GNN Online Newspaper Sept 29, 2015

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

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WE WANT PEACE -Page 2

GRANGER PROMOTES PEACE AT UN In his highly anticipated address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday September 29, 2015, President David Granger renewed Guyana's pledge to continue pursuing the path of peace. This is with respect to the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy.

He said Guyana does not wish for Venezuela's “obnoxious territorial claim” to obscure the prospects of peace and obstruct the possibility of growth for the next 50 years.

“Guyana renews its pledge before this august General Assembly that it will pursue the path President David Granger and UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon of peace for all time.

G u y a n a r e a f fi r m s i t s Guyana is a child of the G u y a n a ' s e c o n o m i c s u r v e y s , “ G r a n g e r c o m m i t m e n t t o t h e United Nations. Guyana development. highlighted. peaceful settlement of will, eight months from For fifty years “ F o r international Ve n e z u e l a h a s fifty years d i s p u t e s . “Guyana’s border with Venezuela was o u r promulgated spurious G u y a n a settled 116 years ago. The whole world, t e r r i t o r i a l decrees claiming Guyana's reposes total except the Bolivarian Republic of integrity has territory, the most recent confidence in b e e n being on May 26th, 2015, international Venezuela, accepts our borders,” violated by o n i t s i n d e p e n d e n c e law. Guyana - President Granger Ve n e z u e l a anniversary, when it issued s e e k s a w h i c h h a s Decree No. 1.787 with resolution of now, on May 26, 2016, occupied a part of our s p e c i fi e d c o o r d i n a t e s this controversy that is mark the 50th anniversary territory, the most recent purporting to annex almost consistent with the Charter of its independence. incident being on the 10th our entire maritime zone. of the United Nations, “the He said for fifty October, 2013 when it sent That decree constituted a President declared. years, the country has been a naval corvette into our reassertion of its claim to T h e P r e s i d e n t prevented from fully m a r i t i m e z o n e a n d fi v e o f G u y a n a ' s t e n told the UN that Guyana is exploiting its rich natural e x p e l l e d a p e a c e f u l , regions. a small and new state – a resources. Venezuela has petroleum exploration The Guyanese product of the post-World threatened and deterred v e s s e l w h i c h w a s head of state said Guyana War II promise of peace. investors and frustrated c o n d u c t i n g s e i s m i c rejects the threats and

claims by Venezuela which are in defiance of international law. In addition, Guyana resists Ve n e z u e l a ' s a c t s o f aggression in defiance of the Charter of the United Nations which prescribes the peaceful settlement of disputes and proscribes the use of armed force.

“Guyana's border with Venezuela was settled 116 years ago.

The whole world, except the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, accepts our borders,” Granger noted.

Venezuela, however, at the onset of Guyana's independence resorted to various stratagems to deprive Guyana of its territory. There has been a series of acts of aggression by Presidents of Venezuela against my country – from the time of President Raúl Leoni Otero's Decree No. 1.152 of 15th June 1968 to the time of President Nicolás Maduro Moro's decree of May 26th 2015.

Ve n e z u e l a — more than four times the size of Guyana with armed forces that are more than forty times the size of Guyana's Defense Force — mindful of its superior wealth and military strength, and unmindful of its obligation as a member state of the United

Nations, of the Union of South American Nations and of the Organization of American States, has pursued a path of intimidation and aggression, Granger told the UN. Granger told the UN that Venezuela is unsettling a settled border, adding that it is destabilizing a stable region of the globe by the use of armed force against a peaceful, small state.

I t w a s highlighted that Venezuela has retarded Guyana's development by threats that are intended to force a small state to yield its birthright.

Ve n e z u e l a ' s expansionist ambitions cannot be allowed to unsettle the principle of inviolability of borders, undermine the tenets of international law and unravel borders which have been undisturbed for decades, the President highlighted.

In this regard, Granger pledged Guyana's commitment to continue along the path of peace.

He called on the world body to stand by its commitment to protect small States from foreign aggression.

CANADA TO ASSIST WITH LOCAL GOVT. ELECTIONS That the University of Calgary, based in Canada will soon dispatch a team to Guyana to commence discussions on the setting up of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) for the local Natural Resources and the Oil and Gas Sectors.

T h i s w a s disclosed by Canadian High Commissioner to

Guyana, Pierre Giroux during a meeting with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon at the Ministry of the Presidency today, Tuesday, September, 29.

H i g h Commissioner Giroux says the team will undertake a study of the legislative policies in place to see how best they can be

improved to suit the Oil and Natural resources sectors.

Canada has expressed its willingness to support the Government of Guyana with the holding of Local Government Elections (LGEs) and the training and development of Public Servants.

Assistance for local government elections, he said, will be provided through the delivery of machines for the electronic counting of votes to ensure an efficient delivery of the results.

T h i s announcement was welcomed by Minister Harmon, who noted that

“There is a need for us to have a more responsive system. We've always had problems in the past because of delayed results.

This is something we would like to aggressively pursue.

It is the view of the President that whatever we can do to reduce the time taken to release elections results, we need to do it. We

are happy for the support Canada has given in this regard” The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is preparing to host local government elections.

-continue on page 5

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP)-USEFUL OR NOT? The A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government and the opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) are in disagreement with regard to Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

PPP is a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies. PPP involves a contract between a public sector authority and a private party, in which the private party provides a public service or project and assumes substantial financial, technical and operational risk in the project.

This model of investment is nothing new in Guyana. The Berbice River Bridge and the Marriott Hotel were materialized under a PPP. Minister with responsibility for Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, said that the APNU+AFC Government will not be using this model, given its track record in Guyana. Further, there are numerous other options available.

