GNN Online Newspaper - Nov 02, 2015 by Guyana News Network

Monday, November 02, 2015

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MANY INJURED IN TRUCK ACCIDENT -PAGE 6

TWO BODIES FOUND AT KINGSTON SEAWALL

Agri Minister denies “back door” talks to sell sugar industry Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has rejected the accusation made by Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo that the government is looking to sell out the Sugar industry. Jagdeo was quoted in sections of the media as saying that the government is already in talks with prospective buyers. “I've heard that discussions have started with some private individuals – the friends and families syndrome that they (Government) talk about – about who is interested in buying into t h e i n d u s t r y. T h o s e discussions have been taking place behind closed doors already,” Jagdeo was quoted as saying. H o w e v e r, Minister Holder denied the accusation saying that “I never heard of that, I

don't know who these friends are. We're not selling out no industry to nobody. In fact, nobody made an offer so I don't know where that came from.” He stated that Jagdeo's comment should be taken with “a pinch of salt.” It has been reported in the media that the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance f o r C h a n g e (APNU+AFC) will soon be moving to privatize the Sugar industry based on recommendations coming out of the recently completed Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). This, according to media reports is to facilitate better outputs from the

factories located at Blairmont, Skeldon, Albion, Rose Hall, Enmore/La Bonne Intention (LBI), Wales and Uitvulgt. Merging of estates may also be an alternative suggested by the COI in order to maximize proﬁt. The Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has expressed the view that privatizing the sugar industry is not the best way forward. The party while in government has expended large sums of money to subsidize the ailing sugar industry in its ﬁrm stance against the privatization of sugar. Both former Presidents Donald Ramotar and Bharrat Jagdeo had said that Guyana cannot afford to close the sugar estate,

Minister Noel Holder

noting that there were serious negative impacts such a closure will have on the country. On the other hand, APNU+AFC while

in Opposition did not take a deﬁnitive position on sugar. Then Presidential candidate David Granger was quoted as saying that “sugar is too big to fail.”

H o w e v e r, GuySuCo's Chairman Dr. Clive Thomas had reportedly stated that privatizing the sugar industry was the only way to rescue it.

Cove & John Ashram Guru's funeral set for Wed., Nov. 4

The funeral for the late Guru of the Cove and John Ashram, Swami Vidyananda, will be held on

Wednesday, November 04, 2015. Administrator of the Ashram, Swami Shivashankar, told GNN

that viewing of the body will be from 10:00 am to12:30 pm on Wednesday on the lawns of the Ashram

after which the body will be cremated right there. He said it will be the ﬁrst cremation to be held at the facility. The body which returned to Guyana this morning is being kept at the Jerrick's Funeral home, Paradise, East Coast Demerara. He noted that there will be a procession from the parlour to the Ashram on Wednesday morning. Chanting will be conducted during the procession and the period for viewing. According to Shivashankar, the wake which continues tonight, is being conducted by four Swamis with some coming f r o m N e w Yo r k a n d Canada. He added that there will be chanting all Tuesday night conducted by the ISKON Hare Krishna Movement. He said that some dignitaries are expected for the funeral. Vidyananda, the ﬁrst Guyanese to be

ordained a Swami and who hailed from Albion, Berbice, died last Wednesday (October 28) at the Long Shore Jewish Hospital, Long Island, New York. The 79 year-old Guru who was ailing of recent, was on dialysis and recently had an operation for a knee replacement. While the actual cause of death is still to be determined, it is believe that he might have suffered a heart attack. He was attached to the Cove & John Ashram since 1973 serving in various capacities including Science and Headmaster of the Hindu College. Following his death, tributes poured in from various sections of society. The Indian Action Committee (IAC) noted how revered the late Swami Vi d y a n a n d a w a s a n d referred to him as "a beacon of spirituality” whose guidance was much sought. It noted that the Swami's humility was exemplary

and would have positively inﬂuenced the lives of many. Former President Donald Ramotar, said he counted himself very fortunate for the opportunities he had to meet and interact with the Swami. According to Ramotar, the Swami made a very important contribution to Guyana's cultural diversity. Swami Shivashankar noted, “He was a spiritual guide. Always there to advise on life and other issues. He was like a father-ﬁgure and a friend.” President of the Viraat Sabhaa, Pandit Rabindranauth Persaud, said that the late Swami was a man who exhibited his life with nobility and virtuousness. “He was consistent in his religious pursuit and beliefs. His departure will leave a dent not only at the Ashram, but within the Hindu community at large”, Pandit Persaud added.

BREAST CANCER RANKS LEADING CANCER IN GUYANA ‐Indo‐Guyanese most aﬀected

Participants in the Breast Cancer Awareness march

Breast cancer is currently ranked the leading cancer among Guyanese, with some 1,090 persons being diagnosed between 2003 and 2012, according to statistics provided by Dr. Jeetendra Mohanlall, acting Chief Medical Ofﬁcer. Though the ofﬁcial report on cancer in Guyana is yet to be released, Dr. Mohanlall disclosed that this disease has also earned the number one spot among diseases affecting Guyanese women. It must be noted however that men can be

diagnosed with breast cancer. According to the statistics of the 1,090 diagnosed between the nine years span, 1,074 were recorded to have been women, with the remaining 16 being men. Of this amount, Indo-Guyanese were the most affected, accounting for 44.9 percent (489 cases) of the total cases. Persons of African descent followed, contributing 42.3 percent (461 cases), while the

Mixed race added 6.3 percent (69 cases) to the total ﬁgure. Amerindians, Chinese, Whites and persons' whose ethnicities were not disclosed accounted for the remaining 6.5 percent. It was discovered that the marital status of 63 percent of the individuals were not disclosed, while 19 percent were married and the remaining 11 percent single. 46 percent of all the cases were from Region f o u r, 1 3 p e r c e n t f r o m Region six, and 10 percent

First Lady Sandra Granger participating in the Breast Cancer Awareness march

from Region three. The vast majority (48 percent) of these cancers, according to the Chief Medical Ofﬁcer acting, were localised, with 32 percent being regional and 10 percent being distant. 91 percent of these cancers were not graded. Further, it revealed that 44 percent of patients with breast cancer had received some form of treatment. 233 (21 percent) of cases had surgery, 156 (14 percent) had c h e m o t h e r a p y, 7 5 ( 7 percent) had radiotherapy and 13 (1.2 percent) had hormonal therapy. As it relates to the mortality rate, it was highlighted that two thirds (694) of the individuals were alive while the remaining 36 percent (39 persons) died. The mortality rate from breast cancer was therefore ﬁxed at 106 per 100,000 of the population. Mortality was recorded to have been highest among white women at 100 percent (1/1), followed by the Mixed race with 48 percent (33/69), Afro-Guyanese with 42 percent (195/461), Amerindians with 33 percent (4/12) and Indo-

Guyanese 32 percent (155/489). Breast cancer was the second leading contributor to years of potential life lost in women with 7,421 years lost. Just recently the curtains were drawn upon breast cancer awareness month - October - which, according to Bibi Hassan, President of the Breast C a n c e r Aw a r e n e s s Committee, was a tremendous success. Aw a r e n e s s w a l k s , a n d health outreaches were held country-wide, not only to promote awareness, but to provide services and push a self-examination agenda, which according to Hassan plays a crucial role in early detection of the disease. And while the primary mandate of the committee has been to promote free screening for women, Hassan noted that 20 or so persons would have beneﬁted from this activity during October. "Our goal is to target 100 medically underserved and lowincome women to have access to free screening. The program which is being d o n e t h r o u g h a

collaborative effort with the Cancer Institute of Guyana is expected to end in late December" she said. However, persons who are ﬁnancially capable can have the screening done for $5500. Offering a comment too on the progress made in bringing about public awareness, Chief Oncologist at the Cancer Institute of Guyana, Dr. Sayan Chakraborty explained that while positive efforts have been made to promote breast cancer awareness, Guyana, as a third world country still has a far way to go. While the institute was known traditionally to have patients coming in at advance stages of the disease, the Chief Oncologist related that new patients are being diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. For instance, he hinted at the fact that in the last 20 days, approximately ﬁve new cases of breast cancer which are in their early stages were diagnosed. Of this, two of the cases are currently being treated, he added.

