LOCAL PAGE 2
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
Rice Mill Employee Granted Bail On Armed Robbery, Escaping Custody Charges Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan today granted Rice Mill worker, Theodore King, $50,000 bail after he appeared before her in the Georgetown Magistrate's Court charged with one count of robbery underarms and one count of escaping police custody. King will make his next appearance in court on October 6, 2016. The 41 year-old La Penitence resident was not represented and initially pleaded guilty with an explanation in which he denied committing the robbery but in fact blamed it on his sister whom he said is trying to get him arrested since they have a family grievance over a piece of land. After hearing the explanation, the Magistrate entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the accused for both charges. The prosecution did not object to bail and King was placed on a bond to keep the peace. It is alleged that on August 13, 2016 at around 13:00 hrs King while armed with a knife, King attacked Angelica Seeraj and robbed her of two gold bands valued $100,000 total before making his escape. It is further alleged that on August 27, 2016 whist being in police custody at the Brickdam Police Station, charged with the offence of robbery underarms, King escaped.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
The irate vendors protested the office of Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan They shouted: “We want justice! Royston King must go!” The vendors eventually returned to the location. King has come in for heavy criticism since assuming the post of Town Clerk. He is accused of acting in haste and without consulting with vendors when making decisions.
Town Clerk, Royston King
APNU Councillors Wants Town Clerk To Go! Councillors representing the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) are s calling for the removal of Town Clerk Royston King. The call was made today at the Statutory meeting of the Mayor and City Council, which is ongoing at City Hall. Mayor Patricia Chase Green told the Councillors that there must be legitimate reasons why the Councillors want the Town Clerk to be removed. She further told the Councillors that if the Town Clerk cannot manage the office then the council can manage him. She further reiterated that the council is govern by the law. Recently there were calls by vendors and members of society for the Town Clerk to demit office. Last week, without notification, King and his security team pounced upon the greens vendors of the Bourda market area along Robb Street, between Alexander and Bourda Street. He told them that “as of now” they would have to cease vending there, until further notice. According to reports, the vendors were removed because of the unsanitary condition outside of Mike’s Pharmacy, the area in which they ply their trade.
LOCAL PAGE 3
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Former AG To Challenge Drug COI Visits Region Seven – 16 Schools Bond Deal In High Court P a r t i c i p a t e I n D i s c u s s i o n s Former Attorney General and executive member of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Anil Nandlall said there are plans to file legal action to have the controversial drug bond deal between the Ministry of Health and Linden Holdings Inc. scraped. Despite the fact that the government is preparing to cut short the “undesirable” rental of a pharmaceutical bond the company, Nandlall maintains that the contract between the Health Ministry and Lawrence “Larry” Singh, who is a member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is illegal on several grounds. Speaking to a local online news house, Nandlall said, “My position is that the contract is unlawful and an unlawful contract must not stand.” When asked why take legal action now even after government has already recognized that it has erred, Nandlall was quoted as saying, “there is only one remedial action that is available and that is to end the unlawful act.” “The government should terminate the contract and apologise to the public. That is the redeeming thing to do,” he said. This comes after a private citizen, Majeed Hussain [Nandlall’s client] had deliver an ultimatum to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Trevor Thomas threatening legal action if the contract was not rescinded by September 13 (today). Nandlall said the bond deal agreement was inked outside of and in violation of the Procurement Act because the rental is above the legal threshold. “It is as if the contract never occurred so the question of breach of contract cannot arise. One cannot sue for breach of a contract that is tainted with illegality,” he said. The Attorneyat-Law argued that the building was purchased for GYD$25 million is now being rented to government for GYD$12.5 million per month. “The law will never countenance such an exercise of indiscretion. That is an abuse of power,” he said. Nandlall said the rental agreement incorrectly refers to the Ministry of Health as a statutory body corporate. Instead the contract should have been between Linden Holding and the Government of Guyana or an agency of the State that has a “corporate personality and has the capacity to contract.” The former Minister of Legal Affairs said the government’s latest public position that the agreement is “undesirable” was merely a halfhearted response to public pressure and outcry. “This government is shifting its position based on public criticisms,” at one time said it would continue with the contract.”
Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall
On September 2, 2016, head teachers, teachers, parents, officials from the Region Seven Department of Education had their say as the Inquiry into the education system continues. Representatives from several schools across the Region were present at the meeting to make their contributions to the Commission of Inquiry (COI). The consultation was held at the Kamarang Primary School. Some of the schools and communities represented included Phillipai, Kako, Jawalla, Waramadong, Quebanang Wax Creek, Paruima, and Imbaimadai. COI chairman, Ed Caesar, in his opening remarks, briefed the gathering, which also included the community’s doctor and law enforcement officers, of the significance of the COI to the strengthening of the Ministry’s Strategic Plan, also referred to as the Education Sector Plan. “We have to hear from our brothers and sisters about how the education system affects them. Nothing is too small or too big to talk about,” Mr. Caesar stated. Explaining the link between an effective education system and the role of all, Mr. Caesar said that, “we want the country to prosper but it cannot happen unless the education system so facilitates.” This is the first hinterland region’s stakeholders that the COI has engaged thus far. A number of issues affecting the delivery of education in the Region were raised with the Commission. Several speakers stated that the pupil-teacher ratio ‘was too high’ and did not allow for effective supervision. A recommendation was made for the Nursery level teacher-pupil ratio to be 1:15; Primary 1:20; and Secondary 1:30. Calls were made for the Ministry to bring secondary schools in the Region up to par with those on the coast by ensuring that the curriculum includes technical subjects such as Home Economics, Wood Working, and Information Technology. Other recommendations included the need for welfare officers to cater to the needs of both teachers and students; disbursement of benefits before retirement age; introduction of Amerindian languages in the school’s curriculum; more support to address the high cost of living in the Region; need for special education teachers; and opportunities be presented to allow persons to pursue studies at the University of Guyana via the distance mode. Meanwhile, Regional Education Officer (R.Ed.O), Mr. Charles Holmes, in highlighting a few of the successful initiatives implemented by the Ministry, said that the hot meal programme has been successful in the region. He said that 11 of 16 schools have access to computer labs and plans are ongoing to ensure that the remaining schools have access by the end of 2016. Teachers in the Region are encouraged to utilise Information and Communication Technology to aid their work especially as it relates to the timely completion of reports and lesson plans. Public consultations are scheduled to be held in Region 1-Port Kaituma, Mabaruma, and Moruca from September 14-17, 2016. The Guyana Teachers’ Union, representatives from religious organisations, private education institutions, the University of Guyana, Cyril Potter College of Education, and a number of Individuals have made recommendations to the Commission. The COI commenced in April of this year and is expected to conclude in December 2016. (GINA)
From Right Commissioners Ramesh Persaud, Jeniffer Dewar, Ed Caesar Clayton Hinds and R.Ed.O-Charkes Holmes
1 2123L I BE RTYAVE NUE , RI CHMONDHI L LQUE E NS, NY1 1 4 1 9
7 1 88437 800
&MOREOFY OURF AVORI T EBRANDS
T AKE ADVANT AGE OFOUR
S U MME R CL E ARANCE S A L E “ OT HE RSPROMI SE
BUTWEDE L I VE R”
LOCAL PAGE 5
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Man, Daughter On Fraud, Fourth Annual Nereid’s Rally Assault & Other Charges Comes To Guyana Once More A man and his daughter are slated to appear at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court, West Coast Demerara to answer to the charge of obtaining money under false pretense. Arnold Gajraj also know a “Yar” and his daughter Shaliza Gajraj, whose address was given as Greenwich Park, East Bank Essequibo are accused of soliciting a large sum of money from a relative. Last week, it was reported that a person was arrested after a Laptop computer was stolen from The New York Center and was found in the person’s position. “Yar” who was a relative of the said person, approached and solicited a $1M from said person under the pretext that the money would be used to bribe the police to have the matter dismissed. Arnold Gajraj’s daughter Shaliza will also be charged with assaulting a peace officer, damage to property and other minor offenses.
GRA To Impose Penalty, Interest On Taxes Owed The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has advised the general public that with immediate effect, the agency will be imposing penalties on taxes that are owed to the agency. Taxpayers shall be liable to pay a penalty of:2% (two percent) of the unpaid amount for each month or part thereof that the tax remains unpaid during the first 3 (three) months after the due date; 3% (three percent) per month or part thereof during the next 3 (three) months; 4% (four percent) per month or part thereof during the next 6 (six) months; 5% (five percent) per month or part thereof thereafter; In addition, pursuant to the provisions of the Financial Administration and Audit Act, as amended by the Fiscal Enactment (Amendment) Act 2003, interest applicable to tax arrears, will be charged at the rate of eighteen percent (18%) for the Third Quarter of 2016. The Agency further stated that Installment agreements and arrangements between Taxpayers and the Revenue Authority will be honoured to the extent that taxpayers continue to effect payments according to the terms of the said agreements.
Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin on Monday welcomed sailors from the fourth annual Nereid’s Rally to the Hurakabra River Resort on the Essequibo River, Region Seven, where 14 yachts are currently moored. “On behalf of the Government of Guyana, I am proud and honoured and delighted to welcome this fourth Nereid’s Yacht Rally to our country, to our continent, and to the Guiana’s and I hope that your time spent in Guyana is enjoyable and that you can make many precious and lasting memories in this country,” said Minister Gaskin. The event was organized by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Business and Hurakabra Resort. At the ceremony which held at the resort to welcome the sailors, Minister Gaskin said that if the right developments are in place the rally can mushroom into something bigger. “It is still small but I think that we are on to something good and if we can make the right decisions and take the right actions over the coming years, this is something that could very well mushroom into something a lot bigger,” he said. The 30 or more tourists sailing from countries such as Italy, Britain, Russia, and Canada were encouraged to make full use of their time here in Guyana by taking in much of the history, culture and sights as they can. According to the Rally’s website, the Participants will have only eight days to explore the delights of Guyana before the rally moves on its next leg in Suriname. Region Seven Chairman, Gordon Bradford said he is pleased to see how the event has grown over the years and feels it should be nurtured for further development which can boost the county’s eco-tourism and tourism. Speaking on behalf of his fellow yatchers, Russell Alzendorff of the ‘Enterprise’, the largest yacht in the flotilla, thanked Minister Gaskin for his warm welcome and also thanked Davide Matelicani, the Italian organizer of the voyage, for their hospitality and for making their stay safe and comfortable. The Nereid's Rally which left Trinidad & Tobago on its pervious leg, is currently in Guyana then is scheduled to sail to Suriname and then onto Saint Laurent du Maroni in French Guiana where the rally will officially disbands and sailors can choose to head on the Salvation Islands, Brazil or even back to the Caribbean.
LOCAL PAGE 6
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Guyana’s Health Care System Falling Apart
Many patients have complained to the Guyana Daily News about long wait for medication and medical treatment at public hospitals. One Sickle cell patient said that she had to wait for medication, only be told that the hospital cannot afford her treatment because there is no medication at the hospital. The delivery of health care services is provided at five stages in the public sector in Guyana: Local Health Posts (166 in total) that provides preventive and simple curative care for common diseases. 1.Health Centres (109 in total) that provide preventive and rehabilitative care and promotion. 2. District Hospitals (with 473 beds) that provide basic in-patient and outpatient care. 3. Four Regional Hospitals (with 620 beds) that provide emergency services, routine surgery and obstetrical and gynecological care, dental services, diagnostic services and specialist services in general medicine and pediatrics. 4.The National Referral Hospital (937 beds) in Georgetown that provides a wider range of diagnostic and specialist services, on both an in-patient and out-patient basis; the Psychiatric Hospital in Canje; and the Geriatric Hospital in Georgetown. There is also one children’s rehabilitation centre. The aim of a Socialised Health Care System is to ensure that everyone can use the health services of the country without risk of financial ruin, no matter what their socio-economic situation is. The basic concept of socialized services is to provide the services that are needed for good health and wellbeing. These services range from clinical care for individual patients to the public services that protect the health of whole populations. It ensures financial protection of persons who cannot afford private hospitals. The Health Sector in Guyana plays a vital role in the economy. The health care industry determines the gross domestic product of the country. It determines
employment, capital investment among others. The Health sector provides employment opportunity for thousands of persons in both Rural and Urban parts of the country, that are directly involved or associated with this sector. The 21st Century has seen Guyana as a nation facing new health challenges, for example, Zika and Chikungunya. Others are domestic, including increased chronic disease and disability, violence, substance abuse, and mental illness. Our diverse population suffers in health, which are related to differences in race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Advances in research have resulted in more information than ever before about the effects on health of individual behavior, socioeconomic factors, the work environment. Solving these problems require action by the Government on issues that are not commonly thought of as health problems such as the economy, education, housing, transportation, and agriculture. In Guyana this service is under sever threat of falling apart. Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton, in his contribution to the budget 2015 debate on President Granger’s address to Parliament, gave an overview of the national health care system in Guyana, stating the urgency for a restoration and elevation of services, manned by welltrained Guyanese specialists who can offer equal primary health care, especially to the women, children and the aged. However, this promise by the Minister is not being upheld, from the drug bond controversy, drug shortages, maternal deaths, suicide among others.
