GNN Online Newspaper - JAN 18, 2016

Monday January 18, 2016

wales estate to be closed

Prime Minister cannot be subordinate to any Minister-President

Reputed husband kills wife; stabs daughter and self in Linden A thirty-four year-old woman, Leolyn Sullivan, was stabbed to death early this morning by her reputed husband.

According to the Police, Sullovan of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden, was involved in a domestic argument at her home with her reputed husband, at about 02:00 hrs today.

During the argument,

she was stabbed multiple times about her body.

The Police say that during the incident, Sullivan’s two daughters came to her defence and one of them, eighteen year-old, Shemeka Campbell, was stabbed to her arm and neck.

The Police also stated that the suspect then self-inflicted wounds to his neck and chest.

Sullivan was pronounced dead on arrival at the Linden Hospital and Campbell was admitted. The suspect has also been admitted to the Linden Hospital where he is under police guard.

Investigations are ongoing.

133,000lbs of construction waste cleared from Regent St. -night collection of garbage in pipeline

The Solid Waste Department of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) yesterday continued their productive efforts of enhancing the restored Garden City by removing over 133,000lbs of construction waste along the highlycommercialised Regent Street in central Georgetown.

Spearheading the operation which was described as an ongoing effort was Solid Waste Director Walter Narine. He explained that the construction waste removed were those which were left behind by business owners and contractors subsequent

to the completion of construction work at the business location.

The targeted area was Regent Street, from Albert Street to Vlissengen Road.

The equivalent of the 132,277 pounds is 60 tonnes.

And according to the Solid Waste Director, these remains usually results in blockages of drains along those commercialized areas.

He revealed too that the Georgetown City Council has taken an approach to ban the storing of building materials on council’s reserve (parapets) due to the existing conditions.

However, he noted that while no formal invitation has been sent

Similar exercises are expected to be initiated on a long term basis, Narine said, adding that the boundaries would be Croal Street, North Road, King Street and Water Street. He said that all the streets and drains within those boundaries will be cleaned routinely and this is separate from the daily collection of solid waste which is done by contractors of the Mayor and City to corporate Guyana Council (M&CC). to assist the efforts in Presently, Narine has this regard; his team in his employ, eight is managing fairly staff and a garbage well with the present truck which facilitates human capacity. the evening cleaning Nevertheless, Narine noted that support from the business community whether through human resource or garbage bags and receptacles, is welcomed.

Just last week, the department executed an evening street sweeping and drain cleaning exercise in and around the Water Street area.

According to the Solid Waste Director, approximately 72 garbage bags were filled with waste which was collected from the area on Tuesday.

which is expected to become a long term exercise. He is in the process however, of recruiting 6 additional persons and expanding the boundaries which are being cleaned routinely, due to its commercialized n a t u r e .

Also proposed on a long term basis is the plan to generally have garbage collection in and around Georgetown collected in the evening and stored at a holding site which will be located at a central point.

Narine who recently returned from a Solid Waste forum in Japan

explained that this is a practice in japan which could be adopted since it provides a more convenient way of collecting garbage.

“During the evening there is less traffic and no sun, so it requires less of the solid waste collectors who are already doing strenuous work. Also, the stench emanating from the garbage trucks will not affect people as much during the night because there isn’t much happening on the roads as in the day” he said.

Budget being finalised for presentation by month-end The 2016 National Budget is expected to be presented in Parliament

by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan before the end of January.

According to reports in some sections of the media, the presentation is slated for January 29. However, this is yet to be confirmed.

Members of Cabinet as well as Non-Cabinet Ministers met on

Saturday at the Ministry of the Presidency to iron their 2016 Ministerial work programmes, which will inform the finalising of the Budget.

The meeting was one of several which are intended to ensure that there is synergy with regard to the Government’s development agenda, as laid out by President David Granger in his

address to Parliament, last Thursday.

During that speech the President outlined his vision for economic d e v e l o p m e nt , strengthened national unity, expanded national infrastructure, fortified national institutions, enhanced national security and modern and reliable public services.

(Some information taken from the MOTP)

50 Region Six students get bicycles under President’s programme

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger comforts this student who burst into tears of joy upon receiving her bicycle, this morning, at the Scottsburg Community Centre Ground

Fifty students from in East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six), yesterday received bicycles under President David Granger’s ‘Buses, Boats and Bicycles’ (‘Three Bs’) initiative, aimed at ensuring that all of Guyana’s children are able to attend school.

The bicycles were donated to the programme by Hamshire resident, Mr. Peter Lewis, and handed over by Minister of Social Cohesion, Ms. Amna Ally and First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger.

Of the 50 bicycles that were handed over, 10 were handed over to students from the Scottsburg area, 20 to the students of Whim and Fyrish and 20 to those in the Glasgow Housing Scheme. Among the beneficiaries were students from the Berbice High School, New Amsterdam Multilateral School, Tutorial Academy, Vryman’s Erven School and Lower Corentyne Secondary.

Lewis said that he has always given back to his community and the Region; especially to the children, but was inspired to do more when the President announced his ‘Three Bs’ initiative.

He noted that he too sees education as a priority for the development of the country at large and as

such he thought it fitting to support the project.

He pledge to donate of a bus for the Region’s children, in the coming months.

Ally said, “A day will come when no child will be able to complain that they live too far and they are unable to go to school; that they have

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger smiles as she presents this bicycle to a student from the Glasgow Housing Scheme, Corentyne, Berbice

to walk far distances to get to their schools. We are going to be proud of this initiative,” she said.

She reminded the children to be cautious on the roadways, noting that while Government is focused on providing a good life for all and equal access to education, they too have a responsibility

for their personal safety and care of those bicycles, which have been given to them.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the spate of suicides recently, she pleaded with the students not to give up despite their hardships and to be their brother’s keeper at all times. She encouraged

them to remember that with support from friends, teachers, neighbours and others, they can endure and overcome the most difficult of problems.

(Adapted from MOTP)

Some of the bicycles that were presented to students of Glasgow Housing Scheme. Students from the Berbice High School, New Amsterdam Multilateral, Tutorial Academy and Vrynan’s Erven School received their bicycles from this lot.

First Lady calls on NGOs to redouble efforts to reach tackle suicide First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger called on the charitable organisation, The Guyana Foundation, and other nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to play a greater role in addressing the scourge of suicide, noting the need for all sectors in society to get involved in arresting the root causes of the issue. She made these comments when she was inducted as patron of the Foundation, last evening.

In her address to the gathering in the Savannah Suite of the

Pegasus Hotel, she said, “In the context of mental health... it is vitally important that our country addresses urgently, effectively, and in a coherent manner, the alarmingly high incidence of suicide particularly among our youths.”

Pointing to the fact that Guyana, with its comparatively small population, has an alarmingly high rate of suicide, Mrs. Granger said the nation cannot afford to lose its human capital to suicide and efforts must be made forthwith to find the causes and provide

professional help.

Welcoming the Foundation’s attempts to help curb this epidemic, to date, Mrs. Granger also noted that the group has already signalled its wiliness

to participate in a national conversation on suicide prevention and to offer its resources. She praised the Foundation’s work with at-risk groups.

“When we educate

our children, our women, our citizens with special needs, our seniors, we help vulnerable sectors of our population not only to be positive about themselves;

but to recognise their intrinsic value as [individuals and], as members of our society [and reinforce] the belief that they can contribute,” Mrs. Granger said.

Last October, Following a meeting between the First Lady and Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Mrs. Supriya SinghBodden, Mrs. Granger had expressed that there are significant areas of synergy between her work programme and the work of the Foundation. (Adapted from MOTP)

President blames global troubles for slow growth locally -former Finance Minister disagrees

President David Granger

President David Granger is blaming the global economic troubles for the slow economic growth that is being experienced in Guyana.