“The Defence Force will never ” - Granger let our-Declares people down” November 1 'Defence Force Day'

President David Granger

As the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) marks its 50th anniversary, President and Commander-in-Chief- of the Armed Forces, Brigadier David Granger, yesterday declared that November 1, will be observed as 'Defence Force Day". The President made the announcement

while delivering a message at a church service held in commemoration of the GDF's 50th anniversary at the National Cultural Centre. According to the President, the Nation is eternally grateful to the men and women who continue to serve with

commitment, constancy and courage in the GDF. “We are encouraged by the extraordinary example and eternal vigilance evinced by the Force. We are assured by the unstinting and steadfast service of our soldiers...” he added. The Ministry of the

Presidency (MOTP) website noted that this past year has been an exceptionally challenging one for the GDF, with both Venezuela and Suriname staking claim to Guyana's territory. Nevertheless, the President maintains that Guyana's national defence doctrine will remain one of peace, which is aimed at peaceful diplomacy, detection and deterrence. "Our doctrine combines all the elements of national power to preserve our sovereignty and to protect our territory. Our people, in this regard, will continue to combine its resources to support the Defence Force, conﬁdent in the knowledge that the Defence Force will never let our people down," the C o m m a n d e r- i n - C h i e f said. During his address, the President reminded the Force of its

duty as outlined in Guyana's Constitution "to defend national independence, preserve the country's sovereignty and integrity and guarantee the normal functioning of institutions and the security of citizens against any armed aggression." He added that over the last 50 years, the GDF has admirably fulﬁlled this Constitutional obligation. Over the years, the Air Corps has undertaken several missions of mercy and relief, the Infantry Corps has supported the civil power in maintaining order, the Coast Guard has and continues to patrol territorial waters, the Special Forces have launched innumerable search and rescue missions in the hinterland and the Reserve Force (Guyana People's Militia) has supported and reinforced the regular

force in its training and operations. President Granger said that the Engineer Corps, which is another important arm, is being restructured to participate more fully in our hinterland infrastructural development plan. "The 50th anniversary of our Defence Force ﬁnds us further along the road to consolidating our defence, reafﬁrming our democracy, protecting our territory and making Guyana a safer place for all," the Head of State said. The GDF was established on November 1, 1965, one year before Guyana was granted Independence by Great Britain. It is celebrating its 50th anniversary under t h e t h e m e , "Commemorating the Past, Celebrating the Present, Carving the Future."

Communities will not be set up without adequate infrastructure

As the government pushes to wrap-up the development of recognised housing schemes, it is encouraging defaulters to start construction. According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the Administration is urging persons, with allocated lots in these areas, to be part of the construction, since this is essential to completing these housing areas. Minister within the Ministry of Communities Keith Scott indicated that no longer will the Ministry listen to those who cry that they have not taken up their lot, because these housing areas are without

adequate infrastructure and supporting facilities a n d amenities.“….people cannot just come to us, get a house lot and just stay back and say that they are waiting for everything to be 100 percent,” he said. He explained that persons need to understand that bringing about development is a two-way street. “We (the M i n i s t r y o f Communities) know that we have to give you services, and we do that, but we expect you (the persons that have received lots), to occupy, because your very occupancy encourages others to come,” he said.

He pointed out that there will also always be areas that need to be addressed to make people feel comfortable, “but you also need to understand that going into a new area is a pioneering spirit, when you go there, we expect you to come in and let us collectively work to enhance the place as quickly as possible.” In wrapping up the infrastructure development in these areas, Scott said that the housing engineers have been looking at the roads, water, the installation of infrastructure for electricity, and also at areas, where they can put in playﬁelds. GINA noted that

Minister Keith Scott

the completion of these housing developments is critical, as government moves forward with its vision for the housing sector, of facilitating a nation housed in cohesive and sustainable communities, through the

provision of serviced lots and the building of houses. Key to this vision is ensuring that no longer will communities be set up without adequate infrastructure, essential support facilities and amenities,

as these are vital in facilitating easy living a n d o r d e r l y development.

Seeraj writes Gov't with suggestions on rice recovery -Holder says GRBD capable of doing same

Dharamkumar Seeraj

Minister Noel Holder

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder says he is not in receipt of the letter sent to him by General Secretary of the Rice Producers A s s o c i a t i o n ( R PA ) , Dharamkumar Seeraj, The letter entails suggestions and recommendations on the way forward for the crippling rice industry. According to Seeraj, the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic

( P P P / C ) h a s communicated ofﬁcially to government its concerns over the current situation of the rice industry. The letter which was dispatched on Saturday stated that rice farmers were promised double the price obtaining in 2015 by agents of A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for

Change (APNU/AFC) in the May 2015 election campaign but currently they are receiving between 35 and 60 per cent of that promised price. This is leading to bankruptcy and despair in the sector. The letter is recommending “the immediate removal of all forms of taxes and duties on fuel for the industry, including machinery, equipment, and spares. There should be commencement of discussions with all banks lending to the industry, to review terms and

conditions of loans in view of the low prices farmer are getting in order to 'soften' repayment conditions .Government should also suspend payments of land leases and drainage and irrigation charges.” In addition, it advised that GRDB should immediately implement minimum export prices for rice and p a d d y. S e e r a j a l s o suggested that there s h o u l d b e t h e implementation of an “aggressive marketing strategy” in order to enhance current prices

and secure new lucrative markets. H o w e v e r, Minister Holder is of the view that the members of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) can come up with suggestions to save the industry. “With that group, they should be able to c o m e u p w i t h recommendations for the government because as you can see that is a powerful group,” he noted. Holder added that government is taking a distant approach with regard to interventions. “We have a hands off situation, we don't want to bring politics into this thing as the previous government did. We want to have boards function as boards should. The rice board should be the one to make recommendation to government. They have put on that board people from all these agencies so they can sit down, talk to

each other and come up with recommendations for the government,” the Minister declared. According to Seeraj's letter, there were recent protests by rice farmers across the rice growing regions and twice in Georgetown over the situation; and in meetings with the public the Leader of the Opposition was asked on numerous occasions to help resolve the problems of the farmers in particular and the industry in general. Further, the letter stated that “Government should also withdraw its pronouncement that 'it's a private matter' and give support to the industry, especially the farmers.” Seeraj is conﬁdent that the implementation of his suggestions will bring relief to the large number of Guyanese who depend on the rice industry, directly and indirectly for their livelihood.

Guyana Tourism Authority and Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. signs MOU The Guyana Tourism Authority and the B a r b a d o s To u r i s m Marketing Inc. recently signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) which will see the two Caribbean countries exchanging experience and professionals in the ﬁeld to further develop their tourism sectors. T h i s w a s disclosed by Director of the Guyana Tourism A u t h o r i t y ( G TA ) ; Indranauth Haralsingh who explained that the agreement includes training for stakeholders in the sector and improved marketing for both countries. Haralsingh says

“there are opportunities for familiarization trips, for media and tour operators…big opportunities for multidestination tourism for improving air linkages and connecting people to Barbados, Guyana and the rest of South America and the Caribbean, there are opportunities for joint marketing and advertising activities in the market place, for both countries to promote; visit each o t h e r countries…training and capacity building included, training and i n s t i t u t i o n a l strengthening for the tourist board and

ministry of Tourism, S h a r i n g o f information”. T h i s arrangement which he noted has been six years in the making, will signiﬁcantly improve the local tourism sector and the services offered. “Already we have seven persons from Guyana being trained at the Crane Hotel (Barbados) in hospitality from several of our hotels in Guyana. This activity will continue; an initiative will continue as the Barbadians have expressed a strong interest to have this continue so in the ﬁrst quarter of next year, we

Indranauth Haralsingh

will be sending another batch of employees from our hotels to be trained” the Director says.

Barbados and Guyana established formal diplomatic relations on November 30, 1966, and, over the

years, the two countries have worked together, both bilaterally and through various regional projects.

