiti. Hurricane conditions were still affecting portions of Haiti and were likely occurring over eastern Cuba, and were expected to begin in the southeastern Bahamas on Tuesday evening, the central Bahamas on Wednesday, and the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday night. Tropical storm conditions are expected to continue spreading across the remainder of Haiti, eastern Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas on Tuesday night, and should reach the central and northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday,
conditions are still occurring in portions of the Dominican Republic within the warning area, and these conditions will spread northward into the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday night. Hurricane conditions were possible in the hurricane watch areas in Cuba on Tuesday night, with tropical storm conditions possible later. Matthew is expected to produce total rainfall amounts in the following areas: southern Haiti and southwestern Dominican Republic -- 15 to 25 inches, isolated 40 inches; eastern Cuba and northwestern Haiti -- 8 to 12 inches, isolated 20 inches; eastern Jamaica -- 4 to 6 inches, isolated 12 inches; The Bahamas -- 8 to 12 inches, isolated 15 inches; Turks and Caicos Islands -- 2 to 5 inches, isolated 8 inches; northeastern Haiti and the northern Dominican Republic -- 1 to 3 inches, isolated 5 inches; western Jamaica -- 1 to 2 inches, isolated 3 inches. Life-threatening flash floods and mudslides are likely from this rainfall in southern and northwestern Haiti, the southwestern Dominican Republic, and eastern Cuba. The combination of a dangerous storm surge and large and destructive waves could raise water levels by as much as the following amounts above normal tide levels: southern coast of Cuba east of Cabo Cruz -- 7 to 11 feet; south coast of Haiti -- 7 to 10 feet; northern coast of Cuba east of Camaguey -- 4 to 6 feet; Gulf of Gonave in Haiti -- 3 to 5 feet; southern coast of the Dominican Republic -- 1 to 3 feet; The Bahamas -- 10 to 15 feet. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. Large waves generated by Matthew will cause water rises to occur well in advance of and well away from the track of the centre. The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. Swells generated by Matthew will continue to affect portions of the coasts of Hispaniola, Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and the Caribbean coastline of Central America during the next few days. Swells from Matthew will begin affecting portions of The Bahamas on Tuesday. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. (Caribbean News Now!)
Hurricane Matthew three-day forecast track. NHC/NOAA graphic
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS New Tropical Storm Forms In The Atlantic As Another System Moves Towards The Caribbean PAGE 18
By Caribbean News Now contributor MIAMI, USA -- Tropical Storm Nicole formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday and, at 5:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, was located about 510 miles (820 km) northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). This general motion is expected to continue over the next 48 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the centre. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, little change in strength is forecast for the next day or so, followed by gradual weakening before the system becomes a threat to Bermuda. Meanwhile, yet another tropical wave located several hundred miles east of the Windward Islands is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Development, if any, of this system is expected to be slow to occur while the wave moves westward at 10 to 15 mph. Regardless of development, heavy rain and gusty winds are possible in the Windward Islands during the next couple of days during the wave's passage. (Caribbean News Now!)
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Tropical Storm Nicole five-day forecast track. NHC/NOAA graphic
OIC Offers To Finance Bridge Between Guyana And Suriname To Promote Regional Integration By Ray Chickrie Caribbean News Now contributor PARAMARIBO, Suriname -- Following the visit of the secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani, and his delegation to both Suriname and Guyana last week, the ministry of foreign affairs of Suriname has reported that the OIC is willing to finance the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River at the eastern frontier between Guyana and Suriname in an effort to enhance regional economic and physical integration. This type of project falls under the rubric and vision of the Arab League and South American group, UNASUR, which meets at the heads of government level every three years. Such a project would support and promote regional integration and economic development, which Madani termed “a triangular relationship between the OIC, Guyana and Suriname”. The OIC will also work with UNASUR in this effort. According to the foreign minister of Suriname, Niermala Badrising, who had several meetings with Madani while he was in Suriname, the OIC and its financial arm, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is in favour of the execution of major infrastructure projects in South America. One of these projects that can finally be realized, according to Badrising, is the bridging of the Corentyne River between Guyana and Suriname. Badrising, who has been working closely with the OIC and the IsDB, said in a statement that a bridge over the Corentyne River linking the two countries “could become a reality if the countries involved are in agreement and if the project is feasible. It is one of the opportunities that we have to utilize OIC funds, and the project will complement UNASUR's regional integration vision." The previous government in Guyana had agreed to partner with Suriname to seek finance from China to bridge the Corentyne River. However, there has since been no movement on the project. It is not known if the project was discussed when Madani met the foreign minister of Guyana, Carl Greenidge, in Georgetown. In fact, the government of Guyana kept the entire OIC secretary general’s visit more or less a secret. Symbolism was strikingly missing – in the one single picture that was released by the OIC Secretariat of the visit to Guyana, the OIC flag was noticeably absent at a bilateral meeting with Greenidge. Further, there was no press statement issued during or after Madani’s visit by the government of Guyana. For Guyana to tap into the benefits of OIC and IsDB membership, the relationship must mature to become one of trust and understanding. In Paramaribo, Madani, in a meeting with the press, stated categorically that “We are not a religious organization, and the OIC hails Suriname as an example of a multicultural country where different ethnicities and religions peacefully coexist.” Madani stressed that the OIC is not interested in the internal affairs of Suriname; it is not looking to cause conflicts in Suriname or in the region. “Suriname and Guyana’s membership in the group should be used to its fullest so as to contribute to regional integration and
economic development,” he emphasised. Madani said that he is happy that Suriname is active in the OIC, unlike other countries who are not seizing the opportunities. Guyana is not an active member of the OIC and there are conflicting narratives as to the reason behind it. Meanwhile, President Desi Bouterse on Friday defended Suriname’s relationship with the OIC and the IsDB. He urged Suriname to take full advantage of the US$1.8 billion soft loan from the Bank. He warned that there are forces acting against these developments and Suriname’s cooperation with the OIC and IsDB in his government’s effort to stabilize the economy of the country. Developing countries have long complained that the IMF is an institution willing to provide cash when they face economy calamity; however, the austerity measures the IMF imposes has no human face. It forces governments to cut back on vital socioeconomic and welfare programs such as food, healthcare and education. The IsDB has financed some mega projects in Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. It supports projects in infrastructure, renewal energy, urban development, agriculture, health care and education. The group also provides technical support, capacity building, research and training, and co-financing with other partners like the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development; Kuwait Funds, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development; Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). The OIC and the IsDB also work closely working the World Bank and UNDP. (Caribbean News Now!)
OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani (R) meeting with Foreign Minister Niermala Badrising (L) and President Desi Bouterse during his recent visit to Suriname
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS New Mine Starts Commercial new Gold Production In Surinam discovery at Sabajo. The government of Suriname exercised its option By Ivan Cairo PAGE 20
Caribbean News Now contributor PARAMARIBO, Suriname -- Surgold, a subsidiary of US-based multinational Newmont Mining Corporation, has completed construction of the Merian gold mine in Suriname on time and commenced commercial production on October 1. Newmont disclosed that the Merian project was completed more than US$150 million or nearly 20 percent below its initial development capital budget. After the Rosebel goldmine of Canada-based Iamgold, the Merian mine is Suriname’s second industrial gold mine. “We took an optimized approach to project development and benefitted from being one of the only gold producers investing in growth during the lower price cycle,” said Gary Goldberg, president and chief executive officer. “Our team built Merian safely, on schedule and significantly below budget – and delivered our strategy to strengthen the portfolio by adding more than a decade of profitable production and creating a foothold in a prospective new gold district. This accomplishment is also the result of strong partnerships with the government and people of Suriname, and the extensive experience G-Mining brought to project development.” According to Newmont so far it has achieved sustained average mill throughput of 80 percent and gold recovery of more than 90 percent over the last 30 days. Stockpiled ore represents nearly 160,000 contained ounces of gold. Merian contains gold reserves of 5.1 million ounces and annual production is expected to average between 400,000 and 500,000 ounces of gold at competitive costs in the first five full years of production. Costs are expected to be among the lowest in the portfolio, averaging between US$575 and US$675 per ounce in costs applicable to sales and between US$650 and US$750 per ounce in all-in sustaining costs in the first five years. Meanwhile exploration has extended mine life from 11 to 13 years, and continues to identify further upside potential within Newmont’s 500,000 hectare area of interest, including a
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to participate in a fully-funded 25 percent equity ownership stake in Merian in November 2013. Suriname manages its participation through Staatsolie, Suriname’s state-owned oil company. “I am feeling like a father seeing his child graduate from college,” said Staaatsolie’s CEO, Rudolf Elias. He noted that since mine completion was below the initial capital budget Staatsolie is paying less for its 25 percent stake. Merian’s current workforce includes just over 1,100 employees, 20 percent of whom are local Paamakkans, and 200 contractors. The company has allegedly taken a proactive approach to minimizing its environmental impact and engaged experts to inform its biodiversity offset programs. Newmont also signed an agreement with the Paamakkan community that establishes local hiring and procurement targets, as well as a community development fund. (Caribbean News Now!)
Newmont's gold production plant in Suriname
Saint Lucia To Strengthen Border Security, Says PM Chastanet Government is working with the police to beef up security at all major port of entries, specifically between Martinique and Saint Lucia, to protect the island from the threat of increased drug trafficking. Prime Minister Allen Chastanet said Saint Lucia is ‘unfortunately’ paying the penalty for the ease in which people are trafficking drugs and this must come to an end. His comments comes in light of a recent drug bust at the Hewenorra International Airport on Sunday, where cocaine was detected in coconuts moments before it was loaded onto a flight destined for the United Kingdom Chastanet said, “We have to make it more difficult for people involved in drug trafficking to be able to do business in this region…We have to recognise that Saint Lucia is a target.” The prime minister said the island is not only a target because of major international flights coming here, but also because of Saint Lucia’s close proximity to Martinique. “Once they get the drugs into Martinique it is much easier to get it into Europe,” Chastanet explained. Meanwhile, commenting on the recent bust, Agriculture Minister Ezechiel Joseph said he is pleased that the cocaine was intercepted before leaving Saint Lucia. Joseph told the media on Tuesday that he is of the strong opinion that cocaine traffickers are targeting agriculture produce to conduct their illegal business, making it difficult for farmers. “You would understand the negative impact that would have if it left our shores. We were able to intercept it at
Vieux Fort and we will see what can be done…we have to remain vigilant,” Joseph said. The police is yet to issue a formal statement on the recent cocaine bust. (St. Lucia News Online)
PM Allen Chastanet
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS Gov’t Asks For Patience As The Cost Of Medicines Increase Government is asking Saint Lucians to be patient until government which secured the agreement of CARICOM to PAGE 21
November when they re-submit an application to CARICOM for the suspension of the common external tariff on pharmaceuticals. While the cost of medicine has increase due to the expiration of this suspension, Minister within the Ministry of Finance Dr. Ubaldus Raymond has given all assurances that this will change before the end of 2016. Dr. Raymond said that government plans to re-submit the application to the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), which is expected to meet in November. The Allen Chastanet government has blamed former Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony and his government for the recent reintroduction of import duties on medicine. Dr. Raymond claims that Dr. Anthony was reminded about the expiration date, in a letter dated March 5, 2016, but failed to follow up or even responding to the letter. “This government was not responsible for the reintroduction of import duties on medicine. This was ignored by the previous administration and therefore there was reintroduction of the import duties,” the minister claims. However, it was under the Kenny Anthony
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suspend the common external tariff on pharmaceuticals for a period of four years. Prior to the implementation of VAT, medicines attracted an import duty of 10 percent followed by 5 percent consumption tax. (St. Lucia News Online!)
Dr. Raymond
UN Experts Say US Owes Blacks Reparations For Slavery PRESS RELEASE – CARICOM’s call for Reparations from Britain with the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) with a view to and Europe for Slavery and Native genocide got a boost this week after a United Nations (UN) panel of experts United Nations experts said the United States should give African Americans reparations for slavery. In the heat of a US presidential election campaign in which racial rhetoric is growing louder, the Geneva-based UN Working Group on People of African Descent warned that the USA had not yet confronted its legacy of “racial terrorism” and that Americans of African descent were facing a “human rights crisis”. The UN Working Group said in a statement to the press in Geneva last week that this “human rights crisis” in the US “has largely been fuelled by impunity for police officers who have killed a series of black men — many of them unarmed – across the country in recent months.” The group said in a September 27 statement that those killings “and the trauma they create, are reminiscent of the past racial terror of lynchings,” in the report, which was presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday. Addressing the deeper causes of America’s racial tensions, the experts voiced concern over the unresolved “legacy of colonial history, enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, racial terrorism and racial inequality”. “There has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent,” the report said. Working group chairman Ricardo A Sunga told reporters in Geneva that the panel believed several models of reparations could work in the US context, including “elements of apology” and a form of “debt relief” to the descendants of enslaved people. The UN working group visited the several US states in January before producing their final report, which is expected to be widely welcomed by CARICOM, which is itself pursuing Reparations from Britain and other EU member-states that benefitted from Slavery in the Caribbean. The US Congressional Black Caucus has been liaising
adopting the CARICOM template to officially demand Reparations on Capitol Hill in Washington. CRC Chairman Sir Hilary Beckles also last year addressed the British House of Commons, ahead of his exchange with the US Black Caucus regarding their Reparations plans for Americans of African Descent. Sir Hilary more recently visited Africa to explain the CARICOM Reparations approach, meeting with officials of The Gambia and the African Union (AU). The UN Working Group’s Report is expected to be welcomed by the CARICOM Secretariat, the CRC and National Reparations Committees (NRCs) in 12 CARICOM member-states. (The Diplomatic Courier) (St. Lucia News Online)
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GUYANA DAILY NEWS St. Lucia Officials Attend 2016 Annual Meetings Of World Bank And IMF PRESS RELEASE – A team from Saint Lucia, along with Prime PAGE 23
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Minister Honourable Allen M. Chastanet, will attend the 2016 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC from October 7-9. Minister in the Ministry of Finance Honourable Dr. Ubaldus Raymond, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Cointha Thomas and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development & Housing Tracy Polius will take part in discussions on a range of issues. The Annual IMF/World Bank Meetings provide a forum for international cooperation and enable the Bank and IMF to better serve their member countries. While in Washington DC Prime Minister Chastanet will also attend a Caribbean-Central American Action forum titled “Finance, Fintech, and the Future of Banking in the Caribbean Basin” where he is expected to deliver an address. During the Prime Minister’s absence, Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport and Civil Aviation, Honourable Guy Joseph will serve as Acting Prime Minister. (St. Lucia News Online)
