GNN Online Newspaper - Nov 07, 2015 by Guyana News Network

Saturday November 07, 2015

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WEEKEND EDITION

: gnn@gnngy.com | Website: www.gnngy.com

-PAGE 5

MEASURES TO SAVE RICE INDUSTRY AGREED -PAGE 3

STALLED EBD FOUR LANE TO BE COMPLETED EARLY 2016

PPP/C disturbed over postponement of Parliament -says Gov't is afraid of salary increase debates Government's move to postpone the sitting of the National Assembly that was scheduled for Thursday November 12 to an indeﬁnite date is not sitting well with the opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). The party's Chief W h i p , G a i l Te i x e i r a deems government move “disturbing.” The PPP/C in a statement noted that “Not surprising, we have learnt that the Speaker has granted the Government's request. Unfortunately the Guyanese citizens who have been anxiously awaiting the debate and the response of the government at the November 12 sitting will have to continue to wait for an unspeciﬁed sitting.” The PPP/C

believes that it is a clear move by the government to avoid the debate on the salary increases that was scheduled to appear on the November 12 sitting. “An important issue such as the salary increases, we're saying no, the Guyanese people want to hear their position and hear the debates and ﬁnd out what's going to go on. It appears as though they are going to use their travelling itinerary to prevent that, not just on this sitting.” M s . Te i x e i r a made reference to a case in the past when the PPP/C was in government its request to reschedule a sitting was turned down by then Speaker Raphael Trotman. He said a motion had to be moved for the postponement of the sitting, Teixeira told GNN.

“When we were in government there was an incident in the last parliament where we wanted to postpone a sitting that already had a date to it and the then Opposition protested that we had no power to do that and that we would have to go back to parliament, sit, and then postpone the date.” He said the government has resorted to the option to which they protested against in the last Parliament. Government recently announced it was requesting to have the sitting of the National Assembly scheduled for November 12, 2015, rescheduled to a later date. The request was made by Prime Minister

Gail Teixeira

Moses Nagamootoo to the Speaker of Parliament Dr. Barton Scotland. Nagamootoo said government was seeking a reschedule because of Guyana's pending attendance of the Summit of South American-Arab Countries (ASPA) which will be held in Saudi

Arabia from November 9 to 13. According to the government, during this period, several key g o v e r n m e n t functionaries, Members of Parliament and the Clerk of the Assembly will be travelling to attend important conferences

and training courses. The opposition Chief Whip question whether it is going to be the trend of the government putting their travel itinerary over the business of the nation. S h e a l s o questioned when will be the next sitting.

PPP MPs seeking clarity on Code of Conduct -not sure if it applies to them

The Opposition Members of Parliament are seeking clarity on the Code of Conduct that the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) will be introducing as a guide to the conduct of government ofﬁcials, Members of Parliament and Ministers of

government. The draft policy states that the purpose of the code is to assist Ministers and Members of Parliament and Public ofﬁce holders in the discharge of their obligations to their constituents and the public at large. However, the

opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Chief Whip Gail Teixeira said he is not aware that their Members of Parliament will be held according to the Code of Conduct, since it was not communicated to them, neither was there any consultation with the party. The Code of Conduct was a campaign promise of the APNU+AFC. It provides guidance on the values – the moral qualities – that should govern the conduct of Ministers and Members in discharging their Parliamentary and Public duties. It is also meant to reinforce public conﬁdence in the way in which Ministers and public ofﬁce holders perform those duties. The Code of Conduct prohibits Ministers

from significant gambling. The document explained that “Ministers, Members of Parliament and public office holders must not engage in frequent or excessive gambling with persons who have business dealings with the Government as well as among colleagues, particularly with subordinates. If on social occasions where refusal of gambling (provided that the activity is legal) is considered unsociable, the amount of money involved should not be significant. Gambling in the Government's premises, government venues, and locations where activities of the Government take place is strictly forbidden.” It also states that Ministers, Members of Parliament and public office holders must not accept lavish or frequent

entertainment from persons with whom the Government has official dealings. “The acceptance of gifts and other forms of rewards, worth more than ten thousand dollars, by Ministers, Members of Parliament and public office holders in their official capacity, shall be reported to the Integrity Commission. Ministers, Members of Parliament and public office holders should consider declining such gratuities if the acceptance of same could be perceived to have an affect their objectivity and lead to complaints of bias or impropriety,” the document stated. The draft code also prohibits the use of government property for Party purposes. The document says it is the personal

responsibility of every M i n i s t e r, M e m b e r s o f Parliament and public office holders to understand and comply with the Code of Conduct, in particular by conscientiously avoiding any conflict of interest, and making declaration and seeking prior permission from the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in accordance with this Code in any case of exception. Any official or s t a ff w h o v i o l a t e s a n y provision of the Code will be subject to disciplinary action, or termination of appointment/employment where warranted. “Complaints Members of the public may submit complaints to the Integrity Commission under Section 28 of the Integrity Commission Act with respect to perceived breaches of this Code of Conduct, or that of the Act,” the draft document stated.

President stands by Ramjattan on Diwali date President David Granger has come out in support of his Public Security Minister's decision to d e c l a r e Tu e s d a y, November 10, as a national holiday in observance of Diwali 2015. Speaking on a recent television program as reported by Inews, the President said he is convinced that Minister Khemraj Ramjattan made the right decision after consulting with learned Hindus. The Head of State added that the government stands by the November 10 date and remains convinced that it is the correct one. Only yesterday prominent Hindu leader and Community worker from Trinidad and Tobago, Raviji, told the Guyana News Network (GNN) that his country's national holiday for Diwali is also

November 10. He pointed that the declaration of November 10 as Diwali in Guyana is not the fault of Minister Ramjattan. “The Minister was forced to make a decision because Hindus could not. It's not his fault. It in some way demonstrates the inability of the Hindu community to mature in understanding”, Raviji stated. He called on Hindus to reconcile their differences given that reconciliation is part of the culture. He noted that while there may have been a difference of opinion over this year's date for Diwali in Trinidad, there w a s n o p u b l i c disagreement simply because they were able reconcile whatever difference that existed. He also supported the call by Swami Aksharananda here for a national committee to

be established to decide on religious date in an effort to avoid such public division. Ye s t e r d a y afternoon, the InterReligious Organisation (IRO) echoed this call for such a committee during a press conference called speciﬁcally to address issues surrounding the local Diwali controversy. While it stayed clear of religious sentiments, it urged the setting up of the committee. The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) continues to defy the evidence what some learned Pandits (Hindu Priests) and Hindu leaders have presented to show that Diwali must be observed on the night of November 10. Minister Ramjattan said that the information he received through a petition supported by

President David Granger

some ninety Pandits, was credible and could not have been ignored. The Viraat Sabhaa and other leading Hindu organization including the Guyana Pandits' Council, the G a n d h i Yo u t h Organisation, the Guyana Maha Sabha, the Cove and John Ashram, The Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits'

Sabhaa of Region 3, the Par Upkar in Esequibo and others locally and from the United States of America and Canada, are of the belief that November 11 could not be Diwali based on the related calculations. This grouping claims that it representative of a vast majority of Hindus in

Guyana. The GHDS remains adamant and has urged its supports to celebrate Diwali on the night of November 11. Its annual Georgetown motorcade will be held for the ﬁrst time on the evening of the national holiday for Diwali; November 10.

Stalled East Bank Four lane to be completed early 2016 ‐DIPCON replaced by other contractors

The East Bank Demerara Four lane expansion from Providence to Covent Garden (phase one) is expected to be completed in the ﬁrst

quarter of 2016. T h i s i s according to information provided by Minister of Public Infrastructure; David Patterson. He

noted that that phase of the project was handed over to two other contractors and will cost 4.8 Million dollars. “The contractor

that was working on the project was removed by agreement between parties. The completion of the works will be done by two contractors, costs have been agreed, works to recommence shortly to be completed ﬁrst quarter next year…BK (1.8M) and GAICO (same contractor that did lot 2 3.0M)” the Minister said. Phase one of the project was awarded to Dipcon Engineering Services, however the company was unable to complete the project in

the timeframe and therefore the Ministry had moved to cancel the contract in June. The problems with Dipcon were mainly from the rising costs of materials and delays in the removals of utilities from the area, leaving the company in a cash situation. Also, the company has admitted to owing the National Insurance Scheme and the Guyana Revenue Authority. The US$20M ($4B) project which

started back in 2012 and included the extension of the four-lane roadway from Providence to Diamond has been pushed back time and again, however, Phase two which was awarded to GAICO and the last section which was awarded to BK construction was completed. The project is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Guyana to observe Remembrance Day tomorrow Guyana will join with countries around the world in remembering the men and women who served in the two World Wars as Remembrance Day will be observed on Sunday. In Guyana, Remembrance Day is observed on the Sunday closest to November 11 – usually the second S u n d a y. T h e d a y i s

marked by parades in Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Vreed-enHoop, Linden, Anna Regina, Bartica, Lethem and other towns around the country. At one time, the day was known as Armistice Day. It was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War. Remembrance Day is also

known as Poppy Day, because it is traditional to wear an artificial poppy. The poppy is a white flower but this symbolic red flower represents the blood that stained the flowers on the battlefield of Flanders Field during the First World War. President David Granger is expected to attend the traditional wreath laying ceremony

on Sunday, which is usually held at the Cenotaph in Georgetown. He will lead the way by laying the ﬁrst wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph monument. Any other Persons/Organisations wishing to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph on that day may do so after the end of the Service.