LOCAL PAGE 8
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
North Ruimveldt Man Remanded For Discharging Firearm. Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the trialed in the Magistrate’s Court rather
Kevin Aaron today appeared before
Georgetown Magistrate's Court charged with the discharging a loaded firearm with the intent to disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm towards Rawle Blackman on September 8, 2016. Aaron was remanded until October 8, 2016 when he will return before Magistrate Fabayo Azore for continuation into the matter. The accused, 32, of North Ruimveldt, appeared unrepresented in court today as he chose for his matter to be
than the High Court before entering a not guilty plea. The prosecution objected to bail stating the severity of the offence since it was a gun related crime. When question on whether the gun was in police possession, the prosecution answered in the negative but stated that the shells from the shots were found. It alleged that September 8, 2016 at Kaikan Street, North Ruimveldt, the accused discharged an undisclosed amount of shots at Rawle Blackman.
Pesticide Board Ramps Up Efforts To Promote Safe Handling Of Pesticides, Proper Storage The Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board today continued its campaign to educate farmers and members of communities across Guyana on the safe handling and storage of pesticides, with another well attended seminar at no.47 village, Corentyne, Berbice. Over the past two years, the Pesticide Board has been educating farmers on how to safely handle pesticides both on the farm and in domestic applications. Farmers have been exposed to training in the use of protective gear during the handling of pesticides through
One of the donated storage containers
seminars, as well as through infomercials on local television stations. Protective gear in the form of coveralls, plastic gloves and goggles have been distributed to farmers across Guyana. Just over a year ago, the board in its bid to further encourage the safe storage of pesticides, commissioned the construction of storage cabinets that are properly labelled. These cabinets have been given to farmers through a lottery system during the various community outreach seminars. At today’s seminar 10 storage cabinets were distributed to
farmers through the lottery system. Thus far, approximately 40 storage cabinets have been distributed to farmers across the country. The aim is to encourage a buy in of the idea by all farmers and householders in using the cabinets as a model for the construction of similar facilities to further ensure that all chemicals on the farm or in the home are safely stored under lock and key, away from children and those bent on improper use of these poisons. (GINA)
LOCAL PAGE 9
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Government Of Guyana, FAO Inks Agreement To Commence Implementation Of Port State Measures. Today the Government of Guyana Minister Noel Holder revealed that in considered as one of the most cost through the Ministry of Agriculture signed a Port of State Measures Agreement (PSMA) with the United N a t i o n ’s F o o d a n d A g r i c u l t u r e Organisation (FAO), which will see Guyana benefiting from immediate implementations to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Guyana’s waters. The project, which is funded by the FAO, includes technical assistance and a monitoring and evaluation process upon completion. The cost of the project is US $500, 000 and is expected to be completed within the next 18 months. Once these measures are implemented, Guyana will benefit tremendously as the measures will ensure that Guyana maintains its fish stock. Guyana will now be able to integrate and coordinate fisheries related port State measures with the broader system of port State controls. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. George Jervis expressed gratitude to the FAO for such a timely intervention. “It is important to note that Guyana has a series of systemic closed fishing seasons where trawlers are prohibited from fishing to allow the fish stock to mature. This is done to allow for a sustainable fishing industry. However, the fact is that it is quite common all over the world that persons do not abide by these rules and regulations. If we do not take control of this it will get out of control. They may harvest the fish stock at a time Guyana’s industry does not consider it mature” Mr. Jervis said. The fishing industry is one of the most important contributing sectors to Guyana’s revenue as the country exports more than 60% of its catch. This industry is responsible for the livelihood of approximately 15,000 persons and their families. During his 2016 budget speech, Agriculture
2015, the marine sub-sector produced effective and useful enforcement tools 35,835mt of seafood, raised revenue to for combatting illegal, unreported and the sum of G$25, 426, 250 and recorded unregulated (IUU) fishing. exports of 21, 568MT or US$ 71 M It significantly reduces the need for ( G $ 1 4 . 7 B i l l i o n ) . W i t h t h e surveillance and inspection of fishing implementation of agreement, this sub- vessels at sea in favour of inspections at sector is expected increase its financial port. To date, 33 states including the US, input to the economy. Also speaking at Canada and France have already signed the signing ceremony was the FAO on to PSMA. Also delivering brief Country Representative to Guyana, Mr. remarks, the Chief Fisheries Officer Mr. Denzil Roberts voiced similar Reuben Robertson. He indicated that the FAO will be giving sentiments as the Permanent Secretary in technical assistance to Guyana to assist saying that the fishing industry is a very in their fight against IUU fishing. important industry to Guyana. “This is a “During a capacity building workshop very important industry and it has to be which was held in April of this year, properly sustained so that it can be stakeholders recognised that there was a preserved for future generations. piece legislation regarding the fishing Signing this agreement is another step industry (Fisheries Act No. 12 of 2002) that will assist in this process.” Said Mr. that needed strengthening. It was during Roberts. With the implementation of this this workshop that participants were able agreement, the institutions directly to identify key gaps in the national involved in the project activities such as legislation and regulations of the the ministry of Agriculture, the port provisions of the PSMA.” Mr. Robertson authorities, inspection and enforcement authorities, customs, legal and said. The Port State Measures Agreement compliance officers will see staff (PSMA) was approved by the Food and benefiting from technical support in Agriculture Organization (FAO) undertaking a mapping of the current Conference at its 36th Session in Rome country context and needs as well as u n d e r A r t i c l e X I V o f t h e FA O formulating regulated strategies and Constitution in 2009. The aim of this action plans to protect and develop the agreement is to prevent IUU-caught fish industry. from entering international markets Ministry of Agriculture Press Release t h r o u g h implementation of harmonized measures by countries and through regional fisheries management organizations. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing hinders the growth of developing countries such as Guyana. This PS of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. George Jervis and FAO Country Rep. agreement is Mr. ... ertson accompanied by the CFO Mr. Denzil Roberts while signing the PSMA
LOCAL PAGE 11
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Denis Williams Exhibition For Castellani House in national soil, solidifying it in Cambridge Junior and Senior
The Ministry of indigenous Peoples Affairs in Homage to Painter, Author and Archeologist, Dennis Williams, has collaborated with The Castellani House to open an exhibition on September 14, at the National Gallery of Art, covering William’s prominent work. Denis Joseph Ivan Williams was born in Georgetown, Guyana in 1923. His early formation was
School in early 40s. His promising future as an artist started to take off after receiving a two-year British Council Scholarship, at the Camberwell School of Art in London in 1947. From this point, Denis’ career was ‘baptized’ for good.After graduating, he travelled to Africa, continent that became his ‘home’ for 10 years. During this decade he taught Art and Art History in universities of Nigeria, Uganda and Sudan, unconsciously cementing mixed feelings of identity. This extended and direct interaction with African culture, represented his spiritual awakening regarding the Guyanese ancestry, which he reflected through his work, not only as an educator but as an artist. He returned to Guyana in 1968. From this point his homeland became his personal project. Depicting the Caribbean urban and rural life, using a vivid representation of the landscape, was essential in Dennis’ work, highlighting our Afro- American and Amerindian Heritage. Detouring the intellectual attention from the Western doctrines, stimulating a premature feeling of nationalism in the youth. The revival of the Caribbean consciousness, not only in Guyana, but in the neighboring countries, was essential for our artist, indirectly detonating their thirst for independency. He was submerged in the necessity of knowing the ‘Who’ and the ‘How’. Our origins, the genesis of the Guyanese roots, intrigued him in a medullary way. Art History was insufficient in covering this imperative questions. Settling his house on the Mazaruni District, Region 7, gave this versatile son the opportunity to absorb the tangible and intangible traces of history that Guyana had to offer. Reflecting his archeological findings in literature and art and highlighting the landscape as animated timeline of the Caribbean evolution and the direct effect of its dynamic ecosystem in the behavior of its inhabitants. Denis became then a ‘Guyanese Atlas’. Gaining recognition of national and international scholars. His work in literature vary from publications of several articles in the African Art History, to interpretations between the environmental changes through Guyana’s history. Denis Williams combined the insights of an artist with the inquiring mind of a scientist. The extended and diverse research work of this painter, teacher, novelist and archaeologist earned a special place in the country history books. His accomplishments were recognized in several awards and honorary doctorates from the University Of West Indies in 1989, being used today as a reference point for scholars. Source: http://www.guyanagraphic.com/content/denisj-i-williams-1923-1998-painte...
REGIONAL PAGE 12
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
India To Send Delegations Clipboard Virus Belatedly Removed To Guyana And Suriname From Cuban Government Website By Ray Chickrie Caribbean News Now contributor GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- India’s foreign ministry plans to send delegations to visit 68 countries, including Guyana and Suriname, in an effort to expand and improve India’s international presence amidst growing escalation of violence in the Valley of Kashmir, a disputed territory claimed by both India and Pakistan. The leaders of Guyana and Suriname and top diplomats from these countries have all visited India, which has become a customary practice. However, neither Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor his Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj have visited Guyana or Suriname and, in fact, for the past two decades there have not been any high level visits from India to Guyana and Suriname. The planned upcoming trips were revealed by the Indian foreign ministry in New Delhi this week. The ministry did not announce the dates of these visits, but Swaraj has named Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh to head the delegation to Suriname. The minister to visit Guyana hasn’t been identified yet. Guyana, like Suriname, has strong emotional bonds to India -- about 50% of the population in these countries is made up of ethnic East Indians who are mostly Hindus or Muslims. India has embassies in both countries and bilateral ties with Guyana and Suriname are strong. The two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries also have embassies in New Delhi. India has funded many projects in these countries through foreign direct investment, capital and technology. Trade and investment between Guyana and Suriname and India is still modest but growing although several projects funded by India in Guyana and Suriname are still being held up. For example, an MOU between an Indian company and Suriname in 1993 to invest in the palm oil industry of Suriname still isn’t off the ground. India has offered Guyana a credit line of US$50 million to fund various roads and ferry projects. In addition, a specialty hospital in Guyana is being funded by India. India has also built Guyana’s first world class sports stadium in the capital. The Modi government has also promised to open a world class information technology (IT) centre in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. (Caribbean News Now!)
