GNN Online Newspaper - Nov 14, 2015 by Guyana News Network

Saturday November 14, 2015

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WEEKEND EDITION

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Public Security Ministry PS died The Permanent Secretary of the Public Security Ministry Angela Johnson died on Friday November 13. Johnson died at a city hospital after

a short period of illness. S h e w a s reportedly absent from work for a period of about two weeks due to her illness. J o h n s o n served as Permanent

Secretary in that Ministry since 2002. She started working at the Ministry under former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee. The late Permanent Secretary

was described as a hard worker who s e r v e d w i t h distinction. Johnson's departure is deemed a tremendous loss for the public sector.

Angela Johnson (right)

Warren Smith to serve second term as President of the Caribbean Development Bank The Board of Governors of t h e C a r i b b e a n Development Bank (CDB) representing the twentyseven member countries of the regional multilateral financial institution, has re-elected Dr. Warren Smith to a second five-year term as President. Dr. Smith was first elected President on October 29, 2010 and assumed office on May 1, 2011. At that time, many of the Bank's borrowing member countries (BMCs) were dealing with a myriad of highly complex development problems made more acute by the

Great Recession of 2008. It was evident that recovery would require extraordinary effort informed by new thinking and approaches to Caribbean development. O p e r a t i o n a l l y, s o m e aspects of the Bank's business model required adjustments that would increase CDB's d e v e l o p m e n t effectiveness and responsiveness to the changing needs of its members. Dr. Smith, CDB's ﬁfth president, committed to making the Bank a more creative and reliable partner which

would respond effectively to countries need to build resilience against external shocks. As a way of equipping countries to confront the ongoing threat of climate change, CDB has sought accreditation to the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund. Concerted effort has also been made to identify partnerships and funding for suitable climate resilience projects, especially in the areas of renewable energy, energy efﬁciency and climate adaptation.

Warren Smith

The Bank has been encouraging countries to improve competitiveness through energy diversiﬁcation,

which includes accessing indigenous, renewable sources. ' Much support has been directed to supporting Eastern

Caribbean States exploration of their geothermal energy potential.

Cops now empowered to investigate GPL DCEO

Aeshwar Deonarine

The police are now empowered to investigate Aeshwar Deonarine, the former Guyana Power and

Light (GPL) Deputy Chief Executive Ofﬁcer (DCEO) who has since b e e n s e n t o n

administrative leave after he reportedly transferred 27.8 million dollars to his personal bank account.

The Guyana News Network, (GNN) understands that board member Carvil Duncan who also reportedly transferred funds to his personal bank account, is also being investigated. The transactions which were deemed illegal,were discovered by internal audits conducted at the power company. A report t h a t f o l l o w e d recommended that the DECO be sent on leave immediately. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum on Friday afternoon conﬁrmed to GNN that indeed the police are in receipt of the ﬁles for the

two men and the probe h a v e s i n c e o ffi c i a l l y commenced but did not provide much details given that the files which only reached to his office y e s t e r d a y, h a s t o b e perused. Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, who has oversight responsibility for the power company, also confirmed that the police were handed the file. He too was reluctant to provide more details explaining that he does not want to prejudice the police investigation. The monies which were reportedly transferred to the two

accounts were handed over to the power company through the PetroCaribe fund. The two ofﬁcials allegedly transferred the funds illegally claiming that they requested increases from the company but which were not honored. Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, former President Donald Ramotar and former GPL Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Bharrat Dindyal, had denied they gave approval for the transfer of funds. Deonarine had offered to repay the funds.

Man shot, waitress injured during police operation

Linden Samuels 23 of an East Bank Demerara community was last evening shot to the

abdomen and a waitress struck to her foot by the same bullet when a police constable's service

weapon accidently went off. The police constable was at the time

responding to a report that the Samuels was a bar at Coverden East Bank Demerara and behaving in a disorderly manner. The proprietor of the bar and other customers were the ones who placed the call to the police station. According to information reaching the Guyana News Network, when the police constable arrived at the location and attempted to escort Samuels from the bar he reportedly began assaulting the police ofﬁcer and during the process the weapon of the

police went off. The bullet passed through the abdomen of Samuels and also struck the waitress to her right foot. Both of them were picked up and rushed to the Diamond Hospital and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they remain patients. Crime Chief We n d e l l B l a n h u m conﬁrmed the incident and said that the Criminal Investigation Department and the Police Ofﬁce of Professional responsibility have since launched an

investigation into the matter. The Crime Chief however stated that based on initial information the police man was wearing his uniform and was being assaulted by the intoxicated patron at the time of the shooting. He went on to state that already there are statements supporting those claims but the investigations nevertheless will continue.

Special security emphasis for airports corridors -'Worse Christmas Ever' promised to criminals Head of the Guyana Police Force Criminal Investigation Department and Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum, on Friday promised those persons who are bent on commissioning crime and engaging in criminal activities during the upcoming Christmas S e a s o n t h e “ Wo r s t Christmas ever”. He was at the time presenting the plans

the Guyana Police Force has to deal with the instances of crime and security during the festive season. The Crime Chief spoke speciﬁcally to the persons engaged in armed robberies and break and enter. He also stressed that the Guyana Police Force has taken a decision to increase its presence at the C h e d d i J a g a n International Airport as well as along the East

Bank Demerara corridor. Additionally the police will be increasing its presence at the Ogle International Airport as part of the security measures for the season. Blanhum told a gathering on Friday that while the posture is nothing new, special emphasis was placed this time around given the frequent robberies committed on persons after arriving at the

Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum airports and on their way home. Earlier this year the police broke a ring that has been committing robberies on persons after they would have left the airports. One of those charged was a former policeman. With regard to countrywide patrols, the police plan not to let up as they are convinced that the patrols and spur of the moment road blocks net success since they coincide with intelligence

received with respect to the movement of wanted persons and transporting of illegal substances. Blanhum noted that the police would be circulating crime prevention tips during the Christmas season to make person more aware of what they should and should to avoid becoming victims of crimes. Additionally there would be a more visible police presence around the banks across

the country supported by roving patrols and other support mechanisms, the Crime Chief explained. For security purposes however, the police have decided not to get into all the logistics with respect to the measures they intend to employ during the season. However, there has been the assurance that the mechanisms have been well thought out and designed to catch those with criminal minds.

COURTS Christmas tree light-up usher festive season

From left: Minister of Tourism, Catherine Hughes, First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger and Managing Director of Courts Guyana, Clyde De Haas

To usher in the Christmas season, Courts, Guyana last evening hosted its annual Christmas Treelight- up and Concert at

Main Street, Georgetown under the theme 'Feel like a kid again'. The evening's proceedings comprising of

dances, songs and lots of giving was joined by First L a d y, M r s . S a n d r a Granger who urged citizens not to lose focus

of the significance of the season amidst all the celebrations and merriment. She deemed the lighting of the tree as signals of a time of love, joy, hope and sacrifice. “Christmas lights remind me of God's love for the human race demonstrated through his willingness to sacrifice his son so that we might all be given the promise of eternal life… Christmas is a time for family, sharing and togetherness,” she said Mrs Granger also received a cheque for $100,000 from Courts Guyana Inc. to support her work with the nong o v e r n m e n t a l organization; Women across Differences. The First Lady further called on Guyanese to spare a thought to those who are

less fortunate and sick persons. The Proceedings were chaired by radio personality Nurriyih Gerrard and DJ Akelo Elliot, and entertainment pieces were performed by the National School of Dance, Happy Feet Dance Group, Courts Choir, Jovinski Thorne, Calvin Burnett, the 2015 Soca Monarch Jomo Primo, and the National Steel Orchestra. The lights were switched on by Tourism Minister Catherine Hughes via an app on her mobile phone. C o u r t s Managing Director Clyde DeHaas thanked all Guyanese, particularly customers, for their participation in the evening's activities, and encouraged them to

continue to shop at Courts for a chance to receive the grand prizes the superstore has to offer for the holidays. Courts' 'What would you do with $1M' was won by Fanela Persaud, who entered the competition through her cash purchase of a gas stove. She told the audience that her win will be a gift to her parents for the Christmas. Courts also crowned its Road Show singing and dancing champions for 2015; the Euphoria Dance Group and Jaeuonah and Ronnel. The children's anticipation for the evening was Jolly Santa who entered on a truck along with his team and distributed sweets and other goodies to children.

“I was misinterpreted” -Jagdeo -says the press misquoted him giving up parts of Guyana to Venezuela Former President Bharrat Jagdeo said he was misinterpreted by the press who reported that he would have considered the option of surrendering parts of Guyana's riverain territory to Venezuela. Speaking on a televised programme, Jagdeo clariﬁed that he told the media that one of the options that was studied internally is that “should we give a channel to Venezuela without compromising the 1899 award, so no c h a n g e o r n o compromise on the land territory.” This, he said was one of the views that he studied. He stated that the argument in favor of that is that it keeps intact the 1899 award. “Since we have not demarcated the

maritime boundary with Venezuela as yet and Venezuela is not part of the international treaty on the law of the sea that at some point in time even if we settle through the juridical route the land issue and we keep the 1899 award intact we would still have to come back to the table to demarcate the maritime boundary, like we had to do with Suriname. “So this proposal was saying that by offering you will both keep the 1899 award intact and at the same time settle the demarcation of our maritime boundary,” Jagdeo explained. He said that was one of the options studied internally and it was not proposed to Venezuela. He further clariﬁed that he does not

oppose to the juridical route that the government has chosen since he had examined that also. However, he said wanted the government to say whether the juridical option is available to the United Nations Secretary General under the charter and will the Secretary General be prepared to propose it as part of its solution. He added that he also wanted the government to say whether it can go unilaterally to the juridical route and if so if it is prepared to do so. According to Jagdeo, he was questioned at his last press conference on whether he was willing to give up parts of Essequibo to Venezuela but replied in the

negative, saying that the channel would have been near the Orinoco. Jagdeo said despite this, the reporter wrote the opposite in the article. He noted that following complaints to the media house, the report was amended to say that “Opposition Leader and Former

President Bharrat Jagdeo says under his tenure, he would have considered the option of surrendering parts of Guyana's riverain territory to Venezuela.” This, the opposition leader said is inaccurate, since he did not say that either. “The Orinoco

doesn't belong to us how can I offer to give it up? Then when we complained about it they amended the report to say that I had offered to give up riverain area,” Jagdeo added.