He said that the administration has seen the outcome of the Public Private Partnership model with the construction and operation of the Berbice River Bridge and the Marriott Hotel. He drew reference to the use of concessional loans and options such as the Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) models.

On Monday September 28, 2015, General Secretary of the Opposition Party, Clement Rohee, said the coalition government is sending mixed signals to local and foreign investors, causing most to be reluctant towards investing in Guyana.

“The PPP believes this is another manifestation of the level of confusion in the APNU+AFC government camp, where everyone seems to be singing from a different hymn book.

Further, it exposes the “trial and error” approach of the Granger Administration in the management of the affairs of the country, Rohee sated.

He pointed to sentiments expressed the World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jorge Familiar on October 23 last year during the 2014 High Level Caribbean Forum in Montego Bay, Jamaica that encouraged Caribbean governments to create more partnerships with the private sector.

Clearly there are positives and there are risks associated with PPP.

Positives:1. Exploring PPPs as a way of introducing private sector technology and innovation in providing better public services through improved operational efficiency 2. Incentivizing the private sector to deliver projects on time and within budget 3. Imposing budgetary certainty by setting present and the future costs of infrastructure projects over time 4. Utilizing PPPs as a way of developing local private sector capabilities through joint ventures with large international firms, as well as sub-contracting opportunities for local firms in areas such as civil works, electrical works, facilities management, security services, cleaning services, maintenance services 5. Using PPPs as a way of gradually exposing state owned enterprises and government to increasing levels of private sector participation (especially foreign) and structuring PPPs in a way so as to ensure transfer of skills leading to national champions that can run their own operations professionally and eventually export

their competencies by bidding for projects/ joint ventures 6.Creating diversification in the economy by making the country more competitive in terms of its facilitating infrastructure base as well as giving a boost to its business and industry associated with infrastructure development (such as construction, equipment, support services) 7. Supplementing limited public sector capacities to meet the growing demand for infrastructure development 8. Extracting long-term value-for-money through appropriate risk transfer to the private sector over the life of the project – from design/ construction to operations/ maintenance Risks:1.Development, bidding and ongoing costs in PPP projects are likely to be greater than for traditional government procurement processes - the government should therefore determine whether the greater costs involved are justified. A number of the PPP and implementation units around the world have developed methods for analysing these costs and looking at Value for Money.

2.There is a cost attached to debt – While private sector can make it easier to get finance, finance will only be available where the operating cash flows of the project company are expected to provide a return on investment (i.e., the cost has to be borne either by the customers or the government through subsidies, etc.)

3. Some projects may be easier to finance than others (if there is proven technology involved and/ or the extent of the private sectors obligations and liability is clearly identifiable), some projects will generate revenue in local currency only (eg water projects) while others (eg ports and airports) will provide currency in dollar or other international currency and so constraints of local finance markets may have less impact

4. Some projects may be more politically or socially challenging to introduce and implement than others particularly if there is an existing public sector workforce that fears being transferred to the private sector, if significant tariff increases are required to make the project viable, if there are signficant land or resettlement issues, etc.

5.There is no unlimited risk bearing – private firms (and their lenders) will be cautious about accepting major risks beyond their control, such as exchange rate risks/risk of existing assets. If they bear these risks then their price for the service will reflect this. Private firms will also want to know that the rules of the game are to be respected by government as regards undertakings to increase tariffs/fair regulation, etc. Private sector will also expect a significant level of control over operations if it is to accept significant risks 6. Private sector will do what it is paid to do and no more than that – therefore incentives and performance requirements need to be clearly set out in the contract.

Focus should be on performance requirements that are out-put based and relatively easy to monitor

POSSIBLE EXTENSION ON FIREARM AMNESTY PERIOD EXPIRES Given what is described as a resounding success of the Firearm amnesty period that was recently introduced by the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government there is likelihood that it may be extended.

The period commenced on September 1, 2015 as part of Government's plan to curb the number of illegal firearms circulating in the country.

Thus far, over 1512 ammunitions and ammunition components and some 78 firearms were

handed over, including – 64 shotguns, six pistols, six air rifles, one revolver and one AK-47 rifle.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan is still considering an extension.

This, he says will be discussed with the various stakeholders. The programme is said to have been very successful, especially in the interior locations.

W i t h t h e exception of B (Berbice) and G (Essequibo Coast/Islands), all the other Divisions have seen some activity. In the A D i v i s i o n (Georgetown/East Bank

Demerara) 12 firearms were handed over; C Division (East Coast Demerara) one firearm; D (West Coast Demerara) o n e fi r e a r m ; E (Linden/Kwakwani) one; and in F Division (Interior Locations) a total of 63 firearms were submitted.

NEW AMSTERDAM WOMAN SUCCUMBS FOLLOWING ACCIDENT Thirty-two year old Shalini Jewall that was involved in an accident on Sunday succumbed Tuesday morning at the New Amsterdam Hospital while receiving treatment.

A p o l i c e statement said that the now dead woman of Strand New Amsterdam

and her daughter were struck down by a motorcycle as they were crossing Main Street, New Amsterdam on Sunday.

The driver and the child received injuries and were also admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Investigations are in progress.

The firearm amnesty programme will run until September 30, 2015.

P e r s o n s interested in handing over firearms, ammunition or explosives can do so between 09:00h and 1 6 : 0 0 h Tu e s d a y a n d

Wednesday at selected Police Stations identified in the various Police Divisions.