GAWU COUNCIL MEETS TODAY -further strike action to be discussed

The Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) General Council is meeting today to discuss the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) stance relating to its wage negotiations. According to P r e s i d e n t o f G AW U ; Komal Chand, also up for discussions is whether its workers will be going on another strike from tomorrow. Chand noted that the union will also be discussing a recent statement that was sent out by the Government calling on the Union cooperate to ensure the sugar industry

progress as GuySuCo is B$82 in debt. The government stated that the industry was inherited from the previous administration with a debt of B$82 and is in need of B$5 for capital investment. “Due to its virtual insolvent status under the former regime, taxpayers were forced to dole out $28 BILLION in the last ﬁve years alone (2011 - 2015) to keep the sugar industry aﬂoat. With its debt load of $82 BILLION and an expected $5 BILLION needed for capital investment together with anticipated further bailout

in 2016, any strike action in the industry would bring sugar ﬁnally to its knees” the statement said. The government encourages sugar workers to remain committed to their jobs to earn as much as they can before the current crop comes to an end. It expressed agitation at the recent strike action taken by workers represented by the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU), noting “It is government's view that any industrial action at this time will place the industry into further jeopardy. Government is regrettably unable to

Komal Chand

increase the bailout package above the $12 BILLION for 2015 and strike action will not change this reality.” In the meantime

Government is analysing the interim ﬁndings and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry. The Union on the other hand had stated

that the sugar corporation is using the CoI as a means to delay negotiations with the union on Wage claims submitted since March this year.

Making a colour statement for Diwali Rangoli, also known as Kolam or Muggu, is a folk art from India in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. It is usually made during Diwali (Deepawali) and other Indian festivals. They are meant to be sacred welcoming areas for the Hindu deities keeping both the art form and the tradition alive. Similar practices are followed in different states of India. The purpose of Rangoli is decoration, and it is thought to bring good luck. Design depictions may also vary as they

reﬂect traditions, folklore and practices that are unique to each area. It is traditionally done by women. Generally, this practice is showcased during occasions such as

festivals, auspicious observances, marriage celebrations and other similar milestones and gatherings. Rangoli designs can be simple geometric

shapes, deity impressions, or ﬂower and petal shapes (appropriate for the given celebrations), but they can also be very elaborate designs crafted by numerous people.

The ﬁnal product

Preparing the Rangoli

Today the Guyana News Network (GNN) caught these hardworking students of the Valmiki Vidyalala School in Queenstown designing their Randoli. It is part of the school's preparation for Diwali 2015 to be observed on Tuesday, November 10. They broke with tradition and used

paint; maybe inﬂuenced by the early morning showers given that the Rangoli is out in the open. The ﬁnal product is an intricate work of art and of course, extremely pleasing to the eyes.

GUYANA PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2014 AWARDEES SHORTLISTED

David Dabydeen

T h e M a n a g e m e n t Prize for Literature Committee of The Guyana announces the Shortlist for

the 2014 Awards in Fiction, Poetry and

Drama. The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on November 29. Names for the Best First Book of Fiction are A Dip at the Sangam ( We s t b o w P r e s s ) b y Rueben Latchmansingh,, D a n c e h a l l Ly r i c s b y Keisha McCammon and Rebelle and Other Stories by Subraj Singh while names for the Best Book of Fiction: are Johnson's Dictionary (Peepal Tree) by David Dabydeen, The Last Ship (Peepal Tree) by Jan Lowe Shinebourne and All Decent Animals ( F a r r a r, S t r a u s a n d Giroux) by Oonya Kempadoo. N a m e s shortlisted for Best First

Book of Poetry: Rasta Lyrics (Caribbean Press) by Cedric Castello and The Hinterlands (Caribbean Press) by Stanley Niamatali while names for the Best Book of Poetry: are God's Spider (Peepal Tree) by Cyril Dabydeen, 60 Years of Loving (Cane Arrow Press) by Maggie Harris and Love in the Time of Te c h n o l o g y ( Ts a r Publications) by Books selected for Best Book of Drama: are Desperate for Relevance by Harold Bascom and New York New York of Pieces of Dreams by Milton Bruce. The names were decided upon by the Jury, an independent panel of

writers, critics and experts in the ﬁelds of literature, drama, culture and the arts: Prof Mark McWatt, internationally acclaimed award winning ﬁction writer and poet, critic and academic; Mrs Ameena Gafoor, literary and arts critic, Editor of The Arts Journal, Founder of The Arts Forum; Robert Leyshon, Senior Lecturer at UWI, Cave Hill, Director of the Cave Hill Theatre, dramatist and critic; Dr Louis Regis, Head of Literary, Cultural and Communication Studies at UWI, St Augustine, researcher in Cultural Studies, critic and academic.

Measures to save rice industry agreed ‐Agri bank on the cards b e l o w p r o ﬁ t a b i l i t y, because you see, the GRDB whilst the government is saying it is a private industry, the whole market and process is completely controlled by the GRDB…and they have to sign it off at what price the exporter is going to export the paddy or rice for and it doesn't matter what price they give them for, they will just sign it off and we're saying that shouldn't be

The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) met on Friday, November 06 where it agreed on several proposals to be made to the Ministry of Agriculture to secure the future of the industry. During an interview with GNN today, Co-Chair of the Rice Producers' Association Action Committee (RPAAC);

Jinnah Rahman who is also a member of the Board noted that it was agreed that an A g r i c u l t u r e Development Bank is one of the main things needed to protect the industry. “ T h e establishment of the A g r i c u l t u r e Development Bank was agreed and we agreed to pursue it vigorously”

Rahman said. Other proposals he noted is includes immediate removal of taxes and duties on fuel and spare parts for the agriculture sector, the implementation of a minimum export price for paddy and rice. “What prevails r ecen tly is th at th e GRDB was signing off contracts that were

the case. Just can't sign it off because we're exporting paddy or rice, the question is not only about finding markets but finding markets that are reasonable, that are profitable and that the farmers can be able to sustain the rice industry, if you give them poor prices; then they lose” Rahman said. It also agreed on a proposal to talk to the bankers association to address the issue of loans

borrowed by farmers so they can see what they can do to help in terms because of the crisis we face in the rice industry and to set up of an expert commission to look into the issues that farmers are experiencing e.g. prices. Previously the Minister of Agriculture said he is awaiting a proposal from the GRDB to move the industry forward.

WEEKEND RECAP

Diwali in Trinidad is Nov. 10 -Hindus must reconcile their differences – Revered Hindu Leader in understanding”. He explained that while the culture allows for such diversity in opinions and the process never ﬁnally rests upon one date, there has to be deeper research to derive conclusions. In this regard he fully supports the call by Swami Aksharananda here for a national committee to derive such auspicious dates. Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

November 10 is a national holiday in Trinidad and Tobago for the observance of Diwali 2015. While in Guyana there is a division by Hindu organisations as to which date should be designated as Diwali 2015, there was no such public disagreement among Hindus in the twin island Republic. Speaking to the Guyana News Network ( G N N ) o n F r i d a y, revered and respected Hindu Leader and Community Worker,

from Trinidad, Raviji, said that Hindus in that country are able to reconcile their differences thereby avoiding a public disagreement and division at least within recent years. “Reconciling is part of the Hindu culture”, he pointed out. “There has to be a date. Whichever government it is, a date has to be declared for the national holiday. The declaration must be guided by credible

information”, he noted. With regard to the split by Hindus over November 10 and 11 f o r t h e D i w a l i holiday in Guyana and the intervention by Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, the respected Hindu leader said, “The Minister was forced to make a decision because Hindus could not. It's not his fault. It in some way demonstrates the inability of the Hindu community to mature

