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ARCHIVES FOR July 09, 2009

TCL GUYANA INC. offers cement at discount price
- TGI provides support for builders at difficult time
TCL Guyana Inc. (TGI) yesterday announced a 5% discount on cement leaving the plant as of this month. The discount in the TGI cement price comes as the rainy season draws to a close, and construction projects are about to intensify, a press release from TCI said yesterday.

TGI Plant Manager Mark Bender said, “These are difficult economic times all over the word, and it is important that we continue to stimulate development. The TGI price discount will help to stimulate activity as we approach the busiest construction period in the year in Guyana.”

TGI has significant stockpiles of cement in the plant in Georgetown with its silos filled almost to capacity and the warehouse holding significant stocks of bagged cement. The TGI plant is able to produce in excess of 20,000 tonnes of cement each month, which is more that the current monthly demand in Guyana.

The price discount is being applied across the board so that at every level of construction activity, domestic, commercial, and public works, there would be benefits to be gained from using TGI cement.

Mark Bender reiterated that TGI Cement delivers quality and experience in every bag and should be the preferred product demanded in Guyana, “whether you are building a wall, a fence, a bridge, a home or a school.”

The announcement from TGI comes a day after another company in the TCL Group, Caribbean Cement Company in Jamaica, announced a discount in cement prices there in a clearance sale. Caribbean Cement’s Marketing Manager, Alice Hyde, said that the sale is part of the company’s “commitment to sharing the benefits of increased efficiencies of a more modern plant with its customers.”

Caribbean Cement will commission a new cement mill this week that will increase milling capacity to 1.9 million tonnes per annum. Caribbean Cement exported more than 38,000 tonnes of cement this year with some of those exports coming to Guyana.

TCL Guyana Inc. is a cement bagging facility which allows for bulk cement manufactured within the TCL Group to be shipped in specialised bulk carriers to the terminal where it is packaged for distribution throughout Guyana.

The TGI cement terminal began operations here in December 2006, and was formally commissioned in June 2007. TGI features three silos, each with a storage capacity of 2,000 tonnes, and a warehouse with a storage capacity also of 2,000 tonnes, giving a total stored inventory capacity of 8,000 tonnes. The terminal is supplied with bulk cement from the group’s plants in Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica.

TGI is totally managed and staffed by Guyanese. Its operations directly and tangibly benefit the Guyanese people and economy with the creation of jobs, transfer of technology, net savings on foreign exchange outflow, provision of a reliable cement supply to facilitate infrastructural developments, the potential for more competitive cement pricing, and the potential for downstream investments.

The Terminal is located within the Industrial Estate retained by the Guyana National Industrial Company Inc. (GNIC) on Lombard Street in Charlestown, Georgetown.

Court told…
Teen drugged parents to effect abduction scam
- ‘Canal girl’ placed ‘sleeping tablets’ in roti, curry and tea so that she can go to the ‘Radika’ show
By Telesha Vidya Persaud
A 19-YEAR-OLD who allegedly participated in a scam to have her parents drugged so that an abduction could have been effected, appeared in Court yesterday.

Amanda Rampersaud, of Lot 28 Geneva, Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara, was charged jointly with her cousin, Indranie Devi Shamlall, who did not appear because Police were unable to find her.

It is alleged that between May 2 and 3 last, at their home, they deliberately and unlawfully caused Naresh and Salima Rampersaud to be affected by an overpowering drug, sleeping tablets, put in their food to facilitate the commission of the indictable offence.

Rampersaud pleaded not guilty and was remanded to prison overnight, to make her next appearance today, at Wales Court also on the West Bank Demerara, to where the case has been transferred.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Denise Griffith said Rampersaud placed the tablets in roti, curry and tea of which her parents partook.

Griffith said the aim of the drugging was also to allow Rampersaud and her co-defendant to attend the ‘Radika’ show in Georgetown recently.

The Prosecutor said her parents would, usually, not permit Rampersaud to leave the house and she had plotted to let two men she knew abduct them and demand money for their release.

However, for some reason Rampersaud decided not to execute the plan and told the men she would get money from a bank and give them.

The Prosecutor said, since then, Shamlall cannot be located.

The magistrate warned Rampersaud that the crime is punishable by life imprisonment for a convict.

President, Prime Minister meet Caribbean Airlines officials
- to discuss airfare structure, customer service
President Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds met with officials from Caribbean Airlines at State House yesterday to discuss the airline’s airfare structure and its customer service.

President Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds hold discussions on international airfares and customer service with officials from Caribbean Airlines at State House

At a post-Cabinet briefing late last month, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon had said that Cabinet was unhappy with the cost of international air travel from Guyana, and the Administration would be meeting with the airline carriers to express its concerns.

“It was pointed out at Cabinet that Caribbean Airlines would have grave difficulties in explaining how the cost of an airfare from Trinidad to JFK in New York could compare so unfavourably with the airfare from Georgetown to New York or even Georgetown to Trinidad,” Dr Luncheon stated.

The group of Caribbean Airlines officials at the meeting with the President yesterday included Philip Saunders, Chief Executive Officer, Professor Jean-Frédéric Mognetti, Strategic Adviser to the Board of Directors and the CEO; Robert Corbie, Commercial Vice President; Dayanand Birju, Director, Network and Revenue Management; and Carlton De Four, the Guyana General Manager.

After the meeting, Prime Minister Hinds explained that it went well, with the Caribbean Airlines officials explaining that they have a flexible price structure, with a range of prices from which customers can choose, depending on the services they require.

“They hope to get back to a situation where international flights to Guyana cost maybe only US$60 more than the same flight to Trinidad,” the Prime Minister stated.

This means that a flight from, for example, New York to Guyana would only cost US$60 more than a flight from New York to Trinidad.

Caribbean Airline CEO Saunders explained that his company is extremely committed to Guyana.

“We work very hard to provide, I think, an excellent service and very good value for money; and I think today’s meeting has helped us build further on that platform,” he said.

He also stated that the President and Prime Minister had raised the issue of the service provided Guyanese travelling on to New York and other destinations, at Piarco International Airport in Trinidad, and explained, “that’s something we’ll act on and (see) how we can continue to enhance our in-flight service”.

Octogenarian traumatised following sexual assault
By Shirley Thomas
Following the sexual assault committed on an elderly woman, at her dormitory at the Holy Family Senior Citizens’ Home, Vlissengen Road, on Tuesday, the victim is still traumatised, and now suffering memory loss, sources yesterday said.

The building in which the elderly woman was found sexually violated.

Meanwhile, police are still looking for clues, but have so far made no breakthroughs, this newspaper understands.

The octogenarian, who has been living at the home for the last ten years, appeared to have been sexually violated early Tuesday morning, and was left bleeding on her bed after the intruder escaped.

The discovery was made around 7:30 hrs, after a garbage collector who had gone to the home to empty garbage bins got no response to several calls he had made at the door. Fearing her to be dead in the house, the sanitation worker alerted the clients at another building in the yard.

On opening up the building and entering her room, the woman’s colleagues found her prostrate on her bed and bleeding. They quickly alerted one of the members of the Committee of Management, whom they said immediately contacted the police who accompanied him to the scene of the crime.

An ambulance was summoned and the victim rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she remains warded. Meanwhile, other clients at the home remain baffled as to how the man entered the building since there were no signs of forced entry, and the windows are all grilled with steel bars. Some persons surmised he may have entered unnoticed when the victim went outside to hang clothes in the yard as she normally did.

Meanwhile, the women have expressed disgust and outrage at a report appearing in another section of the media, misquoting them as saying that

they were “angered by the fact that having reported the incident since mid-morning, the police, up to 16:30 hrs. yesterday [Tuesday], had failed to visit the scene.”

Reiterating that the report is grossly inaccurate and a distortion of the facts, the women said that the police responded promptly. Within minutes of receiving the report they had visited the scene, in the company of the management official, and by midday had made a second visit to the home.

The women are calling for a retraction of the statement.

At Berbice Assizes…
Sexagenarian on trial for carnally knowing girl, 10
By Jeune Bailey Van Keric
THE trial of a 65-year-old man, accused of carnally knowing a girl, 10, got underway Tuesday before Justice Winston Patterson and a mixed jury at the Berbice Assizes.

Harold Captain nicknamed ‘Boy Boy’, of Brighton, Corentyne, is indicted for having carnal knowledge of the under 12 years old on October 5, 2004.

The virtual complainant, now 15, recalled that on the instruction of her grandmother that day, she left her home in search of black sage (a shrub used for medicinal purposes) and, on her way, she was stopped by a woman she knows as ‘Aunty Herma’, who sent her to the home of the accused, which she had visited regularly to look at television programmes, particularly cartoons.

The witness said she was standing on his stairs when the sexagenarian pulled her right hand, forcing her into the house.

She remembered that he took her to his bedroom where he undressed himself, before raising her red dress and pulling off her underwear.

Shedding tears as she related the ordeal, the teenager, now attending school in Georgetown, recalled that, after he placed her on a bed, face down, the accused whom she called ‘Uncle Boy Boy’, spat on both his hands and put the saliva on her vagina, prior to inserting his penis there.

The girl said he withdrew his penis and inserted it again and she felt pain and “buckled up” while he had his hand over her mouth, preventing her from making noise.