PM: T&T Will Help Storm-hit Haiti Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says T&T will provide assistance to Haiti if requested following passage of the Category 4 Hurricane Matthew, which hit the Caribbean nation yesterday. Rowley said so in response to questions from reporters after yesterday’s launch of the PNM’s 60th anniversary Nation Building Calypso Competition at Balisier House, Port-of-Spain. The finals of the competition will take place at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, on November 12 from 7 pm. Asked to comment on the hurricane which had just started to affect the country, Rowley responded: “Oh, poor Haiti. Every time there is something bad happening in the Caribbean Haiti has to get a piece of it.” Rowley said the economic situation in T&T would not hamper its generosity to a Caribbean nation in need. “Haiti is a member of Caricom. We are Caribbean people and if there is anything that we can do in the event that they need help, T&T will always be prepared to share what we have with those who are in greatest need. “Regardless to what our (economic) circumstances are, we will always have enough to share with our brothers and sisters who might be in greater need,” he added. Jamaica was spared the worst of the hurricane and Rowley said he spoke with that country’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness yesterday. He did not elaborate on the contents of the discussion. At the time of yesterday’s interview, Rowley said he had not received any reports of the effects of the hurricane in Haiti. He said: “We have to wait and hopefully it is not (too bad) because they haven’t even recovered from the earthquake (in 2010) yet and to be hit by what is one of the most powerful storms passing through (was unfortunate). “It is a big hurricane so I think it is a real threat.” International media reported at least seven deaths from the hurricane. Four died in the Dominican Republic, one in Haiti, one in St Vincent and the Grenadines and one in Colombia. Rowley also advised nationals to be more responsible in preparation for possible natural disasters. He said the notion that “God is a Trini” should not be used to prevent citizens from being responsible
during periods of natural disaster. In response to another question, Rowley said while the State agencies will do all they could to ensure they were ready if a hurricane was approaching the country there could never be “perfect preparation.” The Prime Minister said citizens should be mindful that “the time to prepare for a hurricane is not during the event but before. Don’t give up your responsibility to anybody. “God will take care of everybody but we can’t just relinquish that to a God head. He will take care of us but we too have to take care of ourselves in the process,” he added. (Trinidad Guardian)
Residents head to higher ground away from their flooded home in Leogane, Haiti, yesterday. Matthew slammed into Haiti's southwestern tip with howling, 145 mph winds yesterday, tearing off roofs in the poor and largely rural area, uprooting trees and leaving rivers bloated and choked with debris. AP Photo
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Syria Conflict: Aid Convoy Attack Was Air Strike, UN Expert Says
The UN's secretary general denounced the attack as "savage and apparently deliberate"(AFP)
Analysis of satellite imagery taken after a deadly attack on an aid convoy in northern Syria last month shows that it was an air strike, a UN expert says. At least 18 people were killed when lorries unloading at a Syrian Arab Red Crescent warehouse in a rebel-held town outside Aleppo came under fire. The US believes Russian warplanes bombed the convoy. Russia, which backs Syria's government, denies the charge. UN officials have said the incident could constitute a war crime. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has established an internal board of inquiry to investigate the attack, which he has denounced as "sickening, savage and apparently deliberate". The attack came days after a US-led coalition strike in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, which killed at least 62 Syrian government soldiers. Jump A week-long ceasefire brokered by Russia and the US collapsed soon after the two attacks, and the Syrian army, backed by Russia, launched a fresh offensive on eastern Aleppo where 275,000 people are currently trapped. The intensity of the
bombing has since increased with air strikes - some allegedly involving bunkerbusting, incendiary and cluster munitions - killing at least 420 people and injuring more than 1,000 others. The area was officially declared a "besieged area" on Wednesday, the spokesman for the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA told the AFP news agency. It met the UN's three criteria of military encirclement, lack of humanitarian access and no freedom of movement for civilians, Jens Laerke said. Earlier this week, the US ended its negotiations with Russia over Syria with the US state department accusing Moscow of having "failed to live up" to its commitments under the recent truce deal. The UN says that on the evening of 19 September, 31 lorries delivering lifesaving aid to a SARC warehouse in Urum al-Kubra came under fire. The head of the SARC in the town was among those killed, while 18 of the lorries were totally destroyed. The warehouse and a nearby medical clinic were also severely damaged. UN officials have so far referred to the incident only as an "attack" and not accused any of the warring parties of
responsibility. But on Wednesday, Lars Bromley, research adviser at the UN Operational Satellite Applications Programme (Unosat), told a news briefing in Geneva: "With our analysis we determined it was an air strike and I think multiple other sources have said that as well." "For air strikes, what you are usually looking at is the size of the crater that is visible, and the type of crater," he added. "Basically air-dropped munitions are often much larger than anything you would fire from the ground." The chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Joseph Dunford, told a Senate Committee three days after the attack that two Russian warplanes had been in that area at the time, along with some "some other aircraft" belonging to the Syrian government. "There's no doubt in my mind that the Russians are responsible. I just don't know whose aircraft actually dropped the bomb," he said, calling the incident "an unacceptable atrocity". Russia's defence ministry, which has vigorously denied the charge, initially said videos of the aftermath of the attack did not show any evidence that the convoy had been struck b y a i r- d r o p p e d o r d n a n c e . B u t i t subsequently said a US Predator drone had been flying above Urum al-Kubra at the time of the attack - an allegation the US military quickly dismissed. Unosat also released satellite images that Mr Bromley said showed "an awful lot of new damage" to rebel-held areas of the city of Aleppo, on which government forces launched an all-out assault after a truce brokered by the US and Russia collapsed two weeks ago. "The areas that are being bombed have been bombed almost continuously for quite some time. So seeing dramatic images of formerly pristine areas now turned to rubble - you don't see a lot of that," Mr Bromley said. (BBC)
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Tiny Machines Win Chemistry Nobel Prize
The 2016 Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been awarded for the development of the world's smallest machines. Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir Fraser Stoddart and Bernard Feringa will share the 8m kronor (£727,000) prize for the design and synthesis of machines on a molecular scale. They were named at a press conference in Sweden. The machines conceived by today's laureates are a thousand times thinner than a strand of hair. They could slip inside the human body to deliver drugs from within - for instance, applying pharmaceuticals directly to cancer cells. This field of nanotechnology could also yield applications in the design of smart materials. The prize recognises their success in linking molecules together to design everything from motors to a car and muscles on a tiny scale. "They have mastered motion control at the molecular scale," said Olof Ramström, from the Nobel Committee. Reacting to the award, Prof Feringa said: "I don't know what to say, I'm shocked. And my second remark was: 'I'm a bit emotional about it'." The celebrated physicist Richard Feynman is often credited with inspiring the concept of molecular machines. In a lecture at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1959, titled "There's plenty of room at the bottom", he considered the possibility of the direct manipulation of matter at the atomic scale. It was also in this lecture that he introduced the idea of "swallowing the surgeon". Jean-Pierre Sauvage was born in 1944 in Paris, France. He is currently emeritus professor at the University of Strasbourg and director of research emeritus at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). His work provided early breakthroughs in the area of molecular machines. He had been researching the use of sunlight to drive chemical reactions but this work helped him work out that he could link different molecules together in a chain. This was the first step towards building
molecular machines. In 1994, Prof Sauvage's research group succeeded in making one molecule rotate around the other in a controlled manner when energy was applied. Sir Fraser Stoddart was born in 1942 in Edinburgh, UK. He is currently affiliated to the Northwestern University, in the US. The Briton made a key advance by threading a molecular ring on to a rod-like structure that acted as an axle. Sir Fraser then made use of the ring's freedom to move along the axle. When he added heat, the ring jumped forwards and backwards - like a tiny shuttle. His group later built on this discovery to build numerous molecular machines, including a lift, a muscle and in partnership with other researchers - a computer chip. “It's a recognition of fundamental chemistry and I think that should be celebrated today," Sir Fraser told the BBC. But he condemned the outcome of the Brexit vote, saying international collaboration had been "absolutely critical" to his successes. "Today I am distressed that the UK is looking at a situation where it would cut off that supply. This is not good news... I would hope that this whole business of Brexit would just go away or had not happened." He said this placed British science "in jeopardy" and said politicians in the current government had "gone off the rails". Bernard Feringa was born in 1951 in Barger-Compascuum, in the Netherlands. He is a professor in organic chemistry at the University of Gröningen, the Netherlands. In 1999, Prof Feringa led the first research to produce a molecular motor that continually spins in the same direction. In 2011, his group built a four-wheeldrive nanocar: a molecular chassis holding together four motors that functioned as wheels.