In an interview on his weekly television programme “The Public Interest,” the Head of State urged Guyanese not to believe that Guyana is isolated from what obtains globally.

He explained that something may occur

in other parts of the developed world that may affect Guyana, using China as an example.

“When China sneezes, the whole world could catch a cold,” the President said.

The Guyanese leader also touched on the issue of Guyana’s economy relying on a few commodities such as rice, bauxite, sugar, gold and timber, adding that once this happens the country is

bound to experience internal shocks and fluctuations.

Meanwhile, former Minister within the Finance Ministry Juan Edghill is in totally disagreement with the President’s r e a s o n i n g .

He reflected that the world has experienced a worse economic crisis in 2008 whereby oil and food prices among other commodities were out of sync, nevertheless

Guyana was able to ride the storm.

“The management of the economy was in safe hands…bold and deliberate decisions were made so the complaint of present is not justified in my eyes,” said Edghill.

He reasoned that what is happening now in the world economically is nothing to be compared with what took place during the 2008 period. There is no suggestion that we’re having an economic meltdown worldwide like what was happening before.

According to the former Minister, “the problem is not in what is happening externally, the problem is what is happening internally and whose hands this present situation falls in, it’s clear that it’s not a safe pair of hands that knows

what they’re doing.”

The coalition government when it assumed office in May last year denied that Guyana was experiencing an economic downturn.

However, a few months later in admitting that the economy was not doing so well, it laid the blame squarely at the feet of the opposition Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and said that the slump in the economy began under that administration.

The PPP/C in rejecting the g o v e r n m e n t ’s assertion reminded that the country experienced eight years of economic growth under its management.

Guyana was lauded and recognized by many countries and financial institutions, such as the Caribbean

Juan Edghill

Development Bank for its performance and sustenance of economic growth during one of the world’s severe economic crisis.

President of the CDB William Smith back in 2013 hailed Guyana for its success story in the face of the global meltdown.

He pointed out that it was due to good economic policies.

In addition, Smith recommended that the rest of the Caribbean learn from the road Guyana has travelled.

Police ‘A’ Division trying to ‘arrest’ suicide during outreaches span of control as part of the Guyana Police Force Social Crime Prevention initiative which was started by Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud last year.

It was during those interactions with the young people that the Clifton Hicken message of “A Purpose” Even as the scourge Police Clifton Hicken was resonated. The Commander of suicide continues and his team along Police to take center stage with youth pastors and team travelled to in Guyana over the Ewroth Williams of the communities including Arcadia, past few weeks, the Heavenly Light Full Mocha Diamond Guyana Police Force Gospel Fellowship in Grove, ‘A’ Division through its Albouystown, engaged and Agricola on the community outreaches young people in East Bank Demerara. over the weekend several communities Visits were also paid the issue. to the Alberttown decided to tackle on the issue head on. The Division normally area and another On Saturday Divisional runs several youth location on Middle Commander, Assistant groups on Saturday in Street where young Commissioner of communities within its people from Rosemary

Lane were having their youth groups.

Pastor Eworth Williams spoke to the scripture in Jeremiah 29.11 that speaks of God’s purpose for each and every single human that is born into the world.

The children were also prayed with even as they were schooled on the negative impacts that suicide has on families and individuals. By a show of hands it was asked by the pastor of those who would have in the past contemplated suicide or might have known someone who committed the act.

What was alarming is that all the groups

which were visited on that day did have children who either contemplated suicide or might have lost a loved one to suicide.

Over the last few weeks there have been several reported cases of suicide and attempted suicide stretching all across the Guyana.

There is now a very active social media presence by groups and individuals who are calling for the issue to be addressed even as some are putting forward their own suggestions of what ought to be done in that regard.

Recently President David Granger convened an

emergency meeting where he met with stakeholders to discuss the issue and find solutions to address the growing problem.

The Guyana Police Force for its part, last year launched a national Suicide helpline for persons who are contemplating committing suicide.

There are those who are of the view that the focus of that unit now has to reconfigure and reorganized and refocus in order to deal with the issue of suicide and not be sitting and waiting for persons who plan to commit suicide or feel suicidal to call them for counseling.

Families, communities must help with suicide prevention –Health Minister At the height of an escalating suicide rate in a country ranks as having the highest suicide rate in the world, the involvement of domestic organs such as the family and community is critical to the prevention of such gruesome acts.

This was according to Health Minister, Dr. George Norton, while speaking at a suicide workshop held yesterday at the Guyana Marriott.

The workshop was an emergency one, which sought to solicit contributions from all stakeholders on the way forward for Guyana, relative to suicide prevention.

Present at the forum were Ministers of Government, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, representatives from Non - G ov e r n m e nt a l Organisations (NGO), religious organisations and the Pan American Health Organisation / World Health Organisation ( PA H O / W H O ) .

According to the Minister, it is natural for persons to look to the Government for solutions to national issues such as the suicide epidemic plaguing Guyana.

However, he noted that the responsibility of arresting the situation is not limited to public health officials, but must be supported by families and communities which could play an integral role in suicide prevention.

He highlighted the fact that the existing situation has resulted in the pouring in of advice and ideas from all spheres of society.

However, due to the complexity of suicide prevention, he noted that it would not be wise to adopt strategies until they are tested. “We have to be very careful and avoid making the situation worse and do the most we can to curb this scourge” Minister Norton said.

At the workshop too, Head of the Ministry of Public Health’s Mental Health Unit, Dr.

Bhiro Harry Presented Guyana’s National Suicide Prevention Plan 2015-2020 which will be a key document, utilized by relevant authorities as they seek to reduce the suicide cases.

Having been ranked as having the highest suicide rate, relative to its population, by A World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2014, the suicide prevention strategy’s goal aims to; “reduce the incidence of attempted suicide and suicide mortality by more than 50 per cent, thereby preventing premature death from suicide or morbidity/disability from attempted suicide across the lifespan.”

The estimated rate of suicide mortality is 44.3 per every 100,000, says the WHO, and the document’s aim is to reduce this figure to less than 20 per ever 100,000.

The 50 per cent range, according to Dr. Harry, was chosen because it is a realistic target which could be achieved, once the proposed plans are executed successfully.

Minister, Dr. George Norton

The line of action proposed in the document which was presented last year includes; risk factors reduction, health promotion, and prevention of suicidal behavior; reduction of access to the means of suicide; health system response to suicidal behavior; and suicide surveillance and research.

Dr. Harry also highlighted the emergency action plan which seeks to restrict access to the means of suicide, awareness about suicide prevention, responsible media reporting, training, increased access to mental health facilities,

and perhaps, one of the most important action, follow up and community support.

“We are currently training people… and this training is not only for persons in the medical field. The training cannot be limited to Public Health employees. We must go into communities, schools and offices and teach villagers, parents and employees how to respond and communicate with persons [who have suicidal thoughts]” Dr. Harry said.

He noted too that one of the challenges when address the issue of mental health, which suicide is a subset

of, is discrimination.

According to Dr. Bhiro, if or when someone goes to visit a psychiatrist, there is a “stigma” attached to that person and society usually treats them a different way. This, according to him, usually results in people refusing to visit psychiatrists even when they are in need of help.

If you or anyone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts and are in need of help, speak to a family member or leader in your community or call the suicide helpline on Telephone numbers (+592) 223-0001, 223-0009, 600-7896, 623-4444.

Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary launched in New York

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo (inset) addresses the gathering at the launch of Guyana’s Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Jamaica Performing Arts Centre, Queens, New York

In this the year of Guyana’s Golden Jubilee, the 50th Independence anniversary was launched on Saturday at the Jamaica Performing Arts Centre in

Queens, New York.

Speaking at the function which saw the attendance of largely based US-Guyanese, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo urged Guyanese to work together to build a

nation in which the future is secure for all.