CIOG condemns Paris attacks -Those who kill in the name of Islam, cannot be muslims The Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) has come out in condemnation of yesterday's multiple attacks in Paris, France that resulted in the deaths of at least 120 persons. This followed the claiming of the attacks by the Islamic State which is raging battles in Syria and Iraq. Many have lost their lives and thousands have been displaced as a result of the atrocities committed on innocent civilians by ISIS. In a statement to the press, the CIOG noted how horriﬁed it is at the despicable atrocities that were visited upon the innocent civilians in the Paris. It added that irrespective of nationality, religion or creed those who

lost their lives are citizens of the world, and deserve to live in peace in their homeland. “ T h e s e dastardly acts, can ﬁnd no support despite the reasoning of the cause or struggle, and Citizens of the world, irrespective of religion, color, or creed should forcibly join in its condemnation. The killings and brutalities meted out to innocent civilians have become far too prevalent, and we encourage those in power to act now to stop those who perpetrate these horrendous acts in the name of religion and GOD”, the statement noted. It added that, “If as is reported those who committed these acts of death and destruction did

so in the name of Islam they cannot be deemed Muslims. They are very mistaken and no longer subscribe to the teachings of Islam and the laws that govern the lives of Muslims.” According to the statement such attacks further serve to contribute to the negativities that currently exist against the noble religion Islam and alluded to a quote in the Holy Quran (Al-Ma'idah, 5:32), “He who kills a soul unless it be (in legal punishment) for murder or for causing disorder and corruption on the earth will be as if he had killed all humankind; and he who saves a life will be as if he had saved the lives of all humankind.” The CIOG says

it is praying that the perpetrators of the attacks, who claim to be Muslims, would seek to bring an immediate cessation to

their activities, pause and reﬂect on the true and rich teachings of the beloved Prophet (OWBP), and the commandments given by

the Almighty to all His Prophets, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (OWBP).

GECOM conducting awareness campaigns on Local Govt. Elections

As it prepares to host Local Government Elections (LGE) after twenty odd years, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is engaging citizens on the electoral system among other pertinent issues to ensure a smooth process. Deputy Chief Election Ofﬁcer; Vishnu Persaud stated that many persons

are not knowledgeable of LGE. “The questions that come back clearly speak to the lack of knowledge and understanding of the system and as such, people that we have engaged with, have not given that indication that as to whether they will be contesting the elections, although I can say, my

ofﬁce has received calls from individuals and groups requesting information which they will study to determine whether they will contest” He added that there are many persons who are interested in contesting the LGE in their respective local authority area, but is not au fait with the

procedures. “At the level of the regions, we have our ﬁeld managers that are engaging civil society groups; telling them about the systems for Local Government Elections (LGE) and when we go, as was the case in New Amsterdam a n d Corriverton…potential

contestants in the LGE, what we have found in the ﬁrst instance is that; though people are interested, they do not really understand the electoral system as it is and that is why we have planned a comprehensive engagement with our potential political stakeholders, we have p r e p a r e d a comprehensive…to share and discuss with them to generate interest with a view to see how they can become more interested in the terms of contesting elections in their respective local authority areas” Persaud said. There are a number of other activities planned to inform the public on the process involved in the upcoming Local Government Elections the deputy CEO said. GECOM is currently conducting Claims and Objections period which began on Monday, November, 09 and will conclude on

December 13. This period allows for persons to get registered at the upcoming LGE, conduct transfers from one constituency to another, apply for changes and corrections and object to persons registered in a speciﬁc constituency. 160 ofﬁces were established across the country to conduct these transactions. Persons who will be 18 by February, 29, 2016 who are Guyanese by birth, decent, naturalization, or are citizens from a Commonwealth Country residing in Guyana for one year or more are eligible to vote at the LGE. During the current Claims and Objections period, these persons are required to check the eligible lists which have been posted in the various constituencies.

Jagdeo accuses gov't of assault on PPP supporters Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo is of the view that there seems to be a very partisan move and assault by the government in areas where the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) enjoys overwhelming support. He was speaking speciﬁcally to the issue in Bath Settlement, Region 5 where the Guyana Power and Light Company removed the street lights from the area after the government said it cannot afford to pay the power company for the lights installed there. “GPL goes in and remove the street lights there. The City Council in Georgetown doesn't pay for street lights, infact, they owe a lot to GPL for street lights, but you

haven't seen a crew taking out the lights in the City.” Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson defended the decision to remove the lights, saying that the free streetlights to Bath residents was a mere campaign promise by the former regime during the elections period; and that the government cannot afford to bear the cost. Patterson said the Private Sector Body had requested 30 days to come up with a payment plan, however the time expired and the lights were removed. GPL is asking that residents pay $3500 per streetlight monthly. The opposition leader questioned whether the government's justiﬁcation is legitimate.

“We can't afford a few lights in Bath Settlement but we can afford a 50% increase for Ministerial salary which is probably close to what they pay for the water subsidy for all pensioners that they took away, they can afford these big trips abroad. One trip by a Minister now could probably pay for all the lights in Bath Settlement for a single year,” said Jagdeo. He pointed to the fact that the people of Linden continue to beneﬁt tremendously from a whopping $3 billion electricity subsidy. J a g d e o questioned the justiﬁcation. He pointed out that GPL is presently saving millions of dollars as a result of the

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

prevailingly low oil prices on the international market and that the company is just accumulating larger and

larger sums of money through savings on the purchase of fuel. He suggested

that this is an avenue government can look into to ensure Bath residents get to keep their streetlights.

Berbice homeowner chops Bandit severely TWENTY SIX year old Brian Dhanphat of Smyth Field New Amsterdam is battling for his life at the New Amsterdam hospital where he was admitted in a critical condition. According to information received, he and two others invaded the home of a Berbice man but after the man became aware of their uninvited presence, he armed himself with a cutlass and

dealt Dhanphat numerous chops to his head and face. The other two bandits ﬁeld the scene even as the police were called in. When the police arrived and conducted their investigation, they discovered a 16 gauge shot gun that was reportedly dropped by the now hospitalized bandit after he was chopped by the homeowner. Dhanpat was

taken to the hospital in an unconscious state but after regaining consciousness informed the police of the identity of the other two bandits. Checks by the police found that all three of the men had brushes with the law in the past. At the moment two are out of jail on bail for possession of ammunition and arms and larceny. The hospitalized

bandit has been placed before the court in the past for break and enters, according to police sources. The police are investigating the matter. Meanwhile by this afternoon the police issued a press statement where they said that the injured bandit is presently under police guard at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Fire leaves 8 homeless Eight persons are now homeless as a fire of unknown origin completely destroyed a house at Prospect, East Bank Demerara around 16:00 yesterday. The fire reportedly started in one of the three bedrooms in the upper flat of the house which was equipped with only “a point and switch”. 49 year old

Sookram Sewcharan who resided at the house with seven other family members says he cannot estimate his loss but he says “We had everything inside the house… Everything! Everything!” At the time of the incident, his wife; Sayeeda Aziz, and son, Sunil Sewcharan and his ﬁve year old grandson was

at home while he was heading home from work. The family said they have not had any electrical troubles of recent, and could not understand how the house caught fire, given that no one was upstairs at the time the fire started. The fire Service which arrived at the scene 30 mins after the fire

started had difﬁculties sourcing water from a nearby trench, forcing a second ﬁre tender from Georgetown to be dispatched. The family is staying with Sewcharran's father who lives obliquely from where his house was.

(Wellesley Davis photo)

GAWU/GuySuCo squabble continues -Union refutes claims of threats of strike in 2016

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) refute claims made by the G u y a n a S u g a r Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) that it is threatening industrial action in 2016.

In a letter issued on November 11, 2015, GuySuCo had stated that “We note Mr Chand's implied threat to the beginning of the 2016 crop. We hope good sense would prevail and we would see instead, the very

good performance of both our workers and the management team experienced during the current crop, ﬂowing into 2016” In a statement earlier Today (November, 14), the union stated that

“ G AW U w i s h e s t o reiterate that it has always strived for healthy relations with the Corporation. But, at the same time, the Corporation will appreciate that the Union is duty bound to represent its members' interests and can never countenance the roll-back of workers gains, rights and beneﬁts”. It says “one cannot condemn workers and their representatives to stand up for their right and a just cause. Indeed, such struggles should be applauded as the accruing beneﬁts often go beyond the sugar industry.” The union further stated that it will not let 2015 slide without being granted pay increase owed to sugar workers as it

noted “GuySuCo needs to be reminded that for the past 26-years, sugar workers received increases in pay every year. It is to be expected that they will actively demand that 2015 does not become a year of exception”. Relating to the Trade Union Recognition Act (TURA), the Union says, “Despite GuySuCo's contrary opinion, the GAWU maintains that the Corporation is violating the Recognition and Avoidance and Settlement of Dispute Agreement and the Trade Union Recognition Act (TURA) and with regards to wages the Union maintains that it is not living up to the Collective Bargaining process”.

