GNN Online Newspaper - Dec 03, 2015

Thursday December 03, 2015

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VENEZUELAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT presence TODAY SPARKS

INVESTIGATION

Teacher found hanging from electric cord -PAGE 2

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Dead man identified as missing Crane taxi driver The body that was found this morning at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, has been identified as that of missing taxi driver, 57 year old Colin Clarke.

The man who reportedly began driving taxi some two months ago, was missing since Friday last. According to information, the police are suspecting foul play might have been involved.

There are unconfirmed reports

which suggest that the man may have been strangled.

Clarke who was hired by the mother of one of his children, would normally return the vehicle to the woman’s home each day after working. However, relatives became suspicious when they found out the car was not returned on time and calls to his phone went unanswered.

The body was discovered fully clad along with his sliver chain still around his neck.

This has led investigators to believe that, if foul play was involved, the motive could be theft of the car he was driving.

His car has not been found. Clarke leaves to mourn his three children and other relatives and friends.

The police investigations are ongoing.

Colin Clarke

Teacher found hanging

from electric cord A twenty one yearold teacher, Romel Benjamin, from Region One, but who has been teaching at the Bartica Secondary School for some time, was found dead this morning.

His body was discovered dangling from an electric cord.

The incident is alleged to be an act

Romel Benjamin

of suicide committed sometime between last evening and this morning and took place in the Teachers’ dorm. The dorm which is in proximity of the school, accommodates Teachers who are from outside of the Bartica community.

Not much details were available

and an official correspondence from the police has not yet been received.

GNN is still trying to ascertain what subject area Benjamin taught and how long he would have been attached to the Bartica Secondary School.

N o information has

been forthcoming regarding whether he displayed any visible sign of depression.

The police are continuing their investigations into the matter.

PPP accuses gov’t of syphoning monies off for Local Gov’t Elections

Anil Nandlall

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall is accusing the government of using monies from the ongoing cleanup of Georgetown project to fund its campaign

for the upcoming Local Government E l e c t i o n s .

He noted that this is the reason for monies used for the cleanup not being published.

He said “Our information is that huge sums of money from this project are being siphoned off to be used for Local Government Elections and that is the reason why there is an absence of transparency and accountability.”

In this regard, the opposition is pressing for the spending to be made public.

“We are simply asking for information to be made public regarding the expenditure of public funds, millions of

which are being spent to clean up the city of Georgetown (an exercise we support) but there is absolutely no accountability.

We are not told what these projects are. We have our suspicion that monies are being siphoned off to go towards funding election campaign for Local Government Elections,” he said.

During a press conference yesterday, Nandlall questioned; “how much money has been spent thus far “and from whence it has been sourced; how many

contractors have been given contracts and what are the value of these contracts; by what process, if any, were these contracts awarded; were these contractors also handpicked?”

P r e v i o u s l y, GNN approached the Public Relations Officer of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC); Debra Lewis on the matter.

When asked how projects are issued, she noted that “We have in place the tender committee and so all of the applications will

have to go through, even though it will go to the Town Clerk’s office, it goes to the tender board committee where it is chaired by the Mayor and has several other councilors and senior officers as a part of it…and the selection is made”.

She also stated that the monies are being made available from the Ministry of Communities but not all at once but how it is needed and the other sums is provided by the M&CC.

Ban on Styrofoam crucial for green development of Guyana – EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which falls under the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (DNRE), yesterday began its public awareness campaign aimed at promoting the use of Alternative Products to closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam, popularly known as the brand Styrofoam, for the achievement of a cleaner, greener Guyana.

This campaign begins as the Government moves ahead with the planned implementation of the

effective date to ensure the ban is legally enforced.

Executive Director of the EPA, Dr. Indarjit Ramdass said that the green future of the country was dependent on the ban of this material.

“The sustainability of our environment is the foundation upon which the Government of Guyana’s Green and Sustainable Economy, Five Stage Plan is founded.

Through this Plan, positive measures are to be taken to ensure the conservation, protection and improvement

Ramesh Dookhoo, Private Sector Commission (PSC) Representative

ban on the importation and use of Styrofoam, as of January 1, 2016, in keeping with the thrust to promote a green economy and environment.

The proposed Expanded Polystyrene Ban Regulation is being finalised before the

of the environment for the benefit of all.

In compliance with these mandates, the Environmental Protection Agency has a legal responsibility to develop and seek the enactment of legislation to directly address situations and activities

that can adversely affect the environment and the general health and safety of the Guyanese public,” Dr. Ramdass said He noted that in Guyana, Styrofoam makes up about 2-5 percent of the waste stream and is most popularly used in the food service industry. The improper disposal of the single use item has been, and remains a threat to human health and the wider environment, incurring clean up and disposal costs amounting to millions of dollars, a cost borne by the tax paying public.

“Styrofoam is nonbiodegradable and takes at least 500 years to decompose. This is evident in the drains, roadsides and other public places where Styrofoam products are littered. The Styrofoam products, along with other materials, clog the drains, restricting proper drainage and contribute to flooding and the proliferation of vector-borne diseases.

In addition to the abovementioned impacts, the use and disposal of Styrofoam places [a] severe economic burden on the public coffers and society,” he said.

Noting that the Agency is cognizant of the fact that the key to

Dr. Indarjit Ramdass, Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

the implementation of the Styrofoam ban is education and awareness of the relevant stakeholders and the public, it will

Calling on the government to review the penalties for

the possession of marijuana, a group of persons including the

Rastafarian Council, today hosted a protest at the office of Attorney

Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo, who delivered brief remarks, said that that sector was cognizant of importance of a green and clean

A section of the participants at this morning’s public awareness session

be embarking on an extensive campaign to inform persons of their

Group calls for Gov’t to review marijuana laws

Protestors outside of Attorney General’s office

roles and responsibilities and to garner public participation and support in the implementation of the ban.

In the meantime,

General Basil Williams.

Head of the Rastafarian Council Ras Simeon told reporters that he wants the judiciary to take it easy on persons found with marijuana, suggesting community service or a fine for persons found with marijuana as opposed to being sentenced to prison.