Many injured in truck accident A number of persons, reportedly eleven, were injured after the truck they were traveling in got into an accident some ten miles from central Madhia. According to information reaching Guyana News

Network, the truck was at the time carrying eleven persons in the tray when it reportedly struck a tree stump causing the persons to be ﬂung onto the roadway. Earlier this afternoon some of the

injured were air dashed to the Ogle International Airport and rushed by ambulances to the Georgetown Public Hospital. The others are being treated at the Madhia Health Centre for lacerations about the body.

Woman ﬁned for illegally exporting birds A Guyana-born American woman was Monday November 2 granted bail in the sum of $75,000 for illegally exporting Twa-Twa birds. Ranjit Singh Ta k u r d i n a p p e a r e d before Chief Magistrate Ann Ann McLennan where she pleaded guilty. The charge read that on October 31, 2015 at Cheddi Jagan

International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara she attempted to trafﬁc the birds out of Guyana without lawful p e r m i s s i o n . The Court heard that a routine search on Singh's person revealed that the birds were found hidden in hair curlers. Singh has been banned for one year from exporting any

animal, in addition to t h e ﬁ n e . T h e exportation and importation of such birds is prohibited by American and Guyanese laws. The Wild Birds Protection Act of Guyana is enforced, in part, to require the quarantine of birds from foreign countries to prevent the spread of potentially deadly diseases.

Mexico to fast- track Two bodies discovered paddy deal with at Kingston seawall Guyana

The police this afternoon were called to investigate the discovery two bodies which ﬂoated up at the Kingston Seawalls behind the Pegasus Hotel. Up to the time

of press this evening the remains were not identiﬁed. According to sources, police investigators reportedly suspect that the dead duo m i g h t h a v e committed suicide.

However, this is yet to be conﬁrmed. T h e investigations are ongoing and details would be provided as it become available.

Mexico has signaled its intention to fast track a paddy deal with Guyana. This was discussed during a meeting with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Mexican ofﬁcials, in Mexico. Today, the Ofﬁce of the Prime Minister reported that the Mexican Agriculture Minister Jose Calzada has now given the assurance that he would fast track arrangements to buy Guyana's paddy. Further, h e h a s m a d e a commitment to encourage the private sector to enter into contracts with Guyanese millers. Paddy imports carry a 9% tariff. The Prime minister met with

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Mexico's Agriculture Minister whilst attending the Open Governance Summit in Mexico City. The government has prioritised assisting farmers to ﬁnd alternative international markets, in light of the country's continued production boom, and in the midst of its recent loss of a major market in Venezuela.

The Mexico market is one of many being explored by the administration. G u y a n a ' s production in the first half of 2015 was 359,960 tonnes, 15.3 percent more than last year's record high, first-half production of 312,283 tonnes. (Extracted and modified from GINA)

AT THE WEEKEND

President David Granger installing an energy saving bulb at one of the booths on display at "Green Expoâ&#x20AC;?

First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger, Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Ms. Patricia Chase-Green and others as they walked in support of Breast Cancer awareness

Guyanese man nabbed with cocaine at CJIA A forty-six year old Guyanese man is in custody after he was nabbed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport with a quantity of cocaine, at the weekend. Ranks from the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) swooped down on the man who was an outgoing passenger on a Caribbean Airlines

ﬂight that was bound for New York. Nine pounds of cocaine was found in the false sides of his suitcases by the CANU ranks. H e w a s immediately arrested and taken in custody. The man is expected to appear in Court shortly.

Decomposed Police force remains of hosts reception taxi driver for NYPD ofﬁcers found Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, with some members of the NYPD

The decomposed body of missing taxi driver Sherlon Dalloo was found on Sunday morning in a canal at Fort Wellington, Berbice. The discovery was made around 6:30 hours. According to

reports, the body of the thirty-three year old bore marks of violence. Dalloo, of Parika, East Bank Essequibo, went missing since October 26 after he told his mother that he was taking some passengers to Mahaica,

East Coast Demerara. H i s c a r, H B 8 7 2 9 , a s i l v e r- g r e y Toyota 212 has not been recovered. Dalloo plied his trade at the Parika Stelling.

Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, and a team on behalf of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) met on Saturday with the visiting members of the New York Police Department (NYPD). The release from the force noted that the members of the NYPD were invited to be guests of honor at the Police Ofﬁcers Mess, Eve Leary. The reception

which was the ﬁrst of its kind was described as an historic event Welcome and opening remarks were made by the President of the Mess Committee who is also Commander 'A' Division, Assistant Commissioner, Clifton Hicken. “ T h e Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, DSM also gave a brief speech and conveyed the condolences of the

Guyana Police Force to the visiting ranks for their fallen hero,” the statement noted. Minister of Public S e c u r i t y, K h e m r a j Ramjattan also attended the event. The N.Y.P.D ofﬁcers, most of whom have Guyanese roots, were extremely appreciative to the Guyana Police Force for such an event.

"Explore, eat and repeat” for Tourism Awareness Month

To g i v e p e r s o n s a n opportunity to dine at a 'ﬁne' restaurant at an affordable cost, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is collaborating with ﬁfteen restaurants to host restaurant week from November 06-15 under the theme "explore, eat and repeat ". This is part of the activities for Tourism Awareness month 2015. During a press conference t h i s m o r n i n g , G TA

director; Indranauth Haralsingh noted that the prices are affordable. "The prices range from lunches at $2000, restaurants that are offering $4000 and $5000 dinner menus as well so it is ideal for Birthdays, anniversaries, bringing out friends, families and also to give yourself a treat… we have a ﬁne selection and range of participating restaurants”

the director said. President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) Association Shaun McGrath says customers will be given the opportunity to rate the restaurants according to their services, quality of food and ambience. He added this year's package includes a competition where persons who visit ﬁve of the ﬁfteen

participating restaurants will be given the opportunity to win a return ticket to New York on Dynamic Airlines, one return ticket to Curacao on Insel Airlines or one overnight for two persons at Arrowpoint resort from Roraima Airlines. M c g r a t h explained that “on the w e b s i t e (www.guyanarestauran tweek.com ), you will ﬁnd a link to the Guyana restaurant week passport sheet and we're asking that you print it out and walk with it when you go to the restaurants and what that means is that, if you eat at ﬁve restaurants, just ask the restaurant to stamp it and leave it with the last restaurant and they will submit it and the draw will be on November, 20”. Hotels offering lunch are the Bottle Restaurant at Cara Lodge Hotel, Coffee Bean Eatery, Herdmanston Lodge,

OMG, Oasis Café, Palm Court Restaurant, Windjammer Hotel and Xie Xie Restaurant. Restaurants offering dinner at $4000 per meal are Bottle Restaurant at Cara Lodge Hotel and Caribbean Soul Restaurant at Grad Coastal Hotel while the Angel Seafood Restaurant at Kanuku Suites Hotel, Ignite Bar and Grill at Pegasus Hotel, New Thriving Restaurant, Oasis Café, Princess Hotel, Silhouette Restaurant, Terra Mare at the Guyana Marriott and Windjammer Hotel. T o u r i s m awareness month is being observed under the theme "Growing the Business of Tourism through Business Innovation". Haralsingh says this “theme reﬂects what the Ministry sees as a priority at this stage in tourism development, the need to innovative in our product design and

product offering in order to remain competitive. Product innovation will include a wide range of factors, those in sports culture, fashion, ﬁshing, the bottom line is that we need to bring a lot more visitors to Guyana.” Other activities planned for this month includes the launching of 'Tourism information desk' in the Rupununi, television shows, a media fam trip in the United States from November 1722, a quality tourism workshop, Dutch language training at the Ogle International airport to train airport staff in conversational Dutch, Portuguese language training in Lethem, Taxi service training at the Ogle International Airport (touted as busiest airport in region), Caribbean race of champions duck curry competition, the Business Exposition and other promotional ventures overseas.