The victim, who has a speech impediment, said, supporting herself on the rail of the bed, she turned over and faced the accused. Then she saw blood flowing from her vagina.

She said the accused took the jersey he was wearing and wiped off the blood, then left the bedroom and returned with coconut oil in a bottle.

The witness said the accused poured some of the oil in his hands and then on her vagina. After, he replaced her underwear and gave her $1,000, to be divided equally between herself and a cousin.

The teen said, as she was leaving the home of the accused, a girl named Rachel was passing through the yard and he put his fingers to his lips, telling the latter not to say anything.

However, he told the victim to tell Aunty Herma he would give her the chicken feed on his return from work that afternoon.

The girl said she went home and had a bath but did not reveal what happened earlier to her grandmother.

She explained: “I was afraid of Uncle Boy Boy, because he had threatened me. I put on my clothes and went to school. I showed the money to a classmate and she informed my class teacher.

“I, initially, told my teacher that I had found the money on the road but, later, I told her Uncle Boy Boy gave it to me and, thereafter, related the entire incident, in the presence of the Headteacher and, subsequently, to my father, who was summoned to the school.”

Still being led through evidence-in-chief by State Prosecutor Fabayo Azore, the witness said she was accompanied to Number 51 Police Station, where a complaint was made.

Subsequently, she was taken to Skeldon, Corentyne where she was examined by a female doctor who issued a certificate.

Defence Counsel Rodwell Jugmohan was expected to cross-examine the witness at the continuation yesterday.

Freed “Blondie” sues AG for $200M damages
ASHANTI Schultz called “Blondie” who was recently freed of murder which it was proved that she did not commit, has sued the Attorney General (representing the State) for $200M damages for malicious prosecution.

“Blondie” who at her trial, Judge William Ramlal directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict in her favour after he had found her not

,guilty on a no-case submission by Defence Counsel, Nigel Hughes, had also been claiming in her writ exemplary damages.

She was claiming too, damages in excess of $50, 000.00 for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment of the plaintiff from 6th September, 2007 until July 2, 2009,

She is also claiming interest; Costs; and such further Order as the Honourable Court may seem just.

This writ was taken out by Attorney-at-law Mr. Nigel Hughes of the law firm of Hughes, Fields & Stoby.

“Blondie” said to have borne a child for the ‘famous’ Roger Khan was indicted for the unlawful killing of Kenrick Nero outside of Palm Court building, Main Street, Georgetown, on September 16, 2007.

At the jury trial, her counsel had argued successfully that the Police had at the Preliminary Inquiry, shelved evidence that related to the alleged killer and ducked evidence which showed that 4 witnesses had pointed to another women as the person who shot Nero that night.

Sensationalising the News

There is truth, and then there is truth. One truth is the façade that can be re-designed into various configurations until it no longer resembles the original structure; while the other truth is the bedrock of factual representation of the actual.

The Auditor General’s Report never fails to send certain media houses into a frenzy of skewed reporting that almost borders on the criminal, without any attempt at verification or data analysis.

However, the latter presents its own dangers, because rational analysis needs a certain quality of intellectual and moral character, and when the intent is to bedazzle a gullible public into perceiving green is blue, and vice versa, then the analysis is obviously and justifiably suspect.

Recently, the Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh, a brilliant technocrat committed to executing his mandate in a committed and transparent manner, saw the need to pronounce on the misrepresentations based on the AG’s report in certain sections of the press.

Subsequently Education Minister Shaikh Baksh also had to address the issue, whereby the opposition media had reported on several matters without any attempt to contact Education Ministry officials for verification or an explanation of the facts.

And the facts absolve the Ministry of any complicity in wrongdoing, but the media houses in question had no intention of pursuing their profession in a fair and balanced manner. Instead their intent and agenda was clearly to cast aspersions on this Government, hence their prejudicial approach to reporting on matters relevant to implementation of Government’s policies and programmes.

One of the matters was rolled over – year after year, from the time of a previous administration in Government, and it involved supplementary funding for a project executed by the Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) to build the dormitory at the President’s College, and it is a flaw in the AG’s Report that remains uncorrected year after year, despite the Ministry’s persistent requests to the AG’s office to rectify this mistake and not to list this money under the Ministry of Education.

Minister Baksh said that the relevant agency is addressing the matter and the defaulting contractor is currently before the court.

Where much of the dishonesty of the media houses in question lie is primarily in three areas:

l) They never attempt to investigate the real facts before reporting;

2) They are the prime defenders of those being prosecuted for wrongdoing in public offices because they perceive them as being opposition supporters; and even in general (remember Blackie?) unless it is someone they perceive as being supportive of the current Government.

3) While attempting to embarrass the Government of the day they fail to inform the public that many of these crimes were committed in earlier years during PNC administration, and that they keep rolling over and are reflected in the AG’s reports through the years because there are no records to trace the discrepancies and missing monies, much of which had to be written off by the Public Accounts Committee, which, by the way, is chaired by a member of the PNC.

The opposition media does an injustice to the honest and hardworking persons in Government offices, most of whom shun divides of race, religion, and politics in order to get the job done.

In effect, when they misreport and misrepresent facts, and create fictional and fictitious news, they are not only hurting the image of the PPP Government, which is intentional; but they are also maligning the employees of the State, which constitutes a major part of Guyana’s workforce.

These are men and women engaged, most often unremittingly and with great commitment, in many instances working beyond the call of duty for little reward, to serve the needs of their fellow Guyanese.

They do so without political motivation, while being aware that the monetary rewards would be scant, but they do so because they believe that they are helping to enhance the lives, and the quality of lives of Guyanese through the developmental initiatives their respective ministry is engaged in, and this for them is the greatest reward.

Distorting the facts demoralises Guyana’s Public Service employees en masse, diminishes the contributions to national development of these hard-working Guyanese, and criminalises an entire workforce.

Sensationalising the news in a speculative manner and skewing it in directions conducive to destructive propensities has precipitated genocide in some countries, and has often caused mayhem in the lives of private and public personalities, as in the case of recently-deceased superstar, Michael Jackson.

In our own Guyana, much turmoil and strife has been caused by some media houses intent on causing public mischief, ever since the days when the freedom fighters of the nation initiated the fight against colonialism, when the colonials owned the only newspapers in the country, until the PPP began publishing “The PAC Bulletin”, which subsequently evolved into the “Thunder” and “The Weekend Mirror”.

There is no country in the world, no matter how democratic, that would sanction public mischief by media houses without punitive measures being enforced, and Guyana is no exception.

However, except for rare instances, opposition media houses are largely allowed absolute latitude, and this has probably engendered a complacency that the news need not be truthful – as in factual, but could be engineered to suit requirements that would guarantee newspaper sales and generate advertising revenue.

Gone too Soon
By Keith Burrowes
As I, Turn Up The Collar On
My Favorite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See Their Needs…

I WOULD like to apologise first of all, for the very personal tone of this week’s column. I started ‘Critical Perspectives’ as a vehicle for objective analysis of various issues, whether they have had a personal impact, or whether those issues simply affect the wider society. I beg your indulgence this week to write on something that has impacted me personally, as, indeed, it has at least millions of others around the world: The death, or rather, the life of Michael Jackson.

There are three songs that I could list as having had some profound influence on my life. One is Barry Mannilow’s ‘I made it through the rain’; another is Stevie Wonder’s ‘Place in the Sun’. The third is, of course, the song quoted above; none other than Michael Jackson’s ‘Man in the Mirror’.

I remember the first time I heard this song was while watching his 1988 Grammy Awards performance. Few events have touched me so personally and profoundly as that did; so much so that I was one of the founding members of what I believe is the first (and probably the only) Michael Jackson fan club in Guyana. For me, what was a testament to the sort of influence he had on us, was that we didn’t just become a fan of his music; we were inspired by it to contribute in whatever small way we could to what that music was exhorting the world to do. That is: Try to make a change.

At its peak, the Michael Jackson Fan Club that I was a part of had some 72 members, and its primary work wasn’t the idolisation of Jackson’s dress or singing his songs. We organised and fundraised what we could to give to those in need, like the children of Joshua’s Home for example. For us, this was the best way to pay tribute to the man who did not need to donate so much of his wealth to charity, but did anyway.

If anyone needed any convincing of the sheer ‘goodness’ of Jackson’s soul, I’d advise them to just listen to the words of his song, ‘Heal the World’, written by he himself; the simple yet powerful poetry in its message urging all of us to “Heal the world, make it a better place/for you and for me and the entire human race.” For so many entertainers, it is often clear that the shift to a charity or human rights theme in their message is just a publicity stunt, or a last-resort gimmick to resuscitate a dying career. With Michael, this concern for humanity was expressed at the height of his career and continued throughout, beginning from his co-writing (with Lionel Richie) of the hit single, ‘We are the World’ in 1985 (which raised millions of dollars for famine victims in Africa, as well as invaluable awareness) right through his establishment of the ‘Heal the World Foundation’ and beyond.