India’s Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh will lead a delegation to Suriname
By Caribbean News Now contributor HAVANA, Cuba -- A clipboard virus that appeared to be capable of attacking vulnerable computers that had visited the Cuban government information service website (acn.cu) was belatedly removed a day after Caribbean News Now had raised the issue for the second time last week and after denials from the Cuban authorities that the problem existed in the first place. In our first report, it was noted that the unique clipboard virus acted by launching a permission pop up (on the ACN website) that seemingly gave users an option either to allow it to control their computer clipboard data or to refuse permission. However, although it was expected that most users would have instinctively clicked the “Don’t allow” option button on the pop up, researchers pointed out that even that option was encrypted with reversed coding that would in any case provoke a forced install via vulnerable browsers. The analysis of the infection was done by the Guyana-based cyber security firm and regional anti-virus producer Computer Care, with some assistance from the international cyber security community. Their analysis at the time had revealed that the virus was designed to take unauthorized control of a computer clipboard. Thereafter, it can then create a backdoor on a computer so as to allow for captured information to be sent out to a remote server, in the same way that internet traffic flows in. The research, which was headed by Guyana-born software security analyst, Dennis Adonis, who is also the lead anti-virus developer and owner of Computer Care - Guyana, had determined that the infection could have either been planted by another foreign government or rogue group as part of a cyber warfare strategy or even by Cuban cyber intelligence experts themselves. Adonis himself has previously worked with the cyber security units of several government agencies worldwide since 2012, and is said to have significant working knowledge in matters pertaining to underground cyber snooping. Hence his opinion on back-door cyber security matters is often considered by most cyber security agencies. However, officials from the Cuban government side, along with regional apologists and supporters of the Communist regime, were critical of Adonis’ findings and had claimed that he had more than likely mistaken a minor Joomla platform bug for an infection – an erroneous result factor that is known as a “falsepositive” in any sort of testing or research process. Moreover, they insisted that there was no pop up security warning in the first place, despite easily demonstrated evidence to the contrary. In fact, the browser security warning still appeared on the ACN website for several days after our first article appeared and was only removed after we pointed out in a second article that it was still evident, notwithstanding claims to the contrary. Additionally, after other news agencies, including BBC News, and the New York Times, became interested in the story, one of them indicated to us that they were still able to find digital footprints of the infection. Contacted for a further comment on the matter, Adonis’s anti-virus company reiterated that they are confident of their findings, and remained steadfast in their opinion of their original research. The company explained that though the clipboard virus itself is not unique to the ACN website, its objectives and algorithm were. In their opinion, this would have meant that someone must have altered the original clipboard virus to append Trojan functionalities and other classes of cyber-bots to it. Since the publication of the original article, Adonis’ company is said to have received more than two dozen requests from cyber security officials across 20 countries, but was only willing to share the analysis with three of them. While several media houses had also requested samples of the analysis, approval was only given to a cyber security researcher at the BBC, and another at the New York Times. Questioned on whether his company may be inclined to share his findings with the Cuban government, Adonis said that once his company considers the credibility of the request, he would definitely do so. Cyber attacks and infections on government websites has been a growing problem for cyber security experts all over the world. It is estimated that at least 100 to 200 government affiliated websites worldwide are successfully infected with some sort of malicious code d a i l y. H o w e v e r , c y b e r security engineers usually manage to recognize and remove most of the infections before they can achieve their goals. (Caribbean News Now!)
REGIONAL PAGE 14
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
St Kitts-Nevis Announces New Head Of Rebranded Citizenship-By-Investment Unit BASSETERRE, St Kitts -- Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris on Monday announced at a national conference of service providers and developers under the citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program in St Kitts and Nevis that Les Khan is the new head of the Citizenship-byInvestment Unit (CIU). Previously, Khan worked as IPSA International’s project team leader for St Kitts and Nevis. IPSA International, a regulatory risk mitigation company, completed a program review of the St Kitts and Nevis CBI program in the fourth quarter of 2014. Then, on April 30, 2015, an announcement was made that the St Kitts and Nevis government had retained the services of the company to address recommendations that would improve the country's CBI program. “IPSA, a regulatory risk mitigation firm delivering advisory and investigative services, will assist the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit to increase the program's transparency and efficiency,” the press release said. Within one year of the April 30, 2015, announcement, the current Team Unity administration successfully reorganized, restructured and repositioned the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship program as the best in the world, making the oldest such program stronger and better to discharge its mandate. Harris made the improved Citizenship-byInvestment Unit a focus of his press conference on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. During the press conference, Harris affirmed that “Our CIU is now open for legitimate business. It is now administratively and legally stronger and better.” The prime minister said the reasons behind the amelioration of the CIU were the deliberate and necessary steps his administration had taken to reform, restructure and reposition the citizenship program, including the implementation of 20 recommendations by IPSA International. On Monday morning, in addressing the service providers and developers at the conference, held under the theme “St Kitts and Nevis Redefining Global Citizenship, Leading the Way Again!”, Harris said, “There are several initiatives that I am confident will reignite participation in our CBI product, positioning St Kitts and Nevis as the clear and obvious destination for global citizenship.” Harris added: “First, I am pleased to announce that after extensive consideration, the government has appointed a new head of the CIU, Mr Les Khan. You all know him as the consultant who has led the restructuring of the CIU over the last 18 months or so. The changes that the majority of you have complimented have been as a result of his guidance. The fact that the engagement model has changed within the unit for the better is further evidence of his ability to lead the program going forward.” At the first national consultation on the CBI program held o July 30, 2015, Khan said, “I am here only to talk about the way forward. There are many changes at play within the CBI [program].” Khan said the changes related to general governance and systems. “Within the last few months, staff with related skill sets has been hired [at the CIU],” Khan said in July 2015. “These individuals bring experience… and will contribute to the overall vetting of files. This addition to staff was in response to the need to address not only the vetting process, but to continue to improve the level of support in this critical business,” he added while noting that there would be continuous staff evaluations and reviews of the organizational structure of the CIU. “With the
intent of improving the management of workflow, both from a manual and system perspective, these changes will assist in providing more control in the day-to-day file processing, and these are consistent with the recommendations we made last year.” At Monday’s conference, Harris provided a clear roadmap for further success. “With the appointment of the new head of the unit, the reforms undertaken and our new marketing strategy, we are now in a position to implement our rebranding effort,” Harris said, adding, “We will now be more aggressive in our rebranding and are prepared to tell the story of change in a more interactive and personal manner. We will enter the roadshow circuit. We will participate in selective conferences to shore up market demand whilst we look to explore more market opportunities.” The prime minister continued: “Les will be leading a well-disciplined local team with a broad cross-section of skills to strengthen our resource capabilities in order to deliver a platinum service. We have people with high-level expertise in marketing, immigration, international banking, anti-money laundering and administration.” The results, so far, speak for themselves. The government inherited a backlog of over 1,500 citizenship applications, which has now been significantly reduced. Moreover, current applications to the CIU are being turned around within 45 to 75 days, while cold files are attended to on a daily basis. Also, the CIU is now using three due diligence service providers. Importantly, too, the Unit now offers a 24/7 case management system, meaning service providers can access information on the status of their applications at any given day or time. At a roundtable discussion on the economy that the government held with the St Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce on April 28, 2016, the attorney general, Vincent Byron, Jr., told CIC president José Rosa and other Chamber officials that the cabinet secretary, Josephine Huggins, is personally responsible to the Cabinet and the prime minister for overseeing the reforms at the CIU. “The Cabinet secretary goes there on Saturday and Sunday. We are there seven days a week processing it,” the attorney general said at the time. (Caribbean News Now!)
Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris (L) with new head of the Citizenship-by-Investment Unit (CIU) Les Khan
REGIONAL PAGE 15
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
St Lucia Prime Minister Proposes CARICOM Tourism Summit CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has proposed the implementation of two initiatives that he believes will assist the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in finding solutions for surmounting some of the economic challenges confronting the regional body. In a recent meeting with CARICOM secretary general, Irwin LaRocque, Chastanet mooted the idea of a tourism summit, which he said should be convened by the Caribbean Community in the short to medium term. He also emphasized the need for the Council of Finance and Planning (COFAP), to convene an urgent round of joint discussions, noting that they must undertake a more active role in an environment where the region is confronting several critical micro- and macro-economic challenges. COFAP is also responsible for economic policy coordination, along with the financial and monetary integration of member states. LaRocque visited Saint Lucia on September 6, 2016. (Caribbean News Now!)
Prime Minister Allen Chastanet (R) meeting with CARICOM Secretary General, Irwin LaRocque These investments, in turn, help build people’s resilience to shocks and the foundation for future growth,” Clarke told the audience that included Barbados Foreign Minister Maxine McClean, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General Irwin La Rocque and Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules. The UNDP Administrator said that the report also underlines the importance of building resilience to shocks, not least with respect to preventing people from sliding back into poverty. “Education and employment help people move out of poverty, but good policies and investments are needed to keep them above the poverty line. These can include social protection systems operating throughout the life cycle; expansion of systems of care for children, older people, and people with disabilities; expanding access to physical and financial assets; and continual improvements in people’s skills to improve work prospects, including for women and youth.” The report examines human development gains in the Caribbean to date, and discusses how the region’s structural and external challenges, such as high debt, low growth, a volatile global economy, and frequent natural disasters, combine to put these gains at risk. Clarke said this is an especially important perspective for the Caribbean right now. “The region is showing signs of recovery from the global financial crisis. After a decade of low growth, however, it will be important for Caribbean countries to implement policies which protect development gains, especially for women, disabled persons, youth, and children. “Adequate investments need to be made in areas like social protection, employment generation, and building climate resilient infrastructure.” This Caribbean Human Development Report also aims to contribute to policy debates in the region at this early stage of implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for a new generation of public policies which will build resilience and integrate the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of policy, including on peace and justice. Clarke said that following the holistic and multidimensional approach which this HDR proposes can support countries in the Caribbean to implement the SDGs, end poverty in all its forms, and leave no one behind. The report also highlights the fact that Caribbean countries‘high debt hinders the ability to access
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Report Calls For New Generation Of Public Policies To Foster Socio-Economic Growth BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Sept 12, CMC – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report (HDR) 2016 for the Caribbean was launched here on Monday with a warning to regional countries that they need to develop a new generation of public policies to increase gains made in the economic, social and environmental fronts. The 227 page report titled “Multidimensional Progress: human resilience beyond income” also urged the regional countries to adopt the new policies while boosting climate and financial resilience and protecting people throughout their life cycles. The Caribbean Human Development Report is a follow-up to the Regional Human Development report for Latin America and the Caribbean that was launched in Panama in May this year. Among the three authors of the report is the academic and former president of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Professor Compton Bourne, who told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the region cannot afford to pursue a model which places emphasis on investments and physical capital and ignores the need to build human resilience and human strength by reducing the poverty rates, improving housing and improving access to education among other indicators. “There is a new paradigm that is explicit in the report in which we talk about growth enablers and we have people there as a fundamental motivator,” he told CMC. Bourne said that while the recommendations contained in the report cannot be made mandatory “but there are ideas that should be implemented as quickly as possible and there are various elements in the report that are susceptible to fast track implementation, others will take a little more time. “Because one of the problems of public policy in the Caribbean is that the data is often so poor that it does not facilitate the degree of fine tuning of policies that are required and a lot of resources are wasted because of that. “I think you will find all the governments in the region attempt to provide social protection but a lot of the funds going into social protection is wasted because it goes to the wrong people,” Bourne told CMC. UNDP Administrator Janet Clarke, the former New Zealand prime minister, told the launch that the inspiration for the report comes from the desire of Caribbean leaders to have metrics for assessing development which better reflect the unique vulnerabilities and challenges faced by middle-income Small Island Developing States. “Central to this report is the concept of multidimensional progress which enlarges the idea of human development to include other important determinants of well-being. These include access to assets, social protection and care systems, and decent work – all highly relevant to the Caribbean,” she said, adding that the report also makes it clear that multidimensional progress cannot be made at the expense of people’s rights or of environmental sustainability. The report emphasizes that economic growth and multidimensional progress can be mutually reinforcing. “Growth provides the resources which can be channelled to investments in areas critical to multidimensional progress, such as building inclusive labour markets and social protection and care systems. finance for sustainable development, limiting the region’s ability to achieve the SDGs. Caribbean countries have long advocated a need for a paradigm shift in development financing and the report demonstrates how, for the most part, regional countries are ineligible for concessional finance due to their status as middle-income countries. With average national per capita income levels above the international financial eligibility benchmark, the report makes a case for a review of eligibility criteria to access concessional financing. It also underscores the extreme economic and environmental vulnerabilities in Caribbean countries that – like other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – make the region’s countries special cases for development. The report focuses on several groups and their “vulnerabilities”, which accumulate over a life cycle hindering people’s capacity to fulfil their potential and also to leave poverty behind, the report stresses. Women are disadvantaged in the labour market, with lower level and lower paying jobs than men in the Caribbean, according to the report. Although women head nearly half of the Caribbean households, the participation of women in senior managerial jobs is still limited to less than one quarter of these jobs in all researched Caribbean countries, with the exceptions of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados. In the Caribbean, women are more affected by unemployment than men, although the gap is reducing over time, the report shows. Between 2000 and 2013, the labour force participation rate of women aged 1564 increased by 2.2 per cent whilst that of men decreased by 2.5 per cent. However, gender differences are large with 59.3 per cent of women in labour force versus 78.7 per cent for men according to the report. (Antigua Observer) Professor Compton Bourne
BuyAny1L ar georMedi umPi z z a&Get A 2L i t r eBus t aAbs ol ut el yF r ee F l av orof Y ourChoi c e
LOT12& 13FI FTH STREETAVENUESUBRYANVI LLESHERI FFST. GEORGETOWN DELI VERY:231-0745
REGIONAL PAGE 17
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
Prime Minister Mitchell To Address Conference In United States ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, Sept 13, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has left here for the United States to attend the National Academy of Sciences, Conference to be held in Washington later this week. A government statement said it would be held under the theme “Growing the Caribbean Innovation Economy” and that Mitchell, who has lead responsibility for Science and Technology within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) quasi-cabinet, “will deliver the keynote address on Thursday, under the theme “The Grand Anse Initiative and Its Objectives.” It said he will also chair the High Level Panel geared toward moving the agenda forward. While in the United States, Mitchell will also hold several meetings with members of the Diaspora and business communities before his return home on Saturday, the statement added. (Antigua Observer)
Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
“Additionally, the Chamber is extremely worried that there has not been public information and education taking place.” The private sector group said that it “believes that the public needs to be educated and informed on credit bureaus, their role, their function and impact on the average consumer prior to introduction of wide ranging legislation. “Of grave related concern to the Chamber has been the tendency of Government, to rush legislation into enactment without proper national consultation with the general public and institutions who will be affected.” It made reference to the Banking Act, which the private sector group said may have similar impact of negatively affecting consumers, increasing the price of services and reducing choices, events that negatively affect small business ability to access credit and thus economic growth. The Chamber said it plans to “deepen and widen its discussion on this critical piece of legislation both with its members and the Government, as well as its partner private sector organizations”. (Antigua Observer)
Government And Union Official Meet To Discuss New Security Measures At Airport
NASSAU, Bahamas, Sept 13, CMC – Security measures now in force at Private Sector Group Concerned Over the at the Lynden Pindling International Airport )LPIA) will remain in force after the Ministry of Transport and Aviation Department and Proposed Credit Reporting Legislation Bahamas Air Traffic Controllers Union (BATCU) failed to reach an
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Sept 13, CMC – The private sector here is calling for substantial redrafting of the planned OECS Harmonised Credit Reporting Bill which it says could lead to reduce access to credit. Members of the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture have been meeting here to discuss the proposed legislation that is being developed and promoted by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) with technical assistance from the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC). The private sector group has been holding talks with Sherise King of the Caribbean Credit Bureau Corporation who has been providing details of the legislation. The ECCB and IFC are reported to be recommending specific Credit Bureau legislation for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) which the private sector says appears to be extremely stringent in many respects compared to that which obtained in other jurisdictions. The meeting noted that in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados where credit bureaus have been in operation since 2004 and 1993 respectively, there was no Credit Bureau legislation, but rather, Data Privacy, Data Protection Laws and Electronic Transaction Laws obtains, which, as the IFC indicates, are acceptable frameworks to provide the legal underpinning for the operation of Credit Bureaus. The private sector grouping felt that the proposed legislation would lead to reduced access to credit, expressing also fears over the negative impact on small and micro business. It also felt that the effect of the legislation’s broad and unreasonable definition of “credit information” had the potential to lead to discrimination against the poorer, small and informal sectors. “The Chamber is of the view that there is need for extensive discussion and clarification on the draft legislation and that substantial redrafting will be required.