H o w e v e r, h e pointed out that such a committee should not be comprised of only Hindu representatives f r o m v a r i o u s organizations, but learned people also to help ﬁx the calendar. “It should not be about Diwali alone, but about the entire calendar. The religion is about spiritual, not hostility”, he added. He alluded to the challenges posed by the Gregorian calendar which is constructed differently from the H i n d u c a l e n d a r. According to him these

challenges are not conﬁned to Guyana. “It comes back to reconciling democratic issues involved with regard to the Gregorian calendar which creates u n n e c e s s a r y community issues pressuring our societies”, Raviji explained. While noting that there might have been some uncertainty among Hindus regarding November 10 and 11 for this year's Diwali in Trinidad and Tobago, he stressed that they were able to r e c o n c i l e d i ff e r e n t opinions based on credible information. “Diwali is November 10 in Trinidad and Tobago”, he reiterated. He added that the festival is a show piece. “There is a lot of investments in Diwali. Corporate entities invest, ordinary citizens invest and the government invest too, not only to show that the festival and Hinduism are accepted

national as part of the cultural landscape”, he explained. He stated that while some festivals have ﬁxed lunar dates, Diwali demands more for deriving the date, given the related complexities. November 10 has been declared a national holiday for Diwali in Guyana by Minister Ramjattan. It has not been accepted by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS), which claims November 11 at the date. The Minister's decision was based on what he described as credible information and which could not have been ignored presented to him through a petition supported by some ninety Pandits (Hindu Priests) and Hindu Leaders in the form of petition.

WEEKEND RECAP

Emotional farewell for Cove & John Ashram Guru On Wednesday, devotees and friends of the Cove and John Ashram turned out in large numbers to pay their ﬁnal respect to their Guru (Spiritual Leader), the late S w a m i Vi d y a n a n d a j i Maharaj, who passed away on October 28, at the Long Shore Jewish Hospital,

Long Island, New York. Dignitaries and ordinary worshippers ﬂocked the Ashram to bid farewell to the ﬁrst Guyanese to be ordained a Swami. Among those attending were Prime Minister Moses

Nagamootoo and his wife Sita; former President, Donald Ramotar and Mrs. Ramotar; Education Minister, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine; former Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds and former Finance M inis ter, S as enarine Kowlessar.

A procession, which was held from the Jerrick's Funeral home in Paradise to the Ashram, was punctuated with religious chanting. The body was cremated on the lawns of the Ashram; the ﬁrst to be done.

The 79 year-old Swami Vidyanandaji, who hailed from Albion, Berbice, was ailing of recent. He 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.

Part of the large gathering at today’s funeral

PM Moses Nagamootoo and other dignitaries including former President Donald Ramotar viewing the body

The Pyre just being lit

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo signing the book of condolence at the Ashram

Prime Minister Nagamootoo and former President Donald Ramotar

Devotees engage in part of the ﬁnal ritual

WEEKEND RECAP

Venezuela rice market scrapped -Opposition calls for re-negotiation

Minister Noel Holder

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has conﬁrmed that government will no longer be pursuing the Venezuela rice market. Speaking to Guyana News Network, Holder said, “The rice market is gone, their discussion with Suriname is for a far cheaper price, we couldn't continue with our rice price, anybody thinking that we could continue is fooling themselves,” Finance Minister Winston Jordan was told

during a visit to Venezuela earlier this year that the Spanish speaking country is no longer interested in the rice for oil barter under the PertoCaribe deal and that Guyana should look for new markets for its rice. The PertoCaribe deal comes to an end on November 16. Ve n e z u e l a ' s decision came at a time when it is claiming sovereignty over Guyana's waters, since the signiﬁcant oil ﬁnd by

American oil giant, ExxonMobil just 100 miles off of the Stabroek Block. Ve n e z u e l a claims that its decision to not renew the rice deal after November is mainly because it has secured rice shipments from Suriname and has enough local production to satisfy its domestic demand. However, the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is not in agreement with the government for scrapping the Venezuela market and has been p u s h i n g f o r a renegotiation between the two countries. In the past Guyana exported close to USD$130 million in rice and paddy to the Venezuelan market. Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, said that the Venezuelan market was a lucrative one.

According to him, during the postelection period, the Venezuelan border came up and the PPP/C took the position to always protect the territorial area. He said even though the border issue existed under the PPP/C's tenure, it ensured that the controversy did not affect economic activities. Jagdeo had urged President Granger to engage in talks with Maduro when they met in New York in September concerning the recent loss of the PetroCaribe deal. However, Granger insisted that his purpose was solely to address the Guyana/Venezuela issue. It is likely that the two leader could meet again at the upcoming Fourth Summit of the South American and Arab Countries (ASPA), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, billed for November 10-

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

11. The opposition leader is urging President Granger once he conﬁrms his participation to reopen talks with the Venezuelan President on the rice market. He believes that Guyana can aggressively pursue the integrity and sovereignty of its borders, whilst at the same time, maintain an open channel for dialogue, trade ﬂows and functional cooperation between its neighbours. The PPP/C believes that if Guyana regains the Venezuela

market it can save the rice farmers who are in despair due to the crippling state the industry is in. H o w e v e r, Minister Holder is assuring farmers that the issue of markets will soon be sorted out since several countries are lined up to purchase rice from Guyana. He said several CARICOM have expressed interest in purchasing the commodity, however, the deals are to be ﬁnalized. He said statements that the industry is in serious crisis is mere politicking.

Local DJ, Dwight Mahdia accident Ferguson, victims air dashed surrendered to to city Canadian authorities

Dwight Ferguson

After being on the run for weeks, local entertainer and DJ, Dwight Ferguson gave himself up to Canadian authorities Wednesday evening. His surrender, which was reported to Guyanese authorities, was conﬁrmed to the Guyana News Network, (GNN), by Head of the Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU, James

Singh. It is believed that a lawyer accompanied him during the surrender. F e rg u s o n w h o w a s wanted for alleged involvement in gun and cocaine trafﬁcking after a ring with connections to Guyana, was busted b y C a n a d i a n authorities. Some twelve persons were

arrested following the bust. Canadian police had indicated that the persons involved were not low-level trafﬁckers. Ferguson is the brother of one of the part owners of Hits & Jams Entertainment, Rawle Ferguson. The Entertainment Company runs a popular television and a radio station and is known for their mega concerts featuring high proﬁle international artistes.

Eleven persons 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. On Monday afternoon some of the injured were air dashed to the Ogle

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

WEEKEND RECAP

Couple found dead at Sewall ‐suicide suspected

nineteen year-old Kavita Ackloo and eighteen yearold Ramesh Beharry, for further testing overseas. The Guyana Police Force reportedly now sends such samples to neigbhbouring Brazil for testing. The funerals are to be held soon.

The Guyana News Network (GNN) has been reliably informed that the Post Mortem to determine

the cause of death of the two young persons who were discovered dead at the Kingston Sewall last

M o n d a y , w a s inconclusive. While suicide has been touted, it remains unconﬁrmed.

Information reaching GNN indicate that samples were taken from both the bodies of

The bodies of the East Coast Demerara young couple were discovered by passers-by late Monday evening at the Kingston Seawall. Bottles suspected to have contained a poisonous substance were found next to the bodies. Reportedly, a receipt from a prominent pesticide store was found in dead man's pocket. They were

identiﬁed as nineteen yearold Kavita Ackloo of South Cummings Lodge who worked as a store Clerk and eighteen yearold Ramesh Beharry, a joiner of Phase 2 Good Hope, East Coast Demerara. While there is still some uncertainty as what may have led to the couple's demise, persons known to them hinted it could have been family disagreements over the suspected relationship. Initially the relationship between the two was denied by some family m e m b e r s , b u t subsequently, Ackloo's mother said her now dead daughter had told her about her involvement with Beharry.

Four killed in separate accidents in Berbice L a s t Tu e s d a y, f o u r persons lost their lives in two separate accidents on the Corentyne roadway, Berbice. The accidents occurred within twelve hours of each other. During the mid-morning hours, two persons, 48 year-old Paula Kissoondial and 15 year-old Akeem Harry were killed, after the car in which they were travelling lost control and crashed into a fence. The same night, two teenage friends, 19 year-old Balram Nourang and 17 year-old Haresh Ramsaywack, both from #69 Village, Corentyne, were killed on the #74 village Corentyne Public road. According to a Police statement, the car in which they were travelling lost control resulting in the vehicle colliding with the

concrete base of the NO. 75 Arch located at the western corner of the No. 74 Public Road. The car was damaged almost beyond recognition. The accidents preceded the ofﬁcial launch of Road Safety Month. During the launch at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal, President David Granger outlined a plan of action aimed at reducing road fatalities in Guyana He said that the time to bring order and sanity to Guyana's roadways has arrived. He pointed out that Guyana has public roads, not highways, with the Linden-Soesdyke highway, to some degree, being the only exception. This means that most of the roads are situated in

The mangled car following yesterday accident. [iNews’ Photo]

heavily populated areas. A d d i t i o n a l l y, encumbrances such as shipping containers, roadside vendors' stands, derelict vehicles and stray

animals must be removed our roads…November from roadways. should be a month when “ T h e e v e n - the nation ponders the handed enforcement of our more than two thousand of trafﬁc laws will help to its citizens who died over promote greater safety on the past decade and many

more who continue to be injured every year,” the President said.