Rohee disagrees with Granger's “no new crime wave” comment General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, is in disagreement with President David Granger's comment that there is no new crime wave. President Granger was quoted in sections of the media as saying that “no new crime wave has hit the country but rather, it is a continuation of what started following the 2002 jail break.” Rohee, during his weekly press conference on today, pointed to a number of new crime related headlines carried in the media over the past weeks. He noted that these recent criminal occurrences expose the logical fallacy behind Granger's claim that the

“country is not experiencing a new crime wave.” “Mr. Granger's explanation is pure, unadulterated semantics. It is disingenuous and must be exposed as an attempt to evade the issue”, Rohee told the media. He said Granger appears to be labouring under the illusion that there is a difference between “crime wave” and “high level of crime. He seems to be holding to the view that the only crime wave Guyana experienced was as a result of the 2002 jail break and that since then, there has been no new wave of crime affecting Guyana. “Granger

would want to wish this away by claiming that criminals are being caught, measures are working, gangs are being dismantled and the crime situation is under control,” he added. Rohee opined that the Granger administration has failed miserably to address the crime situation. He also questioned the efﬁciency of a number of strategies employed by the government and the anti-crime plan submitted to the government by the Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud. Rohee also took the government to task on the parallel plan

which is being formulated by P res idential Adviser Edwards Collins; saying that such a move shows that there is confusion on how this issue should be addressed. According to him, the government will end up like “a dog chasing his own tail.” He urged the government to address the crime situation on facts and not ﬁction. Rohee served as the Minister of Home Affairs for several years under the PPP Civic government. The crime situation in the country was on the increase during all those years. Earlier this year, the US State Department issued an advisory

Clement Rohee

stating; “Criminal activity continues to be a major threat, particularly violent aggravated robberies. Therefore, no amount of semantics nor excuses from any quarter can contradict the fact

that there has been and still is an increase, if not heightened criminal activities in Guyana, Rohee highlighted.

More airlines being solicited

for Guyana route Minister of Tourism; Cathy Hughes is currently in London attending one of the leading trade shows related to the travel industry; The World Travel Market which begins today and will be hosted over the next four days. While there, the minister will be speaking to key airline operators to encourage more carriers to enter the local Aviation Sector. During an interview with GNN today, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority; Indranauth Haralsingh says the Minister is leading the delegation to along with Director General Donald Sinclair. “They are going to be promoting Guyana, the explore Guyana magazine will be launched there as well along with so many initiatives and also key meetings with key airlines as we're all aware that the Caribbean airline

will no longer be flying the London Caribbean route from next year. We are looking at all the other options to have more flights coming to Guyana; either directly with existing carriers or there has been a lot of interest from charter operators from the UK to Guyana” he said. Haralsingh disclosed that several airlines are being pursued to enter the local market. The director said “we are talking with a lot of carriers including low cost carriers, charter operators, we're looking at bringing more carriers directly from Brazil to Guyana and looking at the connection between Guyana and French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname because both KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V., is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands)

and SLM (Surinam Airways) are flying there, there is also a new carrier from Brazil that is flying to Suriname Avianca will be flying to Barbados soon, JAL (Japan Airlines Co. Limited) is already flying there and through our agreement we are looking at improving the connections and airlift between the two countries”. He added that several requests have also been received from interested carriers, noting that the search for new airlines have begun since Caribbean Airlines announced that they will be discontinuing its London route service from January, 2016. Guyana's booth at the World Trade Expo also includes information on Guyana's 50th independence anniversary which will be celebrated next year.

Alleged $600 Million PSM fraud…

Possibility of charges against former Minister loom

Jennifer Westford

Minister Cathy Hughes Marketing Guyana at World Travel Market. London

Minister Hughes is also set to meet with Guyanese and others at the Guyana high Commission in London, UK to provide more updates on tourism and reasons to come home for anniversary The World Travel Market attended by leading corporate experts from this ﬁeld and boasts of high exhibitor as well as visitor counts. A large

number of topical debate sessions, interactive seminars and presentation sessions are organized during the show, and experienced speakers are invited to address the audience at the event. Exhibiting companies have the scope of strengthening their business networks by getting into proﬁtable partnership deals with

industry peers. The range of exhibited items at the event ranges from airport and ﬂight travel services and tourist board services to event management services and tourism management support. The travel as well as the accommodation sectors are extensively represented at the show which is organized at Excel, London.

The Police late last week returned a case jacket with more than twenty ﬁve ﬁles pertaining to the investigations into the alleged multi-million dollar fraud at the Ministry of Public Service. The alleged fraud which reportedly amounts to some six hundred million, has at its centre, Former Minister of Public S e r v i c e D r. J e n n i f e r Westford and the then Personnel Manager of the

M i n i s t r y, M a r g r e t Cummings. Guyana News Network was informed that the files were sent back with all the additional information that the Director of Public Prosecution requested about a month ago when she sought some clarification. To d a y C r i m e C h i e f , S e n i o r Superintendent Wendell Blanhum, confirmed to

the Guyana News Network that the ﬁles were completed and resent. Now that the ﬁles are back at the DPP Chambers, there is the possibility of the former Minister and the then Personnel Manager, being charged in relation to the alleged fraud.

Government promises paved road and access to water for Timehri residents

Minister Patterson

During a meeting with residents of Timehri North (Bourne Area) at the weekend, Minister of Public Infrastructure; David Patterson promised that the residents will

beneﬁt from better access to potable water and paved access road in the not too distant future. The Minister says the government will be creating a housing

scheme for the residents that are in the pathway of the airport expansion project. “You were here for more than 23 years, given some assistance for

political mileage and then were threaten to be uprooted without any concrete plans for relocation. Well I am pleased to say that the A P N U / A F C Administration will be creating a housing scheme within this same community to relocate the 15 homes that are in the pathway of the airport runway expansion project,” the Minister disclosed. Patterson lamented on the previous administration threat to have the residents removed without proper measures in place for relocation. The minister was visiting the community through a Community Day

organized by an action group aiming to foster better relationships among the more than 300 residents living in the area. At the Minister's last joint press conference, he showed reporters the designated area to relocate the residents. Meanwhile, recognizing that most of the community depends on a small stream for potable water, the Public Infrastructure Minister said he will take up the matter with his colleague Hon. Ronald Bulkan, Minister of Communities. The residents recommend several standpipes be installed at strategic locations to alleviate the situation. Further, the community's main access

road will be paved. The Minister also encouraged the residents to become regularized and secure their land titles. “You have all worked hard, get your titles from the Communities Ministry so that you can use it as collateral…get together and start thinking as a team on ways to boost c o m m u n i t y development,” the Minister charged. In another few weeks, the Minister is scheduled to return to the community to interact with residents.

Investigation Maintenance works launched into fake seed paddy commence on distribution Bartica road The Ministry of Public Infrastructure's Force Account Unit (FAU) is c a r r y i n g o u t maintenance works on the Bartica road from One Mile to Four Mile.

Following comments that fake seed paddy were distributed to farmers in R e g i o n T w o – Pomeroon/Supenaam, resulting in losses to the farmers, the Guyana Rice development Board (GRDB) has launched an investigation into the matter. Agriculture Minister Noel Holder today explained that it should be noted that no other such reports have been received from the other rice producing regions. He disclosed

however that the bond where the seed paddy is stored in Region Two is owned by the Rice Producers Association (RPA). The GRDB has disclosed that from its investigations it found t h a t t h e R PA a l s o contracts farmers to produce and distribute seed paddy. Investigations also revealed that the quality of the seed paddy which is produced by the GRDB Rice Research and Extension Station at

Burma Mahaicony, is not the same which is being distributed to farmers which has raised questions relating to how long this has been ongoing. It is suspected to have been happening for some time now. Technical advisers within the GRDB have opined that the inferior quality can be a direct result from bad storage. Investigations will continue into these reports and the ﬁndings will be made public

T h e p r o j e c t c o m m e n c e d t o d a y, Monday, November 2 and will conclude on Friday, November 6, 2015. In this regard,

the Ministry is advising motorist to proceed along the said corridor with caution.