GAWU submit claims in March for a 9% increase across the board, however GuySuCo says this will be negotiated after the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the industry is published by the government. The Union submitted its Annual Production Incentive claims for 2015 on Monday (November, 09). GAWU and GuySuco will be meeting on Wednesday (November, 18) to discuss the API. GAWU believes that the sugar workers have behaved responsibly in the circumstances while The Corporation is calling for good sense to prevail in its next crop to ensure that the successes are sustained.

Miss Guyana Universe pageant set for tomorrow

Nine young ladies will be vying for the crown of Miss Guyana Universe tomorrow (November 15) at the Princess Ramada Hotel at Providence to represent Guyana in December 20 in Las Vegas at the Miss Universe Pageant. The contestant have

ﬁnished a preliminary leg of the competition including the live question and answer or 'intelligence' segment. The ladies were introduced to the press and public at a simple ceremony held at the Princess Hotel earlier in the month.

Among them are: Foreign Service Ofﬁcer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shauna Ramdyhan, UK based Guyanese Zena Bland, local Chemist Najuma Nelson, St. Kitts based Guyanese Babita Seelall and Malika Russell who is a student at the Guyana

School of Agriculture. Also vying for the coveted crown are Tricia Quail, Make – up Artist, Diana Ahmad, aspiring Lawyer Kiswana Jefford and Linden born Melissa DeFreitas. Franchise Holder Odinga Lamumba said he believes this crop of girls

was the best the local leg of the pageant had attracted in recent times. “We did everything to get the best girls, both pretty and intelligent,” he said, as he impressed the need for Guyana to select the best to compete at the international leg of the

pageant. He congratulated the reigning queen, Miss Nikita Barker. “She has been an excellent queen,” he said. Barker did not make it into the top 15 during the 63rd edition of the pageant.

WEEKEND RECAP Specialty Hospital….

WEEKEND RECAP

PPP being vindicated is absurdity of no ordinary kind – Govt.

The government on Thursday afternoon lashed out at People's Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Member, Gail Teixeira, following her comments that morning that her Party has been vindicated with regard to Specialty Hospital project. Her comment clearly stemmed following the recent announcement that the APNU+AFC government will complete the hospital, a project which the

government when in Opposition, had cut funding for. Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton told GNN on Thurs day that negotiations are being done for a new loan to complete the Specialty hospital at the same location at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, where works began under the PPP government. Norton says the current

government was never opposed to building a Specialty Hospital, however clarity was not given on a number of issues. The PPP when in government had contracted Surrendra Engineering to build the Specialty Hospital. However the contract was halted in September, 2014 after a major fraud was uncovered. It was later disclosed that the

company had issued to the Guyana Government a forged document purporting to have emanated from the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT). At that time, the PPP government promised to pursue criminal charges against the company to recover unaccounted public funds to the tune of US$4 million which was given to the company. The contract was later terminated in July after the new Government took ofﬁce. In its statement, the government says it wants to remind the Guyanese people that it was the PPP, despite the vehement protestations of the then Combined APNU and AFC opposition, which concluded and forced through a shady deal with Surendra

Engineering Company Limited (SECL). This deal cost the Guyanese taxpayers over $900MILLION, which represents the amount that the dubious SECL drew down before disappearing. The statement noted, “The renegotiation of the medical facility contract by this Coalition Government, with the Government of India has not vindicated the PPP but rather has been further indicted that reckless regime for signing off a major project with this highly questionable company against whom a high court judgment was given to the tune of $902,192,483. That Ms Teixeira and the PPP now suggest that they have been vindicated is absurdity of no ordinary kind.”

According to the statement, the credit for this new extended package of the construction of a specialty hospital along with the upgrade of three major medical institutions – Suddie Hospital, Bartica Hospital and the West Demerara Regional Hospital – ought to be given speciﬁcally to the Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton and his team and the Coalition Government in general. No amount of verbal machinations by Ms Teixeira can deny or mask this. The Government is conﬁdent that the public will see this lame scheme by Ms. Teixeira for what it is.” The Government in the statement noted its commitment to a high level of transparency with regard to such projects.

Amna Ally to Rohee: 'Do not instigate racial prejudice'

Minister Amna Ally

Following concerns of employment based on ethnicity at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), which were raised by the People's Progressive Party (PPP) through its General S e c r e t a r y, C l e m e n t Rohee, Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, rejected Rohee's statement. According to the Government Information Agency ( G I N A ) , A l l y, i n rejecting Rohee's statement regarding his

concern of ethnicity and employment, said, “the sooner politicians realize that we are all Guyanese and not to divide Guyana based on race the sooner Guyana will be taken to a higher level in fostering social cohesion. It is unkind of the PPP's General Secretary to take GECOM's business to cheap political propaganda and political gains. She noted that GECOM is an independent and

professional body and is expected to do nothing less than working with the laws, including those pertaining to labour. “It is therefore ridiculous that Mr. Rohee will trump us this factor of ethnicity which has the potential to further divide Guyana, which he is well aware of. Let me take this opportunity to let Mr. Rohee know that this Government does not support race based decisions” Ally added. She called on

the PPP and Rohee to discontinue their efforts to divide the Guyanese community with the ploy of ethnic discrimination. “Under this APNU+AFC Government we are promoting National Unity. We want long lasting love. We want our Guyanese brothers to see us all as one working in the interest of Nation Building. I call on you not to instigate racial prejudice,” Minister Ally stated.

WEEKEND RECAP

Harbour Bridge accident was unaviodable An accident on the Demerara Harbour Bridge which claimed the life of a female yesterday was unavoidable, given that it occurred at the retractor span. This was according to General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Rolstan Adams who explained to GNN that no safety mechanism can be installed at this point in the bridge. This, he said, is because of the dynamics and requirement of the retractor span, which is where the bridge opens for vessels to pass through. "Any attempt made at installing any safety mechanism could compromise the integrity of this key point in the

bridge" the GM said. The accident occurred at about 4:30 hrs yesterday morning where a canter truck headed for the Plaisance market drove off the Demerara Harbour Bridge and plunged into the Demerara river. Information received by GNN suggests that the reason for the tragedy is reportedly, because the driver was trying to reverse to retrieve a bag of boulanger (egg plant) that fell off from the truck. Other reports surfacing indicate that the driver allegedly fell asleep which the truck was on an incline, which caused the vehicle to reverse automatically off the

bridge, into the river. The accident resulted in the death of twenty-two year-old Gangadai Persaud, a Tuschen East Bank Essequibo and who was the mother of a ninemonth old baby. The driver, Dharam Ramdeo called “Rico”, was her reputed husband. After the truck ended up in the river, Rico swam to safety while Persaud is believed to have been pinned in the passenger seat. Following the accident, Rico was taken into custody to assist with the investigation. Subsequently, the bridge was closed for several hours resulting in massive build-up of trafﬁc on both sides.

Guyana prepare to handle swine ﬂu - Public Health Minister Should the H1N1 virus hit Guyana's shores it will not catch the country offguard. This assurance was given by Public H e a l t h M i n i s t e r, D r. George Norton in an invited comment by this newspaper. Dr. Norton noted that Guyana has established a board that deals speciﬁcally with international health issues, adding that the board is functioning well. “That board keeps tabs on all viruses whether in the region or internationally. I have been attending meetings, as recent as last week I attended a meeting with the board.”

In 2010 Guyana implemented a number of measures to combat the novel flu-like virus which has had a global reach. The Pan American Health O r g a n i s a t i o n / Wo r l d Health Organisation ( PA H O / W H O ) h a d assisted Guyana in providing shipments of vaccine. Before the plans t o a c q u i r e t h e H1N1vaccine were finalised, Guyana was one of the fortunate countries that was able to formulate a treatment plan ahead of everything else. Meanwhile, Trinidad recently confirmed two cases of swine flu and there reports of other cases. However,

the government is urging the public not to panic. Swine flu is a disease which attacks respiratory system. It is also known as Swine Influenza. If you've got fever, cough, breathing problems, or one of the other symptoms of the flu, then you might get misguided that you have been attacked by the H1N1 swine flu virus. Influenza viruses get contaminated through the respiratory zone of pigs. These viruses can enter inside our body through respiratory system. Some of the signs and symptoms are



Cough

Minister Dr. George Norton



Fever



Oozing Nose



Fatigue



Headache and

muscle aches Necessary Precautions: Swine ﬂu is a contagious disease which can be transmitted from person to person. The droplets exited through coughing

or sneezing activity of a victim can spread this disease. The ingestion or inhalation of these droplets is an open invitation to this disease.

WEEKEND RECAP

GOV'T ADMITS DRUG SHORTAGE AT HOSPITALS

Minister George Norton

Public Health Minister Dr. George Norton has admitted that there is a shortage of drugs at Hospitals across the countrywide. According to Dr. Norton, this has been an age old problem for the past ten years affecting the country. He however noted that the A Partnership for

National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government is working to u rg e n t l y a d d r e s s t h e problem. D r. F r a n k Anthony who is the P a r l i a m e n t a r y spokesperson for the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on the

health sector, recently raised a number of issues a ff e c t i n g t h e s e c t o r, including the shortage of drugs. “ W e a r e receiving complaints that almost in every region there are issues relating to drugs and availability of drugs. In some cases

things that are so common and so essential that you would expect that we could get them in the system and make them available, Paracetamol syrup for example, that's something that we should have them at the health facilities, there seem to also be a shortage of X-ray films in quite a number of the regions there have been complaints that X-rays cannot be done because there are no films available,” Anthony noted. In addition, he pointed to the lack of syringes at hospitals. “Whether they have them at the central bond and they' re not getting out to the region, that's something we need to find out or they don't have them in the system at all,” said Anthony. According to Minister Norton, “If Dr. Anthony had lived in

Guyana for the past ten years he would know that the shortage of drugs is an age old problem that the government is now working to address. He didn't had interest in the health sector all the time, he was busy building swimming pools for exorbitant cost.” A s t u d y conducted in Guyana in 2010 by a United States National Library of Medicine, revealed that access to essential drugs in Guyana remains a public health challenge. The study found that Guyana's pharmaceutical sector over the years has been faced with major challenges that limit access to essential drugs. D r. A n t h o n y noted that the supplies that are currently being used in the sector are those from 2014 and that monies allocated for 2015

have not yet being spent. According to him, “From our information almost right across the various regions monies that were allocated for drug supplies have not being spent or if anything is spent is a very miniscule part of it.” He spoke about the quality of care in the h e a l t h s e c t o r, w h i l e lauding the fact that there are a number of new doctors in the system, who seemingly lack supervision. Anthony said because of this, the Doctors are operating in an ineffective manner, hence persons are complaining of long waiting time. The PPP/C Member of Parliament also lamented the lack of sufﬁcient emphasis being placed on the Diabetes which is one of the chronic non-communicable diseases.