agreement over the issues that forced cancellation and delays of several flights over the last weekend. According to a joint statement issued here “all parties will await the results of the Security Risk Assessment being undertaken on LPIA, with a view to determining whether the current measures may be revised without compromising airport security. “It was therefore agreed that the current security measures will be maintained, until the Security Risk Assessment is completed and reviewed,” the statement added. Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin said air traffic controls had refused for at least two hours last Saturday to report for duty. She said that during their “unjustified industrial action, national and international commercial air traffic to the Bahamas was “negatively affected”. She said as a result two flights were cancelled and there were numerous delays. She said she had been advised that the union had taken the industrial action over concerns of a security protocol by the Airport Authority mandating the security screening of all persons accessing the security side of the airport. But BATCU contends that other measures could have been implemented and is requesting that a machine or metal detector be used when carrying out the screening rather than having its embers patted down. The union argued that as a result of this, the working conditions of its members have worsened and that it takes on average one hour for them to get through the gate to get to work. In the joint statement the two parties agreed that “the members of the Bahamas Air Traffic Controllers Union are committed to preserving the integrity of the airport security function. “It was also agreed at that meeting that the execution of that function is a matter of concern,” the brief statement added. (Antigua Observer)
REGIONAL PAGE 18
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Kamla: Govt Has Failed To Deliver The Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the address to the nation by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley confirmed what many have been speculating for quite some time now, that his administration is not working, has stalled our economy and is illequipped to lead the nation forward. In a statement yesterday she said: (On Sunday) we listened in vain as the Prime Minister attempted to explain away his Government’s first year of failure and their lacklustre performance. Instead of recognising the stark reality that his Government has failed to deliver, we heard excuses, we heard shameless propaganda, we heard repeated complaints about the impact of low energy prices and the effect it has on the Rowley administration’s cash flow and we heard continued blame on the Opposition. We did not hear any vision or plan to improve the lives of our citizens, to deal with debts owed to public servants, to meaningfully diversify our economy or to boost low morale in the country. The address to the nation confirmed what many have been speculating for quite some time now, that the Rowley administration is not working, has stalled our economy and is ill-equipped to lead the nation forward. Let us look at where my Government found ourselves when we took office in 2010. We faced the collapse of Clico which resulted in a $22 billion problem. We had similar problems with debts owed to contractors and unpaid VAT refunds that the Rowley administration points to. The debt we inherited was almost three times the amount Keith Rowley says he inherited. If the revised figures quoted by the Minister of Finance in his mid-year review are to be believed, then between September 7, 2015, and today, the Rowley administration has collected more than $60 billion. Why then is PM Rowley complaining? Why hasn’t more been done to turn the economy around? Our reserves are strong with US$5.3 billion in the HSF (after they withdrew US$400 million of the money we left) and US$10 billion in foreign exchange reserves. When I took over Government, I did not sit and blame the previous Government. I rolled up my sleeves on the first day and started the process of turning this country around. Within our first year we accomplished many things, including establishment of the Ministry of the People, establishment of the Children’s Life Fund and began providing funds for life-saving surgeries, delivery of laptops to all Form One students, re-introduction of the Land for the Landless Programme and raising of the minimum wage and pension benefit and much more. We also began the long process of settling wage disputes, some of which were more than three years old at the time. Many of our initiatives were undertaken to improve the lives of the working poor and to establish a proper social safety net but the Rowley administration appears intent on ending many of these programmes. We agree there is a natural gas shortage that is impacting the economy. However, in response to the volatility in the energy sector, we took action to increase natural gas production by changing the related laws 14 times to provide incentives to companies to invest and drill. That strategy worked. That is why today we can anticipate a 30 per cent increase in natural gas supply in 2017 which will come from BP and EOG. The massive Juniper project has its origin under our Government. Last night there was a deafening silence from PM Rowley with respect to his failure to deliver manifesto promises upon which he was elected. He has failed to justify why he has taken food off tables, robbed children of educational opportunities, deprived families of a means of livelihood. What was his message to the army of unemployed? What was his
message to parents who have to take loans to buy books for their children? What was his message for the poor and the less privileged who no longer have food cards and milk money for their babies? What is his message on the commission of enquiry report into Las Alturas which indicates that high-ranking officials of his Government, Noel Garcia and Faris Al-Rawi, were culpable? What is his message on the return of Marlene Mc Donald who is still under investigation by the Integrity Commission? Why did PM Rowley not explain that the $20 billion debt facing Petrotrin is a result of decisions made by former chairman Malcolm Jones and former board member Andrew Jupiter? Under the Rowley administration Andrew Jupiter is chairman and a Chaconia Medal Gold recipient and the Rowley administration, through manoeuvring by its Attorney General, dropped a civil suit to hold Malcolm Jones accountable. PM Rowley did not justify spending $100 million for a stadium that is structurally flawed and why paintings are more important than salaries for the public servants and compensation for families of fallen protective services in these trying economic times. The PM did not explain why his Government has a policy of bringing half-baked, hurriedly prepared, poorly understood and not well-thought out legislation to Parliament and why they consistently refuse to work with the Opposition on matters of substance to improve legislation. Unlike the Rowley adminstration, my Government had a plan which we outlined in our manifesto during the 2015 election campaign. We recognised that we faced challenges and we recognised that we had to be innovative in dealing with these challenges. We recognise that there are places where adjustments have to be made but we must protect the working poor and provide opportunities to diversify and build our economy. However, the Rowley administration has no plan, no vision and no ability to get things done. I want to warn PM Rowley that all the money in the world won’t solve problems if you have no plan, initiative or imagination. We have experienced a year of broken promises and the Prime Minister offered no hope that anything would change. If the Government is not working for you, then they are working against you. (Trinidad Guardian)
Kamla Persad-Bissessar
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
REGIONAL PAGE 20
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Caribbean Region Made Strides In Poverty Reduction –UNDP Report extreme poverty in 2002. Alongside this reduction in poverty, a number of people experienced increasing incomes at a rate that allowed them to move into the middle strata of the income pyramid.
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Human Development Report (HDR) 2016, Latin America and the Caribbean is a very diverse region that does not follow a single pattern of change. However, one common feature among the countries of the region is that they have all undergone significant social, economic and environmental changes in recent years. These changes are not the result of a laissez-faire approach; rather they have been caused by the implementation of public policies that have shaped not only economic growth (income) but also the population’s achievements in the social sphere, employment and education (beyond income). Some 42 percent of the population was shown to be living in income poverty in 2002, but this percentage had plummeted to a little over 24 percent a decade later in 2013.
On the one hand, the population living in economic vulnerability swelled by almost 45 million people during this period, rising from 179 million people in 2002 to 224 million people in 2013, a year in which this population accounted for some 38 percent of the region’s population as a whole. On the other hand, the size of the middle class increased by almost 94 million people, rising from 108 million people in 2002 (equivalent to 21 percent of the total population) to almost 202 million people in 2013 (equivalent to 35 percent of the total population) These changes were accompanied by a notable drop in income inequality.
In absolute terms, the number of people living in income poverty decreased steadily throughout this period, from almost 214 million to under 142 million, which indicates that some 72 million people in the region were able to escape their poverty. Of these 72 million people, 59 million were living in conditions of
Dynamic shifts in income make it possible to observe the different processes involved in escaping or falling back into poverty. While millions of people escaped poverty through one route, a certain number of people also fell back into it through another route. Different employment and social
processes are obscured by the net effect of these changes.
For example, a reduction in poverty of 1 million people might be associated with an expanding economy during the boom (in which 1.5 million people escaped poverty while another 500,000 people fell into it) or it might be linked to an economy resisting the recession (in which 1.1 million people were lifted out of poverty and another 100,000 people fell into it). When examined overall, individual patterns of change in income over the period 2003 to 2013 suggest that between 49.6 and 65.4 percent of the region’s population experienced an improved economic situation that allowed them to move into a higher income group; for example from extreme poverty to moderate poverty or from moderate poverty into economic vulnerability. Just 0.5 to 3.6 percent of the population experienced a downward movement.