A Guyana Chronicle report quoted Nagamootoo as saying that, “We must not only retrace our footsteps from whence we came; we must

look ahead to see the direction in which we must traverse.”

He that Guyanese at home and abroad need to enter the next 50 years with conviction that Guyana comes first.

“Our common Guyanese-ness must clothe us with unity, national pride and patriotism. We must forge an identity that defines our Guyanese civilisation.

Even whilst we live in other lands, we must long for Guyana; we must yearn for Guyana; we must re-born for Guyana,” He added.

He also stated that this new Guyana is

laying a foundation for a “free, open and inclusive democracy”.

“We need all hands — all clean hands — on deck! There is room for all, including the Opposition, in our system of governance.”

N a g a m o o t o o informed the USbased Guyanese that since its assumption to power, the Coalition Government has moved to “pull Guyana back from the edge”. “It is not easy to overcome widespread poverty, joblessness, loss of selfesteem that have been spawned by entrenched inequality, deep-rooted discrimination, and pervasive corruption.”

He noted that celebrating the country’s 50th Independence anniversary should serve as a moment of reflection on the opportunities that were squandered, and to look at ways to help re-position Guyana for the future.

The launch of Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary was held at the historic Jamaica Performing Arts Centre in Queens, New York. (Adapted from an article in the Guyana Chronicle).

President denies political directive in questioning of PPP/C members

Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds

President David Granger

President David Granger has rejected the notion that political direction has been given with regard to the questioning of five Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) m e m b e r s .

Last week PPP executive member Gail Teixeira informed the media that herself, Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, PPP/C Members of Parliament, Nigel Dharamlall and Irfaan Ali were summoned for questioning

at the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU’s) headquarters in relation to the audit report on the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) which was executed by former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran.

On Friday last, former Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon was also called in for questioning in relation to the same matter.

The party is of the firm view that its

members are being targeted by SOCU. On the other hand, President Granger on his weekly television programme “The Public Interest,” noted that SOCU is part of the police force and it is up to the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud and SOCU believe that the matter requires investigation.

Reportedly, the Top Cop last week denied having any knowledge of the PPP/C members being investigated despite SOCU falling under the

purview of the Commissioner since it was established to function under the force.

The President is on record saying “there has been no political interference, and I don’t get the impression that they have been called more than once.” He added that he does not see any grounds for complaint. “If there’s nothing to hide, there’s nothing to fear,” Granger posited.

According to him, if the PPP/C members were called in for

Irfaan Ali

questioning they should simply say what they know.

“Everyone knows that there were problems with the company in question, NICIL, and if they have done no wrong they have nothing to fear,” Granger cont inue d.

However, Ms. Teixeira when questioned about the possible outcome of the interrogations told reporters that “I have nothing to hide, it’s a fishy expedition.”

Nigel Dharamlall

She went on to question the mandate of SOCU and why ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted the interviews at the SOCU head office on Camp Road.

She reasoned that since SOCU fell under the antimoney laundering legislation, the question remains as to the nexus between the unit, the CID and the forensic audit of NICIL.

Broomes appointment conflicts with govt’s Code of Conduct - PPP obligated in any way.

Additionally, according to the code, Ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs) and public office holders should avoid using their official positions or transmitting any information made available to them in the course of their duty to benefit themselves, their relations or any other individual with whom they are associated.

“They should avoid Minister Simona Broomes compromising The Opposition conf lict-of-interest themselves or their Peoples Progressive situation arises when office[s] which may Party (PPP) says the the “private interests” lead to an actual or recent development of the public office perceived conflict of with regard to the holder compete or interest. Failure to with the avoid or declare any appointment of conflict Simona Broomes as interests of the State. conflict of interest may interests” give rise to criticism junior Minister of “Private both the of Natural Resources mean favouritism, is in contradiction financial and personal abuse of authority with the “draft interests of the official or even allegations Code of Conduct.” and staff or those of of corruption. In connections, particular, Ministers, Reading from a their family MPs and public office prepared statement including: at his weekly press and other relations; holders involved in the conference, General personal friends; other procurement process Secretary Clement companies or business should declare conflict Rohee pointed to interests which they of interest if they are a section in the hold or own (both in closely related to, or document which part or in whole); other have, or will likely speaks directly clubs and societies to be perceived to have, to the situation. which they belong; and beneficial interest The draft Code of any person to whom in any company or Conduct says a they owe a favour or are transaction that would

result in the award for the supplies of goods and services to the state,” the Code of Conduct outlined.

Since Broomes’ appointment as junior Minister of Natural Resources, the opposition and other sections of society have spoken out against the move citing a conflict of interest.

Rohee said last week that Broomes’ appointment creates conflict of interest given her interest in the mining sector.

“Guyanese must bring pressure to bear on the Granger administration to bring an end to this incestuous relationship but not at the expense of the investor if anyone has to pay the price it must be Simona Broomes who must go,” Rohee told reporters today in revisiting the issue.

Minister Broomes currently has an agreement with the Australian mining company, Troy Resources, which is the parent company of Pharsalus. The company has the

option of acquiring a 100 percent interest in three medium-scale prospecting permits in keeping with an agreement signed in June, 2012. Broomes owns the three mining properties located in the Issano area.

Questioned by the media on the concerns raised, the Minister said “I don’t see it as a conflict of interest.

I have three mining properties in the Issano area and Pharsalus and I had a contract gone back years, and if they are to mine the area, it is simple, we come back to the table; if I am to get a percentage or if they are going to

excess of $10M for negligence as a result of the acts which caused or contributed to the Plaintiff to deliver a baby which was dead when delivered.

An additional $10M minimum is being sought for personal injuries, pain and suffering. The GPHC has ten days to respond.

In the second case, November 2015, at Parbattie Ramdatt is the Maternity Ward. suing in her personal The court documents capacity and as the show that Balwant is mother and next seeking damages in friend of Arveer Ashok

Amarnauth, a minor, whom she delivered on the 26th day of October, 2015, at Public Hospital Suddie, Essequibo Coast.

She is also seeking damages in excess of $10M for negligence as a result of which the Plaintiff and Arveer Ashok Amarnauth, suffered multiple, physical and other injuries before, during and after delivery.

An additional $10M is also being sought for personal injuries, pain

Clement Rohee

buy me out, then that is simple. I don’t see any conflict of interest there and that is very s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d .”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources in a statement last week said it has sought legal opinion to fully address the conflict of interest claims.

The Code of Conduct was one of the promises made by the coalition during the elections campaign.

It is geared to assist Ministers and MPs and public office holders in the discharge of their obligations to their constituents and the public at large.

$20M lawsuits filed against the GPHC and Suddie Hospital

Law suits have been filed against the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Suddie

Hospital, Essequibo.

Sumarie Balwant filed a $20M suit against the GPHC following a stillbirth delivery in

and suffering of and to the Plaintiff and Arveer Ashok Amarnauth.

The court documents show that Dr. Mirtha Johnson and the Attorney General are being sued in this case and have ten days to respond.

Both cases have been filed by Attorney-atLaw, Anil Nandlall.

CND$20000.00 donated to GECOM to aid LGE education The Canadian High Commission today handed over $20,000 Canadian dollars to the Guyana Elections Commission on Monday at GECOM’s building to aid in improving GECOM’s education program on Local Government Elections (LGE).

The sum will be used to purchase public address systems which will be used across the country as part of GECOM’s education drive, printers and projectors among others.

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana; Pierre Giroux stated that “Local

Elections are very important; they are part of the process which actually brings the government closer to the people; it fosters better inclusion…so we are very happy in the Americas to support such small processes.”

Chairman of GECOM; Dr. Steve Surujbally said the donation is timely since it will help to improve what is already being done without asking for more from the government. He said “we have a budget

larger quantities now.”