GECOM WILL NOT BE “WHIPPING BOY” Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission ( G E C O M ) D r. S t e v e Surujbally has dismissed the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C's) complaints that it is dissatisﬁed with the manner in which the Commission handled the issues raised during a meeting on November 3. During a media conference on Thursday N o v e m b e r 1 2 , D r. Surujbally stated that the Commission answered all of the PPP/C's question to the best of its ability. “The bending over backwards is so blatant in our responses that it was very difﬁcult to understand why these attacks were made.” We are not in the business of speculating so I am not going to risk saying why it was done,” Surujbally noted. He said the PPP/C requested the meeting on the day it was held and it took place with a fully constituted Commission. Further, he believes that the attacks by the PPP General Secretary

is meant to embarrass the Commission. Rohee, during his weekly media conference on Monday November 9, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the said meeting, noting that GECOM was indifferent, defensive and evasive with regard to the q u e s t i o n s a n d clarifications sought by the PPP/C delegation. In addition, GECOM's Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield related that the respective answers GECOM provided to the questions which were posed by the Opposition during the meeting. Rohee first questioned the rationale relative to February 29, 2015 being the qualifying date to determine persons who would be 18 years and older to qualify to vote at the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE). The CEO explained that the date was set to ensure that every person who will

turn 18-years-old to ensure that as many 18years-olds as possible become eligible to vote for the LGE. He noted too that he could not understand PPP/C's concerns. His second question was in relation to the 9th Cycle of Registration versus the period of Claims and Objections. Lowenﬁeld said the Commission has the authority to determine the duration of the aforementioned periods and based on their experience, the periods set were adequate. He noted too that the period of Claims and Objections far exceeds the previous periods. He explained also that there is no need for another cycle of registration because LGE structure does not cater for every elector across the spectrum but electors only in local authority areas. One member of the PPP delegation opined that the duration of the

-SURUJBALLY exercise was inadequate to treat with approximately 70,000 transfers which persons were likely to apply for. However, the CEO said based on previous trends, the duration of the exercise was adequate to treat with applications for transfers. T h e P P P delegation also questioned the non-availability of lists for each constituency for use during the Claims and Objections period. However, this was the only question which Rohee said the Party was given a s a t i s f a c t o r y a n s w e r. GECOM had provided the Party with both a softcopy and a hardcopy of the list. Rohee also questioned the effectiveness of the communication strategy relative to LGE, considering that the environment will be crowded with other preparatory activities for the 50th anniversary celebrations. Lowenﬁeld in response said GECOM

Dr. Steve Surujbally

is charged with the conduct of LGE and cannot get involved with the other activities. He noted that GECOM still has elections to prepare for and the works of other entities are not its concerns. In addition, Rohee enquired whether N e i g h b o r h o o d Democratic Councils (NDC's) are ready for LGE. However,

Lowenﬁeld stated that G E C O M i s n o t responsible to report on the preparations of the NDCs for the LGE. Following the questions raised and answers provided the Chairman and CEO are wondering why they are still being targeted at the PPP's press conference. Both said they cannot comprehend the PPP's disappointment.

WEEKEND RECAP WEEKEND RECAP WEEKEND RECAP TWO DIWALIS; ONE HOLIDAY

DHARMIC SABHA'S MONOPOLY OF HINDUS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN BROKEN -Political line seem to have been drawn over Diwali 2015 If the ﬂickering lights of the Diyas (earthen lamps) this year tell a story, it would be that the division in belief on which day the festival of lights, Diwali, should have been observed, cast a somewhat dark shadow over one of Guyana's most anticipated national event. Ironically, while Diwali is to be observed during the darkest night of the year, many areas were in “darkness” as a result of an absence of lighted Diyas. Clearly the public squabble did cause some confusion among ordinary

t h e C i t y, s o m e e v e n labelled the nights as a “government night” and a “PPP night”, with regards to November 10 and 11 r e s p e c t i v e l y. T h i s sentiment seemed to be derived following the intervention of Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, in reassigning the holiday from November 11 to the 10 and the public support for November 11 by the People's Progressive Party (PPP). M i n i s t e r Ramjattan's decision

time in recollected history that Diyas will be lit on two separate nights for Diwali in respect to the holiday. On a lighter note, it was the ﬁrst time that the a n n u a l G H D S Georgetown motorcade was held on the Diwali designated holiday. While some expressed sadness over the division, the line of support was clear with regard to what they believe is a politicization of the issue. Some were blunt in noting that last night was a “PNC” Diwali while

The Alexander village Mandir last evening

severely affected last night. This was because only some endeavoured to light diyas thereby depriving onlookers from enjoying the usual spectacle in a holistic manner. Some who wish to

could have been done another night (tonight). That may in some explain why the expectation for enjoying the sight of many lit diyas last night may have fell short. Hindus who

enjoyment of onlookers. The challenge would be where to visit to be wowed. With two nights to choose from this year to light diyas, it points to new development. What appears to have come out

Part of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha Georgetown motorcade last evening

Hindus creating a position of choosing between the nights of November 10 and 11 to light the earthen lamps. While the public division here over the date made headlines for weeks, Hindus in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, were unanimous in their celebration last night, with yesterday being a national holiday like Guyana. From all reports, it appears that Suriname celebrated yesterday as well. Many locals lamented the division over this year's date. In parts of

followed what he deemed a credible petition presented by some ninety Pandits (Hindu Priests) who objected to the original date while the PPP stood by its Member of Parliament, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, who heads the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) following the death of her father, late PPP stalwart, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud. Last night, while lit diyas ﬂickered from many homes, there wasn't the overwhelming expectation. This is the ﬁrst

tonight will be the “PPP” Diwali. From all reports, M a n d i r s ( Te m p l e s ) afﬁliated with the two groupings that disagreed on this year's date, followed their respective directions. That meant the lighting of the Diyas was not homogeneous within the villages where Hindus reside. Areas, especially in the City, that are known for lighting hundreds, if not thousands of diyas, and which serve to attract visitors and Guyanese from all walks of life, were

A home with lighted diyas last evening

Part of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha Georgetown motorcade last evening

remain anonymous, stated that because the Dharmic Sabha's motorcade was held last night, the night of the national holiday for Diwali, people would have chosen not to miss out and therefore opted not to light the diyas knowing that it

didn't celebrate Diwali last night will do so tonight placing diyas at many vantage points. From all indications, it promises to be a repeat of what occurred last night; an absence of a holistic spectacle for the

from all of this among other things, is that the monopoly the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha would have had on Hindus over the years, has been broken. That said, all eyes are already staring at next year's date.

WEEKEND RECAP

$1M BAIL FOR DRIVER IN HARBOUR BRIDGE ACCIDENT -Additional charges may be forthcoming

Dhanram Ramlall

Following the tragic accident last Sunday in which a canter truck ﬂipped off the Demerara Harbour Bridge and plunged into the river, the driver of the vehicle, twenty-six year-old Dhanram Ramlall was during he week granted

bail in the sum of one million dollars. The accident resulted in the death of his wife, twenty-two year-old Gangadai Persaud. The two have a nine-month old baby. Ramlall who was charged with dangerous

driving, appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate's Court and pleaded not guilty. However police sources close to the ongoing investigation related that there is the likelihood of additional charges being instituted against him. This is reportedly due to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) requesting additional information from the police in relation to the matter. According to the information received, the DPP is trying to ascertain if Ramlall was the holder of a valid driver's license,

if the vehicle was properly insured and if the ﬁtness and other necessary documents were in order at the time of the accident. Ramlall told the police that all of his papers were in order but were lost or either damaged after the truck fell off the bridge and into the Demerara River. In seeking bail, his lawyer related that Ramlall wants to care for the child and to attend his wife's funeral which is expected to be held today. He also explained that as the couple were proceeding to the Plaisance market, Ramlall lost control of the vehicle which led to it plunging off the bridge. The Prosecution stated that

Ramlall was driving over the speed limit allowed for the bridge. It is believed that around 04:30 hrs on the morning of the accident, Ramlall was trying to reverse the truck in an effort to retrieve a bag of boulanger (egg plant) that fell off. It was raining at the time causing the bridge to be slippery. However, according to reports, Ramlall told the police that he fell asleep and his foot came off the gas pedal causing the vehicle to roll backwards while climbing the reactor spend. The police have not ruled out any of the accounts and statements that were taken from persons who were also on

Dead: Gangadai Persaud

the bridge at the time of the accident. While he reportedly swam to safety, Persaud was pinned in the passenger seat and died as a result of drowning. He is expected back in court at the end of the month.