WEEKEND RECAP

RENOWNED SWAMI HERE ON SPIRITUAL MISSION

Swami Kavalyananda poses with executives and friends of the Viraat Sabhaa and students of the Valmiki Vidyalaya school following his arrival at the CJIA

Renowned and revered Swami Kavalyananda, from India, arrived in Guyana Tuesday afternoon to begin a period of attachment as part of his mission of fostering spirituality in different parts of the world. His visit is under the auspices of the Viraat Sabhaa which is one of the l e a d i n g H i n d u organisations in Guyana. On his arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the Swami received a Hindu ceremonial

welcome from a number of prominent Hindu personalities. Among the welcoming party were, President of the Viraat Sabhaa, Pandit Rabindranauth Persaud, Pandit Hardesh Tiwarie, Chris Persaud, Pushshotam Shivraj and students of the Valmiki Vidyalaya School. While in Guyana he will, through the Viraat Sabhaa, conduct Bhagwat Gita, Philosophy and Yoga classes countrywide. Guyanese would be afforded opportunities to

meet and interact with the spiritual leader either at his ofďŹ ce at the Gandhi Youth Organisation on Woolford Avenue, or through the many outreaches he would undertake. S w a m i Kavalyananda, a Philosopher who has a PHD and at least four Masters Degrees, was a former Indian Diplomat here in Guyana. During his attachment then, he taught Yoga and Sanskrit classes.

Part of the Hindu ceremonial welcome for the visiting Swami

WEEKEND RECAP

Gunmen stormed America Street, robbed money changers -police hold suspect

Police have held one suspect in connection with what appeared to be an organized gang robbery in down town Georgetown on Tuesday evening. A gang, r e p o r t e d l y o f

approximately one dozen men, stormed a City street and robbed several persons. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told the media that the suspect is no stranger to the police.

According to information reaching the Guyana News Network (GNN), the men who were armed with small and large arms, targeted money changers who usually ply their trade in the vicinity of Hinks and America Streets. The money changers would normally have local and foreign currency in their possession. G N N w a s informed that images secured from CCTV cameras around the area were reviewed to ﬁnd leads into the robbery. It was noted that

during the robbery in which the bandits arrived only on motorcycles, they were fully masked and also wore long sleeve clothing that covered any markings that would have caused them to be easily identiﬁable. From all reports, it was chaos in the City as the gunshots rang out with many persons who were about their business and some getting home, scrambled for cover as the robbery victims had guns pointed to their bodies and were stripped of their belongings and valuables. O n e m a n

r e p o r t e d o n Tu e s d a y evening that he was robbed of more than one million dollars and gold jewelry. Others who were not willing to speak about the robbery, were made to lay down while all their valuables were taken away. Over the last few months the Police denied that gangs are operating in Guyana and have not easily accepted questions posed by journalist regarding the possibility organized crimes reportedly within the country.

However, some posited that Tuesday evening's robbery may be indicative of such crimes given the weapons used. A former security personnel noted that it is very unlikely that someone would randomly pick up a high-powered weapon and execute a robbery. The security ofﬁcer who wished not to be named, noted that in his opinion, persons involved in the robbery would have had to be trained in the use of such weapon over a period of time.

Gov't is “politically stupid” in handling rice, sugar issues -Teixeira

Gail Teixeira

The Peoples Progressive Party/Civic lashed out at the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) for not adequately addressing the problems facing the rice and sugar industries. The government has said that the problems facing both the rice and sugar sectors are being blown out of proportion by the opposition PPP/C since the party has a large support base in both industries. Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has deemed talks that the rice industry is in crisis as “political rabble-rousing.” He stated that “farmers have to decide if they will be swayed by politics and be made scapegoats or focus on developing their interests by seeking proper representation which can have results.” H o w e v e r , PPP/C's Chief Whip, Gail Te i x e i r a a t a p r e s s conference on Wednesday, at the party's Robb Street Headquarter rejected that notion, but blamed the coalition government for ignoring the issues facing

the two industries. She questioned why is the government addressing the problem in sugar and rice in such a discriminatory manner? “If I was in government the issue of what is confronting the rice and sugar industry would have been handled completely differently because even if there was an APNU+AFC government and knowing that rice and sugar is majority the PPP supporters why would you treat with those sectors and those people in such a disgraceful manner which just doesn't count, especially when the sectors contribute to the society.” M s . Te i x e i r a opined that the political behavior of the Opposition is not a question of “whether we're causing trouble the issue with rice and sugar is that they have exacerbated the situation in sugar and rice.” Minister Holder has assured rice farmers that the issue of markets for rice will soon be sorted out since several countries are lining up waiting to acquire the commodity from the Guyana market. He added that it is just a

case whereby the deals have to be ﬁnalized. With regard to the collapse of the Ve n e z u e l a m a r k e t , Holder explained that it only accounted for 30% of the country's rice. He posited that there are other countries that can replace the Venezuela market. There has been some level of restlessness on the part of farmers and millers since the Ve n e z u e l a n m a r k e t collapsed, despite government saying that they are working assiduously to acquire markets. While the Opposition is calling on government to renegotiate for the Venezuelan market, the government on the other hand has scrapped that source and is exploring other avenues. Meanwhile, with regard to sugar, the coalition government has made it clear that it will only act based on the recommendations in the Commission of Inquiry (COI) that was conducted into the operations of the G u y a n a S u g a r Corporation (GuySuCo).

WEEKEND RECAP

Agri Minister denies “back door” talks to sell sugar industry Agriculture Minister Noel Holder 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 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, noting that there were

Minister Noel Holder

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.

PRIVATE SECTOR RAISED CONCERNS WITH FINANCE MINISTER

PSC delegation with Minister Winston Jordon and ofﬁcials from the Ministry of Finance

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) on Thursday raised some of their concerns with Minister of Finance during a meeting which is part of the 2016 Budget consultations. The PSC delegations was led by its Chairman, Major General (Rtd) Norman Mc. Lean. One of the issues raised was the present state of the economy to which Minister Jordan stated that “information coming out of

the Bureau of Statistics shows that the outlook of the economy remains positive for the rest of the year”. He added that “the ﬁrst half of the year was affected by a downturn that began in 2014”. The Minister pointed out that at a recent IMF/World Bank Annual Meeting he attended, it was revealed that world economic growth had slowed, and so the challenge of a slowdown in growth was not peculiar to

Guyana. Jordon also said that his Ministry was collaborating closely with the Hon. Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, to improve the ease of doing business in Guyana, which in turn would effect an improvement in Guyana's ranking in the Doing Business indicators. He told the PSC that the government was pursuing new markets for

rice to which there have been very encouraging responses while noting that for the ﬁrst time in the recent past sugar production had exceeded the target. The PSC welcomed the news that Private Sector Credit and production had increased. The PSC also raised challenges with the VAT Refunds system employed by the GRA, to which the Minister pointed to the functioning Tax Reform Commission as well as the impending audit of the entity will ensure that the challenges raised will be addressed. The PSC welcomed the improvements being made at Go-Invest to make it a truly 'one stop agency' but cautioned that the bureaucratic malaise of the past should not be continued. The body also noted that the recent expansion of airlift capacity for cargo out of Guyana should be seen as an opportunity to boost diversiﬁcation of the Agriculture sector into fresh fruits and vegetables which are in high demand in the North American and Caribbean markets. They urged Government to invest in laboratories and other devices

that would ensure certiﬁcation and accreditation. The PSC also discussed other issues for consideration in the 2016 budget, including corporate, personal and property taxes – written submissions on these had been sent to the Tax Reform Commission; interior roads and airstrips; export marketing support; liberalization of the telecommunications sector and the National Competitiveness Strategy. In response to the issue of airstrips, Minister Jordan informed the PSC that funding has already been approved for the upgrade of two airstrips and discussions are ongoing with international funding agencies for the upgrade of several others. He added that there was common ground between his Ministry and the issues raised by the PSC. Minister Jordan and the PSC agreed to meet quarterly in the interest of closer collaboration. During the meeting Minister Jordon took the opportunity to inform the Commission on some latest statistics coming out from the

Bank of Guyana. The stats show that thePrivate Sector Credit and Production have seen 6 percent growth for the period January to October and projected that this growth will continue into the ﬁnal quarter of 2015. Likewise, other positive economic indicators showed Real Estate Mortgage loans rising by 12 percent, and Construction and Engineering by 9 percent. According to a statement from the Finance Ministry, “on the production side, Rice grew by 15 percent between January to July; and Sugar by 4 percent for the period January to October, while positive growth was recorded for diamonds, eggs, poultry meat and electricity, among other sectors”. Jordan said this should boost investors' conﬁdence in the economy as well as catalyze the Private Sector to renew their resolve to increase their investments in production as well as value added services.