GECOM has been stepping up its public education programme for the local government elections, recognizing that it will have to do more since a number of persons are still complaining of not having sufficient of what LGE is about and the processes included.

It was disclosed that 103 symbols from political that covers a matter parties, voluntary of things we want but groups and individual there will always be candidates wishing some lapses and usually to contest Local that will cost money. Government Elections The things…e.g. (LGE) was approved. getting the documents Chief Elections Officer, and manuals to Keith Lowenfield political parties, we stated that on Sunday, can do that in much (January, 17, 2016)

the groups across the country met with staffs of GECOM and were informed that their symbols have been approved. They were also briefed on the processes that will be required on Nomination Day which will be hosted on January, 26.

There is 62 Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDC) and 9 Municipalities with the declaration of Mabaruma, Bartica and Lethem as towns slated to participate in the 2016 Local Government Elections.

Agriculture said “it is impossible to make sugar production at Wales viable. This is made worse by the gloomy outlook for sugar prices for the foreseeable future. Wales estate is projected to make a loss of G$1.6 -$1.9 Billion in 2016. This coupled with the extent of refurbishment needed render this estate prohibitively costly to maintain.”

The Guyana Sugar C o r p o r at i o n (GuySuCo) will be exploring the feasibility

of alternative ventures utilizing the Wales lands. It is hoped that the first of such projects could commence

by October 1, 2016.

It was further clarified that this decision has nothing to do with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the sugar industry as these, together with other initiatives, are contained in GuySuCo’s Budget and 2016 Action Plan.

Wales Estate operations to be closed The state-owned Guyana Sugar C o r p o r at i o n (GuySuCo) has taken a decision to close the Wales Estate at the end of 2016, after which farmers’ canes will be milled at the Uitvlugt factory and Agricultural workers at Wales will be absorbed by Uitvlugt up to the extent of suitable vacancies on that location.

According to a

statement from the Government Information Agency (GINA), “To protect the other estates, the Corporation has no alternative but to take the following action with immediate effect: No further land preparation and planting; As the estate’s cultivation is harvested, the land would be retired and held for other diversification ventures; the Wales

factory would operate throughout 2016 milling both the estate’s and farmers’ canes. It will be closed at the end of the 2016 2nd crop.”

It added that “With effect from 2017, farmers’ canes will be milled at the Uitvlugt factory. During this year the routing of the farmers’ canes to Uitvlugt would be determined to ensure the least additional cost, Agricultural

workers at Wales will be absorbed by Uitvlugt up to the extent of suitable vacancies on that location. Surplus labour would have to be made redundant.”

The same principle would also apply to the other departments.

It was noted that Wales Estate is in need of major investment as 60% of its D&I infrastructure is run down; 75% of the bridges are in poor shape and the cultivation is also in poor condition.

The Ministry of

Wales Workers will be significantly affected- GAWU Union (GAWU); Komal Chand referring to a statement from the Government stating that the Estate will be closed.

Chand said “They (Government of Guyana) are closing Komal Chand the field operation and Workers at the Estate at the end of 2016. the factory operation Wales Estate will be This is according so it will adversely significantly affected to the Head of the affect the workers, in by the Government’s Guyana Agriculture that; they said they decision to close the and General Workers will no longer require

some of them while they said the others will be transported to work which is a far distance away. Many of the have a difficulty to accept work at such a far distance when they have to reach to work so early in the morning.”

A meeting will be hosted between the Union and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) where

Chand said several issues relating to the closure will have to be discussed.

His questions include “How many field workers from the different gangs will be made redundant, how many would be offered work at Uitvlugt estate, whether they will pay them their severance pay if they are made redundant,

how soon and other related matters.”

The Ministry of Agriculture in a statement today said the Wales Estate will be closed at the end of 2016 and “workers will be absorbed by Uitvlugt up to the extent of suitable vacancies on that location.”

the President as saying “It is time for a fresh start – a new beginning.

It is time to redouble our efforts to eradicate poverty….It is in pursuit of achieving greater economic independence that we have reconfigured an executive Cabinet to give leadership to the renewed national effort to rebuild our economy.

The Ministry of the Presidency has been reconfigured to combine the offices of the President, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ministers of State, Citizenship and Social Cohesion.

This combination enhances governance and, especially through the Office of the Prime Minister, manages the Government’s business and legislative agenda in the National Assembly.”

The President then went on to describe the “line” responsibilities of the offices within the Ministry of the Presidency.

OPM stated that the media outfit deliberately misrepresented what was said by President David Granger.

The OPM stated that the news outfit is operating with an unmistakable

agenda that is politically directed.

“It is now beyond doubt that the primary purpose of Guyana Times is to function purely as a PPP propaganda rag in conjunction with TVG, and other media appendages, such as the recently acquired I’News website, and other outfits owned and operated by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, who, it is well known, shares a close personal relationship with Opposition Leader (Bharrat) Jagdeo.”

The statement continued, “OPM calls on all Guyanese to be aware

of the campaign being executed by the Ramroop media group against the Coalition Government, particularly the IndoGuyanese members and specifically Prime Minister and First Vice President, Moses Nagamootoo.”

According to Minister of Natural Resource, Raphael Trotman, had previously held the Governance portfolio but has formally handed over all matters relating to Governance to the Prime Minister. The office noted that transfer of Governance staff to OPM has also been completed.

Prime Minister’s Office reiterates that Nagamootoo not stripped of responsibilities

IMRAN KHAN

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has issued a statement in response to an article carried by the Guyana Times newspaper on Sunday January 17, 2016 captioned “Nagamootoo

stripped of all line r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s .”

OPM Press Secretary Imran Khan in deeming the article “lies, falsehoods, mischief and untruths” disputed that Nagamootoo had in fact been “stripped of all line responsibility.”

The Guyana Times in its article claims it was reiterating what President David Granger said during his address to the National Assembly last Thursday.

Mr. Granger in his presentation spoke of a newly “reconfigured” Executive structure.

The newspaper quoted

U.S. to assist in restoring Lighthouse As part of the its commitment to the preservation of historical sites in Guyana, under the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway has expressed the United States’ interest in restoring the Georgetown Lighthouse.

The Ambassador visited the facility today with Ministers of Public Infrastructure; David Patterson and Annette

Ferguson, Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) Harbour Master Michael Tennant and MARAD Director General, Claudette Rogers.

During his tour of the building, Ambassador Holloway “expressed pleasure with the landmark and marvelled at its ingenuity and resilience” a statement from the Ministry said.

Ambassador Holloway had all of his questions answered by the

MARAD officials. He also indicated that the U.S. Government is also looking at other historical sites in Guyana for possible preservation and restoration.

Ministers Patterson and Ferguson shared that they were “quite pleased” with the Ambassador’s interest in restoring the Georgetown Lighthouse and said that they were excited to see where the partnership would head.

The 31 metre (103 feet) high lighthouse

Minister of Public Infrastructure, Honourable David Patterson (second left) and Minister within the Ministry, Honourable Annette Ferguson (second right) with United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway first left) following the tour of the Georgetown Lighthouse. Officials from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), including Director General Claudette Rogers (third left) were also present.

was originally built as a wooden structure in 1817 by the Dutch,

at its current site on Water Street. It was later replaced by brick by

British engineers and commissioned in 1830.

Woman killed in Linden accident Seventy-four yearold Henrietta Cadogan was this morning killed following an accident in Linden.

The Police day that at about 0845h. today Cadogan, of Canvas

City, Wismar, was using a pedestrian crossing at One Mile, Wismar, when she was struck down by a motor vehicle.

She was taken to the Linden Hospital where she died

while receiving medical treatment.

The driver of the motor vehicle has been arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

SASOD tells President: ‘Put words into actions’ Against the backdrop of President David Granger expressing his support for freedom of choice for all Guyanese, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) is calling on him to put those words into actions by making legislative amendments.