'DIE HARD 2” ACTOR, SENATOR, DIES He had a formidable presence both on the U.S. Senate ﬂoor and the movie screen. Now family and friends from Washington to Hollywood are mourning the death of Fred Thompson. The former senator and actor died after a recurrence of lymphoma, his family said in a statement Sunday. He was 73 years old. "Our nation has lost a servant, Tennessee has lost a son, and our family has lost its rock." Thompson was barely 30 years old when he became minority counsel to the S e n a t e Wa t e r g a t e Committee in its investigation of the

Watergate scandal. He wrote a book chronicling his experiences titled "At That Point in Time: The Inside Story of the Senate Watergate Committee." A few years later, in 1978, Thompson took on the corruption case that would eventually launch his a c t i n g c a r e e r. M a r i e Ragghianti, who was ﬁred as chair of the Tennessee Parole Board, hired Thompson to represent her in a wrongful termination case against Gov. Ray Blanton. The case revealed a bribery scheme in which two of the governor's aides received money in

exchange for granting paroles. I n 1 9 8 5 , Thompson made his acting debut in the ﬁlm "Marie: A True Story," about his former client Ragghianti. Thompson played himself. Then came several roles in the 1990s: "The Hunt for Red October," "Die Hard 2." and "In the Line of Fire." But the attorneyturned-actor had his sights set on Washington. In 1994, he won a special election to ﬁll Al Gore's vacant U.S. Senate seat. Thompson was re-elected for a full term in 1996, and announced in 2002 he would not run for re-

election. In the 2000s, Thompson became known as District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's "Law & Order." He revealed in 2007 that he was diagnosed with nonHodgkin's lymphoma. A few months later, he told Jay Leno that he was running for president. But that candidacy was short lived. He dropped out after four months. Renny Harlin, who directed "Die Hard 2," described Thompson as "a gentle giant whose loss is a tremendous one for both entertainment and politics." "Fred was a sweet, funny and ﬁercely

Fred Thompson

intelligent guy with a gentle heart -- a bear of a man who was warm and considerate towards all those around him." Harlin

said. He said Thompson "anchored 'Die Hard 2' with his powerful presence in the air trafﬁc control tower." (Adapted from CNN)

'SPECTRE' BREAKS BOX OFFICE RECORDS Spectre, the 24th James Bond adventure, has broken all-time box ofﬁce records in nearly every market in which it has been released so far. Its UK launch set a new record for movies released on a Monday - as opposed to a Friday - taking more than £41m in its ﬁrst week. It beat previous Monday release record holder, 2004's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which took £23.8m. Records were also set in the Norway, the Netherlands, Finland and Denmark. Spectre took $80.4m (£52.1m) in all six released territories. "We're so grateful to all our James Bond fans," producers Michael G Wi l s o n a n d B a r b a r a

Broccoli said. Skyfall, the previous Bond movie, was the highest-grossing 007 film in the franchise's history, taking £700m ($1.1 bn) worldwide. Craig's fourth outing as 007 has received widespread critical acclaim, with one saluting it as "pure action mayhem". The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw described the film in his five-star review as "terrifically exciting, spectacular [and] u p r o a r i o u s l y entertaining". The Times said Sam Mendes' film was "achingly cool", while The Independent said it was "every bit the equal of its predecessor", 2012 release Skyfall. Spectre also broke opening-day UK box

office records after taking £6.3 million by Tuesday. It opened in 647 cinemas on 2500 screens in the UK, making it the widest release of all time in the UK and Ireland. The movie opens in the US on 6 November where it is expected to top the box office, after a Halloween weekend of flops. Sandra Bullock's Our Brand is Crisis, and Bradley Cooper's Burnt brought in an underwhelming $3.3m (£2.1m) and $5.1m (£3.3m) respectively. Jurassic World has been this year's biggest film so far, bringing in more than £1bn worldwide. (Adapted from BBC)

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST PRIYANKA CHOPRA'S QUANTICO A while back social media was a buzz with congratulatory messages for Priyanka Chopra on her new show Quantico. While the show has been doing well, it seems to have run into some legal trouble. In fact the producer of the show Mark Gordon has been sued by ﬁlmmakers, Jamie Hellman and Barbara Leibovitz, claiming that he stole the idea for the drama from their documentary ﬁ l m . Apparently, both Jamie Hellman and Barbara Leibovitz were responsible for a 1999 documentary

Quantico: The Making of an FBI Agent, which followed a class of recruits throughout their 16-week training program. Later the said documentary was presented to Gordon in 2001 by business executive Paula Paizes, following which Leibovitz and Hellman signed a deal with the Mark Gordon Company and provided all their notes, transcripts and other information pertaining to the documentary, with the surety that Gordon and his company would get back in touch with them for the

same. However, there was no response from them. In the suit that has been ﬁled Hellman and Leibovitz claim that the project was originally conceived as a movie that would include a conspiracy inside the FBI Academy and questions over who one could trust, much like the current on air show. Based on this Hellman, Leibovitz and Paizes are suing for breach of contract, ﬁduciary duty, a "based on" credit for Hellman and Leibovitz's documentary and actual and punitive damages. (Bollywoodhungama)

HEALTH

5 WAYS DRINKING BEER CAN BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE BEDROOM Dr. Kat shares 5 reasons how beer can boost your sexual performance: 1. It makes you last longer. The phytoestrogens in beer can help delay premature ejaculation. As women often take longer to arrive at the party, this isn't just great news for men, who often show up early. Sierra Nevada is both delicious and a good source of on-tap phytoestrogens.

Heading out for a few drinks after work today? Yeah you are, you superstar, you. Because according to your new favorite doctor, Dr. Kat Van Kirk, having a couple of brews could be the ticket to living your best sex life. It's science. While many experts consider alcohol to be an aphrodisiac (when consumed in moderation), certain properties found in beer make it especially beneﬁcial in the bedroom.

2. Dark brews can help get you in the mood. You know about mood lighting— now discover the glorious beneﬁts of mood beer. Apparently, darker beers contain more iron than pale ones, increasing both red blood cells and overall circulation. These are two vital building blocks to easier and more frequent erections. 3. Beer increases stamina. Research at at Italy's Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura showed that men who downed a pint a day were 31 percent less likely to suffer from heart issues, giving credence to the belief that beer is good for heart health. Combined with exercise, it could be your ticket to better cardio endurance.

4. Guinness is great for stomach issues. Don't judge a beer by its cover. Guinness is surprisingly low in calories and alcohol content, but that's not the only reason to indulge in the dark Irish stout. Dr. Kirk says that Guinness is rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B and probiotics. “This means it can help fortify your overall health and be better on your stomach so you won't feel sluggish during sex," she says. 5. There's even a beer specifically engineered to enhance performance. 50 Shades of Green is basically like green juice and Viagra combined. It "uses ginseng, ginkgo biloba and damiana to achieve increased sexual desire, blood flow and nerve stimulation,” Dr. Kat says. So there you have it— print it out, show it to your girl, and never again have to blame your colleagues for making you linger one extra round at happy hour. And if you want to claim the bedroom benefits of beer without all the added calories, make sure to check out our ranking of the 10 healthiest brews. (Fox Health)

HEALTHCARE WORKERS AT HEIGHTENED RISK OF HEPATITIS C Healthcare workers are at higher than average risk of infection with the hepatitis C virus, a research review suggests. Compared to the general population, health workers had 60 percent greater odds of getting hepatitis C, and those who worked directly with blood had almost triple the risk, according to the analysis in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Hepatitis C is usually spread when blood from an infected person enters the body of someone who isn't

infected. These days, most people infected with the virus get it from sharing needles or equipment to inject drugs, but it can also be transmitted during sex, and until a test for it was developed in the early 1990s, people could acquire hepatitis C through blood transfusions. "Contact with blood, for example, from needle stick injuries, is associated with a risk of infection and continues to be the major threat to the health of healthcare

workers," said lead study author Claudia We s t e r m a n n o f t h e University Medical Center HamburgEppendorf in Germany by email. "Exposure to blood cannot completely be avoided when using `safe' instruments, as they reduce the risk of needle stick injuries but do not completely prevent them," We s t e r m a n n a d d e d . "Therefore blood borne virus infections will remain a threat to healthcare workers for some time to come."