Contrast the tremendous good that Jackson did, with the ridicule and outright public torture he had to endure in the final decade and a half of his life, and the picture emerges of one who was wronged on an almost Messianic scale. Like many Michael Jackson fans, I might easily be accused of a willingness to gloss over the biggest stain against his otherwise stellar career and life: The accusations of child molestation. For those convinced of his guilt, all I can say that in a country that is rightfully rabid when it comes to adults sexually preying on children, Michael had his vindication via the American justice system, if not beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of public opinion. With regards to the other source of public ridicule, his ever-changing appearance, all that I think can be said is that it was a circus of hypocrisy in a country that prides itself on individualism, and has made a virtual science of the manufacture of artificial public images on a grand scale.

It must have taken a tremendous amount of personal strength to withstand the level of public scrutiny and ridicule that Michael Jackson was subjected to year after year, an easy target for tabloid fodder. In the aftermath of his passing, an increasing amount of evidence is emerging concerning his alleged abuse of sedatives and, possibly, other medication.

One of the most touching new stories I have seen in the past week is one in which a nurse said that Michael expressed the wish that he only be allowed a little sleep. Few of us can imagine being so deprived of sleep, for whatever reason, that we would literally torture ourselves for some. Yet, Michael’s insomnia was such that it is alleged he was willing to take the powerful drug, Propofol, the intravenous application of which was so painful in itself that it had to be taken with a painkiller. While I don’t condone the abuse of drugs to deal with one’s personal problems, I can understand his need to do just that.

The tragedy of Michael Jackson’s life is that despite his ability to make people happy with his music -- his talent of sending his fans into euphoria just by his appearance -- he was unhappy himself. That said, we are only able to define that tragedy in contrast to the enormous triumphs of his life -- in terms of sheer achievement, history may only have room for one Michael Jackson. In closing, I would like to leave you with some words from one of the less popular songs by Michael, yet one I think exemplifies the way he lived his life more than any other: ‘Keep the Faith’.

Go for what you want

Don't let them get in your way

You can be a winner if you keep the faith.

There is no doubt in my mind that despite his trials, Michael Jackson kept his faith, and in so doing, lived and died a winner.

PERSPECTIVES ON THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS
By Hydar Ally
The monetisation of human activities and relations, and the consequential alienation of the workers from fruits of his/her labour have resulted, in the words of Marx, to a situation which “leaves no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, and callous cash payment.” Capitalism, Marx posited, leaves society “mired in the icy water of egotistical calculation.”

I READ two articles on the current global economic and financial crisis, both of which provided perspectives that are not only dissimilar but in some ways diametrically opposed to each other. I thought of sharing these perspectives if only to provide some intellectual stimulation.

The first article captioned “Thoroughly Modern Marx” written by Leo Panitch, a research professor of political science at York University, Toronto, saw the crisis as a manifestation of the ‘contradictions’ inherent in a world characterised by competitive markets, commodity production and financial speculation.

This view is consistent with that of the Marxist paradigm which likened unregulated market forces to that of a “sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers of the netherworld whom he has called up by his spells”. (Karl Marx: Manifesto of the Communist Party).

According to the writer, Marx were he alive today, would have felt vindicated in his thesis that capitalism by its very nature would lead to crisis situation, ultimately leading to its own demise.

He would have seen for example, how modern developments in finance, such as securitisation of derivatives, have allowed markets to diversify and spread the risks of global economic integration. Without these innovations, capital accumulation over the previous decades would have been significantly lower.

The same would have been true had it not been for the fact that finance has been penetrating deeper and deeper into society. One consequence of this penetration is that consumer demand, and hence prosperity has depended more and more on credit cards and mortgage debt, which coupled with the weakened power of trade unions and cutbacks in social welfare have rendered the working people more vulnerable to market shocks.

This leveraged, volatile global financial system, according Professor Panitch, contributed to overall economic growth in recent decades, but it also produced a series of inevitable financial bubbles, the most pronounced of which took place in the United States housing sector. The bubble’s subsequent bursting had a profound impact across the globe due mainly to its centrality in maintaining both U.S. consumer demand and international financial markets.

Despite the depth of the current financial and economic crisis, there is no immediate threat that capitalism, as a system of production and distribution is about to collapse.

Marx, for his part, had no illusions about the fact that capitalism is its own gravedigger in the sense that the socialisation of production would create its own internal dynamics which could ultimately lead to its own demise.

The monetisation of human activities and relations, and the consequential alienation of the workers from fruits of his/her labour have resulted, in the words of Marx, to a situation which “leaves no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, and callous cash payment.” Capitalism, Marx posited, leaves society “mired in the icy water of egotistical calculation.”

This perspective, contrasts sharply with that of Fareed Zakarai, in his article “The Capitalist Manifesto” (Newsweek, July 22, 2009) in which he argued that despite arguments to the contrary in a few years from now people will find out that what they in fact needed was “more capitalism, not less”.

According to Zakarai, the simple truth is that “with all its flaws, capitalism remains the most productive economic engine mankind has yet invented”. He cited China and India which, he said have been able to grow and pull millions of people out of poverty by supporting markets and free trade.

This may be true, but only to a point. The issue here is not more trade but fair trade. China, and to a lesser extent India, have in fact demonstrated some exceptionally high growth rates but these are in no way a vindication of the market forces at work.

In fact, the reverse may be closer to the truth. China’s ability to grow and in the process lift millions of its people out of poverty is due more to the controls placed by the authorities to regulate the market and in the process to ensure that there is no significant disequilibrium between production and consumer demand.

The same can be said with respect to checks and balances in the financial markets in both China and India which have emerged from the crisis relatively unscathed.

Capitalism may have some strength in terms of profit-optimisation when compared to state-managed and controlled entities.

After all, the main emphasis under capitalism is profits and not people and their well-being.

State-controlled entities under a pro-labour administration is more concerned with a more equitable distribution of whatever surplus is being generated in order to foster the greater good of society as a whole as opposed to the satisfaction of individual needs under a capitalistic production mode.

This is why the laws of capitalist production and the mode of distribution of surpluses generated from human labour sets it in a confrontational path with the true producers of wealth, namely the working people.

If there is one thing that remains unchallenged, it is that capitalism has failed to address the sufferings of humanity. If anything, the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider and wider.

What is needed is a more enlightened system which puts people at the centre of all production activities and not just a handful of people who enjoy a parasitic existence at the expense of the labouring class.

IN CONTROL OF A DEADLY WEAPON
By Ralph Ramkarran
“It is hardly recognized by owners and drivers that a motor vehicle of any sort is an extremely dangerous weapon when improperly used. When a person sits behind a steering wheel that person is not merely about to embark on a journey, but is about to do so in control of a deadly weapon.”
IT is hardly recognized by owners and drivers that a motor vehicle of any sort is an extremely dangerous weapon when improperly used.

When a person sits behind a steering wheel that person is not merely about to embark on a journey, but is about to do so in control of a deadly weapon.

This is the reason why there are laws regulating the use of motor vehicles and the conduct of drivers.

However, such a recognition does not always exist. Consequently, the necessity of adhering strictly to the rules of the road from the moment that a driver enters the vehicle is not always the prime objective it should be.

It is not usual that a formal ceremony would accompany the signing of legislation. Such a ceremony was held on the signing recently of the new breathalyzer law by President Jagdeo.

The objective obviously was to emphasise the importance of the legislation in the drive to reduce road deaths. The President in his remarks made reference to the appalling and stubbornly high statistics and expressed the hope that the legislation would help in the effort to reduce accidents.

The legislation provides for the use of the breathalyser which, if administered by the police on a driver, would determine whether the driver is inebriated.

This is determined not by the driver’s actual capacity to control the vehicle but by the quantity of alcohol in his/her bloodstream.

Prior to this law the police had all but stopped prosecutions for driving under the influence because of the difficulties of securing convictions for this offence.

In order to prove a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, the police were required to demonstrate that the driver lacked capacity to control the vehicle.

This was done in years past by taking the driver to a hospital and obtain a blood test. At the trial it was necessary for a medical doctor to give evidence to prove that the driver would have been unable to drive safely with the quantity of alcohol in his bloodstream as shown in the test.

In the absence of a blood test, the police had to prove that the driver had consumed alcohol by the smell of the driver.

Proof that the driver was unable to drive was usually given by his/her gait. Lack of resources to get blood tests from suspect drivers and such subjective criteria as smell and gait had become virtually impossible for the police to prove.

As a result, there were hardly any prosecutions for driving under the influence of alcohol in recent years. Hopefully that situation will now change and some of the policemen checking documents will be deployed at night in the vicinity of nightspots with their breathalyser instruments.

Returning to the theme of a vehicle being a dangerous weapon, and the necessity of inculcating this in the mind of a driver, there needs to be some innovations. Some years ago a system of lectures by the police for learner drivers was made compulsory.

This may certainly have been helpful in producing a better quality of driver.

It needs to be built upon. A potential driver needs to be educated to the fact that, he/she must not merely be responsible for following the rules of the road and the laws, but as the controller of a deadly weapon on the road, he/she has the main responsibility to protect the safety and security of other road users.

This requires the upgrading of the training given by the Police or by certified civilian training schools about driving skills, etiquette and the avoidance of accidents so that we might be able to eventually have a more responsible driver on the road.

This obviously would be a major undertaking and would be costly to the learner/driver. But if we want to save lives on the road we need to begin making these plans now.

For taxis and mini buses a completely new dispensation should be imposed. During the 1970s, I recall many cases brought by the police against taxi drivers for being improperly dressed (and the sleeveless male attire was not in fashion then) or having an unclean and unkempt appearance or for smoking.