In a statement issued earlier today, the organization commended the President’s stance, but noted that mere words are not enough to protect the rights of these individuals who form part of the LGBT community.

Just recently, Managing Director of SASOD, Joel Simpson had told the media that the organisation expects the eight-month old Government to bring

action to their rhetoric.

He further charged that they take legal and policy measures to prohibit discrimination by including sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited categories in the Prevention of Discrimination Act 1997 and the Guyana Constitution; repeal laws criminalising same-sex intimacy and cross-dressing; and end the discriminatory policy against gays and lesbians donating blood at the National Blood Transfusion Service.

In addition to the passive discriminatory treatment meted out to these individuals, Social Change Coordinator of SASOD, Jairo Rodrigues revealed today that SASOD receives reports of harassment and abuse,

sometimes perpetrated by state officers; reports on intimate partner violence and reports on how the media broadcasts real issues in communities such as suicide and murder.

“We have seen instances of neglect from families and teenagers being thrown out of their homes – we need laws to protect these persons, a judicial system that supports their rights and a society that is comfortable with their right to live and be treated just as fairly and equally as all others” Rodrigues said.

Further, he noted that over the years, SASOD has implemented community-based approaches and engaged stakeholders in support of human rights, but the organisation stay true to its aim of pressing

for legal action from the Government.

“In 2015 a promise was made to the LGBT Guyanese and SASOD is pressing for the President’s words to be action in the forms of legislative amendments presented to the National Assembly in 2016 by the relevant subject Ministers” he added.

On December 31, 2015, on his weekly televised programme “The Public Interest” President Granger had stated that he is prepared to respect the rights of any adult to indulge in any practice, which is not harmful to others.

He was also reported as saying that, “I would like to feel that there should be some element, first, of respecting the human rights of individuals, and second,

Joel Simpson

at the Governmental level, free choice; that persons should be able to express their views freely without necessarily sticking to a party line.”

And holding the Head of State to his word, which SASOD expects to manifest through actions, the body noted that it will strengthen the Civil Society movement further with collaboration with coalition partners of the Guyana Equality

Forum (GEF), which the organisation founded in 2011.

“SASOD is working with GEF partners to scale up the network’s Discrimination and Incident Reporting System to strengthen redress mechanism and documentation of issues relating to discrimination, inequality and human rights abuses in society” the statement said.

New York group accuses gov’t of racial discrimination -Nagamootoo greeted with protest in New York Guyana Solidarity Movement-New York (GSM-NY), in a strongly worded statement recently decried what it described as the “Granger Nagamootoo ethnic cleansing” following the dismissal of five employee of the Guyana Consulate in New York - all of whom are Indo-Guyanese.

According to the body, “We note the dismissals of some 2,000 Amerindians and hundreds of IndoGuyanese who were sent on leave and dismissed.

At the Guyana Consulate

in New York 100 per cent of the staff sent home are Indo-Guyanese. This seriously impacts the racial composition of the staff, which previously was the proportionate 50-50 balance of Indo-

and Afro-Guyanese.”

It further pointed out in the statement, the fact that Mr Khan, one of the dismissed persons, has more than 40 years of diplomatic service with the various Guyanese

Governments but was still dismissed while an Afro-Guyanese, Mr Evans who was also appointed under the PPP was retained.

This, the GSM-NY contends, is clearly an act of ethnic cleansing and reeks of racial discrimination which is now being implemented through demotion, recall, and nonrenewal of contracts.

“Senior officials were demoted and frustrated into resignation. Others had their annual contract not renewed. As such,

the GSM-NY urges that a bipartisan commission of enquiry be established comprising government and opposition forces to investigate and correct these racial, unproductive, and undemocratic policies

and practices” the statement added.

Meanwhile, in an unexpected turn of events, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo who is currently in New York to attend several meeting with US-based Guyanese and ignite the 50th Independence A n n i v e r s a r y celebrations, was greeted with protests by Guyanese who took several jabs at his credentials.

Granger calls Guyana Times article a ‘malicious falsehood’ Says ‘Prime Minister cannot be subordinate to any Minister’

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

President David Granger

The Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP) categorically states that the article appearing in the Guyana Times, headlined “Nagamootoo stripped of all ‘line responsibilities’ ...now reports to Min of Presidency Harmon” on January 17, 2016 is deliberately misleading, if not malicious.

MOTP also notes with great concern, the continued perpetuation of this misinformation by the Guyana Times in today’s edition of the newspaper in an article headlined “Nagamootoo’s shill insists PM was not “stripped”... President says otherwise.”

President Granger himself, in a brief comment, said that the publication of the article is a “malicious

falsehood” and added that the Prime Minister’s functions have actually been enhanced and he is First Vice-President in every respect and cannot be subordinate to any other minister.

Further, in the Official Gazette published on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, the Prime Minister’s portfolio was expanded to include these additional responsibilities: Government and Parliamentary B u s i n e s s , Constitutional Commissions, Constitutional Reform and Governance.

The Prime Minister also maintains responsibility for Public Information, making him responsible for the Guyana National Broadcasting

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Authority, the National Communications Network, Guyana National Newspapers Limited and the G o v e r n m e n t Information Agency.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon, in an invited comment, called the report in the Guyana Times “distasteful” and “almost libelous”.

He added that the newspaper has sunk to a new low with regard to journalism ethics and seems to have thrown truth out of the window. He said, “[It] says to me and to all of Guyana that they seem to be carrying out the agenda of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and that it seems as if this newspaper has actually replaced the Mirror as the official organ of the PPP.”

The Minister rejected the notion, posited by the Guyana Times that the Prime Minister reports to him, calling it wicked and malicious and called on all right-thinking Guyanese to rightly and roundly condemn the publishing of the article. “There is nowhere in the Constitution or in our arrangement where a Prime Minister can report to a Minister.

The Prime Minister is the First VicePresident. He is the Acting President when the President leaves this country and has always performed those roles with distinction and with credit.”

The Minister added that this appears to be an attempt to attack the Coalition, but the

body has never been stronger. He said that the PPP recognises the growing strength of the Coalition Government and this would explain the publishing of that article, which is bereft of truth.

“Every single day that we progress in Government, we are learning and as we go along we are actually getting much stronger.

We are more a solid group, a solid block... to bring six parties together in a Coalition and to get the type of unity or unison that we are having right now, I believe is a tremendous achievement.

We have actually brought people with diverse views [together] and we have now set a national programme, which all of the parties in the Coalition have actually bought into,” the State Minister said.

As with all Government decisions, the Minister noted that the change in Ministerial responsibility was done through a process of consultations as the members of the Coalition operate as a cohesive body. He said, “This was a result of extensive consultations between the President and the Prime Minister and then a wider level of consultations between the partners in the Coalition. The President does not get up one morning and says change this and change that.

These are all processes of consultation.”

The Prime Minister himself plays a significant role in overall Government decision making.

Minister Harmon said.

Celine Dion loses brother, two days after husband Daniel Dion, the brother of entertainer Celine Dion, died on Saturday after a battle with cancer, his family said. He was 59.

The eighth of 14 children born to Thérèse TanguayDion and Adhémar Dion, Daniel Dion spent his final days at Maison Adhémar-Dion, a palliative care center in Terrebonne, Quebec, a family statement said.

He leaves behind two adult daughters, two

grandchildren and an extended family of nieces and nephews.

His funeral will take place later this month at St-Simon-et-Jude in Quebec, where the Dion children were raised.

“Taking in consideration the reserved character of their deceased brother, the family wishes respect and discretion from the media,” the family said.

The news comes as Celine Dion prepares

for the funeral of her husband, René Angélil, who died on Thursday at age 73 after a long battle with throat cancer.