At the end of the period the Police will be applying the full force of the law against illegal holders of ammunition and firearm who refused to hand in same.

The police have at their disposal the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 2013 which was passed in the National Assembly on January 17, 201 under the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government.

The law was amended to include

stricter penalties for offenders in an effort to curb trafficking and possession of illegal firearms. The law stipulates that traffickers of firearms, ammunition, explosives and/or related components must face the maximum penalty of up to five million dollars in fines and 10 years in jail upon conviction and indictment at the level of the High Court. However, a maximum penalty of $500,000 in fines and five years in prison can be meted out to offenders if the matter has been summarily tried at a magistrate's court.

MARRIOTT GUYANA TO RECORD PROFIT

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) had reported that in the first half of 2015 Division 'A' (Georgetown/East Bank), Division 'B' (Berbice) and Division 'C' (East Coast of Demerara) recorded the most fatal accidents in Guyana.

The management of Marriott (Guyana) has reported to the Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI) Board of Directors that the hotel is expected to record a net operating profit by yearend from a reasonable occupancy rate and other services.

The management said “for the month of August, the hotel occupancy was 52 per cent representing an average occupancy of over 100 rooms per night for the month. Occupancy of the hotel in July was 48 per cent. Food and Beverage performance is also

exceeding its budget,” It projects that the existing working capital is adequate to cover all operating expenses and therefore the shareholder will not be called upon to inject any funds into the operations of the hotel.

The company also refuted reports by the Kaieteur News newspaper that it was in danger of defaulting on payments to Republic Bank Limited (RBL) and that Trinidadheadquartered financial institution was not the de facto owner of the hotel.

It explained that

as part of the legal financial arrangements with Republic Bank Limited (RBL), payment on the interest on the debt provided for the construction of the hotel is not due until the end of 2016, and repayment of the principal is not due u n t i l 2 0 1 7 .

The company added that during that period, interest will be capitalized in accordance with the loan agreements.

Therefore there is no outstanding payment owed by AHI/Marriott Hotel to RBL.

SUMMONSES WILL DELAY GUYSUCO'S SEES ELECTIONS PETITION CASE MODERATE INCREASE

The elections petition case filed by the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will come up again on October 6 at 10:00 hours, at the High Court where arguments on the summons filed by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, challenging the elections petition will continue.

A t t o r n e y Roysdale Forde, representing Lowenfield cited authorities to support his argument that the petition does not have sufficient facts to support the claims made. He is of the view that the petition should be struck out.

Representing the petitioner; PPP/C's executive member; Ganga Persaud, Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall informed reporters that after Forde completes his submission, the court will call upon him to respond.

N a n d l a l l explained that the matter

may take longer than expected to conclude since another summons was also filed by the representative of the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) List of Candidates, Professor Harold Lutchman, who is also asking for additional information.

H o w e v e r, h e noted that the information requested, was in the possession of the CEO and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and as such he has recently filed a summons asking for the release of this information. “A lot of the information that they are asking for is in the custody of the Chief E l e c t i o n s O ffi c e r.

Therefore, that summons that I have filed for the production of those documents is very, very essential before the petition can even begin…

We will have to dispose of all these interlocutory applications before we can get into the substantive matter, which is the petition,” he explained to reporters.

While Chief Justice Ian Chang continues to hear the

summonses, this will impact the substantive elections petition case by delaying it. However, should Justice Chang uphold any of the summonses on the grounds proffered, he can strike out the petition.

In the petition, which was filed on June 24, 2015, the PPP/C

member is asking the court “determine and declare that the whole of the electoral process was so flawed, contained so many procedural errors and so many instances of fraudulent and/or suspicions actions that the results that have been derived from the process cannot be credibly deemed to represent accurately the will of the electorate”.

The Petition is 13 pages long and it detailed some 28-odd grounds in support of the claims.

CANADA TO ASSIST WITH...

-from page 2

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Pierre Giroux

On the note of training for public servants, the Government of Canada, through the High Commissioner, has offered a training programme, which would benefit Permanent Secretaries and Heads of State Agencies in areas

such as department management, best p r a c t i c e s a n d accountability.

Minister Harmon expressed gratitude on behalf of the Government, noting that the programme will go hand in hand with the mandate of the Public

Service Staff College, slated to be opened later this year.

The two officials have committed to regular meetings to discuss other possible areas of collaboration.

(Extracted and modified from GINA)

IN PRODUCTION

With increased production, the Skeldon estate was able to supply 1,328,000 KWh of electricity to the Guyana Power and Light Inc. for the just concluded week.

This brings the total power supplied for the year to date to 26,935,000 KWh. The Skeldon plant supplies both electrical energy (electricity) and heat energy (steam) to GuySuCo's Skeldon factory operations as well as surplus electricity to the GPL interconnected grid, under a Power Purchase Agreement.

According to a statement from the Guyana sugar corporation (GuySuCo), Skeldon factory has recorded 2,662 tonnes of sugar surpassing its previous highest of 2,502 tonnes which was achieved in October 2012.

Not only Skeldon estate but the Corporation

itself saw major production increase; the highest weekly production since March, 2009. The industry produced 10,539 tonnes of sugar for week ending September 25, 2015. This success saw new record being set on a number of estates. As at September 28, 2015 Sugar production for the current crop is 67,466 tonnes and 148,610 tonnes for the year to date.