Apart from restoring the imposition of these standards, taxis and mini bus drivers must be required to undergo additional rigorous theoretical and practical training before being licenced, such as driving with heavier passenger loads, dangers of overturning, how to avoid it, courtesy to passengers, and others, even if they have been driving for several years.

Finally, for all drivers, grades of licensing should be considered. When a person receives his/her licence, it should be conditional for a period of time, say two years, during which time the driver must demonstrate capacity. Criteria and methods for establishing that capacity can be determined but a clean driving record should surely be one.

I am conscious that these reforms might not all be possible at this time. But the rate of killing and injury on our roads demands that we address this matter urgently and continue the traffic reform process.

Singh is hiding his religious credentials
DANIEL Singh accuses Mr. Arnold Chance of showing his true colours (GC- July 6th). It’s a pity the so-called pastor doesn’t do the same; instead, he hides his true colours.

Singh writes repeatedly to the Guyana Chronicle to put a nonsensical fundamentalist spin on all sorts of things. What he never gets involved in though, is contesting those who question whether he is a real pastor. That’s one argument he runs away from.

Singh hides his religious credentials, while lecturing others about “a higher ethical standard among professionals.” He says Mr. Chance “continues to bury his head in the sand like an ostrich” which is actually what Singh is doing regarding his religious qualifications. Singh’s letters are absurdly ironic.

A number of different writers have already accused Singh of deliberately misrepresenting their claims, of mischaracterising their positions and of maliciously editing and splicing their sentences to produce what he calls “quotes” but which only corrupts and twists the writers’ words to give meanings they never intended. The Christian “pastor” then shamelessly turns around and preaches about ethical standards.

Recently, Mr. Justin de Freitas alerted the Guyana Chronicle about providing a forum for such mendacity. Clearly, the letters column is being abused and even Singh seems surprised by what he is allowed to fabricate there in. He once wrote to the paper noting that they are willing to publish just about anything he says and this has inevitably led to the claims being made by others that Singh is maliciously misusing their words.

Now, the so-called Christian pastor is portraying the investigative and skeptical nature of scientific process as a weakness. He scours the right-wing publication, The Times online, to find any scientist questioning the fossil Darwinius masillae and then he repeats dissected bits of what they say in the Guyana Chronicle.

For instance, Singh just endorsed a book review of Dr Ian Tattersall in which Tattersall questioned the “Ida” fossil. In the same book review, which Singh falsely infers is a scientific “report”, Tattersall said humans are part of the ape lineage. Singh was asked by Arnold Chance if he agreed with Tattersall that humans are part of the ape family, but Singh suddenly clammed-up except to throw remarks about people burying their heads in the sand. It seems Singh is picking and choosing which parts of the book review he will share with our readers.

Apparently, what Mr. de Freitas calls “clumsily crafted lies and sly distortions” is the method being used to undermine scientific principles. Of course, some people are just not clever enough to understand just how much they are embarrassing themselves and the religious faith they claim to represent. Seeing their name (with a still questionable title) printed in bold all caps is more important than truth and honesty.
DAVID SEEGOBIN
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Data on local private sector should have been included
I must offer some pointed criticisms on the editorial published in the Guyana Chronicle on Monday July 6, 2009. The editorial has 14 paragraphs and attempted to deal with the subject of private sector involvement in development. The title is sort of a misnomer, but the article still has merit. The first, like any good article, introduces the subject and establishes the writer's position. Because I also believe that the private sector must play a major role in national development, I was interested in reading the rest of the article. The editor then dedicates 9 of the remaining 13 paragraphs to provide the readers with overwhelming statistics and evidence of the development and growth of the private sector in China as the main case study. Less than half-way through this lengthy presentation of data from various sources, I think the reader gets the point--the private sector has really improved the economic situation of China.

The 10th paragraph briefly describes the old socialist nationalist move in Guyana and the editor informs readers that the situation has changed. However, here is where the editorial fails miserably. The editorial falls short of providing systemic facts, statistics--any form of description (anecdotal or otherwise), to substantiate or make the point that the private sector in Guyana has indeed been thriving as is claimed. Simply stating that "the private sector is playing the dominant role in economic development" in Guyana without any data, any statistics as was done to make the Chinese case, is misleading. As a matter of fact, it's incomplete. We need an in depth analysis of the contributions of the private sector from 1992 to 2009. We must also note that the years chosen for the Chinese case are within the same timeline as the PPP/C ascension to the seat of power. I'll be looking out for a part 2 with real data for the Guyana case concerning the rise of the private sector and its role in making Guyana a rich nation.
KOFI DALRYMPLE
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Entire world is mourning Michael Jackson’s death
SINCE I was about eight years, I heard the words and melody of the songs of a genius. No one told me that he was going to be the greatest entertainer of all time with 750 million record labels sold and 13 Grammy Awards, but I simply know when I am in the presence of greatness.

He lived like a star and shone from the age of ten years. Throughout his life he pioneered and explored. To use a word as "experimented" would be an understatement of the accomplishments of the self proclaimed "King of Pop". He preformed with confidence. He dazzled audiences. Now his life has shown us the sheer potential of persevering and doing to the best of our ability what we are talented in.

He died a star; and as I told a good friend, "He will live an even greater portion of his life through his death."
RANFRED WILLIAMS
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An unqualified Ms. Ramdass making rash, biased and vindictive statements
I WOULD like to respond to a letter by Ms. Kavita Ramdass in the Monday July 6, 2009 Guyana Times by simply stating that she is out of her debt by delving into a subject in which she obviously is unqualified to make such rash, biased and seemingly vindictive statements.

Ms. Ramdass and her associates are obviously uninformed of what GuyExpo is all about and the success businesses have had at GuyExpo as it relates to the growth and development of these businesses especially the Small and Medium Enterprises.

Within the last few years, GuyExpo has improved tremendously in terms of its planning and the new initiatives introduced by one of Guyana’s most successful Private Sector leader, Minister Manniram Prashad – the former President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Private Sector Commission.

GuyExpo is also Guyana’s premier trade fair and exposition which is carefully planned and executed in a partnership between the Government and the private sector.

May I remind Ms. Ramdass that the focus on GuyExpo has always been on business development in Guyana.

This exposition provides local exhibitors with the opportunity to showcase their talents, innovations, entrepreneurship and industry.

Additionally, with overseas exhibitors, buyers and investors participation, it provides a great opportunity for joint venture partnerships for our local participants.

The private sector of Guyana is aware that being a part of an exposition and trade fair of this magnitude is one of the best ways in marketing in today’s world of business.

Another important aspect of GuyExpo is the fact that a workshop is normally held for exhibitors prior to the opening of GuyExpo to assist them in having proper exhibits and training them how to conduct their businesses.

Additionally, an Investment Seminar is normally held in the morning before the opening ceremony to facilitate visiting overseas exhibitors, buyers, investors and visiting trade missions as how to conduct business and invest in Guyana.

One and one meetings between overseas businessmen and Guyanese businessmen are often facilitated after these forums.

However, I don’t see Ms. Ramdass blowing her trumpet on these initiatives which are conducted behind the scenes of GuyExpo.

In concluding, I wish to inform Ms. Ramdass that it is because of GuyExpo that many businesses today whether medium or small have been able to get international exposure and are doing well exporting to those countries.

Today, many of the businesses that have benefitted from GuyExpo have expanded their operations locally.

Rather than criticize without any facts, Ms. Ramdass should learn to be more careful and carry out her investigations properly and I am sure she will see how businesses in craft, furniture and other sectors have benefitted tremendously from the business environment at GuyExpo.
MR. ADRIAN DANIELS
Business Leader,
GuyExpo Patron
Herstelling, East Bank Demerara

Air and water in reality are not free
MOST tropical forest-containing at least two-thirds of all plants and animals species as well as being the source of many foods, medicines, and industrial products.

About half of all tropical forests are already gone. Forest loss affects hundreds of millions of people through increased flooding, soil erosion and silting of waterways, droughts, shortages of timber, and displacement of societies and cultures.

As tropical forests and other biologically-rich habitats are destroyed or degraded under the pressures of human population growth and economic activity, the normal rates of extinction of plant and animal species are accelerating.

We simply do not know the extent of this phenomenon, but experts estimate that we may be losing several thousand species each year, and one-fifth of all species could disappear within the next 20 years.

Energy use, industrial production, and deforestation all contribute to air pollution that is harming plants, animals, and human health, and altering the global atmosphere.

Soil erosion is seriously degrading crop lands in most of the world's important agricultural regions, the world's grain acreage is diminishing, and grain production per person is declining.

Tropical countries with high population growth rates usually have deforestation rates well above the average annual rate of 0.6 percent for tropical areas.

The clearing of large amounts of forest harms a country's potential for development. Forests perform many functions important to long-term national productivity.

In addition to providing homes for hundreds of millions of people, forests protect watersheds, regulate water flow and weather patterns.

Industry must expand to support growing populations and to raise living standards. Yet industry must not reduce the quality of life, destroy the environment, or undermine the economic potential of future populations by exhausting natural resources.