In the U.S. and Europe, where hepatitis C prevalence is relatively low, healthcare workers are more than twice as likely as other individuals to get the virus, the data showed. The risk for health workers was also doubled in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, although infection rates in Japan were similar to the rest of the population. Male health workers had triple the odds of getting hepatitis C, compared with a 50 percent greater risk for

female workers. Medical staff had 2.2 times the odds of getting hepatitis C, while odds were 3.5 times greater for dentists and increased by just 70 percent for nurses. Professionals who came in

regular contact with blood - surgeons, midwives, microbiologists, pathologists, blood bank and dialysis staff - had 2.7 times the risk of infections with the virus. (Adapted from Fox Health)

YOUNGER WOMEN MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF HEART ATTACKS THAN MEN

“Don't assume that you're too young for a heart attack, especially if you have multiple risk factors and family history of one.” New research has found that young women at risk for heart disease are less likely than men to be informed of their risk before having a heart

attack. As a result, they're more likely than men of a similar age to die of a heart attack. For the research, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, scientists studied 3,501 patients aged 18 to 55 who had experienced a heart attack. Nearly all of the patients had a least one of the ﬁve potentially modiﬁable risk factors for heart disease — diabetes, high cholesterol,

hypertension, obesity, and smoking — and almost twothirds had three or more risk factors. While half of the study participants said they considered themselves at-risk or were told they were at risk of heart disease prior to their heart attack, women were 11 percent less likely than men to say they were told they were at risk. They were also 16 percent less likely to report having a doctor talk to them about heart disease and ways to reduce their risk of

developing it. Lead study author Erica Leifheit-Limson, PhD, an associate research scientist in epidemiology at Yale University, tells Yahoo Health that age could play a role in the discrepancy. “Heart disease is often considered a disease of older age, particularly for women,” she says. “Younger patients may not even realize that a heart attack is a possibility for them, but it's the leading cause of death for this age group.” And that's not just

the younger age group. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and almost twothirds of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms. Women also tend to have more atypical symptoms of heart disease than men, like frequent nausea, jaw pain, or back pain, she says, which may be why it's more difﬁcult for

some primary care physicians to identify female patients with heart disease. And, even though heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, women tend to be more concerned about cancer and lowering their risk of that disease, Nicole Weinberg, MD, a cardiologist at California's Providence Saint John's Health Center, tells Yahoo Health. “They're not at all concerned about their heart disease risk — but they should be,” she says. (Adapted from Yahoo Health)

OUR WORLD

TIGER BITES WOMAN IN HALLOWEEN ZOO TRESPASS Breaking into a Nebraska zoo to "pet" a tiger has left a woman with injuries from the big cat and a citatio n f o r cr imin al trespass. Jacqueline Eide, 33, apparently evaded security to sneak into Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Halloween night. She was bitten

Sunday morning and taken to Creighton University Medical Center by a friend, the Omaha Police Department said in a s t a t e m e n t S u n d a y. Ofﬁcers were later called "regarding a disturbance" at the hospital. "Eide was aggressive toward staff and showed signs of

intoxication of alcohol and/or drugs," police said. " T h r o u g h investigation, it was learned that Eide had made unauthorized entry into the Zoo to pet a tiger. When she reached into the cage, she was bitten causing severe trauma to her hand," police said. The

Police Department said Eide had been cited for criminal trespass and remained hospitalized. Eide was at risk of losing her ﬁngers from her injuries, CNN afﬁliate KETV reported. It said Eide had multiple prior convictions for derelict behavior. CNN is reaching

out to her attorneys for comment. The zoo said two people had trespassed "after hours on Halloween night," one of whom had been injured. "The tiger believed to have been involved in the incident

was Mai, an 18-year-old, Malayan tiger," it said. The zoo's executive director, Dennis Pate, said that the safety and security of its guests were a priority. The incident is under investigation. (Adapted from CNN)

SIMPLE KISS TRIGGERS TROUBLE FOR COUPLE ON VACATION

What started as a kiss inside a grocery store on an island vacation landed Courtney Wilson and Taylor Guerrero in jail and stuck far away from home without money for months, they say. It was supposed to be a relaxing holiday in the place that feels closest to paradise -Hawaii. The women in their 20s had been dating

for two years and wanted a break from their daily grind in Los Angeles. Then came the kiss at a Foodland store in H o n o l u l u . " We w e r e holding hands and I was kissing her cheek," Guerrero said. "We were just happy to be out here," Wilson chimed in. "We were just being goofy," Guerrero added. They

were interrupted by yells and saw two people -- one a man in uniform. "They called after us and told us basically you can't do that. Take that somewhere else," Wilson said. She said she thought it was just a couple of rude random guys. But when they made their way to the checkout c o u n t e r, t h e m a n i n

uniform, off-duty police officer Bobby Harrison, followed them. "He told us that he was going to find the manager he was going to sign a trespass form and that we were no longer going to be allowed in any Foodland establishments because of the conduct of our behavior. So, being confused as to what exactly we did and how that was just I called the police myself," Wilson said. A f t e r Wi l s o n called 9-1-1 saying an officer was harassing her, the situation escalated, she said. Wilson claimed she tried to walk outside to find the store's address to pass on to police, but Officer Harrison grabbed her and wouldn't let go. Then her girlfriend tried to intervene, getting between the two. While she talked

to 9-1-1, Wilson said she tried to walk outside, and Officer Harrison grabbed her and then pushed her girlfriend. "He would not let go of her," Guerrero said. Then Guerrero fell and hit her head on the counter, Wilson said. A tussle ensued. Guerrero said the officer punched her in the face when she tried to push him off her girlfriend. They also dealt blows themselves, kicking and pushing Harrison, and hitting him in the face, Wilson and Guerrero said. His glasses broke. It ended with the two women in zip tie handcuffs and an employee holding them down. When police they had called showed u p , o ffi c e r s a r r e s t e d Wilson and Guerrero on charges of assaulting an officer, the women said. They spent two days in jail

and spent all their vacation money to bond out, they said. They were told they would have to check in every couple of weeks with the bail bondsman until their initial court date. But with no more money they were forced to stay in Hawaii. Wilson and Guerrero found a friend of a family member who took them in for a while, then a stranger they met who did the same, but eventually they ended up on the streets until they found temporary jobs. The women filed a civil suit against the city and Officer Harrison. The court documents said that the court dropped the criminal case against them "with prejudice," which means police cannot refile on the same incident. The police department has responded to the civil lawsuit in a statement. (Adapted from CNN)

SEVEN YEAR-OLD IS THE SOLE CARER FOR HIS PARALYZED DAD A young schoolboy has been praised for his bravery and kindness after he was revealed as a the sole carer of his paralysed dad. Ou Yanglin, who is just seven-years-old, has been looking after his 37y e a r- o l d f a t h e r, O u Tongming, for over a year after his mother abandoned them, leaving the home with the boy's

sister. Tongming was paralysed from the waist down in 2013 after her fell from their second story home in Wangpu village, China, while decorating. His young son was forced to grow up fast when he was left alone with his dad, faced with his duties as a son as well as a student.

Yanglin feeds his father every morning before going to school and has learnt to cook rice and buy vegetables from the local market, with the family living on the dad's £30-a-month disabled persons subsidy. The boy told reporters that he hopes to “grow up soon” in order to earn money for his dad.

His story soon went viral on Chinese social media, with supporters calling for a charity fund to be set up in the boy's name to provide additional ﬁnancial assistance for the family. (Adapted from Yahoo)

Regional

Venezuela faces fresh threat from one of its latest defectors

President Nicolas Maduro

The defection of a leading ﬁgure in the plot to imprison the Venezuelan government's leading political opponent is posing a fresh threat to the corrupt, tottering, ultraanti-American regime.