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 21
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Germany Arrests Three Syrian Men 'On IS Mission’
Three Syrian men have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of being sent by so-called Islamic State (IS) to launch attacks, prosecutors say. The men - aged between 17 and 26 - were detained after a series of pre-dawn raids in the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony on Tuesday. Later, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told journalists the suspects may have had links to the men who attacked Paris in November last year. He called the three a sleeper cell. The Federal Public Prosecutor's office has said no concrete missions or orders have so far been found, despite the seizure of "extensive The arrests come less than two months after 10 people died in a string of attacks in southern German(REUTERS) material". The men - identified only as Mahir al-H, 17, Ibrahim M, 18, and the total of 130 people killed in a series of the attackers were killed. In early June, three Syrian men were arrested on Mohamed A, 26 - are said to have co-ordinated attacks that night. travelled through Turkey and Greece on These arrests come as ministers try to suspicion of plotting an IS suicide attack false passports. Investigators believe they reassure a nervous German public that the in the western city of Duesseldorf. had volunteered for the alleged mission, arrival of more than a million asylum Tuesday's arrests are likely to be and that the 17-year-old had been trained seekers has not put the country in danger. welcomed by ministers who are trying to in handling weapons and explosives in There is a febrile national debate here reassure Germans that they can keep the around integration and domestic security country safe, our correspondent adds. The Raqqa, IS's stronghold in Syria. They received fake passports, mobile which will dominate campaigning ahead government has been under pressure to phones loaded with a pre-installed of next year's general election. The reduce the number of refugees it admits communication programme and four- security services have long suspected that more than a million in 2015 - under figure cash sums in US dollars. Spate of IS is using the refugee crisis to infiltrate Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" attacks The men were arrested when 200 Germany. The country's interior minister policy. (BBC) police and security officers raided six has now acknowledged that is likely. locations, including three refugee But he was at pains to point out that the shelters. Investigations so far suggest the authorities are investigating a relatively three came to Germany in November small number of suspects among the 2015 with the intention of "carrying out a hundreds of thousands of new arrivals, previously determined order [from IS] or and to emphasise that the security to await further instructions", prosecutors services investigate every intelligence lead. The German authorities are no doubt said in a statement. pleased to have broken what they are Suspicions of the men were first raised describing as a sleeper cell. But the arrests months ago, and the men had been under surveillance including phone-tapping for will most likely simply increase public weeks, reported the German news agency concern. Over one week in July, 10 DPA. At a news conference, Mr Maiziere people were killed and dozens more said they were trafficked into Europe by wounded in separate gun, bomb, axe and the same organisation that supported the machete attacks in the south of the three men who blew themselves up country. outside the Stade de France national Islamic State appeared to play a role in f o o t b a l l s t a d i u m i n P a r i s o n 1 3 two of those attacks, by asylum seekers in November. A bystander also died - one of Wuerzburgand Ansbach. In both cases,
J UMBOFAMI L YSI ZE
REGULARFAMI L YSI ZE
Buy8pc sChi c k enandget a 2L i t r eBus t aAbs ol ut el yF r ee F l av orof Y ourChoi c e
LOT12& 13FI FTH STREETAVENUESUBRYANVI LLESHERI FFST. GEORGETOWN 7601/2237602 DELI VERY:223-
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 23
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Harmony Of The Seas Accident: One Dead, Four Hurt In Lifeboat Crash One crew member has died and four others have been injured in an accident on the Harmony of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise liner. The 42-year-old Filipino crew member died when a lifeboat, with five crew, became detached from the fifth deck during a safety exercise. It fell 10 metres (33 feet) into the water. Two crew members are in hospital with life-threatening injuries. The accident happened during a stopover in Marseille. Details of the incident were confirmed by the deputy mayor of Marseilles, Julien Ruas. The Royal Caribbean Cruise company, which Harmony of the Seas in Southampton ahead of the maiden voyage(PA) operates the Harmony of the Seas, also confirmed the death on its Twitter account. Harmony of the can hold more than 8,000 passengers and crew. It is higher than a Seas is the world's largest cruise liner at 362 metres long, and 25-storey building, and longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. It entered service in May this year. (BBC)
South Africa Bars Anti-Gay US Pastor invited Steven Anderson by a local church to visit this South Africa has barred controversial US longer existed in South Africa. pastor Steven Anderson from visiting the county because of his critical remarks about homosexuality. The home affairs minister said he was refused a visa as the constitution prohibits hate speech. Mr Anderson runs the Faithful Word Baptist Church, which says that homosexuality is an abomination punishable by the death penalty. He said that religious freedom no
"I feel sorry for people who live in South Africa, but thank God we still have a wide open door in Botswana," Mr Anderson posted on his Facebook page after the decision to refuse him a visa. South Africa has one of the most liberal constitutions in the world which protects gay rights. The BBC's Milton Nkosi in Johannesburg says Mr Anderson was
Steven Anderson said he stood by his views about homosexuality
month. Two petitions with more than 60,000 signatures, organised by gay and human rights activists in South Africa, had called for the trip to be stopped. “I have identified Steven Anderson as an undesirable person to travel to South Africa," Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said. Mr Anderson's church is based in the US state of Arizona and describes itself as an "old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church". In a video posted on YouTube before South Africa's decision was made, he said that the trip was not going to be about homosexuality, but he stood by his views against homosexuality, which he said were endorsed by the Bible. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 24
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Syria Ceasefire: 'No Civilian Deaths On First Day’ The cessation of hostilities in Syria that came into effect at sunset on Monday is largely holding on its first full day, reports suggest. UKbased monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had recorded no civilian deaths in the first 15 hours of the truce. Residents in the embattled northern city of Aleppo reported calm. UN officials say they are ready to deliver aid to besieged areas but need better guarantees of peace. The Syrian government says it will not allow aid, particularly "from the Turkish regime", to be delivered to Aleppo without prior coordination with it and the UN, state media report. Some 250,000 civilians are estimated to be trapped in the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo due to a siege by government forces. 'Sporadic attacks' The fledgling truce was reportedly broken by sporadic attacks late on Monday, carried out by both government forces and rebels after the ceasefire had come into effect. The Syrian Observatory said it had seen reports of aerial bombardment of some villages in Hama province, and shelling near Damascus. The Syrian army has said the truce will be applied throughout Syria for seven days, but that it reserves the right to respond decisively to any violation by armed groups. A number of rebel factions have given a guarded welcome to the deal but expressed reservations about its implementation. Humanitarian groups are hoping to make aid deliveries to the worst-hit areas, especially Aleppo. A UN spokesman said aid convoys were ready to travel in from Turkey but officials needed to see "a laying down of weapons that satisfies us... and as I speak that has not yet been the case". Russian news agency Tass said that Russian troops had secured part of Castello Road - a key access route into Aleppo - on Tuesday, although this has not been confirmed. US Secretary of State John Kerry called on Friday for the road to be demilitarised and said the US would work with Russia to free the route for aid convoys. The deal, described by Mr Kerry as the "last chance to save a united Syria", was struck on Friday in Geneva after months of talks between Russia and the US. It requires both sides to allow unhindered access for humanitarian aid. If the truce holds for seven days, the US and Russia will carry out coordinated air strikes on militant groups - including so-called Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (known until recently as the Nusra Front). The opposition Free Syrian Army group has said that while it
Monitors said fighting had largely stopped, with no civilian deaths recorded in the first 15 hours(AP)
will "co-operate positively" with the ceasefire, it was concerned it would benefit the government. Another major rebel group, the hardline Islamist Ahrar al-Sham, initially rejected the deal but later appeared to have softened its stance. Opposition sources quoted by Reuters said a forthcoming statement supporting the cessation "with harsh reservations" would be backed by "the largest groups", including Ahrar al-Sham. Speaking earlier, President Bashar al-Assad welcomed the deal but said the Syrian state was still "determined to recover every area from the terrorists, and to rebuild". The number of deaths recorded since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011 has now risen past 300,000, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. However, it said it estimated the full death toll to be about 430,000. The official UN estimate rests at 250,000 after the organisation stopped counting in 2014, uncertain of its ability to gather accurate data. More than 4.8 million have fled abroad, and an estimated 6.5 million others have been displaced within the country, the UN says. The strength, or otherwise, of the ceasefire is a big test of what appears to be a less sour, more workable relationship between the foreign ministers of the US and Russia. Diplomacy failed in the first, critical years of the war. A major reason for that was diplomatic deadlock between President Bashar al-Assad's ally, Russia, and the US, which demanded his immediate departure from office. Since then Russia has become the most influential outside power in Syria. The US and its Western allies have struggled to keep up. Perhaps Moscow is now ready to build on a ceasefire, if it lasts, to push President Assad towards a political transition that might end the war. Or perhaps, as enemies of President Assad and the Russians believe, the ceasefire will be a chance to regroup and rearm. Jihadist groups like so-called Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham face the joint might of the Russian and US air forces Moderate rebels and civilians in the areas they hold will no longer face the threat of indiscriminate air strikes such as barrel-bombing although the Syrian air force will not be grounded completely; aid deliveries will be allowed to areas currently under siege President Assad will be in a stronger position as the US and Russia engage two of his most effective military opponents while moderate rebels observe the truce with his forces Syria's history of failed deals: February 2012: Syrian government "categorically rejects" an Arab League plan calling for a joint Arab-UN peacekeeping mission June 2012/January 2014/January 2016: Three failed UN-sponsored peace conferences in Geneva September 2013: Kerry and Lavrov negotiate a deal to strip the Syrian government of its chemical weapons in return for the US backing away from air strikes. Since then, the government has again and repeatedly been accused of using toxic chemicals against rebel-held areas February 2016: World powers agree in Munich on a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" in Syria excluding jihadist groups. There is no agreement on any joint US-Russian operations. The "pause" quickly unravels as Assad promises to regain control of the whole country March 2016: President Vladimir Putin declares "mission accomplished" in Syria and orders removal of "main part" of Russia's air army in Syria. Russian air strikes have continued ever since (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 25