Artwork: The scientists are rewarded for their ability to control at the molecular level(SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)
Commenting on the award, he said: "I feel a little bit like the Wright Brothers who were flying 100 years ago for the first time and people were saying why do we need a flying machine and now we have a Boeing 747 and an Airbus. "The opportunities are great." Previous winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015 - Discoveries in DNA repair earned Tomas Lindahl and Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar the award. 2014 - Eric Betzig, Stefan Hell and William Moerner were awarded the prize for improving the resolution of optical microscopes. 2013 - Michael Levitt, Martin Karplus and Arieh Warshel shared the prize, for devising computer simulations of chemical processes. 2012 - Work that revealed how protein receptors pass signals between living cells and the environment won the prize for Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka. 2011 - Dan Schechtman received the prize for discovering the "impossible" structure of quasicrystals. 2010 - Richard Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki were recognised for developing new ways of linking carbon atoms together. 2009 - Discovering the structure and function of our cells' "protein factories", earned the chemistry Nobel for Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas Steitz and Ada Yonath. (BBC)
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Brussels Police Stabbed In 'Terror Attack’
The stabbings happened shortly after Brussels Nord station was evacuated over a bomb scare(GETTY IMAGES)
stomach, while a third officer who arrived at the scene in Schaerbeek district suffered a broken nose, Belgian broadcaster VRT reports. The attacker was shot in the leg and taken away by ambulance. Authorities have named the attacker as Hicham D, 43, of Belgian nationality. A witness told RTBF news that a man with a knife knocked a police officer to the ground before turning on a second officer. "We have reason to believe that the incident was a terrorist attack," a spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor's office, Eric Van Der Sypt, said. Belgian prosecutors said the officers had not suffered lifethreatening injuries. The attack happened near a main road in a region linked to previous terror attacks. It comes just hours after commuters were evacuated from Brussels Nord station over a bomb scare. Belgium has been on high alert following attacks in Brussels on the airport and the city's metro system in March, which killed 35 people and injured more than 300. The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group. (BBC)
TNato Jets Scrambled As Russian Bombers Fly South wo police officers have been stabbed in Brussels in a possible terrorist incident, Belgian prosecutors say. One officer was stabbed in the neck and another in the
The TU-160 Blackjacks are supersonic strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons(FRENCH MINISTRY OF DEFENCE)
Two Russian Blackjack bombers were intercepted by fighter jets from four European countries as they flew from the direction of Norway to northern Spain and back, it has emerged. Norway, the UK, France and Spain all scrambled jets as the TU-160 planes skirted the airspace of each country. It comes at a time of heightened tension between the West and Russia. Correspondents say the frequency of Russian bombers being intercepted by Nato planes has increased markedly.
Spanish media say it is the furthest south such an operation has had to take place. The incident happened on 22 September but the full extent only came to light recently in a statement by the French ministry of defence (in French). It referred to it as an Air Policing [Baltic support] mission by the four countries involved. It said Norway first detected the two Blackjack bombers to the north and scrambled two F-16 fighters to accompany them towards the north of Scotland. The British RAF then sent Typhoon aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth to intercept the planes as they flew to the west of Shetland. The RAF said at the time that at no point did the Russian jets enter UK air space. British Typhoons were also launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as a precautionary measure, the RAF added, but did not intercept the bombers. The Russian planes then skirted the west of Ireland and were picked up by two French Rafale fighter planes 100km off the coast of Brittany, the French ministry of defence said. Two other Rafale jets later took over
to shadow the bombers as they flew south. Finally, Spain sent two F-18 fighters to intercept the Russian planes north of Bilbao. The bombers then turned around and made a return journey. It is not believed that any further interceptions took place. Iceland later complained to Russia that TU-160 Blackjack bombers had flown too close to civil airliners on the same day. The foreign ministry said the planes had flown between 6,000-9,000ft (1,800-2,700m) below a plane flying from Reykjavik to Stockholm. For the UK, it was the latest of several similar incidents involving Russian military aircraft. In November 2015, Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled from Lossiemouth to intercept two Blackjack b o m b e r s . R A F Ty p h o o n s f r o m Lossiemouth were also scrambled in October 2015 to intercept two similar aircraft flying over the North Sea. Russia's relations with the West have declined since the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. They recently hit a new low when the US broke off military cooperation with Moscow over Syria. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 29
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Portugal's Guterres Set To Be UN Head
P
Portugal's former Prime Minister, Antonio Guterres(naharnet/File Photo)
ortugal's former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is poised to become the next UN secretary general, UN diplomats say. Mr Guterres, 66, was the "clear favourite", Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin announced on Wednesday. A formal vote will take place in the UN Security Council on Thursday to conďŹ rm the choice of nominee. Mr Guterres, who led the UN refugee agency for 10 years, will take over from Ban Ki-moon early next year. The 15-member Security Council cast secret ballots for each of the 10 candidates on Wednesday and none were found to oppose Mr Guterres. They were asked to select from a choice of encourage, discourage or no opinion for each candidate, with the former Portuguese prime minister receiving 13 encourage votes and two no opinion votes. A formal vote will take place at 1000 EST (1500 BST) on Thursday. Mr Ban will stand down after ten years at the helm. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 30
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Afghanistan Aid: Donors To Pledge Billions In Brussels
Afghanistan has hundreds of thousands of refugees - and many head abroad for better lives(AFP)
International donors are meeting in Brussels to raise billions more dollars in aid for Afghanistan. More than 70 countries are at the talks, hosted by the EU. They are expected to pledge $3bn (£2.3bn; €2.6bn) a year in aid until 2020. Afghanistan will be asked to do more to tackle corruption and to take back tens of thousands of failed asylum seekers. The country faces a resurgent Taliban and remains reliant on foreign help, 15 years after the militants were ousted. "We're buying four more years for Afghanistan," said EU special representative FranzMichael Mellbin. But with donor fatigue after years of war, officials do not expect to raise as much as at the last aid conference, in Tokyo in 2012, where $4bn a year was pledged. The EU is promising $1.3bn annually and has signed a deal with the Afghan government for Kabul to take back Afghans who fail in their bid for asylum. Both sides deny the deal is a condition for new aid. Afghans make up the second largest group of asylum seekers in Europe, after Syrians. The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Brussels says recent Taliban advances on the battlefield will only harden the determination of many Afghans to seek a better life elsewhere. Taliban attacks this week on the cities of Kunduz in the north and Lashkar Gah in the south have underlined how fragile the security and development gains of recent years remain, despite all the money spent. Hasn't Afghanistan already had billions in aid? The United States and other international donors have pumped about $130bn into the country since 2002. Efforts to rebuild after years of war began after US-led forces ousted the Taliban from power following the 9/11 attacks. The figure is comparable to the Marshall Plan, a US initiative to
rebuild a devastated Europe after World War Two, although the results have been much more limited. Most of the money spent in Afghanistan has come from the US (about $115bn) - and official figures show that more than half of that was spent on security. Nato pulled out combat forces in 2014 and the Taliban are now resurgent in many areas, prompting fears that hard-won, costly gains are at risk. What did the aid achieve? Fifteen years after the Taliban were toppled, Afghanistan still cannot survive without significant international support. Despite all the money that's been poured in, it remains one of the poorest countries on earth, with 80% of its budget financed by aid. The optimism of the early post-Taliban years - when new schools and hospitals were being built and Afghan refugees were returning - has been replaced in some quarters by donor fatigue and more and more questions about where the money will end up. Major contributors are now indicating they expect to see greater Afghan success in tackling problems such as corruption and the lucrative narcotics trade, as well as progress on asylum seekers. A more prosperous Afghanistan could mean fewer refugees in Europe - but hopes the country could become selfreliant one day seem many years away. How bad is the fighting? It so serious that one of the main cities in the north, Kunduz, nearly fell to the militants again this week, a year after they briefly captured it in what was a major security embarrassment. But Afghan forces say they are in control of the city centre, although clashes are still going on elsewhere in the city. In the southern province of Helmand, the Taliban have captured the administrative headquarters of Khan Nishin district, and are massed outside the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. Government troops were reported to be resisting their advance there, and in parts of the central province of Uruzgan, where fighting has also broken out. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 32
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
German Mystery Over Man, 43, Who Never left Home do we know what the situation really looked like,