The former loyalist is Franklin Nieves, who ﬂed in October from Caracas to Miami, where he's seeking asylum. Nieves was one of the two prosecutors in what may

be the world's' most closely watched case of political persecution, the show trial of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who's now serving a nearly 14-year sentence for allegedly “inciting

violence,” a charge based on a speech he delivered at an anti-government demonstration early last year. Nieves is now apologizing for his role in the Lopez case, declaring that the 44-year old opposition leader was wrongly accused in a “totally political trial,” and assailing the government for refusing to allow Lopez to present witnesses and evidence in his defense. The former prosecutor is claiming that he would have faced years in prison if he refused to pursue the “bogus” case. Nieves' inside account of how the regime of President Nicolas Maduro orchestrated Lopez's arrest, and dictated the sentence has let loose a fresh explosion of anger in

Venezuela's streets, cafes, and oil ﬁelds. A crucial midterm vote for Venezuela's parliament is scheduled for December. Right now, the party led by Lopez's father, Leopoldo (Leo) Lopez Sr , Free Will, should win in a landslide—if votes are actually counted. “We don't know if we'll have fair elections or not,” worries Leo. “We should get 75% of the seats. But the voting is all electronic. The whole system is a black box. The government has tampered with votes before.” The opposition, he says, has no right to demand a recount in the case of fraud. “The opposition is asking desperately to have a valid audit, or an international observer,”

he says. So far, such calls have not been heeded. The rules state that parliament can declare amnesty with a simple majority vote. So if Free Will takes control, it's certain that Leopoldo will win freedom, and regain his position as Ve n e z u e l a ' s l e a d i n g reformer. In that role, he would rally voters to demand a referendum that could force Maduro from ofﬁce, and perhaps where he wanted to force his opponent: into permanent exile. Regime change in Venezuela could spark a major economic revival for this country of 33 million that's twice the size of California and boasts the world's largest oil reserves. (Adapted from Yahoo)

Doctors refuse to testify in C-section lawsuit A $2 million lawsuit, filed by a man whose wife died following a C-section delivery at the San Fernando General Hospital almost five years ago, is in danger of collapsing because he is unable to find a specialist doctor who is willing to provide expert medical evidence for the Judge to determine whether three doctors were negligent. Unable to secure the testimony of one, Lorne Ramsoomair filed an application in the High Court requesting Justice Frank Seepersad to have the Court appoint a specialist

obstetrician/gynaecologist, to assess the expert medical evidence tendered by the three doctors who are all contending that they were not negligent. During a hearing of the case recently, Seepersad sounded a stern warning to Ramsoomair, that if an expert gynaecologist cannot be found by the court and he (Ramsoomair) in unable to ﬁle his expert evidence to support his claim against the doctors and the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), the Court would proceed and “the chips would have to lay where they fall”.

Ramsoomair's wife, Chrystal BoodooRamsoomair, 28, of Couva, died on March 4, 2011, at the Labour Ward of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH). Her death attracted national attention when, after a C-section performed by doctors at the SFGH's Maternity Ward to deliver her baby, she bled to death after two attempts to surgically stop internal bleeding failed. She had given birth to a girl, her third child. A postmortem revealed that two blood vessels in the womb were not ligated (tied off). Five doctors and

six nurses were suspended, after which Government appointed a three-member team, headed by University of the West Indies lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, D r B h a r a t B a s a w, t o investigate her death. The suspension of the doctors and nurses led to the ﬁring of the then Acting CEO of SWRHA, Paula ChesterCumberbatch, for failing to issue suspension letters to the doctors upon the direction of the then minister of health. Ramsoomair ﬁled a lawsuit against SWRHA claiming approximately $6 million for death of his wife.

His claim was reduced to $3 million and then $2 million. The doctors are challenging the lawsuit and have since

ﬁled medical expert evidence in court to support their claim that they did not act negligently. (Adapted from the Trinidad Newsday)

Hypocritical comments by those opposing Kamla

Kamla Persad-Bissessar Leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah has described complaints and accusations coming out of the UNC's

internal election as hypocritical. Addressing members of the media at a press conference, yesterday, Abdulah said several

executive members who are vying against Opposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar for the leadership of the UNC are crying “crocodile tears.” While Abdulah said the UNC's internal election is their party business, he said the MSJ wanted to comment on some public statements made by those contesting the leadership position in the UNC's upcoming internal election. “Current deputy political leader of the UNC, Dr Roodal Moonilal, and one of the contestants for the position of political leader

said that members of the UNC have been hurt, disappointed, angry and upset by the fact that their party lost ﬁve successive elections,” he said. “Also there was a statement by Dr Gopeesingh and other persons in the party saying that the party has to be rebuilt, it has to be strengthened, the party's institutions have to be created or put on a more solid foundation, words to that effect, that the UNC as a party has fallen apart.” “Really and truly its quite hypocritical of these persons who had the responsibility either at the level of the executive of the party or in government and,

therefore, being frontline leaders of the party in one way or the other to be now speaking about all of the ills and problems in the UNC.” He added, “It's really singing a tale of woe for which they themselves have to be held completely responsible for and their tears are really quite hypocritical, crocodile tears as the old people would say.” Referring to Moonilal, Abdulah said, “Dr Moonilal can't talk about the UNC losing ﬁve elections as if he was not one of the causes of the UNC losing those elections because of his own huge unpopularity in the

country and his arrogance generally.” He said the MSJ is very skeptical that those offering themselves for the post can take the UNC back into government. “So we want to say that ﬁrst of all that they are all responsible for where they are, in a sorry mess and secondly we want to say that none of them whether it is Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Dr Tim Gopeesingh, Mr Vasant Bharath, Dr Moonilal or Dr Khan, none of them have legitimacy and none of them can take their party back into government again.” (Adapted from the Trinidad Guardian)

INTERNATIONAL

'External influence' may have downed Russian plane The only reasonable explanation for the crash of a Russian passenger jet in Egypt is "an external influence," an executive from the airline that operated the flight said Monday, stressing that planes don't just break apart in midair. Kogalymavia Flight 9268 broke into pieces before it hit the ground in a remote area of Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board. " We e x c l u d e technical problems and

reject human error," Alexander Smirnov, a Kogalymavia airline official, said at a Moscow news conference as he discussed possible causes of the crash. He added that the crew did not issue any w a r n i n g s o r communications during the final moments, indicating that the flight crew must have been disabled and not able to r a d i o o u t . H o w e v e r, Smirnov said that while the plane's flight and voice data recorders had

been recovered, they had not been read or decoded. Ofﬁcials have played down an apparent claim by Islamic militants in Sinai that they brought down the Airbus A321200, saying technical failure is the most likely reason for the crash. But so far, they haven't been able to give a deﬁnitive explanation for what happened, with the Egyptian President suggesting investigations could take months. (Adapted from CNN)

First China-made passenger jet rolls out The first plane produced by a Chinese government initiative to compete in the market for large passenger jetliners has been unveiled in Shanghai. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) showed off its twin-engine C919 in a ceremony on Monday attended by some 4,000 government officials and other guests at a hangar near the Pudong International Airport. China's aviation market is growing fast but relies on Boeing and Airbus aircraft. The ruling Communist Party wants to claw back some of the commercial benefits that flow to foreign suppliers. For China, the plane represents at least seven years of efforts in a state-

mandated drive to reduce dependence on European consortium Airbus and Boeing of the United States, and even compete against them. "China's air transport industry cannot completely rely on imports. A great nation must have its own large commercial aircraft," the country's civil aviation chief Li Jiaxiang told an audience of government and industry ofﬁcials. A small truck towed the 39-metre long plane - painted white with a green tail - out of a cavernous building decorated with an enormous Chinese ﬂag into the sunlight as project workers marched alongside, an AFP news agency journalist saw.

"The roll out of the first C919 aircraft marks a significant milestone in the development of China's first indigenous aircraft," COMAC chairman Jin Zhuanglong told the ceremony. The aircraft, which has a range of up to 5,555 kilometres, will make its first test flight in 2016, he said - meaning that it will miss the original deadline of this year.,China has dreamed of building its own civil aircraft since the 1970s when Jiang Qing, leader Mao Zedong's wife and a member of the notorious "Gang of Four", personally backed an attempt to do so. But the Y-10's heavy weight made it impractical and only three were ever made.