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Exclude Hungary From EU, Says Luxembourg's Asselborn Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Western European countries. Eventually, it strongly criticised the EU's plans to relocate Asselborn has called for Hungary to be sealed its borders with Serbia and Croatia suspended or even expelled from the and built a 175km (110-mile) razor-wire European Union because of its "massive fence to stop people crossing on their way to violation" of EU fundamental values. He Austria. Some 10,000 police and soldiers cited the Budapest government's treatment have been deployed to guard the frontier. of refugees, independence of the judiciary The head of Hungarian diplomacy described and freedom of the press. "Hungary is not far his Luxembourg counterpart as a "classic away from issuing orders to open fire on nihilist" who worked tirelessly to destroy refugees," he suggested. Hungary said Mr Europe's security and culture. By way of Asselborn "could not be taken seriously". contrast, Hungary was defending not only its EU leaders meet in Slovakia on Friday to own territory, but that of the EU as well, the discuss the union's future. Mr Asselborn's foreign minister insisted. "Only Hungarians interview with German daily Die Welt is have the right to decide who they wish to live likely to inflame passions ahead of the with." The number of migrants trying to enter Hungary has fallen dramatically in summit. T h e E U c o u l d n o t t o l e r a t e " s u c h recent weeks. At the Horgos Transit Zone on inappropriate behaviour", he said, and any the Hungary-Serbian border, only 80 were state that violated such basic values "should waiting on Monday, down from 800 on some be excluded temporarily, or if necessary for days in July. Beside the Kelebia Transit Zone ever, from the EU''. It was "the only there were about 60, mostly from Syria and possibility to protect the cohesion and values Iraq. Some had been living in atrocious of the European Union,'' he said. Hungarian conditions next to the razor wire fence for Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto hit back, more than 10 weeks. saying that his Luxembourg counterpart had Approximately 4,500 migrants are currently "long left the ranks of politicians who could in camps in Serbia. Most are now trying be taken seriously". Mr Asselborn was a alternative routes to Europe through Croatia, "frivolous character", he said, adding that he Montenegro and Bosnia. A referendum takes place on 2 October when Hungarians will be was "patronising, arrogant and frustrated". M r A s s e l b o r n ' s r e m a r k s a l s o d r e w asked to decide on an EU quota to take in condemnation from Latvia's foreign refugees. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has minister, who spoke of "megaphone diplomacy". And German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a personal friend of the Luxembourg m i n i s t e r, s a i d w h i l e h e c o u l d understand some in Europe were "becoming impatient, it is not my personal approach to show a member state the door". Hungary joined the EU in 2004 and while the European Union can reject or delay a candidate from joining, it is not thought to have the power to expel an existing member state. When the far-right Freedom Party joined Austria's government in 2000, EU member states responded by freezing bilateral diplomatic relations with Austria. Later that year the EU ended Austria's diplomatic isolation. Hungary was caught up in an enormous influx of migrants and refugees a year ago as more than a million people headed Ten thousand police and soldiers have been through central Europe from the shores deployed along Hungary's border to keep migrants out of Greece towards Germany and other
160,000 refugees across the bloc and his government has campaigned vigorously for a No vote. Mr Asselborn, whose country is a founder member of the EU, complained that Hungary's border fence was getting higher, longer and more dangerous. His remark that Hungary was not far from ordering live fire is likely to refer to a decision by police earlier this month to recruit 3,000 "border-hunters". The new force will carry pepper spray and pistols with live ammunition as part of their task to keep migrants out. What are the EU's fundamental values? In the Treaty on European Union (Article 2) EU values are spelt out as "human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities". The EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights became legally binding on national governments as well as the EU's institutions, as part of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty. Those rights and freedoms range from freedom of thought and expression to the right to asylum, a fair trial and fair working conditions. As a condition of membership of the EU, a candidate country has to fulfil 35 separate chapters of requirements including an independent judiciary. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL
GUYANA DAILY NEWS Hillary Clinton 'Kept Pneumonia Diagnosis From Most Of Team’ PAGE 27
US Democratic party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton kept her pneumonia diagnosis from most of her staff, according to reports, choosing to tell only family and close aides. Mrs Clinton was reportedly concerned that news of the illness would be exploited by her opponents. She was diagnosed on Friday and advised to rest, but continued campaigning. Her team was forced to go public with the diagnosis on Sunday when she left a 9/11 memorial early, appearing weak. Speaking to CNN late on Monday, Mrs Clinton said she was feeling "so much better". She also told the broadcaster that she had not disclosed her pneumonia diagnosis, saying: "I just didn't think it was going to be that big a deal." The US presidential candidate said she had ignored a doctor's "wise" advice to rest for five days. She said she hoped to be back on the trail in "the next couple of days". The Democratic nominee acknowledged she had lost her balance during Sunday morning's health scare, but said she did not faint. "I felt dizzy and I did lose my balance for a minute, but once I got in (the van), once I could sit down, once I could cool off, once I had some water, I immediately started feeling better," she said. Some critics questioned why this had only been revealed after Sunday's events and Mrs Clinton's communications director conceded the incident had been poorly managed. She will be releasing new medical records to help
Mrs Clinton waved to photographers after recovering briefly at her daughter's home in New York(AP)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
ease concerns about her health, a campaign spokesman said. Don Fowler, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), urged the party on Sunday to immediately come up with a process to choose a potential successor for Mrs Clinton, in case she is forced to retire with ill health. Mr Fowler said he expected Mrs Clinton to fully recover but said taking precautions was necessary. Ed Rendell, another former DNC chair, told Politico: "There is absolutely no chance Hillary Clinton will withdraw from running for the presidency." It capped a difficult weekend for Mrs Clinton, who came under attack from Mr Trump for calling half of his supporters "deplorable" people on Friday. On Monday, the Republican presidential nominee wished her a speedy recovery. He also pledged to release the results of a medical examination he took over the past week. Mr Trump has repeatedly suggested Mrs Clinton is unfit, telling supporters last month she "lacks the mental and physical stamina" to serve as president. BBC Other campaign developments Donald Trump accused US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen of keeping interest rates low to boost President Barack Obama's popularity. He said she should be "ashamed" The Republican candidate also released a new ad attacking Mrs Clinton for calling half of his supporters "a basket of deplorables" last week. "You know what's deplorable? Hillary
Clinton viciously demonising hard-working people like you," a narrator says Green Party candidate Jill Stein says she would not have killed Osama Bin Laden but instead would have put him on trial Will Hillary Clinton's near collapse during Sunday's 9/11 memorial ceremonies make her health a political Achilles heel? The Trump campaign managed to hold its tongue as the news unfolded, probably sensing that the story was damaging enough on its own. At 68, Mrs Clinton is particularly susceptible to concerns about her health (as is 70-yearold Mr Trump). But if she returns to her normal campaign schedule without incident, she will go a long way towards putting health concerns to bed. Will Clinton pay for her terrible weekend? BBC What is walking pneumonia? Mrs Clinton's team said she is suffering with "walking pneumonia" - a nottoo-serious form of the lung infection which leaves patients feeling unwell but doesn't usually require bed rest or hospital care. Pneumonia is essentially an infection of the lungs which causes inflammation in the air sacs and fills them with fluid. Symptoms can include a cough, fever, fatigue, chills and shortness of breath. Anyone can contract pneumonia, although smokers, older people, and sufferers of chronic lung diseases are at increased risk. There are two types - bacterial or viral. Bacterial pneumonia is common and easily treated with antibiotics. Most people with so-called "walking pneumonia" can recover within a few days. Those with weak immune systems or existing conditions can take weeks to recover, and pneumonia can in some cases be fatal. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL
GUYANA DAILY NEWS Wukan: Police Move On China Protest Village To End Protests PAGE 28
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Police have launched an operation in the Chinese village of Wukan, to end protests over the jailing of the elected village chief. Police, who entered the southern village overnight and raided homes, confirmed 13 people have been arrested. Video posted online appears to show clashes in the streets with villagers throwing rocks at police who were using tear gas and rubber bullets. Wukan now appears to be in lockdown and controlled by the authorities. "Riot police are stationed at the entrance to our village. No-one can go in or out," one woman, surnamed Cai, told the BBC. "I can't see any hope in this. The villagers feel so angry." Police have accused villagers of spreading false information. 'Spreading rumours' Lin Zuluan was voted in as Wukan's village chief in 2012, in an attempt by the local government to end months of protests about illegal land grabs. He was jailed for three years last Thursday for corruption, but remains hugely popular. His supporters, who say a televised confession was Images sent to the BBC showed villagers with injuries forced and the charges are political, have been £45,000). The Global Ti m e s n e w s p a p e r, s e e n a s t h e protesting again. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, people mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, said on Tuesday inside Wukan began sending video footage to the media that some of the seized land had been returned, but that some apparently showing police breaking into homes to arrest remained in dispute. (BBC) people. In one video a man is seen being pinned to the ground by police in body armour, while other images show bloodied villagers. The footage, which cannot be independently verified, also showed dozens of police under riot shields as protesters threw bricks and bottles. A man with the surname Huang told the BBC that the government was trying to intimidate them into ending their protests. He said those people arrested so far had assumed prominent roles in the protests or had been vocal on social media. The local public security bureau in Lufeng, Guangdong has confirmed only that 13 people had been arrested for disturbing public order. Wukan, with a population of about 13,000, had been seen as a model for possible political reform in China. In 2011 its residents rose up in protest after Party officials began seizing and selling off their land. In an attempt to stem months of protests, the government allowed them to hold elections for a new village chief, which were won by Lin Zuluan. In early 2016, he began pushing again for the villagers to receive proper compensation for their land. But in June, he was arrested and charged with taking bribes. On 8 September he was jailed for just over three years and fined 400,000 yuan ($60,000;
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 30
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
A Day Like Today Who doesn’t love the good old Mabel Simmons better known as ‘Madea’, the lady that makes us laugh with her spontaneity, sassiness and violent nourishing ways? She gets the attention of the public with her raw sense of humor, making the audience explode with her enigmatic dialogues. Madea became an instant hit after Tyler Perry made her his second skin in the late 90s. Born a day like today, 1969 in New Orleans. Perry grew up to and abusive father, who indirectly taught him the important meaning of independence and self-development. He ‘flew away’ from his roots at an early age in an attempt to escape from his painful past, not knowing that this one would hunt him as a ‘friendly Casper’ becoming the base for his indisputable fame. After years of economic struggle, he saw a breakthrough after watching an inspirational program of media proprietor, talk show host, actress and producer Oprah Winfrey. A living inspiration for the Afro-American community. This was the spark that he needed to ‘take off’, and he transformed it into a vivid flame. His life became his project, and this one needed to be developed. How? With memories. His own history and tortuous journey would be now his master piece. As a point in favor, the epoch was favorable for his audacious venture. During the 90s, the United States experienced a wave of ethnic identity. The Afro-American side of the society found different ways to express their repressed feelings. Hip hop was used as a battle field fought with chords and controversial lyrics. Street dance became popular in the neighborhoods, as a more physical but artistic way to represent a cultural movement on development. On Television and in the big screen a similar result could be seen. The AfroAmerican representation was finally taking lead, and Tyler Perry became part of that movement. The first step was writing. A diary would become his script, and a costume his play. Starting in small stages, he became the producer and director of his own performances. Reflecting his harsh past, with a mixture of crude ‘ghetto’ humor delivered by a controversial but loving lady, latter known as ‘Madea’. Perry managed to balance the
truth behind his dialogues, with his sassy approach to the audience. Giving him popularity on the stages. But fame was still far. He needed to be known, and to accomplish that he had to tour. “If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain”- Turkish proverb. He started to travel. Showing the plays ‘I Can Do Bad All by Myself’ and ‘Diary of a Black Woman’ with Madea as a main character. The reception was so favorable, that the profit made out of the plays between 2000 and 2004, put the ‘loving sharp tongue lady’ on the big screen in 2005 with the film ‘Diary of a Black Woman’. Being this the ultimate push in Perry’s career. Proving the power of urban African American comedies. He didn’t stop there. What started as notes on a diary, evolved on the publication of best selling books. Today he is qualified as one of the most successful actor, writer, producer and director of the last decade. Reflecting the significance in the integration of Afro-American culture in the 20th century, and the importance to be proud of your roots, regardless the pain behind them. Source: http://www.biography.com/people/tyler-perry361274#synopsis
Tyler Perry & Mabel Simmons 'Madea’
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 31
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
US Flies Bombers Over SouthlightKorea In Show Of Force of the test. B-1B bombers are capable of carrying nuclear missiles and bombs that are able to destroy even underground bunkers. North Korea has further been isolated from its neighbours since it announced that it had successfully carried out its fifth nuclear tests last week in defiance of UN resolutions. South Korea has said it has a plan to annihilate the North Korean capital if it shows any signs of mounting a nuclear attack. The North said the latest test had been of a "nuclear warhead that has been standardised to be able to be mounted on strategic ballistic rockets".