The company disclosed that Blairmont factory grounded for 156 hours for the week, the highest ever achieved by that location while Skeldon, Albion, Rose Hall and Blairmont Factories have all surpassed their revised weekly grinding hours of 135. Uitvlugt factory produced 1,125 tonnes of sugar, recording its highest weekly production since October, 2010

GuySuCo says Skeldon, Albion, Rose Hall, Blairmont, East Demerara and Uitvlugt Estates have all made significant contribution in ensuring the Corporation surpassed 10,000 tonnes of sugar for the week. As a result of their individual performance the workers on those locations will each be benefiting from one day weekly production incentive.

However, despite these major successes, media reports suggest that the company remains highly indebted as a result of cost production and low world market prices which may affect many estates.

Any hint at moving forward though, awaits the conclusion of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the operations of the state owned corporation.

COPS IN $6M BRIBE TRANSPORTED TO TSU With the exception of one female police constable, all other ranks inclusive of the A s s i s t a n t Superintendent of Police, Corporal and the other three constables who were fingered in the $6M cocaine bribe last week h a v e b e e n transferred to the Tactical Services Unit where they

remain under close Director of Public arrest.

Prosecution (DPP) This, Senior in the matter and Superintendent of o n t h e w a y Police Errol Watts f o r w a r d w i t h who is currently respect to charges. h o l d i n g t h e The female who is command of “B” also fingered in the Division in the deal is said be a b s e n c e o f under close arrest C h r i s t o p h e r at the No.51 Police Griffith confirmed Station since there that the ranks have i s no b e e n s e n t t o accommodation at Georgetown while TSU headquarters t h e y a w a i t t h e in Georgetown to a d v i c e o f t h e keep her. Up to late

Tuesday afternoon the Guyana News Network (GNN) confirmed that the file pertaining to the investigation is indeed with the DPP. GNN was told by the Public Relations Officer at the DPP's office that the file was sent to the office on Monday afternoon and the facts are presently being

reviewed.

at the last moment Meanwhile, new s h e w a s s h o r t information have changed. since surfaced that It is also the female police now coming to rank is the one l i g h t t h a t t h e who would have female rank is one informed a senior of the two ranks officer in Berbice who have since about the corrupt been cooperating deal. Unconfirmed with the police i n f o r m a t i o n investigators since suggests that the the matter was rank was promised reported and the $300.000 by her i n v e s t i g a t i o n colleagues who commenced. were involved by

REGION 6 LAND TRANSPORTS AND TITLES STOLEN All of Region Six's (East Berbice-Corentyne) land transports and titles have been stolen, according to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

The authority said the incident occurred over the weekend of 2627 September, 2015 at the Regional Housing Office located at the Regional Democratic Council B u i l d i n g , Vr y m e n ' s Erven, New Amsterdam.

A statement issued by the C H & PA t h r o u g h t h e Government Information Agency (GINA) noted that “The Bandits gained entry through the louvered window by cutting the mesh and carried away the

Safe containing all of the Region's Transports and Certificates of Title, some lot numbers for Region No. 5 and an impress of GUY$4, 000.00.”

T h e C H & PA , h o w e v e r, s a i d i t h a s information on each of the Transport s and Certificates of Title that was in the safe because lists were recently compiled. The Authority has asked the Deeds and Land Registry not to transact business related to those lands. “The individual lists will be forwarded to the Deeds Registry and Land

Registry, respectively. The CH&PA has requested of the Registries not to conduct any transaction relating to any of the listed properties until the safe has been recovered and the documents found,” said t h e S t a t e a g e n c y.

Police have already visited the Regional Housing Office as part of their probe.

T h e C H & PA appealed to the bandits and members of the public who may have knowledge of or may find a safe within their vicinity to please report it to the nearest

Police Station.

“The CH&PA is appealing to the persons who are responsible for

this senseless act to return the safe since the contents are legal documents. Any use or misuse of any of the

documents found in the safe is punishable by law.”

BUSINESSMAN FOUND HANGING IN HIS HOME Prominent Pilot and businessman Auyobe Mazaharally who was also connected to Air Services Limited was Tuesday morning found hanging from a beam below an interior step of his Lot 166 Granville Park, Beterverwagting East Coast Demerara home around 08.30hrs.

The body of the fortysix year old man was discovered by ranks f r o m t h e Beterverwagting Police Station who responded to a report from neighbours who said they had not seen him for several days.

When the police arrived at the home of the man they found that the lower entrance to the house was locked but a veranda door was opened. A male police rank climbed to the

veranda and entered the home where he opened the door to allow other ranks to make their way inside.

This was after several calls to the man's cell phone as well as to his landline n u m b e r w e n t unanswered.

When the ranks got inside the house they made the shocking discovery of the man who was found hanging below the stairs, clad only in his underwear.

The police told the Guyana News Network (GNN) that they were awaiting the arrival of the man's family from in the interior to identify his remains and to also provide statements in the matter.

Mazaharally's body is presently at the Lyken Funeral Parlor awaiting a post mortem,

which is schedule to perform on Wednesday by a government pathologist.

W h e n contacted earlier on

Tuesday, another police source confirmed that they are treating the death as a possible suicide since the home did not appear to be

ransacked nor was anything seemingly m i s s i n g . T h e investigations are however still ongoing.

Mazaharally is popular

in the aviation industry and served as a pilot with the Air Services Limited which is owned by a very close relative of his.

TRAFFIC RANKS GRANTED BAIL FOR CORRUPTION CHARGES The Georgetown Magistrates’ Court

Two traffic ranks attached to Sparendaam Police Station appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate's Court to answer corruption charges.