The man had been living with his parents in the picturesque Bavarian village of Freienfels(AP)
G
erman police are investigating a couple who reportedly kept their son at home in a village near the Bavarian town of Bayreuth for 30 years. The man, who is now 43, has rarely been seen since he stopped attending school at the age of 13. Police say he looked neglected but not underfed, and stress they may not press charges. The mother told local media "he didn't want to go out", and she had only wanted to protect him. The police were alerted to the mysterious case by a tip-off last month, and took the man from his home to hospital. He has not been identified because of strict German privacy laws. 'Maybe he wanted it that way' They refused to speak of a "rescue", and said it was more likely to be a family tragedy than a criminal case. "We do not know exactly since when the man lived there without regular contact with the outside world, nor
for example, whether or not he had the opportunity to leave the premises," police spokesman Juergen Stadter told journalists on Tuesday. "Maybe the man himself wanted it that way," he added. In a later briefing on Wednesday police said the evidence suggested the man had been able to move freely through the house, and had not been chained. When the emergency services came to collect him, he was reportedly unwilling to come. "He obviously felt well protected there," said Mr Stadter. The only documentation the police say they have found so far is about 30 years old, showing he attended primary school and then a comprehensive. Paperwork dating back to when he was 13 appears to suggest that the school authorities deemed he was no longer fit to attend classes there, police said. But speaking to the "Nordbayerische Kurier", the mother said in no way was he rescued. "He just didn't want to go out", she said, adding that and she and her husband had never locked him in. They had just wanted to protect him, she insisted, pointing out that he had been registered at the local residents' office. The regional hospital in Bayreuth where he has been taken has said he is as well as can be expected "under the circumstances", without elaborating further. He was being looked after by a specialised team of doctors, nurses and therapists, a spokesman said. The hospital will try to determine whether he is ill or has mental health issues. Questions are now being asked about how the man could have slipped through the net of youth, social and health services. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 33
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Migrant Crisis: 28 Dead In Day Of about Rescues Off Libya 1,000 people on three levels.
The Italian coastguard said it rescued 4,655 people on Tuesday, as calmer weathers encourage smugglers(AFP)
M
ore than 20 migrants are said to have suffocated in the hold of an overloaded boat off the Libyan coast. A photographer who was able to board the stricken wooden vessel said more than 1,000 migrants had been crammed aboard. They were among at least 28 migrants who died in the area on Tuesday, while some 4,655 people were rescued. The total number rescued over the past two days is more than 10,000, while the death toll is at least 50. Smugglers have taken advantage of calm weather to push more boats out to sea. Aris Messinis, a photographer for the French AFP news agency, said many of the dead aboard one particular boat had suffocated. He said: "It was a wooden vessel and there were
I counted 22 bodies and there are still others in the hold." Mr Messinis's graphic images showed the bodies of dead young men and women, piled on top of one another on the deck of a dinghy and in the cramped hold of a wooden boat. On Monday, 6,055 migrants were rescued - one of the highest numbers in a single day - and 22 found dead, Italian and Libyan officials said. One Italian ship rescued about 725 migrants from a single rubber boat, the coastguard said - just one of 20 rescue operations that day. Relatively calm weather is contributing to a surge in the number of people attempting to make the crossing before the cold weather sets in. The surge takes the number of migrants who have arrived in Italy this year to about 142,000 and the death toll to about 3,100, according to the International Organisation for Migration. The majority come from African countries, including Nigeria, Eritrea, Guinea, Gambia, Sudan, Ivory Coast and Somalia. European law says migrants must stay in the country where they first enter the EU. With fewer migrants able to travel into Europe via Greece and the Balkan route, and France, Switzerland and Austria effectively closing their borders, Italy is struggling to deal with the growing numbers landing on its shores. Monday marked three years to the day since 366 migrants died when an overcrowded boat sank off the Italian coast, in a disaster that first drew widespread attention to the plight of those attempting to reach Europe by sea. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL
GUYANA DAILY NEWS UN Court Throws Out Marshall Islands' Nuclear Weapons Case PAGE 35
The US carried out extensive nuclear tests on the Marshall Islands(GETTY IMAGES)
A
UN court has thrown out cases brought by the Marshall Islands against the UK and others for allegedly failing to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Marshall Islanders have been at the forefront of anti-nuclear activism after ecologically-devastating American bomb tests at their Bikini Atoll. The UK, India and Pakistan were accused of
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
failing their obligations under the 1968 nuclear nonproliferation treaty. But the International Court of Justice said it could not rule on the case. The Marshall Islands had sought to use the case to force nuclear powers to disarm. The tiny South Pacific nation originally filed cases against all nine treaty signatories: The UK, US, Russia, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. But only the UK, India and Pakistan recognise the jurisdiction of the Hague-based International Court of Justice and only those three cases proceeded to the preliminary court stage. At hearings in March, Marshall Islands' representative Tony deBrum said he watched one of the US nuclear tests with his grandfather as a nine-year-old boy. "The entire sky turned blood red," he told judges. He said islands were "vaporised" by the tests. Judge Ronny Abraham acknowledged the "suffering" of the Islanders but ruled that they failed to prove a legal dispute existed between them and the three nuclear powers before the case was filed in 2014, which meant the court had no jurisdiction to hear the case. In 1996, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that the use or threat to use nuclear weapons would "generally be contrary to" the laws of war and humanitarian law. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 36
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Police In India Detain 750 Over US Call Centre Scam police officials said they were contacting the FBI to ask for help. Some 70 of those detained were formally arrested, police said, with the rest released pending further inquiries. Nine people believed to have led the scam have been identified. The scammers pretended to be members of the US Internal Revenue Service, and told victims they owed back taxes. In some cases, the victims were duped into buying gift vouchers from different companies and bullied into revealing voucher ID numbers, police said. The scammers then made purchases with the voucher numbers. Police say those involved in the scam at the Indian end retained 70% of the earnings, with 30% going to their US collaborators. Police said scammers posed as the officers of the US Inland Revenue Service(PA) Police in the western Indian city of Thane have arrested more than 750 people suspected of defrauding US citizens from a fake call centre. Officers say the suspects obtained lists of US tax defaulters and used threats to obtain their bank details. The scam is said to have netted more than $150,000 (£118,000) a day, making it one of the biggest frauds in India's history. Thane
Paramvir Singh, the police commissioner of Thane, told reporters that 851 hard disks, high-end servers, and other electronic equipment had been seized. Mr Singh said overnight raids on Wednesday had lasted well into the morning, and involved more than 200 policemen who had raided buildings in three locations in the city. Thane police superintendent Mahesh Patil told BBC Hindi that the investigation could open up cases from other countries as well. (BBC)
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INTERNATIONAL PAGE 38
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
A Day Like Today
American actress, Kate Elizabeth Winslet. Kate Elizabeth Winslet, better known as Rose DeWitt Bukater from the 1997 classic ‘Titanic’, turned 41 years old today. Time is an unruly child that spares no one. Our star was born a day like today 1975, in the bosom of a humble family from Reading, Berkshire, England. She has two sisters and a brother. Winslet studied drama from childhood, and began her career in British television in 1991. She attended the Redroofs Theatre School to study Drama and starred in a Sugar Puffs cereal commercial at age of twelve. Winslet appeared in more than 20 stage productions of Starmaker Theatre Company, before debuting in the 1994 New Zealand psychological thriller, ‘Heavenly Creatures’. The film was a success, and Winslet received an Empire Award and the London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actress
of the Year. She continued to ‘harvest’ her career appearing in TV shows, stage productions and starring in renowned films such as the 1996 British period drama, ‘Jude’ and the Shakespearean tragedy film adaptation, ‘Hamlet’. This last one giving her the second Empire Award. Directors and producers adored her presence on stage. The way she enchanted the cameras with her fine contour and her photogenic silhouette, followed by her distinctive method to recite a script with artlessness, became her weapon and signature. Winslet was leading the casts of actresses to be called for potentially blockbusters films. And this was the case of the 1997 American epic romancedisaster film, ‘Titanic’. James Cameron Canadian filmmaker, director, producer and screenwriter of this epic motion picture, described her as modern British actress ‘Audrey Hepburn’, (the thirdgreatest female screen legend in Golden Age). The onscreen interpretation of 17 year old ‘Rose’ by Winslet, impressed Cameron, earning Winslet the leading role. Despite the bad press that the film had before it’s launching, ‘Titanic’ became the highest-grossing film of all time, with over 2 billion box-office receipts worldwide. Catapulting Winslet to fame, making her one of the better paid Hollywood starts followed by her costar, Leonardo DiCaprio.