WEEKEND RECAP

Witness protection bill for Parliament -witnesses could have identity changed

Minister Raphael Trotman

Government is seeking to provide protection for witnesses in court matters

through a Bill that is to be laid in the National Assembly soon.

Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman told the media

that Cabinet has approved the draft of the witness protection bill 2015. “The witness protection bill will establish a program for the protection of witnesses who give evidence in the Courts of Guyana,” he stated. He said the legislation will ensure the protection of witnesses and their families against intimidation and or physical harm during and after their involvement in Court proceedings. It will include the establishment of safe houses, granting of assistance to participants and the provision of new identities where necessary. Alluding to the fact that it is more of a

CARICOM crime initiative, Trotman noted that Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica have already started working with each other where they move witnesses, both before, during, and after trials within each other countries. He pledged that Guyana will avail itself for this type of arrangement as well. “This legislation will give us a sense of uniformity and allow us to enter into that existing framework,” he added. On the issue of funding from the international community, the Minister said the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, a United States based support mechanism will play a major role. R e c e n t l y, t h e

United Kingdom Prime Minister visited Jamaica where he announced that a large grant will be available to Caribbean countries, Guyana is hoping to tap into this. The ability of the criminal justice system of many countries to investigate and prosecute persons involved in serious and organized crime are often limited. One of the challenges in many countries is in obtaining the cooperation of victims and witnesses in order to obtain important information and evidence on such matters. However, witness has proven to be a key tool in addressing this issue.

EDDIE MURPHY IS EXPECTING HIS 9TH CHILD Eddie Murphy is expecting his 9th child, his ﬁrst with his longtime girlfriend Paige Butcher. The couple, 54 and 36 respectively, “are pleased to announce that they are expecting a child in May,” Murphy's rep told E! News. Murphy and Butcher have kept the details of their four-year relationship largely under wraps. Telling Vanity Fair in 2013, Butcher explained her reason for staying away from social

media. “I'm in a relationship with a celebrity, so I felt like there's already enough of me out there,” she added. “I felt like I was giving o u t t o o m u c h information. I was giving people too much access. I like to keep as much private as possible now.” The pair is often seen making Starbucks runs in Los Angeles. They were last seen together in Washington, D.C., in October, where Murphy was honored with he Mark Twain

Prize for Humor. Murphy and his ex-wife and reality star, Nicole Murphy, have ﬁve children together: Bria, 25, Myles, 22, Shayne, 21, Zola, 15 and Bella, 13. Murphy has a 26year-old son, Eric, with Paulette McNeely and a 25-year-old son with Tamara Hood. Murphy is also the parent of an 8year-old girl, Angel, with former Spice Girl Mel B.

EXTRA SECURITY FOR SHAH RUKH KHAN Shah Rukh Khan's recent statement over the prevailing 'intolerance' in the country has sent many politicians in frenzy as they a c c u s e d t h e superstar for being a terrorist as well as a Pakistani. Owing to the current situation, Shah Rukh Khan has been provided with extra security in and around his residence Mannat located in

suburban Mumbai. From what we hear, two police vans have been guarding his residence from t he out s ide while over 20 extra guards have been appointed indoors for the a c t o r ' s s e c u r i t y. D e p u t y Commissioner of Police, Satyanarayan Chaudhary too revealed about the increased security and also stated that

they had taken this action a few days ago. There is also naka bandi on the popular l o c a t i o n o f Bandstand, where vehicles are randomly stopped and checked by police ofﬁcials in order to ensure the actor and his family's safety. Shah Rukh Khan, who recently turned 50, got embroiled in a controversy after he

claimed that people in India are extremely intolerant when it comes to religious matters. His comment did not go down well with many politicians who not only condemned it but also accused the superstar of being a Pakistani agent and masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai a t t a c k s . (Bollywoodhungama)

TARANTINO SAYS HE'S BEING 'DEMONIZED'

Quentin Tarantino says police groups are vilifying critics of police brutality to avoid focusing on their problems with enforcement. T h e A c a d e m y Aw a r d -

winning ﬁlmmaker appeared on MSNBC's "All in With Chris Hayes" on Wednesday to continue to defend himself from a backlash by police groups

that have called for a boycott of his upcoming movie, "The Hateful Eight." The police groups were angered by comments he made at an anti-police

brutality rally in New York, where he said he was on the side of the "murdered." Ta r a n t i n o s a i d he's being "demonized." " A n y b o d y w h o acknowledges that there's a problem in law enforcement in this country right now is considered by law enforcement part of the problem — whether that be me, whether that be (New York Mayor) Bill de Blasio, whether that be President Barack Obama," he said. Tarantino, who won Oscars for writing "Pulp Fiction" and "Django Unchained," said he was "surprised" by the angry reactions to what he said at t h e r a l l y, w h i c h w a s organized by a group called RiseUpOctober.

"I'm a human being with a conscience," Tarantino said at the Oct. 24 rally. "And if you believe there's murder going on then you need to rise up and stand up against it. I'm here to say I'm on the side of the murdered." He said on Wednesday that he "was under the impression I was an American and I had ﬁrst Amendment rights." E a r l i e r Wednesday, Texas Rep. Ted Poe, a Republican, c a l l e d Ta r a n t i n o ' s comments "idiotic" and said they "encourage mischief and crimes against peace ofﬁcers." Tarantino insisted he's not anti-police. "It's much easier to feign outrage and start arguments with

celebrities than it is to deal with the fact that the citizenry has lost trust in (police)," he said. As for whether the threats of boycott are rattling the distributor of "The Hateful Eight," the Weinstein Co., Tarantino said it's probably "a pain in the butt" for the company but concluded, "They stand behind me." On Tuesday, the Weinstein Co. said Ta r a n t i n o " s h o u l d b e allowed to speak for himself." Tarantino also is the director of movies including "Kill Bill" and "Reservoir Dogs." ''The Hateful Eight," starring Kurt Russell and Samuel L. Jackson, is scheduled for release in late December. (Fox Entertainment)

HEALTH

Woman who believed she was going through

menopause gives birth to baby girl A Massachusetts woman who wrongly believed changes occurring to her body were due to menopause was shocked to learn that she was actually pregnant with her ﬁrst child. Judy Brown, 47, went to Beverly Hospital emergency room with severe abdominal pains

We d n e s d a y, W C V B 5 reported. Doctors examining her discovered the pregnancy and had an additional surprise for Brown and her husband Jason. “(The doctors said,) 'It's good news there's no blockage, you are pregnant and you are going to have her now!'”

she told the news station. Judy gave birth to a healthy 8-pound baby named Carolyn Rose. The couple have been married for 22 years and left having children up to chance, according to the news station. Though she was unexpected, they say Carolyn is already a

“daddy's girl.” “When she cries I am there,” Jason told the news station. Friends and family are providing loaned supplies to them until the couple settle in with their newborn. (Fox News)

Swallowed bobby pin ends up in child's kidney

Kids will put anything in their mouths, and this usually this doesn't cause serious harm. But for one