PPP/C's request for extraordinary sitting of National Assembly rejected Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland turned down the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C's) request for an extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly in the month of November to debate pending matters that are of public's interest. This was stated by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, at a press conference on Thursday morning at the Party's headquarters on Robb Street, Georgetown. Teixeira told the media that she wrote the Speaker on Monday November 9 on behalf of the leader of the Opposition and other PPP/C Members of Parliament (MPs) appealing to him under the requisite standing orders t o c o n v e n e a n extraordinary sitting of the House as soon as possible in keeping with the public's interest.

According to the Chief Whip, the party had indicated in the letter that it is willing to meet any d ay in th e mo n th o n November to iron out the pending issues. She disclosed that she received an ofﬁcial response to her request via a two and half page letter this morning. In the letter, the Speaker stated that the request is not in order and will not be entertained. In addition, he ruled that the PPP lacks the locus-standi as prescribed by the Standing Order that deals with convening a sitting of the House on such occasions. She said the Speaker explained in the letter that en extraordinary sitting could only be called “If is that if it is represented to the Speaker by the government that the public interest requires an early meeting of the National Assembly and/or the Speaker's opinion is

that the public's interest requires that the Parliament should meet at a date earlier than that which it stands adjourned,” she told the media. The Opposition Chief Whip said the move by the government to reschedule the sitting of the House is a wellorchestrated plan. “We have seen clearly that this deliberate postponement of the House of the sitting from November 12 to a date to be ﬁxed and an appeal to the Speaker to do what is honorable and best and allow for the sitting to be held in the month of November basically says they're killing the motion of the Opposition to call for a reversal or an annulment of the salary increases “Ms. Teixeira added. She noted that “This is deliberate to ensure that the

Gail Teixeira

Parliamentary Opposition is muzzled.” 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 Moses Nagamootoo to the

Speaker. 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.

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. Ms. Teixeira said the PPP/C has learnt that due to the government's travel itinerary there will be no sitting in the month of November.

STUDENT'S HORRIFIC, FATAL RAPE INSPIRES 'INDIA'S DAUGHTER'

In December 2012, a 23year-old medical student on the brink of a new life went to a movie with a friend. Within two weeks, she was dead of horriﬁc injuries she suffered that night in a gang rape. The tragedy is given careful and

wrenching examination in "India's Daughter," a potent documentary that's unsparing in detailing both Jyoti Singh's assault and the corrosive social and cultural attitudes that, as ﬁlmmaker Leslee Udwin sees it, share

culpability with her attackers. It was the Indian public's outburst of anger over the attack, with Singh made an immediate symbol of the nation's too-often unanswered violence against women that propelled TV and movie producer Udwin to take on her ﬁrst documentary. " I n d i a ' s Daughter," which includes Susan Sarandon among its executive producers, airs 10 p.m. EST Monday on PBS' "Independent Lens." "I saw something utterly unique take place, and that was the response to the rape. As a rape victim, at age 18, I took it personally," Udwin said

of the protests that rocked India. Her ﬁlm, which has aired to acclaim in a number of countries, was banned from Indian TV in the interest of maintaining public order, according to authorities there. "Making this documentary was my way of joining the protest, my way of holding a megaphone to those beautiful voices that I was so awe-struck by," Udwin said by phone. On the day of the attack, a Sunday, Jyoti S ingh w as home from school with her studies just completed and an internship awaiting her. "'Mum, dad, now you don't have to worry

any more,'" her mother recounts her saying. "Your little girl is a doctor. Now everything will be ﬁne." That evening, Singh and a male friend boarded a private bus about 8 p.m. to go home, unaware it was ﬁlled with joy-riding men. They beat her and her companion, and then took turns raping Singh for hours as the bus moved through the capital city's streets. Finally, the attackers shoved an iron rod into her body and threw their naked victims on to a road. Doctors operated repeatedly but couldn't repair Singh's massive internal damage and brain and other injuries. Her last words, as

recalled by her mother: "Sorry, Mummy. I gave you so much trouble. I am sorry." In a jailhouse interview, one of Singh's convicted attackers gets his chance to be heard. "A decent girl won't roam around at 9 o'clock at night. A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy," says Mukesh Singh. "Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes." (Yahoo)

CRICKETER YUVRAJ SINGH GETS ENGAGED TO ACTRESS HAZEL KEECH The ace cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who is known for 'blowing maiden overs', has now been 'bowled over by a maiden'. The maiden here is none other than the gorgeous actress Hazel Keech (who was last seen in the Salman K h a n s t a r r e r Bodyguard). Yu v r a j S i n g h got engaged to her in Bali recently. After playing the typical 'yes-yes-nono' game, the couple ﬁnally decided to put all the rumors to rest by ofﬁcially getting

engaged to each other. Before the engagement, Yuvraj Singh and Hazel Keech went and took divine blessings from Sant Ram Singhji Ganduan Wale at Dufera Sahib near Fatehgarh Sahib. Speaking about his son's engagement, Yuvraj Singh's father Yograj Singh said that marrying Hazel will change his son's fortunes and that he will return to the Indian team. He a d d e d t h a t Yu v r a j deﬁnitely had it in him to

represent India. On the other hand, Shabnam Singh (Yuvraj's mother) said that at last, her son had found the right girl. She added that she wanted him to get married and he had told her that he wouldn't marry till he found the right girl. The couple is expected to have a wedding early next year. (Bollywoodhungama.co m)

KATE WINSLET SAYS 15-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER JEALOUS' OF HER SEX SCENES WITH LIAM HEMSWORTH Locking lips with Liam Hemsworth? Kate Winslet has surely had worse days at the office. The Oscar-winning actress, 40, engages in some very steamy scenes with the 25-year-old actor in their new film, The Dressmaker, set in the 1950s and filmed in the Australian Outback. U n s u r p r i s i n g l y, Wi n s l e t ' s 1 5 - y e a r- o l d daughter, Mia, had a strong reaction to her mom's latest on-screen love interest. "When I told my daughter that I was shooting the scene that day she spluttered... I took it to b e j e a l o u s y, " W i n s l e t confessed on BBC's The One Show on Wednesday. "I did feel quite bad

for Liam," the actress added. "He's a sweet guy, but I couldn't stop giggling." In a separate interview with This M o r n i n g o n T h u r s d a y, Winslet continued to praise her handsome co-star. "Liam is a lovely, lovely guy, much is made of how he looks and he's physically extremely beautiful, but he's a fabulous chap and was really up for mucking in with the rest of us," she said. "But my daughter, Mia, was extremely jealous, along with all her friends." Just last month, Winslet proudly celebrated her milestone 40th birthday. "I want to celebrate who I am,

what I've learned, how hard I've worked, and how much more I've still got in me," she told Gotham Magazine in this month's cover story, as ﬁrst revealed by ET. And though she's 15 years Hemsworth's senior, Winslet marveled at how the pair looks together on-screen in an interview with The Daily Mail. "When he arrived on set, I remember thinking, 'Does it show that we're different ages?' and on screen, it really doesn't," she said. Moments later, she joked: "Either I look good or he looks really f**king old!" (Yahoo)

HEALTH

This Is How To Calm Your Bladder And Pee Less Often

Do you often feel the urge to pee and feel like you just can't hold it? Do you head to the bathroom far more than you think is normal? You may have overactive bladder (OAB), a condition that affects about 33 million Americans. With OAB, people experience sudden urges to urinate that they can't control, as well as the need to urinate frequently. People with OAB may also leak when they experience the urge to urinate. Lifestyle changes are a ﬁrst step in overcoming overactive bladder. “What you eat, how you exercise, and how well you take care of yourself all factor in your overall bladder health and your success at alleviating overactive bladder symptoms,” says Karen Sebastian, M.S.P.T., a physical therapist in Honolulu, HI, who specializes in bladder control issues. Here, a primer on lifestyle practices that can help: 1. Change your diet What you eat and don't eat can affect your symptoms. Reduce: 



Diuretics, such as alcohol and caffeine, which stimulate muscles in the bladder, increasing urgency. Limit caffeine to 100 mg a day (about half a cup of coffee). Irritants, including acidic fruits and juices, carbonated beverages, spicy foods and artiﬁcial sweeteners like saccharine and aspartame

Eat more: 

Fiber. “Because the bladder and rectum are in close proximity, being constipated puts constant pressure on the bladder,” says Sebastian. In fact women with OAB have higher rates of

constipation than those without the condition. Load up on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. 2. Exercise 



Inner thigh squeeze. With your knees bent and feet on the floor, place a pillow between your knees and lightly squeeze to work your adductors. Inhale, and as you exhale, clench your stomach muscles to tilt your pelvis up, while keeping your tailbone on the floor. (It should feel like you're pulling your pelvis towards your belly button.) Hold for 10 seconds while breathing normally. Relax completely. Repeat 10 times. Hip flexors. Position yourself as you did for the "inner thigh squeeze" exercise, but without the pillow. Inhale, and as you exhale, clench your stomach muscles to tilt your pelvis up, while keeping your tailbone on the floor. Then lift up your hips to create a “bridge,” and slowly open and close your knees 10 times. Lower your hips and relax completely. Repeat 2 or 3 times for a total of 20 to 30 hip rotations.

3. Meditate Some women ﬁnd their bladder symptoms are eased when they tap into the mind-body connection. Try this deepbreathing exercise: Lie down and get comfortable. Allow yourself 10 undisturbed minutes. Take a few slow, deep breaths, allowing your belly to rise and fall. With each exhale let your muscles go, allowing yourself to “melt” into your supporting surface. Concentrate on your breath. Inhale to a silent count of 3, allowing your stomach to rise, hold for a second

at the top of your inhale, then slowly exhale to a silent count of 3. Repeat this pattern five times. Next, continue breathing slowly and deeply, but now to a count of 4. Progress to a count of 5, then 6. Re-focus on your surroundings. Slowly bring your attention back to the here and now. 4. Do Kegel Exercises Your pelvic floor muscles support your urethra and bladder, so keeping them strong is crucial to preventing leaks. Research shows that Kegel exercises, which involve contracting and releasing the pelvic floor muscles, can be very helpful. Start by pulling in and holding a pelvic muscle squeeze (as if you were trying to stop yourself from urinating) for 3 seconds then relax for an equal amount of time (3 seconds). Do this for 10 repetitions. 