Kate and DiCaprio in the filming of 1997 American epic romance-disaster film, ‘Titanic’ Winslet career didn’t get stuck after ‘Titanic’. She made sure that her audience enjoy her different nuances, and her ease to ‘crawl’ into the skin of any character. She became the youngest person to receive six Academy Award nominations, and is one of the few actresses to win three of the four major American entertainment awards. In 2012 Winslet was selected for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Today Kate Winslet stands as one of the most prominent and influential actress of the film industry. A symbol of elegance and success. S o u r c e : http://www.imdb.com/name/nm000070 1/bio
INTERNATIONAL
GUYANA DAILY NEWS World Teachers' Day 2016: “Valuing Teachers, Improving Their Status” Guyana has joined the rest of the world in observing World reaffirms its commitment to the value of the profession. PAGE 39
Teachers’ Day today. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers. It is also the first World Teachers’ Day (WTD) to be celebrated within the new Global Education 2030 Agenda adopted by the world community one year ago. This year’s theme, “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”, embodies the fundamental principles of the fiftyyear-old recommendation while shining a light on the need to support teachers as reflected in the agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A specific education goal, SDG4, pledges to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Teachers are not only pivotal to the right to education they are key to achieving the targets set out in SDG4. The roadmap for the new agenda, the Education 2030 Framework for Action, highlights the fact that teachers are fundamental for equitable and quality education and, as such, must be “adequately trained, recruited and remunerated, motivated and supported within wellresourced, efficient and effectively governed systems”. However, in order to achieve this goal, it is necessary not only to substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers but to motivate them by valuing their work. By 2030, 3.2 million more teachers will be required to achieve universal primary education and 5.1 million more in order to achieve universal lower secondary education. UNESCO with the WTD convening agencies (ILO, UNICEF, UNDP, and EI) and the International Task Force on Teachers, dedicates this day to celebrating a unique intergovernmental commitment – the only international standard-setting instrument on teachers – and
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-andcelebrations/celeb.... In Guyana, teachers would normally be honored. Students usually take gifts and other items of appreciation for their teachers at school on World Teachers’ Day. The day is celebrated in over 100 countries worldwide.
FUN CORNER PAGE 41
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
The Muppets Word Search
HOROSCOPE PAGE 42
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Daily Horoscope
Avoid lending or borrowing. Look into joining groups that can give you hands-on advice about business. Control those desires to cast your fate to the wind.
You can make financial gains if you are prepared to take a risk. Don't overspend on friends or children. Your philanthropic contributions will bring you praise.
Difficulties at an emotional level may be likely. Debates will stifle passion and result in estrangement. You won't be able to keep a secret.
Don't turn down an invitation or a challenge that could enhance your chances of meeting someone special. You can make new friends if you get involved in group activities. Unstable relationships are likely.
Don't try to deal with important issues or make changes that will upset the apple cart. Don't expect the whole family to be overjoyed. You may find that someone you live with may be irritable; you're best to leave them alone
Minor health problems may lower your vitality. Your sensitive nature will allow others to read you well. You will do well if you mingle with the brass today.
Take care that arrangements to spend quality time together are made in advance. Stubborn about making changes around your home. Deception is probable if you don't use discrimination.
If you've taken on a lot of work, be sure to leave some time for yourself and family. You're best to channel your energy into work. Avoid getting involved with married individuals
Get out and experience the spice of life. There are ways of making extra cash if you put your mind to it. Don't neglect these problems; deal with them once and for all, then move on to more pleasurable tasks.
Your partner may push buttons that infuriate you. Your hypnotic eyes will capture the hearts of those who interest you. You are best to work behind the scenes on projects that require detail or precision.
Don't hesitate to take short trips. You can get a lot done if you get your hands on the right equipment. Be very careful while in transit or while traveling in foreign countries.
Don't let children hold you back from doing things you enjoy. Your emotions may get the better of you. Your doubt could lead to insecurity.