4-year-old boy in Saudi Arabia, swallowing a bobby pin led to a perforated intestine, a

pierced kidney and surgery to ﬁx it all, according to a new report of his case. After a medical team operated to remove the pin, the boy recovered without further complications, according to the doctors who treated the boy and wrote the report of his case. "Children actually start exploring the world using their mouth as soon as they are able to pick up objects," s a i d D r. Ya s m i n Abdulaziz Yousef, of the department of surgery at KAMC-JD, National Guard Health Affairs in Jeddah, who treated the boy and co-authored the report of his case. However, serious complications due to swallowed objects are really rare, because

objects typically "pass t h r o u g h t h e gastrointestinal tract and end up in the diaper," she said. Problems are more common when the object that was swallowed is thin and sharp, such as pins, nails and ﬁsh bones, or when children swallow disk batteries or magnets, she said. "These have a higher chance of causing perforations and other serious problems," Yousef told Live Science. When the boy's parents brought him to the hospital where Yousef works, he had already been having pain in the upper right part of his abdomen for about three months, according to the case report. He had also been experiencing fever and chills He had also been

admitted to another medical facility, where an X-ray showed the bobby pin in his right upper abdomen. At that time the boy had admitted to swallowing the object about a month before he started to experience his symptoms. But those doctors assured his parents that the bobby pin would pass through his system. However, the boy's symptoms did not subside, and when he came to Yousef's hospital in January 2015, a CT scan revealed that the bobby pin had become lodged in the boy's right kidney. The ends of the pin had rusted and become sharp, and the pin had pierced through the ﬁrst section of the small intestine and penetrated deep into his kidney,

according to the report. But parents can protect their kids by keeping sharp objects, tiny toys, nuts, fridge magnets and disc batteries out of toddlers' reach, she said. "Toys that have small parts cannot be given to children under the age of 3," Yousef said. “Toys operated by disc batteries have to have a battery cover that is screwed in place." However, "if a child chokes for no apparent reason or starts to wheeze without being a known asthmatic," parents should seek medical advice, because this may mean that the child might have inhaled an object," Yousef said. Objects that are inhaled can cause more serious consequences than objects that are swallowed, she said. (Fox News)

woman to lack the ability to reach orgasm during sex.” The surgery, which can be done under local anesthesia, IV sedation or “twilight” anesthesia or general anesthesia, has about a seven- to 10-day recovery period, where typical side effects include tenderness in

the area. Sexual activity can u s u a l l y r e s u m e approximately six to eight weeks later. And getting this look doesn't come cheap. Since labiaplasty isn't usually covered by insurance (imagine that!), Dr. Grotting says it can cost between $6,000 and $9,000. Namaste, ladies.

Women are getting surgery down there to look better in Yoga pants According to reports, some women are getting their labias tightened for a better look in their yoga pants. Ouch! Activewear isn't what it used to be. No longer just for the gym, workout clothes have become a trendy fashion statement for people on the go – especially for women. According to a recent article in the New York Post, women are willing to go the extra mile to look hot in their yoga pants…by electing to undergo surgery on their vajay-jay to permanently remove the dreaded “camel toe.”

The latest statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) state that belowthe-belt procedures have been on the rise. Labiaplasty—a surgery that involves reshaping and trimming the excess labia minora—increased by 44 percent and the number of surgeons who are performing labiaplasties increased by 8 percent (from 21 percent to 29 percent) in 2013. “The reality is that women have been grooming themselves differently for about the past ten years, with

many eliminating pubic hair altogether, and consequently, they are noticing what things look like in that region as a result,” said Christine Hamori, MD, an ASAPS member specializing in labiaplasty, in a formal press release. “Many of my patients want to achieve a clean, smooth look as they would with their face and underarms.” But doctors are also seeing an increase in newly divorced female patients who are looking to nip and tuck their nether

regions. “They have usually had their children, and the changes that occur in the labia become a source of embarrassment,” he explains. “When the labia minora are contoured back inside through the surgery, they feel better about getting out there and dating again.” Aside from feeling self-conscious, Dr. Grotting says the more common r e a s o n s f o r u n d e rg o i n g labiaplasty stem from pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia), chafﬁng in the area or the presence of clitoral hooding “which can cause a

OUR WORLD

Sexting at Colorado school leads to suspensions

Ofﬁcials investigating an apparently extensive case of sexting at a southern Colorado high school are urging parents to check their children's phones for explicit selﬁes and talk to them about the risk of the

photos becoming public. Canon City High School gave police one phone with several hundred images that investigators will work to identify, police Chief Paul Schultz said Friday.

An unspeciﬁed number of students have been suspended. The district has said that both girls and boys are involved in the sexting. The investigation began Monday after some

people contacted school ofﬁcials and a tip came through a state student safety hotline. Few details have been released about the extent of the sexting at the school of 1,000 students. P o l i c e distributed a bulletin to parents telling them about apps that can be used to hide photos on phones and urging them to talk to their children about the risk of explicit photos being shared through social media. District Attorney Thom LeDoux said he would focus on whether anyone was coerced into sharing photos, whether any adults were involved and whether there was any corresponding sexual contact.

The possession of explicit photos of minors is a felony in Colorado, which, like many states, has not updated laws intended to ﬁght adult exploitation of children for the smartphone age. Convictions can carry a requirement to register as a s e x o f f e n d e r, b u t LeDoux said he would only pursue that option if it was in the best interest of the community and possible victims. Jeff Temple, an associate professor and psychologist at the U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s Medical Branch at Galveston who has studied sexting, said his research found that a sizable minority of teens — 28 percent of both girls

and boys — send racy text messages. They are more likely to be having sex than teens who don't sext, but there's no evidence that sexting is a sign of poor mental health or other problems, Temple said. He doesn't like the idea of parents snooping on their highschoolers' phones. He thinks teens will be ahead of their parents on using technology to cover their tracks anyway. Instead, he said parents should talk to their children a b o u t h e a l t h y relationships and sex and avoid trying to scare them about the possibility of explicit images becoming public. "More kids are having sex in person than they are sexting," he said. (MSN)

Woman flees home after ghost photobombs her in selfie A woman has fled her flat a f t e r s h e w a s photobombed in a selfie by what appears to be a ghost. Natasha Boden, 26, a mother-of-one from Blackpool, Lancashire, took the picture of herself after dyeing her hair blonde, only to find the shape of a spirit face on her shoulder in the resulting image. Even more unsettling was the fact that undertakers had mistakenly called at her door six weeks earlier asking to collect a dead body. They had the wrong address. Ms Boden checked into a hotel for the night after seeing the

spooky selfie and has ended the tenancy on her flat. She and her partner, Mark Donohue, and twoyear-old daughter Dolly are currently looking for somewhere else to live. She said she was reduced to tears when she zoomed in on the selfie and will not return to the property because she thinks it might be haunted. “I'd just dyed my hair so I decided to take a quick selfie to see what it looked like, and as I flicked through the photographs I realised there was the face of a man lurking near my right shoulder. “I was terrified. I was alone in the flat and I

knew I had to get out immediately. It was 11pm but I checked into a hotel and asked my boyfriend to meet me there. There was no way I would be able to sleep after what I had seen. “We have only lived in the flat for six months and I really loved living there. I am gutted, but there's no way I can stay there after what I've seen. “When I first moved in I noticed the floorboards would creak when nobody was there, but I thought it was just because it's an old building. Now I am having second thoughts.“ “It's just so

weird. Six weeks ago I was sitting in my living room when two undertakers knocked on the door. When I opened the door they said they

were there to collect a dead body. “I told them there was no dead body in my ﬂat but they were adamant. Eventually they

came back and apologised and said they had the wrong ﬂat, but it really scared me. “I'll never take a selﬁe on my own again.” (Yahoo)

Murder suspect walks out of jail after giving fake name Murder suspect Terrance Brown walked out of a Georgia jail after giving a fake name to ofﬁcers, authorities said. He is still on the lam. Brown, who has an outstanding arrest warrant for murder in Burke County, was arrested last week in Richmond County on an unrelated disorderly conduct charge and taken to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, police said. Georgia law does

not require suspects to be fingerprinted when they enter jail, authorities said. They are, however, required to be fingerprinted when they are released. Brown had no identification and gave his name as Alphonso Bray, cops said. He was fingerprinted during his release, but officers somehow did not see that the system came back with his real name and the outstanding warrant. “Bottom line, we

messed up on our end,” Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree said, according to WAGT-TV. A jail ofﬁcer and a supervisor will be disciplined for not following county policy, Roundtree said. Brown was bailed out by his brother, Antonio, authorities said. Antonio Brown should have been asked for ID, but wasn't, ofﬁcials said. He was later arrested and charged with aiding and permitting another to escape

lawful custody, authorities said. The status of that case w a s u n c l e a r. Te r r a n c e Brown is wanted in connection with a 2014 shooting that left one man dead and another man wounded. Richmond County ofﬁcials were notiﬁed that Brown had walked free from their jail by relatives of Bray, who saw Brown's photo in a local newspaper, authorities said. (Yahoo)

Regional

Haiti runoff candidate calls election results a 'farce'

President Nicolas Maduro One of the candidates in Haiti's Presidential runoff has called the ﬁrstround results of the October 25 elections a

farce, amid growing opposition protests in the impoverished Caribbean country. Jude Celestin of the Lapeh party garnered

25 percent of the vote, according to results announced on Thursday. He faces ruling party candidate Jovenel