His sister, Claudette Dion, told the Journal de Montreal on Friday that her brother was suffering from a similar illness to Angélil’s. She said he was admitted to Maison Adhémar-Dion with cancer of the throat, tongue and brain. (CNN)

Katrina spotted with exboyfriend Salman Khan amid split rumours with Ranbir

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif was spotted with her former boyfriend Salman Khan on January 16 at Copa restaurant in Mumbai amid split rumours with Ranbir Kapoor.

The late night rendezvous, comes a day after reports of a split between Katrina and her

boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor.

Katrina came early before Salman and was seen stepping out of the venue before the Dabangg star.

Salman Khan came out of the restaurant after sometime when the Fitoor actress left early.

Recently, Katrina was seen dubbing for her upcoming film ‘Fitoor’

at a place where director Ali Abbas Zafar was shooting for Salman Khan’s upcoming film ‘Sultan’ where she denied meeting the superstar on the sets.

Even after breaking up her relationship with Salman, Katrina has been in good terms with Khan and his family.

Katrina is gearing up for her upcoming film ‘Fitoor’ releasing on February 12 and Salman is currently busy shooting for his wrestling based film ‘Sultan’ which is scheduled to release on Eid this year. (Yahoo)

The Oscars are so white that Spike Lee refuses to attend

As controversy continues to boil regarding the Oscars’ all-white acting nominees, Spike Lee has said he will not attend next month’s awards. The outspoken director posted a photo of Martin Luther King Jr. to Instagram on Monday morning, along with a lengthy caption condemning Hollywood executives with the “’green light’ vote” who do not bring minority-

centered stories to the big screen.

“The truth is we ain’t in those rooms and until minorities are, the Oscar nominees will remain lilly [sic] white,” Lee wrote, using capital letters to start each word.

This year’s ballot is the second consecutive set of Oscar nominees that feature no people of color. Some have argued there were no minorities worthy of nominations, another sign that studios haven’t green-lit enough diverse projects.

Yet it’s hard to argue that not a single person of color deserved a spot when the list looks like this: Idris Elba (“Beasts of No Nation”), Samuel L. Jackson (“The Hateful Eight”), Michael B. Jordan (“Creed”), Tessa Thompson (“Creed”), Mya Taylor (“Tangerine”), Benicio Del Toro (“Sicario”), Oscar Isaac (“Ex

Machina”) and Will Smith (“Concussion”).

Each saw significant Oscar buzz throughout awards season, yet came up short when the nominations were announced last week.

Lee’s movie, “Chi-Raq,” also yielded a worthy performance from Teyonah Parris.

Lee is a two-time Oscar nominee, having earned a Best Original Screenplay recognition for 1989’s “Do the Right Thing” and a Best Documentary Feature nod for 1997’s “4 Little Girls.” He was also awarded an honorary Oscar in November, using the opportunity to again address the industry’s diversity gap.

“It’s easier to be president of the United States as a black person than be head of a studio,” Lee said at the annual Governor Awards. “Honest.” (Huffington Post)

Zika arrives in the U.S.: Deformed baby born with virus in Hawaii Health officials say a baby born in a Hawaii hospital is the first in the United States born with Zika virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday it’s also the first infant born in the country with microcephaly (myeCROW’-sef-ahLEE’) associated

with Zika virus.

It’s a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected. Babies with the condition often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly.

The state Department of Health announced Friday that the baby was born recently in an Oahu hospital.

The mother likely had the mosquito-borne virus while living in Brazil and her newborn acquired the infection in the womb.

Neither the baby nor the mother is infectious. Officials say there’s no risk of transmission in Hawaii.

(Foxnewslatino)

You can rub an unused toothbrush along the

crevices of your device to remove particles of

debris, CNet Stay clean,

Your Phone is a bacteria breeding ground. Here’s How To Clean It. Maybe you’ve heard that your cell phone screen is dirtier than a toilet seat.

Maybe you’ve decided that ignorance is bliss.

The truth of the matter is that the screens on our devices often do contain more bacteria than the porcelain throne, according to at least a few studies. These germs can include dangerous, illness-inducing bacterial

strains like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

If you’re wondering what can be done to put a stop to the crappy situation, you should definitely quit the popular habit of bringing your phone to the bathroom.

But you might also take advice from the folks behind Whoosh, a cleaning product that popped up at

this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, who say you should wipe your screen with an alcoholfree antimicrobial spray and a soft cloth.

Disinfecting the device a few times a day this way can prevent the grossness from lingering and transferring to you. And don’t forget to remove the phone from its case every now and again:

advises. friends.

Is there actually anything you can do about dark circle under your eyes?

When we talk about skin-care issues, after acne, there is another common concern that also gives plenty of people grief: undereye circles. The market is saturated with creams and serums that are meant to dissolve darkness and de-puff bloated skin. But most of time, they under deliver on their promises. So is there anything you actually can do for those pesky undereye problems?

“Dark circles are really caused by three different

things,” says cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Robert Anolik. These are either pigmentation in the skin, thinning collagen, or hyper-vascularity around the eyes — meaning you’ve just got super-pronounced veins. “Puffiness is distinct from pigmentary issues,” he says. “It can be there because of allergies or it can be folding or the skin which leads to the bags.”

When it comes to pigmentary concerns, eye creams and gels aren’t going to do a whole lot of good. “Since the issues tend to be under the skin, topicals are fairly ineffective,” Dr. Anolik says. Instead, he recommends a series of laser treatments, depending on the cause of the pigmentation. For example, a Fraxel laser could be used to exfoliate an abundance of pigmentation, while a V-beam laser is necessary for vascularity, since it shrinks superficial capillaries.

But for puffiness? Home remedies can provide temporary relief, according to Dr. Anolik. While there’s some debate over whether or not it’s

entirely safe, Dr. Anolik suggests tapping a touch of Preparation-H under your eyes as an in-a-pinch solution. However, he is adamant that you keep the product away from your lashline and to exercise great care in applying, since introducing the formula into your eye can cause a lot of irritation.

“There are also products with caffeine in them that can offer relief, like Clinique’s All About Eyes Serum,” he says. Longer-term treatments include Botox injections to keep the muscles from contracting and creating folds.

Ultimately, the best thing you can do is to try and stop these issues from happening to begin with.

“Some of it is genetic, but in the long run, you want to prevent inflammation under the eye that comes from things like chronic sun exposure,” he says. “If you wear a sunscreen every morning and wear some kind of antioxidant serum at night, you can slow down the rate at which you develop the bags.” (Adapted from Yahoo)

Maduro gets rare blast of live TV criticism Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro first declared an economic emergency due to “catastrophic” inflation and growth figures and then endured the indignity of a nationally televised scolding from the head of a newly empowered opposition Congress.

Congress leader Henry Ramos wagged his finger inches from the president’s head in a state-of-the-nation rebuttal that was

broadcast live across the South American country Friday — unprecedented media access for an opponent of the country’s socialist revolution.

Neither Maduro nor his predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, had ever contended with a hostile audience for a speech to Congress, but foes of the administration took control of the institution last week for the first time in 17 years, carried to victory on a wave

defended an emergency declaration giving him 60 days to unilaterally enact sweeping decrees.

He devoted most of his three-hour speech to what he called a “monstrous attack” on the economy by business owners and other foes of the leftist government, blaming them for most of the inflation and shortages.

Ramos took a professorial tone in rebuttal, saying that Maduro and Chavez themselves are

responsible for the crisis.

“If you don’t want to hear this, close your ears or leave,” he warned as Maduro sipped from a coffee cup and checked his watch in the next chair.

The sight of an opposition leader lecturing the president on a live television feed all networks were required to carry shocked even

ardent supporters of the sharp-tonged new congressional leader.

Maduro rarely exposes himself to questions from independent reporters, much less questioning from political opponents. And few broadcast networks carry opposition events.

(Adapted from Yahoo)

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley appear to be obsessed with sticking their noses in people’s kitchens, a place where they clearly have no business.