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RECIPE PAGE 44
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
RECIPE OF THE DAY: TRINIDADIAN DOUBLES Ingredients Bara (flatbread) 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon curry powder or ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon yeast 1/3 cup warm water 1/4 teaspoon sugar 1 cup COCAMAR* cooking oil (for frying)
Preparation In a large bowl, combine the flour, curry powder or turmeric, and cumin. In a separate small bowl, mix the yeast, sugar and warm water. Set aside for about 5 minutes, until it foams. Add the yeast mixture to the spiced flour mixture and enough additional water to form a slightly firm dough. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 60 to 90 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the chickpea filling (recipe follows). After the dough has risen, punch down and then allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then dampen hands with water or oil and pull off tablespoon sized pieces of dough and roll into 4 1/2 inch rounds. Repeat until you have used up all the dough and have an even number of rounds. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium high heat (should be about 3 inches deep). When oil is ready, fry the baras until puffed an golden, about 15 to 30 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack. Curried chickpea (channa) filling 1 14 oz can FARMFRESH* chickpeas, drained and rinsed with cool water 1 tablespoon SPICIA* curry powder mixed with 1/4 cup water 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium onion, minced 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon Scotch bonnet or Habanero pepper sauce 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon COCAMAR* cooking oil 1 cup water
Preparation Warm a large frying pan or skillet, add oil and warm until shimmery. Add garlic, onion and the curry mixture and sauté for a few minutes. Add the drained chickpeas and stir to coat with the spice mixture and cook for another five minutes. Add cumin, salt, pepper and another 1 cup of water and stir. Then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, covered, until the chickpeas are very soft. There should still be sauce. If not, reconstitute with enough water to form a medium-thick sauce. Add pepper sauce and stir. Finally, assemble your doubles by placing one bara on a plate, spooning one tablespoon of the chickpea filling on it, topping with additional condiments as desired (see my notes above). Enjoy at once! *Imported and distributed by SUPERFOODS
PAGE 45
Fury Admits To Cocaine Use And Opens Up On Depression Battle Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury confessed to taking off. I beat the best man but I'm still s***." "I just don't want to live cocaine and said his use of the drug is no one's business. Tyson Fury has admitted to taking cocaine and opened up on his battle with depression, claiming he has been pushed "to the brink of death". Reports surfaced that Fury had tested positive for cocaine shortly before his world heavyweight title rematch against Wladimir Klitschko had been postponed for the second time. Fury confessed to taking the drug, but insists that it is of no one's business as it is not performance enhancing. Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, he said: "Listen, I've done a lot of things in my life. I've done lots of cocaine. Lots of it. Why shouldn't I take cocaine? "It's my life isn't it? I can do what I want. Yeah, I have done cocaine. Plenty of people have done cocaine as well. What the f*** has that got to do with anything? That ain't a performance-enhancing drug. "Am I not allowed to have a life now as well? Do they want to take my personal life off me too? "I've not been in a gym for months. I've not been training. I've been going through depression." The 28-year-old's uncle and trainer Peter Fury alluded to the fact the WBA and WBO heavyweight champion had been contending with mental health issues, which led to the cancellation of his bout with Klitschko. Ricky Hatton also raised concerns about his fellow Mancunian's wellbeing after Fury claimed on social media on Monday that he had retired from boxing, only to backtrack a few hours later. And Fury says he is at breaking point due to his battle against depression. "Listen I've been pushed to the brink. I can't take no more. I'm i a hospital at the moment. I'm seeing psychiatrists. Everything," he added. "They say I've got a version of bipolar. I'm a manic depressive. All from what they've done to me. All this s*** through boxing, through taking titles, through writing me
anymore, if you know what I'm saying," he added. "I've had total enough of it. "They've forced me to the breaking edge. Never mind cocaine. I just didn't care. I don't want to live anymore. So cocaine is a little minor thing compared to not wanting to live anymore. "I don't see a way out, I don't even see a way of living for me, I don't want to live anymore. It has brought me to the brink of, of death, that's where I'm at the moment. "To be honest, I've not been in the gym for months. I've been AWOL. I've been out drinking, anything to get my mind off what's been going on to me. "I'm as fat as a pig. I'm 285 pounds, 290 pounds. It is what it is. I've been out. I've been an emotional wreck." Fury has previously denied allegations he is being investigated for doping, while he has courted controversy in the past for remarks made about homosexuals, women and Jewish people. (SportsMax)
Wales Were Lucky At Euro 2016 - Austria Coach Koller Wales were lucky at Euro 2016 according to Austria coach Marcel Koller, whose side host Chris Coleman's men this week. Austria coach Marcel Koller says Wales were "lucky" on their run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals. Chris Coleman's men reached the last four in France before missing out on a place in the final thanks to a 2-0 defeat to eventual champions Portugal in Lyon. But Koller, whose side were eliminated at the pool stage without registering a win and face Wales in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday, says there was an element of fortune to the nation's remarkable run in their first major tournament since 1958. Discussing his preparations for this week's match, he said: "We will not rearrange everything. Sometimes you need to be lucky as well. That is what we could see at Euro 2016 Wales were lucky sometimes." And Koller revealed Gareth Bale would be subject to special attention in Vienna. "We saw during the Euros he can win games on his own," he added. "We will not only have one player chasing after him - we will have two or three players in close vicinity to disturb him as soon as possible." Wales and Austria kicked off their campaigns with victories over Moldova and Georgia respectively. (SportsMax)
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PAGE 47
South Africa Suffer Parnell Blow South Africa are eyeing a one-day international series win against Australia, but must contend with the loss of Wayne Parnell. Wayne Parnell has been ruled out of the remainder of South Africa's home one-day international series against Australia with a rib injury. The seamer suffered the setback in Sunday's second ODI, which the hosts won by 142 runs to take a 2-0 lead, and will be sidelined for several weeks. Dwaine Pretorius was drafted in for Wednesday's third meeting of five at Kingsmead. Proteas team manager Mohammed Moosajee said: "Wayne had a high-impact landing while fielding during the second ODI on Sunday with subsequent scans confirming a rib injury. "He will require two to three weeks of rest before he can resume bowling, which makes him unavailable for the remainder of this series." (SportsMax)
Murray Sets Up All-British China Open Quarter-final A dominant Andy Murray display saw the top seed progress to the last eight at the China Open. Andy Murray will face fellow Briton Kyle Edmund in the quarter-finals of the China Open after overcoming Andrey Kuznetsov in straight sets. The three-time grand slam champion, who is eyeing up the world number one spot amid Novak Djokovic's injury problems, cruised to a 6-2 6-1 triumph. Murray recovered from being broken in the first game, hitting back with seven breaks of his own across a match that lasted little more than an hour. His compatriot Edmund endured a tougher task against seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut, eventually prevailing 6-4 4-6 6-4 despite going a break down in the decider. There were two other last-16 matches among the first-round ties, with Germany's Alexander Zverev beating Jack Sock 6-4 6-2 to set up a meeting with fifth seed David Ferrer, who proved too strong for Fabio Fognini. Also in Beijing on Wednesday, Bernard Tomic was defeated by Pablo Carreno Busta, Richard Gasquet downed Sam Querrey, and there were wins for Malek Jaziri, Grigor Dimitrov and Adrian Mannarino. (SportsMax)
Origi Vows To Fight For Liverpool Place Divock Origi remains optimistic about his chances of becoming a key figure for Liverpool and is not interested in a transfer. Liverpool attacker Divock Origi has made it clear he is not contemplating leaving Anfield in the January transfer window, but wants to fight for his place instead. The Belgium international, 21, has been struggling to secure regular firstteam action this campaign and has yet to start in the Premier League in 2016-17. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about his chances of winning over Jurgen Klopp. "I want to play more, but the team is winning and you don't change a winning team," Origi told La Derniere Heure. "And we only play one game per week because we are not in Europe. But I remain confident. "A transfer is not an option for me. I have told myself that I want to fight for my place in the team. I know that it will not be easy, but I will do everything within my powers. "I am not asking myself too many questions, but I am just focusing on playing football. I work hard and I am convinced that will pay off. I am the type of person who gets stronger in difficult moments. I have to remain patient." (SportsMax)