Air and water have traditionally been regarded as free goods, but in reality they are not free.
MOHAMED KHAN
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Terrorism and War: Parallels, Differences and Sufferings
THERE have been numerous explanations and definitions of war through theories, such as: Historical, Psychological, Demographic, Marxist, Economical, and Rationalist, among others.

In one word - war is any large scale or violent act which many times resolves in the destruction of one's territory, nation and lives.

War has learned and evolved throughout our history, these days war is conducted through military campaigns, which include: armed conflict, intelligence, troop movement, propaganda, aircraft, bombs and missiles.

Terrorism, on the other hand, has been described as the threat of violence, or other harmful acts committed for political or ideological goals.

The main goals of terrorists are to spread fear among the world population and get global attention for their actions in order to accomplish their goals.

The most common terrorist tactics are: car bombing, aircraft hijacking and suicide attacks. Almost every country and organisation have different definitions for terrorism. Therefore, it is still impossible to give an official one. Up to now, the United Nations has not accepted, nor given definition for terrorism.

If we compare these two, we can see that both of them have violence as their main subject.

Also, armed conflict, bombs and missiles, propaganda and intelligence. War has aircraft and troop deployment, while terrorism has believers and people willing for sacrifice.

What makes them different is that war requires mass organisation, governments, countries and thousands of volunteers and military personnel, while terrorism can be performed with just one or two individuals.

Maybe the biggest difference is that terrorism sometimes does not choose the targets, and as a result, most times, innocent people get hurt and die.

War, on the other hand knows its targets, but in war innocent people also die. Just in war, victims are euphemistically called "Collateral Damage".

Terrorism has something that war has not, and that is the element of surprise. Terrorist attack can be done at any time and any place. While, war has to be declared and organised, therefore, this gives some time for the other side to get prepared or surrender before the first strike.

Here is one very interesting example: one person comes to a shopping mall or school and starts shooting people with an automatic firearm, killing ten, and dies at the end.

General opinion would be that this person is crazy, a lunatic, and mentally challenged. However, that same person could come to the same shopping mall or school and detonate an explosive, killing ten and dies at the end. General opinion would be that this person is a terrorist. What if the person from the first example is a terrorist just he/she did not have explosives at that time, and instead he/she used a firearm? Also, what if the person from second example is crazy just he/she did not have a firearm at the time, and instead he/she used explosives.

Judging by this example we allowed ourselves to make a selection and categorise a violent act by weapons used to kill and destroy human life. While there's no difference, ten people lost their lives, and nothing can bring them back.

So, what is the correct definition for war and terrorism?

War has become so ordinary that it has lost its original meaning, at this moment we have wars for everything; still, war is just another way of conducting harmful and aggressive acts, which brought untold sorrow to mankind and instability on the international stage.

Our society came to the point in which we don't need wars any more. Now, we have plenty of International Organisations and Laws to help us secure peace among nations, for instance - the United Nation, Security Council, Diplomacy, and Geneva Convention. The question is: do they do their job?

In our modern world, war is pointless: it starts with negotiations and diplomacy, followed by military actions, and ends with diplomacy and negotiation. With proper use of real Diplomacy, not Gunboats and Cowboys, wars could be avoided.

However, it appears that these days wars do not start with the leader or the ruler of one country; it rather starts with industry which benefits from it. As an old saying says "in war there are two kinds of people: ones who benefit from it and ones who suffer from it".

Terrorism is immature and perfidious, but a highly organised violent act without emotions or regret for loss of innocent lives and without respect for International Laws.

Terrorism is not new to the world; history has it that first signs of terrorism were seen in 10th century. Today, terrorism is also described as resistance to foreign occupation. However, it is important to distinguish between terrorism, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Terrorism is usually triggered by war and some sort of dissatisfaction, such as: political disagreements, nationalism, retaliation, personal disappointment, religion, among others.

Terrorists now feel like actors, as more media attention their actions get, the more we are going to see them.

At the moment, the world’s biggest fear is use of Bio-Chemical and Nuclear weapons in wars and terrorism. Maybe, the world would be a better place without discoveries and inventions like: gun powder by the Chinese, dynamite by Alfred Nobel and Uranium by Pierre and Maria Curie. With these inventions and discoveries, a new era of war and terror began, an era that destroyed millions of lives, homes, countries and cultures.

Will additional wars prevent terrorism, or will additional terrorism prevent further wars?

It is impossible to tell, since leaders of war and terrorism believe they are doing the right thing, maybe, as we speak a new war and terrorist attack is being prepared somewhere in the world. However, one thing is clear; people suffer every day because of it.
IVAN SIMIC
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President, government congratulated for successful CARICOM Summit hosting
THE Government of Guyana, especially President Bharrat Jagdeo, must be congratulated for the successful hosting of the 30th Heads of Government meeting. This is a view shared by many Guyanese and the overseas delegation.

At this moment, I am very proud to be a Guyanese since we have once again achieved another milestone. Most of the persons who I interacted with at the Guyana International Conference Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara were very impressed with the hospitality.

President Jagdeo has lived up to the expectations of his people and all others in the Caribbean and for this he should be congratulated and encouraged to keep up the good work.

This goes to show that the Jagdeo administration stands up to what it says and takes into account the interest of all, not only Guyanese but the people of the region.

I urge all to continue to support the administration despite their political influence as the Government’s developmental plans and programmes are not limited to one ethnic group or community.
R. HANIF

Beach Soccer makes welcome return to Linden
BEACH Soccer made a welcome return to Linden on Caricom Day (last Monday), when the Upper Demerara Football Association, in conjunction with the Guyana Football Federation and Garth Nelson of the USA, hosted an exciting day of Beach Soccer at the Bayrock Ground, Wismar, Linden.

Seven teams contested the six games that were played for a period of three thirds and each third lasted eight minutes.

In Game one Milerock defeated Net Rockers by a 3-2 margin. Scoring for Milerock were Owen Williams (9th) Trevor Tudor (16th) and Jermaine Grandison (19th). Scoring for Net Rockers were Colin Beckles (5th) and Nashwayne Hazel (18th).

Game two saw Silver Shattas trouncing Vasco by four goals to one. Scoring for Shattas were Devon Perreira (6th), Marlon Benjamin (13th, 17th) and Nigel Price (24th). Michael Williams scored the loan goal for Vasco in the 23rd minute.

In game three, Winners Connections thrashed Eagles United by 4-1.

Rawle Gittens scored in the 15th, 16th and 19th minutes and Ryan Crandon in the 6th minute for Winners Connection. Delon McAllister scored Eagles’ lone goal in the 12th minute.

In the first of two semi-finals All Stars edged out Milerock by a 5-4 margin after they were tied 4-4 at the end of regulation time. Two minutes into extra time, the winners secured the winning goal.

Scoring for All Stars were Tony Adams (5th, 14th), Randy Britany (7th), Stanford Bovell (15th) and Roderick Richards (26th). Milerock earned their goals from Owen Williams (11th, 17th) and Steve Breweley (12th, 23rd).

In the other semi-final, Silver Shattas shattered Winners Connection by an 8-5 margin. Shattas’ goals were scored by Nigel Price (8th, 14th, 21st, 23rd), Marlon Benjamin (9th, 11th, 15th) and Jessie Waldron (13th) while Winners’ goals were scored by Marvis Fraser (9th, 10th), Rawle Gittens (13th, 24th) and Ryan Crandon 19th).

In the final, Shattas edged All Stars 4-3.
Marlon Benjamin scored in the 7th and 20th minutes and Nigel Price in the 14th and 16th for Shattas, while All Stars goals were scored by Tony Adams (9th), Randy Bastiani (12th) and Roderick Richards (24th).

The Championship Trophy was donated by 20/20 Sports Bar. The Best Goalkeeper was Jason Cobena of Silver Shattas and the Trophy was donated by Richard Cheap Corner. Two players tied for most goalscorer – Nigel Price and Marlon Benjamin of Silver Shattas scored eight goals each. The trophy was donated by Ashwin Chester Incorporated.

Stanford Bovell of All Stars received a trophy donated by Major (Shanghai) Sports Bar for the Best Goal. The player of the final was Nigel Price of Silver Shattas and his trophy was donated by Ron Wilson of Blackie Barber Shop.

The Player-of-the-Tournament was Marlon Benjamin and he received a Trophy donated by Jevon and Dennis Massive Stores, Hotel and Rental.

President of the Upper Demerara Football Association, Bryan Joseph, thanked all those who witnessed the competition, especially the players, the GFF, the Referees, Garth Nelson of the US and Lawrence Griffith of the GFF.

Addressing to a sizeable crowd he said this turnout was testimony to the fact that the public was starved for entertainment and the players performed well to satisfy their appetite.

He noted that Beach Soccer was on its way and he reminded those present that Linden is known for its many firsts, highlighting Mashramani as the most notable of these events.

He also mentioned that very soon Splashmin’s will be hosting a National competition.

Meanwhile, another competition is scheduled next month at the same venue.

MCY&S to set up series of camps
By Storme Moore
THE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCY&S) has released a packed itinerary for the two-month summer break that comprises a number of youth and community camps with sport being a prominent part of the exercises to be conducted.

Camps are also being set up with the aim of specialising in the development of specific sporting areas.

According to Director of Sport Neil Kumar, a target of 61 community camps and 27 sports specific camps are scheduled to be up and running in the next few weeks.