Says Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar .

She was responding to Deyalsingh urging the population to consume less salt as there were unhealthy repercussions regarding too much salt intake. He said the required salt intake for an adult

“When the Congress Party encouraged everyone to make salt and defy the British; Mahatma Gandhi himself staged the famous ‘salt march’ and made salt from the Indian Ocean.

Unfortunately, the Minister of Health misunderstood the Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar symbolism and chose instead to take issue was five grammes. which she described as with salt in our diet,” His statements came one of those essential Persad-Bissessar said. days after Persad- ingredients in people’s “What is worse, Bissessar raised diet. The former PM is that the Rowley concerns about the also noted that salt Government is reintroduction of Value had become important taking this position Added Tax (VAT) as it was a symbol in order to justify the on several basic food of the Indian revolt reintroduction of VAT items including salt against British rule. on basic food items that

were zero rated during my administration.

Our rationale for doing it was to make food for the less fortunate in our society more affordable,” PersadBissessar said.

She also accused the Government of “squeezing every penny from the poor” and trying to justify their actions by “preaching” about health issues.

“If Mr Deyalsingh and Dr Rowley are so concerned about the health of citizens that they are taxing salt to discourage its use perhaps they should look at the

various fast food out l e t s — i n c lu d i n g those doing business in our hospitals— where every item is a threat to healthy lifestyles,” PersadBissessar added.

Reiterating her position and that of the UNC that the VAT increase was unfair as it targeted the poor, the Opposition Government to revisit the list of items subject to a 12.5 per cent increase come February 1.

(Adapted from the Trinidad Guardian)

of economic turmoil.

The government’s Central Bank, which had kept key economic indicators to itself for more than a year, dumped a batch of new bad news earlier in the day.

It said the country’s economy contracted by 7.1 percent during the quarter that ended in September 2015, and inflation reached 141.5 percent.

Maduro described the numbers as “catastrophic” as he

President Nicolas Maduro

Government squeezing every penny from poor people - Kamla

Man dies in crash driving pregnant wife to hospital Jill Schmucker was knocked unconscious and broke her back in the crash. She gave birth to a boy at the hospital after undergoing an emergency C-section, the paper reported. She is expected to recover.

The couple’s two children were also in the vehicle and survived the crash. The

oldest, Ryder, called 911 after the crash, Tony Schmucker’s brother wrote on a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the family.

“Tony would be so proud of Ryder as he was able to call 911 with both of his parents unconscious in the front of the car,” Aaron Schmucker

wrote. “I truly believe without his actions Jill and Leedan would not be here today.”

The family was freed from the SUV by rescuers from Poudre Fire Authority, the paper said. (Fox News)

A man died in a car pregnant wife to the crash in Colorado last hospital to give birth week while driving his to their third child.

Tony Schmucker is believed to have suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel of his black Nissan Pathfinder, the Coloradoan reported Sunday. The vehicle careened of the road and down and embankment around 1:40 a.m. Wednesday near Fort Collins.

Four out of ten young people believe machines will be able to do their jobs within a decade, an international survey published on Monday has found.

Nearly half of young workers surveyed in Western countries said their education did not prepare them to do their jobs.

The skills gap is especially pronounced in Europe, according to a poll of 9,000 16- to 25-yearolds in nine of the world’s biggest nations commissioned by Indian

business and software services firm Infosys.

Almost 80 percent globally said they had to learn new skills not taught them in school and that rapid technology change - the threat of being overtaken by robots or smart systems - required constant learning of fresh skills to compensate.

The study surveyed around 1,000 young people each in Australia, Brazil, Britain, China, France, Germany, India and the United States, as well as South Africa,

where a smaller sample of 700 was polled.

Infosys Chief Executive Vishal Sikka said technologies have evolved far faster than what was thought possible even 10 years ago, while the educational system remains wedded to practices initially designed for agrarian societies 300 years ago.

“We must transition away from our past; shift the focus from learning what we already know to an education focused on exploring what hasn’t

happened yet,” he said in response to the findings.

Globally, while almost two-thirds of those queried said they felt positive about their job prospects, those in developing markets Brazil, China, India and South Africa were far more optimistic than their peers in developed markets.

While in India, 60 percent said they think they have the skills needed for their careers, just a quarter were similarly optimistic in France, the poll found.

The survey also showed that the level of confidence which young people had in their technical skills correlated with their

beliefs in their future career prospects.

The survey was conducted by London-based ICM Unlimited.

(MSN)

The Brazilian gove r n me nt announced it will direct funds to a biomedical research center to help develop a vaccine against a virus linked to brain damage in babies.

Health Minister Marcelo Castro said Friday that the goal is for the Sao Paulobased Butantan Institute to develop “in record time” a vaccine for Zika, which is spread through mosquito bites.

Institute director Jorge Kalil

said that is expected take 3 to 5 years.

Brazil is currently experiencing the largest known outbreak of Zika.

The virus has been linked to a recent surge in birth defects including microcephaly, a rare condition in which newborns have smaller than normal heads and their brains do not develop properly.

The Health Ministry says 3,530 babies have been born with microcephaly in

Many young people fear losing their jobs to robots, survey finds

Brazil announces funding for development of Zika virus vaccine

the country since October. Fewer than 150 such cases were seen in all of 2014.

Most have been concentrated in Brazil’s poor

northeast, though cases in Rio de Janeiro and other big cities have also been on the rise, prompting people to stock up on mosquito repellent.

Some women of means have left the country to spend their pregnancies in the United States or Europe to avoid infection.

The Zika virus is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can also carry dengue and chikungunya.

“Today there is only one way to fight the Zika virus, which is to destroy the mosquito’s breeding grounds,” Castro said.

“The final victory against the virus will only come when we develop a vaccine against that disease.”

(Foxnewslatino)

Super-rich: 62 people own as much as half the world The world’s richest 62 people now own as much wealth as half of the world’s population, according to a report by the charity Oxfam.

Super-rich individuals saw an increase of 44 percent since 2010, taking their cumulative wealth to $1.76 trillion - equivalent to the total owned by 3.5 billion of the world’s poorest people.

The UK-based charity on Monday also said tax havens were helping corporations

and individuals to stash away about $7.6 trillion, depriving governments of $190bn in tax revenue every year.

Oxfam Australia’s Chief Executive Helen Szoke said there were no appropriate mechanisms to check if wealth was being shared appropriately.

“We believe there is a need for commitments from global business leaders and political leaders for major tax reform to get rid of the

tax havens,” Szoke said.

Referring to economic growth in Western countries, such as her native Australia, Szoke said little wealth was reaching the impoverished.

“The startling figure in our domestic context in Australia is that where there has been wealth generation in the past decade, none of that has actually trickled down to some of the Australians who are poor.”

Oxfam said wealth was

being concentrated in the hands of increasingly fewer people, while the world’s poorest continued to get poorer. In 2010, 388 people owned as much as the world’s poorest 50 percent.

Mark Goldring, Oxfam chief executive in the United Kingdom, said the stated concern of world leaders over escalating inequality was not being matched with action.

“It is simply unacceptable that the poorest half of the world population

owns no more than a small group of the global super-rich, so few you could fit them all on a single coach. In a world where one-in-nine people go to bed hungry every night, we cannot

afford to carry on giving the richest an everbigger slice of the cake,” Goldring said. (Adapted from Al Jazeera)

home minister Mir Shoaib Nowsherwani.

“We will challenge this judgement,” Sohail Rajput, lawyer for Jamil Bugti, told CNN. However, Sherpao expressed satisfaction over the judgment.

Musharraf -- who became president after a bloodless coup in 1999 -- went into self-

imposed exile in 2008 in London and later Dubai after standing down as president a year earlier. He returned to Pakistan in 2013 with the aim of running in the country’s national elections. But his plans unraveled as he became entangled in a web of court cases relating to his time in power.