Twenty-four year old Marvin Thomas of Amelia's Ward, Linden and 30 -year old Fitzroy

Nicholson of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, were granted bail in the sum of $20,000 by Magistrate Ann Mclennan after pleading not guilty to the joint charge.

The charge read that on September 9, they corruptly obtained from

Nazeem Khan the sum of $30,000 as an inducement for forbearing to charge him with the traffic offence of overtaking on Double solid yellow lines.

Police prosecutor Dinero Jones, did not reveal the prosecution facts to the court. The prosecutor did

not oppose bail and indicated that the investigation file was completed.

Both defendants were represented by

Attorney Patrice Henry.

He told the Court that his clients have been cooperating with the police throughout the investigation.

Henry requested that the matter be transferred to the Sparendaam Magistrate Court for October 7.

Entertainment

Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra makes rare leap to American TV

Priyanka Chopra has international cachet and a global fan base. But her star power has been relatively lackluster in the United States. That may be about to change. Chopra is the star of "Quantico," a drama premiering September 27 on ABC. In recent weeks, her face has been splashed across billboards and buses from Los Angeles to Toronto to New York.

She's a megastar from Mumbai, India, home to the world's most prolific film industry. She's an award-winning actress, a former Miss World, a singer and a dancer. She serves as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and

as a United Nations Girl Up Champion, and she is involved in efforts to promote the education of girls in India. She's a social media queen, with more than 10 million followers on Twitter.

Chopra, 33, has thrived in the Indian film industry for more than a decade.

But as she gets ready for her close-up on American television, she feels like a complete newcomer.

"I'm excited about making a new foray, but I'm also very nervous," Chopra said. "I feel like a debutante, like how I felt when my first movie was releasing in 2003. Every time I see a billboard, every time I see

my face on a bus or a magazine, I'm just like, 'It's a new culture, a new country.' I hope that I'm accepted as an actor."

In the series, Chopra plays Alex Parrish, one of a diverse group of new FBI recruits, each with a mysterious past. As the show cuts between the present and the past, Parrish becomes the prime suspect in a d ev as tatin g ter r o r is t attack in New York.

Chopra describes her character as a "Jason Bourne in a female form."

"She's smart, s h e ' s s e x y, s h e ' s intelligent, she kicks ass, and she's not afraid to

take her life in her own hands. But the beauty of Alex is, she's not macho.

She's very feminine, and she's vulnerable," Chopra said. "I love that she's a celebration of the modern woman. She's not just an ass-kicking, feeling-less robot."

Chopra, who lived in the U.S. for four years as a teenager, credits the show's producers and ABC for taking a chance on her.

She believes that such diverse casting could be a p r e c u r s o r o f entertainment's future as the world shrinks.

PAUL WALKER'S DAUGHTER BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN'S DEATH: SUES PORSCHE CAUSE KNOWN

The daughter of the late H o l l y w o o d s t a r, P a u l Wa l k e r , h a s fi l e d a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche, claiming the sports car he was riding in had multiple design flaws. The suit, filed Monday on behalf of 16year-old Meadow Rain Walker, seeks unspecified damages for defects it alleges contributed to her father's death.

"The bottom line is that the Porsche Carrera GT is a dangerous car. It

doesn't belong on the street," Walker's attorney, Jeff Milam, said in a statement. "And we shouldn't be without Paul Walker or his friend, Roger Rodas."

Calvin Kim with Porsche Cars North America said the automaker hasn't seen the lawsuit and wouldn't comment on specifics.

"As we have said before, we are saddened whenever anyone is hurt in a Porsche vehicle, but we believe the authorities' reports in this case clearly established that this tragic crash resulted from reckless driving and excessive speed," Kim said.

The actor was best known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the "Fast and Furious" franchise. His life was cut short in a car crash in Southern California on November 30, 2013, during a few days off in the filming of the seventh movie in the popular series. He was 40.

The lawsuit alleges "the vehicle lacked safety features that are

found on well-designed racing cars or even Porsche's least expensive road cars -- features that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash."

The court document contends the 2005 Carrera GT should have come with an electronic stability control system to protect against swerving. The car also lacked adequate side door reinforcement bars and had defective rubber fuel lines, according to the lawsuit.

An investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it was speed that killed the "Fast & Furious" star.

"Investigators determined the cause of the fatal solovehicle collision was unsafe speed for the roadway conditions," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Commander Mike Parker said in March 2014.

The highperformance 2005 Porsche Carrera GT was going "between 80 and 93 mph at the time the car impacted a power pole and several trees," the

Two months after Bobbi Kristina Brown died under a cloud of suspicion that led to accusations of wrongdoing, authorities in Georgia say they now know how she died -- but they aren't saying.

"The Fulton County Medical Examiner has classified the cause and manner of Bobbi Kristina Brown's death," the office said in a September 25 press release. "However, a Fulton County Superior Court Order dated September 25, 2015 has been received Sealing the Autopsy Report and ordering the Medical Examiner to not release any further information to the public."

The only child of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown died in July, six months after being placed in a medically induced coma for injuries

sustained at her suburban Atlanta home.

The 22-year-old was found January 31 in an eerily similar manner to how her music legend mother was discovered dead three years before: facedown and unresponsive in a bathtub full of water.

Speculation about what had happened began immediately, much of it swirling around boyfriend Nick Gordon.

Brown's estate has filed a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against Gordon, alleging he beat her after an all-night "cocaine and drinking binge," before giving her a "toxic cocktail" that knocked her out, according to the suit.

Gordon has never been charged in relation to Brown's death, and his legal team called the lawsuit "slanderous and meritless."

report said. The posted speed limit on the Santa Clarita, California, office park road was 45 mph.