Simeon said that effectively the system has stymied the fundamental rights since it tramples on their religious freedom.

“Our rights being violated, it is a violation….we can’t get to practice our culture.

former Chairman and representative of the Private Sector

environment and as such, welcomed the initiative.

(Adapted from GINA)

The culture of Rastafari is to use the holy herb as a sacrament,” said Simeon.

Prominent Political Activist Mark Benschop who was also present is urging that the APNU+AFC keep its campaign promise of revisiting marijuana laws.

“The President has promised to revisit this sentencing with regards to Marijuana during the course of the campaign…what these people are saying is look Mr. President please look into this situation right now.

Have the law amended to protect these persons rights,” said Benschop.

He stated that the government could impose a limit that would allow persons to have up to a specified amount of marijuana legally.

The protest came light of the recent sentencing of local footballer, Vibert Butts to three years in jail after he pleaded guilty to the possession of 46 grams of marijuana with the intent to traffic.

Another protest is planned for Friday December 4 at the High Court when the appeal case for Butts is heard for the first time.

PPP/C explains refusal to attend budget talks

Gail Teixeira

The Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has explained its reason for refusing to attend a meeting with the government on preparation for the 2016 budget.

PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira said the invitation was received on a very short notice, hence the party turned down the request.

“The government has a habit if giving you very short notice on these consultations,” she said.

According to Ms. Teixeira, the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government is in the habit of sending late notices to the party whenever it is seeking an engagement. “There

have been quite a few of them, not just to do with budget other issues where we’re told the night before, a day and a half before and stuff like this.”

With regard to the budget consultation, the PPP/C Chief Whip said it was not a case whereby there was going to be a negotiation or “back and forth.” She said the government

was engaging a number of organisations on the 2016 budget and the PPP/C was invited as one of those.

She made reference to the consultations for the 2015 budget when the PPP/C was called on another short notice. “Prior to the 2015 budget they just called you up and said you can bring your ideas, it wasn’t an engagement,” Teixeira added.

The PPP was expected to attend a budget consultation session with the government last Friday but cancelled the meeting late Thursday.

The party also demanded that the government release the reports of several forensic audits and the GuySuCo Commission of Inquiry report then it will participate in

budget consultations.

The government has indicated that it is looking to present an early budget next year, possibly in January.

However, the opposition believes that this will not be a wise move since most of the projects in the 2015 budget have not being implemented.

PPP/C Member of Parliament, Irfaan Ali believes that should this happen, there will be an “implementation crisis.”

“From what we have been hearing and from the information we have, a substantial percentage of the 2015 budget has not been spent and you’re having a budget coming in 2016 so you’ll have what we call a crisis of implementation,” he explained.

He said the

coalition government has also signaled its intention to present the 2017 Budget in 2016, a move he condemned.

According to the former Minister, having two budget in one year will create further chaos in terms of implementation.

He said while he is supportive of early budgets, however, under the circumstance of lagging behind with projects it is not a wise thing to do. “You will have an implementation crisis if you have all of the projects rolling over into 2016 and then you have an early budget, that’s my fear.

You will have a capacity overload,” Ali said.

6 families to challenge hospitals

over maternal deaths Six families who would have recently experienced the death of a family member during or after child birth is turning to the legal system for justice. This was disclosed by Attorneyat-law Anil Nandlall who is representing the defendants.

During a press conference yesterday, Nandlall stated that maternal deaths are of grave concern and needs to be addressed.

“I Attorney-at-law in private practice, have been retained and requested the Medical Council of Guyana to investigate about six of these deaths and legal action will be filed soon” Nandlall said.

Responding to questions that his involvement in the matter is making it political, given his position within the Opposition People’s Progressive Party, the Attorney said “That is a very unfortunate interpretation of what I am doing”.

It was recently publicized that a young couple is suing the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for $20 million after their baby fell off a cot and sustained a fractured skull and the formation of

a blood clot in the brain in early November at the institution. The GPHC claimed that the baby fell off the cot, however other reports stated that the baby was allegedly dropped by a nurse at the facility.

This is one of the cases being filed by Nandlall.

According to reports, several other lawsuits are pending for both public and private hospitals across the country including the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, the Suddie Public Hospital and the Davis Memorial Hospital for instances of alleged medical negligence, malpractice and professional misconduct, which resulted in maternal and neonatal deaths or injuries.

Nandlall called on the government to address the issue soon pointing to parts of the coalition manifesto which he said promised to “modernize the regional hospitals to provide vital medical service such as safe deliveries. Six month after, our babies are dying like nits. Put patients first by introducing a patient’s Bill of rights; I am unsure about this but ‘m thinking it is a legislation that will take the welfare of the

parent and child into consideration and seems to be a good measure. What steps have been taken so far to have this bill in effect?”

Also at the press conference was Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira who noted that “the issue of Maternal Death is unacceptable, whether our administration when it was taking place or under this administration and the fact is the manner in which it is being addressed; we had the maternal mortality monitoring committee, we had a cabinet subcommittee which specifically addressed this; there were mechanisms to investigate and also disapprove, in fact one or two doctors ended up being from outside of the public system and ended sent to the Medical Council and being suspended”.

Speaking as a former Minister of Health, Teixeira stated that “one of the issue that has always plagued us in Guyana is that the Private Hospitals are supposed to report on all deaths including maternal deaths and there has seem to be a reluctance in which the private hospitals report so obviously the public bodies are exposed…when

Anil Nandlall

you look at the calculation and what goes to the UN bodies, to reporting reflects Guyana and not just Public Health institutions”.

She added that “the concerns of women going to the clinics earlier and being properly monitored at clinics and the primary health care facilities referring them to the public hospital, the information reach the press that the women were high risk mothers that should’ve been monitored at the regional hospitals, it appears that the specialists seems to be uninterested and negligent in referring

to these cases and dealing with them appropriately”.