Although the C919 is made in China, foreign ﬁrms are playing key roles by supplying systems as well as the engines, which are made by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric (GE) of

the US and France's Safran. Spending on the C919 has not been revealed. Last month, the Export-Import Bank of China said it would provide state-owned COMAC with $7.9bn in

ﬁnance for its aircraft projects. The company already has orders for 517 of its C919 planes, according to a COMAC statement, almost all of them from domestic buyers. (Adapted from Al Jazeera)

Record Number of Americans Renounce Citizenship

Dear Uncle Sam: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye! That's the message from an increasing number of Americans as they renounce their U.S.

citizenship. According to new government data , a record 1,426 Americans relinquished their U.S. passports during the third quarter of this year. The new

quarterly record for renunciations topped the previous record of 1,335, which was set in the ﬁrst quarter of 2015. It's a growing trend. A record 3,415 individuals gave up their American citizenship or terminated their long-term U.S. residency in 2014, according to the International Tax Blog. That's 15 times more than in 2008. So far this year, 3,221 Americans have renounced their U.S. citizenship. W h y a r e a growing number of Americans giving up their citizenship? “Many are

expats tired of dealing with complicated tax paperwork — a headache that has increased lately as hefty tax regulations have kicked in,” according to CNN Money. Unlike most other countries, the U.S. taxes its citizens based on their worldwide income, regardless of where they live. For Americans living overseas, the complexity of U.S. tax forms often means expats are forced to seek professional help to prepare their taxes, which can be an expensive annoyance. The controversial F o r e i g n A c c o u n t Ta x Compliance Act (FATCA),

which came into effect in 2014, further complicates tax matters and could be driving the surge in renunciations. FATCA is designed to help the government identify potential tax evaders. It requires that individuals disclose certain foreign assets and also mandates that banks provide the IRS with information about foreign accounts held by Americans or risk steep fines. CNN Money said: But the campaign is making life difficult for the 7.6 million Americans living abroad. As financial institutions rush to

understand FATCA, some overseas banks, both big and small, have kicked out their U.S. clients, leaving some without even basic checking and savings accounts. The United States has the highest fees in the world to renounce citizenship, according to Forbes, and that fee was raised by 422 percent in 2014. Bidding farewell to Uncle Sam now costs a whopping $2,350, up from $450. Forbes said the fee is 20 times the average renunciation fee in other high-income countries. (Adapted from Yahoo)

ENG vs PAK – Third Test

England make steady reply

As the third Test hardened into a battle of wills and wiles, England were hauled into a position of relative strength by a

maiden Test half-century from James Taylor. His unbeaten 74 helped take England to within touching distance of

Pakistan's ﬁrst-innings 234 at the close and bound together a hitherto porous middle order on a pitch that yielded every run

grudgingly. It was an innings shaped in the image of their captain, Alastair Cook, who plotted England's

initial course in pursuit of a series-levelling victory. His 49 from 119 balls was a rate of scoring that came naturally but Ian Bell, his senior partner in the top order, was even more abstemious, curbing his natural instincts to make 40 off 159, a rate of 25.31. He had actually struck his seventh ball for six, in an attempt to push back the field, and was eventually lured out by Yasir Shah to be stumped after two sessions of hard labour. England had turned to Taylor in a bid to add some fibre lower down and he duly repaid the faith. Playing his first Test innings since two brief appearances against South Africa in 2012, he was quickly attuned to the conditions, ensuring that his movements back and forward were decisive, particularly against the

spinners - all six of his fours were struck off Yasir and Zulﬁqar Babar. His partnership with Jonny Bairstow, who a l s o s h o w e d commendable resolve as Pakistan sought a chink in his technique, helped lift England from 139 for 4 and the possibility of trouble. Pakistan made early breakthroughs in each of the three sessions but, even though the run rate was occasionally allowed to stall, England blotted out the memory of their collapse in Dubai and redoubled their efforts in pursuit of a matchdeﬁning lead. Scores : England 222 for 4 (Taylor 74*, Bairstow 37*, Yasir Shah 2 for 79) trail Pakistan 234 by 12 runs

WI vs SL – ODI Series

Windies lose A cool hand from Ajantha Mendis clinched a sensational one-wicket victory for Sri Lanka, in a rain-reduced, 26-over-aside match that featured several sharp turns, and riveting twists of fortune. Mendis' high, handsome six over long-on sealed the result in the penultimate over, after Sunil Narine, in his ﬁrst international match in 14 months, had brought the chase to its knees with a triple-wicket over. Earlier in the chase of 163, Tillakaratne Dilshan had seemingly set his team on an inevitable course to victory, with the fastest half-century of his 320match ODI career. Narine led West Indies' charge back into the match, after Sri Lanka had been 104 for 2 in the 13th over. Dilshan and Angelo Mathews' dismissals had exposed a green middle order, and Narine dismissed nos. 5, 6 and 7 in the 19th over, to bring the tail-enders to the crease

with 30 runs still to get. Milinda Siriwardana's mis-timed hoick to the leg side ﬁnished in the hands of mid-on, and both debutants Shehan Jayasuriya and Danushka Gunathilaka misread the turn of Narine's offbreaks, and found their stumps rattled. Mendis and Senanayake survived Narine's next over, but only just - Mendis was found to be millimetres inside his crease after he had set off for a nonexistent run. They put on 19 together before Jonathan Carter made a double-breakthrough in the 24th over to leave Sri Lanka still needing 11 with only a wicket in hand. No. 11 Suranga Lakmal survived Carter's two remaining balls, and Mendis hit the winning runs off Johnson Charles in the following over. West Indies captain Jason Holder had been forced to rely on his part-timers at

the close, after Andre Russell earlier limped off the ﬁeld having delivered only ﬁve balls. Sri Lanka's tailenders had been given the leeway to play themselves in at the crease by

Dilshan's arresting 59 from 32 deliveries. He began his blitz in the third over, clipping a wayward Jason Holder delivery to the ﬁneleg fence before cracking a short ball towards deep square-leg next ball. That

arc behind square on the leg side would be a productive zone for him; in the ﬁfth over, off three consecutive balls, he collected a top-edge four, an over-the shoulder scoop that carried over the

rope, and a cracking hook for six, all in that direction. Scores: - Sri Lanka 164 for 9 (Dilshan 59, Mendis 21*, Narine 321) beat West Indies 159 for 8 (Russell 41, Holder 36, Lakmal 3-15) by one wicket (D/L method)

Friday, October Monday, November 30, 2015 02, 2015

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Lennox Brathwaithe

Ransford Good Luck

BRATHWAITE WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF GOODLUCK Defending X class champion Lennox Braithwaite sits within striking distance of the current group leader Ransford Goodluck as the Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) commenced its National Rifle Shooting championships at the Timehri Rifle Ranges on Sunday. At the end of the day, the former national

champion Goodluck held on to a slim one point lead of 132 points with 12 V-bulls, one point ahead of defending champion Braithwaite who recorded 131 with 12 Vbulls following competition at the 300, 500 and 900 yards ranges. A n d t h e remaining rounds of the competition this coming

weekend, Braithwaite will be aiming for the title defence. O n S u n d a y, Braithwaite shot 34-2 out of a possible 35 points at 300 yards before hitting the maximum of a possible 50 points at 500 yards and also recorded 47-5 at 900 yards. However, Goodluck recorded 33 points with one V from a

possible 35 points at 300 yards, a possible 50 points with seven Vs at 500 yards and dropped just one point to record 49 points with four Vs at 900 yards. National vice-captain Dylan Fields was in third position with 127 points and six Vs with individual scores of 331, 47-4 and 47-1 at the three ranges. Ryan Sampson

had an overall score of 124 points with eight Vs with scores of 31-2, 473 and 46-3. Lt. Col Retired Terry Stuart shot 123 with ﬁve Vs. Recording scores of 31-0, 48-3 and 44-2 while Peter Persaud was one point behind with 122 with nine Vs. He shot 30-1, 48-4 and 444. S h e r w i n Felicien recorded 121

with 4 Vs with scores of 30-0, 49-3 and 42-1. T h e championships continue on Saturday with shooting at the 500, 600 and 900 yards ranges starting at 10:00 hours while the ﬁnal day competition will be Sunday starting at the same time.