The US has flown two supersonic B-1B Lancer strategic bombers over South Korea in a show of force, just days after North Korea carried out its fifth nuclear test. The two bombers conducted a low-altitude flight over an air base located some 77km (48 miles) from the border between the two Koreas. Pyongyang's latest nuclear test is believed to be its largest ever. The US has warned the North of "serious consequences" in
Estimates of the explosive yield of the latest blast have varied. South Korea's military said it was about 10 kilotonnes, enough to make it the North's "strongest nuclear test ever". Previous nuclear tests North Korea claims it successfully conducted were in 2006, 2009, 2013 and in January. The yield of the bombs appears to have increased. Other experts say initial indications suggest 20 kilotonnes or more. The bomb dropped by the US on Hiroshima in 1945 had a yield of about 15 kilotonnes. (BBC)
INTERNATIONAL PAGE 33
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Man Sets Fire To UK Muslim's sparked Dress On NYC's Fifth Avenue an outpouring of grief and anger. And last week two
A British woman's traditional Muslim clothing was set on fire on Fifth Avenue, New York police have said. The woman, who had been staying in a Manhattan hotel, was returning from sightseeing when she felt a warm spot on her arm, an officer told the BBC. She turned and saw her arm on fire and a man with a cigarette lighter. She was able to pat out the fire with her hands and did not suffer any injury. The attack at the weekend is being investigated as a possible hate crime. A police source confirmed to the BBC the woman is Scottish but would not confirm local reports she is a dentist from Glasgow. The woman was left with a hole the size of a 25-cent coin (about the size of a 2p-coin) on her sleeve, police said. They have footage of a man they suspect of the crime and are appealing for witnesses. When news emerged of the attack, the Council on American-Islamic Relations called upon the mayor to add resources to the city's hate crime investigation unit. "We are clearly seeing a spike in attacks on individual Muslims and Islamic institutions in New York and around the country, which should be of concern to all Americans," said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher. The murder of an imam and his aide in the borough of Queens in August, both shot in the head,
women who were pushing their babies in prams in a Brooklyn neighbourhood were attacked, and told they "don't belong here". The prams were knocked over but no-one was injured. (BBC)
Brexit Deal Needed Before 2019startElections - EU's Verhofstadt the next legislative cycle without agreement over UK
The European Parliament's lead negotiator on Brexit, Guy Verhofstadt, says the EU needs to have an agreement on UK withdrawal before the next European elections in May or June 2019. In a tweet he said: "Brexit should be delivered before 2019, when EU politics enters into new cycle & the @Europarl_EN starts new mandate." He will participate in the talks along with negotiators from the European Commission and the ministerial Council. The talks are likely to start in 2017. UK Prime Minister Theresa May says she will not trigger the Brexit mechanism - the EU's Article 50 - before next year, because detailed preparations are necessary. Mr Verhofstadt, previously prime minister of Belgium, told journalists in Strasbourg that the European Parliament would "have to give consent to the agreement as stated in Article 50 so it's wise the parliament is involved from the start of this process. "I want the UK to trigger Article 50 as s o o n a s possible, so we can finalise t h e s e negotiations by 2019. I can't imagine we
withdrawal." Mr Verhofstadt is sympathetic to the Scottish government's case for keeping Scotland in the EU. Whereas 52% voted to leave the EU in the UK as a whole, in Scotland 62% voted to remain. The UK is expected to have at least two sets of negotiations on Brexit - one to deal with the technicalities of withdrawal and another to cover the UK's future relations with the EU, including all-important trade ties. The latter is expected to take longer - some say it could take a decade. The technicalities will need to address areas such as the UK's EU budget contributions and UK staff in EU institutions and projects. Jump media playerMedia player help Holding European elections in 2019 without a Brexit deal would be difficult, because 73 of the European Parliament's 751 MEPs represent the UK. After Brexit those seats will have to be axed or redistributed among the other 27 member states. Free movement of people is expected to be a thorny issue, as the UK government has pledged to cut immigration from the EU. Mr Verhofstadt, leader of the liberal ALDE group in Europe, said "the position of the parliament is very clear - if the UK wants to remain part of the single market, it'll have to accept the free movement of our citizens. "In the opinion of parliament the four freedoms of the Union are inseparable." The other three freedoms are: free movement of capital, services and goods. (BBC)
FUN CORNER PAGE 34
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
TITANIC Word Search
CLASSIFIEDS PAGE 36
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
WANTED
VACANCY
VACANCY
VACANCY
VACANCY
FOR SALE
Fast growing Food Distributor seeking a Truck Driver. Must have Experience & Valid Police Clearance. For more information please call 2318344 / 223-1034 / 223-1035. **** One Receptionist. Must be Computer literate, 18 years or older. For more information call 231-6338.
Reputable & fast growing food importer & distributor seeking a Salesman. Must have experience & Valid Police Clearance For more information call 231-8344 / 223-1034 **** Fast growing local online Newspaper is seeking experienced ...
CORRESPON DENTS. For more information Please call 2265088 / 2265095 / 2265096. **** Fast growing reputable food Importer & Distributor seeking a Warehouse Worker. Must have Experience & Valid Police Clearance. For more info Please ...
call 231-8344 / 223-1034 **** One Pharmacy Assistant Please call 2315900 **** One Lab Assistant Please call 2315900 **** One Lab Technician Must have a Diploma in Medical Technology, be able to work as part of a fast ...
moving team. MUST BE LICENSED Please call 2315900
Eccles lot for sale. 50x100. $6M Please call 6387677
SERVICES Tattoo Removal, Laser Lipo, Hair Removal and more. For more information call Skin Care Clinic on Tel: 2315900.
HOROSCOPE PAGE 37
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Daily Horoscope
Secret affairs can only lead to devastating circumstances. Travel could include delays and other minor problems. Read some books on self awareness.
Don't be too quick to react. You are best not to retaliate if members of your household are trying to pick a fight. Romantic opportunities are evident.
Keep your thoughts to yourself for the time being. Secret enemies may be holding a grudge that you're not even aware of. Too much talk might lead to hassles.
Someone you live with may cause drastic alterations in your usual routine. If it can make you extra cash, it will be even better. Professionalism will be of utmost importance.
Pleasure trips will promote new romantic encounters. You could have a change of heart if an old flame waltzes back into your life. Major moves will be emotional and not necessarily to your benefit.
Don't fall for damaging rumors, and refuse to get involved in gossip. Make career changes that may increase your income. Your position may be in question if you haven't been pulling your weight.
Be courteous if you wish to avoid major delays. You will be able to contribute a great deal to organizations that you join. Your dramatic nature may be too much to handle.
Your involvement in organizational events could open doors to new and exciting opportunities. Call someone you haven't seen in a long time. You must avoid gossip and focus on what you have to do.
Do not lend money to friends, or contribute more than necessary to groups unworthy of your cash. Property investments will payoff. Your emotional state could leave you vulnerable and confused.
Your mate could get on your nerves if he or she backs you into an emotional comer or puts restrictions on your time. Controversial subjects should be avoided at all costs. Don't let those close to you get under your skin.
You may have difficulties with family members if you get involved in petty arguments. Physical limitations are possible if you aren't careful. Take a short business trip if possible.
Your emotional partner will push the right buttons today. You will be able to catch up on overdue paper work. Your ability to be practical in business will help.
ROYALSEA
CANNEDPRODUCTS T U N A I NVEGETABLEOI L
S A R D I N E S I NTOMATOSAUCE
JACK MA C K E R E L I NTOMATOSAUCE L OT8RUI MVE L DT , I NDUST RI A LE ST A T EGE ORGE T OWN| T E L #: 2 2 31 034 / 2 2 31 035E MA I L : SUP E RF OODSGY . COM
RECIPE PAGE 39
GUYANA DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
RECIPE OF THE DAY: MINI EGGPLANT PIZZAS Ingredients 1 eggplant - 3 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into 4 half-inch thick slices 4 teaspoons COCAMAR* cooking oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup pasta sauce 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
**Imported and distributed by SUPERFOODS Preparation Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees F. Brush both sides of the eggplant with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until browned and almost tender, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Spread 1 tablespoon of pasta sauce on each eggplant slice. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.
PAGE
PAGE 40
Audits Done And Available - Cameron Responds To Former WICB Presidents President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron, has come out swinging at the appeals of former presidents and officials of his organisation who have asked that CARICOM do a forensic audit on the organisation. According to the president, there is no need for a forensic audit because the finances of the WICB are a matter of public record. Cameron says anybody who wants to look, can go to windiescricket.com. “Since Dave Cameron has become president of the West Indies Cricket Board, we have strengthened our internal audit process and governance so we have now, a committee called an audit risk and compliance. We have the services of PricewaterhouseCoopers and we have quarterly meetings and our auditors KMPG so all of our accounts are on the website for full viewing for everybody and that’s my response to that,” said Cameron. Former presidents Ken Gordon and Pat Rousseau have said the future of West Indies cricket is in jeopardy if things are left unchecked, the former going as far as calling the present board, 'untouchable'. However, Cameron insists that his organisation has been more transparent and open to change than any previous body. “When we took over three years ago we went to Caricom and we asked Caricom to play a bigger role and have us come and report to Caricom on a quarterly basis and they have not seized the opportunity but we are always here. We think Caricom is a very important partner, government in particular and we continue to believe that and we operate in that manner,” he said. (SportsMax
Terry Out Of Liverpool, Leicester Games With Foot Injury John Terry will miss Chelsea's matches versus Liverpool and Leicester City after sustaining a foot injury. Chelsea captain John Terry has been ruled out of action for approximately 10 days after it was confirmed he has strained ligaments in his foot. Terry sustained the injury in the closing stages of Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw at Swansea City, but managed to see out the match. Head coach Antonio Conte confirmed after the game that the former England captain would require further medical assessment.
And Chelsea announced on their official website that Terry will need around 10 days to recover, which will rule him out of Friday's league encounter against Liverpool and next Tuesday's League Cup clash with Leicester City. Terry's absence may pave the way for David Luiz to make his second debut for Chelsea following his deadline-day move back to Stamford Bridge, while fellow new boy Marcos Alonso is another option to deputise. (SportsMax)
Zidane Expects Tough Tests For European Champions Madrid Opponents will be motivated to dethrone Real Madrid as European champions, says Zinedine Zidane ahead of taking on Sporting CP. Zinedine Zidane refused to label his side as favourites as Real Madrid prepare to defend their Champions League crown. A penalty shootout win over city rivals Atletico in Milan gave Madrid their 11th European title in May. They return to continental action against Sporting CP at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday but Zidane feels last season will do little to enhance his team's chances of glory, while furnishing opponents with extra motivation. "I wouldn't say we are favourites," the French World Cup-winner told a prematch news conference. "There are a lot of teams who can win it. You have to compete, you have to play. We are ready and we have a tough game against a good footballing side who will turn up looking to put in a good performance. "Being in the Champions League comes with the job. The players know the objective out on the pitch is to always win. "If we're taking part in a game it is to win. It's to advance, to go further, to improve. "We know it's not meant to be easy. In fact, it will be harder than last season because whenever you go to play at a stadium against any team you are the defending champions. I think every single game will be tough, starting with Wednesday night's fixture." No team has retained the Champions League since the tournament rebranded and switched to a group-stage format and Zidane feels a weight of expectation has played a part in this peculiarity. "After you've won a title, people expect more from you," he said. "They expect you to win again. "Every game is harder because demands are greater and we expect a very complicated game [against Sporting]. "The secret to success is to work hard every day, be ready." Zidane added: "I know I've got a great team, a great squad, great players and if we all work a bit more each day I'm sure we'll have a greater chance of accomplishing all our objectives." (SpotsMax)
PAGE
PAGE 42
Doi, Wickmayer Flop In Tokyo To Leave Draw Wide Open Misaki Doi and Yanina Wickmayer fell at the first hurdle in Tokyo, but there was a routine opening-round win for Sweden's Johanna Larsson. The top two seeds at the Japan Women's Open, Misaki Doi and Yanina Wickmayer, each suffered first-round exits in Tokyo on Tuesday. World number 35 Doi went down 7-5 6-3 in her home city to Aliaksandra Sasnovich, a player 75 places below her in the WTA rankings. Sasnovich will now face Alison Riske. Defending champion Wickmayer also slumped to a straight-sets defeat in the hard-court event, losing 6-1 7-6 (9-7) to Viktorija Golubic - the champion on clay in Gstaad earlier this year. Fourth seed Johanna Larsson was able to book her place in round two, where Varvara Lepchenko awaits the Swede, courtesy of a 6-3 6-2 triumph over Sabine Lisicki. Katerina Siniakova was a 6-1 6-4 victor over Antonia Lottner, while the day's action concluded with a hard-fought victory for qualifier Jang Su-jeong over Zheng Saisai. (SportsMax)
"We're here, we're taking part so, yes, there is a chance [Madrid will win] like all teams who are taking part in the tournament. "No team has won successive Champions League titles but our job is to try and win the Champions League." (SportsMax)
Jones Seeking To Tap Into Team GB Success
Marcelo: Ronaldo Is Number One, No Doubt Cristiano Ronaldo has no need to convince Real Madrid team-mate Marcelo that he is the best player in the world. Real Madrid full-back Marcelo insists there is "no doubt" that Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world. Ronaldo is favourite to scoop his fourth Ballon d'Or in January after helping Madrid and Portugal to Champions League and Euro 2016 glory respectively this year. The 31-year-old responded tersely to ex-Barcelona midfielder Xavi stating Lionel Messi remains the world's premier footballer, and Marcelo believes the number one is in the same colours as him. Speaking ahead of Madrid beginning their Champions League defence against Ronaldo's boyhood club Sporting CP, the Brazil international said: "Everyone wants to talk about Ronaldo. I see him work every day and I think he's the best. "It isn't just what I think. I think it's what many people believe. "He's won three Ballons d'Or and he works really hard for the team. "There is plenty more to come from Ronaldo. He's is still young and he's a great teammate. "He is number one in the world, there is no doubt." Madrid will aim to become the first team of to retain the Champions League since the competition rebranded from the European Cup and adopted a group-stage format, having won a record 11th title at the expense of city rivals Atletico Madrid last season. "We've got to try and build on last season," Marcelo said. "It's is still early days with our objectives that we are trying to accomplish. "It will be a tough season, just like last season. It is not easy to win the Champions League but we are on the right path.