Teixeira stated that while it is a person’s right to go to the court if they are not satisfied the Medical Council addressing the issue, “One of the major problems with anything going to the medical council is that it is a small society and if you’re going to court, you have to find another specialist to give evidence against a doctor and that has been; for the past 30 or 40 years, I don’t know when a doctor have gone to court to defend the victim or patient who is going against another

doctor… so the cases are extremely difficult”.

There has been several maternal deaths and injuries in recent months which caused the Health system to come in for much flogging.

Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, had stated that his ministry has launched investigations in each case of maternal deaths at public institutions.

The Ministry has also been working to get more specialists at the various institutions with the aim of bettering the systems to avoid recurrences.

Reintroduction of Moruca Credit -Over $4M in outstanding Scheme likely in 2016 payments recorded

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock

Over $4M in payments is still outstanding by 88 residents of Moruka who would have been granted funds through the Moruka Credit and Development Trust for small business development in the community.

The initial funds which totaled $23M were disbursed under the People’s progressive Party

(PPP) and had benefitted 293 residents who would have made proposals for small business ventures. However, since the discontinuation some three years ago, 88 residents are still to repay their debt.

The loan initiative was geared towards benefitting small businesses that struggle to access loans from

financial institutions due to the lack of adequate collateral or rigid burrowing requirements.

The credit scheme primarily supported economic ventures.

One of the major setbacks, that were highlighted, was the selection process where a lot of people did not qualify for the loans. The conditions

under which the loans were accessible followed similar requirements for other loans, including the assessment of collateral of the person burrowing.

Having been deemed by Toasho of the Village Sherwin Abrams as being necessary, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, during a visit to the community yesterday, committed to reviving the credit fund. According to the Minister, there is a possibility that the Ministry will explore the option of expanding the initial total of the fund from $23M to $100M. In addition, the Board of the credit scheme is required to outline the list of requirements necessary for granting these loans so there would

be no favouritism emanating from the granting process. It was recommended too, by several officials that the composition of the Board be reexamined, and persons au fait which business operations and management expertise be utilized in this regard.

“We need to have a plan which will project and realize growth. Put aside all political and religious differences for the success of the trust. Most times these things fail because of personality clashes, so we cannot be like crabs in a barrel if this is going to be a success” Minister Allicock told the officials.

He highlighted the fact too that in hinterland communities like Moruka, if support is given by all stakeholders, whether financial,

moral or otherwise, then ultimately, the communities and families stand to benefit.

Attending the session too was Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibilities for Regional Development, Dawn Hasting-Williams who underscored the importance of such ventures to the development of the community, the region and the country as a whole.

She explained that the aim of the Ministry is to empower the local democratic organs and support developmental initiatives such as these which will lead to self-sustenance and economic viability.

No delay in release of Audit reports-Harmon

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

State Minister Joseph Harmon has refuted claims that there is a delay in the release of the reports coming out of the forensic audits that were conducted in a number of state agencies.

At his weekly post-cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, Harmon explained that the process usually takes time.

“I don’t know what you perceive to be

delays but what I can say is that when these matters get to Cabinet, Cabinet will deal with them. Let me just explain…when an audit is done the entity which orders it receives that

Following complaints from farmers at Hope Estate that increased land rent is being imposed on them, GNN contacted the Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder who noted that this decision is to make the estate viable again.

He noted that as it is, the Estate is bankrupt and needs to be self-sufficient.

“Farmers over the years,

under the previous administration has been paying low rent for acres of land, like $2000 per year per acre and this has been ongoing for years until the new administration took over. When we look at that, it is really not sustainable and Hope Estate is almost bankrupt now, because the monies that you get from farmers is not enough to even

finance the few staff they have” the minister said.

He added that “most farmers have no problem with the increase…We’re trying to make Hope Estate viable again”.

D u r i n g interview with GNN earlier in the week, some farmers at the Hope Estate claimed that the Chairman of Hope Coconut Industries

report, the entity will do some evaluation of it and then I believe the board of that entity has to have an opportunity to also study that report,” Harmon stated.

Further, he explained that it is then taken by the subject Minister to Cabinet.

According to the Minister, “I do not understand that there is any delay in it.’

Harmon said the subject Minister has to prepare a report or an opinion based on the findings of the audit so that Cabinet would get the benefit of not just the audit but also the reaction of the Minister or Ministry.

“The audit work is not something you rush, sometimes you have statements that are made that needs to be followed up and this has

been my experience in looking at these things.

You need to have follow up, you need to have checks because the auditors may have come to certain conclusions without the benefit of all of the information,” the government spokesman reasoned.

The coalition government was criticised by former President Bharrat Jagdeo on Saturday last when he pointed out its failure to release the forensic audit reports to the public in a timely manner Addressing a media conference at Freedom House, the opposition leader called on the government to swiftly release the findings.

Jagdeo questioned “where is the audit report for the Hope Canal too? I thought they would have come up with a report

for the Specialty Hospital before they decide to move forward…another audit there because that was supposed to be corrupt. And the NICIL report why isn’t that being released along with the response by NICIL? The A Partnership or National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) administration began expending some GYD$133M on a number of forensic audits when it took office in May since it accused the previous administration of massive corruption.

The only report released so far is that of Carifesta X. Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma had told this publication that some of the audit were completed and that he was awaiting the completion a few others.

Increased rents at Hope Estate justified – Agri. Minister Board of Directors, single-handedly increased the rent for land at the location from $3000 to $15, 000 per acre without consultation with the farmers or other Members of the Board.

H o w e v e r chairman of the Board; Dr. Lamei Aowmathi stated that consultations were held with the Board members.

The farmers

are claiming that they cannot afford to pay the increased sum which will take effect from 2016. In addition, they claimed that the price they get for their produce does

implementing and monitoring the project in over 55 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, three Municipalities and Village Councils.

The Ministry says, this is to “empower and equip Local Democratic Organs” while the Ministry’s involvement in the project is monitoring and provision of resources.

Chairperson of

Lethem Municipality; Carlton Beckles says “prior to the introduction of CIIP the Municipality was unable to hire labourers to clean the environment since the Municipality does not collect rates.”

He noted that the project has helped to reduce the financial burden of paying to clean the cemetery and parks.