Kumar said that this is in keeping with the Ministry’s attempts to develop the local sports arena by having properly qualified individuals in the various disciplines. This includes officials, physicians as well as sportsmen and sportswomen.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony is to kick off the Under-15 cricket academy at the National Stadium on Monday, while the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), has already organised a workshop to train teachers in level one coaching techniques, in an effort to incorporate table tennis into the school system.

A cycling camp will begin on Monday at the National Park.

The Colgrain Swimming Pool will host the swimming camp while the cricket camp will be held at the National Stadium.

Two camps are being set up for basketball at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) and the National Gymnasium.

Volleyball, karate and chess are also expected to be part of the programme.

England make solid start to Ashes series
LONDON, England (BBC) - England finished day one of the 2009 Ashes series on 336-7 after Australia hit back with late wickets in Cardiff yesterday.

England were 90-3 before a 138-run stand between Kevin Pietersen (69) and Paul Collingwood (64) saw them recover.

Positive batting from Andrew Flintoff (37) and Matt Prior (56) sparked some life out of a generally quiet crowd.

But Peter Siddle ended their 86-run stand by bowling both inside the last four overs, leaving Australia with some momentum going into the second day today.

Andrew Strauss's decision to bat first on winning the toss was expected, and he made a positive move in going with both spinners - it was the first time England had done so in a home Ashes Test since 1993.

The big surprise was Ricky Ponting's decision to leave out seamer Stuart Clark, the leading wicket-taker in the 2006-07 Ashes and man-of-the-match in the final Test at Sydney.

Australia's four-man attack had just 35 Test caps between them, none against England, and the most inexperienced of the lot, Ben Hilfenhaus of Tasmania, bowled the first over.

After the players had stood around for around 20 minutes listening to Neath-born soprano Katherine Jenkins sing the Welsh national anthem, the British and Australian anthems were also belted out and Hilfenhaus finally got the 2009 Ashes - the first Test in the sport's long history to be staged in Cardiff - under way.

Following Steve Harmison's wide to second slip at Brisbane in 2006, and his contrastingly ferocious burst 17 months at Lord's earlier, this was a more mundane opening, and the capacity crowd of 16 000 did not seem to lap it up.

With no pace in the wicket, and just a bit of swing and seam, Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson bowled too straight and struggled to find the right length, allowing Strauss and Alastair Cook to tick along smoothly enough.

But it was the briefest of honeymoons for Cook, lasting only until the last ball of the eighth over, when he played a half-hearted force off the back foot to a ball well wide of off-stump - and to the delight of the bowler Hilfenhaus, Michael Hussey dived expertly in the gully to take a fine one-handed catch.

The new batsman, Ravi Bopara, had to weather a stormy introduction to Ashes cricket - which included a nasty ball from Siddle which struck his throat.

But he survived to play some of the day's most attractive shots, including an on-drive off Siddle to bring up England's fifty, and a square-drive off the same bowler for four more.

The ball was still hard enough to go through with reasonable pace, however, and two Johnson wickets before lunch left England on 97-3 and gave Australia a clear advantage.

The first of Johnson's victims was Strauss, who fell for 30. England's skipper had been dealing with the short ball really well before ducking out of a bouncer, which hit his gloves and looped to first slip.

Then Bopara was deceived on 35 by a Johnson slower ball, playing a checked drive through the covers far too early and looping a catch to point.

So it was left to Pietersen and Collingwood, well versed in establishing big partnerships against Australia, to alter the balance of power.

The two right-handers put on 153 together at Brisbane and a massive 310 at Adelaide - and in a middle session in which they faced plenty of spin bowling - showed a hunger for Ashes runs again.

Nathan Hauritz was swept for a barrage of singles by Pietersen, while Collingwood sought out gaps in other areas for his runs.

It did not trouble the two batsmen at all that 21 overs passed without a boundary, then Collingwood cut Hauritz twice in an over for fours, before Pietersen used his feet to drive Michael Clarke wide of mid-off for four more.

Tea was taken with England 194-3, Collingwood and Pietersen were on half-centuries, and all was well in the home dressing room.

The mood darkened early in the final session, however. Hilfenhaus and Siddle were back on, there was a bit of reverse swing for them and the first sign of danger came when Pietersen, on 66, survived an lbw appeal off Hilfenhaus that should have been upheld by umpire Billy Doctrove.

The same bowler had reason to celebrate soon afterwards when Collingwood's defensive edge to a good ball that held its line was well held by a diving Brad Haddin.

And with the total on 241, England lost their fifth wicket - and the vital one of Pietersen. Shaping to play a premeditated sweep to Hauritz, the batsman was given a ball well wide of off-stump - and he should have aborted the shot. But he failed to do so, and Pietersen ended up in a dreadful position as he gave short-leg a simple catch.

Flintoff has lost the number six position for this series, but on this occasion both came to the crease at more or less the same time.

After scoring quickly against the spinners, it was no surprise that they were made to face the seamers again as soon as the new ball became available.

Flintoff's ferocious pull shot off Hilfenhaus took him past 30, and a quick single brought up England's 300. Ten runs followed off the next over, bowled by Johnson, and when Siddle came on Prior laced him to the cover-point boundary. A single soon afterwards brought him a 54-ball fifty.

Finally, Flintoff went for one more crashing boundary and inside-edged Siddle onto his stumps. Only 20 balls now remained in the day, but that proved enough time for Siddle to send down a booming inswinger which cleaned up Prior and left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth.

Farah to miss Birmingham trials
LONDON, England (BBC) - Mo Farah will miss this weekend's World Championships trial because he wants to concentrate on breaking the British 5 000m record later this month.

Farah, 26, has been given permission not to attend the Birmingham event in order to prepare for a tilt at David Moorcroft's 27-year-old UK mark.

The Briton will continue to train at altitude in Switzerland ahead of his attempt at the London Grand Prix.

Farah won the 3 000m title at this year's European Indoor Championships.

World 5 000m champion Meseret Defar will take part, though, in a bid to secure her place on the Ethiopian team lining up for the 10 000m at the World Championships in Berlin.

The 10 000m is the only event in which foreign athletes are allowed to take part and this will be the first time foreign women have taken part in any UK Athletics event.

"There are many good long distance women in Ethiopia, so I must put in a strong performance," said Defar.

"This will probably be my last race before the World Championships, so this is a very important one for me."

Two of Defar's compatriots will also line up in Birmingham - 2004 Olympic silver medallist Ejegayehu Dibaba and Aheza Kiros.

Also in the race will be Lineth Chepkurui - who was third in her national trials last month, and needs to get the IAAF standard of 31 min. 45 sec. to make the Kenyan team - and French international Christine Bardelle.

McGrath expects Aussie whitewash
LONDON, England (BBC) - Former Australia paceman Glenn McGrath has again predicted that England will lose the Ashes series 5-0.

Glenn McGrath

The 39-year-old, who retired in 2007, famously predicted a whitewash four years ago but was part of the side that was dramatically defeated 2-1.

But Australia's recent series win over South Africa has left McGrath in confident mood.

"If they can do the same and improve in one or two areas they will do really well and probably win 5-0," he said.

McGrath's former team-mate Shane Warne also thinks Australia should retain the Ashes, though he believes it might be closer.

"Looking at current form, Australia have been in transition but after a period of not playing well they have gone to South Africa and won, which is no mean feat," said Warne.

"England have struggled in the Test arena, they struggled against West Indies, so if you look at the form of both sides you'd have to say Australia are the favourites going into the series, though England have a big chance."

McGrath has something of a track record when it comes to predicting Australian whitewashes in the Ashes, coming out ahead of the 2005 and 2006-07 series to declare his expectation of a 5-0 win for his side.

He was off target in 2005 when Australia, not helped by the freak ankle injury McGrath suffered ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston, were edged out in a thrilling series on English soil.

But McGrath was spot on in the 2006-07 series as his side romped to a comprehensive 5-0 victory against an outclassed England.

His Test career came to an end after the fifth Test of that series in Sydney, having taken 563 Test wickets in 124 matches.

Cardiff will host the opening Test on Wednesday, with Australia still reeling from the news that fast bowler Brett Lee will be missing for two Tests with a torn rib muscle.

Speaking before the news of Lee's withdrawal, McGrath revealed his faith in Ricky Ponting's team having seen them complete a 2-1 series victory against South Africa in March.

"I've got total confidence in the boys, especially watching the way they played in South Africa in the last Test series," he added.

"I thought that would have given them a lot of confidence. They showed what they can do and the huge potential that they've got."

McGrath was drafted into the Australian camp last week to provide assistance.
ADMIRE…

Sania Mirza admirer arrested
LONDON, England (BBC) - A young Indian man turned up at the home of tennis star Sania Mirza and threatened to kill himself if the tennis player did not marry him.

Mohammad Ashraf told Imran Mirza, Sania's father, that the tennis star could not marry anyone else as she "was born for me".

He also demanded that her engagement with family friend Sohrab Mirza, scheduled for tomorrow, be cancelled.

An alarmed Imran Mirza called the police who have taken him into custody.

He has been produced in court and remanded for a fortnight.

Mirza, 22, is one of the top ranking players. She ranks 85 in the world.