The sheriff's conclusion was no surprise, since the coroner's report previously estimated the

car was speeding at 100 mph. Walker suffered fractures of his left jawbone, collarbone, pelvis, ribs and spine, the report said. Walker's death c a m e d u r i n g a Thanksgiving break in

filming of "Fast and Furious 7." The movie was completed using scenes already filmed by Walker and scenes shot using his brothers as body doubles.

(CNN)

Regional

Regional

NO TOBAGONIANS NO ELECTION IN T & T SENATE WITHOUT A Two prominent Tobagonians—former head of the public service Reginald Dumas and political analyst Dr Winsford James—are expressing concern over President Anthony Carmona's non-selection of any Tobagonian among his nine Independent Senators.

James, in an interview yesterday, said the matter was “disturbing,” while Dumas said it was “offensive.” James is disputing the President's claim that geography was not a criteria for the selection of the senators.

President Carmona said last week that his choice was “not based on parochial, insular or g e o g r a p h i c a l considerations.”

James said yesterday despite Carmona's claim, he used geography in his selection process because “they did not come from Barbados, nor did they come from Jamaica. As far as I know they came from

READY NEW VOTERS' LIST-JLP Trinidad.”

He said he “did not know that the President can avoid geography in the appointment of his Independent senators.”

James insisted: “Tobago is part of the geography that he must have in mind and if the President couldn't find anybody in Tobago to select, we wonder about his sense of geography.”

He said the President's decision to revoke the appointment of Tobago senator Victor Wheeler prior to the dissolution of the last Parliament “raises

issues.” He noted that the President could not be challenged in a court to provide any explanation for his actions. James said, however, questions must still be asked about the reason or reasons for revocation of Wheeler's senatorial appointment.

James said he felt “it is the lack of sensitivity into whether the President is not aware that this is a two-island state.” He said he wanted to know if the President was unable to find a n y b o d y. ( Tr i n i d a d Guardian)

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is urging the Government not to call general elections before the next voters' list is r e a d y. J L P D e p u t y Chairman, Aundre Franklin, told a meeting of the party's central executive on Sunday that there was an increase in the number of persons seeking to get enumerated before the September 30 cut-off point for the November voters' list.

Franklin says based on reports received, there is strong interest among newly enumerated voters to participate in the next General Elections. He says the Central Executive is strongly of the view that calling an election with

mere weeks to go before a new list is ready would a m o u n t t o disenfranchisement of voters.

Meanwhile, the Party's General Secretary, Dr Horace Chang, says the party has now finalised 59 candidates of the 63

needed to complete the JLP's slate for the upcoming elections.

Chairman of the People's National Party Robert Pickersgill has said his party has set an October 5 target to finalise its 63 proposed candidates for the next general election.

(Jamaican Gleaner)

RULING ON CRICKETER'S SEX CASE SET FOR OCT 26 STEAMY DETAILS of West Indies and TT batsman Lendl Simmons' short-lived tryst with a Port-of- Spain accounts executive were laid bare in a courtroom in the capital city yesterday, as the country's first 'revenge porn' case came before the High Court at the Hall of Justice in Port-ofSpain.

It was a case of who did it first. Did the professional cricketer breach the confidentiality of his onetime mistress, accounts executive Therese Ho, by leaking sexually explicit photographs of her performing oral sex on him or did she breach his confidentiality, when she ratted on him and their nine-month sexual relationship out, to his fiancee?

This is the question High Court Judge Justice Frank Seepersad will answer on October 26, when he gives his ruling on the breach of confidentiality lawsuit filed by the 26-year-old woman against the 30 year-old West Indies batsman. Ho is seeking substantial damages from Simmons for breaching the common law principle of confidence after he allegedly shared intimate photos of her.

The cricketer has denied being involved with Ho but admitted the two had a brief, singular sexual encounter.

Ho has alleged that Simmons shared the intimate photos of her with his fellow cricket teammates while in India.

Simmons in testimony yesterday said it was Ho

who first sent the photograph of her performing oral sex on him to his fiancee (now wife) and that he only sent the explicit photo to the father of her younger daughter after the latter asked for it. He said he took the explicit photographs of his former lover because he had 'trust issues' with her and wanted them as insurance in the event she tried to blackmail him.

Ho says the explicit photograph and another of her — a full body nude shot -– were sent in revenge by the batsman after she wanted to end their relationship. She said she only contacted his fiancee because she felt she had a moral obligation to tell her of their secret affair and she considered the photographs she sent to Simmons and those he took of her as confidential.

The judge is expected to deliver a written ruling in the case as he acknowledged that the matter was of some importance due to the increasing use of social media, smart phones and the dissemination of information. Ho gave details of her nine-month relationship with Simmons.

Almost on a daily basis, the two would hang out, go to the beach, and do things together.

She also allowed him to take photographs of her, but insisted these were private and confidential.

Simmons said he had over 25 photographs of her; two of which were of them engaging in oral sex.

INTERNATIONAL

IF THERE IS LIQUID WATER ON MARS, NO-ONE-NOT EVEN NASA-CAN GET ANYWHERE NEAR IT

Recently, NASA claimed to have found evidence of liquid water on Mars. If true, you'd expect the US government to scramble to set up a new mission to test the claim. After all, discovering that Mars has life or even that in can

support life will be one of the greatest discoveries ever.

But that won't happen so quick. NASA's press statement makes it seem that scientists have certain evidence of flowing water. They do

not. What they have is chemical evidence that gives a strong suggestion of liquid water mixed with salts. More importantly, however, even if NASA was 100% certain that there is liquid water on Mars, it could not do anything about it.