The Linden Municipality has been benefiting similarly from CIIP. Besides the benefits

Minister Noel Holder

not make it feasible to be paying increased rents.

The Hope Estate which was formerly used to cultivate coconut is being rented to rice and cash crop farmers.

Municipalities benefitting from Community Infrastructure Improvement Project With the Municipalities now being responsible for the implementation of the Community Infrastructure

Improvement Project (CIIP), over 300 persons were employed in Linden and Lethem to assist.

According to a statement

from the Ministry of Communities, “Some enhancement services the workers are expected to provide to communities are cleaning of drains and parapets, cleaning of burial grounds, and carrying out minor routine maintenance works.”

The CIIP was introduced under the former Ministry of Housing, and is responsible for

of clean communities, the project has provided employment opportunities for hundreds of persons, particularly single parent women.

S o m e communities that benefited thus far from CIIP are Wisroc, Christianburg, Ameila’s Ward, Block 22, Kara Kara, Silvertown and Retrieve.

Conciliation to solve GAWU/

GuySuCo issue

Errol Hanoman

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) agreed to go the route of conciliation after the meeting to negotiate the Annual Production Incentive (API) for the industry’s workers ended in deadlock.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Errol Hanoman said “a conciliation meeting with the parties and

the Ministry of Labour, the conciliator, is likely to take place next week.”

Hanoman said that GuySuCo continues to maintain its position of 2.7 days API for the production of 233,361 tonnes, to be paid not later than March 2016.

He noted that “one must not lose sight of the Weekly Production Incentives and Cane Harvesters Personal Performance Incentives which are paid weekly follow-

ing the week when these incentives are earned.”

According to the sugar company’s CEO, to date this year GuySuCo has paid a hefty sum in incentives.

Contrary to the impression being given, Hanoman said that “everyone understands that GuySuCo has paid in 2015 to date $1,868M in incentives (WPI of $1,040M and Cane Harvesters PPI $828M) immediately after the

incentives are earned.

He pointed out that despite the serious financial problems which beset the corporation, “there has been no delay in the timely payment of these production incentives. Looking back over the past seven years, since 2009, the Weekly Production Incentives earned and paid for in 2015, are the highest,” he added.

The GuySuCo/ GAWU API discussion has been going for weeks now. After the last discussion broke down between the two parties, GAWU encouraged the sugar workers to take protest action. As a result of that strike and another in October, production is lagging by approximately 10,000 tonnes.

According to Hanoman, this also means that cash flows are down by some $675M. “For the moment, the

Komal Chand

hole the corporation is in is deeper by this sum.

Weather permitting; we are optimistic that this position would be recovered as we achieve our target over the next two to three weeks,” he said.

The loss of man-days, during the strikes not only affected the production, but “sadly workers lost significant earnings

during the two strikes.”

Despite the loss, the company is still optimistic that it will achieve its 2015 target of 227,443 metric tonnes.

The sugar company’s current ‘crop-todate’ total as of 06:00hrs today stood at 137,487 metric tonnes, with the cumulative ‘yearto-date’ figure stood at 218,631 metric tonnes.

Finance Minister and FITUG hold budget 2016 talks In its 2016 budget consultation with the government the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has made a number of proposals which,m if implemented, would improve the lives of Guyanese.

These proposals were made when the Federation recently met with Finance Minister Winston Jordan as the preparation for budget 2016 gets underway.

The trade union body in a statement said it lobbied for an increase in the current Income Tax threshold by 40 per cent come 2016.

The body wants the

Income Tax threshold be boosted from $50,000 to $70,000 or more.

In addition, it wants the personal income tax rate of 30 per cent should be reduced to at least 25 per cent.

FITUG also lobbied to have the reduction in the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) reflected in the 2016 National Budget.

Minister Jordan was also informed that the Trade Union body had high expectations that the Tax Reform Committee would propose “innovative measures” aimed at providing greater relief to working people.

It was also

proposed for the level of Old Age Pensions to begin at 50 percent of the Public Sector Minimum Wage. FITUG also recommended that the Government consider significant salary increases for all Government employees.

The body is urging that the pay increases be retroactive to January 1, each year and the coalition government make this year’s increases retroactive to January 1, 2015.

It should also be noted that FITUG suggested that the National Minimum Wage be set to 85 per cent of the prevailing Public Sector Minimum Wage.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

FITUG said its suggestion takes account that when the National Minimum Wage was introduced in 2013 it was about 85 per cent of the Public Sector Minimum Wage. It also proposed that the sectoral minimum wages, last adjusted in 2012, be adjusted once again.

Meanwhile, on the issue of sugar, the

statement pointed out that “the Minister was reminded about the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) loan to the tune of US$7.5 million that is earmarked towards critical work in three sugar estates and urged to have the funding accessed and released to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).”

FITUG

also supported the return of the Skeldon Co-Generation Plant to GuySuCo with an approved and revised Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

The Finance Minister thanked FITUG for its suggestions/ proposals and noted that they were all understood and are practical, FITUG said in the statement.

the appointment process making it a political one.”

Guyana has managed to fully implement five of the eight recommendations made by the FATF in relation to AML/CFT, Minister Williams has said.

The other three recommendations have been partially i mp l e m e nt e d .

Guyana had made some progress in customer due diligence

and beneficial ownership; targeted financial sanctions relating to terrorist and terrorist financing and the AML/ CTF supervisory regime recommendations.

FATF, in a statement in October said that more work remains to be done and urged Guyana to continue to implement its action plan, including by ensuring and implementing an

adequate legal framework for identifying, tracing and freezing terrorist assets; ensuring a fully operational and effectively functioning financial intelligence unit; establishing effective measures for customer due diligence and enhancing financial transparency; and implementing an adequate supervisory f r a m e w o r k .

Guyana improves compliance level on Anti-Money Laundering-CFATF

Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Basil Williams

Guyana has been lauded by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) for its overall level of compliance with the Anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) law.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon told the media on Wednesday that Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Basil Williams attended the plenary and working group meetings which were held in Trinidad and Tobago from November 23-27, 2015 where he received positive report about Guyana.