Moise, the front-runner at 32 percent in a December 27 run-off. The results are a "ridiculous farce," the 53-year-old Celestin said at a news conference on Friday. "The results of the people have yet to be announced." Speaking of the current government of President Michel Martelly, he added: "They have put in place a repressive force to crush the people, to kill the people, but they won't be able to kill all the people." Celestin's comments - met with applause from supporters came as opposition protests grew. In some spots in the capital, tires

were set ablaze. "They don't respect young people. They think they can do whatever they want with us," protester Metelus Lafontant told the AFP news agency “If they don't want to change their results, they'll have to kill all Haitians because it's not how we voted," added the student. "If they don't change, we'll take the streets and the country will never have stability." The UN and the "Core Group" of countries comprising the ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, the US and the European Union "deplored isolated

incidents of violence and vandalism". In a statement issued late on Friday, the diplomats "urged the Haitian authorities to arrest and try those responsible, in full compliance with the law". T h e Organization of American States announced it was sending an observer mission for the run-off. The October 25 election was the latest attempt in the Americas' poorest country to shed chronic political instability and w o r k t o w a r d s development. (Al Jazeera)

Local Muslims condemn Trini/ISIS link It's high time mainstream Muslim organisations in the country tell the public whether or not they support the radical terrorist group Islamic State. The warning was sounded by Muslim cleric Dr Mansoor Ibrahim who said that in the name of Islam, whoever was burning mosques, killing children and torturing people, were so misguided, that they could not be called Muslims. Mansoor, a former president general

of the Anjuman Sunnat-ulJamaat Association (ASJA), delivered the Friday Juma'h sermon yesterday at the San Fernando Jama Masjid and called on ASJA, the Trinidad Muslim League and other bodies representing Muslims in Trinidad, to come out openly and condemn those who, on the pretext that they are representing Islam, opting to do a tour of duty with ISIS. Video footage have been posted on

Facebook and aired on television, showing that three Trinidadians, one of them from Rio Claro, have been ﬁghting with ISIS. One of them has reportedly been killed. Ibrahim told a congregation of worshippers yesterday that those who have chosen to join ISIS, have what he described as a “disﬁgured view about Islam”. The effect it is having on the peaceful religion of Islam, he

added, perhaps is what those who were opposed to the spread of the religion, want to achieve. Ibrahim said, “It used to be that one in every ﬁve persons were converting from Christianity to Islam in certain parts of the Western world, but it seems, that one in every ﬁve persons who have converted, were reverting back.” Muslim countries have been plundered to the ground, Ibrahim said, but ISIS is not an organisation that uphold the tenets of

Islam. “I called on Muslim organisations in Trinidad and Tobago, to declare their stance on this

state of affairs and condemn the propagation of violence in the name of Islam,” Ibrahim said. (Trinidad Newday)

Kamla 'sorry' for election loss

Kamla Persad- Bissessar Former Prime Minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar has taken full responsibility for the People's Partnership (PP) defeat in the September 7 General Election. PersadBissessar, now Opposition Leader, made her unequivocal apology when she addressed Divali celebrations at the Divali

Nagar in Charlieville, Chaguanas on Thursday night. “I apologise for whatever might have been our shortcomings, but I also commit not to abandon the cause for which we have stood together from 2010 onwards,” the former Prime Minister told her audience.

However, while apologising for the PP's electoral defeat to the People's National Movement (PNM), PersadBissessar said there was still hope, referring to the United National Congress (UNC) election petitions which are currently before the Court of Appeal. “I share in your disappointment and deeply so. Notice, I say the elections declared lost, since those matters are still before the courts,” she said. Wednesday, Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Justice of Appeal Allan Mendonca, reserved their decision on whether a High Court Judge should have granted permission on September 18, to present the petitions which seek to have the results in six constituencies declared null and void by the

courts. Saying she is committed to defending the rights of people and continue to ﬁght for equality of treatment for cultural equity and a crime-free country, Persad-Bissessar said, “I make this commitment in light of reports of a deteriorating social situation marked by increase in crime, loss of jobs and cut-backs with supplies and productivity.” She reiterated her claim of threats looming in the form of cuts in social services. While observing that she was standing on a highly religious setting, Persad-Bissessar apologised for being political. However she added what is the use of religion if it does not inspire us to work for the betterment of society? “I am motivated

by the concept of selfless services which is a cornerstone of religion and of our religion where Seva (service), Diya (compassion) and Prema (love), satyam (truth) and Dharma (ethics).” Persad-Bissessar, who is standing for re-election as UNC political leader in the party's internal elections on December 5, referred to the Bhagwad Gita (Holy Hindu texts), as she called on UNC members to be wise in c h o o s i n g a l e a d e r. “ I n surveying battlefield, Arjuna saw his uncles and cousins on both sides of the battlefield. He told Lord Krishna, and I quote, 'I grow weak, I

tremble, my mouth is dry. I cannot ﬁght my own kinsmen. “Lord Krishna advised Arjuna that the duty to society takes precedence over one's own son. If it means that you must oppose members of your own family who have chosen the wrong path, righteousness and preservation of society demand that at those times, you ﬁght your kinsman',” Persad-Bissessar said. “Today some of us have to do battle with our kinsman as Arjuna”, she added. (Adapted from the Trinidad Newsday)

INTERNATIONAL

Ex-Putin aide found dead in US hotel

Vladimir Putin spoke of Mikhail Lesin's "enormous contribution" to Russian media

A former aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin

has been found dead in Washington DC, Russian

state media say. Mikhail Lesin, 57, Russia's former

press minister and a onetime head of the powerful Gazprom-Media Holding group, died on Thursday, the RIA-Novosti and Tass news agencies report. Russian media, quoting his family, said he suffered a heart attack. The Washington Post said Mr Lesin's body was found in a room at the Dupont Circle hotel. It reported that police are investigating his death. Last year, Mississippi senator Roger Wicker called for an investigation into Mr Lesin, saying his fortune "raises serious questions". In a letter to the US Department of Justice, Sen

Wicker said Mr Lesin bought property $28m (£18.6m) in Los Angeles for his family after finishing work as a civil servant. Sen Wicker asked how a former civil servant would have been able to buy and maintain expensive property, and expressed concern their purchase may have involved people and groups on a US sanctions list. BBC Russian said Mr Lesin was considered, for a long time, "one of the most influential figures in the Russian media market and in the corridors of power". Mr Lesin worked

as an aide to the presidency between 2004 and 2009, when he helped advise on the creation of the news channel Russia Today. Late on Friday, Mr Putin hailed "the enormous contribution made by Mikhail Lesin to the formation of modern Russian media", according to Tass. Last y e a r, M r L e s i n w a s accused of trying to force a radio station in which he was a shareholder to cut an interview with opposition ﬁgure Alexei Navalny. The Ria-Novosti agency said he leaves a wife, son and daughter. (MSN)

U.S. to tighten airline security after Russian plane crash As investigators search for the cause of a plane crash that killed 224 people over the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday and Russia suspends all flights to Egypt, U.S. officials said they are taking unspecified precautionary measures to enhance the security of flights from the Middle East. “While the facts and circumstances surrounding the tragic October 31 crash of Metrojet Flight 9268 on the Sinai Peninsula are still under investigation, Transportation Security Administrator (TSA) Peter

Neffenger and I, out of an abundance of caution, have identiﬁed a series of interim, precautionary enhancements to aviation security with respect to commercial ﬂights bound for the United States from certain foreign airports in the region,” the Department of Homeland S e c u r i t y, s a i d i n a statement. The statement n o t e d t h a t t h e enhancements also adopted by European aviation authorities, “are designed to provide an additional layer of security for the traveling

public, and will be undertaken in consultation with relevant foreign governments and relevant passenger and cargo airlines.” They include expanded screening and other “seen and unseen” security measures. A DHS ofﬁcial, who asked not to be identiﬁed because he's not authorized to expand on the secretary's statement, said the new measures would be phased in as quickly as possible. “This is all

within TSA's capabilities, within their power, within th eir au th o r ities an d resources,” the ofﬁcial said. “If we say 'From now on a certain item poses a threat, no one's allowed to bring that item aboard a plane.' We can request that and if [other countries] refuse to [ban that item], we can refuse planes coming from that airport or from that country.” He would not specify any category of items or cargo that might be banned from airplanes under the new order. He said the new expanded screening and restriction

of items brought aboard aircraft likely would apply primarily to those stowed in the cargo hold. In most airports worldwide, passengers and their carry-on bags are subject to x-ray machines, metal detectors and, in some c a s e s , b o m b - s n i fﬁ n g

dogs. “Obviously we could dial it all the way up and say you can't bring anything at all in your carry-on, but that's not workable, and it's going to make everyone very angry,” the ofﬁcial said. (MSN)

Oppose Taiwan independence – China's President

President Xi Jinping China and Taiwan must not let proponents of Taiwan's independence split them, China's President Xi Jinping told Taiwan's President on Saturday at the ﬁrst meeting between leaders of the two

sides since China's civil war ended in 1949. M a Yi n g - j e o u , President of self-ruled, democratic Taiwan, where anti-Beijing sentiment has been rising ahead of

elections, called for mutual respect for each other's systems and said Taiwan people were concerned about mainland missiles pointing their way. The talks, at a luxury hotel in the neutral venue of Singapore, lasted less than an hour but were heavy with symbolism. The two leaders shook hands and smiled in front of a mass of journalists when they met, with Xi wearing a red tie, the colour of the Communist Party, and Ma a blue one, the colour of his Nationalist Party. Moving into a meeting room, Xi, speaking ﬁrst and sitting opposite Ma, said Chinese people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait

had the ability and wisdom to solve their own problems. "No force can pull us apart because we are brothers who are still connected by our ﬂesh even if our bones are broken, we are a family in which blood is thicker than water," Xi said. In response, Ma said he was determined to promote peace across the Ta i w a n S t r a i t a n d t h a t relations should be based on s i n c e r i t y, w i s d o m a n d patience. Ma also asked Xi indirectly to respect Taiwan's democracy. "Both sides should respect each other's values and way of life to ensure mutual beneﬁt and a win-win situation across the straits," he said.