Increase your contraction hold by 1 second each week until you are contracting for a 10-second squeeze.



Remember to rest and breathe between contractions.



When you start, do the exercises while lying down. As you get stronger; do an exercise set sitting and standing.

If self-help tactics aren't enough to get symptoms under control, your doctor may suggest bladder training, which involves scheduling times for urinating instead of waiting for the urge, for instance, and other behavioral measures. A medication that relaxes the bladder may also be prescribed. Together these measures often improve the problem—and your quality of life. (Yahoo)

HEALTH

Introducing an STD You've Never Heard Of

Take heed, folks: There appears to be a newish STD in town. It's “newish” because

doctors have known have now found the a b o u t m y c o p l a s m a strongest evidence to genitalium, or MG, since d a t e t h a t i t c a n b e 1981, but researchers t r a n s m i t t e d t h r o u g h

sexual contact. They analyzed urine samples from 4,507 Brits aged 16 to 44 and found that 1% of those who had at least one sexual partner had MG, reports the Independent. The ﬁgure rose to 5.2% of men and 3.1% of women who had more than four sexual partners in the previous year, per Mic. Tellingly, no sign of the infection was found in the 200 or so participants who had never had sex. “There were strong associations with risky sexual behaviors, with behavioral risk factors similar to those in other known STIs, and no

infections were detected in those reporting no previous sexual experience,” the authors say. While sufferers may report genital discharge, pelvic pain, pain while urinating, and bleeding after sex in the case of women, “over 90% of men and more than half of women with MG had no symptoms,” a researcher tells the Guardian. The lead author notes the infection could also lead to inﬂammations of the urethra or cervix (urethritis or cervicitis), pelvic inﬂammatory disease, and female

infertility, but further research is needed to understand the longterm effects. A s e x researcher adds there's no need to freak out. MG “is prevented in the same ways that gonorrhea and chlamydia are: by using condoms properly and consistently,” she says. Doctors, she adds, should keep the results in mind when patients have ailments such as urethritis or cervicitis but test negative for gonorrhea or chlamydia. (This condom changes color near STDs.) (Yahoo Health)

New Jersey School Allowing Medical Marijuana for Students An autistic New Jersey teenager who suffers from potentially life-threatening epileptic seizures will now be allowed to legally consume edible medical marijuana at her school. The Larc School adopted the policy Wednesday after Gov. Chris Christie this week signed a law allowing it, NJ.com reported. The law now permits 16-year-old Genny Barbour to receive her midday dosage of cannabis oil from a nurse at the special education school in Bellmawr in southern New Jersey. Barbour's parents, who unsuccessfully sued on their daughter's behalf last year, said cannabis oil works better than any traditional pharmaceutical medication to control their daughter's seizures. Roger Barbour said his daughter will likely begin taking the medication at school Monday. Genny had been attending school in halfday sessions so she could receive her medication on time. Ofﬁcials with The Larc School and the Maple

Shade School District initially refused to allow the cannabis oil on school grounds because of legal concerns. Parents and children registered under New Jersey's medical marijuana program must provide their identiﬁcation cards to the school, which will keep copies of each on ﬁle. Parents are permitted to administer the medication to their children themselves as long as it is conducted in a private room with a staff member present, Weiner said. Medical marijuana is currently legal in 23 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. From state to state, marijuana is approved for a variety of conditions, including but not limited to epilepsy, arthritis, nausea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, cancer, glaucoma, Crohn's disease, chronic pain, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While medical marijuana has been shown to provide pain relief for a variety of conditions, (Adapted from Yahoo Health)

OUR WORLD

Mother convicted for killing baby in microwave

A jury on Friday convicted a California woman of ﬁrst-degree murder and assault in the microwave

oven death of her 1m o n t h - o l d d a u g h t e r, rejecting her argument that she was in the midst of

a seizure and didn't know what she was doing. Ka Yang, 34, is facing 26-years-to-life in prison, and she is scheduled to be sentenced in December, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Ofﬁce said. Prosecutors say Yang put her daughter, Mirabelle Thao-Lo, in the microwave at her Sacramento-area home for 2½ to 5 minutes in March 2011. The girl suffered what authorities

said were extensive thermal injuries. Yang's attorney, Linda Parisi, said after the verdict that she was disappointed, the Sacramento Bee (http://bit.ly/1LesBW2 ) r e p o r t e d . " M s . Ya n g suffers from epilepsy. She had an epileptic seizure. It was not deliberate conduct," Parisi said. Ya n g , w h o i s married and has three other children, initially told investigators that she

blacked out while working on the computer with Mirabelle in her arms and woke up on the ground with the baby injured next to a space heater, according to an a ffi d a v i t i n t h e c a s e written by Sacramento Police Detective Thomas Shrum. Although she had a history of seizures, paramedics did not find her to be disoriented when they arrived, according to the affidavit. When

detectives pointed out inconsistencies in her s t o r y, Ya n g l a t e r acknowledged she lied and said she might have a split personality, the affidavit said. Investigators who arrived at the scene found the girl burned from head-to-toe and her pacifier in the microwave, but her pajamas and hair were not singed, according to the affidavit. (Yahoo)

Tigers, piranhas may join crocodile guards at Indonesia jail After sparking ridicule with a proposal to build a prison island for drug convicts surrounded by crocodiles, Indonesia's anti-drugs czar has now gone further -revealing on Friday he also wants tigers and piranhas as guards. In an idea that seemed to come straight out of a James Bond film, Budi Waseso this week unveiled the prison island plan, explaining that crocodiles can't be bribed by drug traffickers seeking to escape jail. He embarked on a tour of the country to find "the most ferocious type of crocodile" to guard the jail, which is to be for drug convicts who have

been sentenced to death. The head of the national anti-drugs agency faced widespread mockery over the plan. But far from backing down, Waseso said Friday he was considering the addition of man-eating piranhas and tigers as guards. "It is also possible we may use piranhas, and because the number of personnel at the prison might not be enough, we can also use tigers," he was cited as saying in local reports. Indonesia already has some of the toughest anti-narcotics laws in the world, including death by ﬁring squad for trafﬁckers, and sparked international

uproar in April when it put to death seven foreign drug convicts. But President Joko Widodo has insisted that drug dealers must face death as the country is fighting a "national emergency" due to rising narcotics use. Despite the harsh laws, Indonesia's corrupt prison system is awash with drugs, and inmates and jail o ffi c i a l s a r e r e g u l a r l y arrested for narcotics offences. Anti-drugs agency spokesman Slamet Pribadi confirmed Waseso was also weighing the possibility of tigers and piranhas as guards, and hit back at suggestions the prison island plan was a joke.

"This is serious, this is not a joke," Pribadi told AFP. "Drug trafficking is an extraordinary crime and therefore the fight must also be extraordinary, we cannot fight the usual way." The idea

is still in the early stages, and the agency is in discussions with the justice ministry about it. Neither a location nor a potential opening date has been decided. The plan has

echoes of the Bond movie "Live and Let Die", when the secret agent escapes from an island surrounded by crocodiles by using the reptiles as stepping stones. (Yahoo)

Yo r k D a i l y N e w s . Though authorities didn't ﬁnd the cobra in Thompson's car, which was left with the door open, the snake was discovered dead on a nearby road days later. An empty cage, a viper snake, and numerous tarantulas were also found in the vehicle. Thompson, who worked at a pet store that his mother owns in Te m p l e , l i v e d i n a n apartment attached to the store; it isn't clear why he was in Austin, which is about 70 miles from his home. “Animals were a passion of his,” his mother said, adding he had an animal-themed birthday party at age 4. “From then,

he was hooked,” she told the Daily News. An obituary said Thompson “died surrounded by animals that intrigued and fascinated him.” (This farmer bit a cobra to death.) As strange as Thompson's story is, suicide is alarmingly common: Over 41,000 Americans die from suicide every year. It's the 10th leading cause of death in America, and the 2nd leading cause of death for American youth, ages 15 to 24. If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, there are resources available. (Yahoo)

Teen Committed Suicide by Cobra

Authorities say a young pet-store staffer in Texas committed suicide with help from a cobra. Grant Thompson, 18, was found

in cardiac arrest inside his car in a North Austin parking lot on July 14. An autopsy report, obtained by the

Austin AmericanStatesman, shows Thompson suffered “multiple separate bites” on his arms from a

monocled cobra. The bites “appeared to be intentional injection sites” as their marks gave no indication that the teen tried to pull away from the snake. The ﬁrst bite, on Thompson's left shoulder, was consistent with a righthanded person deliberately allowing the bite, according to the report, per K V U E . T h e report—which notes cobra venom leads to paralysis, respiratory failure, and death within 30 minutes—adds Thompson “had a history of suicidal ideation.” Shortly before he died, Thompson had posted a message on Facebook reading, simply, “I'm sorry,” per the New

Regional

Man suffered agonizing death; shot in both legs, throat slit The 30-year-old man Adim Mayhew, of Thomas Street, Port-of-Spain, died an agonising and gruesome death. He was found barely alive by his father, Franklyn Mayhew, on Thursday night along Basilon Street in the capital. He was shot in both legs and with his throat slit f r o m e a r t o e a r. T h e grieving man yesterday told Newsday that had persons acted when his son was attacked, he might have survived. However he died shortly after being brought to the Port-of-Spain General