According to Harmon, Minister Williams read the report to Cabinet during its Tuesday

December 1 meeting.

“Minister reported to Cabinet that the conclusions of the ninth follow up report which he read to Cabinet offered a list of recommendations. He added that the report stated that the overall level of compliance has significantly improved for which Guyana should be commended,” Harmon told reporters.

The Legal Affairs Minister said that nine of the CFATF recommendations dealt with terrorism and as a result of the attacks which took place in Paris, France pressure was mounted to get countries to implement core recommendations on terror financing.

Meanwhile, on

the contrary, former Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall believes that the coalition government is still non-compliant with the AMLCFT laws.

According to Nandlall, when he left office in May of this year he left a bill that was already compliant which was reviewed by the Americas Regional Review Group (AARG).

N a n d l a l l noted that “Williams made changes to that bill, he inserted the amendments which they had proposed in the select committee while they were in opposition.

They changed the structure of the FIU, they enlarged it and they put a body over it, an authority over it and they changed

Gov’t set aside millions to help coconut farmers fight pest

A total of GYD$49 has been approved by the government to help fight the red palm mite pest that is affecting the coconut industry.

The issue has posed a major setback

for coconut farmers, particularly those in the Pomeroon.

This is according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon who said that the sum will be expended on the

purchase of chemicals, equipment and safety gear for distribution to coconut farmers at a subsidised cost to assist in combating the outbreak. “Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder had

informed Cabinet that farmers in the coconut industry, particularly in Regions 2 and 3, have been primarily affected by the red palm mite pest,� Harmon said.

According to Harmon, technical teams have been deployed to those areas to assist farmers in confronting the problem.

The red palm mite pest, also known as the raoiella indica, was known to affect only plants in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and African countries.

However, the pest was observed in the Caribbean islands in 2004.

The pest moves through wind currents, following which it settles on plant leaves and after a period of time, the

leaves begin to lose their colour. The pest feeds by inserting themselves into the plant tissue and removing their cells, leaving the leaves with a yellow-brownish colour.

The mites live for a period of two to three weeks and the plants begin to rot soon after being affected. The pest also thrives on plantains, bananas and ornamental plants and some reports indicate that the pest has also infected those plants in parts of the country.

The demand for fresh coconut produce and coconut based health and beauty products have skyrocketed on both the regional and world markets. Many of the Caribbean countries that once had a booming coconut subsector have

been unable to satisfy this growing demand.

From the 1980s onward production began to decline sharply as a result of loss of international markets for traditional products, ageing populations, loss of consumer confidence and growing pest and disease problems.

Here in Guyana, government is taking steps to resuscitate the industry.

C o c o n u t ranks third after rice and sugar in terms of acreage cultivated. It is estimated that there are currently 24,000 hectares of coconut cultivation across the country with an average annual production of 90 to 100 million nuts.

VENEZUELAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT presence TODAY SPARKS INVESTIGATION

(File photo)

Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Mark Philips confirmed to GNN that a Venezuelan helicopter landed at the Kaikan airstrip, Region 7, earlier today.

According to information

reaching this outfit, several men, dressed in Venezuelan Army uniform were in the chopper and were reportedly all carrying guns.

Phillips however noted that the chopper took off almost immediately af-

ter landing and said investigations are ongoing to determine what would have led to the landing and taking off.

Sources told GNN that the government is also trying to determine if the incident was in any way a national security breach or a threat from Venezuela.

The matter continues to engage the attention of the Guyana Defense Force, Ministry of Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Brigadier Mark Philips

a senior security official confirmed.

According to information, after landing, the men were allegedly approached by two women and reportedly sought information pertaining to a particular location.

This according to a source, suggest that the men reportedly may have been lost.

Sources familiar with the development said that the location that the men reportedly asked the women for

is actually located in Venezuela and apparently is not too far away from where the chopper landed.

Why Does It Seem Like the Worst Eaters Live Forever?

Helen Diekman, the 100-year-old woman from Illinois who passed away last week, had joked that eating hot dogs from Portillo’s was her secret to longevity.

Three times a week, the hospital volunteer (who was considered a regular customer) ordered the same meal—a hot dog with everything (minus the hot peppers) fries and a Diet Coke, as reported by the Daily Herald.

But Helen hasn’t been the only one to celebrate her 100th birthday who confessed

to an unorthodox way of eating. Jeralean Talley, who passed away in July 2015 at the age of 116, admitted to loving chicken nuggets from McDonald’s, chili from Wendy’s, honey buns, and potato salad—and staying up until midnight.

Then there’s Agnes Fenton, the 110-yearold from New Jersey, who enjoyed three beers and a shot of scotch every day for almost 70 years, according to The Record. And of course Susannah Mushatt Jones, the world’s oldest

living person, who eats meat regularly, as well as “bacon all day long,” as reported by Page Six.

“Well, it’s not just about what you eat, it’s also about your genes,” Nieca Goldberg, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine and medical director at NYU’s Langone’s Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health, tells Yahoo Health. “These women have already showed us that they have some kind of longevity gene.”

Aside from

genetics and diet, Dr. Goldberg states there are a few other vital factors that may contribute to hitting a triple digit age.

“Living a happy life, being a positive thinker as opposed to a negative thinker and being physically active, which has been documented by medical research.”

It’s possible these record-setting women who have followed some questionable eating habits simply incorporated one guilty pleasure as a dietary staple (which may fall under

the “living a happy life” category). Dr. Goldberg concludes that while these ladies have proved “you don’t have to be perfect,” she’s assuming they have practiced a combination of healthy-living strategies.

“After all, not everyone can go about their life drinking a lot or eating hot dogs or doing both,” she laughs.

“But it’s fun to read about it because we all wish we had inherited those genes!” (Adapted from Yahoo Health)

Most of us have brains that are both male and female

Maybe this explains why we’re fantasy football and Gilmore ers studying more than 1,400 impossible to categorize them

hooked on both Girls. Researchbrains found it as either male

or female, the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Brains with features that are consistently at one end of the ‘maleness-femaleness’ continuum are rare,” researchers write in their study published Monday. “Rather, most brains are comprised of unique ‘mosaics’ of features.”