The world's space powers are bound by rules agreed to under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that forbid anyone from sending a mission, robot or human, close to a water source in the fear of contaminating it with life from Earth.

Terrestrial life has been shown to be very resilient. Microbes are found in almost every

nook and cranny of this planet, even the driest and hottest parts. Earth's microbes survived nearly two years stuck on the outside of the International Space Station and even on a camera on the moon. All probes that land on Mars are cleaned to be sterilized of life but noone yet knows how strict you need to be to ensure that bacterial life cannot form viable, selfsustaining colonies on Mars.

All space missions to an alien world are bound by planetary protection protocols. On Mars, these protocols determine which areas a mission can and cannot land, and how far it can explore after landing.

And the more we learn about Mars, as a 2014 report makes it clear, the more special regions are being found where we can't send missions.

Areas that are warm or wet enough to support Martian life are out of bounds. Polar ice caps, caves, and regions with volcanic activity are such special regions. Even regions where ice is found as deep as five meters below the surface are on the list.

And even that won't cover all eventualities. The Mars 2020 Rover, for instance, carries a plutoniumpowered heat generator, which can, if it falls on the surface, cause ice deep inside to melt and create liquid water. Its

exploration area, then, is further restricted. The irony is that all these restrictions mean NASA has to stay away from the very regions where it may find water or Martian life.

NASA's hype around the discovery of liquid water on Mars can be explained by its constant need to increase funding for its work. And that attention seems to be helping. But it won't be eager to tell you that its human mission, currently planned for 2030, will inevitably contaminate Mars with microbes, and break the rules of an international treaty.

Indeed, what's the guarantee that all those objects and rovers we've sent to Mars haven't already contaminated the red planet? (Yahoo News)

HOW MUCH LONGER CAN THAILAND'S OUSTED VENEZUELA KEEP THE PM FILES CRIMINAL WOLVES AT BAY? CASE AGAINST OPPONENTS Venezuela is facing a severe economic crisis, one that could get worse before it gets better.

Venezuela's GDP is expected to contract by a staggering 9.1 percent this y e a r, a c c o r d i n g t o a Barclays report, as plummeting oil prices have hollowed out the South American nation's e c o n o m y . Ve n e z u e l a depends on oil for more than 95 percent of its export revenue. With oil prices trading at a fraction of what they were in early 2014, the Venezuelan economy is crumbling. The contraction in GDP could stretch to 16.5 percent between 2014 and 2016.

The shattered economy could present serious political problems to the government of Nicolas Maduro with congressional elections looming in

December. After more than a decade of control for the ruling party (mostly under the late President Hugo Chavez), Maduro may struggle to maintain his grip over the country as the public becomes increasingly restless.

The government is selling off assets to raise cash as its resources continue to dwindle. With an eye on the December elections, Maduro is looking to patch over the country's fiscal problems, to at least make it into 2016. But while Maduro may survive 2015, there is “a very uncertain scenario for 2016,” Barclays concludes in its report.

In a separate report in early September, Bank of America asserted that the markets were overestimating the chances that Venezuela would

default, arguing that the government is willing to pay a high price to avoid such an outcome, even if that requires the liquidation of state assets. At the same time, Bank of America concluded, the markets are underestimating the chance of a political transition.

The ongoing problems will continue to affect the heart of the country's economy: its oil sector. The government routinely diverts the financial resources of stateowned oil company PDVSA to pursue political and social objectives.

Consequently, it is likely that PDVSA will continue to underinvest in its oil resources, and production could continue to stagnate.

That is a poor recipe for both the country's economic and oil picture over the long-term. In short, Venezuela could paper over its problems for the rest of 2015, but that approach will become increasingly difficult to maintain next year. (By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com)

BANGKOK— Thailand's ousted prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who was pushed from office more than a year ago, impeached and faces criminal charges, hit back at her opponents Tuesday with her own lawsuit.

Yingluck filed a case at Bangkok's Criminal Court to counter-sue the country's attorney-general over the handling of her prosecution in connection with a subsidy scheme for rice farmers, which ran up huge losses.

The lawsuit is another twist in a longstanding political battle dividing Thailand. On one side is the country's traditional ruling elite who are backed by the military that staged Thailand's 2014 coup, and on the other is a group of politicians who challenged the status quo, led by Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecommunications billionaire-turned-populist politician who held office

from 2001 to 2006.

Yi n g l u c k was Thailand's prime minister from 2011 until a controversial court decision forced her from office in May 2014, just a few days before the military staged a coup to overthrow her government. She was impeached earlier this year in connection with the money-losing rice subsidy scheme and barred her from office for five years. The attorney-general then pressed criminal charges against her over the same matter.

In her court filing Tuesday, Yingluck said the attorneygeneral and others were guilty of negligence of duty and a concerted effort to damage her, citing three alleged legal violations punishable by a range of 6 months to 10 years in prison. The court will decide whether to let the case proceed or throw it out.

"I've come here to exercise my rights in accordance with the legal process," Yingluck told reporters. "I submitted the lawsuit against the attorney-general and team members."

The rice subsidy scheme was a key feature of Yingluck's 2011 election campaign and helped win her huge support in rural areas. It bought rice from farmers at well above market price but the program racked up losses of at least $4.46 billion.