H o s p i t a l . U s i n g h i s previous experience as an employee in the Accident and Emergency Department of the city hospital, Mayhew tried his best to staunch the bleeding from the slit in his son's throat while at the same time trying to contact the emergency services. “His eyes were still open and I raised his head to close the wound,. I kept calling his name, but he was bleeding so heavily,” the father said. N e w s d a y

understands that at about 8.40 pm on Thursday, Mayhew of Thomas Street, was at Basilon Street when he was approached by unknown assailants who shot him in both legs. As Mayhew collapsed, unable to run off, one of the gunmen stood over him from behind, yanked his head back and sliced open his throat with a blade. He was then dumped in a nearby drain as the killers ran off. Mayhew who revealed that his son was shot in 2008,

described him son as a funloving person. “I remember on that day back in 2008, he went to get some mauby and a man stopped him and asked if he saw somebody,” s a i d M a y h e w . “My son told the man 'no' and went to buy the m a u b y. W h e n h e w a s coming back the same person asked if he (Mayhew) didn't see anyone again and drew a gun on him. He tried to move the gun away but got shot. He ran away, but in trying to get away he got shot in his arm again. He passed

the house straight, jumped in a car went to the hospital.” Police sources last night said they were unsure if the person involved in the 2008 shooting was involved in

Mayhew's murder on Thursday night. (Adapted from the Trinidad N e w s d a y )

266 criminal gangs creating mayhem across Jamaica

Despite assurances from Commissioner of Police Dr. Carl Williams that murders have been declining over the past 10 years, the Jamaica Constabulary Force's

(JCF's) own statistics indicate that gangs continue to run amok, creating "franchises" across the island and spreading their wings further than ever before. Dr Williams told

the Internal and External Affairs Committee of Parliament on Tuesday that police intelligence estimates that there are 266 criminal gangs operating islandwide, with half of them actively committing murders and contributing to the current 22 per cent increase in the murder toll over last year. "Gang murders emanate primarily from internal rifts within gangs and the desire to break away from the parent gang and operate independently. This is the source of large amounts of violence and numerous murders," said the police

chief. He pointed to the Clansman gang in Spanish Town and the Stokely Collins gangs in Central Vi l l a g e , b o t h i n S t Catherine, as examples. "One of the biggest challenges we have is that they have intimate knowledge about their rivals' whereabouts, their modus operandi and so on, especially gangsters who were once friends and cohorts; they know where to ﬁnd their targets and the relatives of their targets [so] it presents for us a very serious challenge to keep track of them, and of their victims," the commissioner said. He added that in

many cases incarcerated gang leaders continue to rule from prison, using mobile phones and other means to control criminal activities. The JCF's report on crime to the committee cited an example of some 40 murders in the Spanish Town area since January which were ordered by gang leaders who are doing time. Dr Williams said some rural police outposts are not prepared to effectively deal with these urban-type criminal activities so strategies such as curfews, and cordon-and-search operations are not very effective.

In the meantime he said 493 of the 1,038 murders committed in the country up to October 31 were gang-related, and that 119 of those persons were killed due to gang activities although they were not connected to a gang. Fifty-four children have perished in these vicious attacks, and 99 or nine per cent of all victims were females. But the majority, 939, were males mainly between the ages of 20 and 29. (Jamaican Observer)

Dominican police raid mansion, yacht of Maduro's relative -ﬁnd 280lb of cocaine Police in the Dominican Republic raided a mansion owned by one of the two nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro facing charges for allegedly trying to trafﬁc cocaine into the U.S. Police found more than 280 pounds of cocaine and 22 pounds of heroin hidden inside the nephew's posh Casa de Campo property and a 135-foot yacht named “The Kingdom” docked

behind it. The mansion belonged to Francisco Flores de Freites, 30, who was arrested along with Efraín Campos, 29, for allegedly conspiring to smuggle 800 kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. The two, nephews of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, remain in federal lockup in New York. They were arrested in Haiti Tuesday night and transported to New York,

where they are being held without bail. Dominican police found 176 pounds of drugs in the home and the rest in the yacht, which according to CDN had a helicopter pad. The boat had a Bahamas registration, CDN reported. The ship's captain, a Venezuelan national, was arrested during the raid. According to CDN, the man is now under full protection of the DEA and is

cooperating with federal investigators. The indictment unsealed Thursday in New York charges the pair with one count of narcotics conspiracy. It alleges the men participated in meetings in Venezuela regarding a plot to smuggle cocaine into the United States via Honduras, but provided few other details. Conviction carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. (Yahoo)

INTERNATIONAL

PARIS ATTACKS AN 'ACT OF WAR' BY ISIS – FRENCH PRESIDENT

we thought it was part of the show but we quickly understood," Pierre Janaszak, a radio presenter, told AFP news agency. "They didn't stop ﬁring. There was blood everywhere, corpses everywhere. We heard screaming. Everyone was trying to ﬂee." He said the gunmen took 20 hostages, and he heard one of them tell their captives: "It's the fault of Hollande, it's the fault of your president, he

police. Islamic State released a statement on Saturday saying "eight brothers wearing explosive belts and carrying assault riﬂes" had carried out the attacks on "carefully chosen" targets, and were a response to France's involvement in the air strikes on IS militants in Syria and Iraq. Shortly before, President Hollande said France had been "attacked in a cowardly shameful and violent way". "So

from the events of Friday night, many municipal buildings as well as Disneyland Paris have been closed and sports events have been cancelled. Police believe all of the gunmen are dead - seven killed themselves with explosives vests and one was shot dead by the security forces - but it is unclear if any accomplices are still on the run. US President Barack Obama spoke of "an outrageous attempt to terrorise innocent civilians". UK PM David Cameron said he was shocked and pledged to do "whatever we can to help".

should not have intervened in Syria". Within an hour, security forces had stormed the concert hall and all four attackers there were dead. Three had blown themselves up and a fourth was shot dead by

France will be pitiless in its response to the Islamic State militants," he said, vowing to "use all means within the law.. on every battleground here and abroad together with our allies". As Paris reels

The Vatican called it "an attack on peace for all humanity" and said "a decisive, supportive response" was needed "on the part of all of us as we counter the spread of homicidal hatred in all its forms". (BBC)

-At least 130 killed; IS claims attacks

The near-simultaneous attacks in Paris that killed nearly 130 people were an "act of war" organised by the Islamic State (IS) militant group, says France's President Francois Hollande. He said the attacks, carried out by eight gunmen and suicide bombers, were "organised and planned from outside". The targets included bars, restaurants, a concert and a highproﬁle football match. IS claimed the attacks. Mr Hollande has declared three days of national mourning. He has raised the security threat level to its highest point and imposed a nationwide state of emergency. This is the deadliest peacetime attack in France and the worst in Europe since the 2004 Madrid bombings. At least

180 people were wounded, 80 of whom are in a critical condition. The night of violence unfolded soon after 21:00 (20:00 GMT) as people were enjoying a Friday night out in the French capital. A gunman opened ﬁre on Le Carillon bar in the rue Alibert, not far from the Place de la Republique, before heading across the road to Le Petit Cambodge (Little Cambodia), killing at least 12 people. "We heard the sound of guns, 30-second bursts. It was endless. We thought it was ﬁreworks," Pierre Montfort, a resident living close to Le Petit Cambodge, said. A few streets away, diners sitting on the terrace of La Casa Nostra pizzeria in rue de la Fontaine au Roi, were

also fired on, with the loss of at least five lives. At around the same time, on the northern outskirts of Paris, 80,000 people who had gathered to watch France play Germany at the Stade de France heard three explosions outside the stadium about half an hour after kick-off. President Hollande was among the spectators and was whisked to safety after the first explosion. It later emerged three suicide bombers blew themselves up at fast food outlets and a brasserie near the stadium. The attack on the 1,500-seat Bataclan concert hall was the deadliest of Friday night's attacks. Gunmen opened fire on people watching US rock group Eagles of Death Metal. The event had been sold out. "At first

INTERNATIONAL

WORLD LEADERS RALLY AROUND FRANCE AFTER ATTACKS

President Barack Obama

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau The US president and other world leaders have condemned the series of coordinated attacks in the French capital Paris that has left at least 130 people dead. US President, Barack Obama said the attacks were an "outrageous attempt to terrorise civilians" and that his country was ready to provide France with any help it required. "France is our oldest ally, the French people have stood by the American people time and again, we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the ﬁght against terrorism and extremism," he said. "We're

going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people." A statement released by the US Department of Homeland Security said it was closely monitoring the situation in France but was not aware of "speciﬁc or credible threats of attack" on US territory. Obama's comments were echoed by David Cameron, British prime minister, and other world leaders, who took to social media to express their solidarity.

Prime Minister David Cameron

President Vladimir Putin

President Hassan Roudhani

German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier

"I am shocked by events in Paris tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help," Cameron wrote in a tweet shortly after news of the attacks broke. A statement by the German foreign ofﬁce on behalf of Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "deeply shocked" by the attack and conveyed her sympathy and solidarity. F r a n k - Wa l t e r Steinmeier, German foreign minister, was pictured sitting next to French President Francois Hollande during the match at the Stade France. Russian President

Vladimir Putin also expressed his condemnation following the "horrible terrorist attacks", sending his condolences to the French people and Hollande in a statement published by the Russian foreign ministry. "Russia strongly condemns this inhumane killing and is ready to provide any and all assistance to investigate these terrorist crimes," Putin said. Justin Trudeau, the recently elected Canadian prime minister, said his government was offering its help to France and that he had discussed the security situation in his own country with ofﬁcials. "I've been

speaking with our national security team to ensure everything is being done to keep people safe," Trudeau said, according to the National Post newspaper. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani joined Western counterparts in condemning the attack and the "evil scourge of terrorism", the state-owned Press TV reported. "I strongly condemn these inhumane crimes and condole with the bereaved French nation and government," Rouhani said. The attacks on Friday were the latest in a series of deadly incidents the

country has experienced this year. In January, the ofﬁces of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris were attacked by armed men claiming allegiance to al-Qaeda. The attack left 12 people dead and was quickly followed by an attack on a kosher supermarket in the city, which killed four people. In March, Germanwings Flight 9525 came down in the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board after what investigators suspect was a deliberate act by one of its pilots.