While different regions of the brain show male or female characteristics, brains with all-male or all-female characteristics were extremely rare— between 0% and 8%, Science reports. Most brains had a combination of male and female features. “Our results demonstrate that … human brains cannot be categorized into two distinct classes,” the study states.

The Times reports researchers took the study

even further—looking at the prevalence of all-male or all-female thoughts and behaviors—and came to the same conclusion. For example, a survey of college students regarding 10 “highly gender-stereotyped activities” found only 1.2% of students had exclusively male or exclusively female interests.

“There is no sense in talking about male nature and female nature,” lead researcher Daphna Joel tells Science. “There is no one person that has all the male characteristics and another person that has all the female characteristics. Or if they exist they are really, really rare to find.” The Washington Post notes the study could be welcome news for people “who live outside the gender binary.” (Yahoo Health)

Sugar-free drinks also bad for your teeth Worried about tooth decay? Switching to sugar-free drinks won’t save you from the acids that destroy enamel and wear down tissues in your teeth, a new study says. Researchers at the University of Melbourne reached this conclusion by having people drink sugar and sugar-free drinks, and found little difference in resulting tooth decay, UPI reports.

“While reducing your sugar intake does reduce your risk of dental

decay, the chemical mix of acids in some foods and drinks can cause the equally damaging condition of dental erosion,” says study coauthor Eric Reynolds, per a press release.

In the study’s first phase, participants consumed 15 drinks (some with sugar, some without) easily found in Australian schools—and all of them except milk caused tooth decay. In phase two, participants downed water, Coca-

Sukkie, which have more calcium, didn’t wear down human molars.

The Washington Post notes that sugar-free gum is OK because it can get saliva flowing and actually help. But when it comes to beverages, researchers advise that you “choose the most basic, old-fashioned way of rehydrating— water,” notes the Post.

(Meanwhile, it seem the sugar industry has long meddled with cavity research.

Cola, and eight sports drinks. Water caused no decay and Coca-Cola

the worst, while sports drinks like Powerade, Gatorade, and Staminade

(whether powdered or liquid) all decayed teeth; only Endura and

Cambodia medic jailed over mass HIV infections A Cambodian court has convicted an unlicensed medical practitioner of murder and sentenced him to 25 years in prison for spreading HIV among almost 300 villagers.

A spokesman for the court in the northwestern province of Battambang said Yem Chrin, 56, was found guilty on Thursday of torture and cruel

There’s no escaping the long arm of the law, even when you’re a cute animal. Police in Oklahoma picked up a rather unusual suspect this week in the shape of a miniature donkey.

The animal, nicknamed Squishy, was found wandering along a rural road near the city of Norman by police officer Kyle Canaan. He scooped up the donkey and found room for it in the back of his patrol car, even winding down the window to

let the wind blow back its hair on the journey.

Squishy was reported on the loose by a woman who plans to keep it if the owner doesn’t come forward.

Officer Canaan said it took a little pushing and pulling, and some animal feed, to get Squishy into the back of his car.

“I rolled the window down for it,’ he said.

In a Facebook post, the City of Norman Police Department said: “Our officers encounter unexpected things every

behaviour resulting in death, intentionally spreading HIV and practising medicine without a licence.

Ten of the villagers have died since the outbreak began, village officials said.

Authorities detected an epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS, on December 9 when they started testing a community in Battambang.

The victims

ranged from a twoyear-old to elderly in their 80s. Authorities decided to test villagers after a 74-year-old man tested positive for HIV in November. The man convinced others in the village who had also visited Yem Chrin to get tested, the court heard.

“The court found Yem Chrin guilty of operating health

treatment without license, injecting people with syringes that spread HIV and torturing people to die,” Yich Na Chheavy, a provincial court judge, said in a verdict read to a packed courtroom.

Yem Chrin admitted to routinely reusing syringes but denied intentionally spreading the virus. He was arrested in December

last year and taken into protective custody, with the authorities fearing he might be lynched by residents of Roka village Police said Yem Chrin was a well-respected doctor who villagers believed had healing powers and who provided cheap treatment for the poor. (Al Jazeera)

Donkey gets ride in Police car

The discovery of a bullet-riddled Quran left outside an Islamic clothing store in California has prompted a prominent Islamic group to ask authorities to investigate the incident as a hate crime.

The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) says the destroyed holy book was found

outside of Al-Farah Islamic Clothing in Anaheim, California, hanging from the door.

Anaheim Police are currently investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, and CAIRLA has asked the FBI to do the same.

“If you shoot up a Quran on your own property that is bigoted freedom of expression. If you deliver that bulletriddled Quran to

day while on-duty.

“This morning, Officer Kyle Canaan responded to a call regarding a donkey on the loose in the 8100 block of 120th Avenue NE.

“To ensure the safety of the animal, he helped transport the donkey to a nearby home for safe keeping until its owner could be located.

“It’s not every day that you see a donkey in the backseat of a police car!”

(Adapted from Yahoo)

a Muslim home or business, that is an act of intimidation and a hate crime,” the executive director of CAIR-LA, Hussam Ayloush, said in a release.

C A I R regularly receives — and ignores — videos of Islamophobes shooting or desecrating Qurans, the release added.

Anaheim Police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said police are

Bullet-riddled Quran is latest in slew of antiMuslim crimes after Paris attacks investigating whether the incident is linked with the smashing of a window at the store in August. The incident is the latest in a spike in anti-Muslim crimes across the U.S. in the wake of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks and corresponding Islamophobic rhetoric that has permeated

political discourse in the time since.

Earlier this month, at a mosque in Pflugerville, Texas, pages of the Quran were torn and feces were smeared on the building’s front door.

In Omaha, Nebraska, vandals spray-painted an Eiffel Tower peace sign on the

wall of the Omaha Islamic Center.

But perhaps one of the most egregious incidents was in Irving, Texas, where anti-Islam protesters staged an armed rally outside a mosque and posted addresses of members of the mosque online.