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Hannover Admit Re-signing Mertesacker A Tough Task Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has attracted the interest of his boyhood club Hannover, with his contract due to expire come June 2017. Hannover director Martin Bader has revealed the 2. Bundesliga side are keen to re-sign Per Mertesacker, but realises they face an uphill task to lure the centre-back away from Arsenal at this stage. The 32-year-old came through the ranks of the Hannover youth academy, before leaving for Werder Bremen after three years in the first team. He then earned himself a move to Arsenal in August 2011, but his boyhood club are hopeful of luring him back to the HDI-Arena sooner rather than later. "Everybody knows what Hannover mean to Per. Maybe we can make him enthusiastic about a return," Bader told Bild. "But re-signing Mertesacker is not our main priority at the moment. We are playing in the 2. Bundesliga right now and he is Arsenal's captain. A lot of things will have to happen in order to make a return a realistic option. First of all, Hannover will have to return to the Bundesliga. "A transfer is still far away now and it seems like a crazy thing to even discuss it. But anything can happen in football." Mertesacker has yet to make an appearance for Arsenal this campaign due to a knee injury. The defender has a contract with the Premier League side until June 2017. (SportsMax)
Injury Ends Home Hope Nishikori's Japan Open There was disappointment for the home crowd at the Japan Open as Kei Nishikori retired hurt. Home hope Kei Nishikori was forced to withdraw from his last-16 match against Joao Sousa at the Japan Open through injury. The top seed led 4-3 in the first set when he made the call to pull out, handing his opponent a place in the quarter-finals. "It was hugely disappointing to have to retire from my match," said the world number five and two-time tournament winner. "It is possible that the injury was due to an accumulation of fatigue and stress, but I came into this tournament with a lot of rest and feeling very ready. "I will get examined and hope to recover in time for my next tournament." Wednesday's play also saw third seed Tomas Berdych fall to a 7-6 (9-7) 6-1 defeat in his first-round showdown with Gilles Muller. Those two high-profile exits have blown the tournament wide open, with Marin Cilic among those to take advantage as he came from behind to beat Fernando Verdasco 4-6 7-5 75. Also in Tokyo, David Goffin overcame Jiri Vesely 6-3 7-5, and Juan Monaco proved too strong for James Duckworth, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3. (SportsMax)
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Petrov: I Will Be Villa Manager One Day Despite ruling himself out on this occasion, Stiliyan Petrov says he make the balance, to make them play together. "The chairman made a knows he will be Aston Villa manager one day. Stiliyan Petrov is confident of one day managing former club Aston Villa, but insists he is not ready to succeed Roberto Di Matteo. Di Matteo was sacked by Villa this week, with the club languishing 19th in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League last season. Petrov - forced to retire from playing in 2013 after being diagnosed with acute leukaemia - remains a fan favourite at Villa Park. After an unsuccessful attempt to return to action with Villa following his illness, Petrov is pondering a move into coaching. However, he will not be putting himself in the frame for the Villa job this time around. "I have always been honest with myself and I know that I am not ready for that job," he told talkSPORT. "I know one day I will become [Villa manager], but it is way too early for me. "They need a good manager, an experienced manager, who can bring stability to the club. It is about results. If you don't get results, you obviously don't stay in your job. "Fans expect the club to get promotion back to the Premier League but instead of getting closer they went further and further [away] so I'm not really surprised that the chairman made the decision and made it very quickly. "They have done quite good business [in the off-season], they have a very, very good team, but it just seems that the manager couldn't get them to play, to build them, to
very quick decision because he knows he needs somebody who can change it quickly because he wants this club back in the Premier League. To do that, he needed to make a dramatic decision, and he made it. "We wait and see who will be the next one and I hope he can do a better job." (SportsMax)
Concussions Force Saracens' Hargreaves Into Retirement A series of concussion injuries have forced the immediate retirement of Saracens lock forward Alistair Hargreaves. Saracens and former South Africa lock Alistair Hargreaves has announced his retirement as a result of several concussion injuries. The 30-year-old, who won four Caps for the Springboks, moved to Saracens from Super Rugby outfit Sharks in 2012. In his first season as captain, he led the club to the 2014-15 Premiership title. "It's been a very tough decision to make," Hargreaves told Saracens' website. "I've suffered a number of concussions in the last two seasons and after seeking medical advice I've come to the conclusion that the risk is outweighing the reward. "I have a young family, I have to make decisions that are right by them and although this was a hard decision for me personally it's one that I feel is the right one to make. "The club have been amazing ever since I walked through the doors, but especially over the last 12 months when I've been suffering from injuries and concussion. "They have been a constant source of support in a really emotional and difficult time." The Rugby Football Union announced enhancements to the way concussion will be managed at professional club level in England last month. Part of the new initiative will give medical staff access to real-time pitch-side video on a trial basis through the "myplayXplay" system in a bid to boost the recognition of serious head injuries. In addition, the allotted time for a head injury assessment to be undertaken
on a player has been extended from 10 to 13 minutes in order to include a King-Devick test, which scans eye movement, though it is only being used for research this season. Furthermore, a mandatory concussion education programme is again being delivered to players, coaches, support staff and referees in the country's top two divisions. (SportsMax)
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Brazil Are On The Up - Filipe Luis Brazil are getting used winning once again and must continue to work hard collectively under new boss Tite, says Filipe Luis. Filipe Luis believes Brazil are rediscovering the confidence and swagger that can take them back to the top of the world game. The five-time World Cup-winners have endured a fallow period at senior level since winning their last Copa America title in 2007 and parted company with head coach Dunga after a group-stage exit in the centenary edition of the latter tournament earlier this year. But they claimed back-to-back wins over Ecuador and Colombia under new boss Tite last month to move up to second in the CONCACAF World Cup qualification standings for Russia 2018 Brazil's Under-23 side – captained by Barcelona superstar Neymar – won a memorable Olympic gold at the Rio Games and, with qualifiers against Bolivia and Venezuela coming up over the next week, Atletico Madrid full-back Filipe Luis reports a growing optimism around the Selecao. "The Brazil national squad is conquering again this feeling of being used to winning," he told a news conference. "This feeling that we are a great team, other squads respect us, and that's something we are achieving again through our victories and being humble. Knowing that everybody has to work, to defend and things will unfold. "The work that's been done is really great, we could already see important tactical changes and I think we still have to improve a lot, we'll keep growing. "The first aim has to be achieved, and it is to qualify to the World Cup." Despite the ignominy of his eventual departure, triumphant 1994 World Cup captain Dunga is still held in high regard by Filipe Luis after he brought him
back into the international fold following the 2014 World Cup. "Dunga was a great manager, he gave me opportunities, I'm thankful for everything he has done," the 31-year-old added. "Things weren't going the way we wanted and I'm sure Dunga is not to blame. During the past Copa America we had lots of players injured, but sometimes --not only in the national squad but also within the clubs-- changing is positive. "We're talking about two managers [Dunga and Tite] with completely different ways of working, with the same ambition of winning." (SportsMax)
Antigua Golfers Enjoy Successful Weekend Golfers from Antigua and Barbuda enjoyed a bountiful weekend in tournaments played in the United Kingdom and St Kitts. Over in England, a six-member team won the Cornish Paskey tournament, a consolation final after falling short in the Cornish Piskey competition. The team was comprised of Tedson Weatherhill, Omari James, Marlon George and Kimesha Anthony as well as two players based in England. Closer to home, Antigua & Barbuda won the men’s division of the OECS Golf Championships but finished fourth overall. That team was comprised of Otis Thomas, Wilston Charles, Dion Massiah and 12-year-old Demar James. Xabier Ross, Wesley Dyer and Vere Ambrose rallied Antigua & Barbuda to a fourth place finish in the seniors’ category, with Patrick Ryan and Joseph Matthew enjoying a second place finish in the super senior division. The country’s women did not fare as well, finishing sixth in the seven-team competition. (SportsMax)
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WI 13-woman Squad Named For First Three England ODIs Guyanese all-rounder Erva Giddings has been called to a 13member West Indies Women’s squad to play England in the first three of five One-Day-Internationals against England’s Women scheduled from October 8 and 19 at the Trelawny Multiplex and Sabina Park in Jamaica. Giddings, who turns 31 next January, has represented Guyana since August 2013. The rightarm fast-medium bowler has best figures of 6 for 16 against St Vincent in August 2014. She scored 15 in that match. The squad also includes Captain Stafanie Taylor, Vice Captain Anisa Mohammed, Merissa Aguilleria, Shermaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Stacy-Ann King, Hayley Matthews, Shaquana Quintyne, and Tremayne Smartt. The last three of the ODIs will count towards the ICC Women’s Championship, a multi-year, bilateral competition between the top eight international women’s sides, which will lead to automatic qualification for the top four teams to next year’s ICC Women’s World Cup to be hosted by the England & Wales Cricket Board. The team that is coached by Vasbert Drakes are currently second in the ICC rankings with 20 points, 10 behind Australia. England have 19
points. They are due to complete their schedule of ICC Women’s Championship matches in November on the road against India Women. (SportsMax)