'THREATENING'
In his complaint to the police, Mr Mirza says Ashraf claims to be in love with the tennis star ever since he saw her playing a match in Bangalore two years ago.

Mr Mirza has also complained that the youth was sending text messages and making threatening calls to his daughter for some time.

Mr Ashraf arrived at Ms Mirza's home in Hyderabad city's upmarket home in Banjara Hills area on Tuesday evening accompanied by his friend Devadeesh Mohanty.

"How can you engage Sania to another person when she was born for me?" Ashraf is reported to have asked the tennis player's father.

"He was threatening to commit suicide if Sania did not marry him," Mr Mirza told the police.

The two men have been arrested and have been charged with trespass and creating a nuisance.

Ashraf has been identified as a civil engineer from Bangalore.

Police say they have contacted Bangalore police to find out whether Ashraf is mentally sound.

It is the second time in less than a month that Mirza has hit the headlines for the wrong reason.

Last month, the Andhra Pradesh state government found that a man had secured a white ration card showing Sania Mirza as his wife.

The ration card carried photos of the tennis star.

White ration cards are meant for the people living below the poverty line.

Nadal, Roddick injuries cloud Davis Cup quarters
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Injury-stricken Rafael Nadal and Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick will be among the big names forced to miss the Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals starting tomorrow.

Nadal, who has lost his French Open and Wimbledon titles and his number one ranking to Roger Federer in the past month, is unable to turn out for champions Spain against Germany in Marbella due to his ailing knees.

Spain are also without David Ferrer, who has a muscle strain and has been replaced by former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero, while a hip injury has forced Roddick's withdrawal from the U.S. squad to face Croatia in Porec.

The timing of the last-eight clashes immediately after the gruelling clay and grass court seasons again highlights the difficulties the players face with a packed calendar.

The Spanish, with Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Robredo and Feliciano Lopez in the squad, should nonetheless still be too strong for Germany on their favoured clay surface.

"We don't fear the Germans but we respect them a great deal," Spain captain Albert Costa told a news conference in Marbella on Tuesday.

Mardy Fish has been called up to replace Roddick as the United States bid to defeat Croatia for the first time, having lost to them in the first round in 2003 and 2005.

"Andy had a great run at Wimbledon. Understandably, his body is not up for the rigours of Davis Cup in such a short turnaround," U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe told the U.S. Tennis Association website (www.usta.com).

In Ostrava, the Czech Republic will be battling to reach their first Davis Cup semi-finals since 1996 when they host last year's runners-up Argentina.

It is not yet clear whether Radek Stepanek, who has a knee problem, will be fully fit.

Argentina, who beat the Czechs 5-0 in their last encounter in 2005, will be led by world number five Juan Martin Del Potro in the absence of the injured David Nalbandian.

The Israel-Russia tie in Tel Aviv is expected to attract the largest-ever attendance for a Davis Cup match in the country but the hosts appear to have given away a big advantage by moving it indoors from their regular outdoor home venue.

The Israeli Tennis Association said it expected a capacity crowd at the 11 000-seater arena, which is more than twice the size of the usual venue that is swamped by heat and high humidity in summer.

The Russians, winners in 2002 and 2006, go into the tie with number 24 Igor Andreev leading the charge in the singles. The rest of the team is made up of Marat Safin, Mikhail Youzhny and Igor Kunitsyn, who replaces the injured Dmitry Tursunov.

Artest completes dream move to the Lakers
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Reuters) - Forward Ron Artest achieved a long-cherished dream when he officially signed a three-year contract with the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers yesterday.

The 2004 NBA Defensive Player-of-the-Year, free agent Artest had agreed terms with the Lakers last week after playing the 2008-09 season with the Houston Rockets.

"This has been a long time coming," Artest, 29, said after being introduced to the media at the Lakers training facility in El Segundo.

"I've always wanted to be a Laker. Not coming out of college when I wanted to be a (New York) Knick but as I started to compete against the Lakers and against Kobe (Bryant).

"I have great respect for him and I always wanted to be a team mate of his. When I was on other teams, the liking for Kobe went out the door. I always wanted to compete and try to win the games.

"But for the last couple of years, at the back of my mind, I really wanted to be here," added Artest after being presented with a Lakers jersey emblazoned with the number 37.

A veteran of 10 seasons in the league, he will join 11-time All-Star Bryant and Spanish forward Pau Gasol on a high-quality Lakers team widely tipped to win further NBA titles in the next few years.

Although Artest is a formidable defender known for his physical presence, he accepts he will have to work hard to ensure he makes the best possible impact in Los Angeles.

"I've got to make sure I'm doing everything possible this summer to come back a better player," he said.

"When I give a 100 percent, I know it's not going to be a problem winning the team over because I'll be in tip-top condition, like I always do every season.

"But it's not a given that just because you add me to the team that we are just going to be the number one team. We've got to put that work in and that's something I'm not afraid to do."

Artest, who has also played for the Chicago Bulls, the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings, averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Rockets last season.

His three-year deal with the Lakers is estimated by local media to be worth $18 million.

Phelps looks sharp at US trials
INDIANAPOLIS, (Reuters) - Michael Phelps made his first appearance at the U.S. Nationals and clocked the fastest times with two routine swims in morning preliminary heats yesterday.

Phelps, looking fit having shed the 17 pounds he put on following his record gold medal haul at the Beijing Olympics, began by posting the top time in the 200 metres freestyle.

The 24-year-old American was back in the pool less than an hour later to touch first in the 200m butterfly and he can clinch berths in the U.S. team for this month's world championships in Rome with top-two finishes in the evening finals.

"Typical prelim swims," Phelps told reporters. "I'm probably happier about the 200 fly, maybe I just needed one to get going.

"Feel good for tonight (last night), we'll try the bigger suit tonight for both races.

"I'm going to wear the full suit tonight.

"I tried it out in Montreal and I really liked it.

"That's the first time I ever tried it and it was a fairly decent swim so going to try it and see what happens."

After a tumultuous nine months off which included a three-month suspension from USA Swimming when he was photographed inhaling from a pipe used for smoking marijuana, Phelps returned to competition in Charlotte in May.

While his transition from the world's greatest all-round swimmer to sprinter is far from complete, Phelps is quickly coming to grips with new events and a new stroke as he lays the foundations for his 2012 London Olympic programme.

After a comeback that produced as many defeats as wins, Phelps was back to his dominating best, posting the fastest time of one minute, 46.31 seconds in the 200m free and easing to a comfortable win in his 200m fly heat in 1:55.36.

Just two weeks ago in Montreal, Phelps clocked a time of 50.48 in the 100m fly, the third fastest ever and just .08 off the world record while swimming in the full suit in that event for the first time.
FIELD

Bangladesh in West Indies 2009
Windies expect to field second XI
WEST Indies are preparing to field a second-string team in the first Test against Bangladesh today following a boycott by the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA).

Cricinfo understands that 11 players have arrived in St Vincent and trained at the Arnos Vale Ground yesterday afternoon.

Sources say the players to have so far arrived include Darren Sammy, who was part of the recent ICC World Twenty20, alongside Dale Richards and Nelon Pascal who were in the squad to tour England before that tournament.

Tino Best, the fast bowler, is also believed to have been included along with former top-order batsman Floyd Reifer, who now plays his cricket for the Combined Campuses and Colleges team in the West Indies domestic tournament.

Kemar Roach, who has played two ODIs and one Twenty20 international, is another player expected to play while the other names are: Omar Phillips, Travis Dowlin, Cadwick Walton, Ryan Austin and Kevin McClean.

Four more players are due to arrive from Jamaica to bolster the squad ahead of the Test. Kraigg Brathwaite, the prolific 16-year-old batsman, is a name being suggested as a possible call-up

A statement from WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine said the original squad would boycott the series "with immediate effect" because of a long-running contractual dispute with the home board.

Ramnarine said the decision to pull out of the series came after the latest talks with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) failed to resolve several issues, including retainer contracts. "The players have played their last four tournaments without a contract," Ramnarine said. "They are now being asked to play their fifth consecutive series without a contract, which is highly unacceptable."

"When a player called me last week and asked what was the position with regard to his injury while playing cricket for the West Indies in the just concluded Twenty20 World Cup, my response was that was there was no written contract in place and therefore any action that would have to be taken would have to be taken in that context. Professional sportsmen should not be allowed to play any sport that has such a high risk without the necessary protection."

When contacted about the second-string squad, Ramnarine said he hadn't heard the reactions from the WICB and could not comment at this stage. Tony Howard, the WICB's cricket operations officer, also told Cricinfo he had not heard of such any move, but that a statement would be released on the status of the series.

WICB president Julian Hunte, however, was confident the series would go ahead as planned. "As far as we are concerned (there) will be a Test match on Thursday (today)," he told Reuters.

Rabeed Imam, the Bangladesh Cricket Board's media manager, told Cricinfo that as far as they were concerned this was an internal issue of the WICB and their players and that Bangladesh were focused on the match … and had been training accordingly.

This is not the first time in recent memory that the players and WICB have been involved in a stand-off. Earlier this year West Indies' spring tour of England was nearly severely undermined after it emerged five senior players had threatened to withdraw from the series to play in the IPL. That crisis was averted, only for more talk of a boycott of the fifth and final ODI between West Indies and England after Chris Gayle indicated his team may not take the field if outstanding issues with the WICB remained unresolved. That too was averted.