(Adapted from Yahoo)

Impeachment proceedings opened against Brazil’s President Brazilian opposition efforts to unseat President Dilma Rousseff advanced on Wednesday when the speaker of lower house of Congress opened impeachment proceedings against her, a move that threatens to mire the government in political wrangling as the economy nosedives.

Opposition parties filed the request in September, accusing the unpopular president of violating Brazil’s fiscal

laws and manipulating government finances to benefit her reelection campaign last year. Lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha said he had agreed to open proceedings.

A special committee with members from all parties will decide on the merits of the request, which then needs two-thirds, or 342, of the votes of the chamber to suspend the president pending a 90day trial by the Senate.

Cunha, from the centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), a fractious partner in the governing coalition, is himself fighting for political survival in the face of calls for his ouster and multiple investigations for taking bribes. He is also being investigated for allegedly holding secret Swiss bank accounts in his name.

But his power to start impeachment

proceedings has given him a trump card against Rousseff and the governing coalition, which is splintering under the weight of Brazil’s worst recession in 25 years and a massive graft scandal.

“The basis of this (impeachment proceeding) is purely technical,” said Cunha, dismissing the idea that his decision was motivated by personal or political reasons.

Dozens of politicians, including Cunha, have been implicated in a price-fixing and political kickback scheme

uncovered at state-run oil company Petrobras.

He has denied the allegations. (Al Jazeera)

Told that the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority (LAAA) has called an emergency meeting for today to discuss the possible cancellation of its annual Christmas celebration, Cuffie said how people choose to respond to the directive is up to each individual organisation.

In a statement yesterday the authority said its Director/ Chairman, attorney

Israel Khan was forced to call the meeting following a newspaper article that the government planned to cut Christmas parties at several government ministries. The statement said that one of the ministries highlighted was the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, the line ministry for the authority.

“The annual event costs less than $75,000 yearly and is

eagerly anticipated by the Authority’s staff as a reward for their dutiful and essential services which are often overlooked by the media and wider society.” The emergency meeting is scheduled to be held at the authority’s head office in Barataria (Trinidad Newsday)

yesterday confirmed that instructions have gone out to government

ministries to restrain their spending on Christmas celebrations.

Cuffie told Newsday the directive was that ministries are only allowed to spend $150 per person on endofyear functions.

He said he considered it quite appropriate for an end-of-year function and departments can celebrate with their staff on that basis.

Christmas party blues for T &T Ministries

Communications Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Maxie Cuffie,

14 killed in US mass shooting US authorities are investigating the motive behind a shooting spree that left 14 people dead and another 17 wounded at a social services centre hosting a Christmas party in Southern California.

A man and a woman suspected of taking part in Wednesday’s attack in San Bernardino died in a shoot-out with police hours later, authorities said.

The slain suspects were identified by police as Syed Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, were described as a couple. Jarrod Burguan, San Bernardino police

chief, said US-born Farook had attended a holiday banquet for employees of the local public health department, and later returned to open fire on the celebration.

The attackers were dressed in militarystyle gear and carried assault weapons as they burst into the auditorium where the shooting took place, at the campus of a social-services agency.

The couple were dressed in assault-style clothing and also placed several bombs at various locations, which police detonated. Beyond the 14

dead, the shooting left at least 17 people wounded, including 10 in critical condition. No details have yet been released on the victims’ identities.

Police were conducting a house-tohouse search in the area where the third suspect was apprehended and completed the search early in the evening, when the “shelterin-place” warning to residents was lifted, according to police.

F a r o o k ’ s brother-in-law has said he was stunned to hear of his relative’s involvement in Wednesday’s shooting.

Farhan Khan, who is married to the sister of Syed Farook, made the comments at the Anaheim office of the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations.

The latest killings are likely to fuel to an ongoing debate about the definition of “terror attacks” in the US and what role the ethnicity of perpetrators play in media coverage of gun violence.

President Barack Obama, who just last week made a plea for tougher gun-control measures after three people were killed at a

address on Thursday, Putin said Russia will not ignore what he described as Turkey’s “aiding of terrorists”.

He also called for a broad international front against terrorism, an end to what he called

double standards and halting any backing of what he called “terror groups”. He harshly criticised Turkey, accusing it of buying oil from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

Putin said the downing of the Russian Su-24 warplane by Turkish F-16 fighter jets for alleged airspace violation on November 24, was a “treacherous war crime”. Russia has repeatedly been making the claim that Turkey buys oil from ISIL since the incident near the

family-planning centre in Colorado, again urged Congress to take action.

So far in 2015, there have been more than 350 shootings in which four or more people have been wounded, according

to the crowd-sourced website shootingtracker. com, which keeps a running tally of US gun violence. (Adapted from Al Jazeera)

Turkey-Syria border.

P u t i n ’ s comments came a day after Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said he was ready to meet his Turkish counterpart on the sidelines of a two-day Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) conference in Belgrade.

Russia has escalated its dispute with Turkey by claiming to have evidence that proves President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his family are benefiting from the illegal

smuggling of oil from territory held by ISIL. “Turkey is the main consumer of the oil stolen from its rightful owners, Syria and Iraq. According to information we’ve received, the senior political leadership of the country - President Erdogan and his family - are involved in this criminal business,” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s deputy defence minister, said on Wednesday.

Turkey has vehemently denied Russia’s claims, with Erdogan saying again on

Wednesday that he would resign from his post if they could be proved.

“Turkey has not lost its moral values as to buy oil from a terror organisation... Those who make such slanderous claims are obliged to prove them. If they do, I would not remain on the presidential seat for one minute,” Erdogan said. “But those who make the claim must also give up their seat if they can’t prove it.” (Adapted from Al Jazeera)

who became the first Muslim prison chaplaingeneral in 2005, said.

The recent mosque closures, he added, were made under “a legal act that the authorities have” and must have happened because “of some illegal things that they found”.

The imam also rejected those suspected of carrying out the suicide bomb and gun attacks, which left 130 people dead, as “terrorists”.