Upon return to Pakistan, Musharraf faced charges of high treason over his role in imposing emergency rule in 2007, not doing enough to protect the life of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the killing of Bugti.

(CNN)

place in the area of Baghalijeh near the northern tip of the city The ISIS-affiliated Aamaq news agency had reported a

large-scale multipronged attack on Deir el-Zour that began with a suicide bombing. Opposition activists said Russian

warplanes were carrying out intensive airstrikes in support of government forces in the area. (Fox News)

Former Pakistani president acquitted of murder Pervez

Musharraf

Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf and two other former officials have been acquitted by an anti-terrorism court in the killing of a Baloch

nationalist leader.

Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, a popular tribal leader in the volatile province of Balochistan, was killed by security forces in Balochistan’s

Kohlu district in 2006.

Bugti’s son, Jamil Bugti, accused the former military ruler of murder.

“No evidence could be established against the accused,” Judge Muhammad Gohar said, referring to Musharraf as well as former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao and former provincial

Islamic State militants killed 300 people in an “appalling massacre” in eastern Syria, the government said on Sunday.

The state-run SANA news agency said that most of those killed in day-long attacks on Deir el-Zour Saturday were elderly people, women and children.

The killings are some of the worst carried out by the extremist group, which controls a large portion of Syria and Iraq.

The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, a British-based

group which monitors the violence on all sides of the Syrian conflict, confirmed the killings. Activists for the group said at least 135 were killed in the assault, at least 80 of them were soldiers and pro-government militiamen and the rest were civilians.

The group said that most of them were either shot dead or beheaded. The Lebanon-based AlMayadeen TV said ISIS took at least 400 civilians hostage.

A Syrian source told Reuters the terror

group “committed a massacre among the civilians.” He said the pro-government army killed a large number of militants. “They sent six suicide bombers first and they tried to break into military positions but failed,” the source told Reuters.

ISIS controls most of the province and provincial capital with the same name, while the Syrian government controls a few neighborhoods in the northern part of the city and the adjacent military airport. Most of the casualties took

At least 300 killed in Islamic State ‘massacre’ in Syrian city

Match-fixing claims rock tennis world as Australian Open gets underway

The world of professional tennis was rocked by a major gambling scandal Monday after a leaked report named dozens of players suspected of rigging matches in exchange for cash.

The contents of the report prepared by

investigators working for the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which dated from 2008, was first reported on by the BBC and Buzzfeed.

Among other notable claims, it alleged that three possible fixed matches took place

at Wimbledon, the most prestigious tournament in tennis.

The report also alleges that 16 players ranked in the Top 50 over the past 10 years, including some who have won Grand Slam doubles titles, have been repeatedly reported

to tennis authorities for taking part in suspicious matches, with no action being taken by the ATP. At a press conference Monday, ATP President Chris Kermode denied that officials had sought to cover up suspected

improprieties.

“I think it’s always disappointing when stories come out like this just before a big event,” Kermode said.

“But we are so confident there’s nothing in the sport that has been suppressed.”

The BBC reported that eight of the 16 suspected repeat offenders were scheduled to take part in the Australian Open, the first of tennis’ four majors, which got underway Monday in Melbourne.

The names of the suspected players have not been revealed by the BBC and Buzzfeed, who said it was impossible to fully determine whether the players had taken part in match-fixing

without access to phone, computer or bank records.

In all, investigators named 28 players as having taken part in suspect matches.

However, one of the investigators, Mark Phillips, told the BBC, “There was a core of about 10 players that we believed were the most common perpetrators, that were at the root of the problem really.”

The investigators also discovered that members of three gambling syndicates, based in Russia, Sicily and northern Italy, had bet large amounts of money on dozens of matches. (Adapted from Fox News)

Dhoni brushes off leadership criticism MS Dhoni light-heartedly dismissed questions over his leadership after India were consigned to defeat in their one-day international series against Australia on Sunday.

The scrutiny upon India’s ODI captain is likely to intensify after the three-wicket loss to Australia in Melbourne put the five-match series out of their reach, with the hosts taking an unassailable 3-0 lead. India have won only one of their last four series in the 50-over game.

Despite the string of poor results, Dhoni jokingly suggested a review of his captaincy could only be done through legal proceedings with a public interest litigation (PIL).

“There will be a conflict of interest if I start reviewing my performance. We would have to put a PIL to judge my performance as the skipper,” Dhoni said.

On a more serious note, the captain highlighted inexperience in India’s bowling attack as something that needed to be addressed going forward.

“It is not about the leader. I am captain at the moment and somebody else will come later.

It is more important to see the areas we are lacking, the departments which have to improve when it comes to shorter formats,” he added.

Defeat at the MCG came despite an impressive 117 off 117 balls from Virat Kohli, and Dhoni said India’s Test captain is key to their future in the short form of the sport.

“He [Kohli] has consistently performed and improved his performance. He is the best amongst the Indian batsmen, along with Rohit [Sharma] in the shorter format,” Dhoni explained.

“The way he paced his innings, it was slightly different to the first two games. But he reads the game really well, which I think, is very important in the middle overs.

“Virat is somebody that we’ll have to look up to in the future, because he’s somebody who will take the team forward for a long time.” (Adapted from Yahoo)

Monday January 18, 2016

Christopher Franklin shines in Table Tennis seniors

The various winners of the GTTA Senior National Championships

Christopher Franklin ended a five year hiatus from Table Tennis with a return to glory and the top spot in the open male division of the Guyana Table Tennis Association’s Senior National Championships, held last weekend at the National Gymnasium.

He returned in fine form to finish atop the men’s rankings in the round robin finals, demoting Nigel Bryan to second and Edinho Lewis to third.

Speaking after the win, he said, “I played reasonably well tonight (Sunday). I came Today with a clear game plan, I

know that I didn’t have fitness, I haven’t been training a lot; I only put in a week training for this tournament so I came and just stuck to keeping the game simple and to win as much points as possible.”

Meanwhile the C class action featured Tyriq Saunders

The Annual General Meeting of the Guyana Hockey Board will be held on January 30 at the Georgetown Cricket Club Pavilion beginning at 14:00hrs.

High on the agenda will be the election of office bearers for the years 2016/2017.

The president’s and

Secretary’s reports will be presented as well as the report of the Auditor. There will also be the election of Auditors.

The board’s incumbent executives are; Philip Feranandes (President); Ivor Thompson and Rawle Davson (Vice-

Presidents); Tricia Fiedtkou (Secretary); Devin Hooper (Treasurer) and Jonelle Webster (Asst.

Secretary/Treasurer).

The committee members are; Gail Harding and Brian Asregado.

losing out Nicholus Romain with the later returning a three game to nothing win.

Saunders finished second while Shavin Greene copped the third spot after beating off Kaysan Ninvalle.

The B Class also saw Romain taking the top honours, this time ahead of

Kevon Corbin and Kyle Edghill who finished second and third respectively.

At the U 21 level, Shemar Britton was made to work for his title after he was taken to the limit by Egehill four games to one.

On the female end of things, Chelsea Edgehill took both the women’s u 21 and open division.

Selenas Jackman and Aneka Phillips finished second and third in the U-21 class while in the women’s singles, Natalie Cummings and Jody-Ann Blake were the other two podium finishers in the open division.

In closing off the tournament, president of the

Guyana Table Tennis Association Godfrey Munroe contended that the body had run off a successful event after its four year hiatus, adding that “the year seems bright for the sport.”

Also president was NSC Commissioner Nigel Hinds, himself a junior tennis player in the earlies reminded the champions to continue to train hard and push for excellence.

The GTTA was also the beneficiary of some equipment from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) inclusive of balls, racquets, and tables.

Hockey Board AGM slated for January 30