After seeing Team GB perform so strongly at Rio 2016, Eddie Jones said: "There are a number of sports to look at and to learn from." England rugby union head coach Eddie Jones is seeking to ensure his side benefit from Great Britain's success at the Rio Olympics. Jones has enjoyed a wonderful start to his tenure, with a first Six Nations Grand Slam for England since 2003 followed up with an historic 3-0 Test series victory in Australia earlier this year. Nevertheless, the 56-year-old has reiterated his belief that there remains plenty of room for improvement and is looking to other sports - including several that helped Team GB to an impressive haul of 67 medals in Rio - as a result. "As we said at the end of the tour [of Australia], we've got to get better. We haven't done anything yet, we're not number one in the world so we've still got a lot to aspire to," said Jones, speaking as a brand ambassador for Mitsubishi Motors, announced on Tuesday as the Official Performance Partner to England Rugby. “We've been working really hard with our coaching staff on how we can coach better because we didn't coach well enough on the tour. Although we're happy with the result we're not happy with our performances on tour. We need to coach better, so our coaching staff has been working very hard investigating other sports. "Obviously with Great Britain doing so well in the Olympics there are a number of sports to look at and to learn from. We've had people come in and talk to the staff, so it's been very much about how we can get better, how we can coach better." Danny Kerry, the coach of GB's triumphant women's hockey team, is among those to have been sought out by Jones. "I think if you look at it on face value, the talent of that team compared to the Holland team [who Britain beat in the final in Rio] was probably not as great, so his ability to create such a dynamic and hardworking team was fascinating," said Jones of Kerry. "We'll learn a lot from him. We aim to visit judo in a couple of weeks, we've had conversations with the cycling they're the main ones at this stage." Reflecting on the opening weeks of the Premiership season, Jones had high praise for defending champions Saracens and the Vunipola brothers, Billy and Mako, in particular. Jones also suggested Sarries fly-half Alex Lozowski, who has impressed deputising for the injured Owen Farrell, could yet earn international honours. "Everyone's chasing Saracens and they're doing it in a very good way," added the Australian. "They're well-coached, the players are professional, they're expanding their game, they're bringing young players in, the young 10 [Lozowski] has come in for Owen Farrell and they haven't missed a beat. "It's a great example of how you can bring young players through and develop them. And he might be a guy who comes through and makes the England squad. Who knows? He's got talent." (SportsMax)
PAGE
PAGE 43
Rogers Backs Marsh To Iniesta Tips Guardiola's City Retain Test Opening Role For Champions League Tilt Chris Rogers is a fan of Joe Burns but believes Shaun Marsh may have made an "irresistible" case for selection in Australia's next Test. Former Australia opener Chris Rogers feels Shaun Marsh should be the man to partner David Warner at the top of the order in November's first Test against South Africa in Perth. Marsh was recalled for Australia's third and final Test in Sri Lanka last month and made 130 in the first innings, albeit in a losing cause as the hosts wrapped up a 3-0 series whitewash. That knock from Marsh followed a score of 182 in his previous Test outing, against West Indies in December 2015. Rogers therefore believes it would be extremely harsh if Marsh were to lose his place again, even though fellow opener Joe Burns made two centuries in four matches prior to registering four low scores in Sri Lanka. "I like Joe Burns and have a lot of time for him, but Shaun, in his last two Test matches he's got hundreds," Rogers told Cricket Australia's website. "To not get picked would be very difficult for him [Marsh], particularly with the Indian tour looming where you'd back him to be one of the first picked now. "Maybe he's going to be irresistible [to select], although I wouldn't discount what Joe's got to offer. He still has the ability to learn and get better and get away from those tours and think about where he went wrong. "But perhaps maybe in this point in time Shaun might just edge it over Joe." Although Burns failed to reach double figures in three of his four knocks against Sri Lanka, Rogers has tipped the 27-year-old to bounce back. "I think he's got so much time ahead of him," said Rogers, who made his Test debut at the age of 30 but did not make the second of his 25 international appearances until he was almost 36. "It's easy to get frustrated and down on yourself and question where you're at but what he achieved last summer in particular [scoring hundreds against West Indies and New Zealand] was impressive. "There's no way he'd be going back to the end of the queue. He's one of the next few in. "There's a lot of motivation for him. Sometimes you've just got to accept that players are allowed to play well and jump above you and that just makes you want to be a better player." (SportsMax)
Ter Stegen Returns For Celtic Clash Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has recovered from a hamstring injury and is set to return in goal as Barcelona host Celtic in the Champions League. Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is poised to return to action in Tuesday's Champions League opener against Celtic. Ter Stegen is now Barcelona's first-choice keeper following Claudio Bravo's switch to Manchester City, although he sat out Saturday's shock LaLiga defeat to Alaves with hamstring trouble. Dutch international Jasper Cillessen made his Barca debut in his absence but is now expected to drop to the bench for the visit of the Scottish champions. It means third-choice goalkeeper Jordi Masip joins midfielder Denis Suarez and defenders Jeremy Mathieu and Aleix Vidal in missing out on the matchday 18. (SportsMax)
Barcelona must keep their focus on the Champions League opener against Celtic, says Andres Iniesta, who expects Manchester City to impress. Andres Iniesta expects Manchester City to be challenging for Champions League glory under Pep Guardiola. Iniesta remains a fulcrum of the era of success Guardiola set in motion in 2008-09 at Barcelona, where the Catalan giants beat Manchester United in the Champions League final to complete a sensational treble. Guardiola had the better of his latest clash with United in the Premier League on Saturday, as City made it six wins from as many competitive fixtures under his stewardship in a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford. Next up are Borussia Monchengladbach in Champions League Group C – a section City also share with Barca and Celtic "When the group was drawn it was inevitable that much would be made about Pep returning to Barcelona again - but that is not what this group is about," Iniesta told Goal. "It is a group with four very strong teams - and it would be disrespectful to make it all about Pep and Barcelona. "What Pep has done for the club will always be remembered, but he is the coach of Manchester City now - and I believe with their quality and Pep's leadership they will be a club that will be challenging for the Champions League this season." Iniesta will put thoughts of that reunion on the backburner, however, with Luis Enrique's side aiming to bounce back from a shock defeat to Alaves over the weekend when they take on the Scottish champions at Camp Nou. "For the players we are not even thinking about Pep's return, we are focused on Celtic. They are playing some good attacking football, they have a new coach, and from experience we know they always play with spirit," he added. "They are not going to give us an easy game, we want to start with a win, our focus is on nothing but this game." (SportsMax)
T20 Players Putting Test Cricket At Risk - Sir Vivian Richards Cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards has lambasted cricketers who only focus on the shortest format for financial gain, not recognising that it is killing Test cricket, the very essence of the sport. Claiming that T20 cricket lacked substance, Sir Vivian accused players of just wanting to play for money. “The attraction of Big Bash and IPL leagues is too strong and they are truly ignoring the spirit of the game,” said the man they called the Master Blaster. “They must remember that at the very beginning, Test cricket was all we had, and then the shorter formats came much later.” He said there needs to be greater control over the movement towards the shorter form of the game if Test cricket is to remain relevant. “All of the great players of this game - the Gavaskars, the Tendulkars, the Bradmans - they have come from Test cricket. And if we put too much emphasis on other formats, we will lose all those great performances over the years. Tests are the caviar of cricket, and the administrators need to lay a strong foundation here.” He added that if players kept skipping one format to play in another more financially lucrative format, then that will only create a mass exodus of players who just want to play T20 cricket. “It will ultimately kill off Test cricket then,” he said. (SportsMax)
PAGE
PAGE 45
Guyana Basketballers Benefit From Exposure Guyana’s club-level basketball players are expected to benefit from a series of matches against the best clubs in Suriname. The first set of matches were played on September 3 and 4 when Guyanese clubs, TGH Pacesetters and Bounty Colts played Suriname’s number-two club De Arend. “Clubs which had indicated interest in being a part of such an initiative would be travelling to Guyana and vice versa,” said Michael Singh, Vice President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation. Singh said the exchange works on two levels – it allows senior Guyanese players to expose their talent, while also giving them the chance to improve on their respective talents. “It is something different, usually it’s Linden versus Georgetown or Georgetown versus Linden and there is no opportunity to improve, since everyone is accustomed to playing against each other,” Singh said, revealing that De Arend was made up of U-19 players who had played in the recent Senior Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships. Meanwhile, Guyana’s Senior National team is expected to travel to Jamaica later in the year for a series against the hosts. (SportsMax)
Abby Wambach: I Abused Alcohol, Prescription Drugs For Years Abby Wambach says she abused alcohol and prescription drugs for years until her arrest for driving under the influence in April. "I was stubborn and I was in denial," soccer's most prolific international goal scorer told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I didn't want to face the truth." In "Forward," her memoir set for release on Tuesday, the retired U.S. national team star recounts her career, from the lows of losing her high school championship to the highs of winning the Women's World Cup last year. She also chronicles her high-profile marriage to fellow soccer player Sarah Huffman and the struggles they faced. And she tells of her bouts with vodka and pills, which included Vicodin, Ambien and Adderall. Chapters in the book are words that she has been labeled: tomboy, captain, lesbian, and yes, addict. "That night getting arrested was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Because if I don't get so publicly shamed and publicly humiliated, I don't think I wake up," she said as she prepared for a book tour. "I think I was asleep for a lot of years. Asleep to the pleas from my family and friends, and even myself, to get help. So that night I was humiliated enough to wake up." With 184 goals, Wambach is the leading career scorer — male or female — in international soccer. She retired in December after 15 years with the U.S. women's national team. She says she has been sober since the night she was pulled over in Portland, Oregon, after dinner with friends. It was her rock bottom: Her mugshot was everywhere the next morning. This was not what she imagined her legacy to be. Wambach said that night was a culmination of events as her life spiraled out of control. Her marriage was on the rocks, she was wrestling with her retirement and her direction, and she had just taken a new job with ESPN. She issued a statement on Facebook after she was released from jail the next morning, taking full responsibility for her actions and apologizing to her friends, family and fans. In the aftermath, MINI USA withdrew her from its advertising. She pleaded guilty, agreeing to enter a diversion program for first-time offenders that included treatment. In the book, she never pins down a moment that alcohol and drugs started to become a problem. Like so many who have shared her experience, it developed over time. Those closest to her tried to reach out, including Huffman, fellow national team player Sydney Leroux and friend Kara Mirarchi. "Not only was I hiding this secret from the world for so long, so were the people that I loved — they loved me so fiercely they wanted to protect me as much as possible, almost from myself. Sarah was definitely
one of my saving graces because she was one of the first people in my life who made me aware of the problems that I was having," Wambach said. "And this was years ago. This isn't something that just snuck up on me when I retired from soccer. This is something I've been dealing with for years now." Wambach capped her illustrious career with the sport's most prestigious championship when the United States defeated Japan 5-2 in Canada last summer for the Women's World Cup. It was the third World Cup title for the U.S. women and first since 1999. The FIFA World Player of the Year in 2012, Wambach appeared in four World Cups with the national team. She also has a pair of Olympic gold medals from the 2004 Games in Athens and the 2012 Games in London. She did not compete in the Beijing Games because of a broken leg. Wambach announced her retirement last October and played her last match with the team in December, a 1-0 victory tour loss to China in New Orleans. She said she looks back at pictures from that game and her eyes seem hollow. Wambach became more active tackling social and political issues in the later years of her career, and has been outspoken about gender equity in particular. She led a group of players in protesting FIFA's decision to play the 2015 World Cup on artificial turf, which is considered by many to be inferior to grass. In retirement, she has campaigned for Hillary Clinton for president. She also has a weekly podcast and other work for ESPN. But most importantly, she's working on becoming a "whole human being" now that she's not numbing herself. Wambach and Huffman, whose kiss following the World Cup victory became one of the most memorable photos of the tournament, could not work out their differences and are divorcing. In her interview with the AP, Wambach was far less guarded than she'd been in past conversations. After earlier this year proclaiming "I don't get nervous," her emotions were more on the surface as she sincerely admitted her foibles. "It's really hard to talk about things when you're ashamed," she said. "And I'm not ashamed about what happened to me anymore because it led me to where I'm at right now. I'm proud of where I'm at." (SportsMax)