Yingluck's opponents said the scheme was riddled with corruption and she did nothing to stop it. She denies any wrongdoing. (AP)

SPORTS JACK WARNER BANNED FOR LIFE FROM FOOTBALL ACTIVITIES Former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has been banned from football for l i f e . T h e 7 2 - y e a r- o l d Trinidadian is the former head of Caribbean and North and Central American football (Concacaf), but quit Fifa in 2011.

He is fighting extradition to the US on corruption charges and

denies accepting millions of dollars in bribes.

Warner committed "many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly" said the football world governing body's ethics committee.

In a televised address in Trinidad, Jack Warner said he feared for his life. Fifa's ruling follows its own investigation into the

bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which began looking at Warner's activities in January 2015.

On Tuesday, Fifa said Warner had been found guilty of violating the organisation's code of ethics several times. A statement read: "In his positions as a football official, he was a key player

in schemes involving the offer, acceptance, and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, as well as other money-making schemes."

The United States wants to try Warner and 13 other current or former Fifa officials who were indicted in May. Prosecutors allege that Warner - who was one of football's most powerful figures whose support was seen as crucial for any World Cup host bid - has been involved in criminal corrupt practices for more than two decades. (BBC)

PULLING OUT FROM INDIA CONTINUES TO HURT WEST INDIES

It was a bomb waiting to detonate, wreaking more damage to West Indies cricket, which, after two decades of collapse, can hardly withstand any more.

After lying dormant for almost a year, its fuse was re-lit on Friday by head coach Phil Simmons' furious criticism on the continued exclusion of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from the squad for three upcoming ODIs in Sri Lanka.

Ironically, Simmons was in an opposing camp when the

explosive device was created in the aftermath of the team's premature pullout of its scheduled tour of India last October.

Bravo and Pollard were dropped, without an official explanation, for the subsequent ODIs in South Africa and the World Cup. It was assumed that Bravo was penalised as he was ODI captain in India; Pollard, in the rank and file, had his name seemingly drawn from a hat. In contrast, ten others from the India fiasco were retained for the World Cup. It typified the haphazard way West Indies cricket is

run.

Their continued exile implies that they will be considered in future solely for T20s, for which they were chosen on the S o u t h A f r i c a n t o u r.

Simmons' beef, vented in a media session, was that as head coach he was denied the best team. He went further, alleging "outside interference" in the selection process.

"People shouldn't be using their positions to get players into a squad or, in this, to get left out of a squad," he said. "It is wrong."

When the team

exited India, WICB president Dave Cameron used social media to assert: "This feels like terrorism. You destroy a region's heritage over an internal dispute.

Unbelievable." They were not the words that suggested conciliation.

Whether by conviction or coercion, chief selector Clive Lloyd and his panel omitted Bravo and Pollard in the first instance. Now Lloyd was on the same page as

Simmons, a position he had earlier confirmed to me over lunch. According to Simmons, Lloyd met the selectors and gave "exceptional reasons" why he believed it was time for them to return.

He cited the similar support for Lloyd's position of captain Jason Holder; while not on the panel, he has repeatedly referred to the strength Bravo and Pollard would bring to the team. It cut no ice. The

other selectors, Courtney Walsh, Courtney Browne and Eldine Baptiste stuck to their decision; the split was 3-2 in their favour.

Simmons was clearly unfazed by the possible repercussions of his outburst from a president and a board hypersensitive even to the mildest criticism. Lloyd might also be considering his options at present. ( A d a p t e d f ro m To n y Cozier's article on Espncrico.com)

MESSI OUT FOR AT LEAST SEVEN WEEKS

Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi is impossible to replace, boss Luis Enrique said in the build up to Tuesday's Champions League group game with German side Bayer Leverkusen. Messi, 28, will be out for seven to eight weeks after tearing a ligament in his left knee during a 2-1 win over Las Palmas on Saturday.

"It's a challenge for us to be without the best player in the world," said Enrique on Monday. "It also provides an incentive for us." Messi scored 43 La Liga goals last season in addition to a further 10 in the Champions League as Barca were crowned champions of Europe.

The 28-year-old stands second - three behind Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo - in the list of alltime top scorers in European Cup history on 77 goals.

Four-time Champions League winner Messi may miss eight fixtures, but could return in time to face Real Madrid on 22 November.

The absorption of light at characteristic wavelengths is actually a very familiar phenomenon.

Such absorption and reflection explains why trees have green leaves: the sunlight falling on the leaf is white, but the chlorophyll molecules in the leaf selectively absorb red and blue light (this is the energy that helps the tree grow) and reflect the green light, which is what we see.

So the absorption of light by perchlorates on the Martian surface is definitive evidence of present-day water on Mars. It's very briny water, way saltier than terrestrial oceans. It's not fit for human consumption and unfit for most fish in the sea. But we know that on

Earth, wherever liquid water molecules and a source of energy are present -- even in acid baths or in oxygenfree or high-pressure depths of the ocean -- some form of life has evolved. So the possibility of life on Mars is very real.

Interestingly, perchlorates can keep water in a liquid state even below normal freezing temperatures, much as the salt you spread on your driveway in the winter turns ice into liquid water. So in the presence of perchlorates, liquid water might exist as cold as minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (or minus 70 degrees Celsius).

Even though Mars is cold and dry, it's not too harsh for life.

Scientific investigation of Mars continues.

Future missions planned by NASA and the European Space Agency will drill down into the soil looking for signs of life and one day will return samples from the Martian surface to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis. The Mars Curiosity rover is atop Mount Sharp, investigating surface conditions there. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter continues its time-dependent observations of RSL and other surface features. There is a huge amount still to learn.

SPORTS

JACK

REDCARD FOR LIFE -see page 11