“Those terrorists are a bunch of thieves and drug dealers that wore religious clothing,” he said. “The whole issue is not about Muslims, but about terrorists. It’s an issue of security for everyone.” There are a total of 2,600 mosques

in France, El Alaoui said.

France’s extended emergency rule has seen a surge in arrests, house arrests and raids on homes and private property in the wake of the Paris attacks including at mosques and Muslim-owned businesses - and has raised alarm among rights organisations that the law could curb civil liberties.

Meanwhile, there are fears that France’s

Muslim minority, the largest in any European country, is facing increased persecution as some fail to differentiate between Muslims and those who join or support armed groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which claimed responsibility for the deadly violence on November 13. (Adapted from Al Jazeera)

Turkey will regret downing jet ‘more than once’ - Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Turkey it will “more than once” regret shooting down the Russian bomber jet near the Syrian-Turkish border. Delivering his annual state of the nation

‘France likely to close more than 100 mosques’ France is likely to close up to 160 mosques in the coming months as part of a nationwide police operation under the state of emergency which allows places of worship that promote radical views to be shut down, one of the country’s chief imams has said.

Following news that three mosques have already been closed since the November 13 attacks on

the capital, Hassan El Alaoui, who is in charge of nominating regional and local Muslim imams and mediating between the imams and prison officials, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that more were set to be shut.

“A c c o r d i n g to official figures and our discussions with the interior ministry, between 100 and 160 more mosques will be

closed because they are run illegally without proper licenses, they preach hatred, or use takfiri speech,” he said.

Takfiris are classified as Muslims who accuse others of the same faith of apostasy, an act which has become a sectarian slur. “This kind of speech shouldn’t even be allowed in Islamic countries, let alone secure countries like France,” El Alaoui,

Oscar Pistorius verdict changed to murder Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murder after a South African appeals court overturned an earlier manslaughter verdict. Pistorious killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013 after shooting four times through a locked toilet door.

He is currently under house arrest after spending one year of his original fiveyear sentence in jail.

Pistorius will have to

return to court to be resentenced, for murder.

South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the lower court did not correctly apply the rule of dolus eventualis - whether Pistorius knew that a death would be a likely result of his actions.

The minimum sentence for murder is 15 years but judges can apply some discretion.

South African law does not make provision for someone to be placed under house arrest for

more than five years, so Pistorius will be going back to prison. Pistorius’ family gave a brief response, saying lawyers are studying the finding who will advise them on “options going forward”.

Reading the unanimous ruling reached by a panel of five judges, Justice Eric Leach said that having armed himself with a highcalibre weapon, Pistorius must have foreseen that whoever was behind the door might die, especially given his firearms training.

Pistorius always maintained that he

believed there was an intruder in the house but the judge said that the identity of the person behind the door was “irrelevant to his guilt”.

Justice Leach compared it to someone setting off a bomb in a public place not knowing who the victims might be.

In a packed courtroom with Reeva Steenkamp’s family listening to every word, the judge said that when Oscar Pistorius decided to fire four shots through a closed toilet door, he had gambled with a person’s life - whoever that was.

Under South African law you cannot just shoot - you first need to determine that the threat to your life is real and that there is no other way to eliminate that threat but to shoot.

Many South Africans have applauded the court’s decision on social

media, saying justice has now been served for Ms Steenkamp.

This ruling is expected to go some way to show that noone is above the law, not even South Africa’s once beloved “blade runner”.

(Adapted from the BBC)

linked to marketing rights for football tournaments in Latin America and World Cup qualifying matches, the ministry’s statement said. The US Department of Justice has previously indicted two FIFA vice presidents among 14 football and marketing officials linked to bribes worth tens of millions of dollars for the Copa America tournament.

T h e

o r g a n i s at i o n’s awarding of World Cup tournaments to Germany, Russia, and Qatar have been subject to scrutiny and charges of corruption. Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter also faces a criminal investigation in Switzerland over a $2.1m payment from FIFA

to UEFA chief Michel Platini. Both men have denied wrongdoing.

F I F A ’ s ethics committee says it completed its investigation into the conduct of the men and has requested sanctions against both of them. (Al Jazeera)

in a 12-month period, then it becomes even more difficult,” he said.

“Testament to the quality of cricket played is the calibre of

players to have missed out on selection. While selecting these squads, the selectors considered various combinations and took into

account several factors in overall performances.” (Adapted from the Jamaican Observer)

Oscar Pistorius

Two more FIFA officials arrested for corruption

Switzerland’s justice ministry has announced the arrest of two FIFA

officials at the request of US authorities in a widening bribery case.

Police made the arrests on Thursday at the luxury Baur au Lac hotel in downtown Zurich, the scene of raids in May that sparked the crisis.

The ministry says the two men, which it did not identify, are “suspected of accepting bribes of millions of dollars”. The arrests were made ahead of a FIFA executive committee meeting at 08:00 GMT.

The bribes are

Not a single West Indies player has made it into the International Cricket Council’s Test or One Day International team-of-theyear for 2015.Players from five nations comprise the Test side, while those from seven nations make up the One Day side, but no players from the Caribbean have found favour with the selection panel headed by legendary former India spinner Anil Kumble.

West Indies languish at number

eight in the ICC Test rankings and number nine in the ODI tables.

Significantly also, there are no West Indies players in the top ten of either the Test or ODI player batting rankings.

Discarded veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul is the highest ranked West Indies Test batsman at 14th, while fast bowler Kemar Roach lies 15th in the bowling rankings. In ODIs, West Indies batsmen do not feature inside the top

30, with stroke-maker Marlon Samuels the highest ranked at 33rd.

I r o n i c a l l y, off-spinner Sunil Narine tops the ODI bowling rankings, but was on Sunday banned from bowling by the ICC because of an illegal action. Kumble said selecting the 12-man squads had been a difficult task for the panel.

“Team selection is one of the toughest jobs, and when you have a large pool of outstanding players to select from

Windies players shut out of ICC Test, ODI squads

Thursday December 03, 2015

-SEE PAGE 14

OSCAR PISTORIUS VERDICT CHANGED TO MURDER