Israel destroys homes of alleged Palestinian attackers Israeli military was granted clearance from the Supreme Court to raze the homes of Palestinians' accused of attacks. It razed the homes of four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank blamed for attacking Israelis, the army has said, its latest punitive demolition after weeks of deadly unrest. The military carried out the demolition orders on Saturday after clearance from the Supreme Court. In Nablus in the northern West Bank, the

military destroyed the homes of three Palestinians accused of killing an Israeli settler couple on October 1 at the start of the latest ﬂareup of violence, the army said. In Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, they razed the home of a Palestinian accused of killing an Israeli on a West Bank road in June, it added. Israel has renewed a home demolition tactic that it says is a legal and effective tool to deter attacks. Last month, the Israeli

government ordered an intensiﬁcation of punitive home demolitions in response to a wave of stabbing and shooting attacks and other deadly unrest. It says the controversial policy acts as a deterrent but critics say the main victims of such demolitions are relatives forced to pay for another person's actions. Ten Israelis have been killed since October 1, while 80

Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli security forces, including 44 people whom Israel claimed were carrying out attacks. The violence over the past six weeks has, in part, been fuelled by an increase in Jewish visits to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, a site holy to both Muslims and Jews. (Al Jazeera)

Russia suspended from Athletics

Russia's athletics federation has been provisionally suspended from international competition - including the Olympic Games - for its alleged involvement in widespread doping. The IAAF took action after the publication of an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report that alleged "state-sponsored doping".

Its council members voted 22-1 in favour of Russia being banned. "This is a wake-up call for all of us," said IAAF president Lord Coe. He told BBC Sport: "Our sport ﬁnds itself in a shameful situation. "I am wholly focused on the changes that need to be made. I have openly conceded that we need to learn some very

tough lessons. "We need to look at ourselves, within our sport, and we will do that." Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the suspension was "temporary" and the "problem is solvable". The country's IAAF council member was not allowed to participate in Friday's vote. As it stands,

Russian athletes may not enter international competitions, including the World Athletic Series and Rio Olympics, which begin on 5 August next year. Russia will also not be entitled to host the 2016 World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary and the 2016 Wo r l d J u n i o r Championships in Kazan. The IAAF says that unless the Russian Athletics Federation (Araf) voluntarily accepts a full suspension, it is entitled to proceed to a full hearing on whether the provisional suspension should be made full. Former sprinter Frankie Fredericks, head of the IAAF athletes commission, added: "We are angry at the damage being caused to the reputation and credibility of athletics and are united alongside our president to not shy away from the major challenges

that face our sport." T h e W a d a commission, led by chairman Dick Pound, suggested Araf, Russia's anti-doping agency (Rusada) and the Russian Federation as a whole could not be considered antidoping code-compliant, because of what it claimed was widespread cheating. The report claimed to have evidence of "direct intimidation and interference by the Russian state with the Moscow laboratory operations", while Rusada gave athletes advance notice of tests, hid missed tests, bullied doping control officers and their families and took bribes to cover up missed tests, it said. According to the commission's findings, London 2012 was "sabotaged" by "widespread inaction" against athletes with suspicious doping profiles. In a statement on Friday, a Wada spokesperson

said: "The decision is positive news for clean athletes worldwide." Mutko said on Thursday that Russia is "against a boycott" and "against political interference in sport", adding the country is a "dependable partner of the international Olympic movement". Russian President Vladimir Putin also demanded cooperation with doping authorities, saying: "The battle must be open. A sporting contest is only interesting when it is honest." International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said he expected Russia to "cooperate to make progress" towards being compliant w i t h Wa d a t o e n s u r e participation at Rio 2016. (BBC)

Sporting events cancelled after Paris attacks

Several sporting ﬁxtures in France have been postponed after a series of attacks across Paris in which at least 128 people were killed. Three suicide bombers died in blasts

outside the Stade de France while France played Germany on Friday. The explosions were early in the match and with fans unable to leave after

full-time, many came on to the pitch. All European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup matches set to be played in France this weekend are off. That includes Glasgow Warriors' match against Racing 92 on Saturday, due to be held in the outskirts of Paris, and Bath's trip to Toulon on Sunday. Saturday's two Challenge Cup matches in England involving French sides will go ahead. Worcester Warriors host La Rochelle, while London Irish take on Agen. French President Francois Hollande was at

Friday's game at the Stade de France. At the end of the match, which France won 20, players watched the news unfolding on monitors inside the tunnel. Noel le Graet, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), said the organisation shared "the grief of the bereaved families and relatives". A planned news conference on Saturday involving the France national team was cancelled. "We are all in shock," said Germany coach Joachim Low, whose players spent the night inside the stadium before ﬂying to Frankfurt on Saturday. The team had earlier been

evacuated from their hotel following a bomb threat. They have since cancelled their Sunday ﬂight to Hannover, where they will play Netherlands on Tuesday. "The game and the goals move into the background on a day like this. All of us on the bench were a bit scared," Low added. Newcastle midﬁelder Moussa Sissoko, one of France's substitutes, said: "There are no words to express what I feel today... All my thoughts to all the victims' families and friends." Former France international Thierry Henry

added: "I'm appalled by the shocking scenes in Paris at the moment. My thoughts are with all the victims and innocent people suffering right now." Uefa said European international ﬁxtures over the next few days would be preceded by a minute's silence, while teams will wear black armbands. A minute's silence will also be held before this weekend's Football League matches in England. (Adapted from the BBC)

AUS vs NZ – 2nd Test

Australia on top despite Williamson's resistance Spectators arrived at the WACA on Saturday morning hoping to see something special. David Warner was on 244, and he scores fast. What was to come? A triplecentury? An Australian record? A world record? No. Instead, this was a day of more sedate Test cricket, of New Zealand doing what they could to claw back into the Test. Australia remained on top, but this day at least was more evenly fought. Warner added only nine and was ﬁrst out, for 253. By stumps, the new most important man was Kane Wi l l i a m s o n , w h o a g a i n looked a class above his team-mates, and was unbeaten on 70. Ross Taylor

had shown some encouraging signs, on 26, and New Zealand were 2 for 140, still trailing by 419. Williamson scored heavily through cover and struck 10 fours, and Australia continued to have trouble ﬁnding his weakness. Probably because he doesn't seem to have one. But Australia had struck twice. Mitchell Starc was especially dangerous early, accurate and ﬁnding swing at high speed. In the third over of the innings, Starc trapped Martin Guptill lbw with a quick inswinger, and New Zealand did well to avoid losing any further wickets to Starc. It was not until Lyon found some turn later

that they claimed another, Tom Latham caught at slip for 36. There was a serious concern for Australia shortly after tea, when Usman Khawaja pulled up short while chasing a ball to the boundary and left the ﬁeld with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Khawaja had scored 121 on the ﬁrst day, his second century in consecutive Tests, and his efforts were key to Australia being able to post their 9 for 559 declared. The day had started with the anticlimax of Warner edging to third slip off Trent Boult for 253 in the sixth over of the day. Like most of the New Zealand bowlers, Boult was much more impressive

on the second day than on day one, keeping to more consistent lines and lengths. The day ended with nine wickets having fallen, a much more even contest

between bat and ball, and between Australia and New Zealand. Brendon McCullum's men could only wish it had been that way one day one. Scores:- New

Zealand 2 for 140 (Williamson 70*, Taylor 26*) trail Australia 9 for 559 (Warner 253, Khawaja 121, Craig 3-123) by 419 runs. (Adapted from Espncricinfo)

Saturday November 14, 2015

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IND vs SA – 2nd Test

Spinners bowl hapless South Africa out for 214

Playing his 100th Test, AB d e Vi l l i e r s p u t u p a workshop to show his team-mates that it was possible to bat in India scoring 85 off 105 out of the 132 runs that came while he was at the wicket - but R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets each. Ashwin removed Stiaan van Zyl and Faf du Plessis in his ﬁrst over, the eighth of the

day, and Jadeja was responsible for the big wicket of de Villiers. Only some poor running by Imran Tahir and Kyle Abbott denied one of them a ﬁve-for. India might have misread the conditions a little, but they certainly did not have enough time to fret over it. This was only the 20th time in 246

Tests in India that a side had decided to ﬁeld. Bangalore had taken a lot of rain in the week leading up to the Test. Kohli felt there was moisture underneath the surface, and overheads in such weather in Bangalore generally assist movement in the air. Accordingly Kohli brought in Binny ahead of Amit Mishra, retaining

Varun Aaron ahead of Umesh Yadav, who had to make way for the returning Ishant Sharma. The time is right for India openers to drive the screw in. The first target was for Shikhar Dhawan to get off the mark in the series, and then for the first wicket to reach 20 for the first time in nine Test innings. Then

they batted ﬂuently and without pressure, which has been a rare event, with a long time spent on the road. Imran Tahir provided the exclamation mark to South Africa's day of horror, dropping M Vijay on 21. Dhawan raced away to 45 off 62, the time saved might come in handy should forecasts for rain

materialise during the rest of the Test. A word of warning for South Africa: all of Dhawan's scores of more than 37 have been 81 and upwards. Scores:- India 80 for 0 (Dhawan 45*, Vijay 28*) trail South Africa 214 (De Villiers 85, Jadeja 4-50, Ashwin 4-70) by 134 runs