C h i n a ' s Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang (KMT), retreated to Taiwan after losing the civil war to the Communists, who are still in c h a rg e i n B e i j i n g . T h e mainland has never renounced the use of force to bring what it considers a breakaway province under its control. Speaking to reporters after the talks, Ma said he hoped Xi could pay attention to China's missile deployment - the island has long fretted about batteries pointed its way - to which Xi replied that was not an issue about Taiwan, he said. Zhang Zhijun, the head of China's Taiwan

Affairs Office, said Xi told Ma that the biggest threat to the peaceful development of relations was proindependence forces. "The compatriots on both sides should unite and firmly oppose it," Zhang said. The meeting comes ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections on Taiwan which the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is favoured to win, something Beijing is desperate to avoid. Ma and Xi were due to have dinner together before flying out of Singapore separately. (MSN)

IND vs SA – First Test

India win by 108 runs Spinner Ravindra Jadeja took his third ﬁve-wicket Test haul as India beat South Africa by 108 runs inside three days in the ﬁrst Test in Mohali. The Proteas, needing 218 to win, never recovered after a disastrous start left them 10-3 and were bowled out for 109. Slow left-armer Jadeja took 5-21 on his comeback after being dropped for recent tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. India began the day on 125-2 in their second innings but were skittled for 200, with Cheteshwar Pujara hitting 77.

South Africa's quest of winning in all three formats on its 72day tour suffered a setback and it will be difficult for them, to bounce back especially since other venues may also be made to suit India's spin strength. The visitors had won the Twenty20 series 2-0 and taken the fivematch one-day series 3-2 to raise hopes of a first Test series win on Indian soil in 15 years - and gave themselves a chance by bowling India out cheaply for a second time. The Proteas'

bowling attack was lacking injured paceman Dale Steyn, off the ﬁeld with a groin strain, but spinners Imran Tahir (448) and Simon Harmer (4-61) did the damage. Indeed, 34 of the 40 wickets in the Test fell to spin. But South Africa, who trailed by 17 runs on ﬁrst innings, failed to come to grips with the conditions. Their batsmen were rattled with the ball turning viciously and also keeping low on the odd occasion. Stiaan van Zyl top-scored for the tourists

with 36, but seven batsmen failed to reach double ﬁgures. Jadeja and fellow spinner Ravichandran

Ashwin took the new ball and ﬁnished with match ﬁgures of 8-94 and 8-90 respectively. With Virat Kohli having secured his

ﬁrst home Test win as India captain, the second of the four-match Test series begins in Bangalore on 14 November. (BBC)

AUS vs NZ – First Test

Australia remain in command

Openers Joe Burns and continued to dominate D a v i d Wa r n e r s c o r e d New Zealand on day three centuries as Australia o f t h e ﬁ r s t T e s t i n

Brisbane. Warner added 116 to his ﬁrst-innings 163, while Burns scored

129 for his maiden Test century. By the close of play, Australia had reached 264-4 in their second innings for a mammoth overall lead of 503. Earlier, the Black Caps were dismissed for 317 in their first innings, Kane Williamson topscoring with 140. Williamson frustrated the hosts' attack until halfway through the second session of the day, posting his 11th Test hundred and his first against Australia. Mitchell Starc eventually dismissed him to finish with 4-57, with fellow left-arm

paceman Mitchell Johnson taking 3-105. Australia captain Steve Smith decided not to enforce the follow-on, despite leading by 239 on first innings. New Zealand's attack toiled without quick bowler Tim Southee, who was forced off the field on day two with an irritated disc in his back. Burns, playing on his home ground in his third Test, smashed two sixes in three balls to reach his century just before rain halted play for 50 minutes in the final session.

Warner reached three ﬁgures after the weather delay, the third time the 29-year-old has made hundreds in both innings of a Test. The opening partnership was ﬁnally broken at 237 when Wa r n e r a t t e m p t e d a switch-hit slog sweep, and Burns soon followed him. Smith and Mitchell Marsh were dismissed cheaply as Australia chased quick runs, having added 264 to their total in only 42 overs. (BBC)

West Indies still 'in turmoil' - Lara Brian Lara believes cricket in the West Indies is still in turmoil and he feels sorry for the players. A player strike, stars left out of the Cricket World Cup squad and the shock dropping of veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul have all unsettled West Indies in the past 18 months. Lara, a great who scored almost 12,000 Test runs, was critical of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). "I think West Indies cricket has been in turmoil for quite some time," he said.

"Unfortunately I don't think the West Indies Cricket Board is doing anything positive towards enhancing that or getting it into a better state. "I have a lot of sympathy for the players, being a former player myself, I know exactly what they are going through. "The stresses that causes not being able to perform. I think we are under a lot of pressure as a team to perform. "A lot more should be done by the presidents and the board at grassroots level to enhance the game."

Lara said the search in the West Indies needed to be on creating a competitive team, rather than looking for another individual great. "They are loyal and talented cricketers in the West Indies," the 46year-old said. "You don't want the next Brian Lara, you want the next great West Indies team, that is what we have to strive for. "Individual fame is one thing but a good team that can be competitive against the best team in the world is more important." (Yahoo)

Brian Lara

Saturday November 07, 2015

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LASITH MALINGA

WINDIES LOSE ODI SERIES 3-0 TO SRI LANKA Sri Lanka's seamers ploughed through the West Indies top order then weathered a Marlon Samuels surge to set up a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis victory and complete the series whitewash. Buoyed by Samuels' 94-ball 110 not out, West Indies got to 206 for 9 from their 36 overs, but, having had them at 105 for 6 before a 135minute rain interruption, Sri Lanka had that total scaled down via the Duckworth Lewis method.

top-scored with 50 off 47 balls in a chase of 190. Sri Lanka had moved to 179 for 5 after 32 overs when rains came down again to end the match. The parscore at that ﬁnal interruption was 160. Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal collected two wickets each in their opening bursts, then a little later Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Denesh Ramdin with raw pace. Ajantha Mendis had also claimed a wicket before Kusal Perera

the big downpour came. Malinga's two victims fell in identical fashion - both fending bouncers tamely to point. Lakmal had Andre Fletcher lbw on the stroke of a ﬁrst rain break that lasted over an hour, but didn't cause a reduction of overs, then he bowled Darren Bravo with an indipper the batsman offered no shot to. Samuels had moved smoothly to 50 off 51 balls after that ﬁrst rain break, but came out intent

on attacking after the second, major interruption. We s t I n d i e s ' o n l y substantial partnership was his 55-run, eighth-wicket stand with Carlos Brathwaite, who made 18. J a s o n H o l d e r, who hit 19, was the only other batsman to make it into double ﬁgures. Malinga, Lakmal, Chameera and Mendis all picked up two wickets apiece, and Mathews got a wicket for himself at the death. Kusal and

Ti l l a k a r a t n e D i l s h a n bludgeoned a few early boundaries to give the chase some impetus. Dilshan was out cutting to Samuels at point, after having been dropped by the same ﬁelder on the previous ball, but Kusal and Lahiru Thirimanne put on a 50-run stand together to settle the innings. Thirimanne, Kusal and Dinesh Chandimal all departed within nine overs of each o t h e r, a n d y e t , w i t h

Mathews at the crease, the chase never seemed in trouble. He struck up unhurried partnerships with Milinda Siriwardene and Shehan Jayasuriya to inch Sri Lanka towards victory. Mathews was unbeaten on 27 when the rains came again and the players went off the ﬁeld for the third and ﬁnal time. (Adapted from Espncricinfo)