A similar dispute arose in 2008 prior to Australia's tour of the West Indies. Several senior West Indian players considered withdrawing from the first two Tests of the series to remain in the IPL, but returned after the WICB allowed them to skip a pre-series training camp.

The last time West Indies players actually took action, ten players - including then captain Brian Lara - boycotted the 2005 tour of Sri Lanka against a background of unprecedented controversy and confusion. A bitter, protracted row between the WICB and the players' association over sponsorship led to the late withdrawal of ten of the original squad of 13, including Lara, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Replacement players were called up for the Test series, which West Indies ended up losing 2-0.

Possible West Indies squad: Omar Phillips, Dale Richards, Floyd Reifer, Travis Dowlin, Cadwick Walton, Darren Sammy, Kemar Roach, Ryan Austin, Tino Best, Kevin McClean, Nelon Pascal

Hilaire addresses concerns raised by Minister Anthony…
Minister feels excuse is a justification for an unreasonable position
By Marlon Munroe
A DAY after Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony expressed his disappointment over the selection process for the allocation of games at the 2010 ICC 20/20 World Cup in the Caribbean, Tournament Director Ernest Hilaire sought to defend some of the comments and concerns of the minister.

In a telephone interview with Chronicle Sport, Hilaire explained that Guyana was ‘kept constantly in the loop because of their limitations as a host nation from the beginning”.

Hilaire, who is from St Lucia, said that while Guyana has one of the best stadia in the Caribbean, Guyana’s Oversight Committee, headed by Anthony, knew from the inception that their accommodation capacity was limited.

But speaking to Minister Anthony yesterday he referred to Hilaire’s excuse as a “justification for an unreasonable position” especially since Barbados and St Lucia have received their full quota of matches.

Anthony also referred to using accommodation as a reason for Guyana not getting its full quota of matches as a “red herring” especially since the weeks leading up to the launching for next year the planning committee cut all communication with the local committee.

Anthony contended that during the 2007 World Cup Guyana hosted six teams comfortably and there were no complaints. He said in 2007 WICB planning committee used The Pegasus and Cara Suites and had they used the Buddy’s Hotel Guyana would have been able to accommodate more people.

Hilaire explained that Barbados and St Lucia, the other two nations that won bids to host games, were not in the “loop” because they hadn’t the problem of accommodation and therefore preference to host the influx of supporters, the teams and their regular guests would have been taken into consideration. He stated that St Lucia alone has the capacity to house 5 000 persons at the recommended hotels and the same applies for Barbados.

“Two hotels reached the standard of the ICC inspectorate team, especially The Pegasus Hotel and this was made known to the minister. Princess Buddy’s, the other hotel, has been advised to make some adjustments, and has duly complied, to accommodate the five teams that will be accommodated in Guyana,” Hilaire explained.

Minister Anthony told media operatives that when he met the ICC inspectorate team last week and he enquired about the match schedule the inspectorate team, headed by Hilaire, was evasive. But Hilaire contended that none of the other countries knew about the schedule prior to the launching but his team again voiced their concerns about Guyana’s accommodation capability.

He outlined that for a hotel to house six teams will require 30 rooms, a well equipped gym for the players and six meeting rooms. The international media, sponsors, match officials, the broadcast and technical personnel, which have totalled over 100, have to be taken into consideration also. He went on to state that the Pegasus, even now, has to undergo further inspections.

He did make it clear however, that the WICB, who is the host of the event, insisted that games come to Guyana and such was the case from the inception. He said that there was great bargaining for matches including one semi-final to come to Guyana but there was always the issue of Guyana’s rainy season and Guyana was made aware of these problems that faced the planners and major stakeholders.

At an earlier press conference Hilaire stated that allocating matches to host nations was the most tedious task he has ever undertaken. He made this statement cognisant of the fact that there were other factors and demands, of all involved, to consider.

Yesterday he said, “It was a highly complex and intensive negotiating process and therefore countries had to start compromising because there is never an ideal match schedule,”

At a press conference on Tuesday the minister stated that he understood these “logistical preparations” but was disappointed with the quota of matches while referring to the process of selection as “not transparent”.

The minister also stated at the press conference that there were no reasons given for the scale down of ten to six matches. However, the minister assured media operatives that Guyana will continue to plan for the event.

Hilaire responded, “I can understand the country’s and the minister’s disappointment at their quota of matches but I don’t understand why the Honourable Minister (Frank Anthony) would say the process for allocation of matches was not transparent”.

Meanwhile, Hilaire stated that when the nations presented their bids and Guyana found out that they secured the right to host matches, the WICB informed the local committees.

He said that there were consultations on the recommendations they were carrying to the ICC, who is standing the entire cost of the tournament, and the host nations agreed to the conditions with five days for matches with double-headers.

However, there were concerns with Guyana by major stakeholders. It was their contention that because the event was being played during Guyana’s rainy season wisdom dictated that steps be revisited with some logistical changes and these were made known to Guyana, according to Hilaire.

Zokora leaves Spurs for Sevilla
LONDON, England (BBC) - Sevilla have signed Tottenham's Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora for an undisclosed fee.

The move had stalled after Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido insisted they would not meet the valuation, but agreement was reached yesterday.

Boss Harry Redknapp has been hoping to recoup at least the £8.2m they paid French club St Etienne for Zokora's services after the 2006 World Cup.

Zokora, 28, made 134 appearances for Spurs and has signed a four-year deal.

The deal includes a 30m Euro release clause, and Zokora will be presented next Wednesday.

Sporting director Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo has revealed Zokora's desire to join them was crucial in sealing the deal.

"Every Sevillista should be happy," he told the club website. "We have to thank the president and the board for the effort they made in this signing. Zokora was our main objective for this season.

"We managed to close the deal not without significant effort. We hope it will prove worth the pain. We think the player deserves it.

"As soon as he knew about Sevilla's interest, he only gave signs of dedication and gratitude. This is important in these cases because it gives you leeway in the negotiation.

"We are all really happy today. He's a player who works a lot, who runs a lot, physically he's a wonder who covers a lot of the pitch, he's very versatile. He is what we needed to complete the excellent midfield that we already have."

The signing of Wilson Palacios from Wigan in January saw Zokora largely displaced from Redknapp's starting line-up and he has completed 90 minutes in the league just three times since the Honduran's arrival.

A stint at right-back proved unsuccessful and a particularly gruelling encounter against Aston Villa's left winger Ashley Young saw the former St Etienne player substituted just 35 minutes into his side's 2-1 win.

Sevilla and Tottenham clashed over the way the White Hart Lane side recruited former manager Juande Ramos in October 2007 and the dispute was only concluded when the two clubs reached an out-of-court settlement on Monday.

Tour de France
Voeckler wins Tour’s fifth stage
LONDON, England (BBC) - Frenchman Thomas Voeckler celebrated his maiden Grand Tour victory on stage five of the Tour de France yesterday.

Voeckler was part of a six-man break early in the 196.5km stage from Le Cap D'Adge to Perpignan.

Voeckler celebrates his first Grand Tour stage victory in style

He made a dash for home with five kilometres remaining and held off the peloton to win by seven seconds.

Britain's Mark Cavendish came in third to retain the sprinters' green jersey and Fabien Cancellara kept the leaders' yellow jersey from Lance Armstrong.

Voeckler, who broke his collarbone during the Paris to Nice race in March, made his break from the peloton with Anthony Geslin, Marcin Sapa and Fumiyuki Beppu in the opening kilometres, but Japan's Beppu dropped back quickly.

The trio was soon joined by Yauhani Hutarovich, Mikhael Ignatiev and Albert Timmer and the sextet's lead reached more than nine minutes before the peloton began to reel them back in.

Team Columbia, Cavendish's team, expended most of the energy in chasing down the leaders on a relatively flat stage in the south of France, where a strong crosswind played its part, and they soon whittled it down to under four minutes.

It seemed only a matter of time before the peloton would close in, but Voeckler urged his fellow escapees on, no doubt remembering his efforts five years ago to the day when he was one of five riders to break clear - he finished fourth that day, but took the yellow jersey which he then held for 10 days.

Lance Armstrong's Astana team helped pull the peloton to within 45 seconds of the leaders with just under 40km remaining, but that was as close as they got.

The lead hovered around the 90-second mark for several kilometres, but the expected surge from the main bunch failed to materialise and with a little over five kilometres left, Ignatiev made his burst for home.

Voeckler immediately latched on to his wheel and then made his own break for glory when the place slackened.

And there was to be no denying the Frenchman as he cruised up the finishing straight with the peloton thundering behind him.

Ignatiev found enough energy to hold off the peloton for second, with Cavendish leading home the sprinters in third.

"I waited for so long for this to happen I had almost ceased to believe in my chances of winning a Tour stage," said Voeckler.

"I went in the finale because I was not the best sprinter in the break and 300 metres from the line I realised that was it. I was helped by the wind, I would never have succeeded otherwise."

Race leader Cancellara finished in the main pack with Armstrong and so retained his yellow jersey, while Cavendish ensured he would stay in green for another day with his late burst.

Today’s stage six sees the riders venture into Spain for the southernmost stage in Tour history with a 181.5km ride from Gerona to Barcelona.